Nonprofit and Church Accounting Blog
This accounting blog...
- informs you when any new web pages appear on my site,
- shows you the latest question, comment, or tip posted by readers...(please feel free to browse the questions below and answer the ones you feel comfortable answering),
- let's you know when an error is found in my free financial spreadsheets and how to correct them.
Nov 18, 2019
Is the Pastor Responsible
Myth or fact, is the Pastor responsible for any church bank accounts if the church goes bad, audited, go in default?
Nov 18, 2019
Small church guidelines for gifts to pastor
How should a small church (tithes and offerings less than $75000 annually) handle and report monetary gifts to its pastor and immediate family? The
Continue reading "Small church guidelines for gifts to pastor"
Nov 18, 2019
Are salary and gross income the same?
We pay our ministers certain stipends. We pay a stipend for FICA and one for cell phone use that is included in his income and reported on the W2.
Nov 18, 2019
IRS Disallows Charitable Contributions
Hi, a member of our church is being audited by the IRS. The member gave the IRS the annual contribution statement that I provided to him. The statement
Nov 18, 2019
Church scheduling
Does Aplos include software allow scheduling different people (greeter's, band, Sunday School teachers, ect.) on a particular Sunday and show last date
Oct 19, 2019
procedure for booking fund income & expenses
When funds are deposited to the general account, is the opposite entry to an income account? When funds are dispersed from the general account for a fund
Continue reading "procedure for booking fund income & expenses"
Oct 19, 2019
Benevolence for Member's Auto Repair a "Luxury"?
We recently know of an elderly couple that asked for benevolence at their church to help repair the a/c unit in their car. They were turned down because
Continue reading "Benevolence for Member's Auto Repair a "Luxury"?"
Oct 19, 2019
Security Procedures
As the Bookkeeper,I do enter the accounting data, write the checks, and reconcile the monthly bank statements for a church thrift store that is a start-up.
Oct 08, 2019
Self-employed pastor per guidelines with 100% housing allowance
My question: Schedule C Expenses must be allocated against tax free income such as housing allowance. Assume the pastor falls within guidelines as self-employed
Continue reading "Self-employed pastor per guidelines with 100% housing allowance"
Oct 08, 2019
Reporting of Pastoral Housing Allowance
Can 100% of a pastors income be reported as housing allowance?
Sep 24, 2019
Timing of donation vs the donation receipt
Can I issue a donation receipt for a donation of non-cash items in 2019 when the donation will not be received until 2020?
Continue reading "Timing of donation vs the donation receipt"
Sep 13, 2019
Do any other churches out there utilize a "IN/OUT" Fund for monies that pass through the accounting system?
In a previous church as the Business Administrator our system had a fund set up for pass-through monies. For example, Altar Flowers, people paid for them
Sep 12, 2019
How to report housing for a pastor
Our pastor does not receive a salary, he turned it down so that his father (our former pastor) would continue to receive his salary. Recently our new
Aug 31, 2019
Financing a Parsonage
I'm a pastor and currently receiving a weekly amount for housing allowance. The home I live in is personally owned and not receiving the benefit of a parsonage.
Aug 31, 2019
Accounting for money given for specific use
We often receive money for special programs for the community. We also receive money for scholarships to church camps and flowers at Easter and Christmas.
Continue reading "Accounting for money given for specific use"
Aug 31, 2019
How to do W-2
If a pastor of a small church had a housing allowance only for pay (and it was the smallest of housing expenses actually pd, housing allowance designated
Aug 31, 2019
Opt out of Social Security - Housing Allowance
Clergy opts of of Social Security, so that does that make the housing allowance not subject to SE tax and ordinary tax? Came across my first clergy client
Continue reading "Opt out of Social Security - Housing Allowance "
Aug 21, 2019
Housing Allowance Approvals
We began paying our pastor a salary on January 1, 2019. He will receive a 1099 for 2019. At the time, we discussed housing allowance but failed to get
Aug 21, 2019
expense money for pastor
If money is left in yearly expense account for pastor how do we disburse it?
Aug 21, 2019
Accounting for church building fund
1. What is the accounting entry to record cash received for church building fund? 2. Is this fund reported as income in the income statement?
Aug 10, 2019
Gift for Volunteer Elder
We have an outgoing volunteer elder/pastor. We thought it would be nice to gift him with $2,500.00 gift. This would come out of our general fund. So,
Aug 10, 2019
Required Love offering
My organization uses a church building that is offered to us for free. My organization REQUIRES each family to pay a set amount twice a year as a love
Aug 10, 2019
401K donation earmarked to pastor
An individual is having his 401k make distributions to a church in order to take a charitable contribution but not pay income tax on the distribution.
Aug 10, 2019
Housing Allowance Change in July
Our church has semi-annual business meetings--one in January and one in July. In the July business meeting in 2019, it was recommended that the pastor's
Aug 10, 2019
Question
How is the best way to handle and record one time large gift. We need to separate it from our regular giving so it does not inflate our future budgeting.
Aug 10, 2019
collecting SSDI and taking a Sr. Pastor Position do I have to report Housing allowance
I have been collecting SSDI for 20 years, I have Muscular Dystrophy, I was asked to take over as Sr. Pastor of a small church. The church wants to pay
Aug 10, 2019
Retired pastor receives gift from church.
Church donates a home to retiring pastor, what are the tax consequences to him?
Continue reading "Retired pastor receives gift from church."
Jul 05, 2019
Need help completing pastor compensation contract correctly.
We are paying our pastor a salary and giving a housing allowance. On the contract, do we add both amounts to arrive at his total income or do we only include
Continue reading "Need help completing pastor compensation contract correctly."
Jun 30, 2019
Can you pay your pastor's housing allowance if he does not actually receive a paycheck from the church?
Is the pastor still considered an employee of the church if he does not receive a salary, and if he is considered an employee of the church can he be paid
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