relationship and meeting at the time and place of the expenditure . This is a gray area on many tax returns . For more information , you should familiarize yourself with IRS Topic 512 and Publication 463 .
2 . Travel : Work-related travel , e . g . hospital and nursing home visits , are deductible . However , documentation is very important . Mileage logs should be meticulously maintained and always include :
• Travel date
• Place of travel
• Business purpose
• Relationship to the individual with whom you met , i . e . church member , attorney ,
• etc .
• Miles traveled
• A running balance of miles traveled , i . e . odometer readings for every trip
3 . Education : Does your church or regulation require you to have specific or additional education ; or do your educational pursuits improve or maintain your skills , so that you may keep your job ? If so , then your tuition , books , supplies ( even correspondence courses ) are tax deductible .
4 . Fees / Dues / Subscriptions : Subscriptions to professional journals and religious publications , dues to professional organizations and / or societies , and seminar and conference fees are deductible .
5 . Clothing : Robes and vestments are deductible . The qualifier is these garments are generally not worn for occasions other than ministry , i . e . your business suits are not deductible .
6 . Resource Books : Religious books and publications such as theological dictionaries , concordances , etc .
7 . Housing Allowance : The allowance for housing is excluded from Federal Income Tax . So , it ’ s considered the greatest tax benefit available to ministers . The housing allowance is a calculated portion of a minister ’ s compensation . While it is excluded from your Federal Income Tax , it is not exempt from your Self Employment Tax ( Social Security and Medicare ). There are subtle intricacies to properly setting up and maintaining a housing allowance .
• The Housing Allowance must be board-approved before it is paid ( a housing allowance is never retroactive )
• You must spend the allowance on eligible housing expenses during the year , i . e . rent / mortgage payments , mortgage interest , home insurance , utilities , property tax , etc .
The housing allowance calculation is supported by the forecast expenditures provided by the you , the minister . Thus , it is the your responsibility to ensure that the calculation is properly and accurately adjusted annually .
If you are provided a parsonage to live in by your church , you are not subject to income taxes on the use of the parsonage . However , the fair rental value of the parsonage ( you make the determination of that value ) is added into the calculation of your self- employment tax . If the utilities are paid by the church , then those expenditures are also added into the calculation of selfemployment tax .
Ministers who are classified as an employee are limited to
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