Disclaimer: This is general tax advice so don’t sue me. Most church treasurers are volunteers. Very few were ever trained on payroll or clergy taxes. That’s a big reason why I post…to hopefully provide some quality guidance and tools. Below is my calculator to help Global Methodist churches accurately pay their pastors and report their wages. In my video, I give a little more information on how to use the calculator. In the links, I give the the 2024 Insurance Rates which would allow you to calculate the Pastor’s Share of Premiums now instead of waiting for Open Enrollment (Nov 1 – 16).
Where can I find Good Information?
When I first became a church treasurer, I learned that I didn’t know anything about how taxes work for churches and clergy. I have been accumulating sources over the years. Here’s some of my favorites:
- Church Law & Tax: Richard Hammar, a legend in the clergy tax world, is the main source of wisdom here. Every other year I would buy Hammar’s Church & Clergy Tax Guide.
- The Pastor’s Wallet: Amy Artiga is not a legend…yet. Where Hammar sometimes gets too deep in the weeds, Amy keeps things understandable.
Who is your Go-To Person?
Don’t be afraid to call someone up. I have a list of people that I look to for guidance or reassurance. I know a guy in Rapid City, South Dakota that I called whenever I needed Church Windows help. I have three people that I ask about Clergy Taxes. I have other people I ask about banking, investing, legal issues, etc. When you find people you can trust for good advice, don’t be shy about reaching out to them. Good people feel honored to help…not annoyed.
Useful Links
- Paycheck & W-2 Calculator (Excel): https://jctaccounting.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/paycheck_w2_calculator.xlsx
- 2024 Insurance Rates (PDF): https://jctaccounting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HealthFlex_Rates_2024_PDF.pdf
- 2024 Insurance Rates (Excel): https://jctaccounting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HealthFlex_Rates_2024_Excel.xlsx
- Finding info on Benefits Access: https://youtu.be/EhH89Fes5Oc?si=DVtb4wrLQVLWy34E&t=558
- Setting up Pastor in QuickBooks Payroll: http://jctaccounting.com/2020/12/11/how-do-pay-your-pastor-in-quickbooks/
- Clergy Tax Primer: http://jctaccounting.com/2022/05/24/what-you-need-to-know-about-clergy-taxes/
- Global Methodist Financial Calculator: https://jctaccounting.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/gmc_calculator_2024.xlsx