WITAXLADY Posted August 6 Report Share Posted August 6 New minister wants to be paid with the soc sec/medicare taken off and paid by the church Church says fine, He has talked to other pastors and they claim that is an option.. The options I see are 1 -no soc sec/medicare claimed at all on taxes or W-2 2 -Minister pays through the Clergy worksheet not the option for the church to pay? Any cites, please? thank you darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted August 6 Report Share Posted August 6 He can request enough FIT withheld to cover both his FIT as well as his SE tax on his return. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 He can’t be treated as an ordinarily employee - he has a hybrid status, which means he must pay self-employment tax on his earnings and H&U allowance. but he can have his estimates of those taxes withheld and reported on a W-2. His gross wages can be reported on Form 941 and omitted from the Medicare & SosSec wages lines. His withholding tax is reported on the 941 on the appropriate line. For most clergy this figure is very high relative to the wages figure because it includes both withholding tax and self-employment tax on both the wages and also the H&U allowance. (This withholding is typically not a calculated figure - the church withholds whatever amount the minister requests based on his estimated tax calculations). At year-end the minister receives a W-2 showing only entries for wages and withholding, Thus, the W2 will agree with the sum of the 941’s and all is well. It’s also a good idea to enter the H&U allowance as a memo entry in Box 14. Some bookkeepers feel wierd preparing the 941s and w2 forms in this manner, but it’s really the only way to do it properly and get the withholding reported & paid. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 If your client is a clergyperson of a mainstream religion, his church employer most likely has the benefit of a regional &/or national organization with printed materials, workshops, etc., to help both clergy and church treasurers with the unique issues of clergy pay. Also, read publications by William F. Geisler, Beverly J. Worth, and IRS Publication 517. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITAXLADY Posted August 7 Author Report Share Posted August 7 Thank you! D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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