Articles on Finance
Offerings. Tithes. Stewardship. Generosity. Giving. Sacrifice. Finance. There are many words that we use to describe the money that is received by the church for ministry use. There are also many facets to the Finance Department as they aid ministries by organizing the necessary funds.
Gifts for a Needy Person
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 Hey Fletch… We have a widow in our church that is going through serious medical challenges. She has exhausted her financial resources. Several wealthy members of the congregation want to [...]
Can a Church Pay FICA for a Pastor?
Hey Fletch … It’s been one month after I got your answer to my question. I still don’t have my head wrapped around this issue of FICA vs. SECA and how it relates to Housing [...]
Staff Budgets Are Cut
Hey Fletch … I’m been on staff at our megachurch for many years. Every year, I have to worry about the budget for my area being cut in the middle of the year, sometimes twice [...]
Supreme Court Decision Continues for Nonprofits That Sell Items
As we originally reported in our June 21, 2018 Special Alert℠, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et al., that states can, in some circumstances, require a seller [...]
Mileage Reimbursement for Missionaries
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Hey Fletch! First off, thank you so much for bringing such an informative and fun workshop to Hawaii. It was such a pleasure to see you and we look forward to [...]
Giving Envelopes and Designated Giving
Tuesday, February 12, 2019 Hey Fletch…our church envelopes and website allow donors to make designations. There are words that say, “The board has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.” Can [...]
Obligations with Donor Designations?
Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Hey Fletch … What are our obligations in handling donor designations? These come either verbally during a church service, on our website, or by text. They can also be formally given [...]
Benevolence: The Right Help Given the Right Way
Churches are in the charity business. They are commanded by God to help the poor, the sick and the wounded. But the church also must abide by tax rules designed to prevent abuse. This [...]
Donor Designated Gifts
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Hey Fletch … I heard that if a donor designates a gift made to our church, we cannot provide the donor with a receipt under the theory that designated gifts are [...]
Pay for a Wedding
Friday, January 11, 2019 Hey Fletch … If a pastor performs a funeral or wedding and is paid directly, the pastor gives the check to our church finance office. I then add it to their [...]
Running a Church
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading the columns for a while. It seems like you know so much about churches. I would say that ‘Fletch knows how to run a [...]
New Year Help on Taxes
Monday, January 7, 2019 Hey Fletch … I heard you say at the Smart Money workshop, "If a pastor has low housing costs, it can actually hurt them financially." My question is how? Isn't it [...]
Tax on a Church Parking Lot?
Saturday, January 5, 2019 Hey Fletch … Do I need to pay unrelated business income tax on my parking lot? I heard a lot of noise about this last fall but what was the final [...]
Policies on Appropriate Spending
Friday, January 4, 2019 Hey Fletch … Do you have any policies or procedures which outline appropriate spending? Our SP has a credit card but we haven’t ever put limits on spending. We are [...]
Four Levels of Givers
Friday, December 14, 2018 Hey Fletch … I was at the Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop in Dallas. It was awesome. I’m creating an executive summary of my notes for our directional team [...]
Renting Church Rooms to the School District
Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Hey Fletch … We are in an unusual place. Many times new churches rent or lease space from public school systems. Our county school system is seeking to lease classroom space from us [...]
Please Support Me
Thursday, December 6, 2018 Hey Fletch … I am senior pastor in Kenya. We face financial problems in our small church. A salary for me is just a dream. We kindly request if any assistance. [...]
Tax on Church Parking Spaces
Wednesday, December 5, 2018 Hey Fletch … Anything on your radar regarding 2018 tax law that is calling for non-profit organizations to file a 990-T for tax on parking spaces provided for employees? Our [...]
Did I Break the Law in Opting Out of Social Security?
Friday, November 30, 2018 Hey Fletch … When I first became a pastor, people advised me to opt out of Social Security. I had been in business for over 20 years and they said, “you [...]
Use of Movies and Trademarked Images in Church
Hey Fletch … This may not be in your wheelhouse but I know you have a lot of experience and knowledge! We are doing Christmas at the Movies this year. When it comes to [...]
Are Discounts to Church Events Taxable Income?
Saturday, November 24, 2018 Hey Fletch … We are thinking of offering all staff who work 32 hours a week or more discounts to church retreats and functions for which there is a charge. My [...]
Donations for Funeral Expenses
Friday, November 23, 2018 Hey Fletch … I have a question related to a special donation. A family in our church had a very unexpected death in their family. Another family in the church would [...]
Attorney Needed for Pastor Who Opted Out of Social Security
Monday, November 19, 2018 Hey Fletch … A few months ago we discussed our pastor’s lack of retirement planning. You mentioned you could recommend a non-profit attorney for a consultation. One of my “strategies” is [...]
Automatic Rollover of Housing Allowances
Hey Fletch … At the Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop, you referenced some language you used on the housing allowance form. This allows the amounts to roll over year after year without a [...]