Tax planning & preparation for clergy and international missionaries

Clergy and international missionary taxation is a specialty you don’t see often in a CPA firm. However, preparing clergy taxes is how the firm started and we continue to focus on this highly specialized area. New members of the clergy have a learning curve the first few years of employment. They must decide if they should be subject to self-employment taxes, they need to set a housing allowance and they must ensure the church has the right systems in place to make sure these decisions will hold up to IRS standards. Our professionals know these rules inside and out and will guide members of the clergy through the process. Even experienced members of the clergy need assistance to ensure they are up to date on the current regulations and changes that occur. They need to know how often they should update their housing allowance, what types of retirement plans are best and how each of the plans will affect their overall retirement planning.

International missionaries have all those decisions and complexities plus other issues that can make a significant difference in your tax situation. They need to decide if they qualify to take the foreign income exclusion and if that is most beneficial in their circumstances. Being an international missionary brings with it a higher level of complexity to your tax situation. You want to make sure you know about these decisions before it is time to file your tax return. By then, it could be too late.

We are here to help clergy and missionaries evaluate the options available to them and to make sure they are comfortable with those choices so they can focus their energy on their service to others.