tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post420880275059112821..comments2023-11-03T05:46:44.728-04:00Comments on RevGalBlogPals: Ask the Matriarch - Ministry Expense ReimbursementStephanie Anthony/She Revhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10089531643725874239noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-54061637982641778962011-07-16T07:43:30.872-04:002011-07-16T07:43:30.872-04:00Glad to know I'm not the only one with a churc...Glad to know I'm not the only one with a church credit card... and earthchick, I'm probably with you in being the one late to turn in receipts. I won't be this month (so many moving expenses!) but I do need to watch that for myself!<br /><br />Unfinsymphony, thanks for the iphone app recommendation. I have a handwritten log in my car, but using my phone might be way more convenient!La Peregrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801672904884811424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-70790482893923287322011-07-15T13:52:44.796-04:002011-07-15T13:52:44.796-04:00Remember to keep meticulous records of mileage. I ...Remember to keep meticulous records of mileage. I used to have a log book that I kept in my car, but now I use an iPhone app (BizXpenseTracker). I try to include enough details so that I remember why it was not a "commuting" expense. If it's an event or other work-related appointment it's OK. It only takes getting audited once to know what "adequate documentation" for the IRS looks like. Because my dad had kept mileage for his business, I had a leg up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-57157967706649440862011-07-15T03:43:21.544-04:002011-07-15T03:43:21.544-04:00Thanks to Diane for mentioning the credit card ide...Thanks to Diane for mentioning the credit card idea. My church has just started the call process so I'm going to suggest it to the tresurer as a way of simplifying things.<br /><br />I believe we pay our pastor's cell phone bill direct, and get the bill direct from the operator - so that is one less bit of paper to fill out.Alisonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-41582661157009418852011-07-15T00:27:23.356-04:002011-07-15T00:27:23.356-04:00Diane, my congregation (200 members) won't let...Diane, my congregation (200 members) won't let us have a credit card either (we've asked). So we all use our credit cards and get reimbursed. Our treasurers are timely, though - any delay is usually on my end, as tallying up all my receipts often becomes less urgent than other work I need to do.earthchickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447310443886956100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-86341057614610696772011-07-15T00:01:26.348-04:002011-07-15T00:01:26.348-04:00To the original question - My ministry covenant sp...To the original question - My ministry covenant specifies the following expenses (again not compensation)<br />Continuing education - $800 <br />required meetings and conferences - $400<br />Books and publications - $300<br />Cell phone - $60/month <br />mileage - actual miles at current IRS rate <br /><br />I do simply turn in receipts for all these expenses, and for other things I end up purchasing and get a reimbursement check monthly. It hasn't been a problem in my context, but I can imagine a situation in which the Pastor's reimbursements were put on the lowest priority of bill paying.Anna Sorensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12282584909692804697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-66812947747541442072011-07-14T23:52:44.509-04:002011-07-14T23:52:44.509-04:00Muthuah+, Diane is indeed correct about the IRS ru...Muthuah+, Diane is indeed correct about the IRS rules, they can't give you mileage for commuting...but if you do "business" on the way (a hospital visit?) then the whole trip is reimburseable. There is a whole IRS publication on the matter.Anna Sorensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12282584909692804697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-67116907553629579742011-07-14T22:57:22.255-04:002011-07-14T22:57:22.255-04:00I'm glad this is today's Ask the Matriarch...I'm glad this is today's Ask the Matriarch because I met with my charge treasurer two nights ago to go over reimbursements at the church, and my head is still swimming!<br /><br />In previous congregations where I've interned, the churches have all had credit cards that the paid staff could use. These churches (one is 180 members; the other is 40 members) don't have a credit card and want me to put everything on my card and turn in receipts... is this typical for churches their size? I'm a little bit worried about whether their turn-around time will be fast enough for me to pay my bills as they're due. Any thoughts from the matriarchs?<br /><br />And finally, Muthah+, I think that the reason your parish wouldn't help with the commuting expenses is because the IRS won't let them do so. The way it was explained to me is that you subtract the number of miles driving from home to church, since the reimbursement can only be from your place of business (the church) to other business-related places (e.g., the hospital). But that sucks for your 40 mile commute!La Peregrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801672904884811424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-1091140957154244312011-07-14T13:40:07.195-04:002011-07-14T13:40:07.195-04:00These are great thoughts, y'all, on breaking t...These are great thoughts, y'all, on breaking things out. In my congregation, we have everything lumped together and it never even occurred to me to advocate for separating mileage from other professional expenses, or to further delineate the professional expense line item.earthchickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447310443886956100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-25950301240873971692011-07-14T13:13:07.696-04:002011-07-14T13:13:07.696-04:00I contracted with a parish with the IRS amt for mi...I contracted with a parish with the IRS amt for milage but then I was told that I could only be paid for the milage IN the parish. Since I lived 40 miles away, it was very expensive to be their pastor. They would not help me with milage for the commute.Muthah+https://www.blogger.com/profile/10589837671378205837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-694108413144233692011-07-14T11:34:25.432-04:002011-07-14T11:34:25.432-04:00Our (Episcopal)diocese has guidelines for covering...Our (Episcopal)diocese has guidelines for covering these expenses. I am reimbursed at the IRS for mileage--there is a line item in the budget which I have never exceeded; I have a separate account for other "professional expenses" including books, entertainment related to work, etc. The continuing ed allowance is set by the diocese and is also a separate account. And the discretionary account is separate from all these and to be used for helping those in need. <br /><br />I think it is really helpful to have things broken out this way--it makes it clean and clear for everyone . Given the way the price of gas fluctuates (mostly upward) it is especially helpful to have that as its own line.Rev Dr Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686528826414330355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-66802714374048800892011-07-14T08:33:32.792-04:002011-07-14T08:33:32.792-04:00LIke Kathryn, I have the presbytery guidelines in ...LIke Kathryn, I have the presbytery guidelines in my favor, and my presbytery says that full time pastors get $1500 for continuing education. It used to be lumped together with professional expenses (books, taking people out to lunch, bribing people to show up to meetings, mileage, etc) but just this year was separated out to two line items. My professional expense line item is still extremely generous (until you have to buy the youth leaders dinner every time you want all of them to be somewhere at the same time!)...but I confess that I never turn in mileage. I use that line for hospitality and books and such, and I track mileage for Presbytery meetings and deal with that on my taxes. Other than that, I don't bother. Then again, I rarely drive more than 20-30 miles for anything other than Presbytery or con-ed, so the time-to-reimbursement-ratio is not worth it to me.Terihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10838436991138846332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-45320184974217801102011-07-14T07:59:34.355-04:002011-07-14T07:59:34.355-04:00I agree with the advice. In my former presbytery, ...I agree with the advice. In my former presbytery, I was told that no matter how much the congregation had budgeted for mileage reimbursement, I would be reimbursed for my actual expenses, even if they exceeded the budgeted amount. (Remember that a budget is a plan.) Break each item out as several have advised. <br /><br />If you are practicing good stewardship of their funds, then this should be evident in your discussion of the expenses.<br /><br />I don't believe in not asking for reimbursement of legitimate expenses. If you want, you can make a contribution equal to the expense, but the church needs to know the real cost of ministry.<br /><br />I know of one pastor who tithed 10% of his income back to the church he served. The congregation wanted to cut his salary. He then said that he would have to cut his tithe. While I really don't recommend that approach, I know that often governing boards don't have a clue how much pastors tithe back to the congregation.Joan Calvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13858394238696729686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14710344.post-20019919524054443462011-07-14T01:11:45.880-04:002011-07-14T01:11:45.880-04:00These items are broken out differently in my congr...These items are broken out differently in my congregation (as recommended by my synod). I have a line for "professional expenses" that covers books, shirts and things I buy for sermons, classes, etc. There is a separate line item for continuing education. I get a standard auto allowance of $250/month. One of the things I struggle with is returning receipts for that first item mentioned. For a while, I kept 90% of the receipts and used them as tax deductions, but now the IRS is only allowing me to count 60% of my total work expenses toward taxes (new tax bracket). So, I'm turning in closer to 60% of the receipts now. That's hard when I know we (the congregation) are struggling financially, but I am a big believer in being honest about the costs of being a pastor (financial and otherwise). I can see the writing on the wall that there will be no raise for me in the next year (or maybe two) and I will be asking for an additional week of vacation as compensation. <br /><br />I think you have to be upfront with what the financial demands of the job are. Otherwise, people are surprised when a future pastor is.Pastor Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01483149432826000955noreply@blogger.com