2024 IRS Standard Mileage

The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2024 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) will be:

  • 67 cents per mile driven for business use, up 1.5 cents from 2023.
  • 21 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, a decrease of 1 cent from 2023.
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2023.

These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

The standard mileage rate for business use is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs.

Year-end checklist

It is time for church treasurers to start working on closing out 2023 records and preparing for 2024. We should take a moment to make sure all our ducks are in a row and everything is ready for the new year, such reviewing employee W-4s and making sure that all revenue and expenses are accounted for prior to closing the books. To help with this, the resource website Free Church Accounting has a helpful checklist.

Board of Pensions: New Benefits Connect website is under construction

Watch for information about this new website for employers and employees. When the new Benefits Connect launches, you’ll be able to see your invoices and make payments in the same place you manage your benefits.

Mastering Seventeen End-of-Year Financial Tasks

Churches should complete several end-of-year financial tasks before January 1, 2024. To help you navigate this, Church Law & Tax works with tax and accounting experts to develop this checklist each year. Here’s to finishing 2023 strong and getting off to a great start in 2024!

Feds roll out new Form I-9, sunset key Covid-19 deferment

All employers, including churches, are to begin using a new Form I-9, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in late July.

Form I-9 is required of employers to verify the identity and the employment authorization of their employees to work in the country.

The new form became available August 1, 2023, and allows certain qualifying employers an alternative way of examining identifying documents for new employees using E-Verify.

  • According to the Homeland Security Department rule, to use E-Verify, an employer must be an E-Verify participant in good standing, which is defined as:
  • An employer that has enrolled in E-Verify with respect to all hiring sites in the U.S. that use the alternative procedure;
  • is compliant with all requirements of the E-Verify program including but not limited to verifying the employment eligibility of newly hired employees in the U.S.;
  • continues to be a participant in good standing in E-Verify at any time during which the employer uses the alternative procedure.

The agency also announced other key changes likely affecting most, if not all, employers, including many churches. Read more here.

The new I-9 form can be found here.

More info on E-Verify can be found here.

2024 Pastor Minimum Compensation

The 2024 rates for pastor compensation are now available on the Presbytery’s website under the Documents section. At the August Presbytery Meeting, a 2% increase in minimum compensation for Ministers of the Word and Sacrament and Certified Christian Educators for 2024 to the following amounts was approved.

Cash salary: $36,435
Housing: $11,011
Utilities: $3,672
Total: $51,118

The Committee on Ministry strongly encourages all churches to consider a 2% salary increase for all pastoral leaders currently working above the minimum compensation level.

2024 Per Capita

The 2024 Per Capita rate will be $30.30 per member, according to the church’s membership in the most recently filed statistical report. The 2024 Per Capita was approved at the August Presbytery Meeting. With the total rate at $30.30 per member, the Presbytery of West Virginia will keep $18.05 and send $9.85 and $2.40 to the General Assembly and Synod of the Trinity, respectively.

Helping us understand the importance of Per Capita to our connectional church is this excellent article from Presbyterians Today, titled (coincidentally enough) “Understanding Per Capita.”

2024 Shared Mission Pledge Request

The 2024 Shared Mission pledge request and Per Capita notice letter were mailed to the treasurer, Clerk of Session, and pastoral leader of each church in early November. Please return the pledge card to this office at your earliest convenience. We encourage each Session to thoughtfully consider our request. The information provided when a church returns their pledge card, no matter the response, is essential to our effective management of the presbytery’s financial resources. So, we urge treasurers, Clerks of Session, and pastoral leaders to make sure that their church has returned their pledge card to this office. If you have any questions about mission pledge, Per Capita, or other benevolences, please let us know (304-744-7634, treasurer@wvpresbytery.org).

2024 PWV Budget

The 2024 final, approved budget can be found here.

Board of Pensions: New Medicare Advantage plan replaces Medicare Supplement

The Board of Pensions has begun offering enhanced medical coverage to retired members through the Humana Group Medicare Advantage PPO plan, starting Jan. 1. Retired members pay no monthly subscription rate to participate in the new plan, which replaces the Medicare Supplement Plan. Find out more here.

2024 Special Offerings Calendar

Here is this year’s calendar for the four churchwide Special Offerings of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: Feb. 14 to March 31

Typically received during the season of Lent, each gift to One Great Hour of Sharing supports efforts to relieve hunger through the Presbyterian Hunger Program, promote development through the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, and assist in areas of disaster through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Offering distribution: 36% Presbyterian Hunger Program, 32% Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 32% Self-Development of People.

PENTECOST: April 1 to May 19

PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS: Sept. 8 to Oct. 6

CHRISTMAS JOY: Dec. 3 to Dec. 24

NOTE: Donations to the four Special Offerings are accepted at any time. The dates above are for times of special emphasis on the offerings. Click here for more information or to order resources, or call the PC(USA) Store at 800-533-4371.