Free Minister Taxes Webinar
Church Law & Tax is holding a free webinar, “Clergy: Get Smarter About Your Taxes,” at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) on Monday, Feb. 7. It will be led by the Rev. Don Joiner, a certified financial planner, with the goal of “helping us navigate the preparation of taxes and planning for a sound financial future.” Register here.
2022 Important Tax Filing Dates
The folks at Church Law & Tax have compiled a comprehensive list of important tax dates, primarily those happening this month. Be sure to take a look.
2022 Minister Housing Allowance
Now is the time to think about housing and manse allowances for ministers. This allowance is the most valuable tax benefit a minister receives, so making sure everything is in order at/before the start of a new year is worthwhile.
Ministers must designate a portion of their compensation as housing allowance before the first paycheck is issued in 2022 in order for ministers who own or rent their homes to receive the housing allowance exclusion for calendar year 2022. The designation must be requested by the minister in writing and should be adopted during a regular or special meeting of the Session, AND it should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. While there is no limit, either in dollar amount or percentage, on the portion of their compensation that a minister can designate as housing allowance, the amount designated must be based on actual expenses.
I have more detailed information on the items that can/should be included in the housing allowance calculations and the housing allowance designation process. If you have any questions about minsters’ housing allowance, please let me know (304-744-7634, treasurer@wvpresbytery.org).
2022 IRS Standard Mileage
On December 17, 2021, the IRS announced the following changes to the standard mileage rates. As of January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) is:
- 58.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, up from 56 cents for 2021
- 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, up from 16 cents for 2021
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
2022 Per Capita
The 2022 Per Capita rate is $30.05 per member, according to the church’s membership in the most recently file statistical report. The 2022 Per Capita was approved at the August 2021 presbytery meeting. With the total rate at $30.05 per member, the Presbytery of West Virginia will keep $18.67, sending $8.98 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, titled (coincidentally enough) “Understanding Per Capita,” in a recent issue of Presbyterians Today.
2022 Shared Mission Pledge Request
The 2022 Shared Mission pledge request and Per Capita notice letter were mailed to the treasurer, Clerk of Session, and pastoral leader of each church in 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 by January 31.
If you have any questions about mission pledge, Per Capita, or other benevolences, please let us know (304-744-7634, treasurer@wvpresbytery.org).
2022 Benevolence Remittance Forms
2022 Benevolence Remittance forms are now available on the Presbytery’s website. The forms are on the Documents page, in the Financial Documents section. We’ve also linked a sample here.
News from the Board of Pensions
1. Now is the time for employers to review and update salaries in Benefits Connect (and for participants to check that their salary and benefits information is correct!). At the start of each new year, employers are encouraged to review and update or confirm effective salary for all members. Effective salary determines dues for Pastor’s Participation and Minister’s Choice, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum amounts in the PPO, death and disability benefits, and pension credits for the Defined Benefit Pension Plan.
2. The BOP has released information for the 2022 Assistance Program, which has resources available for ministers, lay members, and retirees. Click here for more information on the program.
3. Beginning April 1, the BOP will provide a new service to Medical Plan participants, partnering with Quantum Health to provide care coordinators who will help identify healthcare needs, resolve issues, and provide personalized support. This new feature will be available to members and their families with PPO, EPO, or HDHP coverage. Read more here.
4. Employees enrolled in the Medical Plan did not receive new medical or prescription drug ID cards in December unless they newly elected coverage, changed options, or added eligible family members effective January 1. Otherwise, they should keep using their current cards. Note: all members enrolled in GeoBlue should have received two new cards for 2022: a Bupa card to use outside the country and a GeoBlue card to use when in the United States.
Year-end checklist
Now that 2021 has passed, it is time for church treasurers to work on closing out 2021 records and preparing for 2022. We should take a moment to make sure all our ducks are in a row and everything is ready for the new year, such as designating the housing allowance for our minister for the upcoming year, 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.
2022 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: March 2 to April 17
PENTECOST: April 18 to June 5
PEACE & GLOBAL WITNESS: Sept. 4 to Oct. 2
CHRISTMAS JOY: Nov. 27 to Dec. 18
NOTE: Donations to these 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.