A minister's housing allowance, sometimes called a parsonage allowance or a rental allowance, is excludable from gross income for income tax purposes, but not for self-employment tax purposes.

If you are a minister and receive as part of your pay for your services as a minister an amount officially designated as a rental allowance, you can exclude the allowance from income if the amount is used to provide or rent a home. However, the exclusion is limited to the lesser of the fair market rental value (including furnishing, utilities, garage, etc.) the amount officially designated (in advance of payment) as a rental or housing allowance, or the actual amount used to provide a home, and cannot exceed what is reasonable pay for your services.

If housing is furnished to you by your congregation as pay for your services as a minister, the exclusion cannot be more than what is reasonable pay for your services, and is limited to the fair market rental value (including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.) of the home.

If you own your home and you receive a housing allowance as part of your pay, for your services as a minister, the exclusion cannot be more than the smaller of the following:

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

A housing allowance paid to you as part of your salary is excluded from gross income to the extent you use it, in the year received, to provide a home or to pay utilities for a home with which you are provided. The amount of the housing allowance that you can exclude from your income cannot be more than the reasonable compensation for your services as a minister. The church or organization that employs you must officially designate the payment as a housing allowance before the payment is made. A definite amount must be designated; the amount of the housing allowance cannot be determined at a later date. Other provisions may apply. While not subject to income tax, the housing allowance will included in income for self-employment tax purposes. However, a minister may request exemption from self-employment tax. For additional information on housing allowances, refer to Chapter 6 of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax or Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers. For information on earnings for clergy, refer to Tax Topic 417.

References:

• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

No. The church would enter the amount of any parsonage allowance and any utilities allowance in box 14 of Form W-2. If the housing allowance exceeds the minister's qualified expenses, the minister would add the excess to the wage amount and enter the sum on line 7 of Form 1040.

References:

• Instructions for Form W-2 and W-3
• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

Usually, the total of household expenses is only used as a limit to the amount of excludable parsonage allowance (for an ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister). A parsonage allowance or the fair rental value of a parsonage provided as pay for a minister's services is excluded from gross income for income tax purposes only, not for the computation of self-employment tax.

While the excess cannot be deducted, it is helpful to prepare a worksheet like the one labeled "Attachment 1," shown as part of the comprehensive example at the end of Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers. This worksheet, when completed, reflects the amount of income you've received, your qualified expenses, and your tax-free (excluded) income. If your expenses exceeded the amount of your parsonage allowance, your allowance will be fully excludable for income tax purpose provided the amount would not exceed an amount which represented reasonable pay for your services as a minister.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

To the extent that your household expenses are less than your parsonage allowance, your allowance is taxable income for income tax purposes.

If you receive as a portion of your pay for your services as a minister an amount officially designated as a rental allowance, you can exclude the allowance if the amount is used to provide or rent a home. However, the exclusion is limited to the lesser of the fair market rental value (including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.), the amount officially designated as a rental or housing allowance (prior to payment), or the actual amount used to provide a home, and cannot exceed what is reasonable pay for your services.

If housing is furnished to you by your congregation as pay for your services as a minister, the exclusion cannot be more than what is reasonable pay for your services, and is limited to the fair market rental value ( including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.) of the home.

If you own your home and you receive a housing allowance as part of your pay, for your services as a minister the exclusion cannot be more than the smaller of the following:

The amount of the allowance that cannot be excluded should be entered with your wages on line 7 of Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

Services that a minister performs in the exercise of his or her ministry are covered under the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). That means they are exempt from Social Security and Medicare withholding, but they are responsible for paying self-employment tax on their net earnings from self-employment.

There are some members of religious orders, ministers, and Christian Science practitioners who have requested and been granted exemption from self-employment tax. There are also members of religious orders who have taken a vow of poverty and ministers who are covered solely by the social security laws of another country under a social security agreement between the United States and that other country.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

The procedures to request an exemption from self-employment tax are listed in Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Form 4361 (PDF), Application for Exemption from Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders, and Christian Science Practitioners
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

These exemptions are generally irrevocable. To make this election, you must have completed Form 2031, Revocation of Exemption Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders and Christian Science Practitioners, by April 15, 2002. This period is extended beyond April 15, 2002, if you have a valid extension to file your 2001 Federal Income Tax Return. See the references below for additional information.

References:

• Form 2031 (PDF), Revocations of Exemption from Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders, and Christian Science Practitioners
• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers