Churches can and do get slapped with devastating penalties for classifying and paying a worker with a 1099 ...that the IRS deems should have been classified as an employee.
We know. You didn’t enter ministry to become an accounting professional. You are a church leader because you want to make disciples and share Jesus Christ's good news.
Your church's leadership and administrative team will be able focus on the mission of the church, not its bookkeeping.
Accuracy and expertise are critical for good financial health in any church. Having a trained and qualified bookkeeper means having an expert who knows the right way to make entries, understands and complies with local and federal requirements, and ensures your reporting is accurate.
A Certified Public Accountant with experience in religious and faith-based organizations is more important than ever.
While you concentrate on your community and building your organization, our team will work with you to simplify the accounting process and make sure that your financial records remain accurate and up-to-date.
The church bookkeepers are often mistaken with accountants for a long period. They have very different responsibilities. Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining the financial records of the church. This includes income records and expense records. They are responsible for keeping records of every transaction that the church makes. It is their job to keep track all accounts. They also verify that accounting procedures have been followed correctly. Accounting, on other hand, does all the accounting work and provides auditing and tax planning as well as financial planning, payroll processing and consulting.
The IRS may begin a church tax inquiry only if an appropriate high-level Treasury official reasonably believes, based on a written statement of the facts and circumstances, that the organization: (a) may not qualify for the exemption; or (b) may not be paying tax on unrelated business or other taxable activity.
Here is a quick breakdown of some of the most common tasks you will need to accomplish when doing your church bookkeeping.
Enter Income And Expenses. ...
Track Contributions And Prepare Bank Deposits. ...
Pay Bills. ...
Journal Entries. ...
Complete A Bank Reconciliation.
The biblical pattern shows without question that the pastor should be involved in the oversight of the church's finances, however, Scripture also prescribes the attitude and actions of the pastor to avoid disqualification of influence and trust.
In a non-profit organization, such as a church, the board is the bearer of this fiduciary responsibility and therefore should properly oversee all operations, including finances, to protect the members of the church.