THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
FURNISHINGS ALLOWANCE REPORT
Furnishings Allowance Report Fall 2021 Page 1 of 1
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FILING INSTRUCTIONS: Copies of this report should be filed with the recording secretary, pastor, district superintendent and the board
of trustees at the time of the annual Church Conference.
Section 107 of the Internal Revenue Service Code provides for an ordained minister to designate a “Furnishings Allowance” which is excluded from
taxable income. This Furnishings Allowance is available under IRS regulations for ordained clergy, etc. – and is a tax provision for those who by
their work obligations are required to live in a home not of their own ownership and selection. And, in addition, this is an effort to balance tax
savings to homeowners who are regularly able to deduct interest and taxes from their obligation to the government.
This Furnishings Allowance is intended to enable the ordained clergy person to provide for furniture, equipment, etc. in the parsonage where they
live. This includes such items as chairs, tables, beds, large and small appliances, lamps, TV’s and audio equipment, linens, dishes, etc. – anything
which furnishes the parsonage. This allowance does not apply to clothing and similar non-furnishing items.
In order to take advantage of this tax provision, it is necessary for the church to designate a specific dollar amount of the pastor’s total salary as
“Furnishings Allowance” in advance of such acquisitions. As excludable income, this amount is not considered as income for the pastor for income
tax purposes. Thus when the church treasurer makes an annual salary declaration for the pastor, any amount designated Furnishings Allowance does
not appear on the W-2 form received from the church. Further, while this total Furnishings Allowance amount is paid directly to the pastor, any
amount of the total that is not expended for furnishings the pastor has responsibility for declaring on the 1040 tax form as additional income. The
total amount of Furnishings Allowance paid to the pastor is reported by the pastor as income for the purposes of Social Security self-employment tax
computation.
In order to utilize for taxable purposes a “Furnishings Allowance” there must be an official action taken by a Church Conference. Be certain the
action designates a specific dollar amount and is stated as a percentage of salary. Then, the finance chairperson or someone designated should draft a
letter to the pastor each year stating what the amount of the agreed Furnishings Allowance is. A suggestion form is listed below.
SPRC AND PASTOR: Please use this form as a model adapting it for your local church needs. Fill in the blanks and have a church official sign it
following the action of the Church Conference. The pastor should retain this form in her/his tax files, but it is not necessary to mail this with tax
forms. Have it available in the event you are audited and it is requested.
Dear Rev. Click or tap here to enter text.:
The total salary (not including travel, utilities) $__________ to be paid you during next year by the Click or tap here to enter text. United
Methodist Church, we designate $_______________ of this total salary as “Furnishings Allowance” as provided by Section 107 of the Internal
Revenue Service Code.
Sincerely,
Please Note: This action has no effect on the salary amounts or manner in which it is paid by the local church to the pastor. The total salary including
Furnishings Allowance is paid to the pastor annually. This affects only the reportable income of the pastor to IRS (W-2) according to the tax code.
Pastor: It is your responsibility to keep a file of all receipts, checks paid, etc. for all items included in this Furnishings Allowance you purchase during the taxable year.
If the total of these items is equal to or more than the total voted by your church as “Furnishings Allowance,” then you have no additional income to report for tax
purposes. Your taxable income to IRS will be your total salary less the voted Furnishing Allowance amount designated by your church. However, if your total
acquisitions during the tax year are less than the amount voted as Furnishings Allowance, then the difference between what you expended and what was voted as
Furnishings Allowance, is taxable/income which you must report on your 1040 tax form. Please see IRS Tax Instructions for the place to report that on your form when
you file next year.
SPRC Chair or Ad Council Chair signature
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signature
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