The Conference that has Helped Thousands of Pastors Sleep Well
FAQ’s at Conferences
What do I do about the past years? How can I correct them?
There are ways to correct mistakes from the past. Get them corrected now, before an audit, and you will be OK.
Why pay thousands of dollars for an IRS compliance audit when you can do it yourself?
Learn how to do your own IRS compliance audit without the costs of attorneys or CPA's. Getting your ministry in compliance with state and federal regulation will protect your ministry from legal and tax trouble.
Does the new IRS rule regarding board of directors affect my church?
New rules for board of directors require a balanced board. Each member must sign a declaration stating their active participation as well as having equal voting power among the others. Learn the other rules for board members.
Are tithes and offerings deductible if the church has not filed for 501(c)(3) status?
According to new federal case law, offerings to a church that has not applied for 501(c)(3) status are no longer presumed to be tax exempt. They must file for 501(c)(3) in order to keep church members from losing their tax deductions in an audit or tax inquiry.
What about retirement for ministers?
Did you know that current tax law allows churches to set up life-time, tax-free income for pastors and ministers when they retire?
Do your church bylaws protect you?
A church in California decided that they needed to follow Scripture in removing some members from the church who were living lifestyles contrary to biblical standards. After being removed from the church, some of the members sued in court to be reinstated.
Can the church pay the pastor's gas?
If your church pays the pastor's gas to cover his/her ministry travel expenses, chances are you are doing it wrong. This could cost the church and the pastor trouble under a simple IRS tax inquiry.
How do you handle designated offerings?
Can the church get in trouble for using designated offerings for different purposes? Many churches do not know when using a designated offering for other purposes is illegal and when it is OK. These question will get answered in detail at the conference.
Did you know that...
A Community Development Corporation (CDC) could be the best way to raise all the funds you'll ever need for outreach? Many churches are doing it successfully! Learn how our founders did it and raised all the funds they needed to do all the church outreaches.
Recent court rulings make operating a church without 501(c)(3) a bad deal for church members!
One U. S. District Court ruled that members of a church without 501(c)(3) status cannot get a tax deduction under an audit. This is a bad deal for churches and members without 501(c)(3) status.
What about the newly passed Housing Allowance Clarification Act?
Most churches are not aware that the housing allowance has been rewritten by congress. Under the new rules, most churches are no longer doing it right. This can be costly to ministers across America!
Can a minister opt out of social security taxes?
Any minister who properly opts out of social security will still receive social security benefits when he/she retires if he/she has at least 40 credits applied to his/her account. Find out how to do it the right way!
What happens if the church fails to issue 1099 forms to hired musicians?
Under Section 7203, the church is required to issue a 1099-Misc to hired musicians and many others in the church. Failure to do so will result in fines to the church. The IRS is hot on this one.
Does Section 4958 allow the IRS to fine church officers?
Yes! Under Treasury Regulation 53.4958, the IRS can fine church officers and their family members severally up to $10,000.00 for mi-use of church funds even if it was unintentional. Learn how to protect your church officers.
Are reimbursements allowed in the church?
If your church or ministry pays out reimbursements without adopting a Section 62 reimbursement plan, those that receive the reimbursement have to pay income taxes on it.
During this conference we will cover many topics that are absolutely critical to operating your church or ministry in a way that simultaneously benefits the church and pastor while protecting all involved from the ever-increasing scrutiny of the government. Many pastors confess that they know their church books are a mess, but they feel too intimidated to do anything about it. They often times lose sleep over it. This conference has you in mind!
What you do not know CAN hurt you!
Recent legislation has put churches and nonprofit organizations under a more watchful eye of the IRS. Empowered with the ability to assess hefty fines and issue levies, the IRS is seriously cracking down on churches and ministries. The IRS code contains over 270 sections that pertain to churches...270! Some are trivial, while others could cost you big if you do not follow the law exactly. You must know how to protect your ministry and your calling.
Government creates a new commission to regulate churches.
A new Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations has been formed to determine whether churches should be more accountable to the federal government, and to propose new laws that will be harsher to board members who make mistakes.
The IRS is allowed to give you bad advice and not be responsible.
In a recent court case (David Michael Maser v. Commissioner), the court ruled that if the IRS gives you bad advice it is not binding on the IRS. Can you imagine what that may mean to your church?
And this is Just the Beginning
The Church Compliance and Ministry Empowerment Conference is here to help.
In today's complex legal landscape, pastors and ministry leaders are looking for help to get the wisdom they need to empower them to lead their churches to legal compliance. The StartCHURCH conference is an answer to that need! Over 10,000 pastors and churches have found at the StartCHURCH conference the encouragement and empowerment they need to run a successful nonprofit.
Here is a list of just a few vital topics we will cover:
- What the IRS considers soft targets in churches when conducting audits
- How to properly handle love offerings so that it blesses both the giver and the receiver
- The latest rules for tax deductions and how to maximize them for your givers
- How to properly document a church provided cell phone and iPad
- The sanctions of IRS section 4958 on churches and nonprofit organizations
- How to properly strategize the housing allowance to save the pastor/minister thousands of dollars each year
- How to properly document the pastor's use of a church owned automobile
- Why form 1098-C is needed to receive a car donation
- How to set up a chart of accounts
- How to setup a tithe and offering counting system and avoid embezzlement
- What forms should be used when musicians and children's church workers get paid by the church
- How to document when the church provides the pastor an automobile
- What the church must do to setup a daycare, adult care center, or athletic programs
- Who should sign church and ministry checks
- How to set up a tax-free pastoral retirement program
- How new IRS penalties for noncompliance can wipe out the church's cash and be pinned against the board members
- Whether one can use his/her personal credit card for church business
- Whether one has to pay social security tax on his/her housing allowance
- Why recent court cases say tax exempt status is not automatic
This is a Conference for Working ON the Ministry
We have a vision to see a movement of pastors who do not just work in the ministry but also ON the ministry. These are pastors that build on foundations of integrity that will house their ministries for years and generations to come.
Learn how to avoid common IRS pitfalls.
There is only one way to know how to avoid tax trouble. That is by investing time to work on your ministry. In one day you will learn about the areas that are most likely to be in noncompliance, and how to fix them. This is one of the best decisions you could make to ensure a bright future for your ministry.
You will hear about the devastating consequences of section 4958 violations.
Section 4958 was passed by Congress to give the IRS the power to levy harsh penalties, and violating it could cost your church, your board members and trustees individually, and even your church members! Sound scary? It is, if you do not know how to avoid it. The truth is that you do not have to be at risk. We will empower you to make the necessary changes to be in compliance. Most churches violate many sections of the IRS code without knowing it. Odds are, you are one of them. Ignorance of the law is inexcusable to the IRS. God is gracious, but the IRS is not! The good news is, you can learn how to fix it all.
This Conference is About Empowerment
You do not have to be afraid.
After attending this conference, you will feel highly empowered to lead with confidence. Not only will you get in legal compliance with the law, you will also be challenged to dream big. Keep reading to see what else you will learn.
Learn how your church can have a for profit arm that follows a biblical model.
The truth is that churches spend 97% of their finances on administrative costs. We will teach God's plan for the church and how the for profit arm helps the church prosper and expand the mission of the church. Even more, you will learn how the law has special provisions for it. Just imagine your church having a for profit arm that generates income for your church for years to come.
Learn why the housing allowance is the single greatest tax savings to ministers!
Did you now that the vast majority of housing allowance programs are implemented improperly? This is wreaking havoc on many pastors, as the IRS is able to issue hefty fines. We have identified over 30 items that need to be calculated with your housing allowance, and we will teach you how to use them correctly. You might even eliminate your income taxes altogether or generate a large refund.
Churches break the law when they pay guest speakers cash out of the offering.
Unknowingly, churches break the law when they pay a guest or anyone else cash from the offering. You will learn how to correct this and set your church on a better path.
Learn how you can opt out of paying Social Security taxes without jeopardizing Social Security benefits at retirement.
Does this sound too good to be true? It's not! We will show you how to use IRS code, Section 1402(e), specifically to your benefit.
Paying the pastor a stipend or just a housing allowance is not legal.
That's right! Substantial documentation is required in order for it to be legal. Most churches do not do it properly, and it can be costly.
The money you are spending on medical expenses could be a tax-free benefit.
Code section 105b allows the church to create a medical reimbursement plan that pays your medical bills as a tax-free benefit. Learn more about this when you come to any of our conferences.
This is the Conference Every Church Member Hopes You Attend
Churches love their pastor and want him/her to be their pastor for many years. Your members want you to attend this conference because of what it will do to your thinking. You will leave this conference with a raised mindset that you are not only a pastor, but also the CEO of a corporation. That alone changes everything. Pastors want to lead with confidence, and more than ever God's people need a confident leader-one that knows where he/she is going and is not afraid to get there. That could be you.
Who Should Attend this Conference?
Pastors and their spouses
Chairperson of the trustee board
Members of the trustee board
Persons who sign church checks
Persons responsible for maintaining church records
Church elders and deacons
Chairperson and members of the board of directors
Church secretary
Church clerk
Testimonials from Past Attendees
Gateway International Ministries, Inc.
Davenport, FL
Miami Harvest Church
Miami, FL
Restoration House of Prayer & Praise & Worship Ministries
Philadelphia, PA
Holy Nation Ministries
Aurora, IL
New Jerusalem Kingdom Ministries, International
South Holland, IL
Prevailing Faith Ministries, Inc.
Ocala, FL
Kingdom Connection
Chicago, IL
