tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post2116227628701658414..comments2023-04-04T08:07:42.350-04:00Comments on SBC Plodder: Will the clergy housing allowance chickens come home to roost?William Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12502242710436994507noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-19641198969162465122014-04-10T15:41:57.215-04:002014-04-10T15:41:57.215-04:00The amici have arrived to help assist Eric Holder ...The amici have arrived to help assist Eric Holder in his effort to defeat the FFRF, Annie Gaylor, Dan Barker, and Judge Crabb.<br /><br />By my count, here they are:<br /><br />(1)<br /><br />AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF THE CHURCH<br />ALLIANCE, ET AL.<br />IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS-APPELLANTS<br /><br />(2)<br /><br />AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF 624 CHURCHES<br />IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS-APPELLANTS<br />RLBatyhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/FFRF-v-US-IRC-107-Challenge/212102828961960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-90465385598367774512014-04-03T11:43:43.741-04:002014-04-03T11:43:43.741-04:00The Government filed its brief yesterday on the ca...The Government filed its brief yesterday on the case in the 7th Circuit.<br /><br />As a result, we should know in about a week which folks are going to be trying to help Obama out as amici and defend IRC 107.<br /><br />The FFRF reply brief will probably not get filed until June, and after that we will find out which amici are going to be helping out on the FFRF side.<br /><br />It should get RLBatyhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/FFRF-v-US-IRC-107-Challenge/212102828961960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-55319506185986186872014-03-05T14:51:15.036-05:002014-03-05T14:51:15.036-05:00"... mega pastors were such a small minority ..."... mega pastors were such a small minority they were not worth considering."<br /><br />"Small minority." True.<br />"Not worth considering." Moore actually said that? Not totally unexpected, however.<br /><br />Moore is ready to speak truth to power when the power is bit removed?<br /><br />Moore can't get this moment back.<br /><br />HA is a perk of a by-goneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-2229972717582157402014-03-05T14:42:29.146-05:002014-03-05T14:42:29.146-05:00Ah, William, William, while I do not feel a great ...Ah, William, William, while I do not feel a great deal of sympathy for Mr. Furtick, I do for ministers who are underpaid and/or living in a parsonage which is taxed as income-in-kind, no easy burden for meager salaries. The power to tax is the power to destroy. I had a run in with the IRS over the issue of some taxes owed, and I had made arrangements with them to pay it on a monthly plan (I haddr. james willinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01864251742704954632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-26650877438117038782014-03-04T21:13:29.667-05:002014-03-04T21:13:29.667-05:00William,
Thanks for your consideration and commen...William,<br /><br />Thanks for your consideration and comments.<br /><br />It's an interesting relationship, in a sense.<br /><br />One preacher has referred to me as Annie Gaylor's "useful idiot".<br /><br />Others have similarly called into question, somewhat hypocritically in my opinion, my support for the FFRF suit. <br /><br />Well, it's really my suit. I couldn'tRLBatyhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/FFRF-v-US-IRC-107-Challenge/212102828961960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-36021840413661182832014-03-04T19:37:13.602-05:002014-03-04T19:37:13.602-05:00So far my friend Robert Baty, who is either a memb...So far my friend Robert Baty, who is either a member of or highly sympathetic to the FFRA who challenged the HA in federal court, has one harpoon in the White Whale.<br /><br />I predict the big fish will get away in the end but I certainly hope Robert doesn't go down with the ship.<br /><br /><br /> William Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12502242710436994507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-34421053666480219792014-03-04T19:01:02.812-05:002014-03-04T19:01:02.812-05:00No, what I said is not incorrect. The cash housing...No, what I said is not incorrect. The cash housing allowance is not included in our W-2 at all. It will have to be reported on the SE tax form (or the rental value if in a pastorium) for SECA taxes.<br /><br />Many clergy like to view the HA tax break as a trade off for having to pay SECA. No law against that, but the two are unrelated. William Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12502242710436994507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-88166539776745510632014-03-04T18:24:09.020-05:002014-03-04T18:24:09.020-05:00You said "all money paid to clergy as a housi...You said "all money paid to clergy as a housing allowance is not reported as income at all."<br /><br />This is incorrect as clergy housing allowance is still subject to the self-employment tax.Caryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11969137354459711505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-83321269321711678472014-03-04T18:10:46.241-05:002014-03-04T18:10:46.241-05:00I am "Ahab"!
IRC 107 should be repealed...I am "Ahab"!<br /><br />IRC 107 should be repealed and the politicians should start over if they think they can pass such a handout for nice folks.<br /><br />Meanwhile...<br /><br />Colin Flood is a local Pinellas County writer, the Pinellas Reader being one of his media outlets, who has written on the election down there (special election taking place now with regular ballot voting toRLBatyhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/FFRF-v-US-IRC-107-Challenge/212102828961960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-56749032130497360062014-03-04T16:18:35.618-05:002014-03-04T16:18:35.618-05:00Here is link to my piece on Moore
http://www.forb...Here is link to my piece on Moore<br /><br />http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2013/11/27/southern-baptist-leadership-unconcerned-about-clergy-abuse-of-tax-break-for-housing/Peter Reilly CPAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10199307021804040667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-60007091374748186812014-03-04T16:12:53.595-05:002014-03-04T16:12:53.595-05:00When I spoke to Moore he indicated that the mega p...When I spoke to Moore he indicated that the mega pastors were such a small minority they were not worth considering. He did not know that Furtick was SBC. When I asked him whether the denomination should maybe suggest to the megas that they not be such chazzers, he said that would not be appropriate.<br /><br />BTW the best way to have your comp set is a buy a board of overseers who Peter Reilly CPAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10199307021804040667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-6573659276128369622014-03-04T10:27:15.639-05:002014-03-04T10:27:15.639-05:00He may have commented in the past (I'm going f...He may have commented in the past (I'm going from memory) that these were extreme cases, not widespread.William Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12502242710436994507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-17294879453132258052014-03-04T10:08:58.052-05:002014-03-04T10:08:58.052-05:00You said:" I'm guessing that the ERLC doe...You said:" I'm guessing that the ERLC doesn't consider the lack of a cap to be an issue, nor the clergy mansions."<br /><br />Only Moore can answer the question--but I would love to hear his answer as to the lack of a cap or clergy mansions not being issues.Tom Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12861689101266081092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-56098286925747588682014-03-04T09:42:16.072-05:002014-03-04T09:42:16.072-05:00The appeal of the recent court decision will get a...The appeal of the recent court decision will get a response from ERLC, the Baptist Joint Committee and other organizations in support of the housing allowance being constitutional.<br /><br />I don't think Moore will offer an opinion about the unlimited amount of income that the present law allows to be excluded unless there is some legislation that proposes a cap. In other words, I'm William Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12502242710436994507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294170801673753291.post-6533368797263646332014-03-04T08:38:06.693-05:002014-03-04T08:38:06.693-05:00William, do you think Moore should give his view--...William, do you think Moore should give his view--printed or verbal-- on this for all Southern Baptist ministers? It appears that some SB pastors may be playing fast and loose with the Housing Allowance.<br /><br />It certainly appears to me that ethics--that is lack of ethics- is at play in how some SB ministers misuse this available tax provision.Tom Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12861689101266081092noreply@blogger.com