clergy

tax id instructions 1. Submit an online application. The IRS allows applicants to complete an Internet application. After completing the application, you will receive a tax identification number immediately from the IRS. Business owners can start using the number right away. A confirmation letter with the number will also be mailed. Keep this letter for your records. 2. Contact the IRS by phone. Another option for securing a tax identification number is by calling the IRS at 800-829-4933. The IRS employee will complete a phone application. She will ask about the structure of the business (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company). After completing the phone application, she will provide you with a tax identification number over the phone. 3. Send an application through fax. Download the application form, which is called the SS-4, from the IRS website. Complete the application and fax to the number included on application materials. With this option, it takes up to four business days to receive a tax identification number. 4. Send an application through mail. Print the SS-4 form and complete. Mail to the address included on the application. Applying through mail takes the longest. According to the IRS, a tax identification number should be received in up to four weeks. ---------------------------- tax 1. Complete an IRS form 8822, if you have not already done so, notifying the IRS of your correct foreign address to avoid any problems with filing your taxes. 2. Read IRS publications 517 and 54, which are designed specifically for clergy and those filing taxes while out of the country. Both are available online at www.IRS.gov, and are invaluable in assisting missionaries in finding and filing the proper forms required for their situations. 3. Determine if you owe taxes on your income, which many missionaries do not. If you are a U.S. Citizen and have been a missionary elsewhere for one complete year, or a period of 330 days within a 12-month period, you are allowed to claim an exclusion on income up to $82,400. If you have served in your position for less time, you will need to file a standard income tax form, such as a 1040 or 1040EZ. 4. Contact the local tax authorities, or read the IRS website on any applicable tax treaties with the country in which you are working. If there is one, you may not be required to file taxes with the IRS. 5. File an IRS form 4361 if you qualify for the exemption, on any income over $400. This applies to ministers, Christian Science practitioners, or members of a religious order that have not taken a vow of poverty. If you are a member of a recognized religious sect that opposes accepting public or private insurance benefits for death, old age, retirement, or disability, including Medicare or Social Security, you must file a Form 4029 instead. Both forms can be requested from the IRS by phone, or downloaded from their website. This must be filed by April 15. 6. File state taxes if your address change is not permanent; in other words, you are keeping your home in your original state of residence. Read more: How to File Your Taxes If You Are a Missionary