Jump directly to the Content

A Good Call

Toolkit Office

Churches that provide cell phones to pastors and staff members may find the perk an easier one to offer, thanks to a new federal law.

For years, employees who received cell phones as part of their work faced the tedious task of tracking each individual call in order to substantiate the business purpose of the calls and avoid taxes. Because such an effort proved challenging and time-consuming, many employers instead chose to offer cell phone allowances. The allowances removed the record-keeping burden, but they also resulted in taxable benefits for the employees who received them. That irked employees and irritated employers, since other office-related equipment—such as desktop phones or photocopiers—didn't require the same degree of documentation.

The new small-business tax relief likely will take many of these frustrations away. Beginning with the 2010 tax year, cell phones are no longer considered "listed property," meaning little documentation will be needed to prove their ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Dave Ramsey: Dealing with Our Stuff
Dave Ramsey: Dealing with Our Stuff
Do you know how to turn conflict and confrontation into positive change in your church?
From the Magazine
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
While reporting in Israel, photographer Michael Winters captures an unusually vacant experience at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close