The Ethics of Claiming the Clergy Housing Exemption - The Living Church

The Ethics of Claiming the Clergy Housing Exemption - The Living Church

Should I use my clergy housing allowance exemption when I file my federal tax return this year? I can, of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s ethical. Yes, I will save $20,000, but if all eligible clergy claim it, the exemption costs American taxpayers $1 billion yearly. Is that right? For more than a century, the tax code has exempted the value of church-provided housing from federal income. And, since 1954, and affirmed in 2002, clergy who pay …