I’m wondering if this is true or not????
The “housing allowance” tax deduction from income for full time employment as a religious minister is true.
The change occurred as so many ministers’ housing situation changed from simply living in a home owned by the church (a “parsonage”) and not having a home & equity in a home of their own, to being given a “housing allowance” by the church, to help defray a minister’s monthly costs of having to obtain a home of their own.
Ministers’ salaries were usually meager “back in the day” and still are. Average Christian ministers salaries before the 2008 recession began were between $25,000 and $40,000.
I guess constitutional arguments cannot be won on an income basis, and equal protection sentiments might prevail in this case.
How might the churches lobby to keep the same level of income protection their ministers now have?
I could see some of them lobbying to get the “housing allowance” deduction eligibility expanded to include anyone, not religious ministers only, who qualifies by income, with the churches lobbying for an income level like their average ministers’ incomes.
I am not proposing that, but I can envision some of our Liberal churches doing so.