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                                                                    Certification by Churches and Qualified Church- 
Form  8274
                                                                    Controlled Organizations Electing Exemption From                                                             File 
(Rev. August 2014) 
                                                                    Employer Social Security and Medicare Taxes                                                          Two Copies
Department of the Treasury                                          ▶ Information about Form 8274 and its instructions is at www.irs.gov/form8274.
Internal Revenue Service 
                                          Full name of organization                                                                                            Employer identification number (EIN) 

                                          Address (number and street or P.O. box number if mail is not delivered to street address) 

                                          City, state, and ZIP code                                                                                            Date wages first paid 

                     Please type or print If exemption is based on a group ruling, give full name of central organization                                      Group exemption number 

                                          I certify that the above named organization is a church or qualified church-controlled organization which, as defined in section 3121(w) of the Internal Revenue 
                                          Code, is opposed for religious reasons to the payment of employer social security and Medicare taxes, and elects not to be subject to such taxes. 
Sign  
Here 
                                          ©                         (Signature of authorized official)                                      (Title)                                  (Date) 

Purpose of form. Churches and qualified church-controlled                                                                 • Normally receives more than 25% of its support from  
organizations (defined below) that are opposed, for religious                                                             governmental sources and/or receipts from admissions, sales  
reasons, to the payment of social security and Medicare taxes                                                             of merchandise, services, or facilities in related trade or 
may elect exemption from the payment of the employer’s share                                                              business activities.
of these taxes by filing Form 8274.                                                                                       Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless  
Effect of election. This election applies to services performed                                                           otherwise noted. 
by all current and future employees of the electing organization.                                                         Eligibility for election. Any organization that meets both of the 
However, this election does not apply to services as ministers                                                            above conditions is not eligible to file this form. For example, a 
of a church, members of a religious order, or to services                                                                 church-controlled hospital generally will meet both conditions 
performed in an unrelated trade or business of the church or                                                              and will not qualify to make the election. However, seminaries, 
qualified church-controlled organization.                                                                                 religious retreat centers, or burial societies generally will be 
  The electing organization must continue to withhold federal                                                             eligible, regardless of funding sources, because they don’t offer 
income tax on wages, tips, and other compensation, and to                                                                 goods, services, or facilities for sale to the general public.
report this income and the tax withheld on Form W-2, Wage                                                                 A church-run orphanage or home for the elderly that is open 
and Tax Statement. The organization must also file Form 941,                                                              to the general public may qualify if not more than 25% of its  
Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return, or Form 944,                                                                     support is from admissions, sales of merchandise, services or 
Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return, to report both the                                                                  facilities in related trades or businesses, or from governmental 
wages covered by this election and the wages of any                                                                       sources. Church pension boards, fund-raising organizations, 
employees engaged in unrelated business activities whose                                                                  and auxiliary organizations such as youth groups and ladies 
wages are not covered by this election and are subject to                                                                 auxiliaries generally may make the election.
employer taxes. 
                                                                                                                          Revocation of election. Either the electing church or  
  Employees (except ministers of a church or members of                                                                   organization or the IRS may revoke this election. The electing  
religious orders) who receive wages of $108.28 or more in a                                                               church or organization can permanently revoke the election by  
year from an electing church or qualified church-controlled                                                               paying social security and Medicare taxes for wages covered  
organization are subject to self-employment tax on the                                                                    by this election. The IRS will permanently revoke the election if  
earnings. They will be considered employees for all other                                                                 the organization does not file Form W-2 for 2 years or more and 
purposes of the Internal Revenue Code, including federal                                                                  does not provide the information within 60 days after a written 
income tax withholding.                                                                                                   request by the IRS.
Churches and qualified church-controlled organizations.                                                                   Employer identification number (EIN). If you do not have an  
The term “church” means a church described in sections  501(c)                                                            EIN, you may apply for one online. Go to the IRS website at  
(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(i). The term “church” includes conventions or                                                        www.irs.gov/businesses and click on the “Employer ID 
associations of churches. It also includes any elementary or                                                              Numbers” link. You may also apply for an EIN by faxing or 
secondary school that is controlled, operated, or principally                                                             mailing Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification 
supported by a church (or conventions or associations of                                                                  Number, to the IRS.
churches). 
                                                                                                                          Signature. An official authorized to sign tax returns for the  
  A “qualified church-controlled organization” includes any                                                               church or qualified church-controlled organization must sign  
church-controlled tax-exempt organization described in section                                                            Form 8274. 
501(c)(3) unless the organization both: 
                                                                                                                          When to file. File Form 8274 after you hire employees, but  
• Offers goods, services, or facilities for sale to the general                                                           before the first date on which a quarterly or annual employment 
public, other than on an incidental basis or for a nominal                                                                tax return is due (or would be due except for this election). Keep 
charge, and                                                                                                               a copy for your records.
                                                                                                                          Where to file. Send two copies of Form 8274 to: Internal  
                                                                                                                          Revenue Service, Ogden, Utah 84201–0027. 

                                                                                                       Cat. No. 61933Q                                                   Form 8274 (Rev. 8-2014) 






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