What is a Church-Controlled Organization?
For tax purposes, a “church” refers to any organization claiming to be a church or association of churches, including mosques, temples, and other houses of worship. This broad definition also includes church-controlled institutions such as charities, parochial schools, and even hospitals.
Like most non-profits, churches and church-controlled organizations are exempt from federal income tax under U.S. Internal Revenue Code – Section 501(c)(3). This special designation allows churches to receive tax-deductible contributions from congregants and other donors.
To qualify for this tax-exempt status, however, your church or church-controlled organization must satisfy the following requirements:
It must operate exclusively for charitable, scientific, educational or religious purposes.
It cannot participate in political campaigns that directly influence legislation.
Its net income cannot directly benefit any private stakeholders or individuals.
Why Your Church-Controlled Organization Needs a Tax ID Number?
Any church or church-controlled organization that meets the above requirements automatically qualifies for tax-exempt status with the IRS. However, your organization must still apply for a Tax ID.
Having a Tax ID number for your church also allows it to perform a host of essential functions outside of the government sphere.
Open a Business Bank Account
Most banks will require an Employer Identification Number before allowing your church or church-controlled organization to open an account.
Hire Employees & Pay Salaries
When hiring employees for your church or organization, you’ll need a Tax ID to set up salaries, benefits, and health insurance.
File Taxes and Get Exemptions
A tax ID helps the govt. track your tax activities and tax-exempt status. It makes it easier for you to file taxes and get tax deductions and exemptions.
Legitimize Your Organization
Having an EIN adds more credibility to your business. This, in turn, can help you attract more donations for your church-controlled organization.
GovDocFiling makes it easy for you to obtain an EIN by providing a simple online application and taking care of the entire process.
How to Apply for a Church EIN Number?
The application process for an Employer Identification Number is long and complex, with even the slightest mistake often resulting in your application being rejected.
At GovDocFiling, our goal is to help you avoid these headaches so you can focus all of your time on more important activities — such as serving the community. This is why we offer an intuitive one-page EIN application, which is similar to the IRS form but simpler.
Once you’ve filled out your church EIN form:
Our in-house tax experts carefully review your paperwork to ensure there are no errors or missing fields that might delay the approval process.
We forward your paperwork to the IRS (you can easily track the status of your Tax ID application using our free online portal).
We guarantee “same-day” delivery for all EIN applications, with most church-controlled organization applicants receiving their Tax IDs in just a few hours.
Although some filing services charge $300 or more for rush delivery, our expedited service doesn’t cost extra.
It takes only a few minutes to complete this Tax ID application. Most important, our tax experts and support teams are available — both by email and by phone.
Benefits of Obtaining an EIN Through GovDocFiling
The process of filing for an EIN for your church-controlled organization can be a tedious and time-consuming process. GovDocFiling can make things easier for you and avoid the need for you to deal with the IRS altogether.
Here are some of the benefits of getting your EIN via GovDocFiling.
Quick & Hassle-Free Filing
GovDocFiling makes the tedious process of applying for a tax ID number seem like a breeze. You just need to fill out an online application and our experts will take care of the rest.
Affordable Prices
Many companies that offer same-day service charge as much as $300 for the expedited process. GocDocFiling offers a much more affordable option for its quick and hassle-free service.
Responsive Customer Support
We offer 24/7 customer support via phone and email to answer any and all customer queries, order status requests, etc. When you work with us you’ll get quick responses to your emails.
Expert Advice
GovDocFiling works like a partner and not a one-time service provider. Our experts are happy to help you by providing sound advice not just on the EIN filing process but on other business aspects as well.
GovDocFiling is the most affordable, quick, and hassle-free solution to get a tax ID number for your church-controlled organization.
What Our Customers Say About Our Services
GovDocFiling’s user interface provided an easy step-by-step process to obtain tax IDs for my business. It looks like they are partnering with other service companies and are becoming a one-stop shop for business support services, which I will look further into, so that I can focus on actually running my business.
– Ray K
Great experience, Every question that I needed answered I had prompt service, Great communication, I would definitely recommend this service to friends and family. Thank you.
– Latonya
Very helpful service!!! The online application was very easy and I received my federal EIN and state filing documents online quickly.
– Carrie Shapiro
Frequently Asked Questions
The general definition of a church-controlled organization is an organization that serves some religious purpose and is owned and managed by a church. Church-controlled organizations that are qualified as such by the IRS receive tax-exempt status.
Such organizations are not run for profit, but for religious or charitable purposes. A church school that’s not run for profit, is an example of a church-controlled organization.
Yes, church-controlled organizations do fall under the category of non-profit organizations. If a church-controlled organization wants a tax-exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the IRC, then it cannot operate for profit.
However, there can be non-qualified, church-controlled organizations like church-affiliated hospitals or universities that operate for profit.
Yes, every business needs an employer identification number if it intends to hire employees or pay taxes. Just like individuals have social security numbers, organizations have employer identification numbers.
An EIN or tax ID number is necessary for:
- Filing income tax returns and receiving tax deductions
- Hiring employees and paying their salaries
- Opening a bank account for your organization
- Legitimizing your organization to attract more donors
Applying for a tax ID number can be a tedious and time-consuming process, one that can be easily avoided using our services. Simply fill out our online tax ID application form and get an EIN for your church-controlled organization in a quick and hassle-free manner.
If you want your church-controlled organization to become a tax-exempt organization, you must qualify for the same under section 501(c) (3) of the IRC.
Here are the requirements to get your church-controlled organization qualified for the tax-exempt status:
- It should not work for a profit motive, but with the goal to serve the community
- It should not have goods or services for sale to the public unless it’s at a nominal charge
- Less than 25% of the income should come from government grants or sale of goods or services
A church-controlled organization needs to be a non-profit organization to get the tax-exempt status. If not, then it will be a non-qualified church-controlled organization and won’t enjoy tax exemptions like tax-exempt organizations.
You can apply for an EIN you need to fill out Form SS-4 of the internal revenue service (IRS0. You can submit this form online or send it via mail or fax. This is a complex form and even a single mistake can get your application rejected.
Also, the time taken to process the form can also be long. If the government needs to verify some details or needs additional information, it may cause further delays.
GovDocFiling can help you avoid all these hurdles and expedite the process for you. All you need to do is fill out a simple online form and we’ll take care of the rest. We provide quick and hassle-free service so you can focus on more important aspects.
With an online application, you can get your EIN within 24 hours, if all your paperwork is accurate.
Ready to Get an EIN for Your Church-Controlled Organization?
If you’re ready to request a Tax ID number for your church or church-controlled organization, complete the one-page application form below. It’s simple, quick, and hassle-free.