Housing Allowance FAQ

What counts as a supporting document?

Examples of what to photograph or upload. Tap any one to see it in full.

A supporting document is anything that shows who you paid, when, how much, and, whenever possible, an itemized view of what you bought. In practice that is the ordinary paper your household already generates: the utility bill in the mail, the mortgage statement from your servicer, the insurance premium notice, and the till receipt from the hardware store.

Keep the document itself rather than a note about it. A photograph of the bill is the record; a line in a spreadsheet saying you paid it is not. Snap it when it arrives, while it is still in your hand, and it is done.

The examples below are invented, including the companies and the account numbers, but they are laid out the way real ones are. Each tag is the category the expense would be filed under in MHA Tracker, not a ruling on what qualifies. The questions below cover that.

Keep reading

Important disclaimer

MHA Tracker is an educational recordkeeping tool. Nothing in this app is tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. The content is based on publicly available sources, such as IRS Publication 517, believed reliable when published, and may not reflect the most recent changes in tax law or IRS guidance. Clergy tax rules depend heavily on individual facts and circumstances, so before making decisions about your housing allowance, compensation, retirement distributions, or tax filings, consult a qualified tax professional experienced in clergy tax matters. Use of this app does not create any professional or advisory relationship, and we expressly disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on its contents.

Start with this year

Enter your designated amount, add what you have spent so far, and you will know where you stand today.