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International Allowance Request Form
Complete the form below and share it with international@reliant.org as well as your supervisor (if supervisor approval is required).
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If you have not communicated to Reliant on your W4 that you are exempt from federal tax withholdings, due to Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or the Foreign Tax Credit, a large one-time payment on your paycheck will usually inflate your tax withholdings to a higher percentage than is usually withheld, affecting not just the Allowance, but your normal monthly salary. For example, if your normal salary is $3,000, and you submit an allowance for $10,000, you could be taxed on that paycheck as if you earn $156,000/year (13,000x12). You may request a one-time adjustment to your withholdings to control the amount that is withheld. See the instructions below and please talk to a tax professional if you have questions about how much you should be withholding. In the case that an employee wants to make a one-time Federal tax change to a certain paycheck (without making a permanent change to their federal withholdings), the employee may send an email to payroll@reliant.org before last day of any given month in order to affect the following month's paycheck. The email should be from the employee's @reliant.org email account and must clearly state how much money the employee would like withheld for the specific pay date. For example, an employee could send an email stating "From my XX/XX/XXXX (Month/Day/Year) paycheck, please withhold $X (specify the dollar amount) in Federal taxes". If you are unsure what is currently being withheld, please refer to your most recent paystub, which should have been emailed to your Reliant email address on payday. Please keep in mind, even if you are exempt from federal income tax, you will still be required to pay Social Security (FICA) on any International Allowance. If you are not ordained, 7.65% will be paid from the MTD fund for the Employer Portion, in addition to the total amount of the allowance. |
See below for more details on :
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General Principles
- Allowances are for larger expenses that are not expected to come from your monthly salary.
- They may be related to your ministry, but are considered personal (and taxable) by the IRS.
- Allowances are for a specific purpose, but do not require receipts.
- They do not replace the responsibility to budget and save.
- International Allowances are submitted to international@reliant.org (not Payroll or Reimbursements)
Timing and Deadlines
Requests sent in by the 16th of the month will be paid on the following month's paycheck. If you need the funds sooner, you may request that on the form (see Form Instructions below).
Allowance Submitted | Allowance Paid |
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September 30 | October 15, 2023 |
October 31 | November 15, 2023 |
Types of Allowances
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*The provision for savings in your salary should be sufficient to cover expenses lower than $500. If this is not the case, please reach out about your current support goal. **If an expense is already included in your monthly salary on your support goal worksheet, you may request a salary advance to make a large, up-front payment. |
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Form Instructions
Here is a step-by-step guide to answer FAQs about the fields on the form. Each dropdown corresponds to a section on the form.
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Name: This is the name of the person whose paycheck the bonus should be added to. Please do not put two people's name. If you are a couple, and both spouses would like a portion of the bonus, you will need to fill out a separate form for each spouse with the desired amount. Fund Number: The MTD fund you are responsible for. What is your ordination status? : This helps us determine how much Social Security taxes to add to the bonus, if applicable. You will need to choose a dropdown option.
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What type of Expense are you submitting? : All allowances should fall into one of the categories mentioned. Select the one that describes your need. Give any additional information about this expense : This is only required for Hardship Allowances, but you are welcome to include any additional information that you think might be helpful for Reliant. What amount do you need? : Enter the dollar amount that you are requesting. Additional Allowance for Social Security of FICA Bonus : This defaults yes. The amount is based on your previous selection of ordination status. You can see the amount to be added in the cell to the right.
Additional Allowance for Federal Income Tax : This defaults to 10%, but you are encouraged to think through your own federal tax obligations and change as necessary. For larger allowances, you should consider how this will affect your annual taxes and may need or want to select a higher percentage. |
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Next Available Paycheck : The form should default to the next available paycheck. Allowances must be requested by the end of the month to appear on the following months paycheck. You may choose a later date if you want. Do you need the money earlier? : Due to the extensive process for advancing funds, this option will only appear on the form where the bonuses is higher than 2,000. If you select "yes", you'll see some additional fields pop up at the bottom of the form. Next Available Advance : We have a normal rhythm of processing advances on the last Friday of the month. That date will populate at the bottom. If you do need funds sooner than the next paycheck and the next advance date, share the form with international@reliant.org and let us know your need. Advance Amount : This is only the allowance amount, without the additional amount for taxes. The full amount will still be on your next paycheck, but there will be an "After tax deduction" of the amount you were advanced, so that you are not paid twice. For more information on Advances: See International Payroll Advances |
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Total Amount (with taxes included) : The total allowance with additional amounts for Social Security and Federal Income Tax based on your selections Paycheck Date : Your allowance will be added to this paycheck as taxable wages. |
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Supervisor Approval : Vehicle, Moving and Hardship Allowances require Supervisor Approval. The form will only show this line if you have selected one of those options. Reliant International Approval : All Allowances must be approved by the International Program Team. Additional Director Approval : For allowances above a certain amount, the International Team will get approval from a Director |
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FITA (Federal Income Tax) Bonus
What is this Bonus?
The International Support Goal Worksheet does not include Federal Income Tax for the reason that most International Missionaries qualify for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555). In most cases, US citizens living in foreign lands qualify for this exclusion once they have lived outside of the US for 330 days (out of one year).
This bonus exists so that first year missionaries and those who may not qualify can increase their income to meet potential tax obligations.
Who is eligible?
First year missionaries and those who don't qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Individual missionaries need to consult qualified tax advisors to understand this.
How do I request this bonus?
While the missionary is completing their initial Support Goal Worksheet, they need to submit a written request for the FITA bonus.
Settling-in Bonus
Who is eligible?
A settling-in bonus is intended for missionaries when they report to their new assignment. It allows them to pay for extra personal expenses that would normally be considered "personal" or salary items. Things like:
- deposits on housing
- furniture and household goods
- rent-finder fees
- deposits and prepayments of utilities
How do I request this bonus?
- Complete the International Bonus for Moving and Vehicle.
- Itemize estimates of costs of various components of expenses (e.g., kitchen utensils and cabinets, bedroom furniture, linens for children, etc.)
- Indicate on the form your estimate of related taxes, or ask the International Liaisons to assist you - for assistance, the request needs to be written in an email.
- Submit completed form to international@gcmweb.org
- This bonus like each bonus depends on funds being available in the missionary MTD account.
What happens if my expenses on the field are more than the bonus amount I received?
The missionary may seek additional funds for Settling-in bonus through a written request and explanation to International@gcmweb.org. As always, approval depends on funds being available in the MTD account, as well as judgment of MR and the local supervisor.
What about taxes?
Settling-Bonuses are the same as extra income. Therefore, they are fully taxable. MR can assist in estimating the taxes due and add them to the bonus, if the missionary requests it.
Do I need receipts for my purchases with this bonus?
In most cases, receipts are not required because this is not a reimbursement.
Vehicle Bonus
Who is eligible?
Missionaries whose ministries require the purchase of a vehicle.
How do I request this bonus?
Submit the International Bonus for Moving and Vehicle, using instruction for Settling In Bonus
What expenses can be covered with this bonus?
The purchase of the vehicle and taxes related to purchase
For costs related to maintenance, taxes, insurance that cover the on-going cost of the vehicle, the needs to include the monthly expenses in their Support Goal.
What about taxes?
The purchase of a vehicle is considered extra income and fully taxable.
Hardship Bonus
Who is eligible?
How do I request this bonus?
What about taxes?
Counseling Bonus
Moving Bonus
Who is eligible?
How do I request this bonus?
What about taxes?
Transition Bonus
Who is eligible?
How do I request this bonus?
What about taxes?
Re-entry Bonus
Who is eligible?
How do I request this bonus?
What about taxes?
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Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the Missionary Resources Director. Contact the International Missionary Liaison for details on how to request an exception if needed. |