After trying other financial services finding CFR has been a blessing. Handling of payroll has allowed me to not have the anxiety I was experiencing with other service organizations. Thanks for the confidence I can have that everything is being done in proper order.
We have worked with Clergy Financial for almost 2 years and absolutely love them. They are easy to communicate with and very helpful!
Best decision we ever made was to let Clergy Financial manage our payroll. They have taken all the hassle out of payday and have always been there for us whenever we had a question. The online format gives us the flexibility to work from anywhere at anytime.
I would highly recommend checking out all they have to offer.
Oakbrook Church has been w/Clergy Financial for well over a year and the service has been A+. When I've had questions, knowledgeable people have gotten back with me very quickly. They did a great job of setting up our payroll which involved some tricky details since not all of our employees were paid on the same pay schedule before this transition. I love how end of year documents are available with a simple download. Great customer service, product and people.
Awesome Staff and awesome people who are willing to help with whatever you need! Highly recommended!
Clergy Financial has helped me thru tax questions numerous times at different points throughout the year. Since I've become their client they have been responsive to personal and tax questions alike.
I have used Clergy Financial Resources for my tax preparations since my first year out of seminary. I greatly value the expertise they bring, and the peace of mind that comes knowing someone has looked over my taxes before they get sent to the IRS. But what I value the most is the ability to call them up to get answers to my tax related questions as my income situations changes throughout the year.
We are thankful for your service. Great job, efficient, accurate, timely.
Several years ago as I was retiring from the ministry, I discovered Clergy Financial Resources. Retirees have special concerns about financial matters, taxation being one of them. In all the years I have dealt with CFR, I have never been disappointed in their expertise, their advice, their unique suggestions on such things as the housing allowance, and their personal touch. They "saved my bacon" on a couple of important occasions, and I have utter confidence in their skill. Five stars for CFR!
David Philips
I have been using Clergy Financial Resources for the past 5 years and have found them very valuable and wonderful to work with. Mark Friesen has been great to work with. They also have assisted our church and our treasurer assured us that our church will continue to use their resources in the future. He was very impressed with their assistance. I would highly recommend Clergy Financial Resources to anyone.
Clergy taxes are complex and far from the norm. I took a recommendation from a credible source and grateful I did. CFR has made tax season a breeze!
Having Clergy Financial prepare my taxes has been a great experience. I have found their annual "clergy tax organizer" to be straightforward and their staff has been helpful to me in every way possible.
We've had a great experience working with Clergy Financial. We had a mess with our previous payroll provider and needed to make a switch. I reached out to Clergy Financial to get an opinion on what needed to be done and they walked us step by step through the process. We're glad we made the switch for our payroll processor. We now have the added bonus of a group of people that have great experience with church & clergy finances who can advise our leadership staff on an organization and personal level.
Having had a bad experience with another payroll outfit that did not really understand the nature of clergy employment I turned to Clergy Financial Resources. They know what they are doing and they are both responsive and helpful when I call on them. I have recommended them to others.
Fred Hayes
Massachusetts Council of Churches
We use CFR for our payroll, and they do a wonderful job. Great benefit to have the peace of mind that all the little things are being tended to, so we can focus on the big picture.
I've been using Clergy Financial for over a decade. I have very complicated taxes that includes multiple 1099s for clergy income, alimony and child support payments, housing allowance, and more, yet Mark and the CFR team have conquered every challenge. They even helped me through an audit.
I recommend CFR to all my co-workers and other clergy. Whether it's tax prep, withholdings, payroll or other IRS questions, they're very helpful.
CFR came highly recommended to me, and they're certainly on the ball. Easy to communicate with, never make you feel rushed, patiently answer lots of stupid questions from me (but better to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake).
They're expensive, no doubt about that, but they're good too. Mark is especially helpful.
We're a small church and a bit challenged with details of payroll, clergy payroll, taxes, housing allowances, IRS, and other situations that are unique to church finances. They always respond to my calls and emails. They give professional customer service.
If you want personal attention to your specific tax and compensation issues, Clergy Financial is your best option. As a church we use them for payroll and I had them complete my complicated tax return last year and it was a very easy process. Filled out a form of information, had a phone call to review, and it was done.
When you google away at clergy tax issues you get a variety of generic answers. Clergy Financial is always quick to answer any question you have all year long!
Excellent resources for Administrator of the Ministry. I am very impress with the imformation that i am able to obtain. It helps with running my office efficiently. Thank You.
I have worked with Clergy Financial the last 2 years with my personal tax filings. They have always been very helpful and knowledgeable.
We have been using Clergy Financial for several years. I have never worked with anyone as efficient as they are. When I send an email with a question they answer immediately. If I need an associate updated or a new associated added in payroll that is also done very quickly.
Clergy Financial Resources has done our taxes for many years, while we were in Chicago and then when we moved to Minnesota. They easily handled our change in states during our move and have been excellent to work with all along. They know clergy family taxes and help you get them right. Excellent!
We have been using CFR for almost a year for payroll services. Their staff is very helpful, quick to respond, and a refreshing change from our previous payroll provider. I am so happy that we made this change - it has made us much more efficient.
CFR is a great company to work with. They are immediately responsive to all of my questions about payroll and different nuances for each employee.
The staff at Clergy Financial Resources have always been very helpful. They are knowledgable about clergy payroll, taxes, housing allowances, fringe benefits, and other circumstances that are unique to church finances. They are always quick to respond to calls and emails. They go above and beyond what is expected, offering exceptional customer service.
The website is good but not as exceptional as the staff at Clergy Financial Resources. Navigation on the website is not intuitive. I've used it several times with success but prefer to speak with or email someone. The high quality of customer service makes up for what the website lacks.
Clergy Financial Resources have blessed us for nearly 25 years! Jake Friesen made a timely personal visit to my church office and I have been with CFR ever since! CFR has provided timely helps, good counsel, and complete confidence in tax preparation. One year I selected for a random audit from the IRS; Mark Friesen was my go to friend and counselor during that time. When I received my audit approval I thought how much CFR had helped me during that stress-filled time! Thanks, Mark and Team!
We have used Clergy Financial for twelve years. When we switched to CF we saved significantly on our taxes. They are generous with their time and thorough.
My husband and I have worked with Clergy Financial for many years now! When I am done with our taxes and I can sleep well at night, I feel like I'm in the right place! That has always been the case with Clergy Financial. Support remains there throughout the year and is just a phone call away. I would highly recommend the services of Clergy Financial Resources!
CFR has always been very helpful. Our representative handles my questions quickly and thoroughly anytime I have call or email. They are very easy to work with.
Great customer service. Very knowledgeable and accessible. Ever since I hired them to do my taxes I've had peace of mind. Absolutely love their client portal and the ability to access my documents at anytime from anywhere. Totally recommend them.
My husband and I have been using Clergy Financial Services for more than 15 years for doing our tax returns. They have always been prompt, and very accurate in helping us plan for the year to come. They are very knowledgeable,. With their clergy specific focus, I know that they know the tax laws inside and out, and they work for their clients trust and respect. I would highly recommend them to any clergy for tax preparation.
Information they provide is timely and helpful. It's great to receive their e-mails and know it will contain information that is directly geared to my situation.
They have been very helpful with any questions I've had about taxes. I recently had a new tax come up, and they were able to explain it all to me very easily. They are always available and easy to talk with.
Nothing is more confusing than clergy taxes. This is why we're so thrilled to have such a responsive company like Clergy Financial to help us out. We've talked with Mark several times over the past few months, and he is always available and helpful. Our minds are at ease with Clergy Financial on our side!
For many years we used CPA's to do our taxes, but never found anyone who actually knew the in's and out's of clergy status. Once we started filing with Clergy Financial, we soon realized that they are experts in their field. When you're self employed, you want to have full faith in your accountant's abilities. We wouldn't file with anyone else, because there just isn't anyone else we would trust. Many thanks to them for using their gifts for the kingdom in this way.
Clergy Financial helped our family immensely, especially with questions in our first year of being taxed as 'clergy'! They were quick to respond to questions, eased our stress, and were very flexible and easy to work with! Highly Recommended!
This is the best service for clergy taxes that I have found. For years I used another service and was totally dissatisfied. CFR is an excellent resource. Their staff are extremely helpful along every step in the process and are very good for follow up. They have saved me a great deal of money and have been very responsive to any questions that I have had. I highly recommend this tax service.
This is the "go to" place for clergy who care about and pay attention to financial issues. I'm grateful for this tremendous recourse!
For many years our church used a large and well known payroll service company. Not only were the costs rising every pay period but the service was incomplete as their knowledge regarding clergy taxes and especially parsonage allowances were minimal. We count finding Clergy Financial Resources one of our "biggest and best" finds of 2015! Josh and Mark through Clergy Financial Resources have served us above and beyond what we even knew to ask. What a relief and pleasure it has been this past year. They are always willing to work with whatever situation has come along the way. Their assistance through the health insurance issues this past year are very much appreciated.
We are just now beginning to utilize the HR services. The endless list of subject matter and expertise is appreciated. I would highly recommend CFR to everyone we meet.
A great help navigating the unique challenges of clergy taxes. Always prompt and thorough.
We are a small church that recently switched to CF from a large payroll service. The initial set up was easy and customer service was great-very personable with clear, concise explanations. Overall, we are pleased with the services. CF is thorough, quick and efficient, though some of the more recent customer service has seemed more business-like than personal to where it seems we are more of a number than a valued customer.
Top notch personalized service. The team is always ready to answer our craziest questions. Not only are they knowledgeable, they are kind and patient when answering questions or hearing out concerns. They have successfully helped us navigate a myriad of intricate payroll questions. I cannot imagine using anyone else.
After 'firing' two payroll services I finally found CFR to handle payroll and HR for our church and child care center. What a relief to have a service who understands the unique needs of a church. And if I need to talk to a real person they are there to help.
As an enrolled agent, I understand the unique needs of Church Payroll. The major payroll companies don't get it. Clergy does.
We've used Clergy Financial for 6 years. They are very professional and have helped us through complicated years, including a move overseas and a dual clergy household. Highly recommended!
I entered the ministry in 2006, after many years in the private sector. I found Clergy Financial Services to be so helpful in helping my wife and I negotiate the changes in our financial status and to understand the tax code related to clergy. We have depended on them for the past 8 years, and have found them to be professional, thorough, and accessible throughout the year as we have questions or concerns. I would highly recommend Clergy Financial to others in the ministry.
I have been using Clergy Financial Resources for my clergy taxes for ten years now. They are prompt, reliable, thorough, yet they provide friendly, personal service. I highly recommend them.
I have been utilizing the services of Clergy Financial Resources for almost 20 years. I mainly rely on their Income Tax specialists, (particularly Mark Friesen) for doing my tax returns each year.
I have always found the staff to be courteous, prompt, business-like, and thorough in all of their calculations and reports.
I rely upon them and will continue to rely on them for doing my taxes each year.
We have used Clergy Financial to do our taxes for over 15 years. They are always courteous and quick to respond. Mark and Josh are so knowledgeable about not only clergy tax but our secular income too!
Clergy Financial's Church Payroll service also does my W-2 at tax time. Before using Clergy Financial, I did the W-2 and W-3 forms. Once I made a small mistake. I filed corrected forms. But it took over 12 months of back and forth correspondence with the Social Security Administration to resolve my small error. I am thankful that I do not have to do W-2 forms any more. As a church treasurer it is one less work item in the busy month of January.
I have used Clergy Financial for the past seven years. They have expertly assisted me in tax accounting for an international move, a marriage dissolution, and complicated real estate transactions. They have accurately shared tax law, information on IRS requirements and possibilities, as well as related congressional actions. I could not recommend them more highly, and I have connected them to four of my friends.
I started with Mark in 1984 after I met his father and he saved me a few thousand my first year and he has done my income tax ever year and even this year when I had some problems and it was up to the last hours Mark spent the time with me to get all done and we must have spent 5 hours working it over. My son and his wife who has a Doctorat at the Mayo Clinic I gave him Marks information and they have used them for the past 10 years and they think Mark is great. Mark and Josh have been great and they give you the time you need. For both of us Clergy Financial Resources is a 5.
Working with CFR from first contact through filing my state and federal tax returns was confidence building. The indefatigable patience of Mark is worthy of awe. He is unflappable.
Having spent so many hours trying to educate even excellent accountants about the complexities of clergy income, I welcome knowing that I am in the hands of experts in the very matters I both need and cannot find elsewhere.
I have worked with CFR for four years and have always received excellent, prompt service. They are experts in clergy taxation, and have the knowledge to guide payroll setup for clergy, as well as all employees.
I am just happy to be free from the anxiety of quarterly and year-end filings, and W2 processing. No more letters from the IRS!
My wife, a pastor, and I have worked with them for a number of years and feel we get top-notch service. They provide wonderful service and are very helpful when we have questions or changes in her call and have to recalculate our quarterly payments. I would highly recommend them. They are professional, knowledgeable, and helpful!
**Edit: Updated a year later and we're still perfectly pleased with Clergy Financial Resources!**
Clergy Financial Resources has been fantastic for our church. We no longer deal with the stress of recording and calculating the taxes for our church staff, and the payroll system is so easy to use. It's also great being able to have direct deposit as a local church with just a few staff members. It's saved us money to pay Clergy Financial to handle our payroll, and now we as staff can use our hours for what we care about--serving our church and our community. Thank you!!
I've been a client of Clergy Financial since 2002 and I am thankful for their attention and expertise. They assist me in tax preparations and filings. Mark and his staff are always so polite and helpful, timely in their interactions.
I had returned to the U.S. after being out of the country for a number of years. Since I didn't know the U.S. income tax well, I hired this company. For three years in a row, they missed a basic tax credit on my income tax--the Child Tax Credit. I switched to another company because I hadn't been impressed with their service and it was only by switching that the errors were found. If I were still with this company who knows how long this situation would have gone on. I was able to get $6000 of the $10000 error that they made, but am now short $4000. I would not recommend them!
CFR has been our tax preparer for around 15 years. I am always impressed with their professional demeanor, the time they take to prepare and explain our return, and especially their desire to help us plan for the tax year to come to avoid any surprises along the way. I believe that every pastor needs a good team to back them up in their hard work and having finances under the care of people like the folks at CFR takes a big load off of my plate every year.
2 years of great service.
Like many, I dread the idea of tax season. But Clergy Financial has made the process bearable! The Tax Organizer is easy to use, and makes the entire process relatively easy.
A couple of weeks ago, I received some information from the IRS that my taxes were missing some reported income. I talked to Mark, he told me not to worry and that the IRS had made an error. Mark took care of the paper work from there.
Great experiences all around.
Thanks for your conscientious and efficient service. And thanks for the free coffee.
We were introduced to Clergy Financial through a friend, four years ago. We have never looked back! They were extremely informational. We learned things our past tax preparer did not tell us. This information could have either caused us to get audited but some of it gave us a better rebate. Way to go Clergy Financial!!
Having been using CFR to do my taxes for about 25 years. They are most helpful, accommodating, easy to work with, and accurate. I couldn't do my taxes without them, and highly recommend them.
I have a limited experience with Clergy Financial Resource, although the one thing that I know is that there is someone that I can count on when I have questions, that is a huge relief.
Clergy Financial Resources turned my payroll nightmare into a dream! Really. It was such a headache to keep up with all the payroll hassles and now it could not be easier. We've used them for several years and every experience with them has been completely positive. My only regret is not signing up years earlier.
Clergy Financial Resources offers quality personal tax preparation services which my family and I have used for 16 years. We have watched Clergy Financial Resources expand its coverage for income tax federal and state tax preparation to include electronic submittable tax filings and direct deposit of refunds. Clergy Financial Resources is a strong three generation company with high integrity, marvelous customer service and pleasant personal contact between their staff and myself. I have always felt comfortable recommending their services to my colleagues as I do to you today.
My wife and I have been working with Clergy Financial Resources since I graduated from seminary 5 years ago. Their tax preparation services have been a huge blessing to us every year! I have referred numerous other pastors in their direction and have always heard marvelous feedback. As a church we have also used their payroll services and been equally impressed. Their customer care is top notch and their end results are always exceptional.
Clergy taxes? AGGGGGHHHHHH!
A friend told me about CFR shortly after I was appointed to serve my first church. At a seminar with a financial planner, he asked who I used. When I told him CFR and what I'd paid, he told me to never leave...and I haven't!
Paperwork beforehand leads you through all of the information they need. Then, you have a phone consultation to review and possibly find other areas of savings.
In the interest of transparency, I am getting a Starbucks gift card for posting this review...but I wouldn't do it or say what I said if it weren't true.
Clergy Financial is great. Reliable, helpful, and I can always get a personal consultation when I have questions. They've done a good job with my spouse's sole-proprietor business taxes as well as my clergy taxes. I endorse them without reservation.
Wonderful company to work with. I especially appreciate the quick and personal follow-up to all my questions!
Clergy Financial Resources provides excellent information for churches and pastors. The information provided is always accurate, relevant and timely. Thank you for providing outstanding service.
Exceptional service! Clergy taxes are unique and many tax preparers are not really familiar enough with them. CFR is constantly updating their clergy tax preparation package to reflect the most current changes in clergy tax law. They are the experts and I look forward to working with for many more years to come.
Extremely helpful regardless of questions or payroll issues. Glad to have them performing my client's payroll and tax essentials.
They are very knowledgeable about tax laws having to do with pastors and they are easy to work with. The tax preparation worksheet is very helpful in gathering all the information needed to file your taxes and their online server makes it easy to share documents with them securely. I would definitely recommend them!
Using this company is just a good idea. Competent, easy to use and peace of mind. I have been working with them for nearly 20 years.
When it comes to our individual taxes, I appreciate the promptness in Mark's getting back to us when we have questions, and his insistence on answering questions by phone rather than by email. This way, we have to opportunity to discuss the what-ifs and I feel comfortable knowing that all angles are covered.
I also like the occasional client emails sent out from CFR with tax news, and the security and ease of using the Cyber Cabinet. The entire process is user-friendly and feels well thought out.
I am the solo pastor of a 200+-member congregation. Most of my experience with CFR is their e-newsletter, which I almost always read 2 or more articles from in each addition. In need-to-know information concerning housing allowance, payroll, worker's comp, and more, it's my go-to resource for HR questions within the church's setting when I, the pastor, am also HR! Thank you, CFR for being such a valuable wealth of information!
I have been using Clergy Financial to do my taxes for 15+ years. I trust them, and know they are working for me. Their work is efficient and timely. Also when doing FAFSA forms they are incredibly helpful.
The Clergy Financial staff are always very helpful and accommodating. I never did payroll before, and they made it super easy to do. I would recommend them to any churches and church plants. They were far superior to other payroll companies we worked with before.
I've been using Clergy Financial since I was ordained over 3 years ago and have been extremely happy with the level of service and professionalism found there. Our tax guy, Mark, has been friendly and easy to work with, and has answered every question we've had in a very timely manner.
Felt the need to update my previous review. The staff at Clergy Financial is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. They are an incredible resource, always willing to take calls and help with tax calculations and technical support. If they do not have the answer immediately, they work with us quickly to bring resolution to our issues. A huge thank you to CFR and their team.
These folks understand the nuances of clergy tax...better than the IRS. They are the go to folks for clergy tax info.
I have used Clergy Financial Resources for two years now to prepare my taxes. My seminary education gave me a basic understanding of how clergy taxes worked, and the advice of the professor then was, "Now you know the basics of how this works, go find an accountant to do them for you." I was excited to find CFR because they specialize in doing taxes for clergy and know the ins and outs. Each year, I fill out the extended information form and send it in. A CPA plugs in all of the information, calls me to go over it, explains any questions I have in a friendly and easy to understand way, and voila! all done. I have peace of mind that the taxes have been done correctly, and it's totally worth the money I pay. I plan to continue using Clergy Financial Resources to do my taxes. Thanks, CFR!
I have used clergy financial for the past seven years. They are always professional, easy to work with, clear and I learn something new each tax season. They are always prompt in their services which is also a plus. Clergy taxes offer their own challenges and I would highly recommend Clergy Financial to anyone needing this type of service.
Josh Friesen and Mark Friesen are excellent at what they do. We have been their clients for payroll services for a few years and they have provided sage advice for different scenarios our church has encountered.
We have been using Clergy Financial Resources each year since the mid 1980s and have always appreciated their professional, accurate, and ever-helpful service to us as we sort through our taxes each year. CFR is unparalleled in their understanding of the nuances of clergy taxes and always ready to provide assistance as needed. We cannot more highly recommend them!
Love Clergy Financial, they help me feel confident in my tax preparation each year and allow me to focus more on my ministry!
I did the taxes for our family for years and always thought that I was doing it correctly. But with my husband being a pastor, it was more complicated than I thought. We've been doing our taxes with CFR for about 5 years now, and I am always confident that we are taking advantage of every tax benefit that we are eligible for. I have also called numerous times during the year to clarify a tax issue or to seek guidance or help with tax related issues. The staff have always been willing to go above and beyond to help us resolve any problems that we've had, or to communicate our needs to our church. I would have no hesitation about recommending CFR and have done so to many friends seeking tax accountants.
Clergy Financial has been a great help in tax preparation for 20 years, prompt and knowledgeable. thanks
They have been such a blessing! From their tax preparation worksheet to their attention to detail, I have been nothing but pleased for the 3 years I've used their services. Highly recommend!
I'm a pastor, and Clergy Financial has done my taxes for 12 years. They know exactly what they are doing. They are efficient, fair, honest and accurate. I've never had any trouble with them, or the IRS. Though I live in another state, I don't have any problem getting excellent customer service, and great advice. I recommend them to all my fellow pastors.
I have been a pastor for almost 30 years and have been with Clergy Financial Resources for 29 of those years! They were great to work when I lived in Minnesota and they have been great to work with since I moved to Connecticut 16 years ago. They have helped me through the tax code with a young family; with relocations, with the college years; with house purchases, and with the dreaded correspondence with the IRS. Mark and his team are professional, courteous and helpful. They understand the tax code and specifically clergy tax code! With Clergy Financial's help I have met my obligations and maximized my savings! I would recommend Clergy Financial Resources to every pastor.
Payroll has never been easier! Getting payroll done each week was a time-consuming task, but since allowing Clergy Financial Resources to manage this task for me, it has become a three-click, effortless task! Reviewing and submitting payroll takes only about two minutes and it is always done correctly. When I have any questions about anything, I call or Email CFR and receive a call back or Email response almost immediately.I am so thankful for this service and for the customer service that I receive as a client.
Always helpful, courteous, & knowledgeable! Quick responses on any question(s)!
Highly recommend!
I have had Clergy Financial Resources help me every year at tax time and they
have help me to understand the complexities of the tax law for Clergy.
I also received help from clergy Financial when we needed a mortgage for a new house...and all the tax laws involved with that as well.
All the people from Mark on down were absolutely super over the years!!!
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