INFO: How to obtain a tax-exempt certification letter for your congregation

Congregations applying for grants and loans to cover expenses for day-to-day operations and/or mission programs may find themselves need to provide documentation of the tax-exempt status for their congregation.

This documentation is available from the Presbyterian Church (USA).

To get the tax-exempt documentation for your congregation, follow these steps.

1. Gather the proper (legal) name of your congregation or group, its mailing address, and its Employer Identification Number (EIN).
2. Submit that information to Kathie Lyver, legal office administrator with the PC(USA) Administrative Services Group, via an email to kathie.lyvers@pcusa.org. She will use the provided information to verify that your congregation or group is a member of the PC(USA) and entitled to use the tax-exempt status.
3. Watch for an email from Kathie that contains two documents. One is a letter that confirms your congregation’s tax-exempt status. The other is a document that defines the legal rulings to support that tax-exempt status. BOTH documents must be presented together to document your tax-exempt status.  

Although Kathie can produce the documentation rather quickly, please give her time to verify the information.  Congregational leaders might also want to include requesting this documentation on a list of annual tasks so that your group has current documentation available when needed.