Church Bookkeeping Services — Faithful Stewardship, Clean Books
Churches carry bookkeeping burdens most businesses never see: designated funds that must never commingle, clergy compensation with its own tax rules, and a congregation that deserves transparent stewardship of every tithe and offering. Maxim Liberty has kept books for houses of worship of every tradition — churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples — since 2005 — dedicated human bookkeepers, in your software, from $75/month.
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Why Nonprofits Trust Maxim Liberty
Nonprofit bookkeeping demands accuracy in fund-based accounting, grant compliance, and donor stewardship reporting. Our dedicated teams deliver audit-ready financials every month with a 100% money-back guarantee and no long-term contracts. We have served organizations across the U.S. and Canada since 2005, and we understand that every dollar must be accounted for with absolute precision.
Fund-Based Accounting
Proper tracking of restricted, temporarily restricted, and unrestricted funds with clear segregation so every donor dollar is accounted for according to its intended purpose.
Grant Management
Budget-to-actual tracking for every active grant, monitoring spending against allowable categories, and producing the financial reports that grantors require for compliance and renewal.
Donor Revenue Tracking
Recording individual donations, pledges, in-kind contributions, and membership dues with proper classification so your development team always knows where revenue stands.
Bank Reconciliation
Monthly reconciliation of all operating accounts, restricted fund accounts, and investment accounts to catch discrepancies early and maintain the financial controls your board expects.
Payroll Processing
Accurate payroll with proper allocation of staff costs across programs, grants, and administrative functions — critical for functional expense reporting and grant compliance.
Financial Reporting
Board-ready statements including Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Activities, Statement of Functional Expenses, and cash flow reports — formatted for governance and funder review.
Table of Contents
- Fund Accounting for Congregations
- Clergy Payroll & Housing Allowance
- Tithes, Offerings & Contribution Statements
- Church Software We Work In
- What Church Bookkeeping Costs
- Frequently Asked Questions
Fund Accounting for Congregations
A church rarely has one pot of money. The general operating fund sits alongside a building fund, mission funds, benevolence funds, and donor-designated gifts — and each must be tracked, spent, and reported separately. Our bookkeepers maintain true fund accounting: every dollar tagged to its fund at entry, monthly statements per fund, and board-ready reports that show your finance committee exactly where designated money stands. When gifts are restricted, your books prove they were honored.
Clergy Payroll & Housing Allowance
Minister compensation follows rules unlike any other payroll: clergy are typically employees for income tax but self-employed for Social Security, and the housing allowance must be designated in advance and tracked correctly to keep its tax treatment. We process church payroll with these distinctions handled and documented — and because every congregation’s situation differs, we coordinate with your tax professional rather than replace them (this page is general information, not tax advice).
Tithes, Offerings & Contribution Statements
Weekly giving needs the same controls a business applies to revenue — recorded by donor, reconciled against deposits, and separated from designated gifts. We reconcile your giving records (whether from envelopes, Planning Center, Tithe.ly, or bank deposits) to the penny, so year-end contribution statements go out accurate and on time, and your counting team’s work is verified by an independent set of books.
Church Software We Work In
We work in the tools your church already uses — QuickBooks (the most common choice; see our QuickBooks bookkeeping service), Aplos, PowerChurch, ChurchTrac, Breeze, and giving platforms like Planning Center and Tithe.ly. No forced migrations, and you always own your data. Books behind after a treasurer transition? Our catch-up bookkeeping service brings them current first.
What Church Bookkeeping Costs
Most churches pay far less than they expect: our pricing is hours-based at $15/hour, which for a typical small congregation works out to around $75–$150 per month — a fraction of a part-time bookkeeper, and with supervisor review built in. Larger multi-campus ministries scale by transaction volume, not headcount. Every engagement carries a 100% money-back guarantee on your first deposit, so your board can evaluate our work on your real books with little to no risk. See full pricing.
Talk to Us About Your Church’s Books
Frequently Asked Questions
How is church bookkeeping different from nonprofit bookkeeping?
Churches are nonprofits, but with extras: clergy payroll rules, housing allowances, weekly cash-handling controls, and congregation-facing reporting. For secular nonprofits — grants, Form 990, program accounting — see our nonprofit bookkeeping services.
Do churches need to file Form 990?
Churches are generally exempt from filing Form 990, but clean books still matter — for your board, your lenders, your denomination, and donor confidence. Confirm your specific filing obligations with your tax professional.
Can you work with our volunteer treasurer?
Yes — that’s our most common arrangement. Your treasurer keeps oversight and signing authority; we do the weekly entry, reconciliation, and reporting that volunteers rarely have time to keep current.
Our books are months behind after a treasurer change. Can you help?
Yes. Treasurer transitions are one of the most common reasons churches fall behind. Our catch-up bookkeeping service rebuilds the backlog, then monthly service keeps it current.
Do you work with synagogues, mosques, and temples?
Yes. Fund accounting, designated gifts, contribution records, and staff payroll work the same way across traditions — we serve synagogues, mosques, temples, and other houses of worship with the same dedicated-team model, from $75/month.
How do we know our data is safe?
You grant access you control and can revoke at any time. We are a US-headquartered company operating exclusive delivery centers with encrypted access and strict confidentiality protocols — serving organizations since 2005 with a BBB A+ rating.
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Stewardship Your Congregation Can See
Accurate funds, clean contribution records, board-ready reports — from $75/month with a money-back guarantee on your first deposit.