Self-employed ministers and church employees who participate in 403(b) plans generally follow the same rules as other 403(b) plan participants.

This means that if you are a self-employed minister or a church employee, your MAC generally is the lesser of:

• Your limit on annual additions, or
• Your limit on elective deferrals.

For most ministers and church employees, the limit on annual additions is figured without any changes. This means that if you are a minister or church employee, your limit on annual additions generally is the lesser of:

• $49,000 for 2011 and $50,000 for 2012, or
• Your includible compensation for your most recent year of service.

Although, in general, the same limit applies, church employees can choose an alternative limit and there are changes in how church employees, foreign missionaries, and self-employed ministers figure includible compensation for the most recent year of service. This chapter will explain the alternative limit and the changes.

A church employee is anyone who is an employee of a church or a convention or association of churches, including an employee of a tax-exempt organization controlled by or associated with a church or a convention or association of churches.

If you are a church employee, you can choose to use $10,000 a year as your limit on annual additions, even if your annual additions computed under the general rule is less.

Total contributions over your lifetime under this choice cannot be more than $40,000.