I am a minister and my denomination got out of the healthcare coverage business so each person has to go out and get their won insurance. My church gave me a stipend to go out and use to pay for healthcare. I qualify for a healthcare.gov plan that is subsidized. I still pay $1000 a month on premiums to cover the family. Is it better to have the church pay for the premiums and not report the stipend as income which is taxed or should I take the stipend, pay for my healthcare out of pocket and then itemize and enter the cost of the healthcare which will total $12000 by the end of the year. Or does it not matter, either way will work and I will pay the same amount of tax whether I tax the stipend or allow the church to pay for my healthcare directly to my healthcare providers?
