Church Law & Tax

What Church Law & Tax does

Church Law & Tax operates a subscription-based content and membership platform delivering legal, tax, financial, and risk management guidance to U.S. churches, pastors, treasurers, bookkeepers, and church HR personnel. The platform's core offering consists of two annual membership tiers — Basic ($149/year) for self-guided access to the online legal library and basic newsletter, and Advantage ($219/year) which adds the Ask Richie AI chat assistant, the online Church & Clergy Tax Guide, webinars, the Reducing The Risk training program, store discounts, and weekly open office hours. The company has built an extensive editorial library accumulated since its 1987 founding by attorney/CPA Richard R. Hammar, covering clergy tax, housing allowance, employment law, governance, facility safety, and IT for churches.

Complementing the subscription platform, Church Law & Tax runs an e-commerce store selling books, PDFs, and bundles authored by a stable of subject-matter experts, including flagship titles such as Pastor, Church & Law (5th Edition), Church Governance, Church IT (3rd Edition), and Church Compensation (2nd Edition with 2025 Updates). Distribution is content-led: a free weekly newsletter reaching 100,000+ subscribers, a podcast, webinars, and organic social media channels drive top-of-funnel acquisition, with conversion to paid memberships and book sales. The company also operates ChurchSalary as a sub-brand for church compensation benchmarking.

Church Law & Tax is a privately held company, owned by Gloo, a values-aligned technology platform serving faith-based organizations that supplies the underlying AI infrastructure for the Ask Richie assistant. The business operates with a lean headcount (1-10 employees) from Carol Stream, Illinois, and serves a primarily U.S. customer base with no disclosed revenue, venture funding, or external investor ownership structure.

Name

Church Law & Tax

Legal name

Church Law & Tax

Website

https://churchlawandtax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Church Law & Tax is a subscription-based content platform providing U.S. churches, pastors, treasurers, and church staff with legal, tax, financial, and risk management guidance via two membership tiers, an AI chat assistant, and an e-commerce store of expert-authored books.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Church Compliance and Professional Resources

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Church legal resources
• Clergy tax guidance
• Nonprofit compliance training
• Church governance books
• Ministry risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Carol Stream

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Memberships: Annual subscription-based access to online legal library, tax guides, webinars, and AI tools. Two tiers: Basic ($149/year) and Advantage ($219/year).
2. Book and Resource Sales: Physical and digital books, guides, and resources sold through the Church Law & Tax Store including titles like Pastor Church & Law, Church Governance, Church IT, and Church Compensation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Church Law & Tax is a subscription-based content platform that delivers legal, tax, financial, HR, governance, and risk-management guidance specifically to churches, pastors, clergy, treasurers, bookkeepers, and HR staff. Its core paid offerings are the Basic ($149/year) and Advantage ($219/year) annual memberships, with the Advantage tier including the Ask Richie AI chat assistant, the Online Church & Clergy Tax Guide, exclusive webinars, training programs, weekly open office hours, and a 20% store discount. The company also sells physical books, digital guides, and resource bundles (such as Pastor Church & Law, Church Governance, Church IT, and Church Compensation) through its dedicated online store.

Product overview

Church Law & Tax is a subscription-based content and membership platform providing legal, tax, risk management, and operational guidance for churches and religious organizations. The core offering consists of two membership tiers (Basic at $149/year and Advantage at $219/year), with the Advantage tier including access to Ask Richie (an AI-powered chat assistant built on Gloo AI technology), the online Church & Clergy Tax Guide, webinars, training programs, and store discounts. Complementing the subscription platform is an extensive store offering physical books, PDFs, and digital downloads authored by subject-matter experts including Richard R. Hammar, Elaine L. Sommerville, Michael E. Batts, Nick Nicholaou, and others. Key titles include Pastor, Church & Law (5th Edition), Church Governance, Church IT (3rd Edition), Church Compensation (with 2025 Updates), and numerous safety, finance, and compliance guides. The portfolio spans legal reference works, tax guides, governance resources, HR and compensation tools, technology guidance, safety and emergency preparation materials, and training programs. Content is delivered through a website with article archives, a podcast, webinars, and an e-commerce store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ChurchSalary: Salary benchmarking and compensation resources for churches
• Church Law & Tax Report
• Church Finance Today

Products and services

• Basic Membership Annual subscription tier that provides self-guided access to Church Law & Tax's online legal library, state child abuse reporting laws, and articles on church finance, law, tax, and risk management, along with a basic weekly newsletter. Targeted at pastors, treasurers, bookkeepers, and other church leaders who need on-demand reference material.
• Advantage Membership Annual subscription tier ($219/year) that adds the Ask Richie AI chat assistant, the Online Church & Clergy Tax Guide, an insider weekly newsletter, exclusive webinars and learning cohorts, the Reducing The Risk training program, a 20% store discount, the Tax Prep Guide PDF, and weekly open office hours on top of all Basic Membership content. Designed for church leaders who need premium expert access throughout the year.
• Church & Clergy Tax Guide Searchable annual tax reference resource covering clergy compensation, housing allowances, dual tax status, exemption requirements, expenses, and reporting for churches and clergy. Trusted by pastors, church leaders, treasurers, bookkeepers, and tax preparers and available as part of Advantage Membership and as a standalone purchase.
• Pastor, Church & Law, Fifth Edition Definitive hardcover legal reference for churches covering church liability, federal reporting requirements, incorporation, employment laws, negligence, counseling, and the legal authority of pastors. Authored by attorney and CPA Richard R. Hammar and available with bulk pricing for church bulk orders.
• Church Governance Reference book providing church leaders with essential knowledge on conducting legally sound church business, covering board structure, bylaws, elections, membership requirements, minutes, and business meetings in plain language with practical guidance.
• Church IT, 3rd Edition Third-edition reference guide on leveraging information technology effectively to advance a church's mission, covering staffing strategies, hardware and software selection, Wi-Fi, disaster recovery, maintenance, security, and AI applications for ministry. Authored by Nick Nicholaou and Jonathan Smith (copyright 2024, 205 pages).
• Church Compensation - Second Edition with 2025 Updates Comprehensive 2025-edition church compensation guide covering policies, FLSA worker classification, tax-compliant payroll systems, benefit plans, HRA plans, ministerial housing allowance, payroll deposits and reporting, special minister compensation issues, and government compliance. Authored by CPA Elaine L. Sommerville.
• 20 Finance Questions Churches Ask 42-page compiled Q&A resource covering the 20 most widely asked and relevant tax and finance questions for church leaders, answered by Richard R. Hammar (originally published in 2013).
• Church Finance: The Church Leader's Guide to Financial Operations Comprehensive guide to financial administration for churches, covering budgets, charitable contributions, internal controls, and financial reporting. Authored by CPA Michael E. Batts with a focus on mission and purpose as the foundation of financial management.
• Children's Safety Bundle Bundled collection of three resources providing actionable recommendations for establishing and safeguarding church child ministry, including practical tips for check-in/check-out procedures and child safety policies.
• Creating a Disaster Preparation and Response Plan Practical preparedness resource guiding churches through planning for disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and flooding, with actionable steps and response protocols.
• Medical Emergency Preparation Practical resource providing a medical emergency checklist and guidance on forming a response team to handle health crises in church settings.
• Safety On the Road Practical guidance on safe transportation practices for churches, including driver selection, precautions for transporting children, cell-phone usage policies, and ready-to-use travel forms.
• Your Complete Guide to Virtual Church Meetings Toolkit for legal and compliant virtual business meetings covering virtual meeting governance, voting, and documentation. Authored by attorney and parliamentarian Sarah E. Merkle, JD, CPP-T, PRP.
• Board Member Orientation - The Concise and Complete Guide to Nonprofit Board Service Comprehensive handbook for nonprofit board orientation covering roles, responsibilities, and best practices for board service. Authored by Michael E. Batts.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Barna GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarna Group conducted research on AI trust among practicing Christians, commissioned by Gloo (Church Law & Tax's parent company). Survey findings showed 61% of churchgoers would trust AI on financial matters and nearly half on spiritual growth topics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christianity Today: Major Christian media and publishing organization that produces content, magazines, and resources for church leaders and Christian audiences. Direct peer given shared audience of pastors, church staff, and lay leaders served by overlapping editorial products.
• Church Executive Magazine: Publication and resource platform providing news, analysis, and operational guidance to senior church leaders. Direct peer because it serves the same executive pastor/leadership audience with subscription-based content on church management and operations.
• Outreach Magazine: Resource and media platform for churches focused on outreach, growth, and ministry best practices. Direct peer as a content-driven platform targeting church leaders with operational and ministry guidance.
• Church Answers: Church-focused content and Q&A platform providing ministry, leadership, and operational answers for pastors and church leaders. Direct peer due to overlapping product format (expert Q&A content library) and identical target audience of church leaders.

Others

• Barna Group: Research organization producing surveys, reports, and insights on faith, church trends, and Christian leadership. Others/complementary because it informs the same audience of church leaders with research rather than legal/tax guidance; partnered with Gloo on the 2025 AI trust study.
• ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability): Accreditation body that sets standards and certifies evangelical nonprofits and churches on financial integrity and accountability. Others/complementary because it overlaps with Church Law & Tax's financial governance content area but serves the market via accreditation rather than subscription content.
• Leadership Network: Church consulting and peer network focused on large-church leadership and innovation. Others/complementary because it targets a similar church leader audience with consulting, convenings, and peer learning rather than legal/tax content.

Emerging players

• Church Fuel: Church training and resource platform providing leadership development, ministry tools, and educational content to pastors and church teams. Emerging player due to similar audience and subscription content model, though with a broader leadership/training focus.
• The Unstuck Group: Church consulting firm specializing in church health, growth strategy, and ministry consulting led by Tony Morgan. Emerging player because it serves the same church leader audience with strategic and operational guidance, though via consulting rather than subscription content.

Broad incumbents

• Gloo: Parent company and broader faith-based technology platform serving churches and ministries with AI, engagement, and connectivity tools. Broad incumbent because it encompasses Church Law & Tax's niche within a much wider portfolio of faith-tech products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/churchlawandtax
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/churchlawtax
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChurchLawAndTax
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-law-tax

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Church Law & Tax