If you are a minister or member of a religious order, you may have net earnings from self-employment.
Minister’s housing. The rental value of a home or a housing allowance provided to a minister as part of the minister’s pay generally is not subject to income tax but is included in net earnings from self-employment. For that reason, it is included in earned
income for EITC (unless you have an approved Form 4361 or Form 4029)
Form 4361, Application for Exemption From Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders and Christian Science Practitioners, or
Form 4029, Application for Exemption From Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits.
Each approved form exempts certain income from social security taxes:
Form 4361. Even if you have an approved Form 4361, amounts you received for performing ministerial duties as an employee count as earned income. This includes wages, salaries, tips, and other taxable employee compensation. Amounts you received for performing ministerial duties, but not as an employee, do not count as earned income. Examples include fees for performing marriages and honoraria for delivering speeches.
Form 4029. Even if you have an approved Form 4029, all wages, salaries, tips, and other taxable employee compensation count as earned income. However, amounts you received as a self-employed individual do not count as earned income. Also, in figuring earned income, do not subtract losses on Schedule C, C-EZ, or F from wages on line 7 of Form 1040.