Parish Fees

Information on Parochial Fees and Casual Duty Fees, including guidance for Funeral Directors

Parochial fees are governed by ecclesiastical law, and a full table of fees along with national guidelines can be found on the Church of England website:

Parochial fees are made up of two parts; one part due to the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) and the other part due to the Parochial Church Council (PCC). 

You can find detailed guidance below on:

Fees
PCC Fee returns
Retired clergy
Funeral directors

Fees for casual duty and occasional offices

Parochial fees are governed by ecclesiastical law, and a full table of fees along with national guidelines can be found on the Church of England website or you can download the 2024 Table of fees below:

The parochial fees summary table has been designed by the Church of England to be an attractive document to give to contacts. It covers:

  • Baptisms
  • Marriages
  • Funerals and Burials, including Burial of Cremated Remains
  • Installation and Alterations to Churchyard Monuments
  • Searches in Church Registers

Parochial fees are made up of two parts; one part due to the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) and the other part due to the Parochial Church Council (PCC). 

Additional PCC charges for services such as weddings or funerals are restricted to heating and genuine optional extras (e.g. music, bells, verger) and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for the priest. Extra charges for church administration etc. are unlawful, and any charges that are levied must be based on the true cost of providing the additional facility or personnel.

Fees for all funerals, including those held at a Crematorium, include elements for supporting the local church and the diocese generally.

Retired formerly stipendiary clergy who take occasional offices will be entitled to receive a payment in respect of these offices; the rate of payment is set at approximately 80% of the statutory fee due to the DBF. This payment will be made via the PCC or DBF and not directly from the wedding or funeral family. All who conduct occasional offices are entitled to be reimbursed for their expenses.

Detailed guidance on fees is set out on these documents:

PCC Fee Returns

Parochial fees are made up of two parts; one part due to the Diocesan Board of Finance* (DBF) and the other part due to the Parochial Church Council (PCC). 

*There are just a few exceptions where incumbent clergy in the Diocese of York have the right to retain fees.  Please contact the finance team if you think this may apply to your incumbent.

We ask that PCCs send a fees return to the DBF each quarter – or monthly if fees are more than £400 per quarter.  Fees can be remitted to the diocese by bank transfer or by cheque.

When remitting fees to the DBF please always complete a fees return form (available to download below) which is updated each year and make sure to write your parish code on it.  If you’re not sure of your parish code, you can find it on the pdf list below:

Cheques can be made payable to York DBF, YDBF, Diocese of York or York Diocesan Board of Finance Limited.

If paying by BACS please include the following details in your reference:

  • Parish Name; 
  • Code; and
  • Fees

And make sure to email a completed copy of the form to finance@yorkdiocese.org.

Guidance for retired clergy

Retired clergy who hold the Archbishop’s Permission to Officiate are able to claim fees from the Diocese for casual duty during vacancies and extended (i.e. more than four weeks) absence due to illness, as agreed by the Archdeacon. To make a claim, please use the form below and when completed, please forward it to your Area Dean for approval.  The Area Dean will then pass the approved claim form on to the Finance Team at the diocesan office for payment.

There is also a Funeral Return Form, which should be completed whenever you officiate at a funeral which is held at a crematorium but not arranged via a PCC. It should then be returned to Diocesan House together with the fee from the Funeral Director.  

Please contact the Finance Team at Diocesan House on 01904 699500 or by email if you have any questions relating to fees or for details of the Freepost address which may be used to return these forms. 

Guidance for funeral directors

The below guidance is for funeral directors working in the Diocese of York. If you have any further questions, you can contact us on finance@yorkdiocese.org or 01904 699500.