This post follows up on our previously published post Nonprofit Law 101 for Journalists and is intended to provide additional information to journalists and news organizations about federal tax laws applicable to 501(c)(3) organizations and common state corporate and charitable trust laws applicable to charitable nonprofits. The brief answers...
IRS & FEDERAL TAX ISSUES
Highlights from the ABA Exempt Organizations Subcommittee Meetings 2/10/23
Here are some of the highlights from 2 of the subcommittee meetings at the ABA Exempt Organizations Committee meeting held in San Diego on February 10, 2023 as part of the ABA 2023 Midyear Tax Meeting. Private Foundations & Unrelated Business Income Taxes & International Philanthropy Political and Lobbying;...
Highlights from the ABA Exempt Organizations Committee Meeting 2/10/23
Here are some of the highlights from 3 of the sessions at the ABA Exempt Organizations Committee meeting held on February 10, 2023 as part of the ABA 2023 Midyear Tax Meeting. What’s New, IRS? Whoa-oa-oa-ah! Representatives from the IRS and Treasury Department will discuss topics of current interest...
501(c)(4) Social Welfare Organizations
501(c)(4) is the second most common basis of tax-exemption after 501(c)(3). 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations include several well-known advocacy organizations including the Sierra Club, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, the NRA, and AARP. However, the majority of 501(c)(4) organizations – an estimated 85 percent – do not engage in issue...
501(c)(3) Operational Test
To be or stay exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be operated exclusively for one or more of the exempt purposes described in section 501(c)(3) (“exempt purposes”). The first part of a compliance analysis with respect to this requirement referred to as the...
WCTEO 2022 Highlights
The following are some of the highlights from the 2022 Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations (WCTEO). After a two-year hiatus from in-person meetings, It was great seeing and speaking with new and old friends and colleagues practicing, teaching, and writing in the area of nonprofit and exempt organizations...
Two Recent Treasury Inspector General Reports on Exempt Orgs
Earlier this autumn, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released two important reports regarding the IRS’s administration and oversight of tax-exempt organizations: (1) Review of the IRS’s Enforcement Program for Tax-Exempt Organizations That Participate in Illegal or Nonexempt Activities and (2) More Information Is Needed to Make...
2022 Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations
The 26th Annual Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations (WCTEO), my #1 go-to conference every year for the past 17 years, will be held at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, December 1, and Friday, December 2. You can register for this in-person conference jointly hosted by...
2022 Exempt Organizations Symposium – Part 3
This is part three of a three-part list of highlights from the Exempt Organizations Symposium held by the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Exempt Organizations Committee on September 8, 2022. Also see Part 1 (Political and Lobbying Activities, News from IRS/Treasury/Hill) and Part 2 (DAOs, Illegality). Charities and the First Amendment:...
2022 Exempt Organizations Symposium – Part 2
This is part two of a three-part list of highlights from the Exempt Organizations Symposium held by the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Exempt Organizations Committee on September 8, 2022. You can find Part 1 here. The Tao of DAO: Charity and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations Glossary DAO – generally,...