An organization exempt under IRC 501(c)(3) may qualify as a public charity if (1) it normally receives one-third of its TOTAL SUPPORT from sources that qualify as PUBLIC SUPPORT (One-Third Support Test); or (2) it meets the Facts and Circumstances Test, including the Ten-Percent-of-Support Requirement. PUBLIC SUPPORT includes: Direct...
Senator Grassley States He Will Propose More Reforms in 2006
OMB Watch, citing BNA, reports: Senate Finance Committe Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said on Jan. 12 that he will propose new reforms for charitable and tax-exempt organizations later in 2006 beyond those in a pending tax reconciliation bill (S. 2020). However, reform likely will no be accomplished in a...
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I thought it might be appropriate today to post some quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s impact certainly extends to laws that affect nonprofit organizations, and the right, if not the responsibility, of nonprofit charitable organizations to lobby in furtherance of their respective missions. “Now, I...
Public Support Tests – Public Charities
You'll find a discussion of the general advantages of classification as a public charity rather than a private foundation in a January 1, 2005 post. This post will discuss how charitable organizations receive recognition as a public charity under IRC Section 509(a)(1). Background: All 501(c)(3) organizations are categorized as...
Volunteers and Liability
Does your organization have a volunteer selection policy in place? PND News, in the January 4, 2006 article, Nonprofits Need to Do More to Vet Volunteers, citing an earlier article in the San Diego Union-Tribune, discusses some typical problems faced by nonprofits, including very large and established organizations, that...
IRS Commissioner Everson Speaks to Greater Washington Society of CPAs – December 14, 2005
The transcript of IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson’s speech to the Greater Washington Society of CPAs can be found here. Commissioner Everson identified as one of the four key objectives of the IRS the deterrence of abuse within the tax-exempt and governmental entities sector and misuse of such entities...
Vehicle Donations
IR-2005-149, December 22, 2005 WASHINGTON – Internal Revenue Service officials today reminded taxpayers that they must obtain a charity’s written acknowledgment of their vehicle donation before they claim a deduction for their donation. For deductions of more than $500, the taxpayer is required to attach the acknowledgment to the...
New Director of IRS Exempt Organizations Division
Lois G. Lerner has been selected as the director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. In this position she will be responsible for administering and enforcing the tax laws that apply to more than 1.8 million organizations recognized by the IRS as exempt from tax. ...
IRS Exempt Organizations Division 2006 Priorities
EO will continue its balanced approach to tax administration through its emphasis on enforcement and addressing abusive transactions, while maintaining education and outreach to the tax-exempt community. The critical initiatives commenced in FY 2005 will be completed in FY 2006. 1. New initiatives planned for FY 2006 involve abuses...
IRS Exempt Organizations Division 2005 Accomplishments
The following list of accomplishments of the Exempt Organizations (EO) division of the IRS in 2005 is excerpted from the IRS Letter to colleagues, members of the press and taxpayers dated as of October 25, 2005: 1. Disaster Relief. EO acted swiftly after Hurricane Katrina by immediately issuing a...