Noteworthy

Last month, the Office of the Attorney General of New York (AG) filed a lawsuit naming an accounting firm as a defendant in a charity fraud case. The lawsuit serves as a warning shot that regulators may look beyond officers, directors, and trustees when exercising their authority to oversee charitable organizations.

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday—two days everybody has heard of and most of us have most likely taken part in—but what do you know about #GivingTuesday? After seeing a decrease of charitable donations in the days following Thanksgiving, Manhattan’s 92nd Street Y worked to create a social media fundraising campaign. It went viral, resulting in… Read more »

Impersonation of charitable organizations is nothing new, but this year, due to Hurricane Maria and other tragedies, the crime made its way on to the IRS list of the most pervasive tax scams. Learn how to avoid these scams during times of crisis.

Charitable solicitation registration can be a confusing and daunting task for any nonprofit organization. In fact, many nonprofits are unaware of the requirements. What is Charitable Solicitation Registration? Charitable solicitation registration is a state’s way of regulating fundraising activities within its jurisdiction. Generally, a nonprofit organization must register for charitable solicitation in the states in… Read more »

In February, the IRS began alerting nonprofits that they could also be potential targets in a bold new tax scam. Nonprofits, including schools and hospitals, have fallen victim to this newest email scam, according to the IRS. What emails should nonprofits watch out for? The “Executive Director” sends an email to an employee in the… Read more »

Pennsylvania laws require extensive child abuse history clearances for volunteers who have direct contact with children. As of July 1, 2015, new laws simplified the process for obtaining background certifications, and made other significant changes to reduce the burdens on organizations and their volunteers.  See the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website for more about the… Read more »

Annual IRS Filing Requirements for Exempt Organizations.

Colleges and universities take heed. In late April, the IRS issued its Final Report of the Colleges and Universities Compliance Project (the version linked here includes the May 2 revisions), and Congress members are taking note. Whether you are a college or university (or another organization in the tax-exempt sector), if you are not taking a systemic look at your operations and compliance practices, the IRS report makes clear that now is the opportune time.

If you are a nonprofit organization that recently received this nine-page questionnaire from the IRS (IRS Form 14449), there’s no need to panic, but it may be a good time to reconnect with nonprofit legal counsel. The questionnaire is not an audit and receiving it does not mean that the IRS believes that your organization has done something wrong.