P.L.R. 201446025 – A Change of I.R.S. Direction?

Read Publication

INTRODUCTION

U.S. charities are required to obtain I.R.S. approval in order to be exempt from federal income tax under §501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). Under Code §508(a), new organizations must notify the Secretary of the Treasury that they are applying for recognition of Code §501(c)(3) status. In order to establish such exemption, Treasurey Regulation §1.1501(a)-1(a)(2) requires that an organization must file an appropriate application form with the district director for the internal revenue district in which the principal place of business of the organization is located. Furthermore, any rulings or determination letters holding the organization exempt are effective so long as there are no material changes in the organization’s character, purposes, or methods of operation. To be tax-exempt under §501(c)(3), an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual.

This begs the following question: If a charity changes its organizational structure or state of incorporation, will a new application be required?

I.R.S. Issues New Form 1023-EZ: Streamlined Exemption for Small Charities

Read Publication

On July 1, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (“I.R.S.”) introduced a new, shorter application form to help small public charities apply for recognition of tax-exempt status, under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”), more easily.

Ruchelman P.L.L.C. used the new Form 1023-EZ, Streamlined Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for a client and received recognition of tax-exempt status in less than three weeks. Recognition of tax-exempt status ordinarily can take months, if not years (in the case of charities operating abroad). Prior to the introduction of Form 1023-EZ, expedited processing was available only under certain circumstances, generally in the case of a mass disaster (e.g., terrorist attack, hurricane, etc.).

The new procedures may reduce the need for small charities to engage in fiscal sponsorships with larger public charities. Under a fiscal sponsorship, the larger charity agrees to sponsor the start-up charity, receiving and administering charitable contributions on behalf of the sponsored organization, for a fee.

The new Form 1023-EZ, is three pages long, compared with the standard 26-page Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Most small organizations (which the I.R.S. estimates to be as many as 70% of all applicants) qualify to use the new streamlined form. Most organizations with gross receipts of $50,000 or less and assets of $250,000 or less are eligible. These are the same organizations that are eligible to file an “ePostcard” annual return on Form 990-N.

The Form 1023-EZ must be filed using pay.gov (the secure electronic portal for making payments to Federal Government Agencies) and a $400 user fee is due at the time the form is submitted.