CATEGORY
IRS Audits of Tax-exempt Entities
IRS

IRS Audits of Tax-exempt Entities

Although there are many reasons a nonprofit organization may be selected for an audit, several things heighten the chance of being selected. Things like irregularities on Form 990s, failure to file a Form 990, citizen complaints, having a relationship with another taxpayer currently being audited or receiving negative media attention can all increase your chance of being audited beyond the random internal IRS computer process.

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June 11, 2013 No Comments
Arizona is the latest state to enact benefit corporation legislation. Arizona recently passed benefit corporation legislation (SB 1238). Arizona joins fifteen other jurisdictions including California, New York, and the District of Columbia that have already passed legislation. While the new law is not effective until December 31, 2014, the Arizona benefit corporation offers social entrepreneurs an important new option to consider when forming a new venture.
News and Avoiding Scams

Arizona Adopts the Benefit Corporation

Arizona recently passed benefit corporation legislation (SB 1238). Arizona joins fifteen other jurisdictions including California, New York and the District of Columbia that have already passed legislation. While the new law is not effective until December 31, 2014, the Arizona benefit corporation offers social entrepreneurs an important new option to consider when forming a new venture.

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May 28, 2013 No Comments
Risk of Unlicensed Images
Governance

Risky Business – Using Unlicensed Images

A simple explanation of copyright law is that if you did not create it, get a license to use it, or purchase it, you are likely in violation of copyright law. Further, copyright infringement is a strict liability offense. If you use someone’s image without a license to use it, you infringe upon their copyright. This is so even if you paid a website designer or other third party and they posted the image without your knowledge.

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May 14, 2013 No Comments
Directors vs. Trustees
News and Avoiding Scams

Arizona Open Meeting Law Basics

We are often asked whether nonprofits must follow Arizona open meeting law (OML). Generally, nonprofits are not required to follow open meeting law; however, there are some exceptions “ most notably charter schools. Charter schools are treated as public institutions for OML purposes because they are both funded with state tax dollars and are overseen by the state.

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April 26, 2013 No Comments
compliance check
IRS

IRS Launches Compliance Check of 1300 Self-declared 501(c)(4),(5) and (6) Organizations

As the IRS Exempt Organizations division indicated in its 2013 work plan, it is conducting a compliance check of self-declared tax-exempt organizations. The IRS recently mailed over 1,300 questionnaires to self-declared Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) organizations. The project is part of the IRS’ plan to gather information about self-declared exempt organizations, determine whether self-declared exempt organizations are complying with applicable tax-exempt law, and increase voluntary compliance.

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April 15, 2013 No Comments

Top Ten Tips for Preventing Theft and Embezzlement

It seems like a new story breaks every week about a charity being exploited by an insider. Charities lose an estimate of 7%-13% percent of their annual profits to theft, embezzlement, or fraud, to the tune of approximately 40 billion dollars a year.

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April 1, 2013 No Comments
nonprofit use of waivers, releases, and disclaimers
Contracts, Waivers, and Releases

Better Safe than Sorry: Nonprofits use of Waivers, Releases and Disclaimers

Many nonprofits use some form of waiver or release in their programs. Typically, volunteers and participants are asked to assume the risk of participation and hold the organization harmless if they are injured. However, waivers and releases are not foolproof as many courts do not favor them. Still, they are often successful, and nonprofit organizations have nothing to lose in requiring them.

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February 26, 2013 No Comments

Co-Working Spaces – Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Models

Co-working has exploded in the last five years. Essentially, co-working spaces are places where workers – typically freelancers, self-employed individuals and start-up ventures – can go to work while being surrounded by like-minded, creative entrepreneurs without having to rent their own offices. Many co-working spaces have a mission to create social change and spur community rejuvenation, making them of great interest to the social impact sector.

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February 20, 2013 No Comments

How to Keep your Non-Profit Compliant in All 50 States

Most states require you to register your organization if you solicit donations from their residents. Many states also require registration if your organization collects substantial or ongoing donations from their residents, even if you aren’t specifically targeting donors in that state. Download our comprehensive list of each state’s requirements.

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CharityLawyer Blog offers plain language explanations of complex nonprofit law concepts, discussions of current events and links to valuable resources for nonprofits.
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