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Starting a nonprofit

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Starting a nonprofit

Now is the Time to Review Worker Classification

The IRS has announced a new relief program for employers that choose to come forward before they are audited by the IRS. This relief comes in the form of a voluntary program that permits employers to reclassify their workers and avoid being audited on payroll taxes related to misclassified workers for prior years. The program is known as the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (Settlement Program).

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September 29, 2011 No Comments
Employer Provided Cell Phones
Starting a nonprofit

Employer Provided Cell Phones

From now on no part of the use of an employer provided cell phone will be treated as taxable income to the employee so long as it is provided primarily for business reasons. Instead, the business use of the cell phone will be considered a working condition fringe benefit or, a benefit where, if the employee were to pay for such property or services, such payment would be allowable as a deduction. In addition, personal use of the employer-provided phone will be considered a de minimus fringe benefit or a benefit in which the value of the property or service is so small as to make accounting for it unreasonable or administratively impracticable. The new rule applies to any use of an employer-provided cell phone occurring after December 31, 2009.

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September 14, 2011 No Comments

Nonprofits and the Work Made For Hire Doctrine

[T]o determine who owns a commissioned work, an employer must first determine whether the creator of the work is an employee or an independent contractor. Generally, if the creator of the work is an employee, there is a presumption that the employer owns the copyright. If the creator of the work is an independent contractor, the presumption is that the independent contractor owns the copyright unless there is a work made for hire agreement and the work falls into one of the nine categories of commissioned works.

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June 1, 2011 No Comments

Nonprofit Law Jargon Buster – Voting Members vs. Self-Perpetuating Boards

When considering whether to include voting members in a nonprofit corporation, it is important to understand that voting members of a nonprofit corporation are generally analogous to shareholders of a business corporation. Voting members have statutory rights under state law; therefore, it is important to clarify the right of members to avoid inadvertently creating a voting membership class and vesting ultimate control in the members when that is not your intention. Once a membership has been established, it may be difficult to eliminate, and it may be impossible without the consent of the members.

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April 26, 2011 No Comments

Setting Nonprofit Executive Compensation

In light of the heightened interest of the I.R.S., Congress, state regulators, and the media in executive compensation, as well as heightened penalties, exempt organizations should strongly consider increasing the amount of time and attention they devote to investigating, deliberating, documenting, and reporting executive compensation. To facilitate the careful review that is demanded, tax-exempt organizations that employ an executive staff should consider implementing the following practices and procedures:

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March 8, 2011 No Comments

Nonprofit Business Planning – Steal All the Underpants!

Finding support and funding in the nonprofit world is often more challenging than finding funding for a for-profit venture. In addition, contrary to the belief of many nonprofit founders, foundation grant dollars do not grow on trees and are, in fact, the most competitive and scarce source of funding available.

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November 24, 2010 No Comments
Feeder Organization
Starting a nonprofit

Nonprofit Jargon Buster – What is a Feeder Organization?

The idea behind Code Section 502’s prohibition on exemption for Feeder Organizations is that one cannot convert a for-profit business into a charity simply by contributing all of the profits to charitable organizations. The policy rationale is that permitting businesses to operate on a tax-free basis just because they donate their proceeds to charity permits unfair competition in the marketplace.

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November 12, 2010 No Comments

Social Welfare Organizations

A social welfare organization is an nonprofit organization exempt under Code Section 501(c)(4). It is similar to a 501(c)(3) organization in that its income is generally exempt from tax and is subject to the same limits on private inurement and excessive payments to insiders. It is different, however, in that contributions to it are not deductible as charitable contributions and it is able to conduct unlimited lobbying activities. Section 501(c)(4) exempts:

* nonprofit civic organizations operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare; and
* local associations of employees whose earnings are devoted to charitable, educational, or recreational purposes.

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September 29, 2010 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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