Category Archives: Tax Forms

What I Learned From the IRS, Part 1

No longer in draft form!Questions and Answers from the latest New Form 990 training I did:

For calculating our total assets to determine which form we use, do we exclude property, plant and equipment?

Nope, you use total assets for figuring out which form, either the 990, 990 EZ or the 990 N, to fill out.

When filling out the functional expense section and calculating the advertising expenses, do we include money we spent to advertise open positions within the organization?

Not as I read the instructions.  Here is what it says for line 12 in part IX:

Advertising expenses. Enter amounts paid for advertising. Include amounts for print and electronic media advertising. Also include Internet site link costs, signage costs, and advertising costs for the organization’s in-house fundraising campaigns. Do not include fees paid to independent contractors for conducting professional fundraising services or campaigns (these amounts must be reported on line 11e).

With the economic downturn and the decreased value of endowments and reserves, will more organizations be filling out Schedule N of the form 990?

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CPAs, Boards and the IRS

MegaphoneBelow are three items that might be of interest to nonprofit accounting professionals.

How can our nonprofit find a CPA?

This article from Step By Step Fundraising has some great information on getting you started on your search.  As a bonus for you home school folks out there the author of that article has a great website too.

Are board members liable for investment losses?

Two posts back I answered a question on weather or not a board could be liable if it relied, in good faith, on outside advice when making its decisions.  Later I came across this great piece from the Risk Management Center that talks about the recent Madoff scandal and the impact it will have on nonprofits who had invested funds with him.  Please do read the article and follow through the links, especially to this one, a free publication that details the state laws for charitable immunity.

IRS and 990 trainings and tips

A Nonprofit News Roundup

roundupI’ve spent the better part of today catching up on my reading of blogs, email and newsletters and thought I would share some of the choice morsels I have found.

From the Ison Law Group’s blog comes an update on the Family Medical Leave Act regulations.  These updated regulations became effective January 16 and it is important that employers that fall under these regulations keep up with any changes that could affect them.

From the Nonprofit Leadership 601 blog comes a calendar of major conferences this year.  Heather also writes about an issue close to my heart, funders who ‘get’ nonprofits.  Her article lists a couple of funding organizations and how they look at funding the whole organization, not just programs.

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