EO Tax Journal

1 – Selected IRS Training Materials now on eotaxjournal.com

2 – Transcript of Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’s Briefing of January 14, 2011
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1 – Selected IRS Training Materials now on eotaxjournal.com

As part of our efforts to make this website even more useful to subscribers, we recently moved to the website IRS EO training materials for 2008 and 2009 (click “IRS Training Materials” under “Topics”). Below I have listed the EO training materials by modules. These IRS training materials are not available on the IRS website and, short of a lengthy and expensive FOIA request, are not available to EO practitioners.

The items listed under “Examinations CPE Materials” are directed to new revenue agents and hence of limited interest to experienced EO practitioners. Much of the information in these training materials is taken from the Code, Regulations, and Internal Revenue Manual, which you can access on irs. gov. However, practitioners new to the EO field may find these materials more user friendly and helpful in developing an understanding of basic concepts..

Experienced EO practitioners should find of more interest materials listed under “Miscellaneous Topics.” For example, I think anyone with a college or university client currently undergoing or concerned about an IRS audit will find of interest the IRS materials under “Colleges and Universities” since it provides a roadmap of IRS concerns. Similarly if you are involved in a gaming audit.

EO Examinations CPE Materials

A-1   Introduction to EO Audit Techniques (24 pages)
A-2   Tools of the Trade (19 pages)
B-1   Exemption Requirements for § 501(c)(3) (29 pages)
B-2   Prohibitions to Exemption under § 501(c)(3) (42 pages)
C-1   Introduction to Unrelated Trade or Business § 511 (7 pages)
C-2   Unrelated Trade or Business § 513 (38 pages)
C-3   Unrelated Business Taxable Income § 512(a)(1) (54 pages)
C-4   Unrelated Business Taxable Income § 512(a)(3) (39 pages)
C-5   Unrelated Debt-Financed Income § 514 (34 pages)
D-1   Public Charities, Private Foundations, and Private Operating Foundations (15 pages)
D-2   Determining Private Foundation Status § 509(a)(1) and 509(a)(2) (25 pages)
D-3   Supporting Organizations § 509(a)(3) (18 pages)
D-4   Net Investment Income §4940 (16 pages)
D-5   Self-Dealing § 4941 (22 pages)
D-6   Taxes on Failure to Distribute Income § 4942 (13 pages)
D-7   Excess Business Holdings § 4943 (9 pages)
D-8   Investments Which Jeopardize Exempt Purposes § 4944 (7 pages)
D-9   Taxable Expenditures § 4945 (10 pages)
D-10  Intermediate Sanctions § 4958 (77 pages)
D-11  § 4955 Overview (14 pages)
E       Gaming (36 pages)
F-1   Introduction to Exemption Forms and Form 990 (35 pages)
F-2   Reading Form 990 (33 pages)
F-3   Interacting with Taxpayers, Representatives and Return Preparers (10 pages)
F-4   Examination Specialist Support (10 pages)
F-5   Pre-Examination Planning and Appointment Scheduling (17 pages)
G-1   Financial Auditing Techniques (49 pages)
H-1   Evidence (10 pages)
H-2   Touring the Facilities (10 pages)
H-3   Interview Techniques (56 pages)
H-4   Information Sources (31 pages)
H-5   Disclosure (6 pages)
I-3    Statute of Limitations (18 pages)
J-1    Fraud (11 pages)
J-2    Fraud Referral (26 pages)

Miscellaneous Topics

K      Colleges and Universities (112 pages)
L       Current Developments (15 pages)
M      Determination of Fair Market Measurements (39 pages)
N      Return Preparer Penalties (67 pages)
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2 – Transcript of Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’s Briefing of January 14, 2011

For background information, go to “Grassley Releases Review of Tax Issues Raised by Media-based Ministries” at finance.senate.gov. For earlier email updates, see 2011-4 and 2011-10. The moderator of the briefing is ECFA’s President, Dan Busby. Continue…

1 – Follow-up to Yesterday’s Email

2 – Georgetown Law School’s Annual EO Program

3 – Interview with Dean Zerbe Continue…

1 – IRS Personnel Changes

2 – The EOTJ Mailbag

3 – Weekend Reading

When it comes to governance, Mike Peregrine has been the man this fall, speaking at at least three programs. Today I’m sending along his outline that goes with his highly-acclaimed presentation. Continue…

The IRS’ Steve Clarke frequently speaks on the Form 990, which is not surprising since he is the Form 990 project manager. I have had transcripts of his remarks this year — see Email Updates 2010-56 and 2010-165. He recently spoke again at the 2010 Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations, and I have had transcribed the portion of his remarks that go beyond his earlier comments.

2010 Form 990 Changes Continue…

1 – More on EO Compliance

2 – Report from the Director, EO Examinations

We’ve been discussing or learning about EO audits in these pages recently. We had Peter Lorenzetti’s remarks (Email Update 2010-161), Ann Batlle and Marc Owens’ remarks (Email Update 2010-163), and this week’s discussion (Email Updates 2010-170 and 171), with more commentary today.

With all of this, it seems very appropriate that we should hear from Nan Downing, Director of EO Examinations. Her November 18 remarks at the Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations are reprinted below. If you have suggestions for her, I’m sure she’d be glad to hear from you at nanette.m.downing2@irs.gov.

I think we all have the same objective in these discussions. We all want an EO sector that we can be proud of, one where good guys thrive and bad guys are sent packing, one where charitable beneficiaries come first, one where those who are mission-directed are encouraged and those who are selfishly-directed are discouraged. Did I miss anything? Continue…