EO Tax Journal

1 – EOTJ Mailbag

3 – NASCO to IRS: End Exemption for Managment Companies Continue…

If you have not read the complaint filed against Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, reprinted below, please read first the following Mission Statement of a group I’m calling XYZ and decide whether XYZ is an organization that could qualify under section 501(c)(3). To me it is a close question whether an organization that investigates elected government officials can satisfy the requirement that it “does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” Continue…

The sad state of Treasury/IRS guidance is on full display today. First is a report on an organization called Americans Elect that claims to be a section 501(c)(4) section but appears to be a burgeoning political party. With the IRS unable or unwilling to address political activity by (c)(4)s, must we concede that this organization is being “operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare”? The second is a letter expressing concern about “the continuing failure of the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to promulgate legally-defensible audit procedures for examining churches and organizations claiming to be churches.”

Next week I’ll summarize all the “solutions” I’ve received to the lack of guidance problem discussed the last two days. Until then, I’m left to continue to wonder why the relatively simple section 7611 regulations — proposed in 2009 — have not been finalized.

1 – Can a Political Party Be a (c)(4)?

2 – Missing In Action – Section 7611 Regulations

3 – How Much is Too Much? Continue…

1 – The Lack of Guidance Conundrum – Part 2

2 – Groups Challenge Legality of IRS Regs as Failing to Properly Limit Campaign Activity by 501(c)(4) Organizations Continue…

1 – The Lack of Guidance Conundrum

2 – ABA’s Annual Wish List

3 – Primer on Election Finance Continue…