Yesterday’s Washington Post had an article on an unusual “church” in “C Street House Is Target of Clergy’s IRS Complaint.” An article in the Columbus Dispatch is reprinted below, along with a complaint letter to the IRS prepared by the law firm of Caplin & Drysdale, Washington.
Current & Quotable
EO Tax Journal 2010-29
God willing and the Creek don’t rise, I should have a transcript of Sarah Hall Ingram’s February 5 remarks in the next day or two. Speaking of Sarah and her domain, I think most people are coming around to the reality that we have a serious problem with charity regulation in this country. Now everyone is trying to come up with solutions, which is good, but most of the proposed solutions seem to me to come with their own problems. In this vein, The Chronicle of Philanthropy had two interesting viewpoint articles in its February 25 issue.
EO Tax Journal 2010-19
If this transmission is successful, I have in the wings (sorry for the redundancy) a transcript of the recent ABA panel on supporting organizations ready to go. I suspect a lot of people would like to read what was discussed in Texas with Emily Lam and Phil Hackney, so we’ll see. Hopefully you received the panel discussion on News from the IRS and Treasury, sent on Monday.
EO Tax Journal 2010-11
1 – David Epstein on Marc Owens’ Comments on Need for Determinations Function
2 – Jim Hasson on University Tax Avoidance
3 – Pay Rises for Leaders of Colleges, Survey Says
_______________________
EO Tax Journal 2010-10
Today I have more on the Harvard audit and news that Suffolk University is joining Harvard in being targeted by the IRS.
Harvard Natural Target for IRS Audit, Administrator Says
University is one of 40 institutions of higher education to be audited
EO Tax Journal 2010-9
Hopefully the kids at the Harvard Crimson will demand that Harvard make its IRS audit transparent. Aren’t students, as well as other Harvard constituencies, entitled to know what is going on? Speaking of transparency, if exemption applications and Form 990s and 990-Ts are open to public inspection, why are EO audits not open to the public?
EO Tax Journal 2010-8
The reported audit of Harvard is a challenge for both Harvard and the IRS. Harvard needs to justify its compensation practices and its many joint ventures, among other issues. The IRS needs to show that is can assemble a first-class team from its Examinations function to audit an exempt organization that will field a team of the country’s best accountants and attorneys. The IRS Office of Chief Counsel needs to support this effort and demonstrate that its staff can compete with the best that the private sector offers. The IRS folks in Washington, from the commissioner on down, need to demonstrate fortitude as Harvard rallies its allies on the Hill and in the Obama Administration.
EO Tax Journal 2010-5
1 – Charlotte Observer: “For Too Many Nonprofits, Charity Starts at the Top”
What a reporter for the Charlotte Observer did in the Carolinas should be done by the IRS nationwide. And if the IRS is not applying section 4958 to the cases identified in the article, reprinted infra, when will it ever?
EO Tax Journal 2010-3
1 – Sandy Deja Writes Authors of Anything Goes: Approval of Nonprofit Status by the IRS
2 – Law Professor Advocates Creation of New Agency to Regulate Charities
__________________________