INSIGHT: Decoding your exemption letter: 501(c)(3) exemption and public charity status
I frequently get questions about decoding a non-profit's tax-exempt status because the determination letter they've received from the IRS has a section at the top that lists "Public Charity Status" as ...
NEWS: New Requirements for new 501(c)4 organizations
Based on legislation passed in 2015, the IRS has implemented new requirements for new entities planning to operate as 501(c)4 organizations. These organizations are now required to file a notice of i ...
NEWS: Decreased 501(c)3 Application Filing Fees
In continuing its efforts to better serve the needs of small non-profits (previously discussed here), the IRS has decreased application filing fees for the smallest organizations. In the past, many s ...
INSIGHT: Clarifying Brexit’s affect on European IP Rights
I’ll leave my personal position on the Brexit vote for other arenas. This post will stick to discussing how the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union could affect your intellectual proper ...
NEWS: Changes to Form 990-N filing for small exempt organizations
The IRS has announced that, effective February 29, 2016, exempt organizations that required to file Form 990-N will do so through the IRS website - IRS.gov . This form can only be filed online - maili ...
INSIGHT: Clarifying Benefit Corporations and B-Corps for the Social Enterprise
Although they are too often used interchangeably when discussing social enterprises, Benefit Corporations and B-Corps are not the same animal. Benefit Corporations have been in the news for severals y ...
NEWS: Patents – Superpowers With an Expiration Date
A recent Supreme Court decision involving Marvel Comic's Spiderman provides a convenient opportunity to compare patents to superpowers, albeit superpowers with an expiration date. Here's the backgroun ...
Accelerated IRS Review of Tax Exempt Applications
IRS efforts to accelerate review of tax exempt applications appear to be paying off. One recent report suggests the backlog, which once exceeded 60,000 pending applications, is now current. At one tim ...
Profiting from Fair Use
My office has recently fielded a flood of questions about Fair Use across a range of contexts - using a recording of a documentary subject using software on her computer; posting thumbnails on a websi ...
ALERT: FORM 990 ONLINE FILING SECURITY BREACH
Any tax exempt organizations (e.g., 501(c)(3) nonprofits) that file their annual form 990, 990-N, or 990-EZ online should pay special attention to this security alert issued by the Urban Institute’s N ...
INSIGHT: Non-Profits Operating in Foreign Countries
Many non-profits are formed for charitable purposes in other countries - disaster relief, preserving native eco-systems, supporting refugees, etc. There is nothing questionable about wanting to make t ...
NEWS: IRS issues revised procedures for tax exempt applications
Earlier this month, the IRS issued revised procedures for several important matters affecting exempt organizations (including those commonly referred to nonprofits). In particular, some of these rev ...
NEWS: Congress considers permanently extending important charitable giving incentives
Congress is currently considering extending three important charitable giving incentives that have expired. These incentives address donations related to (i) IRA rollovers, (ii) food inventories, and ...
LECTURE: Starting and Operating a New York State NonProfit
On February 20th, I'll be presenting a workshop covering the ins and outs of launching and running a nonprofit organization in New York. New York state recently passed a slew of very important change ...
INSIGHT : Another Yoga Patent Controversy
I was recently asked to comment on the current yoga patent controversy surrounding a patent application filed by Yogaglo, a company that provides streaming yoga classes. Subsequent to filing their app ...
NEWS : How does the government shutdown affect USPTO processing?
Without delving into the politics behind the government shutdown, many of my clients are curious about whether and how the current shutdown will be affecting any matters they have pending before the U ...
LECTURE : Legal Structures of Social Enterprises at the New School
I was delighted to be invited back to the New School again this year to give a guest lecture on Thursday, September 27. The topic was the legal structures that are available to social enterprises. S ...
EVENT : Charities and their volunteers
The IRS is holding a free phone forum (aka teleconference) entitled "Charities and their Volunteers". Most charities rely substantially on volunteer labor; some are operated by volunteers exclusively ...
CLIENT NEWS : Award for the Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown
A hearty congratulations to client Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown. The Pantry will be honored with a prestigious award tomorrow morning at a ceremony hosted by Abigail Kirsch at Tapp ...
INSIGHT : Annual filing deadline approaches for many tax exempt organizations
For many tax exempt organizations, May 15th is the deadline for making your annual filing to the IRS in order to maintain your tax exempt status. Read on to learn if this is deadline for your organiza ...