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Non-profits could lose their tax-exempt status
Published 9:09pm Monday, July 26, 2010WASHINGTON — At least 55 nonprofit organizations with Selma address are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they have not filed required returns for the last three years.
However, those nonprofits may preserve their status by filing returns by Oct. 15, under a one-time relief program the Internal Revenue Service announced Monday.
Dan Boone, a spokesman for the IRS said more than 4,500 Alabama charities are at risk, including those with Selma addresses. The IRS made public the names and last known addresses of the noncomplying organizations.
“The organizations on the list have return due dates between May 17 and Oct. 15, but the IRS has no record they filed the required returns for any of the past three years,” Boone said.
Doug Shulman, the IRS director, released a statement saying his department is doing all it can to help organizations comply with the law and keep the tax exemption.
Selma’s list is an amalgam of fraternal organizations, sororities, groups to help the disabled and educational groups.
The IRS says small organizations may file a Form 990-N through the IRS website. Others may file form 990-EZ and file a compliance fee. This is only for small organizations, Boone said.
Boone also said donors who contribute to at-risk organizations are protected until a final revocation list is published in early 2011.
John Stone, president and CEO of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits said his organization would track this issue on behalf of the nonprofits in the state.
“Nonprofits play a vital role in Alabama’s economic and cultural success,” Stone said in a prepared statement. “It is critical that these organizations protect their tax-exempt status in order to continue providing the supportive services which millions of Alabamians rely on each day.”
Those with Selma addresses cited Monday by the IRS are:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, 618 Zeta Eta Omega, 103 Calvin Circle
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Alpha Delta, Alpha Delta Chapter, 1501 Lapsley St.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Gamma Eta Zeta, Gamma Eta Zeta Chapter, P.O. Box 288
American Legion Post 0020, Thomas R. Mackin, P.O. Box 123
B. L. House of Refuge Outreach Inc., 827 B Keesler Drive
Blackbelt Community Health Services Incorporated, 206 Vaughan Memorial Drive
Central Alabama Renaissance Organization Inc., 221 Merrimac Drive
Cloverdale Development Corp., P.O. Box 950
Dallas County Education Fund Inc., P.O. Box 751
Diversified Nursing Service Foundation Inc., 1004 Second Ave.
Downtown Selma Association A P C , P.O. Box 450
East Perry Educational Association, RR 6
Family Alliance for Incarcerated Relatives-Helping, P.O. Box 765
Freedom Community Development Corp., 1910 Summerfield Road
Henry James Team Day Care Center Inc., 1020 Lapsley St.
HGHG Inc., 2401 Lauderdale St.
Hope Rescue Mission Inc., 1818 Alabama Ave.
Ike Okoye Foundation for Children Inc., 1918 L Foret Dr.
Improved Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of the World, 1721 Martin Luther King St.
Improved Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of the World Alabama State Association of Daughter Elk, P.O. Box 1532
Improved Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of the World Pride of Alabama Temple 919, 1906 2nd Ave.
J.A. Pickard Scholarship Foundation Inc., P.O. Box F
Love in Action Youth Center Inc., 1311 Lapsley St.
M-PAC Inc., 1425 Jeff Davis Ave.
NALS Inc. AL0975 Dallas County LSA AL, P.O. Box 1250
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association 901, 1612 W Dallas Ave.
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation Inc., Alabama Coalition, 116 Mabry St.
Nationcorps Inc, P.O. Box 1082
NBPT Inc, 1817 Alabama Ave.
New Life Outreach, 16 Martin Luther King St.
New Vernon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 54 Riverview Ave.
Numan Resource Center Inc., 100 Washington St.
Order of the Eastern Star 065 Sojourner Truth, 400 2nd Ave.
Order of the Eastern Star 202 Silver Spray, 597 County Road 214
Order of the Eastern Star 509 Salem Pride, 2501 Shannon Ave.
Order of the Eastern Star 572 Montgomery Pride, 19th Lavender St.
Order of the Eastern Star 656 Phyliss Wheatley, 1418 Ceola Miller Ave.
Overlook Hills Recreation Corp., P.O. Box 1324
Principle-Ownership-Wealth-Acquistion P O W A Inc., P.O. Box 1636
Prohealth Medical Services Inc., 1107 Voeglin Ave., Ste 200
Selma Choral Society, 301 Broad St.
Selma Disabilities Advocacy Program, 417 Kingsley Drive
Selma Fishing and Hunting Club, 10 Wasden Place
Selma Student Workstudy Associates Corp., 1421 Marshall Ave.
Selma-Dallas County Veterans Transitional Home Inc., 567 Anderson Ave.
Set Inc., 419 Birch Ave.
Southern Rural Research Project Inc., 1516 Mabry St.
Southwest Alabama Farmers Cooperative Association, U.S. 80 West
T Larry Kirkland Family Life Community & Disaster Relief Center, 811 Philpot Ave.
Tabernacle Outreach Organization Inc., P.O. Box 848
The Great Family Tree Inc., 2812 County Road 84
Tri-County Community Center Inc., 970 County Road 1 S
Tyus Ministries Inc., 323 Wheeler Ave.
Youth in Action Inc., P.O. Box 2303
I was able to see the 6 posts from 7am to 7 pm on the 27th. starting with mine and ending with Sparky Fluke.
Apparently its not something the STJ can control at this point, Tom. By using WordPress as the platform it allows other users to link the story to their blogs, which logs as a comment even though they didn’t even leave a comment. Will be a bit confusing until someone figures out a way to filter that.
I can think of a few more “Non-Profits” in Selma that should be examined by the State of Alabama and the Attorney Generals office for fraud. Amazing how they continue to operate under the radar.
It wouldn’t necessarily be fraud, Sparky. And unless it was especially egregious it wouldn’t even be tax evasion – they’d just lose exempt status and have to start paying taxes. The law even provides protection to those who claimed donations to those entities as a tax deduction to the point the status was lost. It would be fraud if they continued to collect donations as being tax exempt after losing status. Its relatively easy, if a considerable amount of paperwork, to file with the IRS for tax exempt status. And you can claim that status until the IRS tells you your not.
No issues with the website.
A number of other groups are linking us to their pages. This particular platform, WordPress, registers them as comments, but never show the action. We’re working on a solution, but it may take a few days to figure out this one. Appreciate your patience.
Thanks for reading.
Leesha Faulkner
Editor
ah – that explains it… thanks for the info, Leesha.
The filing requirements started in 2007. Every single organization that had failed to file between 2007 and 2009 were sent notices several months ago reminding them of a May 17, 2010 date that was supposed to be the final deadline. Now they are being given until October 15. We’re not talking about a terribly complicated IRS form – it’s an 8 question postcard. The only information they need is:
1. Employer identification number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
2. Tax year being filed
3. Legal name and mailing address
4. Any other names the organization uses
5. Name and address of a principal officer
6. Web site address if the organization has one
7. Confirmation that the organization’s annual gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less
8. If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is going out of business.
Frankly, any organization that hasn’t managed to file by this point should either be considered closed or poorly managed enough to question their stability.
Oh – obviously there are some issues with the new website – showing 13 comments and there are only 3 showing before I post this.
It says 11 responses but I only see 1 from Tom…
Same thing I was thinking!!! Where are the rest of the comments!
Oops. A little bookkeeping needed.