Understanding Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations

Understanding Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations is a guide for the law student or practitioner who is looking to understand the law governing the nonprofit, tax exempt sector. This text deals with the many types of tax exempt organizations; the rules, regulations and limitations imposed on tax exempt organizations by the courts, the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and the Treasury Regulations (Regulations); the charitable contribution and fundraising issues affecting tax exempt organizations; the unrelated business income tax, excise taxes, and intermediate sanctions imposed on tax exempt organizations; and the rules regarding private foundations.

In light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, this new third edition includes a more detailed chapter on Churches and religious organizations, reflecting recent changes in the law overall for charitable nonprofit organizations and sets out new IRS online filing and reporting requirements put in place during the pandemic.

The third edition of Understanding Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations begins with an introduction to nonprofit organizations by discussing the relevant law in general, as nonprofits are governed by state law. Next, tax exempt organizations are discussed, by first giving the reader the background on where such organizations fit in the nonprofit sector; why the organizations are given preferential tax treatment; what form these organizations take; and how such organizations are governed and dissolved. The third edition also provides detailed explanations of the various rules, regulations and tests organizations must follow in order to obtain or retain their tax exempt status as well as the consequences for failure to comply and looks at the court created commerciality and public policy doctrines.