Editorial: IRS, charities must shore up their accounting

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that about 275,000 organizations have been stripped of their tax-exempt status because they did not file legally required annual reports for three consecutive years.

As much as we appreciate the need to flush out those who would swindle us under the guise of charity, we also recognize the damage that can be done to legitimate nonprofits when enforcers of tax law get it wrong.

Many of the charities on the list are, in fact, defunct. But if organizations you donate to are on the list, don’t be too quick to spurn them.

Some of the groups that have been singled out by the federal agency were victims of a database that the IRS admits is flawed, a problem that threatens to put an indelible stain on legitimate charities, and a problem that needs more attention.

Others are tiny charities run by volunteers, doing work that deserves community support. They may get overwhelmed by the record-keeping that comes with nonprofit status.

The IRS wields a powerful sword, and its blow can be crushing. When such aggressive action is warranted, we wouldn’t want it any other way. When legitimate charities become ensnared, however, it suggests the process needs to be improved.

At the same time, charities, no matter how small, have to accept that the benefits of nonprofit status come with certain responsibilities. It’s been five years since passage of a law that requires all nonprofits to file tax forms, and the IRS has made a determined attempt to educate groups on the change and help everyone comply.

Last year, the IRS published a list of at-risk groups and gave smaller organizations an additional five months to come into compliance. It has also made it possible to update tax records online using a form that takes about 10 minutes to fill out.

Prescriptive as the new law may seem, especially given that some charities depend on the dedication of one or two volunteers, the change provides protection for donors against less scrupulous operators, of which there are plenty.

Making it work more effectively, however, requires the IRS to be sure it is acting on accurate data, and it requires all charities to put tracking money on the same tier as raising it.

-- Patriot Ledger (Mass.

Purple Heart Donations Effects Those In Need - Donate A car

Purple Heart Donations Effects Those In Need

In these ruff economical times it’s easy to forget that there are people suffering far more than we are. While there are so many of us exploring ways to downsize and save a dollar,

While being dramatically focused on our own problems and misfortunes, some of us appear to overlook the value of doing a selfless act. This kind of

selfishness sometimes leads to further turmoil on for ourselves.

While we fret over our on inventory, we don’t notice the ones with not enough to even count. We just might end of in a brighter light, neglecting this thought process.

One things for sure, focusing on the bills that you do have will not

get that bill paid any sooner. I can promise you worring want help, that bill will still have the same due date, no matter how much you thing about it. You must know that rent is still due on the first, no matter how many days you spent thinking about not having it. We can not prolong the due date of that bill, regardless of how much we think about it. What if, people focused on doing a good deed instead; For example, gathering

up a bunch of clothes that we’ll never going to use again. Now you’re still going to get paid at the exact same day and time that you always

do, but I have a eerie suspicion that the week will seem to

go by alot speedier in your mind then if you spent all week worrying.

A few months back, I obtained that great feeling and much, much more because of a donation to a car charity. After to long

of complaining about how much it was costing me to drive my SUVto work roundtrip. I decided that; not only was not going to bellyache about it at all, but I was also going to do some investigating about donating my that old SUV of mine that hadn’t moved in years.

So I spent the first 2 days exploring (mainly because it

was my first time making a used car donation and had recently read

about some scams online). I settled in on a used car donation program that helped domestic violence victims, special needs children, and urban youth. I ran through a check list of things to check for. I’ll share a brief summary of them here.

1. Is this a legitimate charity.

a.

The American year book

Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs Foreign Commerce and Tourism of the Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation United States Senate

Tax Debt: Some Combined Federal Campaign Charities Owe Payroll & Other Federal Taxes

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