Tax Basics for Non Profits

Many arts and cultural groups operate and fulfill their missions as unincorporated nonprofits without formalized documents or procedural rules. However, if an organization generates a taxable surplus, wants to apply for public or private grant monies, needs to attract tax-deductible donations, or desires certain liability protection, then the formation of a tax-exempt nonprofit organization is a legal necessity.

Checklist: What you Need to File
Legal Guide for Nonprofit Organizations (Ohio)
Life Cycle of a Public Charity

In order to help people like you understand what your non-profit organization must do to maintain your exempt status and meet IRS filing requirements, the IRS office of Exempt Organizations (EO) has developed Stay Exempt, a series of dynamic and comprehensive web-based courses.

These courses are published at the IRS StayExempt website, which also includes a resource library and some frequently asked questions about non-profit organizations.