What officer's responsibility is it to:

Obtain an EIN
File Articles of Incorporation
Obtain 501(c)(3) status

for a new PTO

I'm being told it's the treasurer's job to do all those things. I would think that the last two at least would be the president's responsibility.

There really isn't any hard and fast rule regarding who is responsible for what that will apply to every Parent Group. In one group the treasurer might be responsible for all of this stuff, in another group it might all fall to the president, and in another it could be done by the board as a whole. Every group is different and and divides up officer duties differently.

In our group, the treasurer would most likely be in charge of all of those things officially, although unofficially we'd probably just sit down at a board meeting and start slogging through the paperwork until it was done without regard to job title.

~Lisa

I'm only treasurer for a couple more weeks. To be precise, I won't even BE treasurer of this new PTO. We are switching from a PTA to a PTO. As part of the executive board, I have been left out of every decision and discussion concerning this transition, I do NOT have a good relationship with the presidents. Frankly, I don't want to be legally responsible for anything having to do with the new organization by having my name on the documents. But the presidents are insisting it's MY job to do all this work.

Being that there are two of them and only one of you, and that you (I'm assuming) have stuff to take care of already in terms of closing out the PTA books, I don't see anything wrong with you telling them that they will need to take this on. The process of doing these things isn't always a short one, and as you may not be around for the entire thing, it would make more sense for someone who will be to take it on.

~Lisa

I agree.

Yes, if you won't be treasurer of the new PTO, then I'm pretty sure you cannot sign the 501c3 application. It should be an officer of the new organization -- and it will likely take several months for the IRS to process your application, and if the IRS has any questions, the new officers will need to answer them.