Help!This past year was my first year as president of PTO and I will continue the job next year. I do not think we have filled out a SS4 or Form 1023. In our By-Laws it says we are exclusively organized within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. How is this possible without filing the correct paperwork. Thanks for your help!

If you have not filed the correct paperwork, you are not a 501 (c)(3). You may want to check with your Secretary of State for a copy of your Articles of Incorporation. Every year you should be paying a fee to renew that. It costs $500 to file the paperwork for non-profit status. If you have not been filing Federal form 990 each year, you are not a non-profit in good standing. It would really be to your benefit to find a CPA to sort this out for you initially. Many speicialize in non-profits. It's not a good idea to rely on lay people for this kind of advice.