Can anybody tell me how to get a copy of a non-profit organization's filing? I am a first-year treasurer, and I cannot find a copy of our application. I have been told we have non-profit status, but without the paperwork I can't prove it to anybody. Also, it makes filing the 990 form kind of difficult....

Everyone in our PTO assumed we were a non-rofit organization because we have a tax id number. But, thanks to this forum, I (treasurer, too) have learned enough to research our status. We are not a registered non-profit organization (yet!). Having an tax id number is just a tiny piece of the process.

Once I learned about the requirements of the filing process, I was able to verify with the principal and past officers that such a step was never taken.

Here's an idea: look through the PTO's past checkbooks for a check written to the IRS for the filing fee (currently $500 for organizations who average > $10,000 per year in revenue). If you find a check, at least you would have a timeframe when the filing might have taken place and you could track down the officers from that time period. Another suggestion: the IRS's website irs.gov has a search tool for looking up non-profit organizations. You might see if your PTO shows up there. Of course, you could try calling the IRS (1-800-829-8815). I've found their reps to be surprisingly helpful. Good luck!

Our story parallels Critter's. Everyone said we were a "non-profit" and donations were deductible, when in fact we had never applied. A lot of people don't understand the difference between getting a TAX EXEMPTION at the state level and being set up as a NON-PROFIT (for PTOs, usually 501c3) with IRS.

I've found the IRS very helpful. To see if you are already set up, first I'd check the on-line database (http://www.irs.gov/search/eosearch.html). However, they have some technical glitches and the database isn't complete. So if your organization isn't listed, just call them. That's what I did. It was really simple and only took a few minutes. (1-877-829-5500)

The representative I spoke to searched their internal database several different ways and concluded we had NEVER been set up.

Good luck with this process.

Thanks Criter and JHB, I'll give the IRS a call and take it from there.

Under the Tax Payers bill of rights 2, all 990s are public information and you can request copies and support from any PTO. There are required to give you copies immediately ($20 a day for every day they don't). The point is that you can go to any school and obtain copies. Also, there are several website that disclose 990. There should be more and more over time because this rule is fairly new. Good luck!