An independent PTO should be registered as a non-profit organization with the IRS. I beleive it is a 501(c)(3) but I am not positive. There are required forms to do this and then there are annual required tax documents to file. However, there are revenue minimums before any documents need to be filed. We are in the process of researching the applications and what is required for our PTO. We have been around for at least 30 years and I know we have never filed any tax returns and do not have tax exempt status with the IRS. I would be really surprised if the IRS would be upset about this situation. Check with a CPA (perhaps a parent) who can guide you through the process. Good luck.
HELP - is what we need also. If any one can respond - please. Our organization has been around for a number of years but no one has filed ANYTHING! We would like to make thing right and file our taxes and such this year but do not know what to do. Can some one please help.
Hi there. I am the treasurer and "acting President" of our PTO. I am not new here, but am fairly new at posting messages.
We decided to become an independant PTO of our school. I mean, we have been writing our own checks and such instead of going thru the school system for our checks.
I have been treasurer for quite awhile, but was unaware of the way the old treasurer had set up the banking system.
I found out that the old treasurer had used the school's EIN# for the bank checking.
Well, we decided to make it right and I got us an EIN#, but was unaware that we had to register our name with the state as a non-profit business. The IRS said I had to go thru the state and make sure noone had our name, which I did and they said it was free for us to use and I had gotten the paperwork on it, I am filling it out now as I speak.I went to the county clerk's office today and the lady there told me I can register with them if I wanted to, she said she knew of other non-profit businesses that have registered with them even though they were supposed to go thru the state.
What I am wondering is, what is the next step? What kind of paperwork am I looking at doing at the end of the year? This is all new to us as we have always had just a few members in our group and noone has ever looked into the legalities of all of this before. I want to make sure I am doing all the right steps in all this.
Like I said, we are a very small group and we don't have a ton of money that we are working with. Our school is made up of preschoolers and kindergarten and that's it.
Thanks for all your help!
