[Sosfbay-discuss] GP non profit status

[Edward]

I don't think that political parties are even considered 501c4, because Campus Greens was a 501c4 and we could not endorse candidates (nonpartisan or partisan), we could not release public voter guides endorsing a certain vote on propositions, and we could not say that we were part of the Green Party (officially, we supported Green values, but legally not part of the Green Party). 501c4 is still very much educational when it comes to political actions but there are ways to bend the laws to engage in legal political activities as a 501c4.

Jim makes a good point distinguishing 501c3 and 501c4. Contributions to 501c4 are not tax deductible and contributions to political parties are definitely not tax-deductible. Many organisations (like MoveOn) have both a PAC and 501c3, but tax code gets complicated when you try to work the system.

-edward

Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:16:44 -0800
From: Jim Stauffer <jims at greens.org>
Subject: Re: [Sosfbay-discuss] GP non profit status
To: sosfbay discussion group <sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org>
Message-ID: <49C6FF1C.6020107 at greens.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

You also have to make a distinction between taxable and tax-exempt
non-profits. A political party can be a taxable non-profit (501(c)4),
like a PAC. But a party is never considered tax exempt (501(c)3).

Jim




Jim Doyle wrote:
> For your general information for a question that arises from time to time
> here is a recent email exchange with Warner.
> 
>  I wrote
> Is there a formal document that certifies or recognizes our non profit 
> status?
> 
> His answer follows:
> 
> Not that I know...  Political parties generally are considered 
> "nonprofit" under the federal tax code and can incorporate under state 
> law.  However, most political party activity is unincorporated and 
> regulated via either state or federal regulations -- e.g., FPPC; FEC.  
> The tax id number is required because any nonprofit activity can have 
> taxable income and because banks require it for their necessary records 
> keeping.  Political parties are NOT 501(c)(3) -- that is, no donations 
> are tax deductible by the donors.  A copy of the FPPC Form 410 showing 
> the GPSCC is a general state political committee is probably the closest 
> to any paperwork we have about this.  Warner



      
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