IRS launches ‘Stay Exempt,’ online tax basics for 501(c)(3)s

The Internal Revenue Service in January launched "Stay Exempt," a new online version of its Exempt Organizations Workshop, which covers tax compliance issues of concern to small and mid-sized nonprofits, particularly organizations that do not have tax experts on staff or outside advisors on tax compliance issues.

According to the IRS, the workshops have been popular with small and mid-sized organizations since they were introduced in 2001, but the cost and time involved limited them to offering only a few each year in major cities. The online program provides access to anyone, anywhere, whenever it's convenient.

The online workshop is comprised of interactive modules on these topics:

• Tax-Exempt Status - How can you keep your 501(c)(3) exempt?
• Unrelated Business Income - Does your organization generate taxable income?
• Employment Issues - How should you treat your workers for tax purposes?
• Form 990 - Would you like to file an error-free return?
• Required Disclosures - To whom do you have to show your records?

Modules include interactive exercises to keep the sessions lively. They can be completed in any order and repeated as often as desired. The new site includes links to IRS forms and publications that provide details about the topics in the modules. The IRS says “the website does not require registration and its visitors will remain anonymous.”

Users can access this new training program at http://www.stayexempt.org or from a link on the IRS Web site at http://www.irs.gov/eo.