IRS Discontinues Audits of Charities That Lobby - Nonprofit Issues

Nonprofit Issues:

Published: 05/05/2003

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IRS Discontinues Audits of Charities That Lobby

In a joint statement, seven nonprofit groups, including Alliance for Justice, Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, Council on Foundations, INDEPENDENT SECTOR, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, National Council of Nonprofit Associations and OMB Watch, praise the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) decision to halt an audit program of charities that lobby pending a review of the program.

The move came after a meeting requested by the nonprofits, based on what appeared to be selective targeting of 501(c)(3) organizations that elect to use the expenditure test to measure their allowable lobbying budgets. (See background information and letter to the IRS requesting the meeting.) The full text of the joint statement is available online.