discuss: EIN (was Re: Free google ads for TLDP?)
Subject:
EIN (was Re: Free google ads for TLDP?)
From:
David Lawyer ####@####.####
Date:
11 Apr 2007 20:08:18 -0000
Message-Id: <20070411200823.GC5126@davespc>
On Thu, Apr 05, 2007 at 02:33:50PM -0700, Rick Moen wrote:
>
> (The primary intended purpose of getting an EIN = Employer
> Identification Number is to uniquely identify a business to the IRS and
> other US Federal agencies for purposes of the business owing and paying
> payroll and other business taxes. There is no such thing as a
> "non-profit EIN", and having an EIN in no way demonstrates that one is
> non-profit at all, let alone a 501(c)(3) charity.)
While this is true, VolunteerMatch requires that one provide an EIN.
Also, one certifies to the IRS that the organization is a non-profit
on the EIN application so the IRS has been told that the organization
is non-profit. I phoned the IRS to find out if the information given
on the application is available to the public and was told it was not.
However, if one knows your EIN or even just your name (if it's unique)
they can look at your non-profit income returns (form 990) filed with
the IRS. Except that LDP doesn't file such returns because our income
is too low.
So I'm concerned about getting an EIN for the purpose of using
VolunteerMatch. Suppose VolunteerMatch gets our EIN and then checks
with the IRS for a 990 form filed by LDP and finds nothing. Then they
might think that we are not a non-profit and not accept our ads. I'll
look into this by attempting to contact VolunteerMatch to find out
what they check on once you give them an EIN number. Perhaps they
don't do any checking at all, but also don't want to admit this and
thus want you to think that they check it out. Or they might just
check to see if the EIN number you gave exists and is in your name
(without finding out if you are a non-profit or not).
David Lawyer
