Howdy rob123456-ga,
Greatly appreciate your responses to the requests for question
clarification. Although the entities you reference do not have
to provide you a "complete" financial statement of their operations,
they are required to allow you access, and copies, of their annual
federal tax returns, such as Form 990, "Return of Organization Exempt
From Income Tax."
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f990.pdf
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 557, "Tax-Exempt
Status for Your Organization," has a whole section titled "Public
Inspection of Exemption Applications, Annual Returns, and Political
Organization Reporting Forms" which deals with just these kinds of
issues.
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p557/ch02.html
"Annual return. An exempt organization must make available for
public inspection, upon request and without charge, a copy of its
original and amended annual information returns. Each information
return must be made available from the date it is required to be
filed (determined without regard to any extensions), or is actually
filed, whichever is later. An original return does not have to be
made available if more than 3 years have passed from the date the
return was required to be filed (including any extensions) or was
filed, whichever is later. An amended return does not have to be
made available if more than 3 years have passed from the date it
was filed.
An annual information return includes an exact copy of the return
(Form 990, 990?EZ, 990?BL, 990?PF, or 1065), and amended return if
any, and all schedules, attachments, and supporting documents filed
with the IRS. It does not include Schedule A of Form 990?BL, Form
990?T, Schedule K?1 of Form 1065, or Form 1120?POL. In the case of
a tax-exempt organization other than a private foundation, an annual
information return does not include the names and addresses of
contributors to the organization.
...
Time, place, and manner restrictions. The annual returns and
exemption application must be made available for inspection, without
charge, at the organization's principal, regional, and district
offices during regular business hours. The organization may have an
employee present during inspection, but must allow the individual to
take notes freely and to photocopy at no charge if the individual
provides the photocopying equipment. Generally, regional and district
offices are those that have paid employees who together are normally
paid at least 120 hours a week.
...
Fees for copies. The organization may charge a reasonable fee for
providing copies. It can charge no more for the copies than the per
page rate the IRS charges for providing copies. That rate is stated
in section 601.702(f)(5)(iv)(B) of the regulations. (As of June 2001,
the rate was $1.00 for the first page and 15 cents for each additional
page.) The organization can also charge the actual postage costs it
pays to provide the copies.
...
Making applications and returns widely available. An exempt
organization does not have to comply with requests for copies of its
annual returns or exemption application if it makes them widely
available. However, making these documents widely available does not
relieve the organization from making its documents available for public
inspection.
The organization can make its application and returns widely available
by posting the application and returns on a World Wide Web page.
...
Penalties. The penalty for failure to allow public inspection of annual
returns is $20 for each day the failure continues. The maximum penalty on
all persons for failures involving any one return is $10,000."
You will want to read the entire chapter referenced above for the details
of what is outlined above.
Although the organization's return, such as their Form 990, will provide
all sorts of financial information, it will not be a "complete
financial statement," as it might not show individual salaries of all
of the
employees, etc. but three years of returns should give you a good idea of
their financial strength.
You probably should ask for a favor first, and see if they will provide
a financial statement. After all, it is in their best interest to provide
this information, as most legitimate organizations will know.
If that information is not forthcoming, then go for copies of their
returns, nicely at first, but you should not hesitate in pointing that
it is an IRS requirement that they provide these documents.
The State of Washington has no such requirements.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/RCW/index.cfm?section=24.06.160&fuseaction=section
"...
RCW TITLES >> TITLE 24 >> CHAPTER 24.06 >> SECTION 24.06.160
...
RCW 24.06.160
Books and records.
Each corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of
account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its members,
shareholders, board of directors, and committees having any of the
authority of the board of directors; and shall keep at its registered
office or principal office in this state a record of the names and
addresses of its members and shareholders entitled to vote. All books
and records of a corporation may be inspected by any member or
shareholder, or his agent or attorney, for any proper purpose at any
reasonable time."
If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.
Search strategy:
Washington state nonprofit public records site:.wa.gov
://www.google.com/search?q=Washington+state+nonprofit+public+records+site%3A.wa.gov
Referenced the IRS web site for documents on nonprofit organizations.
http://www.irs.gov/
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
