Understanding the Public Support Test and What it Means to Your Public Charity

December 19, 2011

Maintaining one’s status as a public charity is critical to tax-exempt organizations. Failure to monitor and understand the complex and often perplexing public supprt test (Schedule A of Form 990) can lead to the loss of public charity status. Nonprofit tax principals Stephen J. Kelin and Richard J. Locastro explained the different definitions/tests of public charity status, reviewed the calculations of public support for each and highlighted common mistakes and misunderstandings. The presentation was hosted by the Greater Washington Society of CPAs at the 2011 Not-for-Profit Symposium.