What a difference two weeks can make! Less than two weeks ago, the IRS was getting
blasted in the media and in Congress for looking closely at applications for
501c4 status from conservative organizations.
Here is a May 16th OP-ED article from the NYTIMES about the “brouhaha.”
As the article eloquently and correctly states, the problem
is not that the IRS was looking closely at the “Tea Party” applicants for 501c4
status. The problem is that the IRS was
not--and is not--looking closely at ALL applicants and ALL current 501c4
organizations to impartially determine if they ALL legally qualify for the rights
and privileges of 501c4 status.
And sure enough, here is a front page NYTIMES article from
two days (May 27th) reporting that many of the new conservative
applicants were NOT worthy of the 501c4 status because their primary purpose
was to influence the outcome of specific 2012 election contests.
Agreed! The IRS is an important part of the nonprofit community, and it has an important role to play in ensuring that this sector remains trusted and trustworthy.
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