Fair, opera house, Mollyocket chorus may lose tax-exempt status

AREA – The tax exempt status of The Oxford County Agricultural Society, Harrison Lions Club, Harrison Old Home Week Assoc., OHCHS Key Club, Oxford Hills Athletic Boosters Club, Mechanic Falls Fire Rescue, the Mollyockett Chorus, area American Legions, Masons and Cemetery Associations, amongst others, may disappear in 2011 because they have not filed the requisite tax returns for three years.

The IRS has published a list of organizations that have not filed tax returns in three years (2007, 2008 and 2009), which puts them on the list for automatic revocation of tax exempt status. There are 81 organizations in the area that are on the IRS list.

“Tax-exempt organizations that fail to satisfy annual filing requirements for three consecutive years automatically lose their tax-exempt status,” according to the IRS.

The IRS is providing one-time relief that will allow small exempt organizations to come back into compliance and retain their tax-exempt status even though they failed to file for three consecutive years. This one-time relief benefits Form 990-N (e-Postcard) and Form 990-EZ filers only. Organizations required to file Form 990 or Form 990-PF are not eligible and are automatically revoked if they fail to file for three consecutive years.

Form 990-N applies to nonprofits with gross receipts less than $25,000. Form 990-EZ applies to organizations with gross receipts of between $25,000 and $500,000 and total assets of less than $2.5 million.

If an organization loses its exemption, it will have to reapply to regain its tax-exempt status and that includes paying application fees.

Any income received between the revocation date and renewed exemption may be taxable. Donors who contribute to organizations on the list can deduct contributions made only until the organization’s name appears on the IRS published list of revoked organizations which will be issued in early 2011, according to the IRS.

For organizations that hold real property, losing tax-exempt status could mean that they will have to pay property tax until they can reapply and get their exempt status back.

For its tax-exempt status to be reinstated, and organization must:

Apply for recognition of tax exemption (e.g., Form 1023 or Form 1024), regardless of whether the organization was originally required to apply for exemption; and

Pay the appropriate user fee.

Fees range from $400 to $10,000.

The following organizations, by town, are on the IRS list for revocation:

Bridgton: Mary Lou Smith Fund, American Legion Post 0067 Lopeman Potts.

Bryant Pond: Order of Eastern Star of Maine, Maine Congress of Parents and Teachers Assoc.. Inc. – Woodstock PTA .

Buckfield: Operation Santa Clause, Tri State Real Estate Institute Inc.

Casco: Lions International Naples-Casco- Raymond Lions Club, Jericho Homes, Casco Rescue Unit Casco Fire Station, Casco Senior Citizens Congregate Mealsite.

Denmark: Maine Congress of Parents and Teachers Assoc.. Inc. – Denmark-Brownfield PTA , Lions International International Association of Lions 41-L, The Denmark Historical Society, The Humanity Institute, Manning Family Club Inc.

Fryeburg: Fryeburg Fish and Game Association Inc., Friends of Sebago Lake Inc., Bridgton United Fighters Association, Interstate Sno-Goers Inc., Raiders Booster Club, CAP Memorial Corp.

Harrison: Lake Region EMS Fund Inc., Lions International Harrison Lions Club -13614, Safer Families Program, Harrison Old Home Week Association.

Hebron: Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Maine, Portland Rossini Club, Maine Congress of Parents and Teachers Assoc.. Inc. – Hebron PTA.

Lovell: Pequawket Valley Bambino League, Citizens Freedom Alliance Inc.-- Smokers Club.

Mechanic Falls: Mechanic Falls Firemens Assn. Inc., Royal Arch Masons of the State of Maine – 51 St. Andrews Chapter, United Commercial Travelers of America – New England Grand Council, Pine Grove Cemetery Corp., Mechanic Falls FIRE Rescue Unit, Bruce M. Whittier Scholarship TR – Whittier Mary Jane TTEE, American Legion Auxiliary – 150 Mechanic Falls-Minot-Poland, Downeast Chapter MTFCA, Hope House Network Inc., Stephens Community Center Association.

Minot: Community Artisans Guild, Minot Moonshiners Snowmobile Club, First Responders of Minot.

N. Bridgton: North Bridgton Library Friends Committee, North Bridgton Historical Society.

Naples: Savesebagocove, Western Maine Institute of Psychotherapy & Education, North Sebago Lakeside Cemetery Assn.., American Legion – 155 Naples Casco & Raymond Memorial.

Norway: Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Maine – 94 Paris, Word of Christ Evangelistic Association, American Legion 5th District, Oxford County Agricultural Society, Norway Pine Grove Cemetery Corp., Norway Maine Opera House Corp.,

Otisfield: Elmwood Cemetery Association

Oxford: Androscoggin Valley Preparation for Parenthood, Maine Society of Professional Engineers, Maine Congress of Parents and Teachers Assoc. Inc. – Oxford Elementary PTA.

Paris: Paris Hill Historical Society, Hillside Cemetery, Knoll Cemetery Fund, Maine Educators of The Gifted and Talented Inc., Sandy Shore Swimming Club, Sweet Adelines International – Mollyockett, Oxford Hills Athletic Boosters Club, Great is Thy Faithfulness, First Oxford Hills Area Development Corp., American Legion Auxiliary – 35 Stewart P Morrill, Pearl Starbird Charitable Trust, Craters Rifle Club, Key Club International – H83388 Oxford Hills High School, Program for Animal Welfare Inc., American Legion Post 0072 FOSTER CARROLL Post.

Poland/Poland Spring: Danville Mutual Fire Insurance – Lionel C Ferland, Poland Before and After School – Moira A Case, OMNI Learning Institute Inc., Campbell Cottage Corp..

Waterford: Bear Mt Learning Center.