What are the disclosure requirements from the IRS regarding Form 990-PF?

As a private foundation it is important that you abide by the rules, and specifically the rules implemented by the IRS. It is no secret that as a 501(c)(3) organization you must be held accountable by not only the government but also by the people. Under the private foundations tax provisions in 1969, private foundations were required to make Form 990 available to the public. This was normally through an ad in the newspaper. With the invention of the internet, that is no longer necessary. Through the foundation’s website this information can be easily accessible, thus meeting the IRS requirements. If your Form 990 is not accessible to the public, then you are required to send the information upon the individual’s request free of charge, although you are allowed to charge the individual for shipping costs.

Interested in more about tax regulations? Check out these resources!

• “Making your form 990-PF public and available.” Rules governing the requirements of a private foundation to make it’s form 990-PF available to the public.
• “What you should know before signing your organization’s form 990-PF.” For better or worse, the Form 990-PF is the document that the Internal Revenue Service, Congress, state regulators, the media, and the general public will examine when investigating your foundation’s activities.
• “The 990-PF in a Nutshell: What you Need to Know.” Unfortunately, scandals and misperceptions have been consuming headlines and crowding out the good news about the work that many family philanthropists are accomplishing. This is a guide to avoiding those scandals and abiding by IRS rules.