Tax watchers and nonprofits have been waiting to hear four little words from IRS Commissioner John Koskinen … and they may have just heard them. Those words? “[A]nd other (c) organizations,” spoken last Friday in an interview with Tax Analysts Magazine. In that interview,Commissioner Koskinen said for the first time that a new definition of political activity will apply beyond just 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations. Why are those words so critical? Nonprofits organized under section 501(c) of the tax code are allowed to do some political activity without disclosing the source of their funding. Those groups have poured more than $100 million into our elections just this cycle, all without having to tell voters who is buying the ads they’re seeing. The IRS is currently working on new rules that could clarify the definition of political activity and drive political spending to groups that do disclose their donors.
Source: On Dark Money, a Glimmer of Hope from the IRS « CitizenVox
