The TIN should be a piece of cake to set up. You can do it online with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's website. You can form-up as a non-profit, and while this might satisfy your bank it is not the same thing as qualifying for the I.R.S.' 501c3 not-for-profit organization. The Massachusetts TIN is the necessary first step; that is, you need to be established in a state before going Federal. The I.R.S. form is the next step. I have done both of these without the help of a laywer. But either way, you're going to need to file a tax return annually. Sounds like your prospective group/club is small, so you can probably just e-file the equivalent of a post-card. Thousands upon thousands of 501c3 organizations have had their tax-exempt status revoked as a result of their not filing their tax returns for 3 consecutive years. Ed ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Lesser" <dlesser at ptraining.com> To: "'David Korpiewski'" <davidk at cs.umass.edu>; "'email list Hidden-Tech'" <Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 3:46 PM Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Getting a TIN for a small club - ramifications > ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area. > ** If you did, we all thank you. > > > Back in the 80's, the Pioneer Valley PC User's Group went through becoming > a > non-profit corporation. It ended up being a quick yearly form to complete > and a $100 registration fee. It was a PIA to set up, however, and it took > a > lawyer to assist. > > Don Lesser > Pioneer Training, Inc. > 139B Damon Road, Ste 8 > Northampton, MA 01060 > (413) 387-1040 > (413) 586-0545 (fax) > dlesser at ptraining.com > www.ptraining.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net > [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of David > Korpiewski > Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 9:40 AM > To: email list Hidden-Tech > Subject: [Hidden-tech] Getting a TIN for a small club - ramifications > > ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area. > ** If you did, we all thank you. > > > I've been having a terrible time finding information for what are the > repercussions to getting a TIN - Taxpayer ID Number for a small club. > I am president of a model airplane club up in Turners. We've been around > for 35 years and in all this time have maintained a bank account with just > a > couple thousand in it. Unfortunately due to changes in banking laws, I > was > told that we must have a taxpayer ID number attached to the bank accounts. > > So my question is this: I was told by an accountant that I'll have to get > a > Form 990 and file for non-profit status, and then have to file a > Schedule A every year. Is there some way around this OTHER THAN > ATTACHING MY OWN SS# TO IT so that I can get a TIN and not have to file > taxes? I don't want to accrue the accountant fee and the filing fees > and the time to prepare it every year. > > What are other clubs you belong to doing? > > Thanks > David > > > > > -- > ----------------------------------------- > David Korpiewski > Software Specialist I > Department of Computer Science > University of Massachusetts > Phone: 413-545-4319 > Cell: 413-695-2191 > Skype: ayrobotech > ----------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net > Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net > > You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. > If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members > page on the Hidden Tech Web site. > http://www.hidden-tech.net/members > > > _______________________________________________ > Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net > Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net > > You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. > If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members > page on the Hidden Tech Web site. > http://www.hidden-tech.net/members