Audits: should your group be doing them?

Hi Carol,

I am looking on your HomeschoolCPA web site for a list of services that you provide.  Our homeschool group is wondering if you offered a service for auditing our books each year to make sure everything is in order?

Debi K

Debi,
Here’s the link to my services: http://homeschoolcpa.com/services/

I can offer to look over your record keeping system and offer recommendations, but I cannot (and will not) do a full audit.

The word audit has  a specific meaning in accounting and it involves an in-depth look at your entire accounting operation. It is very time consuming and expensive ($3,000 and up). I don’t do audits because they require  a staff of people to perform and require a review of my accounting practice by other CPAs, which would cost me at least $1,000.

Instead,  I can offer my consulting services and discuss your records and system of handling your money and make recommendations. That would help your organization quite a bit, but not be a full audit. I’ve done that type of work for homeschool groups before.

Carol Topp, CPA

Congratulations on 501(c)(3) tax exempt status!

Congratulations to two homeschool organizations that received letters from the IRS this week granting them 501(c)(3) tax exempt status!

JMJ Tampa Bay in Florida

and

Community Homeschool Outreach in OK.

I was so happy to help these organizations achieve this important status.

Would your homeschool group benefit from tax exempt staus? Do you qualify?

Learn more by reading my articles under Leader Tools.

Carol Topp, CPA

Practical helps for leaders from HSLDA

Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has a new spot on their website for homeschool leaders.

Check out the entire site, but I found the Practical Helps page useful.

http://www.hslda.org/GroupServices/Leaders.aspx/PracticalHelps

There I found articles on

• conflict
• common co-op problems
• how to welcome families of handicapped students
• tips on activities for groups
• field trip guidelines

and a link to my book  Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out

Vicki Bentley, the HSLDA Group Services Director, explains the site is still under construction and plans to add many more articles.

Thanks to HSLDA for creating a site to help homeschool leaders.

Carol Topp, CPA

Paying Workers Ebook on Kindle!

My ebook Paying Workers in a Homeschool Organizations is now available on the Kindle!

Here’s the link! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053YLYTO

The ebook is selling for $2.99.

Don’t have a Kindle? You can still read the book on your PC with the Get Kindle for PC download.

More of my books will be published in Kindle format later this summer.

Sign up for my newsletter or Like HomeschoolCPA on Facebook to be told when they are available.

Carol Topp, CPA

Box Tops for Homeschoolers

From the Homeschool Legal Advantage website

Box Tops for Homeschoolers….The Fair Thing to Do

The Christian Law Association’s Homeschool Legal Advantage program was contacted by a home school support group.

A major corporation was assisting schools to raise funds by collecting box tops that could be redeemed for cash.  The support group was initially informed that home schools could participate, but when they tried to redeem the items they had collected, they were told that in order to participate, a school  needed to be accredited.

After a number of phone calls from CLA’s attorneys, the corporation changed its rules.  They did the right thing. Homeschools are able to participate, just like everyone else.

That’s really what we fight for when we serve a homeschool family. We just want fairness.  We are not asking to be above the law or to have our own rules; but in terms of home school families they should be treated like everybody else.

Homeschooling for the foreseeable future – it’s going to continue to be a legal hot button, but the Christian Law Association is ready to serve your home school or Christian school at a moment’s notice.

Thanks to Homeschool Legal Advantage and their efforts to help homeschool groups!

My homeschool co-op has been using Box Tops as a fund raiser for quite awhile. I’m glad things were straightened out so that homeschool groups can continue to raise funds in this way!

Carol Topp, CPA

Do not use individual fund raising accounts

From Parent Booster USA comes this warning about fund raising accounts:

Do not use individual fundraising accounts (IFAs) without a legal review. The IRS has strict rules on any activity that benefits the individual members of a group. The IRS generally finds IFAs to violate its rules. IFAs are activities in which parents/students engage in cooperative fundraising activities, providing “credit” to the individual “accounts” of those who participate in the fundraising activity(ies). Only in very limited circumstances are IFAs considered legal fundraising activities of booster clubs. Parent Booster USA can provide assistance in obtaining a legal review of an organization’s IFA policy. See also Individual Fundraising Accounts.

I agree with Parent Booster USA, the IRS does not allow nonprofits to establish individual fund raising accounts, where an individual or family get a part of the fund raising proceeds for their personal use.

To learn more about fund raisers for your homeschool group, read my article “Easy Fund Raisers for Homeschool Groups” here

and my blog posts on fund raising here.

Carol Topp, CPA