In case you didn't know it, there's an election this year. In fact, a lot of elections, from President of the United States all the way down the ballot to dogcatcher. And given that health care is one of the more important issues of the day, one or more candidates for public office might be coming to you and your hospital for anything from a photo opportunity to a handout.

But tax-exempt hospitals are prohibited from participating or intervening in any election campaign. While this doesn't mean that you have to be totally divorced from civic participation, it does mean that you need to be extra careful. For every candidate that you are perceived to help, there is an opponent who will turn you in to the IRS.

To help you understand what you can and can't do relative to political activities, HortySpringer attorneys Dan Mulholland and Nick Calabrese reviewed the latest guidance from the IRS and offered some practical advice on the following issues:

• The prohibition in §501(c)(3) against participating in campaigns
• What you can do - Revenue Ruling 2007-41
• Penalties for organizations and managers who violate these rules
• Lobbying expenditures: how much is too much?
• Whether you should make a §501(h) election regarding lobbying
• New reporting rules regarding political activity on the revised Form 990
  

Audio CD or MP3 only: $225

ORDER MP3/CD NOW

Questions? Contact us via E-mail or call 1-800-245-1205