More than 50 Sonoma Organizations Lose Non-Profit Status in IRS Clean-Up

According to the IRS, a total of 275,000 groups nationwide “have had their federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked for failing to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS for three consecutive years.”

That action “shrinks the nation’s growing nonprofit sector by roughly 17 percent, to about 1.3 million charities, trade associations, membership groups and labor unions,” wrote Stephanie Strom in the New York Times.

According to the Times, many non-partisan groups see the clean-up as a positive piece of housekeeping—designed to weed out now-defunct organizations from public record, to ease the task of researchers and other officials who regularly source nonprofits.

But others speculate that many already understaffed nonprofits may have been caught off gaurd by changes in filing rules. In 2006 the Pension Protection Act mandated that all nonprofits - including organizations with annual revenue of under $25,000, who had previously be exhempt - file tax returns. But the change to longstanding legislation was buried in a 339-page jargon-filled document, and widely ignored.

The IRS began an outreach program last year, when they realized that almost a quarter of nonprofit organizations stood to lose their status under the new rules. Despite reaching out to regional umbrella organizations, the IRS was foiled in their attempt to contact many organizations individually, because their addresses and phone numbers were outdated. 

(Many of the organizations have disbanded, speculate the IRS, but , having never filed a tax return, simply don't have contact information on file.)

In Sonoma  several prominent names top the list, as well as a number mystery organizations. (Who are the Devils Darlins? How can I join the Spirit of Play Foundation? Did the Sonoma County Futbol Club invent a new sport, or just spell their name wrong?)

Here's the complete list of local groups:

 

SONOMA COUNTY FUTBOL CLUB                                             550 E THOMSON AVE                  SONOMA                SONOMA MISSION INDIAN MEMORIAL                                        19310 SONOMA HWY STE A             SONOMA                SONOMA CITIZENS COALITION                                             472 YORK CT                        SONOMA                SONOMA SKATE SOCIETY                                                  PO BOX 1463                        SONOMA                VINTAGE AUTO PERFORMANCE LIMITED                                      3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                PREMIER SELECT REINSURANCE LIMITED                                    3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                FLOWERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL                                             17600 SONOMA HWY                   SONOMA                MANFRED CLYNES INSTITUTE OF                                           19181 MESQUITE CT                  SONOMA                ATHENA TELEMATICS FOUNDATION INC                                      PO BOX 1724                        SONOMA                STANDARD GROUP REINSURANCE CO LTD                                     3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                SHADOW MA LTD                                                         3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                FIELD PERFORMANCE LIMITED                                             3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                TAG VISTA SERVICES LTD                                                3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                NOARUS LTD                                                            3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                NORTH BAY AFFORDABLES INC                                             PO BOX 1262                        SONOMA                COMMUNITY BAPTIST HOUSING AND                                         1620 SONOMA AVE                    SONOMA                SONOMA LAW CENTER                                                     935 W SPAIN ST APT H               SONOMA                SPIRIT OF PLAY FOUNDATION                                             465 1ST ST W STE 300               SONOMA                SONOMAS LITTLE STAR PRESCHOOL                                         PO BOX 557                         SONOMA                JACK D BROWN SONOMA HOSPICE                                           PO BOX 1829                        SONOMA                DEVILS DARLINS INC                                                    1105 CRAIG AVE                     SONOMA                SONOMA MENS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB                                       PO BOX 1502                        SONOMA                SONOMA VALLEY CARE A VAN INC                                          PO BOX 723                         SONOMA                CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF CODE                                        PO BOX 1878                        SONOMA                CAITLIN CO LTD                                                        3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                FRINK REINSURANCE LIMITED                                             3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                SPOOSHOUND RE LTD                  GLOBAL CORPORATE & TRUST MANAGEMENT 3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                SHENANDOAH VALLEY LTD                                                 3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                HURMAN REINSURANCE CO LTD                                             3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                BODDINGTON ASSOCIATES REINSURANCE   LTDGLOBAL CORPORATE TR MANGEMENT  3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                FREDDI & SAMMY LTD                                                    3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                DON UNITED RE LTD                                                     3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                BUY SMART LTD                                                         3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                TLC ESA LIMITED                                                       3650 WHITE ALDER                   SONOMA                ALLIANCE FOR DRUG FREE CHILDREN                                       465 1ST ST W STE 300               SONOMA                SONOMA RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION                                    PO BOX 841                         SONOMA                BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WOMENS CLUB                                    PO BOX 50                          SONOMA                ALTIMIRA PARENT NETWORK                                               17805 ARNOLD DR                    SONOMA                PAX INTERNATIONAL                                                     519 CURTIN LN                      SONOMA                VALLEY OF THE MOON NURSERY SCHOOL                                     136 MISSION TER                    SONOMA                ACADEMY OF WORLD STUDIES                                              1229 SOBRE VISTA RD                SONOMA                PACIFIC POULTRY BREEDERS                                              19333 LOVALL VALLEY CT             SONOMA                SONOMANS FOR LIFE SERVICES INC                                        275 E SPAIN ST                     SONOMA                HUMAN SERVICES FOUNDATION FOR THE                                     50 INTERNATIONAL BLVD              SONOMA                MENORAH INSTITUTE                                                     17350 MALLARD DR                   SONOMA               

To view the national list, access the IRS spreadsheets at http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=240099,00.html