As part of its efforts to streamline the application and approval process for organizations seeking tax-exempt status, the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS has reduced the time that it will wait for a reply to a request for more information about an application from 120 days to 28 days. Donna Hansberry, TE/GE deputy commissioner, told attendees of the American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education tax-exempt course that "after 28 days the IRS will terminate that application for failure to establish." In those instances, the IRS won't return the application fee, Hansberry said, and the organization can choose whether or not to reapply.  Beginning this fiscal year, the IRS will also no longer accept for processing applications that were incomplete when received, and will return them to their senders along with the user fees for correction and reapplication.  These latest efficiency efforts come in addition to the recent introduction of the Form 1023-EZ, which IRS officials stated has helped reduce application processing times for eligible organizations as much as 85% over the standard Form 1023.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed new regulations aimed at expanding overtime protections for millions of employees in the for-profit, nonprofit, and government sectors. While this legislation will impact all sectors, it is currently unclear exactly how Oregon nonprofits will be affected. NAO created a fact sheet to help Oregon nonprofits better understand the new FLSA standards, and if/how it might affect their organization. Read more

The passage of Oregon's statewide sick leave law (Senate Bill 454) means that starting January 1, 2016, almost all Oregon employers (even nonprofit organizations) must provide sick leave to their employees. Employers that have not previously provided sick leave can develop from scratch a policy that meets the statute's requirements. The trickier task will be for employers that already provide sick leave or paid time off ("PTO") benefits to make sure that their existing policies comply with the new law and determine which revisions, if any, are necessary. Read more