Newly Passed Hurricane Florence Relief and Extended Tax Provisions

As 2019 came to an end, Congress passed two bills, which were then signed into law by the President. The “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” and H.R. 1865, the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” are government funding bills that include numerous tax changes that directly affect taxpayers in past, current, and future tax years. The changes that are most likely to impact our clients are highlighted below.

Functional Expense

The IRS and the FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) require non-profit corporations to present an analysis of their expenses – by function. That is, how is your organization using its resources? How much of your expenses are spent on “Management” versus “Program?” How much of your resources are used for “Fundraising” rather than “Program?” This type of analysis is required and useful for donors and lenders, but it is also a valuable tool for management.

Commitments and Contingencies

Financial statements provide a picture, a snapshot, of the state of your organization at one point in time – generally your fiscal year end – and how well you managed your funds over that fiscal year.