An Updated QuickBooks Resource

Christine Manor, CPA, the main author of the UCOA (third edition), has just published her updated QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations for 2008. From the publishers website:

QuickBooks for Not-For-Profit Organizations 2008 provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use QuickBooks in a not-for-profit environment. Also included with the book are downloadable practice files with complete examples for using QuickBooks in a Not-For-Profit organization. QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations includes clearly illustrated screen shots and sample data practice files that will allow you to practice each step as you read about it.

I have and use the previous version of her book and I do recommend anyone using any version of QuickBooks for nonprofit accounting give it a once over.

Do You Have Employees?

The you need the Exempt Employer's Toolkit from the IRS. All the info on payroll taxes (**spoiler alert** Nonprofits have to pay payroll taxes!) what documents you need to get from your employees. And if you have any consultants you work with there is guidance there to on how to report their earnings.

For the state regulations and rules I recommend the CA Chamber of Commerce's website, they have lots of nice worksheets and details on twhat the difference is between a consultant and an employee, exempt vs, nonexempt employees, etc.

All About Admin

This week is primarily dedicated to doing all the stuff I have neglected to do over the last few months and get caught up:

1. Organizing and filing the last of the 2007 financials so I'm (almost) ready for our audit.
2. Figuring out what can be destroyed based on our retention policies.
3. Finding our retention policies!
   
4. Entering our 2008 budget into QuickBooks because NOW I have to start generating variance reports for '08.
5. Bi-monthly cost allocations so we can release those monies from restrictions.

If I was not also doing program stuff (which I do enjoy) I think would be more on top of this, but maybe not. Some of this is grunt work that needs to get done but is rather boring.

What administrative tasks tend to get put on the back burner at your organization?
Have you found any good tips / tricks / tools to help?

IRS Round Up

Here is a list of recent stories and information from the Internal Revenue Service that affect our sector:

1. Not exactly recent but a timely reminder nonetheless about the restrictions placed on advocacy by 501(c)3's. We can and should lobby but we need to make sure we do it the right way.
   
2. Gotta beef with a nonprofit? Want to file a complaint? Here is where to do it and what the process is like.
   
3. Audit? Compliance Check? Examination? Whats the difference and why is it happening to my organization? Find out here.
4. Despite the fact that we file a "tax" return to them, one of the main goals of the 990 and the IRS's Exempt Organizations Division is governance and making sure we are serving a charitable purpose. They have made some changes to their good governance guides and resources, see the update here.