TAX EXEMPT AUDIT UPDATE FOR PHILADELPHIA CHURCHES

Non-Profit Tax Exemption Audit Update

April 23, 2015

Due to a recent change in legislation, while the OPA remains responsible for performing audits to determine whether properties remain eligible for an exemption from Real Estate Taxes, property owners are no longer required to certify the exempt status of their properties on an annual basis.

Notice from the Office of Property Assessment, Abatements & Exemptions Office:  In February 2015, the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) mailed a request for information to all Philadelphia non-profit organizations currently enjoying tax exempt status. However, due to a recent change in legislation, while the OPA remains responsible for performing audits to determine whether properties remain eligible for an exemption from Real Estate Taxes, property owners are no longer required to certify the exempt status of their properties on an annual basis.

Therefore, any organization that has not yet submitted the information required for annual certification is not required to do so.

For those entities that have already submitted the information required for certification, the OPA thanks you for your response. The information provided will be used to help ensure that the records of the OPA are current and complete.

For questions or concerns, please contact Terri Ginter at 215-686-9282 or Joe Solomon at 215-686-6488 in the Office of Property Assessment, City of Philadelphia.

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MARCH 2015 TAX EXEMPT AUDIT UPDATE FOR PHILADELPHIA CHURCHES

The official Office of Public Assessment website has now provided the following notice: For those organizations that received notification about providing documentation to support their Non-Profit Tax Exemption status, the deadline for submitting documentation to the Office of Property Assessment has been extended to June 1, 2015.

Additionally, any affected organization can simply submit a copy of the completed form, and a copy of its IRS letter of determination for 501(c)(3) recognition, and can disregard the request for other documentation.

Here is the form to be completed: 020714 NonProfit Application

We have not received a response to our request for a blanket exemption for all our churches in the city, but this provides a little more clarity and time for individual churches to respond.

Please contact Lawrence S. Davis, Business Administrator at ldavis@presbyphl.org with any questions or additional information.