January 25, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
By ELIZABETH SCHWINN
Concerned that nonprofit groups might not be taking advantage of their chance to shape tax regulations that will govern their use of the Internet, a nonprofit official has created a Web site to encourage charity leaders to post their views on the topic.
The I.R.S. last fall asked for comments from charities on how it should apply federal tax law to nonprofit Internet use (The Chronicle, November 2, 2000).
But Putnam Barber, president of the Evergreen State Society in Seattle and editor of the Internet Nonprofit Center’s Web site, says he has seen little online discussion on the subject. So he set up a new Web site called NPOComments, http://www.npocomments.soceco.org.
Mr. Putnam says he worries that if the I.R.S. makes the wrong Internet policy choices, it could have long-term consequences for nonprofit groups. “I hope thoughtful people will take the time to respond to the I.R.S. on these sensitive issues,” Mr. Barber says.
Less than a month remains before the I.R.S.’s comment deadline of February 13.
The text of the revenue service’s request for comments (Announcement 2000-84, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2000-42) can be found on the agency’s Web site, http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/bus_info/bullet.html. Comments may be mailed to: Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington 20224, Attn: Judith E. Kindell.
