Have you noticed how the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been modernizing yet still is so slow? More options keep opening up for electronic submittals, which is great, especially when the IRS is getting slower. There’s still significant backlog from the shutdowns, population restrictions and extra down time. At least electronic submittals cut down on processing compared to snail mail.
The IRS has been accepting the 990-N e-postcard for smaller non-profits. Now, the Form 990 and 990-EZ must be submitted electronically. It’s to the point that proof must be approved to not submit electronically now. So gear up for the start of the process, if the Section/MAL hasn’t already gone electronic.
Does your Section treasurer have that generic officer email yet? SWEet-Treasurer@something.com or SWEople.Treasurer@someother.com can identify the entity of SWE and be passed down to the next elected officer. With electronic reporting comes online reporting platforms. After set up, the IRS may become even more savvy. Since they’re slow, one hopes it will be easy keeping up.
With the quarantine periods and teleconmuting, the population resorted to online a lot of things. Some of it we’ll keep. The IRS really took advantage of the comfortability to what should make a more efficient process. Now that the shutdowns and population restrictions seem behind us, even the most frugal folks can go to the library for electronic reporting.
Don’t forget to print a copy. It has warnings not to mail the documents. However, non-profits must show this document if asked. We all know how slow the documents are getting uploaded to the IRS’ non-profit records database lately. It’s buried in paperwork.
Let’s take care of each other and remember to file electronically with the IRS this year. Here’s the website to learn more about this electronic filing for non-profits: https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/e-file-for-charities-and-non-profits. The treasurer’s signature on Form 990-EZ and 990 will still need emailed or faxed in. For SWE Sections/MAL the filing starts anytime between July 1st and November 15th. It’s best not to wait until last minute with a new process though.
The grizzled veterans of finance are here for guidance. Don’t try to trick us into doing your homework for you though. We’re here to help. Likely we’ve been through the situation or something similar. We also have a main line to SWE Headquarters.
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Finance Committee is a standing committee dedicated to fiscal interests within SWE. If SWE finance questions arise, please email the SWE Finance Committee at financecommittee@swe.org or visit us during our office hours. Office hours are generally held every month and at Annual Conference. SWE Sections/MAL do not have to go it alone with our SWE annual fiscal process.
