Veterans Creative Arts Festival
October 22-28, 2007
St. Louis,, Missouri

Sponsor:
Send your Donations to the Department Office

American Legion Auxiliary
Department of NY
112 State St.  Suite 1310
Albany, NY 12207

Finance

 All Unit & County Finance Chairmen

A budget is necessary for Units and Counties to be able to operate efficiently. It is a financial plan for coordinating income and expenses. The first rule for developing a budget is that it must be linked to the goals and objectives of the American Legion Auxiliary. The budget needs to be balanced, which means total income equals total expenses. You cannot spend more than you take in unless you have reserves to take from. Carefully review and make recommendations, you are responsible to see that a proper budget is prepared and presented to the members.

It is up to you to insure the members that their funds are being kept and used properly.

You are also responsible for overseeing the duties of the Treasurer, the officer entrusted with the receipt, care and disbursement of funds. A CARDINAL rule is to work together as a TEAM.

Unit and County Treasurers should have their books up to date at all times and have them available at all meetings.

Monies can be kept in one bank account, but the Treasurer must keep separate accounts for General Funds and Poppy/VA&R Funds (also known as Welfare Funds). Please refer to pages 82 and 89 in the Unit Handbook (2000 edition) for the allowed use of the Poppy and VA&R Funds.

$5.00 Department Day Fund Tax and $5.50 Bonding are mandatory for every Unit and due at the start of every year.

Senior dues are $11.80. Distribution: $5.25 to Department (of which 50 cents is to defray the expenses of the 10 District Presidents, and 25 cents to the Children & Youth fund), $5.00 to the National Organization (includes the National News subscription), 80 cents for Department & National Rehabilitation taxes and 75 cents to County Treasurer.

Junior dues are $4.00. Distribution: $1.45 to Department, $1.25 to National, 80 cents for Department Rehabilitation taxes and 50 cents to the County Treasurer.

Checks for POPPY ORDERS are made payable to the Treasurer, Department of N.Y. and mailed with the Poppy order form to the Poppy Chairman. (Units do not need to go through the County Treasurer). You can use Poppy Funds to pay for Poppy orders.

Units should make checks for EMPIRE GIRLS STATE payable to the County Treasurer. Counties should make one check for tuition of all girls in the County. County check should be made payable to the Treasurer, Department of N.Y. and mailed to the Vice Chairman of Empire Girls State. You cannot use Poppy Funds for EGS.


All other Unit checks are mailed to the County Treasurer. The County checks are mailed to the Department Treasurer. Please mark clearly or include a remittance sheet on what the check is for.

We are offering Lottery Calendars again this year @ $20.00. 2008 is Leap Year. This means that there are 366 chances to win (on a day when a number is not drawn, the previous days number will be used in reverse). What a great gift to give.

The National organization has shared revenues with Departments from certain fundraising activities (such as address labels). That revenue has decreased and so the National organization is in the process of modifying fundraising strategies.

National Visa Card Program – no annual fee –
1-800-847-7378

Affinity Long Distance Service – a percentage is contributed to the Auxiliary Scholarship Program.
To find out more, call 1-800-964-3863

Important information about FORM 990-N

Many inquires have been received asking about Form 990-N. Previously, most small non-profits grossing less than $25,000 a year did not have to file anything with the IRS. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) changed that.

Units, Counties & Districts with tax-exempt numbers and gross receipts of $25,000 or less, are considered small non-profit tax exempt organizations. Starting in 2008, for activities from January 1, 2008 onward, these organizations MUST file FORM 990-N (also known as e-postcard) with the IRS.

The IRS requires that the e-postcard be filed electronically. There is no paper form. You must be able to access the internet, but no software or download is required. It is meant to be quick and easy to file. If you do not have a computer, you will be able to fill out Form 990-N using a computer at a public library. FORM 990-N must be filed every year; however there is no due date to filing the e-postcard. Instead, you must file “by the 15th of the 5th month after” our fiscal year ends. The American Legion Auxiliary “fiscal year” runs from June 1st thru May 31st. Therefore, you don’t need to file until Oct. 15, 2008, and each Oct. 15th there-after. If you fail to file or if you file the wrong information, your Unit/County or District will be subject to a penalty of $20.00 a day for each day the failure continues. If you fail to file the e-postcard for three consecutive years, the IRS will evoke your tax-exempt status. Now is the time to make sure all your records are in order so that you will be able to provide the necessary information required (such as a statement that the annual gross receipts are $25,000 or less).

The IRS will be mailing educational letters notifying small tax-exempt organizations that they may be required to file. Visit www.irs.gov  and click on Charities & Non-profits on the banner across the top for a sample copy of the letter, and updated information.

Please feel free to contact the Department Treasurer or Finance Chairman should you have any questions or concerns on Finance. Finance is not a reporting committee, but if you have any special fund raisers, projects, etc. that you want to share, I would enjoy hearing about them.