Legal Question in Business Law in California

How do I form a non profit corporation for a ministry?

I would like a step by step process as to how to form a non profit corporation for a ministry. We would like to be able to accept donations that would be tax deductable for the donors - and would like to know who I file with & what forms I need to use. Also - I understand that the first step is ensuring the name of the ministry is not yet used by any other corporation - if this is so - where do I file for the use of this name? Is just a fictitious name filing ok - with the county where I live?

Thanks!


Asked on 3/20/98, 1:00 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Gregory Brittain Gregory W. Brittain, Attorney at Law

forming a non profit tax exempt corporation

You need to form a nonprofit Cal. corporation.Then you must apply for tax exempt status from the IRS and the Franchise Tax Board. Prior to forming the corporation, you can reserve the corporate name with the California Secretary of state. The applications for tax-exempt status are the most difficult part of the process, but you can do a lot of that work yourself. The tax exempt applications require your plans and projections for the organization.

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Answered on 4/02/98, 12:56 pm


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