Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Florida

How do you start a non-profit organization? Do you have to pay taxes on the money you make from t-shirt and merchandise sales, even if 100% of that money is going to help a cause? How do you know what name is available for use?


Asked on 1/08/10, 4:51 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Sarah Grosse Sarah Grosse, Esquire

1. You form a corporation and register it with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. http://sunbiz.org/

2. Then, you apply for the corporation to have Federal tax exempt status as a charitable organization. This is called 501(c)(3) status.

3. Until the corporation obtains 501(c)(3) status, the corporation must pay taxes just like any for-profit corporation.

4. You can search the FL Dept. of State database to see if the name you want is taken.

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Answered on 1/13/10, 5:03 pm


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