TAX NEWS - March 2009

Tax Seminar: Bill Leonard and Michelle Steel Sponsor Tax Seminar for Nonprofit and Faith-Based Organizations in Fontana

Bill Leonard, Second District Member, State Board of Equalization (BOE), and Michelle Steel, Third District Member, State Board of Equalization, announced today that federal and state government agencies will be available for a free one-day Tax Seminar for Nonprofit and Faith-Based Organizations in Fontana.

Representatives from the BOE, Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and Employment Development Department will be available to assist attendees.

Event: Fontana Tax Seminar for Nonprofit and Faith-Based Organizations

Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (check-in at 8:30 a.m.)
Place: Jessie Turner Community Center at Fontana Park
15556 Summit Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335
(Free parking)

The topics presented include Property Tax Exemptions, Sales and Use Taxes for Nonprofit Organizations, Compliance for Existing Exempt Organizations, Employment Taxes and the Nonprofit Organization, and Regulations of Charities and Fundraisers.

For more information on free nonprofit seminars, please call 888-847-9652 or visit the BOE website at www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/nonprofitsched.htm. Attendees can register for this free tax seminar in Fontana at: www.boe.ca.gov/cgi-bin/seminar.cgi?FLAG=96.

Bill Leonard, of Sacramento/Ontario, was elected as the Second District Member of the State Board of Equalization in 2002 and reelected in November 2006. Prior to his election, Bill Leonard served in the State Assembly (1978-1988, 1996-2002) and in the State Senate (1988-1996).

Elected to the Board of Equalization in 2006, Michelle Steel serves as Southern California's elected taxpayer advocate. In 2008, Steel uncovered a $42 million mistake in the agency's sales tax refund procedures. Following her investigation, the tax agency refunded tax security deposits to over 5,500 small businesses.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization is a publicly elected tax board. The BOE collects more than $53 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services. It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes.