Public Affairs Updates: IRS Changes and Updates


IRS HIKES BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE BY 3 CENTS FOR 2005
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a 3-cent increase in the standard mileage rate for businesses to use for 2005 in deducting automobile costs. Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, the standard mileage rates will be 40.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven, up from 37.5 cents a mile in 2004; 15 cents a mile when computing deductible medical or moving expenses, up from 14 cents a mile in 2004; and 14 cents a mile when giving services to a charitable organization.

The 3-cent increase in the business mileage rate is the largest one-year rise ever. According to the IRS, the primary reasons were higher prices for vehicles and fuel during the year ending in September. The charitable standard mileage rate is set by law.

IRS IN PROCESS OF SCRUTINIZING EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS 
COMPENSATION PRACTICES
The IRS continues to pursue its Tax Exempt Compensation Enforcement Project, a process that will ultimately involve contact with some 2,000 charities and foundations in an effort to identify and halt excessive compensation practices in the tax-exempt sector.

As reported this summer by Inroads, contact by the IRS does not necessarily imply improper activity by an organization. Part of the project’s objective is to simply gather information about current practices. The contact process involves scrutiny of compensation of specific officers and various kinds of insider transactions, such as loans and any sales, exchanges or leasing of property to officers and others. The IRS is also focusing on Form 990 reporting, including how organizations answer question 89(b) on the Form 990, about excess benefit transactions.

According to Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), the IRS is considering the use of penalties ranging up to $50,000 for exempt organizations that fail to answer question 89(b) on the Form 990. The IRS has said this EO enforcement effort will continue into 2005.

Take a Sneak Peak at What You'll Find in the December Issue of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT Magazine
Coming soon to your mailbox...the December issue of Association Management magazine.  Do you subscribe?  Subscribe today by signing up on the ASAE Web site at www.asaenet.org.  

Putting Leaders on the Fast Track
High turnover rates, managerial weaknesses, and the lack of systematic coaching are three major obstacles to spotting, grooming, and keeping talented staffers. Get the information you need to overcome these challenges and make the best leadership decisions for your association.

Right, Coach
See how associations are coupling coaching activities with existing professional development to achieve better performance from both staff and leadership.
 
CFO Q&A
A network of chief financial officers from several of the world’s largest associations opened up and let Association Management magazine in. They talked about their financial and operational challenges, and we listened so that we could bring their insights to you.

Playing With Models
Some say it’s time for new organizational models. Others are actually trying new techniques on for size. Association executives share the reasoning and results behind for-profit associations, trade association alliances, online conventions, and more.

Customers at the Core
What’s the secret to satisfying your members? Marketing experts make a case for focusing on a five-element formula that makes members feel as though they are the center of your association’s universe.

Engaging China
China: It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s anything but business as usual. Find out how associations are adjusting to the realities—cultural, economic, and political—that dictate how winning relationships are developed in this complex marketplace.

Benchmarking Compensation
ASAE’s 2004 Association Executive Compensation and Benefits Study gives executives the data they need to make compensation and benefit packages key recruitment and retention tools.

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End this Year with a Bang and Start the New Year Off Right—Attend These Education Programs!
Here is a sample of the upcoming events offered by The Center for Association Leadership. For a full listing, visit www.centeronline.org.

The NEW Great Ideas Conference
December 5–7, 2004 Orlando, FL
February 13–15, 2005 Phoenix, AZ

Exceptional Governance
December 6–7, 2004
Disney's Yacht Club Resort–Orlando, FL

Improving Delegation - When "Just Do It" Just Won't Do It
December 15, 2004
Virtual Seminar

Forum: The Success Principles...How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
January 7, 2005
The Center for Association Leadership's Marriott Learning Complex–Washington, DC

Hotel Operations Program: Crystal Gateway Marriott
January 27–29,2005
Crystal Gateway Marriott–Arlington, VA

Leadership Practices Inventory
January 27, 2005
The Center for Association Leadership's Marriott Learning Complex–Washington, DC

Question of the Week—Assisting Struggling Chapters
Do you have any information on assisting struggling chapters?

"A prescription for good health," Component Relations, Feb. 2004
http://www.asaenet.org/asae/cda/index/1,1584,MEN1_PID20932,00.html

"Expert opinions," Component Relations, Feb. 2003
http://www.asaenet.org/asae/cda/index/1,1584,PID19582_PREmember,00.html

"Help for hurting chapters," Component Relations, Nov. 2002
http://www.asaenet.org/asae/cda/index/1,1584,PID17909_PREmember,00.html

"The road to recovery," Component Relations, Nov. 2002
http://www.asaenet.org/asae/cda/index/1,1584,PID17910_PREmember,00.html

"Are chapters still viable?" Association Management, June 2000
http://www.asaenet.org/asae/cda/ammag/1,3146,PID17269_PREmember,00.html

ASAE Career Headquarters—Make Your Next Professional Step Today
Realize your professional potential in association management through www.careerhq.org—the best source of association jobs and resumes. Advertise your resume free of charge to hundreds of association employers and search CareerHQ.org’s targeted job database for the position that’s right for you. CareerHQ.org offers career development services, including job coaching, resume writing, and a career knowledge database. Numerous services are free, including resume review, interviewing guidelines, and a behavioral style analysis. You’ll also find helpful tips and resources to assist in your job hunt.

Click on the newest positions available for a sample of what you’ll find at www.careerHQ.org:

Education Assistant
Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association–Washington , D.C.

Exhibit Sales Associate
Graphic Arts Show Company–Reston, Virginia

Manager of Member Services
American Medical Informatics Association–Bethesda, Maryland

State Director
NFIB - National Federation of Independent Business–Denver, CO

Region Public Policy Director
NFIB - National Federation of Independent Business–Dallas, TX

Does your organization engage in e-marketing?
Find out how MagnetMail, the ASAE-sponsored e-Marketing Program that powers the ASAE Weekly, can help you achieve record-breaking results. Call MagnetMail at 877-488-2666, or visit us on the Web at www.realmagnet.com/commpartners. To request additional information complete our online form.