Nonprofit State Registrations: Recent Changes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some recent changes have been made to the procedures that nonprofit organizations follow to register with their state. Below is an overview of the changes that affect Pennsylvania and New Jersey charities.
Pennsylvania
The State of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, Charities Section, is still accepting Charitable Organization Registration Statements (PA BCO-10) sent via regular mail, but they also recently began taking the registration form through an online filing system. The PA BCO-10 is currently the only form accepted electronically, but the state has plans to expand the online filing system in the future.
If your organization would like to file the PA BCO-10 online, here are a few tips for getting started:
- The online filing systems are located here.
- Before you begin, you will need to create a personal log-in and link the nonprofit entity to that log-in, using the nonprofit’s Pennsylvania certificate number or federal EIN and their unique alphanumeric code, which was mailed to each charity in March 2020. If you cannot locate the code, send an email to [email protected] requesting the code.
- The information required for online filing is the same as the paper form.
- Before you can print a PDF of the return, nonprofits will need to sign the form electronically. Third-party preparers will need to obtain and upload a PDF of an authorized parties’ signature (the final page of the paper BCO-10 is entirely suitable).
- Once the signatures are complete, you can print and/or edit the registration before making the payment and finalizing the registration. Payments are made via credit card.
The State of Pennsylvania has also extended the charity renewal deadline by three months; visit their website to check if your charity is affected and get information about refunds on any late fees you may incur if filing during the extended period.
New Jersey
As you may know, New Jersey implemented an online filing system for state registrations a few years ago. While that system remains the same, correspondence from New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has now moved from paper mailings to email in the COVID-19 era. DCA must have a valid email address for your organization if they need to contact you about deficiencies that have to be addressed immediately.
DCA is currently catching up on processing past filings, and as a result, many nonprofits are now receiving notices requesting additional information for prior years. Once a notice is issued, the nonprofit’s account is flagged as “Non-Compliant.” Something as simple as an incorrect fee payment or a missing signature could cause an account to be “Non-Compliant,” but in some cases, it could be a more involved issue, like not submitting an annual filing. Either way, it is essential to address all notices in a timely fashion to avoid any issues obtaining a tax clearance certificate, which is necessary for many grant applications.
Keeping up with fast-paced changes in an uncertain environment can be challenging; that’s why it’s important to maintain constant contact with your trusted advisor to help navigate those changes and ensure your charity is always in good standing.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the information outlined above or need assistance with a nonprofit-related issue, Klatzkin can help. For additional information, click here to contact us. We look forward to speaking with you soon.
Angela Lawrence, Quality Control Coordinator at Klatzkin, contributed to this post.
The above represents our best understanding and interpretation of the material covered as of the date of this post. The content should not be construed as accounting, tax, or financial advice.