26 U.S.C. § 527 - Political organizations

• Cite as: 26 U.S.C. § 527

(a) General rule

A political organization shall be subject to taxation under this subtitle only to the extent provided in this section. A political organization shall be considered an organization exempt from income taxes for the purpose of any law which refers to organizations exempt from income taxes.

(b) Tax imposed

A tax is hereby imposed for each taxable year on the political organization taxable income of every political organization. Such tax shall be computed by multiplying the political organization taxable income by the highest rate of tax specified in section 11(b).

(c) Political organization taxable income defined

(1) Taxable income defined

For purposes of this section, the political organization taxable income of any organization for any taxable year is an amount equal to the excess (if any) of-

(A) the gross income for the taxable year (excluding any exempt function income), over

(B) the deductions allowed by this chapter which are directly connected with the production of the gross income (excluding exempt function income), computed with the modifications provided in paragraph (2).

(2) Modifications

For purposes of this subsection-

(A) there shall be allowed a specific deduction of $100,

(B) no net operating loss deduction shall be allowed under section 172, and

(C) no deduction shall be allowed under part VIII of subchapter B (relating to special deductions for corporations).

(3) Exempt function income

For purposes of this subsection, the term "exempt function income" means any amount received as-

(A) a contribution of money or other property,

(B) membership dues, a membership fee or assessment from a member of the political organization,

(C) proceeds from a political fundraising or entertainment event, or proceeds from the sale of political campaign materials, which are not received in the ordinary course of any trade or business, or

(D) proceeds from the conducting of any bingo game (as defined in section 513(f)(2)),

to the extent such amount is segregated for use only for the exempt function of the political organization.

(d) Certain uses not treated as income to candidate

For purposes of this title, if any political organization-

(1) contributes any amount to or for the use of any political organization which is treated as exempt from tax under subsection (a) of this section,

(2) contributes any amount to or for the use of any organization described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 509(a) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a), or

(3) deposits any amount in the general fund of the Treasury or in the general fund of any State or local government,

such amount shall be treated as an amount not diverted for the personal use of the candidate or any other person. No deduction shall be allowed under this title for the contribution or deposit of any amount described in the preceding sentence.

(e) Other definitions

For purposes of this section-

(1) Political organization

The term "political organization" means a party, committee, association, fund, or other organization (whether or not incorporated) organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures, or both, for an exempt function.

(2) Exempt function

The term "exempt function" means the function of influencing or attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any Federal, State, or local public office or office in a political organization, or the election of Presidential or Vice-Presidential electors, whether or not such individual or electors are selected, nominated, elected, or appointed. Such term includes the making of expenditures relating to an office described in the preceding sentence which, if incurred by the individual, would be allowable as a deduction under section 162(a).

(3) Contributions

The term "contributions" has the meaning given to such term by section 271(b)(2).

(4) Expenditures

The term "expenditures" has the meaning given to such term by section 271(b)(3).

(5) Qualified State or local political organization

(A) In general

The term "qualified State or local political organization" means a political organization-

(i) all the exempt functions of which are solely for the purposes of influencing or attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any State or local public office or office in a State or local political organization,

(ii) which is subject to State law that requires the organization to report (and it so reports)-

(I) information regarding each separate expenditure from and contribution to such organization, and

(II) information regarding the person who makes such contribution or receives such expenditure,

which would otherwise be required to be reported under this section, and

(iii) with respect to which the reports referred to in clause (ii) are (I) made public by the agency with which such reports are filed, and (II) made publicly available for inspection by the organization in the manner described in section 6104(d).

(B) Certain State law differences disregarded

An organization shall not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of subparagraph (A)(ii) solely by reason of 1 or more of the following:

(i) The minimum amount of any expenditure or contribution required to be reported under State law is not more than $300 greater than the minimum amount required to be reported under subsection (j).

(ii) The State law does not require the organization to identify 1 or more of the following:

(I) The employer of any person who makes contributions to the organization.

(II) The occupation of any person who makes contributions to the organization.

(III) The employer of any person who receives expenditures from the organization.

(IV) The occupation of any person who receives expenditures from the organization.

(V) The purpose of any expenditure of the organization.

(VI) The date any contribution was made to the organization.

(VII) The date of any expenditure of the organization.

(C) De minimis errors

An organization shall not fail to be treated as a qualified State or local political organization solely because such organization makes de minimis errors in complying with the State reporting requirements and the public inspection requirements described in subparagraph (A) as long as the organization corrects such errors within a reasonable period after the organization becomes aware of such errors.

(D) Participation of Federal candidate or office holder

The term "qualified State or local political organization" shall not include any organization otherwise described in subparagraph (A) if a candidate for nomination or election to Federal elective public office or an individual who holds such office-

(i) controls or materially participates in the direction of the organization,

(ii) solicits contributions to the organization (unless the Secretary determines that such solicitations resulted in de minimis contributions and were made without the prior knowledge and consent, whether explicit or implicit, of the organization or its officers, directors, agents, or employees), or

(iii) directs, in whole or in part, disbursements by the organization.

(f) Exempt organization, which is not political organization, must include certain amounts in gross income

(1) In general

If an organization described in section 501(c) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a) expends any amount during the taxable year directly (or through another organization) for an exempt function (within the meaning of subsection (e)(2)), then, notwithstanding any other provision of law, there shall be included in the gross income of such organization for the taxable year, and shall be subject to tax under subsection (b) as if it constituted political organization taxable income, an amount equal to the lesser of-