# How Do I Register My Company as Non-Profit?



## Sweet Tees (Mar 17, 2008)

A friend and I recently started a company that designs and sells t-shirts to benefit different charitable organizations. The design of each shirt corresponds to the cause that the shirt will benefit, and all proceeds from each shirt go to its respective cause. What steps do we need to take to register ourselves---essentially, how can we become a legitimate and verifiable non-profit company?
Thanks for your help,
Ian


----------



## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Since you're in NJ, I just Googled "new jersey non profit registration" and came up with this page:

NJ Business Portal | Taking Care of Business | Not-for-Profit

Seems as good a place to start as any.


----------



## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

In addition, you will probably need to conform to IRS rules on non profit. I think you will find the forms on their website.


----------



## Sweet Tees (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Mikey2140 (Aug 29, 2007)

wife and i had a nonprofit counseling business in PA... in PA there is a difference between being a nonprofit and being tax exempt and it lies in the IRS procedure... we set up the nonprofit corp in PA and registered it... didnt do the IRS cause we were not interested in the "tax deductible" stuff... every state is different thou... check into it very carefully... dont be afraid to hire an attorney... tax laws and reporting gets "sticky" and you dont want to be on the business end of an IRS audit.

Mike


----------



## kpk703 (Mar 17, 2008)

My understanding is that qualifying as non-profit for federal purposes is not a simple matter and warrants the expense of a lawyer.


----------



## Mikey2140 (Aug 29, 2007)

kpk703 said:


> My understanding is that qualifying as non-profit for federal purposes is not a simple matter and warrants the expense of a lawyer.


There is a "Dummies" book... NON-PROFIT KIT FOR DUMMIES... has all the regulations and paperwork requirement, i agree above... get a lawyer...

Mike


----------



## AustinJeff (May 12, 2007)

Sweet Tees said:


> A friend and I recently started a company that designs and sells t-shirts to benefit different charitable organizations. The design of each shirt corresponds to the cause that the shirt will benefit, and all proceeds from each shirt go to its respective cause. What steps do we need to take to register ourselves---essentially, how can we become a legitimate and verifiable non-profit company?
> Thanks for your help,
> Ian


Why do you want to set it up as a non-profit?

This may seem like a silly question since your intentions are to help charities and you don't intend to make a profit. But I don't think that necessarily means that it needs to be registered as a non-profit.

Keep in mind that I actually don't know a great deal about this and am simply speculating, but it would seem to me that if you simply produce the shirt as individuals (sole proprietors maybe) and donated the money/shirts as individuals, it would be deductible from your personal income tax. Not as a business loss, but as a charitable donation.

I don't see the advantage to doing it as a non-profit.

But I could be totally wrong.


----------

