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Exempt organization tax services

Overview Expertise Ways we can help Who we serve Insights Work with us
Overview Expertise Ways we can help Who we serve Insights Work with us
Overview expand_more
Overview Expertise Ways we can help Who we serve Insights Work with us
Overview expand_more
Overview Expertise Ways we can help Who we serve Insights Work with us
Our team is ready to help exempt organizations proactively address tax issues.
Contact us

Dedicated to serving exempt organizations

From tax law changes to legislative and public scrutiny, exempt organizations must work diligently to meet compliance requirements and protect their tax-exempt status.

Organizations that have exempt status operate in unique territory. Today’s exempt organizations are required to meet distinct compliance rules, stay current with legislative updates and the regulatory environment, and frequently address staff shortages and budget constraints.

Crowe invests in developing deeply specialized professionals and leverages technology to effectively serve a variety of exempt organizations, including healthcare systems, colleges and universities, foundations, and pension trusts. We work with exempt organizations like yours at all levels of tax compliance and consulting, providing value-added solutions to protect your exempt status in ways that can help you put your best foot forward while fulfilling your mission.

Work with a tax services team that understands exempt organizations

Our tax team of 1,300-plus professionals is arranged by industry, so you can work with specialists who understand your organization’s unique needs.

40-plus dedicated exempt organization team members

  • Our trained specialists are dedicated to serving exempt organizations across the country. 400-plus combined years of specialized experience
  • About one-fourth of our team has more than 15 years of experience.

1,500 exempt organization clients*

  • Providing services to numerous exempt organizations has enriched our depth of experience.

Exempt organizations turn to us because we deliver unmatched client service with a focus on:

  • Senior-level involvement, providing you access to dedicated, experienced resources
  • Service that is highly responsive and attentive to your needs
  • Customized approaches, leveraging technology to streamline your tax compliance function

* Data current as of Dec. 1, 2023.

Ways we can help

We provide deep specialization for exempt organizations in a variety of ways. How can we help you?
Tax compliance
With extensive tax compliance experience and a strong understanding of technical guidance and what regulators expect, we can help you confidently interpret and meet complex federal (Form 990, 990-PF, 990-T, 1023, 1024, and 4720), state and local, and international tax requirements.
Tax compliance
Tax consulting
We can consult with your organization to address a variety of tax-related matters that might arise. From analyzing compensation and payroll matters to managing complex transactions, we draw on our deep bench of resources to share best practices and technical expertise to help mitigate and manage the tax risks that affect your organization most. 
Tax consulting
Alternative investments
Our specialists can help you navigate the myriad tax issues that are tied to a complex alternative investment portfolio. We are deeply specialized and can assist with technical reviews and evaluating current and future investments, Schedule K-1 and non-K-1 disclosures, preparation and review of federal, state, and foreign forms, analysis of potential excess business holdings, and much more.
Alternative investments
Philanthropic and grants advisory
We provide philanthropic and grants advisory services covering issues over the entire domestic and international grant life cycle. We focus on minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities, from strategy and governance to benchmarking and administration.
Philanthropic and grants advisory
Tax loan staffing and outsourcing
We can supplement your internal tax department or fully execute and manage specific tax services on ad hoc compliance and consulting needs, including workpaper preparation, coordination of information requests, and preparation, review, and signing of returns.
Tax loan staffing and outsourcing

Who we serve

We provide attentive tax compliance and consulting services to exempt organizations across industries, including value-added solutions that can help protect and preserve exempt status.

Healthcare

With 40 years of experience, Crowe has deep industry expertise and functional knowledge of the issues facing healthcare organizations today. Some of our service offerings include:

  • Community benefit optimization. We can help you substantiate community benefit data to maintain exempt status amid increased scrutiny.
  • Community health needs assessment (CHNA). We are well-versed in Section 501(r)(3) requirements and can develop a fresh approach to conducting your CHNA.
  • Section 501(r) policy and operational reviews. Our toolkits assist with compliance and offer a checklist to manage requirements for exempt status.
  • Joint venture and unrelated business income (UBI) activities. We analyze and consult on complex healthcare ventures with a focus on UBI and 501(r) considerations.

Higher education

Our tax professionals offer deep industry specialization and can address complex issues amid the ever-changing needs of higher education institutions. We assist our higher education clients in a range of areas:

  • Planning and compliance related to addressing complexities of investments in endowments, including assessing potential excise taxes (Section 4960 - executive compensation - and Section 4968, investment income of private colleges and universities).
  • Conducting UBI studies, assessing and analyzing revenue streams and related expense allocation methodologies in connection with regularly carried on trades or business activities, as well as sponsorships, new vendor contracts, and more.
  • Assessing compensation and benefits for unique employment contracts (such as key executives and athletic coaches), in addition to more broad-based employee payroll matters.

Private foundations

We work with 200-plus foundations across the country with client assets ranging from $1 million to more than $9 billion. Services include:

  • Board and mission training and workshops
  • Evaluation and assessment of operations and net investment income that trigger excise taxes
  • Charitable set-asides and functional expense allocations
  • Program- and mission-related grants and investments
  • Expenditure responsibility and equivalency determinations
  • Minimum distribution planning and qualifying distributions
  • Strategic structuring for charitable vehicles

Address the specific challenges your exempt organization faces

Our experienced industry specialists can help you take care of your biggest financial, accounting, and operational issues so you can focus on your organization’s mission. Our team has worked with organizations just like yours. We understand your unique circumstances and know how to help.
Rachel Spurlock
Managing Partner, Exempt Organizations Tax Services; Office Managing Partner, Louisville
phone phone +1 502 420 4522 cancel mail
Jennifer Burke
Partner, Tax
phone phone +1 630 586 5199 cancel mail
Mallory Fairless
Partner, Tax
phone phone +1 312 857 7379 cancel mail
Diane Kirmaci
Principal, Tax
phone phone +1 415 590 3906 cancel mail
Brittney Kocaj
Partner, Tax
phone phone +1 954 202 8601 cancel mail
Lori McLaughlin
Partner, Not-for-Profit Tax
phone phone +1 404 495 7105 cancel mail

Services customized to fit your needs

Preserving tax-exempt status? Addressing your tax team’s capacity issues?
Contact us with questions or to submit an RFP. We can help you figure out how to move forward.

Submit an RFP