Speech and Debate Club – Unsure of Its Setup?

Carol Topp, the Homeschool CPA, is frequently asked by small homeschool groups if they are setup up correctly.

Do they owe taxes?

Do they need to be a nonprofit corporation?

Henry  writes, “Can a small homeschool education club focused on speech and debate be categorized as an “unincorporated association” and therefore not apply for recognition by the IRS and not file taxes?

Less than $2,000 pass through the club to pay for insurance and facilities…

This club formed in 2015 and I joined last year and become the director this year. I am wondering if we are structured correctly…”

Listen to Carol’s reply to Henry’s questions on today’s episode of the Homeschool Leader podcast.

  • Can the Speech and Debate Club be a 501c3?
  • Do they need to be a formalized entity?
  • Should they get an EIN?
  • What should they do to be structured correctly?
  • Do they owe taxes?

In the podcast, Carol mentioned how a small nonprofit like Henry’s club can self-declare 501c3 tax exempt status. Carol has a few blog posts on self-declaring 501c3 tax exempt status and the filing the IRS annual notice, Form 990-N:



In the podcast I mentioned my book The IRS and Your Homeschool Organization

Does your homeschool group need to pay taxes? Could they avoid paying taxes by being a 501c3 tax exempt organization? Do you know the pros and cons of 501c3 status? Do you know what 501c3 status could mean for your homeschool group?


  • The benefits of 501c3 status
  • The disadvantages too!
  • What it takes to make the IRS happy
  • What your state requires
  • Why your organization should consider becoming a nonprofit corporation
  • What is the difference between nonprofit incorporation and tax exemption
  • IRS requirements after you are tax exempt

The webinar Create a Nonprofit for Your Homeschool Community is also helpful.

The webinar is 90 minutes and covers:

  • The difference between a business and a nonprofit
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a nonprofit
  • Forming a board: who can be one it, what do they do, etc.
  • Creating bylaws
  • Drafting a budget
  • Setting up a bank account
  • Forming a nonprofit corporation in your state
  • The timeline to get this all done
  • The expense to accomplish this

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