WFS;129373 wrote: Also, if you are working under their TAX ID, you may fall under the PTA, not PTO classification. There is a difference. PTO works as a partner with the board of education, but PTA is an association and connected more.

You're too polite, Tim. wfs is confused. That's not how to define the difference between PTO and PTA. Tax id really doesn't have anything to do with it. PTA refers to membership in a national organization with dues, rules and policies of their own, which apply to their school-level chapters. A parent group can't call itself a PTA unless it is formally affiliated with National PTA. PTA groups would not have their money held under a school's tax id.

"PTO" is a generic term that applies to any parent school group the is NOT formally affiliated with National PTA. There is no "official" definition of a PTO. Some groups that use the PTO label are committees of the school and thus run all the finances thru the school. But I think most PTOs are independent of the school (at least financially) and have their own tax id #. Maybe some PTOs "partner with the board of education", but I haven't personally seen that relationship. It's definately not a given simply because a group uses the PTO label.

Back to Lynnfield's original question...you're a preschool, right? So kids are there for maybe 2 years, right? So parent turnover is pretty quick, right? In that case, I'd be inclined to set up the parent group as a committee of the preschool and raise the funds under the school's tax id number. This is a long-term project that I assume is a priority for the school as well as the parents. I'd feel secure that the money would stay earmarked for playground improvement in the preschool's budget. I remember reading here once that a specified fundraiser like a playground project is an implied contract with your donors, and you just can't arbitrarilly redirect the money later to some other project. (I'm not an attorney, though, so I don't know if that's true,)

Setting up a formal independent parent group might not be practical for a school with short parent involvement.

I need help on applying for a TAX I.D.number. Are school got he okay for us to start PTO again this year. The people for last don't want to help us. So anyone know's what forms to fill out or how to get a Tax I.D. # . I really thank full for us.

Thank you
Olivia

Frankly, my experience has been that school officials are not much help as a resource. (Not that they don't try - it's simply not their area.) Most parent groups are independent of the school in terms of having their own bank account, fundraising, and control of how funds are used. That being the case, the sum total of the school's advice/direction is:

"You can't use the school's Tax ID number".

Perhaps some of your districts have taken it upon themselves to provide more information for how organizations proceed beyond that. But that's pretty much the end of the discussion for most of them.

The critical points here are probably:

1) Where is the money for the playground going (PTO account or school account)?
2) What tax ID? ID for state sales tax or federal ID (EIN) listed with IRS?
3) In what capacity are you using the school's TAX ID number?

For instance, it's highly unlikely you can legally use the the school's tax ID number when purchasing supplies to avoid paying sales tax or as the ID for a bank account. However, if you are merely acting as a volunteer arm of the school and collecting donations that are deposited in the school's account, then any receipt recognizing the contributions would reference the school's name/ID. In that case, the school might give you permission to be handing out those receipts - thus using their ID. (That would definitely need to be coordinated with them.)

I am confused by wfs statement as well, can you clarify. I know that it has always been this long standing "thing" that parent groups often use the school's tax id number. I was actually told by NYS that it isn't legal if the money is actually going into a non-school account. It's like those tax certificates that say right on them that they are not being used for other than the official organization named on it. They just said that it is such a small issue that the state doesn't take the time to crack down on it. The problem we almost ran into before we were formalized is that if your pto money is in a district account and you have a budget freeze it could actually effect your group's money. Yes they can ear mark it but if the district needs that money it can be sticky, you then find youself spending it asap! Experience here...

lynnfield, the best person to get your answer from,for your particular situation is probably your schools superintendent.(or ask your principal to find out).

WFS;129373 wrote: Also, if you are working under their TAX ID, you may fall under the PTA, not PTO classification. There is a difference. PTO works as a partner with the board of education, but PTA is an association and connected more.

Huh? Not sure what this means. Please clarify what you're saying, as I'm not sure it's correct.

Tim