Unless you are a part of the school (not a separate entity) and have the permission of the school to act in a purchasing capacity, a PTO cannot use the school's number.

Note - it happens a lot. And even when our PTO was 501(c)(3) and had it's own EIN, I'd often shop at stores and they couldn't find ours in there corporate database, but they'd find the school and insist on using that one.

So, no, you are not supposed to use the schools as your own. But it does happen.

My school has a tax free number. Can the PTO for that school use this Number .

One of the easiest ways to check is to search the IRS database of charitable organizations to see if donations to your group are tax deductible. You can also call the IRS and give them your Employer Identification Number and just ask.

Usually if your PTO is already set up, you know it. You are using statement about deductibility of contributions on your materials, you are filing a tax return, getting correspondence from the IRS.

Your organization is probably operating as an unincorporated association. Independent from the school, but not incorporated at the state level or set up as a 501(c)(3) non profit with the IRS.

This is fine as long as your organization doesn't bring in more than $5000 GROSS per year. Once you pass that threshold, the IRS expects you to formalize. Otherwisel, if you aren't a person and you aren't a non-profit, then you are basically just another small business and should be filing taxes as a small business.

Many, many of us were incorrectly told our PTOs were 501(c)(3)s. This was verbal history passed down by well-meaning folks who didn't understand what that really meant.

Good Luck!

P.S.

and have a tax exempt number

The nine digit identifying number is an EIN (Employer Identification Number), also sometimes called a TIN (Tax Identification Number). It's simple to get. Free. Can be done by mail, phone, or internet.

The IRS can use the EIN to look up your organization, but the number itself has nothing to do with being exempt. It's simply an ID number like people have social security numbers.

I am looking for some assistance. This year, I am the co-president of our PTO organization have come across a few articles on being 501(c)(3) status.

We are are a seperate organization and not run by the district and have a tax exempt number, however, I cannot find anything else regarding this. I have reached out to the past president and she was unfamiliar with this as well. I would like to make sure we are truely setup as a not-for-profit orgnization and that we are not taxable.

How do I check into this without calling attention?