By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Youth football league investigation continues
Organizations prior tax identification number non-existent
Placeholder Image
The investigation into the embezzlement charges against two former Turlock Youth Football officials is still ongoing and police say it could be a significant time before any determination of wrongdoing, if any, is made.
“Because of the lack of accounting, it is going to take awhile to sort it all out,” said Turlock Police Investigations Sgt. Russell Holeman.
Holeman said the investigators are going back through the football league’s last two years of records.
TYF President Joe Lewis said the two targets of the investigation are the former president and the former treasurer.
After the potential embezzlement was discovered the TYF initiated new procedures to strengthen their accounting practices, including the use of an outside accounting service that will provide annual audits and prepare the league’s tax filings.
Since taking a closer look at the finances, the TYF Board discovered they had been using a nonexistent Federal Tax Identification number for over a decade.
According to one board member, the tax identification number was so old, no one currently associated with the league knows where it came from.
The TYF has subsequently obtained a new federal tax number and the new treasurer is working with an Internal Revenue Service agent to get everything in order and in compliance.
A non-profit needs a federal tax number to accept donations and to apply for tax exempt status, among other things.
The TYF is currently registered with the California Secretary of State’s Office as an unincorporated non-profit organization. It is not a requirement for a non-profit to incorporate to file for tax exemption status, however, incorporating does lessen the liability issues for a non-profit organization.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.