SECTION 4. WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR ISSUING A DETERMINATION LETTER OR RULING
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2012-2 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States
ON EXEMPT STATUS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 .01 Exempt status must be established in application and supporting documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 .02 Determination letter or ruling based solely on administrative record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 .03 Exempt status may be recognized in advance of actual operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 .04 No letter if exempt status issue in litigation or under consideration within the Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 .05 Incomplete application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 .06 Even if application is complete, additional information may be required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 .07 Expedited handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 .08 May decline to issue group exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
SECTION 5. WHAT OFFICES ISSUE AN EXEMPT STATUS DETERMINATION LETTER OR RULING? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
.01 EO Determinations issues a determination letter in most cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 .02 Certain applications referred to EO Technical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 .03 Technical advice may be requested in certain cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 .04 Technical advice must be requested in certain cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
SECTION 6. WITHDRAWAL OF AN APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
.01 Application may be withdrawn prior to issuance of a determination letter or ruling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 .02 § 7428 implications of withdrawal of application under § 501(c)(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
SECTION 7. WHAT ARE THE PROCEDURES WHEN EXEMPT STATUS IS DENIED? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
.01 Proposed adverse determination letter or ruling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 .02 Appeal of a proposed adverse determination letter issued by EO Determinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .03 Protest of a proposed adverse ruling issued by EO Technical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .04 Final adverse determination letter or ruling where no appeal or protest is submitted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .05 How EO Determinations handles an appeal of a proposed adverse determination letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .06 Consideration by the Appeals Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .07 If a protest of a proposed adverse ruling is submitted to EO Technical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .08 An appeal or protest may be withdrawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 .09 Appeal or protest and conference rights not applicable in certain situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
SECTION 8. DISCLOSURE OF APPLICATIONS AND DETERMINATION LETTERS AND RULINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
January 9, 2012 261 2012–2 I.R.B.
.01 Disclosure of applications, supporting documents, and favorable determination letters or rulings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 .02 Disclosure of adverse determination letters or rulings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 .03 Disclosure to State officials when the Service refuses to recognize exemption under § 501(c)(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 .04 Disclosure to State officials of information about § 501(c)(3) applicants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
SECTION 9. REVIEW OF DETERMINATION LETTERS BY EO TECHNICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
.01 Determination letters may be reviewed by EO Technical to assure uniformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 .02 Procedures for cases where EO Technical takes exception to a determination letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
SECTION 10. DECLARATORY JUDGMENT PROVISIONS OF § 7428 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
.01 Actual controversy involving certain issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 .02 Exhaustion of administrative remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 .03 Not earlier than 270 days after seeking determination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 .04 Service must have reasonable time to act on an appeal or protest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 .05 Final determination to which § 7428 applies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
SECTION 11. EFFECT OF DETERMINATION LETTER OR RULING RECOGNIZING EXEMPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
.01 Effective date of exemption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 .02 Reliance on determination letter or ruling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
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