Non-profit organisations: from the fundamental characteristics to the RUNTS registration, everything you need to know
Non-profit organizations carry out an essential activity for the social fabric of a country; in fact, they arise from the desire of individuals or groups of citizens to contribute positively to society through non-profit actions.
At the same time, to give life to this type of institution it is necessary to follow a certain path, with a series of fundamental steps for the establishment, recognition and management of the organization.
It is therefore crucial to resort to the support of specialized professionals , so as to be sure of complying with all legal requirements and obligations and accessing the benefits to which you are entitled.
In this context, it is possible to contact an accountant firm in Padua , the Studio Associato Appolloni – Simone – Bettini, Studio Commercialisti Padova, a point of reference in the sector since 1975, which offers complete support by providing assistance and civil law advice and tax law for non-profit entities .
What is a non-profit organization and how to set up a non-profit association or foundation
By non-profit organization we mean an association or foundation that carries out non-profit cultural, welfare and social activities , in accordance with the provisions of the statute.
Obviously, a Third Sector Entity can also carry out commercial activities , provided that the proceeds are not distributed to the members but reused for initiatives in line with the statute.
The legal forms that a non-profit organization can take are various, including foundations and associations . As far as the Associations are concerned, these can be distinguished in various forms such as simple Associations , Associations for social promotion (APS) or Volunteer Organizations (ODV). Furthermore, the associations can be recognized , respecting certain requisites defined by the laws , or not recognized .
For the establishment of a non-profit organization it is necessary to have regard to both the Third Sector Code (Legislative Decree 117/2017) and the provisions of the Civil Code.
Once the entity has been established, with a public deed – with a private agreement or simply through the registration of the statute with the Revenue Agency, a request will be made, again to the Revenue Agency, to assign the tax code (and VAT number if the Institution is also interested in carrying out commercial activities).
Already in this first phase, or subsequently, the institution will have to evaluate whether or not to submit the application for registration in the RUNTS (the Single National Register of the Third Sector).
How the registration to the RUNTS of a non-profit organization works
RUNTS is a public telematic platform made available by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, the purpose of which is to ensure control, transparency and total information on the activities of registered bodies and therefore allow ordinary citizens to know if entities actually pursue the aims that are indicated in their statutes.
Enrollment in RUNTS is not mandatory , but it is essential to benefit from the tax benefits provided by the Third Sector Code.
Recognized and unrecognized non-profit organisations, including foundations, civilly recognized religious bodies, social promotion associations, voluntary organisations, mutual aid societies, philanthropic bodies and other private bodies can register in the register.
Organizations that decide not to enroll in RUNTS must be aware of the consequences that this choice entails, since from a fiscal point of view they will be considered generic non-commercial entities and will not be able to obtain the qualification of "Third Sector Entities". This condition will cause loss of benefits for non-profit organizations, including the impossibility of taking advantage of the tax legislation provided for by Legislative Decree 117/2017, and therefore access to the important tax breaks of the CTS .
Enrollment in RUNTS is governed by Ministerial Decree of 15 September 2020, n. 106, in any case it is carried out online on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies . The operation must be carried out by the legal representative of the non-profit association, through a PEC address (Certified Electronic Mail) and the SPID (Public Digital Identity System). As an alternative to the SPID, it is possible to use another digital identity certification, such as the CIE (Carta d'Identità Elettronica) or the eIDAS (electronic IDentification Authentication and Signature).
All these steps, from setting up a non-profit organization to registering with RUNTS, up to managing fiscal and tax obligations, can be carried out correctly and simply with the support of a specialized accountancy firm .
Through the advice and assistance of qualified professionals, in fact, it is possible to avoid omitting important aspects and to have the request for the establishment of a non-profit organization or registration in the Single National Register of the Third Sector rejected, but also to identify the most suitable solution and convenient for any non-profit entity.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles from Economic Scenarios.
The article Non-profit organisations: from the fundamental characteristics to enrollment in RUNTS, everything you need to know comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/enti-no-profit-dalle-caratteristiche-fondamentali-alliscrizione-al-runts-tutto-quello-che-ce-da-sapere/ on Sat, 02 Sep 2023 22:01:28 +0000.