Treas. Reg. § 1.501(h)-2 — Electing the expenditure test.

(a) In general. The election to be governed by section 501(h) may be made by an eligible organization (as described in paragraph (b) of this section) for any taxable year of the organization beginning after December 31, 1976, other than the first taxable year for which a voluntary revocation of the election is effective (see paragraph (d) of this section). The election is made by filing a completed Form 5768, Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organization to Make Expenditures to Influence Legislation, with the appropriate Internal Revenue Service Center listed on that form. Under section 501(h)(6), the election is effective with the beginning of the taxable year in which the form is filed. For example, if an eligible organization whose taxable year is the calendar year files Form 5768 on December 31, 1979, the organization is governed by section 501(h) for its taxable year beginning January 1, 1979. Once made, the expenditure test election is effective (without again filing Form 5768) for each succeeding taxable year for which the organization is an eligible organization and which begins before a notice of revocation is filed under paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) Organizations eligible to elect the expenditure test

(1) In general. For purposes of section 501(h) and the regulations thereunder, an organization is an eligible organization for a taxable year if, for that taxable year, it is—

(i) Described in section 501(c)(3) (determined, in any year for which an election is in effect, without regard to the substantial part test of section 501(c)(3)),

(ii) Described in section 501(h)(4) and paragraph (b)(2) of this section, and

(iii) Not a disqualified organization described in section 501(h)(5) and paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(2) Certain organizations listed. An organization is described in section 501(h)(4) and this paragraph (b)(2) if it is an organization described in—

(i) Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) (relating to educational institutions),

(ii) Section 170(b)(1)(A)(iii) (relating to hospitals and medical research organizations),

(iii) Section 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) (relating to organizations supporting government schools),

(iv) Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (relating to organizations publicly supported by charitable contributions),

(v) Section 509(a)(2) (relating to organizations publicly supported by admissions, sales, etc.), or

(vi) Section 509(a)(3) (relating to organizations supporting public charities), except that for purposes of this paragraph (b)(2), section 509(a)(3) shall be applied without regard to the last sentence of section 509(a).

(3) Disqualified organizations. An organization is a disqualified organization described in section 501(h)(5) and this paragraph (b)(3) if the organization is—

(i) Described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(i) (relating to churches),

(ii) An integrated auxiliary of a church or of a convention or association of churches see (§ 1.6033-2(g)(5)), or

(iii) Described in section 501(c)(3) and affiliated (within the meaning of § 56.4911-7) with one or more organizations described in paragraph (b)(3) (i) or (ii) of this section.

(4) Other organizations ineligible to elect. Under section 501(h)(4), certain organizations, although not disqualified organizations, are not eligible to elect the expenditure test. For example, organizations described in section 509(a)(4) are not listed in section 501(h)(4) and therefore are not eligible to elect. Similarly, private foundations (within the meaning of section 509(a)) are not eligible to elect. For the treatment of expenditures by a private foundation for the purpose of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation, see § 53.4945-2.

(c) New organizations. A newly created organization may submit Form 5768 to elect the expenditure test under section 501(h) before it is determined to be an eligible organization and may submit Form 5768 at the time it submits its application for recognition of exemption (Form 1023). If the newly created organization is determined to be an eligible organization, the election will be effective under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, that is, with the beginning of the taxable year in which the Form 5768 is filed by the eligible organization. However, if a newly created organization is determined by the Service not to be an eligible organization, the organization's election will not be effective and the substantial part test will apply from the effective date of its section 501(c)(3) classification.

(d) Voluntary revocation of expenditure test election

(1) Revocation effective. An organization may voluntarily revoke an expenditure test election by filing a notice of voluntary revocation with the appropriate Internal Revenue Service Center listed on Form 5768. Under section 501(h)(6)(B), a voluntary revocation is effective with the beginning of the first taxable year after the taxable year in which the notice is filed. If an organization voluntarily revokes its election, the substantial part test of section 501(c)(3) will apply with respect to the organization's activities in attempting to influence legislation beginning with the taxable year for which the voluntary revocation is effective.

(2) Re-election of expenditure test. If an organization's expenditure test election is voluntarily revoked, the organization may again make the expenditure test election, effective no earlier than for the taxable year following the first taxable year for which the revocation is effective.

(3) Example. X, an organization whose taxable year is the calendar year, plans to voluntarily revoke its expenditure test election effective beginning with its taxable year 1985. X must file its notice of voluntary revocation on Form 5768 after December 31, 1983, and before January 1, 1985. If X files a notice of voluntary revocation on December 31, 1984, the revocation is effective beginning with its taxable year 1985. The organization may again elect the expenditure test by filing Form 5768. Under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the election may not be made for taxable year 1985. Under paragraph (a) of this section, a new expenditure test election will be effective for taxable years beginning with taxable year 1986, if the Form 5768 is filed after December 31, 1985, and before January 1, 1987.

(e) Involuntary revocation of expenditure test election. If, while an election by an eligible organization is in effect, the organization ceases to be an eligible organization, its election is automatically revoked. The revocation is effective with the beginning of the first full taxable year for which it is determined that the organization is not an eligible organization. If an organization's expenditure test election is involuntarily revoked under this paragraph (e) but the organization continues to be described in section 501(c)(3), the substantial part test of section 501(c)(3) will apply with respect to the organization's activities in attempting to influence legislation beginning with the first taxable year for which the involuntary revocation is effective.