If you look for a copy of ASHA’s tax returns on its website, you won’t find it: ASHA chooses not to publish their tax returns on the ASHA website. What most ASHA members don’t know is that they have a legal right to a copy of ASHA’s tax returns. ASHA is a tax exempt professional business association and federal law requires that tax exempt professional business associations provide a copy of their tax returns to anyone who requests one. Federal law, however, does not require that ASHA publish that information on their website where members can conveniently examine ASHA’s finances with a click of a mouse. It’s an interesting omission from a website that cost ASHA $1,628,989 to run (according to the 2008 audit committee report). You would think that for $1.6 million, that ASHA, in the interest of transparency to its members (who are footing the bills), would include the information from its tax returns on its website. They could easily do this, but they don't.
Anyone can request ASHA’s tax returns. And ASHA is legally required to provide them. Yes, ASHA can charge you a fee, but that fee can only be a “nominal” fee for making copies (the 2008 return was 53 pages long). If you want ASHA to send you a copy of their 2008 tax returns, make a request to the action center at 800-498-2071 or the ASHA office at 301-296-5700 (ask for the 990 Tax forms. Do NOT let ASHA direct you to the financial statement prepared by the audit committee that is found on the ASHA website. Demand the 2008 form 990 federal tax returns. ASHA has no right to inquire about why you want their tax returns, so don’t let them interrogate you. Politely but firmly remind them that they are required by federal law to make the tax returns available.) Federal law also requires that ASHA fulfill all requests for tax returns in a reasonable amount of time. If ASHA doesn’t fulfill your request in a timely manner, you can file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service at this link:
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