Nonprofit Organizations

Mr. Olson is a leader in organizing and advising nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations in Utah and other States, including private foundations, private operating foundations, support organizations, universities, health care institutions, donor-advised funds and other large and small exempt-organizations. His extensive experience with the IRS and familiarity with Utah’s Revised Nonprofit Corporation act as its draftsman, have given him the practical skills to provide reliable advice on complex and routine needs of exempt organizations, including preparation of organizational documents, securing and expediting exempt status from the IRS and State Tax Commission, obtaining and defending charitable solicitation permits, compensation issues, unrelated business income tax and excess benefit transactions, joint ventures with for-profit organizations, creation of subsidiaries, charitable contributions and fundraising, employment taxes, international operations, private letter rulings and audits/disputes with the IRS and State.

Tax Controversies – Federal and State

Mr. Olson has decades of experience handling controversies for taxpayers before the IRS and State Tax Commission, including representation at the audit level, appeals division and in the courts. He has been a member and chair of numerous IRS practitioner groups and has established working relationships with IRS and Tax Commission officials at all levels. He has helped taxpayers with every type of dispute such as worker classification, penalties of all types including trust fund recovery and foreign penalties, fraud allegations, collection issues, offers in compromise, exempt organization excise taxes and sales/property taxes.

Recognitions 

Mr. Olson was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 in the fields of Nonprofit/Charities Law and Litigation & Controversy – Tax and was recognized by Best Lawyers as Utah “Lawyer of the Year” in Tax Law (2013 and 2020).  He maintains an AV Preeminent (5.0) rating with Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating awarded to attorneys for professional competence and ethics. The Utah State Tax Section named him as Tax Lawyer of the Year in 2001. The Utah Legislature has relied on Mr. Olson to provide advice and recommend statutory changes in nonprofit law since 2000.