Decision Comes After a Taxing, Politically Inspired, 20-Month Audit

For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2005

Contact:
Jeffrey Kerr, Esq. 757-622-7382

Petitions had circulated on the Internet, political chits had been called in, and the IRS had dutifully descended on PETA because the tobacco, meat, dairy, lumber, animal-testing, fur, and circus industries intent on having PETA’s tax-exempt status revoked had pulled out all the stops. But to no avail—PETA announces today that the IRS has upheld the animal rights charity’s tax-exempt status after a 20-month in-depth audit. During the past two years, powerful business interests, threatened by PETA’s agenda of stopping cruelty to animals, had pulled a repeat of their 1990-1992 call for the revocation of PETA’s 501(c)(3) status. Those efforts also resulted in the reaffirmation of PETA’s tax exempt status.

After 20 months and the examination of tens of thousands of records that PETA provided at the IRS’ request, covering every aspect of its operations, plus in-depth interviews of PETA’s accountants and senior staff, the IRS has again concluded that PETA’s tax-exempt status is appropriate and will remain intact. PETA’s supporting organization, the Foundation to Support Animal Protection, was also audited this time, and its tax-exempt status was also reaffirmed by the IRS.

"KFC, Outback Steakhouse, Philip Morris, Ringling Bros., and all the political pals of the fast-food, animal-testing, trapping, and hunting industries who wanted PETA stripped of its tax-exempt status will need an extra dose of antacid today," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "Society is changing for the better, and respect for animals’ rights is a legitimate part of that change."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.