A Note on Our Tax Status

Every now and then, I get a question from a Knight regarding our tax status, or a request for a copy of our tax-exempt certification. I thought I would try to clear up a little misunderstanding:

The Knights of Columbus is not a 501(c)(3) charitible organization. We are classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(8) fraternal benefit society. As such, we are exempt from federal income tax. However, we are not exempt from Tennessee sales and use tax, so we cannot make tax-exempt purchases within this state. I do not know about Mississippi or Arkansas, but I suspect the situation is the same there.