With the issuance of Rev. Proc. 2026-8 (Rev. Proc.) and Notice 2026-8 (Notice), Treasury and IRS finalized the long-anticipated overhaul of the group exemption letter program (Program). This guidance supersedes the long-standing Rev. Proc. 80-27 (as modified by Rev. Proc. 96-40), which governed this area for more than 40 years, and seeks to modernize and clarify oversight of central organizations and their subordinate affiliates.

Think you know who your planned giving prospects are? You may want to think again! Think the best way to reach your prospects is through newsletters and brochures? You may want to think that one over, too! Focused on the wealthy? Another assumption you may want to reconsider! Read some surprising facts and insights which could change your thinking about how you identify planned giving prospects and market planned gifts. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to charitable gift planning, you will not want to miss this thought-provoking article about the revolution in planned giving marketing.

In National Religious Broadcasters v. Bessent, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (District Court) effectively dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Johnson Amendment (Amendment) and rejected the proposed settlement between IRS and religious organizations due to a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.

In Rev. Rul. 2026-9, the Service announced the Section 7520 rate for May will jump 0.4% to 5.0%. The average rate for 2025 was 4.95%, while the average rate for 2026 is 4.72%.