Mayo Clinic takes on IRS over status as a school

[TexasTowelie]

The $11.5 million question at the core of Mayo Clinic's lawsuit against the United States is whether the nonprofit operation is primarily a school or a medical center.

Mayo Clinic's position is that it is an "educational organization," which "makes patient care available as a necessary and integral part of its educational activities."

The Internal Revenue Service disagrees and considers Mayo Clinic to be "a parent company of health-care system as its primary purpose and function." That means more of the Mayo Clinic's investment income is taxable, if it is not a school.

In 2009, the IRS audited Mayo Clinic and issued a notice of "adjustment" for the years 2005 and 2006. Those recalculations later expanded to include a total of seven years of Mayo Clinic tax returns — 2003, 2005 to 2007 and 2010 to 2012. The years of 2004, 2008 and 2009 were not included, because no income of that type was reported.

Read more: http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/mayo-clinic-takes-on-irs-over-status-as-a-school/article_bd94a76a-12b3-5624-a4ca-49c0979a1074.html

[Cicada]

1. Mayo Clinic revenue exceeds $10 billion per year. How much for tuition?

It seems obvious it is primarily a provider of health care. They don’t need $10 billion dollars of health care services to teach a small number of students.