Clinton Foundation files 4 years of amended tax returns to fix errors

The Clinton Foundation has voluntarily filed four years of amended tax returns after an error was brought to the organization’s attention.

“In addition to filing our 2014 Form 990, after a thorough review, the Foundation has decided to voluntarily amend its returns for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. This review was the result of an error in the first three of those years being brought to our attention,” Clinton Foundation President and CEO Donna Shalala wrote in a letter to supporters.

Ms. Shalala said that although Clinton Foundation tax reviewers found “several additional errors” upon performing an “exhaustive review,” the mistakes did not require the foundation to file an amended return, that the the errors did not change the organization’s “bottom line numbers: assets, liabilities, and net assets.” She added that the foundation does not owe any taxes as a result of the errors.

The decision to refile, Ms. Shalala said, was “based in large part on the role the Form 990 serves as a public disclosure document.”

The foundation conducted the review after it was brought to its attention that the government-grants line of the Form 990 was unintentionally left blank for 2010, 2011 and 2012. During the course of the review, the decision was made to refile the 2013 Form 990 as well.

Ms. Shalala’s letter stressed that the foundation was under no obligation to refile the returns, and that it has been praised by several charity evaluators for its transparency, low overhead and fundraising costs.

“The amended returns reflect what I believe to be a deep commitment to disclosure, consistency, and thoroughness,” she said.