TeeSpring warns EMS pages about IRS investigation

Teespring today announced they received an audit by the IRS. Based on the some of the items TeeSpring was grilled on they assume the IRS will be auditing many of EMS Page owners who used their service. The IRS seemed very interested in t-shirt campaigns that included descriptions indicating profits would be donated to some cause or charity.

For people not aware TeeSpring is a t-shirt printing web site that has become the de facto fundraising platform for many EMS related Facebook Pages. The web site allows users to create a design for various shirts, sweaters and hoodies. The user then sets the price of the apparel and minimum order amount. Customers than have a time limit to get enough pre-orders to achieve the set minimum order.

Popular Facebook page Nocturnal Medics was the first real successful large scale TeeSpring sale. His shirt with the slogan “keep calm and drive the booboo bus” sold well over a 1000 shirts in the first printing. Subsequent campaigns have also been very successful. Nocturnal medics have never claimed to be donating to charity.

Soon after the success of the BooBoo bus shirt sale it seemed every EMS page was trying to sell shirts. Some EMS pages started saying monies raised will go to some cause. One page would tout a memorial fund for a fallen co-workers family, others claim to be raising monies for medical bills for a sick co-worker, and many assert the money goes to a national level charity. But once the campaign ends is the money going where the page admins say it is?

That was what the IRS kept asking the workers at TeeSpring.

The admin from one EMS page, who asked us to keep him anonymous for fear of backlash from other EMS pages, said this about TeeSpring campaigns.

“I have seen guys post on their page that they want to raise money for some issue. Then soon after the campaign is done on their personal profile, I know a number of EMS page admins personally, they post photos of their new computer. Now I don’t have proof they kept the money. But it sure seems fishy to me.”

Another EMS page admin, who also wanted his name and page kept secret, said this.

“I have run some t-shirt campaigns to raise money for a cause. After the campaign is done I post a photo of the receipt for the donation so everyone can see yes they money went where I said it would. I have also run some campaigns with out a claim of charitable donation. But lately I have not even been running any campaigns, the EMS t-shirt market is so saturated.”

An IRS spokesperson would not comment on if his agency will be going after charity frauds. He was willing to verify that the IRS does have copies of the how much everyone has been paid and what the text of campaigns said.