Shane,

Your "stupid question" comes only a couple of days after I could claim 
ownership of the same "stupid question".
On 7/4/2016 7:32 AM, Shane Kerr wrote:
> Shane writes: Probably a stupid question, but that rarely stopped me from asking
> before... Question:/Why do we need an independent account? ////W//hy can't ICANN set up an account for the NCSG and/or NCUC?/
Here is a very short version of the answer as I understand it. 
Constituency groups are Chartered within ICANN, but they are 
organizationally independent and not formally accountable to ICANN in 
terms of how they run themselves. Independent of the ICANN expenses of 
administering such small accounts, maintaining the accounts apparently 
may expose ICANN to legal requirements, especially if the constituency 
groups also receive money from third parties.  There is some evidence 
for this in why GAC is asking ICANN to fund its secretariat. Many GAC 
members, of course, have deep pockets, but if they contribute to the 
funding of the GAC secretariat within ICANN, ICANN is apparently 
required to register with the U.S. government as an "agent of a foreign 
power". :-\

As a result NCUC and NPOC have had to use private individual accounts, 
since without some formal existence they have been unable to open 
organizational accounts. That in turn apparently has exposed individuals 
to personal taxes on income received by the private account. I am trying 
to solve this problem for NPOC at the moment.

Sam L. , /NCSG Finance Committee/