Form 990 is due 4 1/2 months after the close of your fiscal year. For example, if your fiscal year ends on June 30, Form 990 is due on November 15. If your fiscal year ends on December 31, Form 990 is due on May 15. Schedule A is due on the same date as Form 990 is due. (A Form 990 that has been postmarked on the due date will be accepted as having been filed on time.)

Just as individuals and corporations must file annual "tax returns," nonprofits must file annual "information returns." (Churches, government agencies, individuals, and businesses need not file Form 990.) Federal Form 990 ("Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax") and Form 990EZ compile financial information, program activities, names of board members, and other basic information. Form 990EZ is a shortened version of Form 990 for smaller organizations.

GuideStar and NCCS have created a national database of information about charitable organizations in the United States to enhance access and accountability. Congress views such public inspection as a price to be paid in return for exempt status, and an aid to ensure that exempt organizations operate in accordance with the requirements of their particular category of tax-exempt status.

Under ? 6652(c) of the Code, a tax-exempt organization required to file a Form 990 that files an incomplete return may be subject to a $20 a day penalty up to a maximum of $10,000 (or 5% of the organization's gross receipts, whichever is less) for returns for taxable years ending on or after July 30, 1996. The penalty increases to $100 per day up to a maximum of $50,000 for organization whose gross receipts exceed $1,000,000.

Yes. Call BVA at 1-800-669-7079 or click here to request your copy. You can also download a copy in pdf format by clicking here. Click here for a copy of our IRS Form 990. You must have Adobe® Acrobat Reader to view.

Yes, click here to search for scanned images of Forms 990. You will be able to find information on charities or private foundations, along with scanned images of Form 990.

All nonprofit organizations with total annual receipts "normally" over $25,000 must file this federal form annually (churches and government agencies do not file). If gross annual receipts are between $25,000 and $100,000, AND if your assets are less than $250,000, Form 990EZ may be filed instead.

Organizations with gross receipts of less than $100,000 and assets of less than $250,000 at the end of the year may file Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax. In addition, certain governmental and church-affiliated organizations are not required to file returns. Finally, organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally less than $25,000 are not required to file an annual return.

If Form 990 is filed after the due date (including any extensions), and the organization doesn't have reasonable cause for filing late, the Internal Revenue Service will impose a penalty of $20 per day for each day the return is late. The maximum penalty is $10,000 or 5% of the organization's gross receipts, whichever is less. The penalty increases to $100 per day up to a maximum of $50,000 for organization whose gross receipts exceed $1,000,000.

TIRS Form 990 basically explains how much money the charity received for the year reported, and gives a fairly detailed breakdown of how the charity spent the money. The Attorney General's office has prepared instructions for detailed review of a Form 990. They are contained in the Attorney General's Guide to Charitable Solicitation on pages "20-24". [PDF 128 kb / 33 pg]<

Just as individuals and corporations must file annual "tax returns," nonprofits must file annual "information returns." (Churches, government agencies, individuals, and businesses need not file Form 990.) Federal Form 990 ("Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax") and Form 990EZ compile financial information, program activities, names of board members, and other basic information. Form 990EZ is a shortened version of Form 990 for smaller organizations.

Requests made in person: If an individual comes to an office that has three or more employees located at the same site, and a request is made in person, the organization must provide a copy on the same business day. Requests made in writing: Requests received by mail must be provided within 30 days of receiving the request. If you charge for copies of your 990 (see FAQ #14), you can choose to require advance payment.

Recently, the Board Café newsletter had an article titled, "Six Things the Board President Should Check Before Filing Form 990," which we reprint below: Federal Form 990 is the main document nonprofits are required to disclose to the public, and any member of the public can request a copy, so you want to make sure that what it says is not only accurate, but reflects what you want to communicate to the public.

IRS Form 990 is the tax return required by the federal government of organizations exempt from income tax. When a nonprofit organization is granted tax-exempt status, Form 990 becomes its annual responsibility. The form is due each year 4 ½ months after the close of the organization's fiscal year.

The fine for filing a late or incomplete form is $20/day up to the lesser of $10,000 or 5% of gross receipts. For organizations with gross receipts of more than $1 million in the year, the penalty is increased to $100/day to a maximum of $50,000.

Increasingly, Form 990 is viewed as an important instrument of accountability. Members of the press are beginning to ask for 990s when doing stories on nonprofits, and in a few cases, individuals who want to criticize a nonprofit are taking that nonprofit's 990 and posting it on the web. It's always good to get the official word on resources and changes from the IRS. Contact your nearest federal office, or by phone (call 1-800-829-3676) or by downloading them via the Internet (go to http://www.

A complete IRS Form 990 will include the entire Form 990 itself, and all applicable supplemental/supporting statements with the exception of Schedule B. The IRS Form 990 must also contain all appropriate signatures. Electronic IRS Forms 990 must be accompanied with IRS Form 8879-EO (IRS e-file Signature Authorization for an Exempt Organization") or Form 8453-EO ("Exempt Organization Declaration and Signature for Electronic Filing").