Who Should File Form 990-N?
Most small tax-exempt organizations that have an annual reporting requirement can satisfy that requirement by filing Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required to File Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. Organizations eligible to submit Form 990-N may also satisfy the reporting requirements by filing Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Who Qualifies as a Small Tax-Exempt Organization?
Small tax-exempt organizations generally are eligible to file Form 990-N if their annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less:
- Gross receipts are the total amount received by the organization from all sources during its annual accounting period, before subtracting any costs or expenses.
- Gross receipts are considered to be normally $50,000 or less if the organization:
- Has been in existence for one year or less and received, or donors have pledged to give, $75,000 or less during its first tax year;
- Has been in existence between one and three years and averaged $60,000 or less in gross receipts during each of its first two tax years; or
- Is at least three years old and averaged $50,000 or less in gross receipts for the immediately preceding three tax years (including the year for which calculations are being made).
Note: some organizations are not eligible to file Form 990-N (e-Postcard) even if their gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less. These organizations must file different forms instead to satisfy their annual reporting requirement.
Filing Due Date
Form 990-N is due every year by the 15th day of the fifth month after the close of your tax year and cannot be filed until after your tax year ends.
Example: If your tax year ended on December 31, Form 990-N is due May 15 of the following year. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the due date is the following business day.
Late Submissions
There is no penalty for filing Form 990-N late. However, organizations that fail to file required Forms 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N for three consecutive years will automatically lose their tax-exempt status.
Ready to File?
If you are eligible to submit Form 990-N (e-Postcard), review the submission guidance and gather the following eight items of basic information:
- Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Taxpayer Information Number (TIN)
- Tax year
- Legal name and mailing address
- Any other names the organization uses
- Name and address of the principal officer
- Website address if the organization has one
- Confirmation that the organization’s annual gross receipts are $50,000 or less
- If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating
Form 990-N must be completed and filed electronically and can be filed for free at IRS.gov. Once you’re ready, sign into the IRS modernized authentication platform using either your active IRS username, existing ID.me account or create an account with ID.me. ID.me account creation requires an email address and multi-factor authentication. Form 990-N filers who have an existing IRS username must use the same email address to register for an ID.me account.
Note: do not use a smartphone or tablet to file Form 990-N.
After You File
You will not receive a confirmation email after submitting Form 990-N. To check the status of your electronic filing, log into the Form 990 Electronic Filing System using the same account information used to submit the filing. On the “Manage Form 990-N Submission” page, you will see the status of each Form 990-N you submitted – indicating whether your Form was accepted or rejected.
If I Make a Mistake, Can I Submit an Amended Form 990-N?
You cannot file an amended Form 990-N. In the case that you have made a mistake, you can make corrections or update your information when you file your next e-Postcard in a subsequent year.
For more information, visit IRS.gov to view the answers to frequently asked questions and access the Form 990-N Electronic Filing System (e-Postcard) User Guide.
Article Prepared By:
Kendall A. Sullivan | Senior
