How To Never Mistake IRS Form 990 and Form 990-N Again

Tomorrow is your Form 990 due date! But before you file it is important to know which 990 tax form is required by the IRS. File Form 990 based on the financial status of your organization before tomorrow’s deadline!

IRS Form 990 and IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard) are the most confused forms. If you are responsible for filing your nonprofit’s tax return, you need to know that which form is required by your tax-exempt organization.  Today we will dig deeper into how never to mistake IRS Form 990 and Form 990-N again.

How To Never Mistake IRS Form 990 and Form 990-N Again

To make a long story short, IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard) is for nonprofit organizations with gross receipts that do NOT exceed $50,000. This form is typically filed by smaller nonprofit organizations and is the quickest 990 tax form to complete. 

The following type of nonprofit organizations are not permitted to file an IRS Form 990-N:

• Political organizations required to file an exempt organization return annually 
• Private foundations (File Form 990-PF)
• Supporting organizations such as:
• Organizations with gross receipts $5,000 or less and classified as a section 501(c)(3) religious organization. 
• Auxiliaries of Churches
• Exclusive religious activities (by religious orders) 

Although these types of organizations are not permitted to file Form 990-N (e-Postcard), they must still file a Form 990 tax form to remain tax-exempt and avoid hefty IRS penalties. The appropriate form for your organization is based on your gross receipts and assets. One of the following forms must be filed by May 15th.

Form 990 Series 

Form 990-N (e-Postcard) - For organizations reporting gross receipts less than $50,000

Form 990-EZ (Short Form) - For organizations reporting gross receipts less than $200,000 and total assets less than $500,000

Form 990 (Long Form) - For organizations reporting gross receipts equal to or greater than $200,000 and total assets equal to or greater than $500,000

Form 990-PF - For organizations identifying as an exempt private foundation, taxable private foundation, or a nonexempt charitable trust treated as a private foundation.

For more information about which 990 tax form your organization should file and where to file Form 990, click here. If you are ready to file, ExpressTaxExempt has everything you need to remain compliant with the IRS by e-filing Form 990.

If you need more time apply for an extension for Form 990 using tax extension Form 8868.

File 990-EZ Online                                       File 990 Online

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Final Day to Meet the January 15 Deadline

Can you believe that we’re already halfway through the first month of 2018? Although it seems like we were just watching the ball drop a couple of days ago, January is quickly passing us by and the first Form 990 filing deadline is here!

Does My Organization Need To File Today?

While all exempt organizations must file Form 990 annually, only organizations whose tax year ENDED on August 31 or organizations that had a tax year which ended on February 28/29 with an original filing deadline of July 15 but filed a 6 month extension must file today. 

Typically, Form 990 deadlines fall on the 15th of each month, however, due to the MLK Day holiday being on January 15, filers received an additional 24 hours to submit their Form 990 by Tuesday, January 16.

Which 990 Form Should I File?

The “Golden Question!” Here are the four types of 990 Forms that can be filed. Simply select the form that best matches the financial status of your organization:

Form 990 - filed by organizations with gross receipts more than or equal to $200,000 or total assets equal to or greater than $500,000.

Form 990-EZ - The Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax and is filed by organizations with gross receipts less than $200,000 and $500,000 in total assets.

Form 990-N - for organizations with gross receipts that are less than or equal to $50,000. This form can only be filed electronically. 

Form 990-PF - filed by Exempt & Taxable Private Foundations as well as Non-Exempt Charitable Trusts which the IRS treat as private foundations.

What Happens If I File Form 990 Late?

If you’re required to e-file Form 990-N (e-Postcard), there aren’t really any immediate penalties for filing late. Just be sure to get it in as soon as you can if you realize a little too late that you’ve missed the deadline. Keep in mind, though, that if you go more than three consecutive years without e-filing a 990-N (or any 990 form), your tax-exempt status will be automatically revoked by the IRS and you’ll need to apply again for it.

However, if you have to file the 990 Long Form, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-PF, the IRS does impose penalties for filing your form late. You may be able to get out of these penalties if the organization can provide reasonable cause for why the 990 Form was filed late. If not though, the IRS will charge you $20 for each day the return is late, with the maximum penalty being $10,000 or 5% of your organization’s gross receipts, whichever is less.

And that’s just if your organization earned fewer than $1,000,000 in gross receipts for the tax year you’re reporting. If your organization had gross receipts of more than $1 million, the penalty increases to $100 per day late, with a maximum penalty of $50,000.

Can I File For an Extension?

If you file Form 990-N, no. But that’s just because it’s so easy: all you do is confirm your organization’s identifying information (name, EIN, address), confirm you made fewer than $50,000 in gross receipts by checking a box, and e-file.

If you file Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF, yes! You can use Form 8868 to get an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your 990 Form.

ExpressTaxExempt Is Here To Help!

If your organization is required to file by the January 15/16 deadline, you can quickly complete your Form 990 right now with ExpressTaxExempt! We provide the most hassle-free and simple way to instantly file Form 990 and transmit it directly to the IRS. 

If you need any assistance while filing, just give our US-based team of experts a call. We’re here for you Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST at 704.839.2321. You can also reach us via live chat and through our 24/7 email support at support@ExpressTaxExempt.com and we’ll help however we can!

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Time is Winding Up: Get 6 Extra Months to File

Both Form 990 & 990-EZ are due by the fifteenth day of the fifth month following the organization’s tax year end date. Depending on the type of tax year that an organization operates on, the due date will vary. For example, if the organization operates on a fiscal tax year of April 1 to March 31 then its due date annually to file is August 15, while standard calendar tax year organizations (January 1 to December 31) would file on May 15 of each year.

Failing to file your Form 990/990-EZ can be very detrimental to your beloved tax-exempt organization. If an organization fails to file their annual information return with the IRS, a penalty of $20 is charged each day the return is late. Although this penalty increases daily, it cannot exceed 5% of the organization’s gross receipts or $10,000, whichever is less. For larger groups, if the organization’s annual receipts exceed $1,020,000, the per diem penalty increases to $100, with a maximum penalty of $51,000 per return.

Before you know it, it will be time for you to file with the IRS. We understand how hectic things can become when running an effective organization, so ExpressTaxExempt offers a quick and affordable extension for organizations to file their Form 990/990-EZ. Filing extension Form 8868 by the original filing deadline will grant an organization an additional six months to file, upon approval of the extension.

Filing Form 8868 with ExpressTaxExempt can be done within minutes. Simply register or sign in with ExpressTaxExempt to get started, enter basic information about your organization (name, EIN, address, and contact number) and submit your extension form in no time! You will be notified instantly by email with the status of your submitted form once we hear back from the IRS.

Are you on the go and not near your computer? No problem! Conveniently e-file with our downloadable mobile app. With our ExpressTaxExempt - Form 8868 Mobile App, you can quickly apply for an automatic extension on the go using your iPad or Android tablet. Just download, sign in, and choose the appropriate IRS form to apply for an extension.

As always, feel free to contact our support team of e-file experts at 704.839.2321 for any questions or help with your e-filing experience. We’re here to assist you Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST or feel free to reach us 24/7 via email at support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Deadline Day: Tax Exempt Extensions & Late Filing Penalties

Hope you’re having a great deadline day! Are you ready to e-file your Form 990 to the IRS?

No? Well, it’s pretty clear what you have to do.

You need to get a tax exempt extension with Form 8868!

How Do I Get an Extension?

You can use Form 8868 to apply for an additional, non-automatic 3-month extension if the original 3-month extension was not enough time.

To obtain this additional extension of time to file, the organization must show reasonable cause for the additional time requested.

What Are the Penalties for Late Filing?

If an organization whose gross receipts are less than $1,000,000 for its tax year files its Form 990 after the due date (including any extensions), and the organization doesn't provide reasonable cause for filing late, the IRS 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 an organization whose gross receipts exceed $1,000,000.

What Happens If I File the E-Postcard After the Deadline?

There is not a penalty associated with late filing the e-Postcard.

However, should you fail to file a return for 3 consecutive years, the IRS will revoke your tax-exempt status.

Automatic Revocation of Tax Exempt Status

So what exactly happens when you haven’t filed for 3 consecutive years?

When an organization loses tax exempt status, they must begin filing as a taxable organization with the IRS.

Any taxes owed by the organization from that period on may be subject to fees and penalties.

In the event you believe that your tax exempt status has been revoked, you should contact the IRS immediately for confirmation and to determine how you will need to reapply for tax exempt status.

So how do you find out if your tax exempt status was revoked? The IRS publishes a list of organizations that have had their federal tax exempt status revoked after failing to file their Form 990 for 3 consecutive years.

Our suggestion? If you’re not ready to file, go with Form 8868. Spend the next 3 to 6 months getting things ready, and then you can make sure you have everything right when you e-file Form 990.

Regardless, we’re here to help! If you have any questions about e-filing Form 990 or extension Form 8868, call the ExpressTaxExempt experts at 704.839.2321.

Happy e-filing, everybody!

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Form 8868: Automatic Extension of Time To File

Form 8868, which is the form used to file for an extension of time to submit Form 990 for tax-exempt organizations, grants an automatic 3 month addition to the filing deadline. Form 8868 deadlines are the same as Form 990 deadlines, which are the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of an organization’s accounting period. Any tax-exempt organization may file for an extension, no explanation is necessary.

A second extension (Part II) of time may be granted, however, it is not automatic and may require explanation. You can only e-file a second (non-automatic) extension if you have e-filed Part I (automatic extension of time) of Form 8868. The extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay any taxes due and failure to remit these taxes may result in penalties and fees.

Since the 1st extension is automatic (and there is no penalty for filing on time even if you have submitted a Form 8868) the IRS recommends filing for an extension if the organization believes it will have difficulty filing by the deadline for any reason. The information required to file Form 8868 doesn't really vary from the 990 itself. The filer will list important organization and principal officer details, but they won’t need to give specific financial information. Please note: An automatic & non-automatic extension of time to file cannot be transmitted to the IRS at the same time.

So how do you start? 
Simply navigate to ExpressExtension.com and create your free account. Once you've done that, you will begin with your first extension form. Select “Form 8868” and start filling in the details. The process is easy and you could receive your accepted return in as little as 15 minutes from the IRS. Our customer support specialists are available from 8 AM to 6 PM EST Monday through Friday via phone, email, and chat support. We’ll even be up until midnight PST on the filing deadline! You can contact ExpressExtension at 803.514.5155 or email them at support@expressextension.com.

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