Form 990 December Deadline is Approaching Quickly

Snowflakes are falling, Christmas gift shopping is at an all time high, and holiday parties make the weekends even more enjoyable. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

While you’re embracing the many facets of the Holidays, don’t forget about the upcoming Form 990 Series filing deadline on this Friday, December 15. We’d hate for your Christmas to be ruined by costly penalties from the IRS. 

Tax exempt organizations that operate on a fiscal tax year of August 1 to July 31 are required to file one of the following tax returns of the Form 990 Series by December 15th: 

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.

For more information on what details you will need in order to e-file, click here.

Filing Form 990

Handling tax filings, whether personal or business, can be intimidating and stressful; but not with ExpressTaxExempt. ExpressTaxExempt eliminates the worry about missing your Form 990 filing deadline! With our simple, interview style e-filing process, you can complete your form and instantly transmit it directly to the IRS.

We offer easy e-filing for Form 990 Series returns (Form 990, Form 990-N (e-Postcard), Form 990-EZ, and Form 990-PF) so you can quickly file the correct 990 Form for your organization.

Simply follow the quick step-by-step guide to create your free account, enter basic information about your organization, complete the form interview, review your information and audit report, pay for your form, and transmit it directly to the IRS. The entire process is completed in 5 simple steps!

Let Us Help You File

If you have any questions, 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 available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and even offer extended customer support hours tonight for the November 15 deadline. You can also reach us 24/7 via email with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com. 

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An IRS E-Services Blackout is Coming Up

From the IRS Quick Alerts: Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 15 through Monday, June 19!

Beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 15, and running through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 19, the IRS will be shutting down all e-Services while it moves them to a different platform as part of a technology upgrade. This means all e-Service applications, including e-filing and ACA applications, as well as Transcript Delivery System and TIN Matching, will be offline and unavailable during this time.

So how does that affect you?

Well, if your organization has a fiscal tax year that runs from February 1 to January 31, this mini e-Service blackout could affect your Form 990 return filing. Since your Form 990 deadline is June 15, if you plan to e-file, you’ll need to make sure to do so before 6:00 p.m. EST this coming Thursday.

Now, if you don’t believe you’ll be able to get your Form 990 e-filed by then, you’ve got a couple of options: you can e-file Form 8868 instead for an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your 990 return. It’s super short and takes no time to fill out so it’s a great option if you’ve found yourself down to the wire with your 990 reporting.

Your other option, if you think you’ll have your Form 990 complete by June 15, just not by 6:00 p.m. EST on June 15, is to e-file with us, ExpressTaxExempt, an IRS-authorized e-file provider. Since we’ve got all the technical stuff covered with the IRS, you don’t have to have the extras that are required to e-file directly with the IRS’s system. That also means when you submit a Form 990 through our program, it’s timestamped when you hit the “Transmit to the IRS” button. So if you e-file after 6:00 p.m. Thursday, and the IRS doesn’t see your return til the system is back up next Monday, they’ll still see that you submitted your return on the due date and won’t count it as late.

Of course, either way, we recommend e-filing with us! ExpressTaxExempt has Form 8868 available as well as a series of 990 Forms, including 990-N, 990-EZ, 990-PF, and the original 990 Long Form. And we do our best to make e-filing as simple and efficient as possible for you! So if you have any questions along the way, we’re here to help; just give us a call or send us an email or live chat.



Need to file the e-Postcard? Check out our new site exclusively for Form 990-N, guaranteed to have you e-filing your nonprofit’s return faster than ever before!

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Miss the 990 Deadline? Here's What to Do

In case you missed it, the 990 Form deadline for calendar tax year filers was May 15!

And if you did miss it, you may be wondering, “What now?” Because, while we all know the IRS isn’t really a fan of people missing their deadlines, they are pretty adamant about making sure tax forms are filed anyway. Well we’re here to tell ya:




First, Make Sure This Was Your Deadline
Remember: the Form 990 deadline works a little differently than other IRS information returns. Rather than one set deadline for all tax-exempt organizations each year, your deadline is determined by your organization’s tax year end date. The May 15th deadline is the 990 Form due date for organizations that operate on a calendar tax year, which starts on January 1 and ends December 31 each year.

If your organization does operate on a calendar year tax year, move on to the next section for what to do next. If your organization has a tax year with a different start and end date, your deadline is the fifteenth day of the fifth month following your tax year end date.

If It Was, Complete and File Your Return ASAP
Don’t even think about potential penalties: your mission is to accurately complete your return and file it as soon as you can. Of course, if you’re e-filing the e-Postcard, you don’t need to worry about penalties; there are no immediate monetary penalties for filing Form 990-N late, but if you miss filing it for your organization for 3 years, tax-exempt status is automatically revoked.

Now, for you 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF filers, the IRS penalty for late filing illustrates why it’s important to file as soon as possible after missing the deadline. For tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts less than $1,000,000, the IRS imposes a penalty of $20 per day for each day the return is late. In other words, the penalty for filing a few days late isn’t nearly as steep as it is for filing a few months late.

And Heads Up: You May Still Be In a Perfection Period
Now we’re going to throw out a slightly different late-filing scenario that may apply to your organization. Let’s say you did file your 990 Form a few days before or on the actual deadline, but it was rejected by the IRS for containing errors.

Luckily, even if you end up filing your corrected return after the deadline, your return may still be considered filed on time if you’ve filed within the IRS’s Perfection Period. You see, when you file a return and it’s rejected for errors, you have a Perfection Period of 10 days (5 days for Form 8868) to correct and re-transmit your return. If everything is correctly filed during that Perfection Period and your return is accepted by the IRS, they’ll consider it having been filed correctly on the date you initially filed. So if your form was rejected Friday before the deadline, you’re still within the 10-day Perfection Period and can file without receiving a late-filing penalty.

Whatever the Case, We’re Here For You
Just remember in the hustle and bustle of it all that, if things get a little too hectic, ExpressTaxExempt is here for you! We’ve got tons of information all around our site for tax-exempt organizations, and our support team is always ready to answer any questions you may have about tax-exempt e-filing or your 990 Form. So if you need us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us a live chat or email!

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The May 15th Deadline Approaches

May day! May day!

The May 15th deadline is almost upon us!

For those of you new to the tax-exempt game, May 15 is a major deadline for 990 Forms because it’s the 15th day of the fifth month following the end of the calendar tax year. You may remember in all that paperwork to become a tax-exempt organization, it told you that you’d need to file a 990 Form by the 15th day of the fifth month after your tax year ends. And since the calendar tax year, which runs from January 1 to December 31, is used by a lot of tax-exempt organizations (“a lot” as in “most of them”), May 15 is the official unofficial 990 Form deadline!

Now, if you have a tax year that runs from, say, July 1 to June 30 (deadline: November 15) or September 1 to August 31 (deadline: January 15) or any other set of 365 consecutive days, you can disregard this deadline. But make sure you know when your tax year end date is so you can determine your actual due date for Form 990.

What Happens If I File Form 990 Late?
Ah, a good question, to be sure! If you’re required to e-file Form 990-N (the 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 Extend the May 15 Deadline?
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.

What’s the Best Way to File Form 990 On Time?
Why, with ExpressTaxExempt, of course! This year, we’ve launched a simplified, streamlined version of ETE for the 990-N Form. Just go to epostcard.expresstaxexempt.com and use the information from your ETE account to e-file Form 990-N in three steps!

If you need to file one of the longer forms, it’s still easiest to e-file with ExpressTaxExempt! We’ve broken down the 990 Form into a question and answer style interview to help you more accurately and easily complete your form. And if at any point you think you’ll need more time, you can e-file Form 8868 right from your account before getting back to work.

We also offer top-notch customer support right here from our headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina. You can call us at (704) 839-2321, send us a live chat through our website, or email us at support@ExpressTaxExempt.com and we’ll help however we can!

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What is Form 990-PF?

Hear ye, hear ye!

Presenting to ExpressTaxExempt: Form 990-PF!

That’s right, private foundations, it’s your time to shine! You can now e-file Form 990-PF through your ExpressTaxExempt account.

What is Form 990-PF?
Form 990-PF is a member of the 990 Series, which are filed by certain tax-exempt organizations. The “PF” stands for “Private Foundation,” and the form is used to figure the tax of private foundations based on investment income as well as report their charitable distributions and activities to the IRS. Form 990-PF can also be used in place of the section 4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust’s income tax return, Form 1041, when the trust has no taxable income.

Who Needs to File Form 990-PF?
Things with the IRS are rarely as straightforward as they seem, and that means the private foundations required to report income and charitable information on Form 990-PF are:

• -Exempt private foundations (section 6033(a), (b), and (c)),
• -Taxable private foundations (section 6033(d)),
• -Organizations with private foundation status whose applications for exempt status are pending and who haven’t yet applied for exempt status,
• -Organizations that made an election under section 41(e)(6)(D)(iv),
• -Private foundations making a section 507(b) termination, and
• -Section 4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trusts treated as private foundations (section 6033(d)).

Schedule B
Much like the regular Form 990, Form 990-PF may require the filing of additional schedules to complete the return. For Form 990-PF, the most used schedule is Schedule B, which is used to report additional information about any donations of money, securities, and other property worth at least $5,000. And, don’t worry, you can also e-file it with ExpressTaxFilings!

Form 8868
Luckily for all, Form 8868 doesn’t discriminate; the 990 extension form can be used to extend your Form 990-PF deadline too! Like other 990 forms, Form 990-PF is due the 15th day of the fifth month after your tax year end date. For those of you with calendar tax years, that due date is May 15th, which you may have noticed is quickly approaching.

Luckily (again!), you can e-file Form 8868 with ExpressTaxExempt before diving into your 990-PF Form if you feel you’ll need more time to get everything just right. Just e-file Form 8868 by your original deadline and you’ll receive an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your Form 990-PF. Easy as pie!

More Questions?
If you have any other questions about Form 990-PF or e-filing with ExpressTaxFilings, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We’re always happy to help and we’re available by phone (704-839-2321), live chat, and email at support@ExpressTaxFilings.com!

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Private Foundations

In the recent blog, “Public Charity Test,” we mentioned briefly how Private Foundations have more regulations than Public Charities along with paying a tax on investment income. But that was just a small tidbit about the differences between private foundations and public charities. All exempt organizations listed under section 501(c)(3) are considered private foundations until they can prove they qualify for public charity status.

What is a Private Foundation?
The main difference between a private foundation and a public charity is donor control, that’s it. If your organization operates as a private foundation, then you receive all of your funding from a single donor or a limited group of donors. These donors are usually just one person, a family, or a corporation, but not the general public.

Generally, private foundations have about four sub-categories:

• Traditional - This is your most common type of private foundation. It may be fully funded by an endowment, or receive funding annually by its donor. The main function of a traditional private foundation is typically to produce grants.
• Pass-Throughs or Conduits - These types of private foundations keep their donor’s contribution under lock for a short amount of time. The contribution from the donor, and any acquired income with it, is dispersed after the end the tax year in which the contribution was made - usually within two months.
• Operating - An operating, private foundation works like a public charity in which it has its own charitable activities such as a museum or library; however, that doesn’t make it a public charity - remember about donor control. The only difference with an operating, private foundation is that engages more in working programs than grants.
• Pooled Common Funds - Both the donor and donor’s spouse can annually choose the recipients of their funds. Generally, the recipients are public charities and even after the end of the donors’ lives, the funds still go to the charity that they have chosen.

Even if your organization has the word “foundation” in its name, that doesn’t mean that you operate as a foundation; it’s all about how you receive your donations. Usually, private foundations are privately created, funded, and managed by either a single person, a family, or a corporation.

Because of the donor control of private foundations, they do not rely on public donors for support; therefore, they are not under the same close, public examination as public charities are. One thing you can bet that private foundations and public charities have in common is both of their tax returns are due on the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of the tax period.

Select your organization status in Schedule A and complete the rest of your tax return form with Express990. We support Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-N (e-Postcard), and we offer a safe, secure, and accurate e-filing process that will save you time and money.

For any assistance with e-filing our available 990 forms, you can contact our live professionals by phone (704-839-2321, Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm, Eastern Standard Time), by email (support@expresstaxexempt.com), or by live chat (www.expresstaxexempt.com).

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Filing Tips for Form 990-PF

Before we get to the filing tips, let's demystify IRS Form 990-PF. This form is the information return U.S. private foundations file with the Internal Revenue Service. This public document provides fiscal data for the foundation, names of trustees and officers, application information, and a complete grants list. 

The IRS Form 990-PF may be the only source where one will find complete grants lists for smaller and mid-sized foundations. Larger foundations often issue annual reports, which provide descriptions of the grants awarded during the year for which the return is filed, and many have web sites. 

When filing the 990-PF, the IRS is ever so kind to provide these helpful filing tips based on common errors:

Complete Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF). All organizations must complete and attach Schedule B or certify the organization is not required to attach Schedule B by checking the box in Line 2, Form 990-PF.

Part XV, line 3 must be completed if Part I, Line 25 has an amount. Be sure to state the purpose of the grant or contribution. If the foundation only makes contributions to pre-selected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds, check the box on line 2, Part XV.

Complete Part XV, lines 2a through 2d, if the foundation had assets of $5,000 or more at any time during the year, unless the box in Part XV, line 2 is checked.

Be sure to complete all required Parts. Enter amounts in all applicable lines. For Parts or lines that do not  apply, enter "N/A" (not applicable). Answer "Yes", "No" or "N/A" to each question.

Complete Part II, Balance Sheets. Foundations with total assets of $5,000 or more at any time during the year must complete all of columns (A), (B), and (C). Foundations with total assets less than $5,000 at all times during the year must complete all of columns (A) and (B) and only line 16 of column (C).

Complete Part XV, Supplementary Information. Part XV must be completed if the foundation had assets of $5,000 or more at any time during the year.

Sign The Return. An officer of the organization must sign the return. An officer is the president, vice president, treasurer, assistant treasurer, chief accounting officer, corporate officer or tax officer. If the return is filed by a trust, it must be signed by the authorized trustee or trustees.

Complete Part X. All domestic foundations, foreign foundations claiming status as a private operating foundation, and private operating foundations described in 4942(j)(3) or 4942(j)(5) must complete Part X.

Reminder: protect personal information.  Do not include unnecessary personal identifying information because the IRS is required to disclose approved exemption applications and information returns, exempt organizations should not include Social Security numbers on these forms. Documents subject to disclosure include attachments filed with the form, and correspondence with the IRS about the filing.

You want to make sure you do not leave any question blank, for Pats or lines that do not apply simply enter "N/A". For more filing help you can visit  IRS.gov. To know more about the Form 990-PF and how to e-file your return to the IRS, visit Express990.com 

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What is an Accounting Period

Ac·count·ing Period:

An accounting period is the yearly time frame in which your business operates. It falls into three categories: calendar, fiscal, and short. Calendar year filing, which is the accounting period used by most organizations, begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st. Fiscal year filing can be any 12 month period but usually coincides with an organization’s natural operating cycle (i.e. if you started your organization in May, then your fiscal year would run from May to April of the next year). A short period would occur when an organization changes its accounting period or terminates its business. It is important to note that you cannot e-file a short period Form 990 unless it is your first time filing.

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