What Taxes Does Your Nonprofit Need to File?

As the seasons change and the holidays quickly approach, it’s pretty easy to unintentionally put tax
filing concerns on the back burner.

While some organizations may have already filed their 990 forms this year, others that operate on a fiscal tax year might have a deadline that is right around the corner. 

If your tax exempt organization operated on a fiscal tax year of July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017, you must file Form 990-N, Form 990-EZ, Form 990, Form 990-PF or Form 1120-POL by next Wednesday, November 15, 2017.

Filing Form 990-N (e-Postcard) with ExpressTaxExempt is very easy and can be completed within minutes. With just three steps, you can file and transmit your Form 990-N (e-Postcard) directly to the IRS and keep your exempt status. 

How To File Form 990-N

1. Search Organization’s EIN - Enter your Employer Identification Number (EIN) to view filing history and e-file your Form 990-N to the IRS. 
2. Select Filing Year - Choose the available tax year from your filing history list to e-file and create an account to review your filing details. You can also update any of your organization information if necessary. 
3. Review & Transmit to the IRS - Complete payment information and transmit your e-Postcard to the IRS instantly. You can review your payment receipt or summary of e-Postcard once you transmit your return.

Information Needed To File Form 990-N

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Tax Year

Legal Name & Address

Different Names Used By The Organization, if applicable

Website, if applicable

Name & Address Of A Principal Officer

Confirmation Of Gross Receipts Of $50,000 Or Less

A Statement That The Organization Is Going Out Of Business, if applicable 

Benefits of Filing with ExpressTaxExempt

Why should you e-file with ExpressTaxExempt instead of other tax filing providers?

Honestly, the list of reasons is too long to post, but here are a few reasons why:

With ExpressTaxExempt you can e-file your 990-N as well as 990-EZ, 990, 990-PF, or 1120-POL forms in the most simple and easiest method possible. We even offer extension Form 8868, which provides you with an additional 6 months to file.

Our recently reduced pricing for filing Form 990 Series returns is paired with several exclusive features such as bulk upload for large amounts of information, mobile filing for iOS and Android devices, error-checks which make sure you don't leave any necessary fields blank, and live phone, chat and email support for any questions you may have.

Furthermore, ExpressTaxExempt takes the security of its users very seriously and ensures that all information entered and stored with our intensive, up-to-date web securities which are guaranteed to safeguard your private information. 

Final Steps

With all of these benefits, features, and reduced pricing for all 990 forms, why go through all the stress and time it takes to paper file? E-file your appropriate Form 990 Series return before the November 15 due date with the #1 authorized IRS e-file provider, ExpressTaxExempt. 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 or reach us 24/7 via email with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Upcoming Form 990-N Deadline: Be Sure to File by July 15

An important deadline is approaching for tax exempt organizations and Form 990-N e-filers! Organizations that operate on a fiscal tax year may need to file a return by next week in order to keep their organization's current tax exempt status.

Form 990-N (e-Postcard) is due every year by the 15th day of the 5th month after the close of your tax year. A tax year is usually 12 consecutive months and is categorized as either a calendar tax year (January 1 - December 31) or a fiscal tax year (a period ending on the last day of any month except December).  Organization’s whose fiscal tax year ended in the month of February should file their Form 990-N via ExpressTaxExempt  by July 15. Since the July 15 due date falls on a Saturday, you will have two extra days to submit since filing will be extended to the following business day, which would be Monday, July 17th. Once again, all 990-N Forms for groups that have a fiscal tax year which ends in February should file no later than Monday, July 17th.

Although there is no penalty for filing Form 990-N late, organizations that fail to file for three consecutive years will automatically lose their tax-exempt status.

Filing a Form 990-N (e-Postcard) for your organization is very easy through ExpressTaxExempt and can be completed in three simple steps:

Search Organization's EIN 

• Enter your Employer Identification Number (EIN) to view filing history and e-file your Form 990-N to the IRS. 

Select Filing Year

• Choose the available tax year from your filing history list to e-file and create an account to review your filing details. You can also update any of your organization information if necessary. 

Review & Transmit to the IRS

• Complete payment information and transmit your e-Postcard to the IRS instantly. You can review your payment receipt or summary of e-Postcard once you transmit your return. 

And just like that, your form is filed with the IRS and your organization remains tax exempt. It’s really easy as 1-2-3! If things are busy with your organization and you just don’t have the time to file the Form 990-N you can just take a few minutes and file Form 8868 with ExpressExtension and apply for a 6-month filing extension to get some more time.

Although your organization’s due date may not be July 15, you may have one coming up soon. Reference our Fiscal Tax Year Filing Calendar chart below to find out your deadline:

Tax Year Begin Date	Tax Year End Date	Form 990 Deadline
January 1	December 31	May 15
February 1	January 31	June 15
March 1	February 28/29	July 15
April 1	March 31	August 15
May 1	April 30	September 15
June 1	May 31	October 15
July 1	June 30	November 15
August 1	July 31	December 15
September 1	August 31	January 15
October 1	September 30	February 15
November 1	October 31	March 15
December 1	November 30	April 15

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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Missing the May 15th Deadline

Brace yourselves: for this post, we’re going into (dun, dun, duuunnn) Nightmare Mode!

Mwa ha ha ha!

Our story begins early on the morning of May 16, 2017. Outside it’s still dark and somewhere in America, in a bedroom, a fan lazily blows cool air while an alarm clock in the corner blinks a red 5:55. 5:55. 5:55.

You awake with a start, cold sweat dripping down your face. There’s something you’ve forgotten, something important.

Your tax-exempt organization’s 990 Form! It was due yesterday!

You jump out of bed and speed to the IRS office. This being Nightmare Mode, you arrive just as the office is filling with other tax filers and just in time to realize you’ve forgotten your pants. But you’ve got a mission. Grabbing a folder and using it as a shield, you make your way to the desk of one of the agents and tell him that you need to file a 990 for your tax-exempt organization as soon as possible because you’re running late.

Hearing you’re late, he gives you a stern look and quietly says, “Come with me.”

Moments later, you’re in the IRS dungeons. Your organization’s tax-exempt status has been revoked and the guards are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties from you before you can go anywhere. When they’ve finally gotten all they can, they drop you back on your doorstep, defeated and penniless.

---

For the record, this is a completely fabricated exaggeration of what happens if you miss the May 15th deadline* for filing Form 990 (or whichever day your 990 deadline falls on). Just as you never failed a final you took naked, this nightmare scenario is but a dream.

If you do miss the May 15th deadline, your main goal is to file your completed 990 Form - whether it’s the 990 Long Form, the 990-EZ, 990-PF, or 990-N - as soon as possible. Of course, any IRS office will have agents to help accommodate you as best they can (without the dungeons), but your best bet is with ExpressTaxExempt.

We’ve been around for a few years now, and we’re leading the pack among the IRS-authorized e-file providers for the 990 Forms. We break down each form into a simplified, Q & A style interview and run error checks to ensure you’ve completed every part of the form needed. And we don’t mind if you file late. The IRS may still charge you a late-filing penalty, but the sooner you submit your 990 Form, the lesser these penalties will be.

You’ve still got a couple more weeks to submit your 990 Form, so there’s still a pretty good chance you can make the deadline. If, however, you start thinking you’ll need more time, you can always get an automatic 6-month extension by e-filing Form 8868 from your ETE account. Then you won’t even have to worry about May 15!

And if you have any questions about e-filing your 990 Form or need help getting started, please don’t hesitate to give us a ring!



*The May 15th deadline is for tax-exempt organizations that follow a calendar year tax year, which runs from January 1 to December 31. The official deadline for 990 Forms is the 15th day of the fifth month after your tax year ends so you may not be required to file May 15.

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