Why E-file with ExpressTaxExempt

The May 15 filing deadline for exempt organizations and private foundations is inching ever closer. E-filing 990 forms and extension is quickly becoming the best way for organizations and paid preparers to submit tax returns to the IRS.

If your organization still needs to file and you’re looking for an IRS-authorized, e-file provider, ExpressTaxExempt has you covered! With value-based pricing, nonprofit industry knowledge, and exclusive features, you’ll e-file confidently and securely this tax season.

Annual Tax Returns Made Simple
ExpressTaxExempt provides a user-friendly interface that guides you through the interview-style filing process with helpful tips. Information such as donation lists can be uploaded in bulk saving you a substantial amount of filing time. Schedules for Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF are automatically generated based on your form interview answers. Our internal audit check ensures that every question has a response and amounts are balanced. Any mistakes we identify can be corrected before you transmit to the IRS.

Unique Filing Features
Transmit returns for multiple organizations from a single account or grant limited access to additional users for account management. Invite principal officers via a secure web portal to review completed tax form, add comments, make changes, or approve the return with an e-verify signature. Once you transmit your 990 form to the IRS, you’ll receive access to a printable copy of your return along with real-time email notification of your filing status.

Submit amended returns for approved 990 forms from previous tax years, or re-transmit rejected forms at no extra costs. Any tax return transmitted with ExpressTaxExempt is conveniently and securely stored within your account for easy access or reference later on.

Mobility & Accessibility
Small tax-exempt organizations can quickly and easily e-file using the free ExpressTaxExempt - Form 990 mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Large and mid-size exempt groups can also use the free Form 8868 mobile app to transmit extension forms and get approved for a 6-month extension of time almost instantly. You can use any desktop computer with internet access to sign in and manage your account which also includes continuing from where you last left off with the e-file process.

Support & Security
ExpressTaxExempt offers 100% US-based customer support for any questions about e-filing or your filing status. You also have the option to set up a session for in-depth, step-by-step filing assistance directly from your account with our Premium Support feature. Rest assured that your account is safe and secure with intensive, up-to-date web securities guaranteed to safeguard your private information. ExpressTaxExempt ensures that returns are sent directly to the IRS and nowhere else.

With all these benefits and features, why go through all the stress and time it takes to paper file? E-file your 2016 form 990 before the May 15 due date with IRS-authorized 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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Need to File Schedules? ExpressTaxExempt Has You Covered!

E-filing IRS Form 990 or a 990-EZ by itself is a formidable, time-consuming task, but based on your type of exempt organization and its activities; you may need to complete additional forms called Schedules.

ExpressTaxExempt.com automatically generates schedules from the information you provide about your nonprofit or charity. The process is seamless - all you’re required to do is complete the form interview, and at the end, you’ll find all your entries preloaded onto the appropriate schedule.

What are Schedules?
To briefly describe it, Schedules are various disclosure and compliance forms. They vary with each organization depending on type and activities - some tax-exempt organizations may have to file a couple while others could file many more.

Each schedule has a particular title and asks for an assorted set of information. They each supply the IRS with specific and detailed information about specialized activities conducted by your organization. You can find a complete list 990 schedules on our website.

• List of IRS Form 990 Schedules
• List of IRS Form 990-EZ Schedules

E-filing Schedules with ExpressTaxExempt
As mentioned earlier, our service automatically creates and loads information on the required schedule based on the answers from your form interview. If your answers don’t need exhaustive information, then the corresponding schedule isn’t generated. In short, you don’t have to stress over which schedules to file or not with ExpressTaxExempt.com.

Here’s an Example:
Let’s say your organization received donations throughout the year. In the form interview, you answer “Yes” to receiving contributions; then you proceed to list them. On the 990 form, you’ll see a check mark for having contributions along with the total amount received.

You’ll find the detailed information such as Name, Address, Type of Contribution, and Amounts on your Schedule B, which is the Schedule of Contributors. If you didn’t get any donations, answer “No” in the form interview, which prevents a Schedule B from generating along with any detailed questions about contributions - this process is the same for each available schedule.

ExpressTaxExempt.com makes e-filing Schedules easy, but if you have any questions about your form interview or schedules in general, feel free to contact our U.S. - based customer support team. We’re available at 704.839.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. We can also be reached 24/7 with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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Choppin’ Up with the Schedules Part 2

Welcome Back!
Last time, we were chopping down the first four schedules that you may need to complete when filing a Form 990-EZ. That blog can be found HERE. So, not to stall any longer, let’s continue cutting through the second half.

Form 990-EZ Schedules (cont.)

Schedule G
You want to play a little game? How about raising funds? This schedule is for reporting how your tax-exempt organization uses professional fundraising services, or information about your organization’s fundraising and gaming events.

Schedule L
Brace yourself… Schedule L is probably the most elaborate form within the Form 990-EZ. But it can be chopped down and handled like anything else. Basically, Schedule L asks for two main things:

First, information on certain financial transactions or arrangements between your organization and

• Disqualified person(s) under section 4958
• Other interested persons

Second, knowledge on whether a member of your organization's governing body is an independent member for purposes of Form 990, Part VI, line 1b.

Hint: You will need to complete this schedule if you answered “Yes” to Form 990-EZ, Part V, line 40b, regarding excess benefit transactions, or Form 990-EZ, Part V, line 38a, regarding loans.

Other things to consider when filling out a Schedule L include

• Excess Benefit Transactions
• Assistance Benefitting Interested Persons
• Types of Reportable Transactions

This all may be daunting to you at first; however, with a calm demeanor a decent understanding, you can get through “L” like any other schedule.

Schedule N
The point of No return, if this schedule applies to your tax-exempt organization. The purpose of filling this form is to report your organization going out of business or disposing more than 25% of your net assets through a contraction, sale, exchange, or other disposition.

Schedule O
Oh, oh, we’re about done, you know? In a nutshell, this form is for detailed responses to specific questions or explanations of your operations that couldn’t be narrated through the other parts of the Form 990-EZ.

Hint: You will need to complete a Schedule O to provide any detailed information for the following sections:

• Part I, Lines 8,10,16, 20
• Part II, Lines 24, 26
• Part III, Line 31
• Part V, Lines 33, 34, 35b

Not too bad, right? Keep in mind that not all tax-exempt organizations operate the same. So you might have to fill out more schedules than the next organization. No worries though. And even though you may like to get through it as quickly as possible, your main point should be successfully filing, not filing the fastest.

Get your Form 990-EZ completed error-free by e-filing with Express990. Our service provides a built-in error check that makes sure your form is free of mistakes before transmitting to the IRS - no matter how quickly you get through the process.

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

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Choppin’ Up with the Schedules Part 1

They call the Form 990-EZ the “short form.” But looking at it, you might be thinking, “What’s so short about it? There are schedules and everything like the long form.” While you may have a point, let’s just think about it. A Form 990-EZ is for tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts less than $200,000 and total assets less than $500,000; you know this already.

With that cap limit in place, your organization probably isn’t participating in every activity each schedule is asking about versus a tax-exempt organization that needs to file a 990 Long (Form 990). And, once you understand simply what each schedule is asking for, you’ll soon figure out which ones apply to your organization. With that knowledge, you’ll be able to chop down the Form 990-EZ like a lumberjack with sticks of butter on his feet, skating in Paul Bunyan’s giant skillet to cook flapjacks… No, it doesn’t make sense, but we’re about taxes here, not whimsical forest fantasies.

Form 990-EZ Schedules

Schedule A
No matter what, any tax-exempt organization recognized under 501(c)(3) will have to complete a Schedule A because it explains what type of organization you have. Your organization may be classified as:

• Government
• Education
• Community Organization
• Grassroots

The schedule also asks about your public support like where it comes from and in what form it comes in such as grants, gifts, etc.

Schedule B
This form wants to know about your contributors. Generally, if your organization receives a single contribution that’s worth over $5,000, it will be reported here. Any contribution from an exclusively religious contributor that’s over $1,000 is reported on this form as well.

The IRS lists a “Special Rule” that could determine how you file this particular form:

For an organization described in section 501(c)(3) organizations that meets the 33 and 1/3% support test of the regulations under sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) and not just the 10% support test (whether or not the organization is otherwise described in section 170(b)(1)(A)), list in Part I only those contributors whose contribution of $5,000 or more during the tax year is greater than 2% of the amount reported on Form 990-EZ, Line 1.

For more details on the “Special Rule” visit the Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF), Schedule of Contributors page of the IRS.

Schedule C
If your organization is politically active, then you’ll need to complete a Schedule C. On this form, you will need to provide information about your organization’s political and lobbying activities. According to the IRS, lobbying activities are considered as…

An attempt to influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise, presentation of testimony at public hearings held by legislative committees, correspondence and conferences with legislators and their staffs, communications by electronic means, and publication of documents advocating specific legislative action.

Schedule E
Ok, here’s a hint. If your organization operates as a school, you’ll need to fill out this form. It inquires about your school’s policies, facilities, and benefits in detail.

Another Hint: Answering “Yes” in Part VI, line 48 of Form 990-EZ pretty much guarantees a Schedule E being completed.

At this point, you’ve already chopped the Form 990-EZ in half. And you know what they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Nothing wrong with you taking a well-deserved break. Next time, we’ll chop through the second half of schedules for the Form 990-EZ.

Cut even more time during your tax season by e-filing with Express990. We support all the schedules needed for the Form 990-EZ, and we offer a safe, secure, and accurate e-filing process, backed by expert professionals that will save you time and money.

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

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