How to Invite Users to Review Your Organization's Return

As deadlines approach, you might find yourself needing to share your Form 990 series return with someone on your board of directors, and you don’t want to share your own ExpressTaxExempt login. Well, we’ve added a new feature that simplifies this whole process!


With our new Manage Reviewers and Approvers feature, you’re just a few clicks away from inviting users to review your tax exempt organization's return.

When you start on your dashboard, click on the tab that says My Account. From there, scroll down and click on Manage Reviewers and Approvers.

In order to share your return with another person, click on the Add User button. You’ll be prompted to enter the user’s information, like their name, email address, and phone number, as well as the tax year of the return, in order to proceed. After that, you just need to click Share Return, and the invitation is sent.

After your click share, an email that contains a secure link and login credentials to the shared viewing portal are then sent to the intended user. To continue, the user will need their credentials, and they’ll be prompted to change their password upon signing in. The user will have as much access to the return as you granted within the invitation. After logging in, the user can view the return, and add their own comments and corrections for the main user’s reviewal.

Not only can the reviewing user add comments, they also have the option to download Form 990 for further review. If you simply require a signature, users can e-sign the return straight from ExpressTaxExempt.

Still confused? We’ve covered the basics in this video!



And if you share your Form 990 series return and your reviewer gives you enough comments and corrections to set you back, e-file for an automatic 3-month extension of time to file with Form 8868, the application for extension of time to file an exempt organization return.

If you or your reviewers have any questions about the Manage Reviewers and Approvers feature, call us at 704.839.2321, live chat with us from our website, or send us an email.

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3 Email Marketing Questions Every Nonprofit Should Ask

So you’ve set up a social media empire, and you’re producing stellar video content to impress your donors and board. What’s next for your nonprofit marketing campaign?

Have you thought about email?

Think about it—just about everyone you know has an email address. There has to be a way your nonprofit can tap into that market. So let’s break down some email marketing tips your tax exempt organization can use.

Why Should We Use Email Marketing?

The affordability of email marketing is reason enough! With an email marketing campaign, you have a lower price point since you avoid the costs of printing paper flyers. Not only that, your nonprofit keeps responsible outlook by reducing your paper footprint.

Email is a great option because of its ease of use and widespread use. These days, almost everybody has an email address, and they know how to check their email. There’s little confusion with a well crafted email that says “click here to donate.”

Because of the low price point, your organization can get a higher return on investment. Of course, you want to approach your emails in different ways depending on the kind they are.

How Should We Approach Email Marketing?

First things first, sign up for an email marketing service, and work the cost into your marketing budget. With your email marketing service, you can catalog and sort user email addresses by demographics. With each new donation you receive, you can obtain and build a bigger database to send future emails.

Once you’re ready to hit send, make sure you reach out to your donors with effective messaging. Try telling a story! Use your organization, your volunteers, or even those you help to get the message across. You can even update your audience with the comings and goings of your organization, while working in a plug for donations with subtlety.

Aim to keep it short and simple. Email marketing is for hundreds of words, not thousands. If you have a source of long form content you want your readers to see, include a link with a short synopsis instead. Remember, less is more – you want people to read and digest the email as fast as possible.

And most importantly, create a call to action - start and end with a call to action: donate now. click here, read this - don’t leave the email hanging.

How Do We Start?

There are quite a few options out there, and you’ll have to see what works best for you. For a more detailed approach, check out some of the email marketing guides provided by the services themselves.

Here are 3 guides to email marketing for nonprofits you should check out:

• The Nonprofit Email Marketing Guide (PDF)
• MailChimp for Nonprofits
• Basics of Email Marketing for Nonprofits (PDF)

Bonus Question: What Other Tips Do You Have?

First off, keep a calendar and a schedule for any of your campaigns. You can make a master calendar that includes your social media, video, and email efforts. After that, stay scheduled! With your email blasts, find organic opportunities to link back to your blogs, social media, and donation landing pages. Most of all, as you design your emails, ask yourself – would I read this email? Would I click that link?

With a strong email campaign, you can work wonders for your tax exempt organization. And when it’s time to file Form 990, we’ll be here to help you. If you have any questions, reach us by email, live chat, and 704.839.2321.

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Never Too Late For 990-N

The year is winding down into its final quarter, and if you still haven’t e-filed your Form 990-N (e-Postcard), it’s not too late. Even if your original tax deadline was all the way back in May, you can still e-file. Even if you didn’t file last year, you can still e-file. Even if your organization didn’t bring in a single dime this tax year, guess what… you can still e-file.

Calendar Tax Year or Fiscal Tax Year
You may already know that filing your tax return has to be done by the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization’s tax year has ended. Your actual tax period end date may vary depending on whether your organization operates on a calendar tax year or a fiscal tax year.

Calendar Tax Year: Your tax year runs from January 1 to December 31, and your tax deadline will always be May 15.

Fiscal Tax Year: Your tax year runs on any day other than January 1 to December 31, and your tax deadline will be the 15th day of the 5th month after your tax end date.

Example: Your tax begin date is April 1, 2014, and the tax end date is March 31, 2015. Your tax deadline will be August 15, 2015.

Little or No Income
A lot of you have asked why you should even file if you have little or no revenue to report. That’s exactly what the 990-N (e-Postcard) is for. You’re basically letting the IRS know that your organization doesn’t have much money to report, at the very least, nothing over $50,000 to report.

However, a great deal can happen within the course of a year. Your exempt organization could grow substantially, or you could receive a lot more contributions. That’s why you have to file each year. If nothing much has changed, you can continue e-filing your 990-N (e-Postcard). If a drastic change has occurred, then you’ll file the most appropriate form for your organization.

You Can Still E-File
The reason why you can still e-file your Form 990-N (e-Postcard) long after your deadline has passed is simple… there are NO penalties for filing an e-Postcard late. Now that doesn’t give you a free pass to just be neglectful or careless, but if you find yourself a few months past due, you don’t have to panic or worry.

While there isn’t a penalty for e-filing late, there is a penalty for not filing at all. After failing to file for three consecutive years, you can lose your tax-exempt status. In order to get it back, you’ll be subjected to fees and a filing process with the IRS. For more information about reinstating your exempt status, check out the following blog: Reinstating Tax-Exempt Status

The year may be inching ever close to the end, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to e-file. You can e-file your 990-N (e-Postcard) in less than 10 minutes with Express990. And it’s FREE for the current tax year. 

Simply enter your organization details, choose your tax period, indicate you make less than $50,000, authorize your form, and then transmit to the IRS. We even offer live assistance if you need a little extra help. So whether you’re on-time, a few weeks late, or a few months late, Express990 can transmit your tax form quickly and securely.

For any questions or assistance with our e-filing service, feel free to contact our live, expert help at our headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Phone: (704) 839-2321 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm, Eastern Standard Time)
Email: support@expresstaxexempt.com
Live Chat: www.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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All In The Family: Group Exemption

Three Years Ago
“Congratulations! You’ve created your first tax-exempt organization.”

Two Years Later
“Wow buddy, two more organizations to the list. You must be very proud!”

Last Year
“You... don’t slow down, do you? More additions, how do you find the time?”

So, you have other organizations that operate in conjunction with your main one. A situation such as that is considered a Group in which your central organization is the Parent and your branching organizations are Subordinates. As in any family, it’s the parents’ job to keep their children, or, in this case, subordinates, well and happy. One way to keep your “children” well and happy is by gaining a Group Exemption, which eliminates each of your subordinates applying for a tax exempt status on their own.

What is a Group Exemption
A group exemption allows the central or parent organization to confirm that its subordinates are eligible for exemption and to include each subordinate under its cover for tax-exempt purposes. This exemption comes in the form of a letter from the IRS to the parent organization and grants tax exemption to one or more of the subordinates.

The method is created to decrease the paperwork for the taxpayers and the IRS when affiliated entities are the same in their purpose, structure, and operations.

Obtaining a Group Exemption Letter
To pursue a group exemption letter, you must, of course, first gain recognition of your own tax-exempt status. After that, you can obtain a group exemption letter if you have one or more subordinate organizations included in your general supervision or control.

Keep in mind that your parent and subordinate organizations don’t have to be categorized under the same tax section; however, the IRS has decided that some fundraising techniques and activities aren’t cleared for group exemptions. For more details, visit the IRS webpage.

How to Be Included in a Group Exemption Letter?
To add a subordinate in your group exemption, your parent organization has to certify that the subordinate is organized and operated conforming to sample documents your parent organization submits in order to support its subordinates’ tax exemption.

For a subordinate to be included, you must authenticate that it:

• Affiliates with the parent and is subject to the parent’s general supervision or control
• Exempts under the same IRC 501(c) paragraph as all your other subordinates
• Excludes as a private foundation or a foreign organization
• Operates on the same tax year as the parent
• Information Needed for a Group Extension Letter

As the parent company, you also have to provide certain information on behalf of your subordinates. Along with proving that your subordinate organization meets the requirements, you must submit a letter that states

• A description of your subordinates’ principle purposes and activities, which includes financial information
• A sample copy of your subordinates’ adopted, uniformed governing instrument
• An assertion that your subordinates’ purposes and activities are as set forth in the representations provided in the above description and governing instrument
• A statement that each subordinate has submitted a written request to be included in the group exemption letter
• A list of your previous recognized subordinates that have tax-exempt status

Group Returns
Once the tax-exempt status has been achieved for your subordinate organizations under a group extension letter, you can then file a group return covering all of your subordinates. Keep in mind that you’ll still have to file a separate return for your parent organization; furthermore, your subordinates are still required to file their own Form 990-T if they are subject to tax on unrelated business income.

A group return can only include your subordinates that have, in writing, authorization to be added in the return. Your group return must also be based on the tax period of the parent organization and your subordinates’ information can be provided by:

• Separate schedules for each subordinate attached
• A consolidated basis for each subordinate and the parent on one group return

For more details on group extension requirements or returns, visit the IRS website.

Keep it all in the family by e-filing your group return with Express990. We support each 990 Form for tax-exempt organizations (Form 990, Form 990-EZ, Form 990-N (e-Postcard)) and provide expert help with live professionals so you’ll be covered like family looking out for family.

For assistance with e-filing your tax-exempt return, contact us at our headquarters located in the quaint town of Rock Hill, South Carolina. We’re available by phone Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm EST at (704) 839-2321, by email at support@expresstaxexempt.com, and by live chat at www.expresstaxexempt.com.

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By Year’s End

Twenty-two weeks left until Thanksgiving?
Twenty-seven until Christmas?!
Time certainly doesn’t wait on anyone, but can you believe how fast we’ve blown through the first half of the year? The weather was just beginning to warm up a couple of months ago and now it’s hot, scorching hot, depending on your location. In about two months time, it’s going to start cooling down again. Where does the time go?

By running a tax-exempt organization, you probably have less time than most, especially if your organization operates on a fiscal tax year and your return deadline falls within the second half of the year. Along with filing the appropriate tax exempt return (Form 990, Form 990-EZ, Form 990-N (e-Postcard)), here are seven other items that specialists advise their tax-exempt clients to have done by the end of the year.

1. Annual Meeting
Most corporate bylaws and state statutes require that the board of directors meet at least once every year. Typically, the meeting is where your board or voting members fill any open spots, appoint officers, approve budget, and pretty much make other executive-type decisions.

2. Annual Report
Along with the annual meeting, there’s also the annual report that’s required to be filed with your organization’s state of incorporation and any other states you may be registered to do business in. Failure to file this report could lead to less of a good standing with the state and ultimately administrative dissolution. The year’s end is an ideal time to make sure all filings are up to date and to determine whether your organization will conduct business within new areas that may require registration.

3. Solicitation Registrations
Make sure your solicitation registrations are current. A lot of states and local areas require tax-exempt organizations to register before you can solicit funds in that area. Now, the word solicit is broadly defined and may surround any request targeted to residents within the area.
Most locations require renewals every year, which makes the year’s end a good time to figure out whether your organization is registered in all of the locations where you plan to raise funds in the following year. And it’s also the best time to check the status of renewals in locations you’re already registered.

4. Gift Administration Issues
To make sure that terms and restrictions are recognized, the year’s end is a proper time to review your organization’s grant agreements.

5. Insurance Policies
Examples include general liability, officer liability, etc. Use this time to determine whether there are adequate limits of coverage and if your organization’s current activities are covered by its policies.

6. Private Foundation Considerations
To avoid excise tax penalties, you could spend your funds in charitable activities or make grants to public charities. Contact a certified tax accountant to find out how much could be spent. You’re also going to want to look back through your business holdings of private foundations and disqualified persons to make sure they don’t altogether exceed 20% of voting influence.

7. Thank Your Donors with Proper Gift Receipts
If donors don’t receive a gift receipt by the end of the year to confirm their tax deduction, they may feel inclined to not donate again. Also, make an effort to ensure that contributions from donors are properly recognized and in compliance with IRS protocol.

Whether you want to end your year strongly or begin the second half of the year in good standing, Express990 can help with the e-filing of any of the 990 forms for tax-exempt organizations. Express990 works closely with the IRS to bring you 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 the Express990 website

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Express990 Features

Express990 is an IRS authorized E-file provider working closely with the IRS to provide a safe, secure, and accurate process that saves time and money. Our trusted company serves as the market leader for 990 forms with nearly 5,000 non-profit organizations filing their returns with Express990, but what makes our service easily accessible is its wide range of features that assists with filing a tax-exempt form.

Why Use Express990?
Express990 offers FREE e-filing of Form 990-N for the current tax year and supports all other tax-exempt forms including the Form 990, 990-EZ, and the Extension Form 8868. With an easy, online interview process, you are guided through our system from start to finish with helpful prompts and step-by-step instructions to e-file your annual tax-exempt return. Everything is done online; no need for any software downloads or installations. Your organization and tax information will be available to you at anytime from anywhere with our cloud computing capability; and, built-in error checking reviews your return for errors before you transmit to the IRS.

Need Further Assistance?

Express990 also offers expert customer support to help; feel free to contact a professional at our Rock Hill, South Carolina office. Live assistance is available at 704.839.2321 from 8am - 6pm Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday and email support at support@expresstaxexempt.com is available 24 hours a day including weekends and holidays. Or, chat with us live at Express990.com

Tax filing can be be often confusing and time consuming; let Express990 make filing taxes quicker and easier.

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