IRS Form 990
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| Nonprofit regulation |
| This page is part of the Privacy Policy Project |
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IRS Form 990, titled "Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax," is a report that must be filed each year with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by organizations exempt from federal income taxes under IRS code, section 501.[1] These organizations have annual receipts of more than $200,000 a year.[2] The form is an information return and not an income tax return since the organizations that file it do not pay income taxes.[1]
Purpose
The Form 990 serves two essential purposes. First, it provides information that helps government agencies enforce laws that govern nonprofits. Second, Form 990 provides insight into the filing organization's financial condition and the sources of its income.[1]
Which organizations must file?
An organization which normally receives less than $50,000 a year must file Form 990 N.[2]
Organizations with gross receipts of less than $200,000 and total assets less than $500,000 at the end of the year may file a short-form Form 990 called Form 990-EZ. Organizations classified as private foundations, which generally receive funding from few sources, are required to file a Form 990-PF.[2]
Exemptions
Many nonprofit organizations are exempt under section 501 of the code:[3]
- faith-based organizations; churches are not required to file a Form 990 but may do so voluntarily;
- religious schools;
- missions or missionary organizations;
- state institutions; and
- government corporations.
Schedules
The Form 990 has 16 supplemental forms, known as schedules, which vary in terms of what must be filed out and who must do so.[4]
- Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Public Charity Status and Public Support
- Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF), Schedule of Contributors
- Schedule C (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Political Campaign and Lobbying Activities
- Schedule D (Form 990), Supplemental Financial Statements
- Schedule E (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Schools
- Schedule F (Form 990), Statement of Activities Outside the United States
- Schedule G (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Supplemental Information Regarding Fundraising or Gaming Activities
- Schedule H (Form 990), Hospitals
- Schedule I (Form 990), Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations, Governments and Individuals in the U.S.
- Schedule J (Form 990), Compensation Information
- Schedule K (Form 990), Supplemental Information on Tax Exempt Bonds
- Schedule L (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Transactions With Interested Persons
- Schedule M (Form 990), Noncash Contributions
- Schedule N (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Liquidation, Termination, Dissolution, or Significant Disposition of Assets
- Schedule O (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Supplemental Information to Form 990
- Schedule R (Form 990), Related Organizations and Unrelated Partnerships
Accessibility
The Form 990 is a public document, and increasingly accessible online.[1] An organization’s Forms 990 for the preceding three years must be kept on file and shown to anyone who requests to see them. In addition, copies of these forms must be given to anyone who requests them and who pays a reasonable copying fee ($1 for the first page and 15 cents for every page thereafter).[1] Furthermore, most Forms 990 beginning with the year 1997 are being posted online by organizations such as the National Center for Charitable Statistics and Guidestar, nonprofit groups in the Washington D.C., area, which allow users to view Form 990 documents electronically.[1]
Issues
The Form 990 Schedule B, which requires organizations to list the names and addresses of contributors who give over $5,000, has created some concern for organizations about the privacy of their donors. Schedule B attachments are available for public inspection if an organization files a Form 990-PF or if a 527 group files a Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. For all other organizations, the IRS keeps the Schedule B information private. It also advises organizations not to send Schedule B information to states, unless otherwise requested, because that might unintentionally make information about contributors public. In December 2014, a federal lawsuit was filed challenging the California Attorney General request that organizations turn over copies of Schedule B attachments. As of May 2015, at least five states—California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi and New York—required organizations to file an unredacted Schedule B to maintain registration as charities.[5][6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "'IRS + Form + 990"
See also
External links
- How to Read the IRS Form 990 & Find Out What it Means
- Current Form 990 Series - Forms and Instructions
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, "How to Read the IRS Form 990 and Find Out What It Means," May 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Internal Revenue Service, "Form 990 series which forms do exempt organizations file filing phase in," accessed October 2, 2025
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Annual exempt organization return: who must file," accessed October 2, 2025
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Schedules For Form 990," accessed February 9, 2015
- ↑ Guidestar, "Federal Appeals Court Affirms Mandatory Filing of Unredacted Donor List by Charities Registered for Solicitations in California," May 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Schedule B," accessed February 9, 2015
