Publication 557
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Publication 557
Contents
Tax-Exempt
Status for Your
Organization
What's New
(Rev. January 2025)
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Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 1. Application, Approval,
and Appeal Procedures . . . . . . . . 4
Application Procedures . . . . . . . . . 4
Forms Required . . . . . . . . . . 4
Required Information and
Documents . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Miscellaneous Procedures . . . . 6
Determination Letters . . . . . . . . . . 6
Effective Date of Exemption . . . . 6
Revocation of Exemption . . . . . 6
Appeal Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Independent Office of
Appeals Consideration . . . . 7
Administrative Remedies . . . . . 7
Appeal to Courts . . . . . . . . . . 8
Group Exemption Letter . . . . . . . . . 8
Central Organization
Application Procedure . . . . . 8
Keeping the Group
Exemption Letter in
Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Events Causing Loss of
Group Exemption . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 2. Filing Requirements
and Required Disclosures . . . . .
Annual Information Returns . . . . . .
Unrelated Business Income Tax
Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Employment Tax Returns . . . . . . .
Political Organization Income
Tax Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reporting Requirements for a
Political Organization . . . . . . . .
Donee Information Return . . . . . . .
Information Provided to Donors . . . .
Report of Cash Received . . . . . . .
Public Inspection of Exemption
Applications, Annual
Returns, and Political
Organization Reporting
Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Required Disclosures . . . . . . . . .
Solicitation of
Nondeductible
Contributions . . . . . . . . .
Sales of Information or
Services Available Free
from Government . . . . . . .
Dues Used for Lobbying or
Political Activities . . . . . . .
Miscellaneous Rules . . . . . . . . . .
Organizational Changes
and Exempt Status . . . . . .
Modify or Obtain an NTEE
Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 3. Section 501(c)(3)
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contributions to 501(c)(3)
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application for Recognition of
Exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Articles of Organization . . . . . . . .
Publication 557 (Rev. 1-2025) Catalog Number 46573C
Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov
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Educational Organizations and
Private Schools . . . . . . . . . . .
Organizations Providing
Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Section 501(c)(3)
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
Private Foundations and Public
Charities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lobbying Expenditures . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4. Other Section 501(c)
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(4) - Civic Leagues and
Social Welfare Organizations . . .
501(c)(5) - Labor, Agricultural,
and Horticultural
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(6) - Business Leagues,
etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(7) - Social and
Recreation Clubs . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(8) and 501(c)(10) Fraternal Beneficiary
Societies and Domestic
Fraternal Societies . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(4), 501(c)(9), and 501(c)
(17) - Employees'
Associations . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(12) - Local Benevolent
Life Insurance Associations,
Mutual Irrigation and
Telephone Companies, and
Like Organizations . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(13) - Cemetery
Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(14) - Credit Unions and
Other Mutual Financial
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(19) - Veterans'
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(21) - Black Lung Benefit
Trusts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(2) - Title-Holding
Corporations for Single
Parent Corporations . . . . . . . .
501(c)(25) - Title-Holding
Corporations or Trusts for
Multiple Parent Corporations . . .
501(c)(26) - State-Sponsored
High-Risk Health Coverage
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . .
501(c)(27) - Qualified
State-Sponsored Workers'
Compensation Organizations . . .
501(c)(29) - CO-OP Health
Insurance Issuers . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5. Excise Taxes . . . . . . . . .
Prohibited Tax Shelter
Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excess Benefit Transactions . . . . .
Excess Business Holdings . . . . . .
Taxable Distributions of
Sponsoring Organizations . . . . .
Taxes on Prohibited Benefits
Resulting from Donor
Advised Fund Distributions . . . .
Excise Taxes on Private
Foundations . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excise Taxes on Black Lung
Benefit Trusts . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excise Tax on Failure To Meet
the Community Health
Needs Assessment
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . .
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Excise Tax on Executive
Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Excise Tax on Net Investment
Income of Certain Colleges
and Universities . . . . . . . . . . 65
How To Get Tax Help . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Organization Reference Chart . . . . . . 69
Appendix. Sample Articles of
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
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Appendix. Sample Articles of
Organization, continued . . . . . . . 72
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Index
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What's New
Future developments. The IRS has created a
page on IRS.gov for information about Publication 557, at IRS.gov/Pub557. Information about
any future developments affecting Publication
557 (such as legislation enacted after we release it) will be posted on that page.
Continuous-use publication. Publication 557
has been converted from an annual revision to
continuous use. Use these instructions for tax
year 2024 and subsequent years until a superseding revision is issued.
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Reminders
Electronic Form 1024. As of January 3, 2022,
Form 1024, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(a) or Section 521,
must be submitted for electronic filing on
Pay.gov. As part of the revision, applications for
recognition of exemption under Sections 501(c)
(11), (14), (16), (18), (21), (22), (23), (26), (27),
(28), (29), and 501(d) can no longer be submitted as letter applications. Instead, these requests must be made on the electronic Form
1024.
Also, organizations requesting determinations under Section 521 are now able to use the
electronic Form 1024 instead of Form 1028, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under
Section 521.
Update on mandatory e-filing. The Taxpayer
First Act, enacted July 1, 2019, requires tax-exempt organizations to electronically file information returns and related forms. The new law affects tax-exempt organizations in tax years
beginning after July 1, 2019.
• Forms 990-T and 4720 are available for
e-filing in 2022. In 2020, the IRS continued to accept paper Form 990-T, Exempt
Organization Business Income Tax Return,
and Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise
Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal Revenue Code, pending conversion
into electronic format. As described below,
in 2021, the IRS announced e-filing is required for these forms.
For Form 990-T, any 2020, and any future year Form 990-T with a due date on or
after April 15, 2021, must be filed electronically and not on paper.
For Form 4720, any 2020, and any future year, Form 4720 filed by a private
foundation with a due date on or after July
15, 2021, must be filed electronically and
not on paper. Organizations other than private foundations that are required to file
Form 4720 are encouraged, but not required, to file Form 4720 electronically.
• Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF e-filing.
Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt
From Income Tax, and Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation or Section
4947(a)(1) Trust Treated as Private Foundation, for tax years ending July 31, 2020,
and later MUST be filed electronically.
Form 990-EZ, Short Form Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax, for
tax years ending July 31, 2021, and later
MUST be filed electronically. The transitional relief applicable to the Form 990-EZ
under which the IRS accepted either paper
or electronic filing of Form 990-EZ applied
only for tax years ending before July 31,
2021.
More information on software providers
is available on the Exempt Organizations
Modernized e-File (MeF) Providers page.
For more information, go to IRS: Recent
legislation
requires
tax
exempt
organizations to e-file forms.
Section 501(c)(21) trusts. Form 990-BL, Information and Initial Excise Tax Return for Black
Lung Benefit Trusts and Certain Related Persons, will be a historical form beginning with tax
year 2021. Section 501(c)(21) trusts can no longer file Form 990-BL and will file Form 990 (or
submit Form 990-N, if eligible) to meet their annual filing obligations under section 6033. Some
section 501(c)(21) trusts may also be required
to file Form 6069, Return of Certain Excise
Taxes on Mine Operators, Black Lung Trusts,
and Other Persons Under Sections 4951, 4952,
and 4953.
Reporting of donor information (Form 990,
990-EZ, and 990-PF). Final regulations provide that the requirement to report contributor
names and addresses on annual returns generally applies only to returns filed by Section
501(c)(3) organizations and Section 527 political organizations. All tax-exempt organizations
must continue to maintain the names and addresses of their substantial contributors in their
books and records.
IRS not accepting requests for group exemption numbers. The IRS will not accept
any requests for group exemption letters starting on June 17, 2020, until publication of the final revenue procedure or other guidance in the
Internal Revenue Bulletin. See Notice 2020-36.
Automatic revocation. Regarding automatic
revocation for the failure to file a return or notice
for 3 consecutive years, as required by section
6033, the Taxpayer First Act of 2019, P.L.
116-25, added a requirement that the IRS notify
the organization after the organization has failed
to file for 2 consecutive years. See Automatic
Revocation, later, for more information, including applicability dates.
Electronic Form 1023. Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption under Section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, is available only as an electronic form filed on Pay.gov.
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Form 1023-EZ, Streamlined Application, is already on Pay.gov.
Tax on investment income of private foundations. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster
Tax Relief Act of 2019, reduced the 2% excise
tax on investment income of private foundations
to 1.39%. At the same time, the legislation repealed the 1% special rate that applied if the
private foundation met certain distribution requirements. The change is effective for taxable
years beginning after December 20, 2019.
Increase in UBTI for disallowed fringe repealed. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster
Tax Relief Act of 2019 retroactively repealed Internal Revenue Code Section 512(a)(7), which
increased unrelated business taxable income
by amounts paid or incurred for qualified transportation fringes. Congress had previously
enacted this provision for amounts paid or incurred after December 31, 2017.
Excise tax on executive compensation.
Section 4960, added by P.L. 115-97, effective
for tax years beginning after December 17,
2017, imposes an excise tax on an organization
that pays to any covered employee more than
$1 million in remuneration or pays an excess
parachute payment during the year starting in
2018. See Excise Tax on Executive Compensation, chapter 5. See also section 4960 and Form
4720, Return of Certain Excise Taxes Under
Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal Revenue
Code, for more information.
Excise tax on net investment income of certain colleges and universities. Section 4968
imposes an excise tax on the net investment income of certain private colleges and universities. See Excise Tax on Net Investment Income
of Certain Colleges and Universities, chapter 5.
See also section 4968 and Form 4720, Return
of Certain Excise Taxes Under Chapters 41 and
42 of the Internal Revenue Code, for more information.
Separate UBTI calculation for each trade or
business. Organizations with more than one
unrelated trade or business must compute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI), including
for purposes of determining any net operating
loss deduction, separately with respect to each
such trade or business. See Unrelated Business Income Tax Return, chapter 2. See also
Schedule A (Form 990-T). The UBTI with respect to any such trade or business shall not be
less than zero when computing total UBTI.
Exception from the excise tax on excess
business holdings. Section 4943(g) created
an exception from the excise tax on excess
business holdings for certain independently operated enterprises whose voting stock is wholly
owned by a private foundation. For more details,
see Excess Business Holdings, chapter 5.
Organizational changes. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, the IRS will no
longer require a new exemption application from
a domestic section 501(c) organization that undergoes certain changes of form or place of organization, as described in Rev. Proc. 2018-15,
2018-9 I.R.B. 379.
Group exemptions. Beginning January 2019,
the IRS will no longer send the List of Parent
and Subsidiary Accounts to the central organizations. See Group Exemption Letter, later.
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Form 8976. Each new section 501(c)(4) organization must notify the IRS of its intent to operate as a section 501(c)(4) organization regardless of whether it will seek recognition of its
exempt status under section 501(c)(4). Use
Form 8976, Notice of Intent to Operate Under
Section 501(c)(4), to provide this notification.
Form 8976 may only be completed and submitted electronically at: Electronically Submit Your
Form 8976, Notice of Intent to Operate Under
Section 501(c)(4).
Forms, instructions, and publications. All
IRS forms, instructions and publications mentioned in this publication can be accessed on
IRS.gov from the Forms and Instructions page.
Introduction
This publication discusses the rules and procedures for organizations that seek recognition of
exemption from federal income tax under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (the
Code). It explains the procedures you must follow to obtain an appropriate determination letter
recognizing your organization's exemption, as
well as certain other information that applies
generally to all exempt organizations. To qualify
for exemption under the Code, your organization must be organized for one or more of the
purposes specifically designated in the Code.
Organizations that are exempt under section
501(a) include those organizations described in
section 501(c). Section 501(c) organizations
are covered in this publication.
Chapter 1, Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures, provides general information
about the procedures for obtaining recognition
of tax-exempt status.
Chapter 2, Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures, contains information about
annual filing requirements and other matters
that may affect your organization's tax-exempt
status.
Chapter 3, Section 501(c)(3) Organizations,
contains detailed information on various matters
affecting section 501(c)(3) organizations, including a section on the determination of private
foundation status.
Chapter 4, Other Section 501(c) Organizations, includes separate sections for specific
types of organizations described in section
501(c).
Chapter 5, Excise Taxes, provides information on when excise taxes may be imposed.
Chapter 6, How to Get Tax Help, provides
tips and resources on where to find answers to
tax questions or other assistance.
Organizations not discussed in this publication. Certain organizations that may qualify
for exemption aren't discussed in detail in this
publication, although they are included in the
Organization Reference Chart and the application procedures discussed in Chapter 1. These
organizations (and the Code sections that apply
to them) are as follows:
Corporations organized under Acts of
Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' retirement fund associations . . .
Mutual insurance companies . . . . . . . . . .
Corporations organized to finance crop
operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Employee funded pension trusts (created
before June 25, 1959) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Withdrawal liability payment fund . . . . . . .
Veterans' organizations (created before
1880) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
National Railroad Retirement Investment
Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Religious and apostolic associations . . . .
Cooperative hospital service
organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooperative service organizations of
operating educational organizations . . . . .
501(c)(1)
501(c)(11)
501(c)(15)
501(c)(16)
501(c)(18)
501(c)(22)
501(c)(23)
501(c)(28)
501(d)
501(e)
501(f)
Section 501(c)(24) organizations (section
4049 ERISA trusts) are neither discussed in the
text nor listed in the Organization Reference
Chart.
Similarly, farmers' cooperative associations
that qualify for exemption under section 521,
qualified state tuition programs described in
section 529, qualified ABLE programs described in section 529A, and pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans described in section
401(a) aren't discussed in this publication. Visit
IRS.gov for more information on these types of
organizations. For telephone assistance, call 1–
877–829–5500.
Check the Table of Contents at the beginning of this publication to determine whether
your organization is described in this publication. If it is, read the chapter (or section) that applies to your type of organization for the specific
information you must give when applying for
recognition of exemption.
Organization Reference Chart. The Organization Reference Chart enables you to locate at
a glance the section of the Code under which
your organization might qualify for exemption. It
also shows the required application form and, if
your organization meets the exemption requirements, the annual return to be filed (if any), and
whether or not a contribution to your organization will be deductible by a donor. It also describes each type of qualifying organization and
the general nature of its activities.
You may use the Organization Reference
Chart to identify the Code section that you think
applies to your organization. Any correspondence with the IRS (in requesting forms or otherwise) can be responded to faster if you indicate
in your correspondence the appropriate Code
section. Check the IRS website, IRS.gov, for the
latest updates, Tax Information for Charities &
Other Non-Profits.
Comments and suggestions. We welcome
your comments about this publication and your
suggestions for future editions.
You can send us comments through
IRS.gov/FormComments. Or, you can write to
Internal Revenue Service, Tax Forms and Publications, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526,
Washington, DC 20224.
Although we can’t respond individually to
each comment received, we do appreciate your
feedback and will consider your comments as
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we revise our tax forms, instructions, and publications. Don’t send tax questions, tax returns,
or payments to the above address.
Getting answers to your tax questions.
If you have a tax question not answered by this
publication or How to Get Tax Help section at
the end of this publication, go to the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant page at IRS.gov/Help/ITA
where you can find topics using the search feature or by viewing the categories listed.
Getting tax forms, instructions, and publications. Visit IRS.gov/Forms to download
current and prior-year forms, instructions, and
publications.
Ordering tax forms, instructions, and
publications. Go to IRS.gov/OrderForms to order current forms, instructions, and publications; call 800-829-3676 to order prior-year
forms and instructions. The IRS will process
your order for forms and publications as soon
as possible. Don’t resubmit requests you’ve already sent us. You can get forms and publications faster online.
Application Procedures
Oral requests for recognition of exemption won't
be considered by the IRS. Your application for
recognition of tax-exempt status must be in writing using the appropriate forms, as discussed
below.
If your organization is seeking recognition of exemption from federal income tax, it must use a
specific application prescribed by the IRS in the
current year revenue procedure. If your organization is a central organization with exempt status, see Group Exemption Letter, later. All applications must be signed by an authorized
individual.
• Application procedures that generally
•
apply to all organizations discussed in this
publication, including the application
forms;
• Determination letters (approvals/
disapprovals);
• Appeal procedures available if an adverse
determination letter is proposed; and
• Group exemption letters.
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This chapter discusses:
sociations;
• 501(c)(12) Benevolent life insurance asso-
• 501(c)(3) Corporations, organized and op-
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Topics
ders, etc.;
• 501(c)(11) Teachers’ Retirement Fund As-
•
•
If your organization is one of the organizations
described in this publication and is seeking recognition of tax-exempt status from the IRS, you
should follow the procedures described in this
chapter and the instructions that accompany
the appropriate application forms.
For information on section 501(c)(3) organizations, go to Section 501(c)(3) Organizations,
chapter 3. If your organization is seeking exemption under one of the other paragraphs of
section 501(c), see chapter 4.
associations;
• 501(c)(10) Domestic fraternal societies, or-
Form 1023, Application for Recognition of
Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. File Form 1023 if you
are seeking recognition of exemption under
section:
•
Introduction
orders, or associations;
• 501(c)(9) Voluntary employees’ beneficiary
Forms Required
1.
Application,
Approval, and
Appeal
Procedures
• 501(c)(8) Fraternal beneficiary societies,
erated exclusively for religious, charitable,
scientific, testing for public safety, literary,
or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports, or
prevention of cruelty for children or animals, including the following types of organizations to which the specified subsections are applicable;
501(e) Cooperative hospital service organization;
501(f) Cooperative service organization of
operating educational organizations;
501(k) Certain organizations providing
child care;
501(n) Charitable risk pools;
501(q) Credit counseling organizations,
and
501(r) Hospital organizations.
Applications for exempt status on a Form
1023 must be electronically submitted through
Pay.gov.
Form 1023-EZ, Streamlined Application for
Recognition of Exemption Under Section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. You
may be eligible to file Form 1023-EZ if you are a
smaller organization (assets of $250,000 or less
and annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less)
seeking recognition of exemption under section
501(c)(3).
Applications for exempt status on a Form
1023-EZ must be electronically submitted
through Pay.gov.
Form 1024, Application for Recognition of
Exemptions Under Section 501(a) or Section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code. File
Form 1024 if you are seeking recognition of exemption under section:
• 501(c)(2) Title holding corporations;
• 501(c)(5) Labor, agricultural, or horticultural organizations;
• 501(c)(6) Business leagues, chambers of
commerce, etc.;
• 501(c)(7) Social clubs;
Chapter 1
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ciations, mutual ditch or irrigation companies, mutual or cooperative telephone
companies;
501(c)(13) Cemetery companies;
501(c)(14) State-Chartered Credit Unions,
Mutual Reserve Funds;
501(c)(15) Mutual insurance companies or
associations;
501(c)(16) Cooperative Organizations to
Finance Crop Operations;
501(c)(17) Trusts providing for the payment
of supplemental unemployment compensation benefits;
501(c)(18) Employee Funded Pension
Trust (created before June 25, 1959);
501(c)(19) A post, organization, auxiliary
unit, etc. of past or present members of the
Armed Forces of the United States;
501(c)(21) Black Lung Benefit Trusts;
501(c)(22) Withdrawal Liability Payment
Fund;
501(c)(23) Veterans’ Organization (created
before 1880);
501(c)(25) Title holding corporations or
trusts;
501(c)(26) State-Sponsored Organization
Providing Health Coverage for High-Risk
Individuals;
501(c)(27) State-Sponsored Workers’
Compensation Reinsurance Organization;
501(c)(28) National Railroad Retirement
Investment Trust;
501(c)(29) CO-OP health insurance issuers, and
501(d) Religious and Apostolic Associations.
Also, organizations requesting determinations
under Section 521 are now able to use the electronic Form 1024 instead of Form 1028, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code
As of January 3, 2022, applications for exempt status on a Form 1024 must be electronically submitted through Pay.gov.
Form 1024-A, Application for Recognition of
Exemption Under Section 501(c)(4) of the
Internal Revenue Code. File Form 1024-A if
you are seeking recognition of exemption under
section 501(c)(4).
Submitting Form 1024-A does not satisfy an
organization’s requirement to notify the Commissioner that it is operating under section
501(c)(4), as required by section 506. See
IRS.gov for information on satisfying the notification requirement using Form 8976, Notice of
Intent to Operate Under Section 501(c)(4).
Form 1024-A, Application for Recognition of
Exemption Under Section 501(c)(4), must be
filed electronically on Pay.gov.
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Form 1028, Application for Recognition of
Exemption Under Section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code. Use Form 1028, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code, if your
organization is a farmers’ cooperative seeking
recognition of exemption under section 521.
You must also submit Form 8718.
Alternatively, organizations requesting determinations under Section 521 are now able to
use the electronic Form 1024 instead of Form
1028.
Form 8871, Political Organization Notice of
Section 527 Status. Use Form 8871, Political
Organization Notice of Section 527 Status, if
you are a political organization seeking to be
treated as tax-exempt under section 527 unless
an exception applies. See Political Organization
Income Tax Return, later.
Some organizations don’t have to use specific application forms. The application your organization must use is specified in the chapter
in this publication dealing with your kind of organization. It is also shown in the Organization
Reference Chart, later.
Form 8871 must be filed at the IRS Political
Organizations Filing and Disclosure site.
Power of attorney. If your organization expects to be represented by an individual such
as an attorney, CPA, officer or other person authorized to practice before the IRS, whether in
person or by correspondence, you must file a
Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration
of Representative, with your exemption application. The power of attorney must specifically authorize an individual to represent your organization. You can't name an organization, firm, etc.
as your representative. Form 2848 can be used
for this purpose. The categories of individuals
who can represent you before the IRS are listed
on the form.
Form 8940, Request for Miscellaneous Determination. You can request miscellaneous
determinations under sections 507, 509(a),
4940, 4942, 4945, and 6033 using Form 8940.
Nonexempt charitable trusts also file Form 8940
for an initial determination of section 509(a)(3)
status or change to their type. See Form 8940
and instructions for more information.
Requests other than applications.
Requests other than applications for
recognition of exemption or Form 8940
(for example, requests for letter rulings involving
feeder organizations, application of excise taxes
to activities of private foundations, taxation of
unrelated business income, etc.) should be sent
to the appropriate address listed in the current
year revenue procedures.
These requests, similar to applications for
recognition of exemption previously discussed,
must be accompanied by the appropriate user
fee. The schedule for user fees, including those
for requests other than applications, can be
found in the current year revenue procedures.
Exempt Organization (EO) Determinations
can request technical advice from the Office of
Associate Chief Counsel (Employee Benefits,
Exempt Organizations, and Employment Taxes)
on any question that can't be resolved on the
Publication 557 (1-2025)
basis of law, regulations, or a clearly applicable
revenue ruling or other published precedent.
Reminder. The law requires payment of a user
fee for determination letter requests. See the
current year issued revenue procedures to find
the required payment. Payment must accompany each request.
Non-exemption for terrorist organizations.
An organization that is identified or designated
as a terrorist organization within the meaning of
section 501(p)(2) isn't eligible to apply for recognition of exemption.
User fee. The law requires the payment of a
user fee for determination letter requests such
as your application for recognition of tax-exempt
status. User fees are listed in the current year
issued revenue procedures. If you are filing
Form 1023, Form 1023-EZ, Form 1024 or
1024-A, the user fee must be submitted through
Pay.gov.
For the current user fee amount and
TIP other information about applying for
complete and was filed and approved by the
state, including the date filed.
If you are formed as a limited liability company and have adopted an operating agreement, submit the operating agreement along
with your state-approved articles of organization.
If your organization's name has been officially changed by an amendment to your organizing instruments, you should also attach a conformed copy of that amendment to your
application.
Conformed copy. A conformed copy is a
copy that agrees with the original and all
amendments to it. If the original document required a signature, the copy should either be
signed by a principal officer or, if not signed, be
accompanied by a written declaration signed by
an authorized officer of the organization. With
either option, the officer must certify that the
document is a complete and accurate copy of
the original. A certificate of incorporation should
be approved and dated by an appropriate state
official.
tax-exempt status, go to IRS.gov and
select “Charities and Non-Profits” from the buttons near the top. Next, select “Applying for
Tax-Exempt Status” for more information. You
can also call 1-877-829-5500.
Bylaws. Bylaws alone aren't organizing
documents. However, if your organization has
adopted bylaws, include a current copy. The bylaws need not be signed if submitted as an attachment.
Required Information and
Documents
TIP ing document only if they are properly
Employer identification number (EIN). Every exempt organization must have its own EIN,
whether or not it has any employees. An EIN is
required before an exemption application is
submitted. Information on how to apply for an
EIN can be found online at Employer ID
Numbers (EIN). The EIN is issued immediately
once the application information is validated.
If you previously applied for an EIN and
haven't yet received it, or you are unsure
whether you have an EIN, please call our
toll-free customer account services number,
1-877-829-5500, for assistance.
Organizing documents. If you are submitting
an application other than Form 1023-EZ, your
application should include a copy of the organizing or enabling document that is signed by a
principal officer or is accompanied by a written
declaration signed by an authorized individual
certifying that the document is a complete and
accurate copy of the original or meets the requirements of a conformed copy in Rev. Proc.
2011-9, section 3.08(5). If you are submitting a
Form 1023-EZ, you don’t need to include a
copy of your organizing documents with the application. However, you may be asked to provide it during the application review process.
If your organizing or enabling document are
articles of incorporation, include evidence that it
was filed and approved by a state official. (For
example, a stamped “Filed” copy dated by the
Secretary of State is prima facie evidence that it
was filed and approved by a state official.) A
copy of the articles of incorporation can also be
submitted with a written declaration signed by
an authorized individual indicating the copy is
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Bylaws may be considered an organiz-
structured (includes name, purpose,
signatures, and intent to form an organization).
Attachments. When submitting attachments,
every attachment should show your organization's name and EIN. It should also state that it
is an attachment to your application form and
identify the part and line item number to which it
applies.
Original documents. Don't submit original
documents because they become part of the
IRS file and can't be returned.
Description of activities. Your application
must include a full description of the proposed
activities of your organization, including each of
the fundraising activities of a section 501(c)(3)
organization and a narrative description of anticipated receipts and contemplated expenditures. When describing the activities in which
your organization expects to engage, you must
include the standards, criteria, procedures, or
other means that your organization adopted or
planned for carrying out those activities.
To determine the information you need to
provide, you should study the part of this publication that applies to your organization. The appropriate chapter will describe the purposes
and activities that your organization must pursue, engage in, and include in your application
in order to achieve exempt status.
Often, your organization's articles of organization (or other organizing instruments) contain
descriptions of your organization's purposes
and activities.
Your application should describe completely
and in detail your past, present, and planned
activities.
If you are filing Form 1023-EZ, also review
the Instructions for Form 1023-EZ for more
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
5
information about what to include in your description.
Financial data. Unless you are filing Form
1023-EZ, you must include in your application a
statement of revenues and expenses for the
number of years specified in the applicable form
instructions. For each accounting period, you
must describe the sources of your receipts and
the nature of your expenditures. You must also
include a balance sheet for your most recently
completed tax year or if you haven’t completed
a full tax year, the most current information
available.
If you haven't yet begun operations, or have
operated for less than 1 year, a proposed
budget for 2 full accounting periods and a current statement of assets and liabilities will be
acceptable.
Exempt status established in application. If
your application and its supporting documents
show that your organization meets the requirements for tax-exempt status under the Code
section you applied, the IRS will issue a favorable determination letter.
Miscellaneous Procedures
To help in processing your application, be sure
to attach all schedules, statements, and other
documents required by the application form. If
you don’t attach them, you may have to resubmit your application or you may otherwise encounter a delay in processing your application.
Incomplete application. If an application isn't
complete and doesn't contain all the required
attachments found under Required Inclusions,
the IRS will return it to you for completion. The
IRS will no longer request the missing information if the application is incomplete. However,
the IRS may, but is not required to, request additional information to validate information presented or to clarify an inconsistency on a Form
1023-EZ.
If the IRS returns the application or requests
additional information from you, that application
will be considered filed on the date the substantially completed application is postmarked, or if
no postmark, received at the IRS.
For applications that are returned to the applicant because they aren't complete, the user
fee will be returned or refunded.
Additional information may be requested if
necessary to clarify the nature of your organization.
IRS responses. Organizations that successfully submit Form 1023, Form 1023-EZ, Form
1024, or Form 1024-A on Pay.gov will receive
an email from Pay.gov confirming payment of
the user fee. Organizations that submit a complete Form 1024 application will receive an acknowledgment from the IRS. In addition, any
applicant may receive a letter requesting additional information the IRS needs to make its determination. These letters will be sent out as
soon as possible after receipt of the organization's application.
Withdrawal of application. An organization
may withdraw an application at any time before
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the issuance of a determination letter upon the
written request of a principal officer or authorized representative of your organization. However, the withdrawal won't prevent the information contained in the application from being
used by the IRS in any subsequent examination
of your organization's returns. The information
forwarded with an application won't be returned
to your organization and, generally, when an application is withdrawn, the user fee paid won't
be refunded.
Requests for withholding of information
from the public. The law requires many exempt organizations and private foundations to
make their application forms and annual information returns available for public inspection.
The law also requires the IRS to make available
for public inspection, in accordance with section
6104 and the related regulations, your approved
application for recognition of exemption (including any papers submitted in support of the application) and the determination letter (discussed later, under Determination Letters).
Any information submitted in the application
or in support of it that relates to any trade secret, patent, process, style of work, or apparatus, upon request, can be withheld from public
inspection if the IRS determines that the disclosure of such information would adversely affect
the organization. Your request must:
1. Identify the material to be withheld (the
document, page, paragraph, and line) by
clearly marking it “Not Subject to Public
Inspection.”
2. Explain why the information is of the type
that can be withheld from public inspection.
3. Be filed with the office where your organization files the documents in which the
material to be withheld is contained.
Where to file. Submit Form 1023, 1023-EZ,
1024, or 1024-A through Pay.gov.
EO Determinations will consider your complete application and will issue you a favorable
determination letter, an adverse letter denying
the exempt status requested in your application
or, if you are asked to provide supplemental information and fail to respond, may close your
case without making a determination if you
don't respond to a request for additional information. EO Determinations will also close your
case without a determination if you withdraw
your request.
Determination Letters
Public charity status. A new section 501(c)
(3) organization will be classified as a publicly
supported organization and not a private foundation if it can show when it applies for tax-exempt status that it reasonably can be expected
to be publicly supported.
An organization must describe fully the activities in which it expects to engage. This includes standards, procedures, or other means
adopted or planned by the organization for carrying out its activities, expected sources of
Chapter 1
funds, and the nature of its contemplated expenses.
Adverse determination. A proposed adverse
determination letter will be issued to an organization that has not provided sufficiently detailed
information to establish that it qualifies for exemption or if the information provided establishes that it doesn't qualify for exemption. An
organization can appeal a proposed adverse
determination letter. See Appeal Procedures,
later.
Expedited handling. Exempt organization determination letter requests may be eligible for
expedited handling under section 4.09 of Rev.
Proc. 2024-5.
Effective Date of Exemption
A determination letter recognizing exemption is
usually effective as of the date of formation
of an organization if, the organization submitted the application for recognition of exemption
within 27 months from the end of the month in
which it was organized and during the period
before the date of the determination letter, its
purposes and activities are consistent with the
requirements for exempt status under the applicable section of 501(c). Upon obtaining recognition of exemption, the organization can file a
claim for a refund of income taxes paid for the
period for which its exempt status is recognized.
An organization that does not submit its application for exemption within that 27-month period but otherwise meets the requirements for
tax-exempt status will be recognized as exempt
from the postmark date of application or the
submission date of its Form 1023, Form 1024,
Form 1023-EZ, or Form 1024-A, if applicable.
If an organization is required to alter its activities or substantially amend its charter to qualify,
the determination letter recognizing exemption
will be effective as of the date specified in
the letter. If a nonsubstantive amendment is
made, such as correction of a clerical error in
the enabling instrument or the addition of a dissolution clause, exemption will ordinarily be recognized as of the date of formation if the activities of the organization before the determination
are consistent with the exemption requirements.
A determination letter recognizing exemption can't be relied on if there is a material
change, inconsistent with exemption, in the
character, the purpose, or the method of operation of the organization. Also, a determination
letter can't be relied on if it is based on any
omission or inaccurate material information
submitted by the organization.
For more information about the effective
date of exemption, see the current year issued
revenue procedures.
Revocation of Exemption
A determination letter recognizing exemption
may be revoked by:
1. A notice to the organization to which the
determination letter originally was issued,
2. Enactment of legislation or ratification of a
tax treaty,
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
3. A decision of the United States Supreme
Court,
4. Issuance of temporary or final regulations,
or
5. Issuance of a revenue ruling, a revenue
procedue, or other statement published in
the Internal Revenue Bulletin or Cumulative Bulletin.
6. Section 6033(j), for failure to file a required
annual return or notice, for 3 consecutive
years, automatically.
When revocation takes effect. If the organization omitted or misstated material information, operated in a manner materially different
from that originally represented, or, with regard
to organizations to which section 503 applies,
engaged in a prohibited transaction (such as diverting corpus or income from its exempt purpose), or if there has been a change in the applicable law, the revocation or modification may
be retroactive.
Material change in organization. If there is a
material change, inconsistent with exemption, in
the character, purpose, or method of operation
of the organization, revocation or modification
will ordinarily take effect as of the date of that
material change. An organization may seek relief from retroactive revocation or modification of
a determination letter under section 7805(b).
For more information on requesting section
7805(b) relief, see the current year issued revenue procedures.
Relief from retroactivity. If a determination letter was issued in error or the IRS
changed its position after issuing a letter, and if
section 7805(b) relief is granted, retroactivity of
the revocation ordinarily will be limited to a date
not earlier than that on which the original determination letter was revoked.
Foundations. The determination of the effective date is the same for the revocation or
modification of foundation status or operating
foundation status unless the effective date is expressly covered by statute or regulations.
Written notice. If the IRS concludes, as a result of examining an information return or considering information from any other source, that
a determination letter should be revoked or
modified, the organization will be advised in
writing of the proposed action and the reasons
for it.
The organization will also be advised of its
right to protest the proposed action by requesting Independent Office of Appeals consideration. The appeal procedures are discussed
next.
Appeal Procedures
If your organization applies for recognition of
tax-exempt status and Rulings and Agreements
determines your organization doesn't qualify for
exemption, your organization will be advised of
its rights to protest the determination by requesting Independent Office of Appeals consideration. Your organization must submit a statement of its views fully explaining its reasoning.
Publication 557 (1-2025)
The statement must be submitted within 30
days from the date of the proposed adverse determination letter and must state whether your
organization wishes Independent Office of Appeals consideration.
Representation. A principal officer or trustee
can represent an organization at any level of appeal within the IRS. Also, an attorney, CPA, or
individual enrolled to practice before the IRS
can represent the organization.
If the organization's representative attends a
conference without a principal officer or trustee,
the representative must file a proper power of
attorney or a tax information authorization before receiving or inspecting confidential information. Form 2848 or Form 8821, Tax Information
Authorization, as appropriate (or any other
properly written power of attorney or authorization), can be used for this purpose. These forms
are available on IRS.gov from the Forms and Instructions page. For more information, see Publication 947, Practice Before the IRS and Power
of Attorney, which is also available on IRS.gov
from the Forms and Instructions page.
Independent Office of
Appeals Consideration
Before forwarding a case to the Independent
Office of Appeals, Rulings and Agreements will
consider the applicant’s statement protesting
and appealing (hereinafter appealing) the proposed adverse determination. If the organization does not submit the information that provides a basis for Rulings and Agreements to
reconsider its adverse determination, it will forward the appeal and case file to the Independent Office of Appeals. For more information
about the role of the Independent Office of Appeals, see Publication 892, How to Appeal an
IRS Decision on Tax-Exempt Status. The appeal should include the following information.
1. The organization's name, address, daytime telephone number, and employer
identification number.
2. A statement that the organization wants to
protest the determination.
3. A copy of the letter showing the determination you disagree with, or the date and
IRS office symbols on the determination
letter.
4. A statement of facts supporting the organization's position in any contested factual
issue.
5. A statement outlining the law or other authority the organization is relying on.
6. A statement as to whether a conference at
the Independent Office of Appeals is desired.
The statement of facts in item 4 must be declared true under penalties of perjury. This may
be done by adding to the protest the following
signed declaration:
Chapter 1
“Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I
have examined the statement of facts
presented in this protest and in any
accompanying schedules and statements and,
to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is
true, correct, and complete.”
Signature.
If the organization's representative submits the
appeal, a substitute declaration must be included, stating:
1. That the representative prepared the appeal and accompanying documents, and
2. Whether the representative knows personally that the statements of fact contained in
the appeal and accompanying documents
are true and correct.
Be sure the appeal contains all of the information requested. Incomplete appeals will be
returned for completion.
The Independent Office of Appeals, after
any requested conference and upon consideration of the organization's appeal, as well as information presented in any conference held, will
generally notify the organization of its decision
and issue an appropriate determination letter.
An adverse decision can be appealed to the
courts (discussed later). If new information is
submitted during Independent Office of Appeals
consideration, the matter may be returned to
Rulings and Agreements for further consideration.
The Independent Office of Appeals must request technical advice on any exempt organization issue concerning qualification for exemption or foundation status for which there is no
published precedent or for which there is reason to believe that nonuniformity exists. If an organization believes that its case involves such
an issue, it should ask the Independent Office
of Appeals to request technical advice.
Any determination letter issued on the basis
of technical advice can't be appealed to the Independent Office of Appeals for those issues
that were the subject of the technical advice.
Administrative Remedies
In the case of an application under section
501(c) or 501(d) and exempt from tax under
501(a), all of the following actions, called administrative remedies, must be completed by
your organization before an unfavorable determination letter from the IRS can be appealed to
the courts.
1. The filing of the correct completed application or group exemption request under
section 501(c), or 501(d) and exempt from
tax under 501(a) (described earlier in this
chapter) or the filing of a request for a determination of foundation status (see Private Foundations and Public Charities in
chapter 3).
2. In the case of a late-filed application, requesting relief under Regulations section
301.9100 regarding applications for extensions of time for making an election or application for relief from tax (see Application
for Recognition of Exemption in chapter 3).
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
7
3. The timely submission of all additional information requested to perfect an exemption application or request for determination of private foundation status.
4. Exhaustion of all administrative appeals
available within the IRS.
The actions just described won't be considered completed until the IRS has had a reasonable time to act upon the appeal or protest, as
the case may be.
An organization won't be considered to have
exhausted its administrative remedies before
the earlier of:
1. The completion of the steps just listed and
the sending by certified or registered mail
of a notice of final determination, or
2. The expiration of the 270-day period in
which the IRS has not issued a notice of final determination and the organization has
taken, in a timely manner, all reasonable
steps to secure a ruling or determination.
270-day period. The 270-day period will be
considered by the IRS to begin on the date a
completed application, or group exemption request is sent or submitted to the IRS. See Application Procedures, earlier, for information needed to complete the application form.
If the application doesn't contain all of the required items, it won't be further processed and
may be returned to the applicant for completion.
The 270-day period, in this event, won't be considered as starting until the date the application
is remailed to the IRS with the requested information, or, if a postmark isn't evident, on the
date the IRS receives a completed application.
Appeal to Courts
If the IRS issues an unfavorable determination
letter to your organization and you have exhausted all the administrative remedies just discussed, your organization can seek judicial
remedies.
For example, if your organization has paid
the tax resulting from the adverse determination
and met all other statutory prerequisites, it can
file suit for a refund in a U.S. District Court or the
U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Or, if your organization elected not to pay the tax deficiency resulting from the adverse determination and met
all other statutory prerequisites, it can file suit
for a redetermination of the tax deficiencies in
the United States Tax Court. For more information on these types of suits, get Publication 556,
Examination of Returns, Appeal Rights, and
Claims for Refund.
In certain situations, your organization can
file suit for a declaratory judgment in the U.S.
District Court for the District of Columbia, the
U.S. Court of Federal Claims, or the U.S. Tax
Court. This remedy is available if your organization received an adverse notice of final determination, or if the IRS failed to make a timely determination on your initial or continuing
8
qualification or classification as an exempt organization. However, your exempt status claim
must be as:
• An organization qualifying under section
501(c) or 501(d) and exempt from tax under 501(a),
• An organization to which a deduction for a
contribution is allowed under section
170(c)(2),
• An organization that is a private foundation
under section 509(a),
• A private operating foundation under section 4942(j)(3), or
• A cooperative organization that is exempt
from tax under section 521.
Adverse notice of final determination. The
adverse notice of final determination referred to
above is a determination letter sent by certified
or registered mail holding that your organization:
• Isn't described in section 501(c) or 501(d)
and exempt from tax under 501(a), or section 170(c)(2);
• Is a private foundation and not a public
charity described in a part of section 509 or
section 170(b)(1)(A);
• Is not a private operating foundation, as
defined in section 4942(j)(3); or
• Is a public charity described in a part of
section 509(a) or section 170(b)(1)(A)
other than the part under which your organization requested classification.
Favorable court rulings - IRS procedure. If a
suit results in a final determination that your organization is exempt from tax, the IRS will issue
a favorable determination letter, provided your
organization has filed an application for exemption and submitted a statement that the underlying facts and applicable law are the same as in
the period considered by the court.
Group Exemption Letter
A group exemption letter is a determination letter issued to a central organization recognizing
on a group basis the exemption under section
501(c) of subordinate organizations on whose
behalf the central organization has applied for
recognition of exemption.
A central organization is an organization that
has one or more subordinates under its general
supervision or control. A subordinate organization is a chapter, local, post, or unit of a central
organization.
A subordinate organization may or may not
be incorporated, but it must have an organizing
document and it must have its own taxpayer
identification number (EIN). A subordinate that
is organized and operated in a foreign country
can't be included in a group exemption letter. A
subordinate described in section 501(c)(3) can't
be included in a group exemption letter if it is a
private foundation described in section 509(a).
If your organization is a subordinate controlled by a central organization (for example, a
church, a veterans' organization, or a fraternal
organization), you should check with the central
organization to see if it has been issued a group
exemption letter that covers your organization. If
Chapter 1
it has, you don’t have to file a separate application unless your organization no longer wants to
be included in the group exemption letter.
If the group exemption letter doesn't cover
your organization, ask your central organization
about being included in the next annual group
ruling update that it submits to the IRS.
See Publication 4573, Group Exemptions,
for additional general information about group
exemption. Go to the Charities & Nonprofits
page on IRS.gov for Group Exemption Resources for the most current information and updates.
Central Organization
Application Procedure
Note: The content about the Central Organization Application Procedure is included here
for informational purposes. However, as stated
in Notice 2020-36, IRB 2020-21, 840 and the
current year issued revenue procedures, the
IRS is not accepting any requests for group exemption letters until publication of the final revenue procedure described in the Notice or other
guidance in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
If your organization is a central organization
with affiliated subordinates under its control, it
can apply for a group exemption letter for its
subordinates, provided it has obtained recognition of its own exemption. A central organization
obtains recognition of its own exemption by
submitting Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, 1024, or
1024-A, as described in their instructions, with
the appropriate user fee. You request the group
exemption letter for the central organization’s
subordinates by letter rather than a specific application form. The issuance of the group exemption letter relieves each of the covered subordinates from filing its own application.
A central organization that has previously
obtained recognition of its own exemption must
indicate its employer identification number and
the date of the letter recognizing its exemption,
but need not forward documents already submitted. However, if it has not already done so,
the central organization must submit a copy of
any amendment to its governing instruments or
internal regulations as well as any information
about changes in its character, purposes, or
method of operation.
Employer identification number. Each subordinate must have its own EIN, even if it has no
employees. When submitting its group exemption application, the central organization must
provide an EIN for each subordinate organization.
Information required for subordinate organizations. The exempt central organization requests the group ruling letter. The central organization must submit information for
subordinates it will include in the group exemption letter. The information should be forwarded
in a letter signed by a principal officer of the
central organization setting forth or including as
attachments the following.
1. Information verifying that the subordinates:
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
a. Are affiliated with the central organization at the close of its annual accounting period;
b. Are subject to its general supervision
or control;
c. Are all eligible to qualify for exemption
under the same paragraph of section
501(c), though not necessarily the
paragraph under which the central organization itself is exempt;
d. If described in section 501(c)(3),
aren’t private foundations;
e. Are all on the same accounting period
as the central organization if they are
to be included in group returns (described later); and
f. If described in section 501(c)(3), are
organizations that have been formed
within the 15-month period preceding
the date of submission of the group
exemption application if they are subject to the requirements of section
508(a) and wish to be recognized as
exempt from their dates of creation . If
one or more of the subordinates
haven't been organized within the
15-month period, a group ruling may
be issued if all subordinates are willing to be recognized as exempt only
from the date of application.
2. A detailed description of the purposes and
activities of the subordinates, including the
sources of receipts and the nature of expenditures.
3. A sample copy of a uniform governing instrument (such as articles of incorporation or articles of association) adopted by
the subordinates, or, in its absence, copies
of representative instruments.
4. An affirmation to the effect that, to the best
of the officer's knowledge, the purposes
and activities of the subordinates are as
stated in (2) and (3), above.
5. A statement that each of the subordinates
has provided a written authorization to the
central organization, signed by an authorized officer of the subordinate, agreeing to
be included in the group exemption (see
also New 501(c)(3) organizations that
want to be included, later in this section).
6. A list of subordinates to be included in the
group exemption letter, to which the IRS
has issued an outstanding determination
letter.
7. An affirmation to the effect that, to the best
of the officer's knowledge and belief, no
subordinate described in section 501(c)(3)
is a private foundation, as defined in section 509(a).
8. For each subordinate that is a school
claiming exemption under section 501(c)
(3), the information required by Revenue
Ruling 75-50, 1975-2 C.B. 587 (as modified by Rev. Proc. 71-447, 1971-2 C.B. 230
and Rev. Proc. 2019–22, 2019–2 I.R.B.
1260) these requirements are described in
chapter 3, under Private Schools.
Publication 557 (1-2025)
9. For any school affiliated with a church, the
information to show that the provisions of
Revenue Ruling 75-231, 1975-1 C.B. 158,
have been met.
10. A list of the names, mailing addresses, actual addresses if different, and EINs of
subordinates to be included in the group
exemption letter. A current directory of
subordinates may be furnished instead of
the list if it includes the required information and if the subordinates not to be included in the group exemption letter are identified.
of the subordinates included in the group
exemption letter.
2. A separate list (that includes the names,
mailing addresses, actual addresses if different, and EINs of the affected subordinates) for each of the three following categories.
a. Subordinates that have changed their
names or addresses during the year.
b. Subordinates no longer to be included
in the group exemption letter because
they no longer exist or have disaffiliated from or withdrawn their authorization to the central organization.
New 501(c)(3) organizations that want to be
included. A new organization, described in
section 501(c)(3), that wants to be included in a
group exemption letter must submit its authorization (as explained in item number 5, earlier,
under Information required for subordinate organizations) to the central organization before
the end of the 15th month after it was formed in
order to satisfy the requirement of section
508(a). The central organization must also include this subordinate in its next annual submission of information, as discussed later, under Information Required Annually.
Keeping the Group
Exemption Letter in Force
Continued effectiveness of a group exemption
letter is based on the following conditions.
1. The continued existence of the central organization.
2. The continued qualification of the central
organization for exemption under section
501(c).
c. Subordinates to be added to the
group exemption letter because they
are newly organized or affiliated or because they have recently authorized
the central organization to include
them.
An annotated directory of subordinates
won't be accepted for this purpose. If there
were none of the above changes, the central organization must submit a statement
to that effect.
3. The same information about new subordinates that was required in the initial application for group exemption. (This information is listed in items 1 through 10, under
Information required for subordinate organizations, earlier.) If a new subordinate
doesn't differ in any material respects from
the subordinates included in the application for group exemption, however, a statement to this effect may be submitted in lieu
of detailed information.
The organization should send this information to:
3. The submission by the central organization of the information regarding its subordinate organizations that is required annually (described under Information Required
Annually).
4. The annual filing of an information return
(Form 990, for example) by the central organization, if required.
In addition, a group exemption letter will not be
effective as to a particular subordinate if the
subordinate ceases to conform to the requirements for inclusion in a group exemption letter
and authorization for inclusion (see items 1 and
5 in Information required for subordinate organizations, earlier), and the annual filing of any required information return for the subordinate. A
central organization may file a group return for
some or all of its subordinates. If it does so, the
group return must be filed on Form 990 under a
separate EIN obtained exclusively for the purpose of filing the group return. Form 990-EZ
cannot be used for a group return.
Information Required Annually
To maintain a group exemption letter, the central
organization must submit annually, at least 90
days before the close of its annual accounting
period, all of the following information.
1. Information about all changes in the purposes, character, or method of operation
Chapter 1
Internal Revenue Service Center
Ogden, UT 84201–0027
Submitting the required information annually doesn't relieve the central organCAUTION ization or any of its subordinates of the
duty to submit any other information that may be
required by an EO area manager to determine
whether the conditions for continued exemption
are being met.
!
As of 2019, the IRS will no longer send
TIP the List of Parent and Subsidiary Accounts to the central organizations.
Events Causing
Loss of Group Exemption
A group exemption letter no longer has effect,
for either a particular subordinate or the group
as a whole, when:
1. The central organization notifies the IRS
that it is going out of existence;
2. The central organization notifies the IRS,
by its annual submission or otherwise, that
any of its subordinates will no longer fulfill
Application, Approval, and Appeal Procedures
9
the conditions for continued effectiveness,
explained earlier, or
3. The IRS notifies the central organization or
the affected subordinate that the group exemption letter will no longer have effect for
some or all of the group because the conditions for continued effectiveness of a
group exemption letter haven't been fulfilled.
When notice is given under any of these three
conditions, the IRS will no longer recognize the
exempt status of the affected subordinates until
they file separate applications on their own behalf or the central organization files complete
supporting information for their inclusion in the
group exemption at the time of its annual submission. However, when the notice is given by
the IRS and the withdrawal of recognition is
based on the failure of the organization to comply with the requirements for recognition of
tax-exempt status under the particular subsection of section 501(c), the revocation will ordinarily take effect as of the date of that failure. The
notice, however, will be given only after the appeal procedures described earlier in this chapter are completed.
Topics
Schedule M (Form 990) Noncash
Contributions
Schedule M (Form 990)
This chapter discusses:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Annual information returns
Unrelated business income tax return
Employment tax returns
Political organization income tax return
Reporting requirements for a political
organization
Donee information return
Information provided to donors
Report of cash received
Public inspection of exemption
applications, annual returns, and political
organizations reporting forms
Required disclosures
Miscellaneous rules
Useful Items
You may want to see:
15
Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide
15-A Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide
15-A
15-B Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe
Benefits
15-B
In addition, the IRS will cease to recognize
the subordinates under a group exemption as
tax-exempt if the central organization is automatically revoked for failure to file required returns or notices for 3 consecutive years. See
Automatic Revocation, later. Subordinates under a group exemption are also subject to automatic revocation for failure to file required returns (or appear on a group return if the
subordinate does not file its own) or notices for
3 consecutive years. A subordinate organization
that is automatically revoked must apply to the
IRS for reinstatement of its exempt status.
Thereafter, it may retain independent exempt
status or it may seek to resume its status as a
subordinate of the central organization. See
Group Exemption Resources .
Schedule N (Form 990)
Schedule O (Form 990) Supplemental
Information to Form 990
Schedule O (Form 990)
940 Employer's Annual Federal
Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return
940
Schedule R (Form 990) Related
Organizations and Unrelated
Partnerships
Schedule R (Form 990)
990-PF Return of Private Foundation or
Section 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt
Charitable Trust Treated as a Private
Foundation
990-PF
990-N Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for
Tax-Exempt Organizations Not
Required to File Form 990 or Form
990-EZ
990-N
Publication
15
Schedule N (Form 990) Liquidation,
Termination, Dissolution, or
Significant Disposition of Assets
598 Tax on Unrelated Business Income of
Exempt Organizations
990-T Exempt Organization Business
Income Tax Return
990-T
Schedule A (Form 990-T) Unrelated
Business Taxable Income from an
Unrelated Trade or Business
Schedule A (Form 990-T)
598
990-W Estimated Tax on Unrelated
Business Taxable Income for
Tax-Exempt Organizations
990-W
Form (and Instructions)
941 Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax
Return
1120-POL U.S. Income Tax Return for
Certain Political Organizations
990 Return of Organization Exempt From
Income Tax
4720 Return of Certain Excise Taxes
Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the
Internal Revenue Code
941
990
990-EZ Short Form Return of
Organization Exempt From Income
Tax
Schedule A (Form 990) Public Charity
Status and Public Support
Schedule A (Form 990)
Schedule B (Form 990)
Schedule C (Form 990) Political
Campaign and Lobbying Activities
Schedule C (Form 990)
Schedule D (Form 990) Supplemental
Financial Statements
Schedule D (Form 990)
Schedule E (Form 990) Schools
Filing
Requirements
and Required
Disclosures
4720
990-EZ
Schedule B (Form 990) Schedule of
Contributors
2.
1120-POL
5768 Election/Revocation of Election by
an Eligible Section 501(c)(3)
Organization To Make Expenditures
To Influence Legislation
5768
6069 Return of Certain Excise Taxes on
Mine Operators, Black Lung Trusts,
and Other Persons Under Sections
4951, 4952, and 4953
6069
7004 Application for Automatic Extension
of Time to File Certain Business
Income Tax, Information, and Other
Returns
7004
Schedule E (Form 990)
Schedule F (Form 990) Statement of
Activities Outside the United States
Schedule F (Form 990)
Schedule G (Form 990) Supplemental
Information Regarding Fundraising or
Gaming Activities
Schedule G (Form 990)
8274 Certification by Churches and
Qualified Church-Controlled
Organizations Electing Exemption
from Employer Social Security and
Medicare Taxes
8274
8282 Donee Information Return
8282
Schedule H (Form 990) Hospitals
Schedule H (Form 990)
8300 Report of Cash Payments Over
$10,000 Received in a Trade or
Business
8300
Schedule I (Form 990) Grants and Other
Assistance to Organizations,
Governments, and Individuals in the
United States
Schedule I (Form 990)
Introduction
Most exempt organizations (including private
foundations) must file various returns and reports at some time during (or following the close
of) their accounting period.
Schedule J (Form 990) Compensation
Information
Schedule J (Form 990)
8453-X Political Organization Declaration
for Electronic Filing of Notice of
Section 527 Status
8453-X
8822-B Change of Address or
Responsible Party—Business
8822-B
Schedule K (Form 990) Supplemental
Information on Tax-Exempt Bonds
Schedule K (Form 990)
8868 Application for Automatic Extension
of Time to File an Exempt
Organization Return
8868
Schedule L (Form 990) Transactions
With Interested Persons
Schedule L (Form 990)
10
Chapter 2
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
8870 Information Return for Transfers
Associated with Certain Personal
Benefits Contracts
committee of a state or local candidate, a
caucus or association of state or local officials, or required to report under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 as a
political committee;
8870
8871 Political Organization Notice of
Section 527 Status
8871
8872 Political Organization Report of
Contributions and Expenditures
8872
8886-T Disclosure by Tax-Exempt Entity
Regarding Prohibited Tax Shelter
Transaction
8886-T
8899 Notice of Income from Donated
Intellectual Property
8899
8976 Notice of Intent to Operate Under
Section 501(c)(4)
14. An exempt organization (other than a private foundation or a supporting organization described in Supporting Organization
Annual Information Return, later) that normally has annual gross receipts of
$50,000 or less (required to file Form
990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for
Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required
to File Form 990 or Form 990-EZ); or
8976
See chapter 6 for information about getting
these publications and forms.
Annual Information
Returns
1. A church, an interchurch organization of
local units of a church, a convention or association of churches;
2. An integrated auxiliary of a church;
3. A church-affiliated organization that is exclusively engaged in managing funds or
maintaining retirement programs;
4. A school below college level affiliated with
a church or operated by a religious order;
5. Church-affiliated mission societies if more
than half of their activities are conducted
in, or are directed at persons in, foreign
countries;
6. An exclusively religious activity of any religious order;
7. A state institution, the income of which is
excluded from gross income under section
115;
8. A corporation described in section 501(c)
(1) that is organized under an Act of Congress, an instrumentality of the United
States, and is exempt from federal income
taxes;
9. A stock bonus, pension, or profit-sharing
trust that qualifies under section 401 (required to file Form 5500, Annual Return/
Report of Employee Benefit Plan);
10. A religious or apostolic organization described in section 501(d) (required to file
Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income);
11. A governmental unit or an affiliate of a governmental unit that meets the requirements of Rev. Proc. 95-48, 1995-2 C.B.
418, IRS.gov/pub/irs-tege/rp1995-48.pdf ;
12. A private foundation described in section
501(c)(3) and exempt under section
501(a) (required to file Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation);
13. A political organization that is a state or local committee of a political party, a political
cer;
• Organization's annual tax period;
• Verification that the organization's annual
gross receipts are normally $50,000 or
less; and
• Notification if the organization has terminated.
Form 990-N is due by the 15th day of the
fifth month after the close of the tax year. For tax
years beginning after December 31, 2006, any
organization that fails to meet its annual reporting requirement for 3 consecutive years will automatically lose its tax-exempt status. To regain
its exempt status an organization will have to reapply for recognition as a tax-exempt organization.
1. An integrated auxiliary of a church;
Exceptions. This filing requirement doesn't
apply to:
• Churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and
conventions or associations of churches;
• Organizations that are included in a group
return;
• Private foundations required to file Form
990-PF; and
• Section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations
required to file Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
2. The exclusively religious activities of a religious order; or
Forms 990 and 990-EZ
Supporting Organization
Annual Information Return
Every organization exempt from federal income
tax under section 501(a) must file an Annual
Exempt Organization Return except:
Publication 557 (1-2025)
15. A foreign organization, or an organization
located in a U.S. territory, that normally
has annual gross receipts from sources
within the United States of $50,000 or
less.
• Its Internet website address (if any);
• Its taxpayer identification number;
• The name and address of a principal offi-
Each section 509(a)(3) supporting organization
is required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ with the
IRS regardless of the organization's gross receipts, unless it qualifies as one of the following:
3. An organization, the gross receipts of
which are normally not more than $5,000,
that supports a section 509(a)(3) religious
order.
If the organization is described in item (3)
above, then it must submit Form 990-N (e-Postcard) unless it voluntarily files Form 990 or
990-EZ.
On its annual information return, in Part I,
Schedule A (Form 990) a supporting organization must:
• List the organizations to which it provides
support;
• Indicate whether it is a Type I, Type II, or
Type III supporting organization; and
• Certify that the organization isn't controlled
directly or indirectly by disqualified persons
(other than by foundation managers and
other than one or more publicly supported
organizations).
Annual Electronic Notice Filing
Requirement for Small Tax-Exempt
Organizations
Small tax-exempt organizations with annual
gross receipts normally $50,000 or less that are
not otherwise required to file an annual information return and are not otherwise exempted entirely from a filing requirement must submit
Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for
Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required to File
Form 990 or 990-EZ, with the IRS each year, if
they choose not to file a Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Form 990-N requires the following information:
• The organization's legal name, and mailing
address;
• Any name under which it operates and
does business;
Chapter 2
Exempt organizations, other than private foundations, must file their annual information returns on Form 990 or 990-EZ, unless excepted
from filing or allowed to submit Form 990-N, described earlier.
Generally, political organizations with gross
receipts of $25,000 ($100,000 for a qualified
state or local political organization (QSLPO)) or
more for the tax year are required to file Form
990 or 990-EZ unless specifically excepted
from filing the annual return. The following political organizations aren't required to file Form
990 or Form 990-EZ.
• A state or local committee of a political
party.
• A political committee of a state or local
candidate.
• A caucus or association of state or local officials.
• A political organization that is required to
report as a political committee under the
Federal Election Campaign Act.
• A 501(c) organization that has expenditures for influencing or attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or
appointment of any individual for a federal,
state, or local public office.
Form 990-EZ. This is a shortened version of
Form 990. Form 990-EZ is designed for use by
small exempt organizations and nonexempt
charitable trusts.
An organization can file either Form 990 or
990-EZ if it satisfies both of the following:
1. Its gross receipts during the year are less
than $200,000.
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
11
2. Its total assets (line 25, column (B) of
Form 990-EZ) at the end of the year are
less than $500,000.
If your organization doesn't satisfy both of these
conditions, it can't file Form 990-EZ. Instead,
the organization must file Form 990.
Group return. A group return on Form 990
may be filed by a central, parent, or like organization for two or more local organizations, none
of which is a private foundation. This return is in
addition to the central organization's separate
annual return if it must file a return. The central
organization can't be included in the group return. See the Instructions for Form 990 for the
conditions under which this procedure may be
used.
In any year that an organization is prop-
TIP erly included as a subordinate organi-
zation on a group return, it shouldn't file
its own Form 990.
Schedule A (Form 990). Organizations, other
than private foundations, that are described in
section 501(c)(3) and that are otherwise required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ must also
complete Schedule A of that form.
Schedule B (Form 990). Organizations that
file Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF use this
schedule to provide required information regarding certain contributors.
Schedule O (Form 990). Organizations that
file Form 990 or 990-EZ, must use this schedule
to provide required additional information or if
additional space is needed.
Other schedules may be required to be filed
with Form 990 or 990-EZ. See the Instructions
for Form 990 or the Instructions for Form
990-EZ for more information.
Report significant new or changed program
services and changes to organizational
documents. An organization should report
new significant program services or significant
changes in how it conducts program services,
and significant changes to its organizational
documents, on its Form 990 rather than in a letter to EO Determinations. EO Determinations
no longer issues letters confirming the tax-exempt status of organizations that report new
services or significant changes, or changes to
organizational documents. See Miscellaneous
Rules, Organization Changes and Exempt Status, later.
Form 990-PF
All private foundations exempt under section
501(c)(3) must file Form 990-PF. These organizations are discussed in chapter 3.
electronically, including Form 990, 990-EZ,
990-PF, 8872, and 990-T. The e-filing requirement is generally effective for tax years beginning after July 1, 2019. The Taxpayer First Act
allows transitional relief for certain small organizations or other organizations for which the IRS
determines that application of the e-filing requirement would constitute an undue hardship
in the absence of additional transitional time.
If an organization is required to file a return
electronically but doesn't, it isn't considered to
have filed its return. See Regulations section
301.6033-4 for more information.
Form 990. For tax years beginning on or
before July 1, 2019, an organization is required
to file Form 990 electronically if it files at least
250 returns during the calendar year and has
total assets of $10 million or more at the end of
the tax year. For tax years beginning after July
1, 2019, an organization is required to file Form
990 electronically unless exceptions described
in the form instructions apply. As of the 2020
Form 990, the instructions no longer describe
any exceptions to the e-filing requirement.
Form 990-EZ. For small exempt organizations, the legislation specifically allowed a postponement (“transitional relief”). For tax years
ending before July 31, 2021, the IRS will accept
either paper or electronic filing of Form 990-EZ,
Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from
Income Tax. For tax years ending July 31, 2021,
and later, Forms 990-EZ must be filed electronically. Generally, Form 990-EZ is for organizations with annual gross receipts less than
$200,000 and total assets at tax year-end less
than $500,000.
Form 990-PF. For tax years beginning on or
before July 1, 2019, an organization is required
to file Form 990-PF electronically if it files at
least 250 returns during the calendar year. For
tax years beginning after July 1, 2019, an organization is required to file Form 990-PF electronically unless exceptions described in the
form instructions apply. As of the 2020 Form
990-PF, the instructions no longer describe any
exceptions to the e-filing requirement.
Form 990-N. An organization that is eligible
and elects to submit Form 990-N must submit it
electronically.
Form 990-T. The IRS continued to accept
paper forms Form 990-T into 2021 pending its
conversion into electronic format. In March
2020, the IRS announced the availability of the
electronic filing of Form 990-T. Any 2020, and
any future year Form 990-T with a due date on
or after April 15, 2021, must be filed electronically and not on paper.
Form 8872. Form 8872 must be filed electronically if reporting on periods after 2019.
Electronic Filing
Due Date
For tax years beginning on or before July 1,
2019, your organization may be required to file
Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-PF, and
related forms, schedules, and attachments
electronically. For tax years beginning after July
1, 2019, under the Taxpayer First Act, organizations are required to file certain returns
Forms 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF must be filed by
the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of
your organization's accounting period. Thus, for
a calendar year taxpayer, Forms 990, 990-EZ,
or 990-PF are due May 15 of the following year.
If any due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or
12
Chapter 2
legal holiday, the return will be due the next
business day.
Extension of time to file. Use Form 8868 to
request an automatic six month extension of
time to file Forms 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF.
When filing Form 8868 for an automatic extension, neither a signature, nor an explanation
is required.
Application for exemption pending. An organization that claims to be exempt under section 501(a) but has not established its exempt
status by the due date for filing an information
return must complete and file Form 990,
990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF (if it considers itself a
private foundation), unless the organization is
exempt from Form 990-series filing requirements. If the organization's application is pending with the IRS, it must so indicate on Forms
990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF (whichever applies) by
checking the application pending block at the
top of page 1 of the return. For more information
on the filing requirements, see the Instructions
for Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF.
State reporting requirements. Copies of
Forms 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF may be used to
satisfy state reporting requirements. See the instructions for those forms.
Form 8870. Organizations that filed a Form
990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF, and paid premiums or
received transfers on certain life insurance, annuity, and endowment contracts (personal benefit contracts), must file Form 8870. For more information, see Form 8870 and the instructions
for that form.
Form 8822-B. If you moved during the year, fill
out Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party-Business. Also, if your “Responsible Party” changed this year, you must
also fill out Form 8822-B. The “Responsible
Party” is the tax-exempt organization’s “Principal Officer,”as defined in the Form 990 instructions, in the Glossary section.
Automatic Revocation
If the organization fails to file a Form 990,
990-EZ, or 990-PF, or fails to submit a Form
990-N, as required, for 3 consecutive years, it
will automatically lose its tax-exempt status by
operation of law effective as of the due date for
the third missed return or notice. The list of organizations whose tax-exempt status has been
automatically revoked is available on IRS.gov.
This list (Auto-Revocation List) may be viewed
and searched on Tax-Exempt Organization
Search. The Auto-Revocation List includes
each organization's name, employer identification number (EIN), and last known address. It
also includes the effective date of the automatic
revocation and the date it was posted to the list.
For auto-revoked organizations that applied for
and received reinstatement, the list gives the
date of reinstatement. The IRS updates the list
monthly to include additional organizations that
lose their tax-exempt status.
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Tax Effect of Loss of Tax-Exempt
Status
If your organization’s tax-exempt status is automatically revoked, you may be required to file
one of the following federal income tax returns
and pay any applicable income taxes:
• Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax
Return, due by the 15th day of the 3rd
month after the end of your organization’s
tax year, or
• Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, due by the 15th day of the
4th month after the end of your organization’s tax year.
In addition, a section 501(c)(3) organization
that loses its tax-exempt status can't receive
tax-deductible contributions and won't be identified in the IRS Business Master File extract as
eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions,
or be included in Tax-Exempt Organization
Search (Pub. 78 database).
An organization whose exemption was automatically revoked must apply for tax exemption
in order to regain its tax exemption (even if it
wasn't originally required to apply). In some situations, an organization may be able to obtain
exemption retroactive to its date of revocation.
Similarly, if the central organization with a Group
Exemption Number is automatically revoked, all
its covered subsidiaries may need to apply for
exemption as independent organizations.
For more information about automatic revocation, go to IRS.gov and select Charities &
Non-Profits and then select Reinstated? Learn
more with Reinstate Tax-Exempt Status.
Penalties
Penalties for failure to file. Generally, an exempt organization that fails to file a required return must pay a penalty of $20 a day for each
day the failure continues. The same penalty will
apply if the organization doesn't give all the information required on the return or doesn't give
the correct information.
Maximum penalty. The maximum penalty
for any one return is the smaller of $10,000 or
5% of the organization's gross receipts for the
year.
Organization with gross receipts over $1
million. For an organization that has gross receipts of over $1 million for the year, the penalty
is $100 a day up to a maximum of $50,000.
Managers. If the organization is subject to
this penalty, the IRS may specify a date by
which the return or correct information must be
supplied by the organization. Failure to comply
with this demand will result in a penalty imposed upon the manager of the organization, or
upon any other person responsible for filing a
correct return. The penalty is $10 a day for each
day that a return isn't filed after the period given
for filing. The maximum penalty imposed on all
persons with respect to any one return is
$5,000.
Penalties indexed for inflation. These
penalty provisions are indexed for inflation for
Publication 557 (1-2025)
returns required to be filed after December 31,
2014.
for more details. See also Small Business
Health Care Tax Credit.
Exception for reasonable cause. No penalty will be imposed if reasonable cause for failure to file timely can be shown.
Trust fund recovery penalty. If any person required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay
over any of these taxes willfully fails to satisfy
any of these requirements or willfully tries in any
way to evade or defeat any of them, that person
will be subject to a penalty. The penalty is equal
to the tax evaded, not collected, or not accounted for and paid over. The term person includes:
• An officer or employee of a corporation, or
• A member or employee of a partnership.
Unrelated Business
Income Tax Return
Even though your organization is recognized as
tax exempt, it still may be liable for tax on its unrelated business income. Unrelated business
income is income from a trade or business, regularly carried on, that isn't substantially related
to the charitable, educational, or other purpose
that is the basis for the organization's exemption.
If your organization has gross income of
$1,000 or more from a regularly conducted unrelated trade or business, you must file Form
990-T in addition to your required annual information return or notice. The form instructions
and IRS.gov should be consulted for electronic
filing guidance. For tax years beginning after
December 31, 2017, an organization with more
than one unrelated trade or business must compute its UBTI (unrelated business taxable income), including for purposes of determining
any net operating loss deduction, separately
with respect to each such trade or business. Organizations complete a separate Schedule A
(Form 990-T) to calculate UBTI for each of its
trades or businesses.
Estimated tax. An organization that expects to owe $500 or more in tax (including tax
on unrelated business income) is required to
make quarterly estimated tax payments. Use
Form 990-W to figure your organization's estimated tax payments. Failure to make appropriate quarterly estimated tax payments may result
in an underpayment penalty.
See Publication 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations for more
information on UBTI.
Employment
Tax Returns
Every employer, including an organization exempt from federal income tax that pays wages
to employees is responsible for withholding, depositing, paying, and reporting federal income
tax, social security and Medicare (FICA) taxes,
and federal unemployment tax (FUTA), unless
that employer is specifically excepted by law
from those requirements, or if the taxes clearly
don't apply.
For more information, obtain a copy of Publication 15, which summarizes the responsibilities of an employer, Publication 15-A, Publication 15-B, and Form 941.
Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. If
your small tax-exempt organization provides
health care coverage for your workers you may
qualify for the small business health care tax
credit. Go to Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions
Chapter 2
Exception. The penalty isn't imposed on
any unpaid volunteer director or member of a
board of trustees of an exempt organization if
the unpaid volunteer serves solely in an honorary capacity, doesn't participate in the
day-to-day or financial operations of the organization, and doesn't have actual knowledge of
the failure on which the penalty is imposed.
This exception doesn't apply if it results in no
one being liable for the penalty.
Certification Program for Professional Employer Organizations (CPEOs). The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, enacted Dec.
19, 2014, requires the IRS to establish a voluntary certification program for professional employer organizations (PEOs). PEOs handle various payroll administration and tax reporting
responsibilities for their business clients and are
typically paid a fee based on payroll costs. For
further information, go to: IRS.gov/for-tax-pros/
basic-tools/certified-professional-employerorganization.
FICA and FUTA tax exceptions. Payments for
services performed by a minister of a church in
the exercise of the ministry, or a member of a religious order performing duties required by the
order, are generally not subject to FICA or FUTA
taxes.
FUTA tax exception. Payments for services performed by an employee of a religious,
charitable, educational, or other organization
described in section 501(c)(3) that are generally
subject to FICA taxes if the payments are $100
or more for the year, aren't subject to FUTA
taxes. However, a section 501(c)(3) organization is liable for FUTA tax when paying wages
for employees on behalf of others, examples include but are not limited to related non-section
501(c)(3) organizations, fiscal agents such as
IRC 3504, common paymaster, etc.
FICA tax exemption election. Churches
and qualified church-controlled organizations
can elect exemption from employer FICA taxes
by filing Form 8274.
To elect the exemption, Form 8274 must be
filed before the first date on which a quarterly
employment tax return would otherwise be due
from the electing organization. The organization
can make the election only if it is opposed for
religious reasons to the payment of FICA taxes.
The election applies to payments for services of current and future employees other than
services performed in an unrelated trade or
business.
Revoking the election. The election can
be revoked by the IRS if the organization fails to
file Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, for 2
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
13
years and fails to furnish certain information
upon request by the IRS. Such revocation will
apply retroactively to the beginning of the 2-year
period.
Definitions. For purposes of this election,
the term church means a church, a convention
or association of churches, or an elementary or
secondary school that is controlled, operated,
or principally supported by a church or by a
convention or association of churches.
The term qualified church-controlled organization means any church-controlled section
501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, other than
an organization that both:
1. Offers goods, services, or facilities for
sale, other than on an incidental basis, to
the general public at other than a nominal
charge that is substantially less than the
cost of providing such goods, services, or
facilities; and
2. Normally receives more than 25% of its
support from the sum of governmental
sources and receipts from admissions,
sales of merchandise, performance of
services, or furnishing of facilities, in activities that aren't unrelated trades or businesses.
Effect on employees. If a church or qualified church-controlled organization has made
an election, payment for services performed for
that church or organization, other than in an unrelated trade or business, won't be subject to
FICA taxes. However, the employee, unless otherwise exempt, will be subject to self-employment tax on the income. The tax applies to income of $108.28 or more for the tax year from
that church or organization, and no deductions
for trade or business expenses are allowed
against this self-employment income.
Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment
Tax, should be attached to the employee's income tax return.
Political Organization
Income Tax Return
political
organization
that
has
TIP $25,000 ($100,000 for a qualified state
or local political organization) or more
in gross receipts for the tax year must file Form
990 or Form 990-EZ (and Schedule B of the
form), unless excepted. See Forms 990 and
990-EZ, earlier.
Political organization. A political organization
is a party, committee, association, fund, or other
organization (whether or not incorporated) organized and operated primarily for the purpose
of directly or indirectly accepting contributions
or making expenditures, or both, for an exempt
function.
14
Certain political organizations are required to notify the IRS that they are
CAUTION section 527 organizations. These organizations must use Form 8871. Some of
these section 527 organizations must use Form
8872 to file periodic reports with the IRS disclosing their contributions and expenditures. For
a discussion on these forms, see Reporting Requirements for a Political Organization, later.
!
Political organization taxable income.
Political organization taxable income is the excess of:
1. Gross income for the tax year (excluding
exempt function income) minus
2. Deductions directly connected with the
earning of gross income.
To figure taxable income, allow for a $100 specific deduction, but don't allow for the net operating loss deduction, the dividends-received deduction, and other special deductions for
corporations.
Exempt organization not a political organization. An organization exempt under section
501(c) that spends any amount for an exempt
function must file Form 1120-POL for any year
in which it has political taxable income. These
organizations must include in gross income the
lesser of:
1. The total amount of its exempt function expenditures, or
2. The organization's net investment income.
Generally, a political organization is treated as
an organization exempt from tax. Certain political organizations, however, must file an annual
income tax return, Form 1120-POL, U.S. Income Tax Return for Certain Political Organizations, for any year they have political organization taxable income in excess of the $100
specific deduction allowed under section 527.
A
Exempt function. An exempt function
means influencing or attempting to influence the
selection, nomination, election, or appointment
of any individual to any federal, state, local public office or office in a political organization, or
the election of the Presidential or Vice Presidential electors, whether or not such individual
or electors are selected, nominated, elected, or
appointed. It also includes certain office expenses of a holder of public office or an office in a
political organization.
Separate fund. A section 501(c) organization can set up a separate segregated fund that
will be treated as an independent political organization. The earnings and expenditures
made by the separate fund won't be attributed
to the section 501(c) organization.
Section 501(c)(3) organizations are
precluded from, and may suffer loss of
CAUTION exemption for, engaging in any political
campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any
candidate for public office.
!
Due date. Form 1120-POL is due by the 15th
day of the 4th month after the end of the tax
year. Thus, for a calendar year taxpayer, Form
1120-POL is due on April 15 of the following
year. If any due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the organization can file
the return on the next business day.
Form 1120-POL is not required of an
TIP exempt organization that makes expen-
ditures for political purposes if its gross
income doesn't exceed its directly connected
deductions by more than $100 for the tax year.
Chapter 2
Extension of time to file. Use Form 7004 to
request an automatic extension of time to file
Form 1120-POL. The extension will be granted
if you complete Form 7004 properly, make a
proper estimate of the tax (if applicable), file
Form 1120-POL by the due date, and pay any
tax due.
Failure to file. A political organization that
fails to file Form 1120-POL is subject to a penalty equal to 5% of the tax due for each month
(or partial month) the return is late up to a maximum of 25% of the tax due, unless the organization shows the failure was due to reasonable
cause.
For more information about filing Form
1120-POL, refer to the instructions accompanying the form.
Failure to pay on time. An organization
that doesn't pay the tax when due generally
may have to pay a penalty of 1/2 of 1% of the
unpaid tax for each month or part of a month
the tax isn't paid, up to a maximum of 25% of
the unpaid tax. The penalty won't be imposed if
the organization can show that the failure to pay
on time was due to reasonable cause.
Reporting Requirements
for a Political
Organization
Certain political organizations are required to
notify the IRS that the organization is to be treated as a section 527 political organization. The
organization is also required to periodically report certain contributions received and expenditures made by the organization. To notify the
IRS of section 527 treatment, an organization
must file Form 8871. To report contributions and
expenditures, certain tax-exempt political organizations must file Form 8872.
Form 8871
A political organization must electronically file
Form 8871 to notify the IRS that it is to be treated as a section 527 organization. However, an
organization isn't required to file Form 8871 if:
• It reasonably expects its annual gross receipts to always be less than $25,000.
• It is a political committee required to report
under the Federal Election Campaign Act
of 1971 (FECA) (52 U.S.C. section 30101
et seq.).
• It is a state or local candidate committee.
• It is a state or local committee of a political
party.
All other political organizations are required to
file Form 8871.
An organization must provide on Form 8871:
1. Its name and address (including any business address, if different) and its electronic mailing address;
2. Its purpose;
3. The names and addresses of its officers,
highly compensated employees, contact
person, custodian of records, and
members of its board of directors;
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
4. The name and address of, and relationship to, any related entities (within the
meaning of section 168(h)(4)); and
$10,000 ($50,000 in the case of a corporation)
or imprisoned for not more than 1 year or both.
5. Whether it intends to claim an exemption
from filing Form 8872, Form 990, or Form
990-EZ.
Employer identification number. If your
organization needs an EIN, you can apply for
one online. Click on the Employer ID Numbers
(EINs) link at IRS.gov/businesses/small.
If you previously applied for an EIN and
haven't yet received it, or you are unsure
whether you have an EIN, please call our
toll-free customer account services number,
1-877-829-5500, for assistance.
Due dates. The initial Form 8871 must be filed
within 24 hours of the date on which the organization was established. If there is a material
change, an amended Form 8871 must be filed
within 30 days of the material change. When the
organization terminates its existence, it must file
a final Form 8871 within 30 days of termination.
If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday,
or legal holiday, the organization can file on the
next business day.
How to file. An organization must file Form
8871 electronically via the IRS Internet website
at IRS.gov/polorgs.
Form 8453-X, Political Organization Declaration for Electronic Filing of Notice of Section 527 Status. After electronically submitting
the initial Form 8871, the political organization
must print, sign, and mail Form 8453-X to the
IRS. Upon receipt of the Form 8453-X, the IRS
will send the organization a username and
password that must be used to file an amended
or final Form 8871 or to electronically file Form
8872.
Penalties
Failure to file. An organization that is required to file Form 8871, but fails to do so on a
timely basis, won't be treated as a tax-exempt
section 527 organization for any period before
the date Form 8871 is filed. Also, the taxable income of the organization for that period will include its exempt function income (including
contributions received, membership dues, and
political fundraising receipts) minus any deductions directly connected with the production of
that income.
Failure to file an amended Form 8871 will
cause the organization to not be treated as a
tax-exempt section 527 organization. If an organization is treated as not being a tax-exempt
section 527 organization, the taxable income of
the organization will be determined by considering any exempt function income and deductions
during the period beginning on the date of the
material change and ending on the date that the
amended Form 8871 is filed.
The tax is computed by multiplying the organization's taxable income by the highest corporate tax rate.
Fraudulent returns. Any individual or corporation that willfully delivers or discloses to the
IRS any list, return, account, statement or other
document known to be fraudulent or false as to
any material matter will be fined not more than
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Waiver of penalties. The IRS may waive
any additional tax assessed on an organization
for failure to file Form 8871 if the failure was due
to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.
Additional information. For more information
on Form 8871, see the form and its instructions.
For a discussion on the public inspection requirements for the form, see Public Inspection
of Exemption Applications, Annual Returns, and
Political Organization Reporting Forms, later.
Form 8872
Every tax-exempt section 527 political organization that accepts a contribution or makes an expenditure, for an exempt function during the calendar year, must file Form 8872 except:
• A political organization that isn't required to
file Form 8871 (discussed earlier).
• A political organization that is subject to tax
on its income because it didn't file or
amend Form 8871.
• A qualified state or local political organization (QSLPO), discussed below.
All other tax-exempt section 527 organizations
that accept contributions or make expenditures
for an exempt function are required to file Form
8872.
Qualified state or local political organization. A state or local political organization
may be a QSLPO if:
1. All of its political activities relate solely to
state or local public office (or office in a
state or local political organization).
2. It is subject to a state law that requires it to
report (and it does report) to a state
agency information about contributions
and expenditures that is similar to the information that the organization would otherwise be required to report to the IRS.
Due dates. The due dates for filing Form 8872
vary depending on whether the form is due for a
reporting period that occurs during a calendar
year in which a regularly scheduled election is
held, or any other calendar year (a nonelection
year).
If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday,
or legal holiday, the organization can file on the
next business day.
Election year filing. In election years, Form
8872 must be filed on either a quarterly or a
monthly basis. Both a pre-election report and a
post-election report are also required to be filed
in an election year. An election year is any year
in which a regularly scheduled general election
for federal office is held (an even-numbered
year).
Nonelection year filing. In nonelection years,
the form must be filed on a semiannual or
monthly basis. A complete listing of these filing
periods are in the Form 8872 instructions. A
nonelection year is any odd-numbered year.
How to file. An organization must file Form
8872 electronically if reporting on periods after
2019. For reporting on periods before 2020,
Form 8872 can be filed either electronically or
by mail, but organizations that have, or expect
to have, contributions or expenditures of
$50,000 or more for the year are required to file
electronically.
Electronic filing. File electronically via the
IRS internet website at IRS.gov/polorgs. You will
need a user ID and password to electronically
file Form 8872. Organizations that have completed the electronic filing of Form 8871 and submitted a completed and signed Form 8453-X
will receive a username and password in the
mail.
Organizations that have completed the electronic filing of Form 8871, but haven't received
their user ID and password can request one by
writing to the following address:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Request for 8872 Password
Mail Stop 6273
Ogden, UT 84201
3. The state agency and the organization
make the reports publicly available.
4. No federal candidate or office holder:
a. Controls or materially participates in
the direction of the organization,
b. Solicits contributions for the organization, or
c. Directs the disbursements of the organization.
Information required on Form 8872. If an organization pays an individual $500 or more for
the calendar year, the organization is required
to disclose the individual's name, address, occupation, employer, amount of the expense, the
date the expense was paid, and the purpose of
the expense on Form 8872.
If an organization receives contributions of
$200 or more from one contributor for the calendar year, the organization must disclose the donor's name, address, occupation, employer,
and the date the contributions were made.
For additional information that is required,
see Form 8872.
Chapter 2
Lost username and password. If you
have forgotten or misplaced the username and
password issued to your organization after you
filed your initial Form 8871, send a letter requesting a new username and password to the
address under Electronic filing. You can also fax
your request to (801) 620-3249. It may take 3-6
weeks for your new username and password to
arrive, as they will be mailed to the organization.
Penalty
A penalty will be imposed if the organization is
required to file Form 8872 and it:
• Fails to file the form by the due date, or
• Files the form but fails to report all of the information required or reports incorrect information.
The penalty is 21% for tax years beginning
after December 31, 2017 (35% for tax years beginning before December 31 2017), of the total
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
15
amount of contributions and expenditures to
which a failure relates.
Fraudulent returns. Any individual or corporation that willfully delivers or discloses any
list, return, account, statement, or other document known to be fraudulent or false as to any
material matter will be fined not more than
$10,000 ($50,000 in the case of a corporation),
or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
Waiver of penalties. The IRS may waive
any additional tax assessed on an organization
for failure to file Form 8872 if the failure was due
to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.
Donee Information
Return
Dispositions of donated property. If an organization receives charitable deduction property and within 3 years sells, exchanges, or otherwise disposes of the property, the
organization must file Form 8282, Donee
Information Return. However, an organization
isn't required to file Form 8282 if:
• The property is valued at $500 or less, or
• The property is consumed or distributed for
charitable purposes.
Form 8282 must be filed with the IRS within
125 days after the disposition. Additionally, a
copy of Form 8282 must be given to the donor.
If the organization fails to file the required information return, penalties may apply.
Charitable deduction property. This is
any property (other than money or publicly traded securities) for which the donee organization
signed an appraisal summary or Form 8283,
Noncash Charitable Contributions.
Publicly traded securities. These are securities for which market quotations are readily
available on an established securities market as
of the date of the contribution.
Appraisal summary. If the value of the donated property exceeds $5,000, the donor must
get a qualified appraisal for contributions of
property, see Exceptions, below.
Exceptions. A written appraisal isn't needed if the property is:
• Nonpublicly traded stock of $10,000 or
less;
• A vehicle (including a car, boat, or airplane), if your deduction for the vehicle is
limited to the gross proceeds from its sale;
• Intellectual property;
• Certain securities considered to have market quotations readily available (see Regulations section 1.170A-13(c)(7)(xi)(B));
• Inventory and other property donated by a
corporation that are qualified contributions
for the care of the ill, the needy, or infants,
within the meaning of section 170(e)(3)(A),
or
• Any donation of stock in trade, inventory, or
property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of your trade or
business.
The donee organization isn't a qualified appraiser for the purpose of valuing the donated
16
property. For more information, get Publication
561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.
Form 8283. For noncash donations over
$5,000, the donor must attach Form 8283 to the
tax return to support the charitable deduction.
The donee must sign Part IV of Section B, Form
8283 unless publicly traded securities are donated. The person who signs for the donee must
be an official authorized to sign the donee's tax
or information returns, or a person specifically
authorized to sign by that official. The signature
doesn't represent concurrence in the appraised
value of the contributed property. A signed acknowledgment represents receipt of the property described on Form 8283 on the date specified on the form. The signature also indicates
knowledge of the information reporting requirements on dispositions, as previously discussed.
A copy of Form 8283 must be given to the donee.
Information Provided to
Donors
In some situations, a donor must obtain certain
information from a donee organization to obtain
a deduction for a charitable contribution. In
other situations, the donee organization is required to provide information to the donor.
A charitable organization must give a donor
a disclosure statement for a quid pro quo contribution over $75. (See Disclosure statement.,
later) This is a payment a donor makes to a
charity partly as a contribution and partly for
goods or services. See Quid pro quo contribution below for an example.
Failure to make the required disclosure may
result in a penalty to the organization. A donor
can't deduct a charitable contribution of $250 or
more unless the donor has a written acknowledgment from the charitable organization.
In certain circumstances, an organization
may be able to meet both of these requirements
with the same written document.
Disclosure of
Quid Pro Quo Contributions
A charitable organization must provide a written
disclosure statement to donors of a quid pro
quo contribution over $75.
payment isn't more than $75, a written statement must be filed because the total payment is
more than $75. If your organization fails to disclose quid pro quo contributions, the organization may be subject to a penalty.
Disclosure statement. The required written
disclosure statement must:
1. Inform the donor that the amount of the
contribution that is deductible for federal
income tax purposes is limited to the excess of any money (and the value of any
property other than money) contributed by
the donor over the fair market value of
goods or services provided by the charity,
and
2. Provide the donor with a good faith estimate of the fair market value of the goods
or services that the donor received.
The charity must furnish the statement in connection with either the solicitation or the receipt
of the quid pro quo contribution. If the disclosure statement is furnished in connection with a
particular solicitation, it isn't necessary for the
organization to provide another statement when
it actually receives the contribution.
No disclosure statement is required if any of
the following are true.
1. The goods or services given to a donor
have insubstantial value, as described in
Rev. Proc. 90-12, 1990-1 C.B. 471, Rev.
Proc. 90-12, and Rev. Proc. 92-49, 1992-1
C.B. 507 (as adjusted for inflation), Rev.
Proc. 92-49.
2. There is no donative element involved in a
particular transaction with a charity (for example, there is generally no donative element involved in a visitor's purchase from
a museum gift shop).
3. There is only an intangible religious benefit
provided to the donor. The intangible religious benefit must be provided to the donor by an organization organized exclusively for religious purposes, and must be
of a type that generally isn't sold in a commercial transaction outside the donative
context. For example, a donor who, for a
payment, is granted admission to a religious ceremony for which there is no admission charge is provided an intangible
religious benefit. A donor isn't provided intangible religious benefits for payments
made for tuition for education leading to a
recognized degree, travel services, or consumer goods.
Quid pro quo contribution. A contribution
made by a donor in exchange for goods or services is known as a quid pro quo contribution.
Your charitable organization must provide the
donor a written statement informing the donor of
the fair market value of the items or services it
provided in exchange for the contribution. Generally, a written statement is required for each
payment, whenever the contribution portion is
over $75.
4. The donor makes a payment of $75 or less
per year and receives only annual membership benefits that consist of:
Example. If a donor gives your charity $100
and receives a concert ticket valued at $40, the
donor has made a quid pro quo contribution. In
this example, the charitable part of the payment
is $60. Even though the deductible part of the
b. Admission to events that are open
only to members and the cost per person of which is within the limits for
low-cost articles described in Rev.
Chapter 2
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
a. Any rights or privileges (other than the
right to purchase tickets for college
athletic events) that the taxpayer can
exercise often during the membership
period, such as free or discounted admissions or parking or preferred access to goods or services; or
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Proc. 90-12 (as adjusted for inflation),
Rev. Proc. 90-12.
Good faith estimate of fair market value
(FMV). An organization can use any reasonable method to estimate the FMV of goods or
services it provided to a donor, as long as it applies the method in good faith.
The organization can estimate the FMV of
goods or services that generally aren't commercially available by using the FMV of similar or
comparable goods or services. Goods or services may be similar or comparable even if they
don't have the unique qualities of the goods or
services being valued.
Example 1. A charity provides a 1-hour tennis lesson with a tennis professional for the first
$500 payment it receives. The tennis professional provides 1-hour lessons on a commercial
basis for $100. A good faith estimate of the lesson's FMV is $100.
Example 2. For a payment of $50,000, a
museum allows a donor to hold a private event
in a room of the museum. A good faith estimate
of the FMV of the right to hold the event in the
museum can be made by using the cost of renting a hotel ballroom with a capacity, amenities,
and atmosphere comparable to the museum
room, even though the hotel ballroom lacks the
unique art displayed in the museum room. If the
hotel ballroom rents for $2,500, a good faith estimate of the FMV of the right to hold the event
in the museum is $2,500.
Example 3. For a payment of $1,000, a
charity provides an evening tour of a museum
conducted by a well-known artist. The artist
doesn't provide tours on a commercial basis.
Tours of the museum normally are free to the
public. A good faith estimate of the FMV of the
evening museum tour is $0 even though it is
conducted by the artist.
Penalty for failure to disclose. A penalty is
imposed on a charity that doesn't make the required disclosure of a quid pro quo contribution
of more than $75. The penalty is $10 per contribution, not to exceed $5,000 per fundraising
event or mailing. The charity can avoid the penalty if it can show that the failure was due to reasonable cause.
Acknowledgment of
Charitable Contributions of
$250 or More
A donor can deduct a charitable contribution of
$250 or more only if the donor has a written acknowledgment from the charitable organization.
The donor must get the acknowledgment by the
earlier of:
1. The date the donor files the original return
for the year the contribution is made, or
2. The due date, including extensions, for filing the return.
The donor is responsible for requesting and obtaining the written acknowledgment from the
donee. A charitable organization that receives a
payment made as a contribution is treated as
the donee organization for this purpose even if
Publication 557 (1-2025)
the organization (according to the donor's instructions or otherwise) distributes the amount
received to one or more charities.
Quid pro quo contribution. If the donee provides goods or services to the donor in exchange for the contribution (a quid pro quo contribution), the acknowledgment must include a
good faith estimate of the value of the goods or
services. See Disclosure of Quid Pro Quo Contributions, earlier.
Form of acknowledgment. Although there is
no prescribed format for the written acknowledgment, it must provide enough information to
substantiate the amount of the contribution. For
more information, see Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions – Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements.
Cash contributions. To deduct a contribution of cash, a check, or other monetary gift (regardless of the amount), a donor must maintain
a bank record or a written communication from
the donee organization showing the donee's
name, date, and amount of the contribution. In
the case of a lump-sum contribution (rather than
a contribution by payroll deduction) made
through the Combined Federal Campaign or a
similar program such as a United Way Campaign, the written communication must include
the name of the donee organization that is the
ultimate recipient of the charitable contribution.
Contributions by payroll deduction. An
organization may substantiate an employee's
contribution by deduction from its payroll by:
• A pay stub, Form W-2, or other document
showing a contribution to a donee organization, together with
• A pledge card or other document from the
donee organization that shows its name.
For contributions of $250 or more, the document must state that the donee organization
provides no goods or services for any payroll
contributions. The amount withheld from each
payment of wages to a taxpayer is treated as a
separate contribution.
Acknowledgment of Vehicle
Contribution
If an exempt organization receives a contribution of a qualified vehicle with a claimed value of
more than $500, the donee organization is required to provide a contemporaneous written
acknowledgment to the donor. The donee organization can use a completed Form 1098-C,
Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes, for the contemporaneous written acknowledgment. See section 3.03 of Notice
2005-44, 2005-25 I.R.B. 1287 for guidance on
the information that must be included in a contemporaneous written acknowledgment and the
deadline for furnishing the acknowledgment to
the donor.
Any donee organization that provides a contemporaneous written acknowledgment to a donor is required to report to the IRS the information contained in the acknowledgment. The
report is due by February 28 (March 31 if filing
electronically) of the year following the year in
which the donee organization provides the
Chapter 2
acknowledgment to the donor. The organization
must file the report on Copy A of Form 1098-C.
An organization that files Form 1098-C on
paper should send it with Form 1096, Annual
Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information
Returns. See the Instructions for Form 1096 for
the correct filing location.
An organization that is required to file 250 or
more Forms 1098-C during the calendar year
must file the forms electronically or magnetically. Specifications for filing Form 1098-C electronically or magnetically can be found in Publication 1220, Specifications for Filing Forms
1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, 8935, and
W-2G Electronically at Pub. 1220.
Acknowledgment
For a contribution of a qualified vehicle
with a claimed value of $500 or less,
CAUTION don't file Form 1098-C. However, you
can use it as the contemporaneous written acknowledgment under section 170(f)(8) by providing the donor with Copy C only. See the Instructions for Form 1098-C.
!
Generally, the organization should complete
Form 1098-C as the written acknowledgment to
the donor and the IRS. The contents of the acknowledgment depend upon whether the organization:
• Sells a qualified vehicle without any significant intervening use or material improvement,
• Intends to make a significant intervening
use of or material improvement to a qualified vehicle prior to sale, or
• Sells a qualified vehicle to a needy individual at a price significantly below fair market
value, or a gratuitous transfer to a needy
individual in direct furtherance of a charitable purpose of the organization of relieving
the poor and distressed or the underprivileged who are in need of a means of transportation.
For more information on the acknowledgment, see Notice 2005-44.
Material improvements or significant intervening use. To constitute significant intervening use, the organization must actually use the
vehicle to substantially further the organization's
regularly conducted activities, and the use must
be significant, not incidental. Factors in determining whether a use is a significant intervening
use depend on the nature, extent, frequency,
and duration. For this purpose, use includes
providing transportation on a regular basis for a
significant period of time or significant use directly related to training in vehicle repair. Use
doesn't include the use of a vehicle to provide
training in business skills, such as marketing or
sales. Examples of significant use include:
• Driving a vehicle every day for 1 year to deliver meals to needy individuals, if delivering meals is an activity regularly conducted
by the organization.
• Driving a vehicle for 10,000 miles over a
1-year period to deliver meals to needy individuals, if delivering meals is an activity
regularly conducted by the organization.
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
17
Material improvements include major repairs
and additions that improve the condition of the
vehicle in a manner that significantly increases
the value. To be a material improvement, the improvement can't be funded by an additional payment to the organization from the donor of the
vehicle. Material improvements don't include
cleaning, minor repairs, routine maintenance,
painting, removal of dents or scratches, cleaning or repair of upholstery, and installation of
theft deterrent devices.
the time of the contribution that the donor intends to treat the contribution as qualified intellectual property contribution for purposes of
sections 170(m) and 6050L.
Penalties. If your charitable organization receives contributions of used motor vehicles,
boats, and airplanes valued over $500, it may
be subject to a penalty if it knowingly:
• Fails to furnish an acknowledgement in a
timely manner, showing the required information; or
• Furnishes a false or fraudulent acknowledgement of the contribution.
Form 8899. Form 8899, Notice of Income from
Donated Intellectual Property, is used by a donee to report net income from qualified intellectual property to the donor of the property and to
the IRS and is due by the last day of the first full
month following the close of the donee’s tax
year. This form must be filed for each tax year of
the donee in which the donated property produces net income, but only if all or part of that tax
year occurs during the 10-year period beginning
on the date of the contribution and that tax year
doesn't begin after the expiration of the legal life
of the donated property.
!
CAUTION
Other penalties may apply. See Part O
in the current General Instructions for
Certain Information Returns.
An acknowledgment containing a certification will be presumed to be false or fraudulent if
the qualified vehicle is sold to a buyer other
than a needy individual without a significant intervening use or material improvement within 6
months of the date of the contribution.
If a charity sells a donated vehicle at auction, the IRS won't accept as substantiation an
acknowledgment from the charity stating that
the vehicle is to be transferred to a needy individual for significantly below fair market value.
Vehicles sold at auction aren't sold at prices significantly below fair market value, and the IRS
won't treat vehicles sold at auction as qualifying
for this exception.
The penalty for a false or fraudulent acknowledgment where the donee certifies that
the vehicle won't be transferred for money, other
property, or services before completion of material improvements or significant intervening use
or the donee certifies that the vehicle is to be
transferred to a needy individual for significantly
below fair market value in furtherance of the donee's charitable purpose is the larger of $5,000
or the claimed value of the vehicle multiplied by
39.6%.
The penalty for an acknowledgment relating
to a qualified vehicle being sold in an arm's
length transaction to an unrelated party is the
larger of the gross proceeds from the sale or the
sales price stated in the acknowledgment multiplied by 39.6%.
Qualified donee income. Qualified donee income is any net income received by or accrued
to the donee that is properly allocable to the
qualified intellectual property for the tax year of
the donee which ends within or with the tax year
of the donor. Income isn't treated as allocated to
qualified intellectual property if it is received or
accrued after the earlier of the expiration of the
legal life of the qualified intellectual property, or
the 10-year period beginning with the date of
the contribution.
Qualified intellectual property. Qualified intellectual property is generally any patent, copyright, trademark, trade name, trade secret,
know-how, software or similar property, or applications or registrations of such property (other
than property contributed to or for the use of a
private foundation, as defined in section 509(a)
that isn't described in section
170(b)(1)(F)). See Exceptions below.
Exceptions. The following property isn't
considered qualified intellectual property for
purposes of the additional charitable deduction:
1. Computer software that is readily available
for purchase by the general public, is subject to a nonexclusive license, and has not
been substantially modified.
2. A copyright held by a taxpayer:
• Whose personal efforts created the property, or
Qualified Intellectual
Property
• In whose hands the basis of the property is
A taxpayer who contributes qualified intellectual
property to a charity may be entitled to a charitable deduction, in addition to any initial deduction allowed in the year of contribution. The additional deduction is based on a specified
percentage of the qualified donee income with
respect to the qualified intellectual property. To
qualify for the additional charitable deduction,
the donor must provide notice to the donee at
18
Every donee organization described in section 170(c) (except a private foundation, as defined in section 509(a), that isn't described in
section 170(b)(1)(F)) that receives or accrues
net income from a charitable gift of qualified intellectual property must file Form 8899.
determined, for purposes of determining
gain from a sale or exchange, in whole or
in part by reference to the basis of the
property in the hands of a taxpayer whose
personal efforts created the property.
Report of Cash Received
An exempt organization that receives, in the
course of its activities, more than $10,000 cash
in one transaction (or two or more related transactions) that isn't a charitable contribution must
report the transaction to the IRS on Form 8300,
Chapter 2
Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business.
Public Inspection
of Exemption
Applications, Annual
Returns, and Political
Organization Reporting
Forms
The general rule under section 6103 is that returns and return information of all taxpayers are
confidential except as authorized under the
Code. Section 6104 provides exceptions to the
general rule of confidentiality for disclosure of
certain information about exempt organizations.
In addition, included in this section is a discussion on the public inspection requirements
for political organizations filing Forms 8871 and
8872.
Annual Information Return
An exempt organization must make available for
public inspection, upon request and without
charge, a copy of its original and amended annual information returns. Each information return must be made available from the date it is
required to be filed (determined with regard to
any extensions), or is actually filed, whichever is
later. An original return doesn't have to be made
available if more than 3 years have passed from
the date the return was required to be filed (including any extensions) or was filed, whichever
is later. An amended return doesn't have to be
made available if more than 3 years have
passed from the date it was filed.
An annual information return includes an exact copy of the return (Forms 990, 990-EZ,
990-BL, 990-PF, 990-T, or 1065), and amended
return, if any, and all schedules, attachments,
and supporting documents filed with the IRS.
An annual information return doesn't include:
• Schedule A of Form 990-BL,
• Schedule K-1 of Form 1065, or
• Form 1120-POL.
In the case of a tax-exempt organization
other than a private foundation, an annual information return doesn't include the names and
addresses of contributors to the organization.
Form 990-T. All section 501(c)(3) organizations that file Form 990-T must
CAUTION make the return public, regardless of
whether the organization is otherwise subject to
the disclosure requirements of section 6104.
For example, although churches aren't required
to file Form 1023 or Form 990 with the IRS, they
must file the Form 990-T with the IRS to report
unrelated business taxable income. Thus,
churches must disclose Form 990-T to the public.
!
State colleges and universities that have
been recognized by the IRS as exempt under
section 501(a) as organizations described in
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
section 501(c)(3) must disclose Form 990-T to
the public. However, state colleges and universities that are subject to tax under section
511(a) solely by virtue of section 511(a)(2)(B)
and that haven't been recognized by the IRS as
exempt under section 501(a) as organizations
described in section 501(c)(3) aren't required to
make their Forms 990-T public.
Public Inspection of
Exemption Application
An exempt organization must also make available for public inspection, without charge, its application for tax-exempt status. An application
for tax exemption includes the application form
(such as Forms 1023 or 1024), all documents
and statements the IRS requires the organization to file with the form, any statement or other
supporting document submitted by an organization in support of its application, and any letter
or other document issued by the IRS concerning the application.
The application for exemption doesn't include:
• Any application from an organization that
isn't yet recognized as exempt;
• Any material that is required to be withheld
from public inspection, see Material required to be withheld from public inspection, next;
• In the case of a tax-exempt organization
other than a private foundation, the names
and addresses of contributors to the organization; or
• Any applications filed before July 15, 1987,
if the organization didn't have a copy of the
application on July 15, 1987.
If there is no prescribed application form,
see Regulations section 301.6104(d)-1(b)(3)(ii)
for a list of the documents that must be made
available.
Material required to be withheld from
public inspection. Material that is required to
be withheld from public inspection includes:
• Trade secrets, patents, processes, styles
of work, or apparatus for which withholding
was requested and granted;
• National defense material;
• Unfavorable rulings or determination letters
issued in response to applications for tax
exemption;
• Rulings or determination letters revoking or
modifying a favorable determination letter;
• Technical advice memoranda relating to a
disapproved application for tax exemption
or the revocation or modification of a favorable determination letter;
• Any letter or document filed with or issued
by the IRS relating to whether a proposed
or accomplished transaction is a prohibited
transaction under section 503; and
• Any other letter or document filed with or
issued by the IRS which, although it relates
to an organization's tax-exempt status as
an organization described in section 501(c)
or 501(d), doesn't relate to that organization's application for tax exemption.
Time, place, and manner restrictions. The
annual returns and exemption application must
be made available for inspection, without
Publication 557 (1-2025)
charge, at the organization's principal, regional,
and district offices during regular business
hours. The organization can have an employee
present during inspection, but must allow the individual to take notes freely and to photocopy at
no charge if the individual provides the photocopying equipment. Generally, regional and district offices are those that have paid employees
who together are normally paid for at least 120
hours a week.
If the organization doesn't maintain a permanent office, it must make its application for tax
exemption and its annual information returns
available for inspection at a reasonable location
of its choice. It must permit public inspection
within a reasonable amount of time after receiving a request for inspection (normally not more
than 2 weeks) and at a reasonable time of day.
At its option, it can mail, within 2 weeks of receiving the request, a copy of its application for
tax exemption and annual information returns to
the requester in lieu of allowing an inspection.
The organization can charge the requester for
copying and actual postage costs only if the requester consents to the charge.
An organization that has a permanent office,
but has no office hours or very limited hours
during certain times of the year, must make its
documents available during those periods when
office hours are limited or not available as
though it were an organization without a permanent office.
Furnishing copies. An exempt organization
must also provide a copy of all, or any specific
part or schedule, of its three most recent annual
information returns and/or exemption application to anyone who requests a copy either in
person or in writing at its principal, regional, or
district office during regular business hours. If
the individual made the request in person, the
copy must be provided on the same business
day the request is made unless there are unusual circumstances. Unusual circumstances
are
defined
in
Regulations
section
301.6104(d)-1(d)(1)(ii).
The organization must honor a written request for a copy of documents or specific parts
or schedules of documents that are required to
be disclosed. However, this rule only applies if
the request:
• Is addressed to the exempt organization's
principal, regional, or district office;
• Is sent to that address by mail, electronic
mail (e-mail), facsimile (fax), or a private
delivery service approved by the IRS; and
• Gives the address to where the copy of the
document should be sent.
The organization must mail the copy within
30 days from the date it receives the request.
The organization can request payment in advance and must then provide the copies within
30 days from the date it receives payment.
Fees for copies. The organization can
charge a reasonable fee for providing copies. It
can charge no more for the copies than the per
page rate the IRS charges for providing copies.
The IRS can't charge more for copies than the
fees listed in the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) fee schedule. Although the IRS charges
no fee for the first 100 pages, the organization
can charge a fee for all copies. For noncommercial requesters, the FOIA schedule currently
Chapter 2
provides a rate of $0.10 per page for black and
white pages, and $0.20 per page for color pages. The organization can also charge the actual postage costs it pays to provide the copies.
Regional and district offices. Generally, the
same rules regarding public inspection and providing copies of applications and annual information returns that apply to a principal office of
an exempt organization also apply to its regional and district offices. However, a regional
or district office isn't required to make its annual
information return available for inspection or to
provide copies until 30 days after the date the
return is required to be filed (including any extensions) or is actually filed, whichever is later.
Local and subordinate organizations. A local or subordinate organization is an exempt organization that didn't file its own application for
tax exemption because it is covered by a group
exemption letter. Generally, a local or subordinate organization of an exempt organization
must, upon request, make available for public
inspection, or provide copies of:
1. The application submitted to the IRS by
the central or parent organization to obtain
the group exemption letter, and
2. Those documents which were submitted
by the central or parent organization to include the local or subordinate organization
in the group exemption letter.
However, if the central or parent organization
submits to the IRS a list or directory of local or
subordinate organizations covered by the group
exemption letter, the local or subordinate organization is required to provide only the application for the group exemption ruling and the pages of the list or directory that specifically refer
to it.
The local or subordinate organization must
permit public inspection or comply with a request for copies made in person, within a reasonable amount of time (normally not more than
2 weeks) after receiving a request made in person for public inspection or copies and at a reasonable time of day. In lieu of allowing an inspection, the local or subordinate organization
can mail a copy of the applicable documents to
the person requesting inspection within the
same time period. In that case, the organization
can charge the requester for copying and actual
postage costs only if the requester consents to
the charge. If the local or subordinate organization receives a written request for a copy of its
application for exemption, it must fulfill the request in the time and manner specified earlier.
The requester has the option of requesting
from the central or parent organization, at its
principal office, inspection or copies of the application for group exemption and the material
submitted by the central or parent organization
to include a local or subordinate organization in
the group ruling. If the central or parent organization submits to the IRS a list or directory of local or subordinate organizations covered by the
group exemption letter, it must make the list or
directory available for public inspection, but it is
required to provide copies only of those pages
of the list or directory that refer to particular local or subordinate organizations specified by
the requester. The central or parent
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
19
organization must fulfill such requests in the
time and manner specified earlier.
A local or subordinate organization that
doesn't file its own annual information return
(because it is affiliated with a central or parent
organization that files a group return) must, on
request, make available for public inspection, or
provide copies of, the group returns filed by the
central or parent organization. However, if the
group return includes separate schedules for
each local or subordinate organization included
in the group return, the local or subordinate organization receiving the request can omit any
schedules relating only to other organizations
included in the group return. The local or subordinate organization must permit public inspection, or comply with a request for copies made
in person, within a reasonable amount of time
(normally not more than 2 weeks) after receiving a request made in person for public inspection or copies and at a reasonable time of day.
In lieu of allowing an inspection, the local or
subordinate organization can mail a copy of the
applicable documents to the person requesting
inspection within the same time period. In this
case, the organization can charge the requester
for copying and actual postage costs only if the
requester consents to the charge. If the local or
subordinate organization receives a written request for a copy of its annual information return,
it must fulfill the request by providing a copy of
the group return in the time and manner specified earlier. The requester has the option of requesting from the central or parent organization,
at its principal office, inspection or copies of
group returns filed by the central or parent organization. The central or parent organization
must fulfill such requests in the time and manner specified earlier.
If an organization fails to comply, it may be liable for a penalty. See Penalties, later.
Making applications and annual information returns widely available. An exempt organization doesn't have to comply with requests
for copies of its annual information returns or
exemption application if it makes them widely
available. However, making these documents
widely available doesn't relieve the organization
from making its documents available for public
inspection.
The organization can make its application
and annual information returns widely available
by posting the application and annual information returns on the Internet. For the rules to follow so that the Internet posting will be considered widely available, see Regulations section
301.6104(d)-2(b).
If the organization has made its application
for tax exemption and/or annual information returns widely available, it must inform any individual requesting a copy where the documents are
available, including the website address on the
Internet, if applicable. If the request is made in
person, the notice must be provided immediately. If the request is made in writing, the notice
must be provided within 7 days.
Harassment campaign. If the tax-exempt organization is the subject of a harassment campaign, the organization may not have to fulfill requests for information. For more information,
see Regulations section 301.6104(d)-3.
20
Political Organization
Reporting Forms
Forms 8871 and 8872 (discussed earlier under
Reporting Requirements for a Political Organization) are open to public inspection.
Form 8871. Form 8871 (including any supporting papers), and any letter or other document the IRS issues with regard to Form 8871,
are open to public inspection online at IRS.gov/
polorgs.
Form 8872. Form 8872 (including Schedules A and B) are open to public inspection online at IRS.gov/polorgs.
Electronically filed Forms 8871 and 8872 are
available online 48 hours after the form has
been filed. Forms 8872 that are filed by mail are
available online after being imaged by the IRS.
These forms are considered widely available if
you provide the online address to the requester.
In addition, your organization must make a copy
of these materials available for public inspection
during regular business hours at the organization’s principal office and at each of its regional
or district offices having at least three paid employees.
Penalties
The penalty for failure to allow public inspection
of annual returns is $20 for each day the failure
continues. The maximum penalty on all persons
for failures involving any one return is $10,000.
The penalty for failure to allow public inspection of exemption applications is $20 for each
day the failure continues.
The penalty for willful failure to allow public
inspection of a return or exemption application
is $5,000 for each return or application. The
penalty also applies to a willful failure to provide
copies.
The penalty for failure to allow public inspection of a political organization's section 527 notice (Form 8871) is $20 for each day the failure
continues.
The penalty for failure to allow public inspection of a section 527 organization's contributions and expenditures report (Form 8872) is
$20 for each day the failure continues. The
maximum penalty on all persons for failures involving any one report is $10,000.
Required Disclosures
Certain exempt organizations must disclose to
the IRS or the public certain information about
their activities. Generally, an organization discloses this information by entering it on the appropriate lines of its annual return. In addition,
there are disclosure requirements for:
• Solicitation of nondeductible contributions,
• Sales of information or services that are
available free from the government,
• Dues paid to the organization that aren't
deductible because they are used for lobbying or political activities, and
Chapter 2
• Prohibited tax shelter transactions.
Solicitation of Nondeductible
Contributions
Solicitations for contributions or other payments
by certain exempt organizations (including lobbying groups and political action committees)
must include a statement that payments to
those organizations aren't deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. The statement must be included in the
fundraising solicitation and be conspicuous and
easily recognizable.
Organizations subject to requirements. An
organization must follow these disclosure requirements if it is exempt under section 501(c),
other than section 501(c)(1), or under section
501(d), unless the organization is eligible to receive tax deductible charitable contributions under section 170(c). These requirements must
be followed by, among others:
1. Social welfare organizations (section
501(c)(4));
2. Labor unions (section 501(c)(5));
3. Trade associations (section 501(c)(6));
4. Social clubs (section 501(c)(7));
5. Fraternal organizations (section 501(c)(8)
and 501(c)(10)) (however, fraternal organizations described in section 170(c)(4)
must follow these requirements only for
solicitations for funds that are to be used
for noncharitable purposes not described
in section 170(c)(4));
6. Any political organization described in
section 527(e), including political campaign committees and political action
committees; and
7. Any organization not eligible to receive
tax-deductible contributions if the organization or a predecessor organization was,
at any time during the 5-year period ending on the date of the fundraising solicitation, an organization of the type to which
this disclosure requirement applies.
Fundraising solicitation. This disclosure requirement applies to a fundraising solicitation if
all of the following are true.
1. The organization soliciting the funds normally has gross receipts over $100,000
per year.
2. The solicitation is part of a coordinated
fundraising campaign that is soliciting
more than 10 persons during the year.
3. The solicitation is made in written or printed form, by television or radio, or by telephone.
Penalties. Failure by an organization to make
the required statement will result in a penalty of
$1,000 for each day the failure occurred, up to a
maximum penalty of $10,000 for a calendar
year. No penalty will be imposed if it is shown
that the failure was due to reasonable cause. If
the failure was due to intentional disregard of
the requirements, the penalty may be higher
and isn't subject to a maximum amount.
Filing Requirements and Required Disclosures
Publication 557 (1-2025)
Sales of Information or
Services Available Free from
Government
Certain organizations that offer to sell to individuals (or solicit money for) information or routine
services that could be readily obtained free (or
for a nominal fee) from the federal government
must include a statement that the information or
service can be so obtained. The statement
must be made in a conspicuous and easily recognized format when the organization makes an
offer or solicitation to sell the information or
service. Organizations affected are those exempt under section 501(c) or 501(d) and political organizations defined in section 527(e).
Penalty. A penalty is provided for failure to
comply with this requirement if the failure is due
to intentional disregard of the requirement. The
penalty is the greater of $1,000 for each day the
failure occurred, or 50% of the total cost of all
offers and solicitations that were made by the
organization the same day that it fails to meet
the requirement.
Dues Used for Lobbying
or Political Activities
Certain exempt organizations must notify anyone paying dues to the organization whether
any part of the dues isn't deductible because it
is related to lobbying or political activities.
An organization must provide the notice if it
is exempt from tax under section 501(a) and is
one of the following.
1. A social welfare organization described in
section 501(c)(4) that isn't a veterans' organization.
2. An agricultural or horticultural organization
described in section 501(c)(5).
3. A business league, chamber of commerce, real estate board, or other organization described in section 501(c)(6).
However, an organization described in (1), (2),
or (3) doesn't have to provide the notice if it establishes that substantially all the dues paid to it
aren't deductible anyway or if certain other conditions are met. For more information, see Rev.
Proc. 98-19, 1998-1 C.B. 547 (or later update).
If the organization doesn't provide the required notice, it may have to pay a tax that is reported on Form 990-T. But the tax doesn't apply
to any amount on which the section 527 tax has
been paid on Form 1120-POL. See Political Organization Income Tax Return, earlier.
For more information about nondeductible
dues, see Deduction not allowed for dues used
for political or legislative activities. under Section 501(c)(6) organizations, later.
shelter transaction is required to disclose to the
IRS the following information:
• Whether such organization is a party to the
prohibited tax shelter transaction (as defined in section 4965(e)); and
• The identity of any other party to the transaction that is known to the exempt organization.
Party to a prohibited tax shelter transaction. An exempt organization is a party to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction if the organization:
1. Facilitates a prohibited tax shelter transaction by reason of its tax-exempt, tax-indifferent, or tax-favored status; or
2. Is identified in published guidance by type,
class, or role as a party to a prohibited tax
shelter transaction.
See Prohibited Tax Shelter Transactions,
later, for further information.
Disclosure. A single disclosure is made by the
organization for each prohibited tax shelter
transaction. The disclosure is made on Form
8886-T, Disclosure by Tax-Exempt Entity Regarding Prohibited Tax Shelter Transaction.
Due date. Generally, for exempt organizations described in 1 above, the disclosure is due
on or before May 15 of the calendar year following the close of the calendar year that the exempt organization entered into the prohibited
tax shelter transaction. If any date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, substitute the
next business day. However, the disclosure for
subsequently listed transactions (as defined in
section 4965(e)(2)) is due on or before May 15
of the calendar year following the close of the
calendar year that the transaction was identified
by the Secretary as a listed transaction.
The disclosure for exempt organizations described in 2 above is due on or before the date
the first tax return (whether original or amended
return) is filed that reflects a reduction or elimination of the exempt organization's liability for
applicable federal employment, excise, or unrelated business income taxes that is derived directly or indirectly from tax consequences or tax
strategy described in the published guidance
that lists the transaction.
Penalty. Exempt organizations that fail to file
the required disclosure are subject to a nondisclosure penalty of $100 for each day the failure
continues with a maximum penalty for any one
disclosure of $50,000.
Also, if the IRS makes a written demand on
any exempt organization subject to this penalty,
giving the organization a reasonable date to
make the disclosure, and the organization fails
to make the disclosure by that date, the organization is subject to a penalty of $100 for each
day after the date specified by the IRS until disclosure is made (with a maximum penalty for
any one disclosure of $10,000).
Prohibited Tax Shelter
Transactions
Every exempt organization (as defined in section 4965(c)) that is a party to a prohibited tax
Publication 557
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