Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
Form 990-EZ is a shorter annual IRS return for tax-exempt orgs with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000. You file it by the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends, either on paper or through an IRS-authorized e-file provider (e-filing is now mandatory for most filers). Miss three years in a row and the IRS auto-revokes your exempt status.
What is Form 990-EZ?
Form 990-EZ is the "Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax." It's a middle-tier annual information return for tax-exempt nonprofits, sitting between the tiny postcard-style 990-N and the full-length Form 990. It's four pages instead of the full 990's twelve-plus, and it asks for less detail on programs, governance, and compensation. The IRS states an organization can file Form 990-EZ if its "gross receipts are less than $200,000 and total assets are less than $500,000 at the end of the tax year" [1]. If you're above either threshold, you have to file the full Form 990 instead. If you're well under both (gross receipts normally $50,000 or less), you can usually get away with the 990-N e-Postcard, though you're allowed to file the EZ or full 990 voluntarily even if you'd qualify for the N [2]. For booster clubs, PTOs, and youth sports leagues, this is often the exact form you land on. A mid-size booster club running concessions, a couple of tournaments, and a spring auction can blow past the $50,000 990-N ceiling fast without coming anywhere near $200,000. That's the 990-EZ zone. If you want more background on how the whole 990 family fits together, see our guide to form 990 and the general overview at [990](/articles/treasurer-basics/990).
What is the 990 tax form (and how is the EZ different)?
| 990-N (e-Postcard) | Smallest orgs | Normally $50,000 or less [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 990-EZ | Small-to-mid orgs | Gross receipts under $200,000 AND total assets under $500,000 [1] | |
| 990 (full) | Larger orgs | Gross receipts $200,000+ OR total assets $500,000+ [1] | |
| 990-PF | Private foundations | Any size (different rules apply) | The EZ asks for summarized financial data, a description of your top program accomplishments, some governance yes/no questions, and compensation for officers and highest-paid employees over certain thresholds. The full 990 wants that same information broken out in far more detail, plus additional schedules depending on your activities. See also our plain-language explainer at 990 tax form and irs form 990 if you're still sorting out which version applies to you. |
The Form 990 series is the annual information return the IRS requires from most tax-exempt organizations, reporting revenue, expenses, assets, and activities to the public. It's not an income tax return in the traditional sense (exempt orgs generally don't owe income tax on mission-related activity), it's a disclosure document. The IRS and state charity regulators use it, and so does anyone who looks you up on a nonprofit database. There are really four versions most small orgs will ever touch: | Form | Who files it | Gross receipts threshold |
Who has to file Form 990-EZ instead of 990-N or the full 990?
You're eligible for the 990-EZ if your organization's gross receipts for the tax year were under $200,000 and total assets at year-end were under $500,000 [1]. Both conditions have to be true. If either number is over the line, you're required to file the full Form 990. Gross receipts, for this purpose, generally means total revenue before subtracting expenses or cost of goods sold, not net income. A booster club that brought in $180,000 through concessions, raffle tickets, and sponsorships, and spent $170,000 of it, still has $180,000 in gross receipts, not $10,000. That trips people up constantly. Some organization types can't use the 990-EZ regardless of size, and certain private foundations and specific sponsoring organizations have their own separate forms. If you're not sure which bucket you fall into, the IRS's own instructions for Form 990-EZ walk through the eligibility rules in detail, and it's worth reading the actual PDF once rather than guessing from memory [2]. If your numbers are smaller and stable, don't over-file. Filing the EZ when you'd genuinely qualify for the 990-N just adds work for no benefit; there's no penalty for filing a longer form than required, but there's also no reward. Check your actual gross receipts and assets each year before assuming last year's form still fits. Growth (or a big one-time raffle or capital campaign) can push you over the 990-N line without you noticing.
When is Form 990-EZ due?
Form 990-EZ is due by the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's accounting period ends [3]. For a calendar-year filer (fiscal year ending December 31), that's May 15 of the following year. For a fiscal year ending June 30, it's due November 15. You can request an automatic extension using Form 8868, which gives you an additional six months, according to IRS instructions for that form [4]. There's no need to explain why you need it; the extension for exempt organizations is automatic once you file the request on time. Mark the date the moment a new treasurer takes over. A shocking number of booster clubs miss this deadline simply because nobody wrote it down anywhere when the prior treasurer handed off the binder (or, more often, didn't hand off anything at all). Miss the deadline for three consecutive years and the IRS automatically revokes your tax-exempt status. There's no warning letter that says "last chance." The revocation happens by operation of law under Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j), and the IRS explains: "the law automatically revokes the tax-exempt status of any organization that fails to file required returns for three consecutive years" [5].
How do you actually file Form 990-EZ, step by step?
Step 1: Confirm eligibility. Check your gross receipts and total assets against the $200,000 / $500,000 thresholds for the year you're filing [1]. Do this every single year; don't assume. Step 2: Gather your financials. You'll need total revenue by source (contributions, program service revenue, investment income, gaming/fundraising events), total expenses by category, and a balance sheet showing assets and liabilities at the start and end of the year. If your books are a shoebox of receipts, reconstruct a simple income statement and balance sheet first. This is also a good moment to review basic financial controls so next year's close-out is faster. Step 3: Collect governance and compensation info. The form asks about your governing body, whether you have a conflict-of-interest policy, and compensation for officers, directors, trustees, and key employees above certain thresholds. Step 4: Determine required schedules. Depending on your activities, you may need Schedule A (public charity status), Schedule B (contributors, in some cases), Schedule G (fundraising or gaming activities like raffles), or others. Gaming and raffle income specifically often triggers Schedule G reporting, so if your booster club runs a raffle, check this carefully alongside your state's raffle rules. Step 5: File electronically. As of tax years beginning after July 1, 2019, the Taxpayer First Act requires most exempt organizations to file Form 990-EZ electronically rather than on paper . You'll need to use an IRS-authorized e-file provider; the IRS maintains a list of approved software companies for exempt organization returns . There's no way to file the 990-EZ directly on the IRS website the way you can with the free 990-N e-Postcard system; you need third-party software or a preparer for the EZ and full 990. Step 6: Keep proof of filing. Save your confirmation, the accepted PDF, and a copy for your permanent files. State charity regulators in many states also want a copy or a state-specific annual report; that's a separate obligation from the IRS filing.
What information does Form 990-EZ actually ask for?
The form itself is short, but dense. Part I covers revenue, expenses, and changes in net assets. Part II is the balance sheet. Part III asks for a description of your three largest program service accomplishments with dollar figures for each. Part IV lists officers, directors, trustees, and key employees along with their compensation, hours worked, and benefits. Part V and VI cover a set of yes/no compliance questions: did you engage in political activity, did you have unrelated business income over $1,000, did you maintain donor records, does your state require additional charitable solicitation registration. Answer these honestly; they're designed to flag red flags for both IRS staff and public watchdogs like GuideStar/Candid users. One thing that surprises new treasurers: this document becomes public. Anyone can look up your organization's 990-EZ once it's processed, usually through the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search tool or on nonprofit databases that republish IRS data . Board members, donors, and parents at your school can see exactly what you paid your part-time bookkeeper or how much the golf tournament actually netted. Write your program accomplishments section with that audience in mind, more than the IRS.
What happens if you file late or not at all?
Filing late doesn't trigger an automatic penalty the way individual tax returns do, but the IRS can and does assess penalties for organizations with gross receipts over certain thresholds, and persistent non-filing leads to automatic revocation. Miss three consecutive years of any required 990-series filing (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990) and your exempt status is gone automatically under IRC 6033(j), no appeal needed to trigger it [5]. Once revoked, you're off the IRS's list of tax-exempt organizations, donations to you are no longer tax-deductible to donors, and depending on your state, you may lose state tax-exempt status and charitable registration too. Reinstatement requires filing Form 1023 or 1023-EZ again (essentially reapplying from scratch) along with all the delinquent 990 filings, and paying the applicable user fee. The IRS does publish an Auto-Revocation List, and it's a genuinely bad look for a booster club to show up on it when a parent or school district finance office checks. If you're not sure where your organization stands, search the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool before you assume you're fine .
What does a treasurer do in a booster club or PTO?
A treasurer is the officer responsible for tracking money in and out, keeping the books reconciled, and making sure the organization meets its filing obligations, including the annual 990-series return. In a booster club or PTO specifically, the treasurer usually also manages the bank account, prepares financial reports for board meetings, handles reimbursements, and coordinates with whoever runs fundraisers or concessions on cash handling. What does a treasurer of a club actually do day to day? Mostly unglamorous stuff: reconciling the bank statement monthly, categorizing income and expenses, tracking which fundraiser made money and which one lost it, and keeping receipts organized enough that an outgoing treasurer can hand things to the next one without a three-hour phone call. What do treasurers do that people don't expect? They're often the one person who knows whether the 990 got filed last year. In a lot of small nonprofits, the treasurer is a volunteer parent with zero accounting background who inherited a login and a spreadsheet from someone who moved away. That's normal. It's also exactly why missed 990 filings are so common in this world: nobody handed off the deadline. If your organization is just getting its financial house in order, our overview of treasurer basics covers the full scope of the job, more than the tax filing piece.
What's the difference between Form 990-EZ and just filing the 990-N?
The 990-N is a free, eight-question electronic postcard filed directly on the IRS website for organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less [2]. It asks for your EIN, tax year, legal name, mailing address, website (if any), confirmation you're under the receipts threshold, and a statement that you haven't terminated. That's it. No financial detail. Form 990-EZ, by contrast, is a real financial return: revenue, expenses, balance sheet, program descriptions, compensation. It takes real preparation time, often a few hours to a full day depending on how clean your books are, and generally needs paid e-file software since the IRS doesn't offer free EZ filing the way it does for the N. If your organization is right at the edge, say $48,000 to $55,000 in gross receipts, keep an eye on it every year. Slipping over $50,000 doesn't force you into the EZ immediately in every case (there are some averaging rules over prior years described in the 990-N instructions), but it's the kind of thing worth confirming with the IRS rather than assuming. See our comparison of 990n and the standalone form 990-n explainer for the exact eligibility mechanics.
Do you need an accountant to file Form 990-EZ?
Not necessarily, but it depends on how comfortable you are with basic bookkeeping and how messy your books are. Plenty of volunteer treasurers file the 990-EZ themselves using commercial e-file software built for exempt organizations, especially once they've done it once and have a template from the prior year. Where it gets harder: if you have unrelated business income, complicated gaming/raffle reporting (Schedule G), multiple related organizations, or you're not sure whether an activity counts as a program service versus fundraising, a CPA with nonprofit experience earns their fee fast. A one-hour consult to review your draft before submission is often money well spent, especially your first year. This article and BoosterLedger generally aren't a substitute for an accountant or attorney; nothing here is tax or legal advice, and nothing guarantees a particular filing outcome or continued tax-exempt status. When in doubt, confirm specifics with the IRS or a qualified preparer. One genuinely useful shortcut for new treasurers: BoosterLedger's $99 one-time State-Personalized Treasurer Kit bundles your state's specific filing calendar, charity-registration requirements, and a 990 prep checklist so you're not reconstructing the whole process from scratch every time leadership turns over.
Do state charity offices need a copy of Form 990-EZ too?
In many states, yes, separately from the IRS. Most states with charitable solicitation registration laws require an annual renewal filing, and a lot of them accept a copy of your federal 990-EZ as part of that renewal package. Requirements, forms, and fees vary widely by state, so this genuinely is a "check your specific state" situation rather than a one-size answer. Some states have their own state-level form entirely, separate from anything the IRS wants. Others just want your 990-EZ attached to a short state cover sheet along with a fee. A handful of states have no separate charitable registration renewal at all for small volunteer groups. Confirm with your state's charity registration office or attorney general's office directly; don't assume federal compliance covers you at the state level, and don't assume last year's requirement is unchanged this year.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 990?
Form 990 is the umbrella name for the IRS's family of annual information returns filed by tax-exempt organizations. It reports revenue, expenses, assets, and activities so the IRS and the public can see how a nonprofit operates. The specific version you file (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990) depends on your gross receipts and total assets [1].
What is Form 990-EZ specifically?
Form 990-EZ is the short-form version of the annual exempt organization return, for orgs with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 at year-end [1]. It's shorter than the full 990 but still asks for real financial detail, unlike the free 990-N e-Postcard.
What does a treasurer do?
A treasurer tracks an organization's money: bank reconciliations, income and expense records, budget reports for the board, and annual tax filings like the 990 series. In small nonprofits like booster clubs and PTOs, the treasurer is often the only person who fully understands the organization's financial position at any given time.
What is a treasurer of a club?
A club treasurer is the elected or appointed officer responsible for the organization's finances, including collecting dues or fundraising proceeds, paying bills, keeping records, and preparing financial reports. In tax-exempt clubs, they're usually also the one responsible for making sure the annual IRS return gets filed on time.
What is a 990 tax form used for?
It's used by the IRS and the public to review a tax-exempt organization's finances and activities each year. It's not an income tax return in the traditional sense since most exempt orgs owe no tax on mission-related revenue; it's a disclosure and compliance document, and it becomes publicly searchable once processed [9].
Can a small booster club file Form 990-N instead of the 990-EZ?
Yes, if gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less [2]. Once you're consistently over that, you generally need to step up to the 990-EZ (or full 990 if you're over $200,000 in gross receipts or $500,000 in assets). Check your actual numbers each year rather than assuming.
What happens if a booster club never filed a 990 at all?
If it's been less than three consecutive years, file the missing returns as soon as possible; the IRS generally wants delinquent returns filed even after the deadline. If it's been three years or more, your exempt status was likely automatically revoked under IRC 6033(j) [6], and reinstatement requires reapplying for exemption.
How long does it take to file Form 990-EZ?
For a treasurer with reasonably organized books, a few hours to a full day is typical, mostly spent gathering revenue and expense detail and completing the program service description. If your books are disorganized or this is your first year, budget significantly more time, or get help from a nonprofit-experienced preparer.
Is Form 990-EZ public information?
Yes. Once processed, 990-EZ filings are publicly available through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool and are commonly republished on nonprofit information sites [9]. Anyone, including donors, parents, and school administrators, can look up what your organization reported.
Can you e-file Form 990-EZ for free?
Not through the IRS directly the way you can with the free 990-N e-Postcard. Form 990-EZ generally requires an IRS-authorized e-file provider, since paper filing is no longer accepted for most organizations under the Taxpayer First Act [7]. Check the IRS list of approved e-file providers for exempt organizations [8].
What's the deadline to file Form 990-EZ?
The 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends [4]. For calendar-year organizations, that's May 15. You can get an automatic six-month extension by filing Form 8868 on time [5].
Does a PTO or booster club need to file a 990-EZ if it has no paid staff?
Having no employees doesn't exempt you from filing. The requirement is based on gross receipts and total assets, not staffing. A volunteer-run booster club with $150,000 in gross receipts still needs to file the 990-EZ (or 990-N if under $50,000) regardless of whether anyone gets paid [1].
Sources
- IRS, Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations (Form 990-N): 990-N eligibility for organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less
- IRS, Instructions for Form 990-EZ: Detailed eligibility and filing instructions for Form 990-EZ
- IRS, About Form 8868: Form 8868 provides an automatic extension of time to file exempt organization returns
- IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: Law automatically revokes tax-exempt status after three consecutive years of not filing
- IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search: Filed 990-series returns are publicly searchable through the IRS database