Last updated 2026-07-24
TL;DR
Nonprofits with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 can file Form 990-EZ instead of the full Form 990. Groups under $50,000 in gross receipts file the simpler 990-N postcard instead. The 990-EZ is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends. Confirm current thresholds with the IRS before you file.
What is Form 990-EZ?
Form 990-EZ is the IRS's "Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax." It's a middle-tier annual information return, shorter than the full Form 990 but more detailed than the 990-N postcard. Tax-exempt organizations use it to report income, expenses, program activities, and governance information to the IRS every year. It's not a tax bill. Most booster clubs, PTOs, and youth sports groups with 501(c)(3) or similar exempt status don't owe federal income tax on their normal activities. The 990 tax form family exists so the IRS (and the public) can see what a tax-exempt group actually does with its money, since exempt status is a privilege, not a right. The IRS describes the 990-EZ as designed for "small and mid-sized organizations" [1], and it runs about four pages plus schedules, versus roughly a dozen pages plus schedules for the full [990](/articles/treasurer-basics/990). If your booster club has a bank account, collects dues or concession revenue, and runs a modest budget, the 990-EZ is very likely the form you'll be filling out once you cross the smallest-organization threshold.
Who has to file the 990-EZ instead of the 990-N or full 990?
| Smallest | Normally $50,000 or less | Any | 990-N (e-postcard) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small/mid | Less than $200,000 | Less than $500,000 | 990-EZ (or full 990) | |
| Larger | $200,000 or more, OR | $500,000 or more | Full 990 | Both numbers matter. If your gross receipts are $150,000 but your organization is sitting on $600,000 in assets (say, a large reserve fund or an endowment for facility repairs), you no longer qualify for the 990-EZ and must file the full Form 990, even though your annual revenue looks small [2]. Organizations under the $50,000 gross receipts threshold aren't required to file the 990-EZ or the full 990 at all; they can file the 990-N instead, though they're always allowed to file the EZ or full 990 voluntarily if they want a more detailed public record. Some booster treasurers actually prefer this: a 990-EZ gives donors, school administrators, and future treasurers more to look at than a bare-bones postcard confirmation. Private foundations, regardless of size, cannot use the 990-EZ or 990-N; they file Form 990-PF [3]. That's rare for booster clubs and PTOs but worth ruling out if your group holds itself out as a grant-making foundation. |
You generally file Form 990-EZ if your organization's gross receipts are less than $200,000 and total assets are less than $500,000 at the end of the tax year. Here's how the IRS actually splits the three options [2]: | Filing tier | Gross receipts | Total assets | Form |
What is Form 990 (and how is the 990-EZ different)?
Form 990 is the IRS's full annual information return for tax-exempt organizations. It asks for detailed financials, a list of officers and their compensation, program service accomplishments, governance policies (conflict of interest, whistleblower, document retention), and a breakdown of the largest contributors and highest-paid contractors. The 990-EZ asks for a lot of the same categories but in less depth. You still report revenue by source, expenses by function, a balance sheet, and officer/director information, but the questions are shorter and several of the governance and compensation schedules from the full 990 aren't required. Both the 990 and 990-EZ are public documents. The IRS makes them available, and sites like ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer and GuideStar/Candid republish them, so anything you put on the form is visible to donors, parents, school boards, and, frankly, anyone curious enough to search your organization's name. Write the program description and financial notes with that audience in mind, more than the IRS.
What schedules come with the 990-EZ?
The core 990-EZ form is four pages, but most organizations attach at least one schedule. The common ones for booster clubs and PTOs are: Schedule A is required for all 501(c)(3) organizations and documents public charity status, including a public support test that shows the group isn't overly dependent on a single donor or a handful of large gifts. Schedule B lists contributors who gave $5,000 or more in the year, though most small filers qualify for reduced disclosure requirements on this schedule; the IRS instructions for Schedule B spell out the exact contributor thresholds and exceptions [4]. Schedule G is required if the organization reported more than $15,000 in gross income from gaming (raffles, bingo, casino nights) or more than $15,000 in gross income from fundraising events other than gaming, per the Form 990-EZ instructions [5]. This is the schedule that trips up a lot of booster clubs running a big raffle or gala, since raffle proceeds count toward that $15,000 gaming threshold quickly. Schedule O is used for free-text explanations whenever the form says "see Schedule O," and it's common to need it even on a fairly plain filing.
When is the 990-EZ due?
Form 990-EZ is due the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of your organization's accounting period [6]. 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, a common school-year cycle for booster clubs, the deadline is November 15. Organizations can request an automatic 6-month extension by filing Form 8868 before the original due date [6]. That pushes a May 15 deadline to November 15, giving a new treasurer real breathing room if they inherited a mess of receipts and no prior records. Miss three years in a row and the consequence isn't a late fee, it's automatic revocation of tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j) [7]. The IRS states plainly: "Organizations that fail to file required Form 990-series returns for three consecutive years will automatically lose their tax-exempt status" [7]. This is the single most common crisis new booster treasurers walk into: the prior treasurer quietly let filings lapse for a few years, nobody noticed, and now the group has to apply for reinstatement.
What happens if we've missed 990-EZ filings for multiple years?
If you've missed three consecutive years, your exemption is already gone, even if you never received a letter saying so. The IRS publishes an Auto-Revocation List, and it's worth searching your organization's name or EIN there before you assume everything is fine [8]. Reinstatement generally means filing Form 1023 (or 1023-EZ if you qualify) again and requesting either retroactive reinstatement or reinstatement effective the postmark date, depending on how long the lapse has been and whether you can show reasonable cause. Revenue Procedure 2014-11 lays out the specific streamlined retroactive reinstatement process for organizations that were eligible to file a 990-EZ or 990-N and apply within 15 months of revocation . During the gap between revocation and reinstatement, the organization is treated as a taxable entity, and donations made in that window may not be tax-deductible to the donor, which is a real problem if you're mid-fundraiser when you discover the revocation. Don't wait to sort this out. Confirm your organization's exact status and the current reinstatement procedure with the IRS before assuming the streamlined process still applies at your gross receipts level, since IRS forms and procedures do get updated.
What is a treasurer? What does a treasurer do?
A treasurer is the officer responsible for an organization's money: tracking income and expenses, keeping the bank account reconciled, preparing financial reports for the board or membership, and making sure required filings (like the 990-EZ) actually get done and get done on time. In a small nonprofit like a booster club or PTO, the treasurer is usually a volunteer parent, not an accountant, and the role is part bookkeeper, part compliance officer, part historian. What does a treasurer do day to day? Deposit checks and cash from concessions or fundraisers, pay vendors and reimburse volunteers, keep a ledger or spreadsheet current, present a budget-to-actual report at meetings, and hand off clean records to the next treasurer. What does a treasurer do in a club specifically, versus a large nonprofit? The core job is the same, but the scale is smaller and the treasurer often wears more hats: they might also be the one filing the 990-N or 990-EZ, applying for a state raffle license, and managing the Venmo account for spirit-wear sales, all without any paid staff to hand things off to. What does a club treasurer do that a PTO treasurer doesn't? Not much, honestly. A club treasurer for a booster group and a treasurer of a school PTO both handle dues, event revenue, vendor payments, and annual IRS filings; the differences are more about scale and which state charity registration rules apply than about the fundamentals of the job.
What information does the 990-EZ actually ask for?
The form is organized into parts. Part I covers revenue, expenses, and changes in net assets or fund balances for the year. Part II is the balance sheet, comparing beginning-of-year and end-of-year figures for cash, other assets, and liabilities. Part III asks for a statement of program service accomplishments, meaning a plain-language description of what the organization actually did (ran the concession stand, funded uniforms, supported the marching band's travel, whatever applies). Part IV lists officers, directors, trustees, and key employees along with their compensation, even if that compensation is $0, which it usually is for volunteer booster treasurers. Part V covers other IRS filings and compliance questions, including whether the organization has unrelated business income over $1,000 (which would trigger a separate Form 990-T) [5]. Part VI is specific to 501(c)(3) organizations and covers additional information relevant to public charity status. Most of this is straightforward if your books are already organized by category throughout the year. It gets painful fast if you're trying to reconstruct twelve months of concession stand cash and Venmo transfers from memory in April.
Can we file the 990-EZ ourselves, or do we need an accountant?
Plenty of small booster clubs and PTOs file the 990-EZ themselves, especially once someone has done it one time and set up a template. The IRS instructions for Form 990-EZ [5] walk through every line, and if your books were kept in reasonable categories all year (revenue by source, expenses by function), transferring numbers onto the form is mostly clerical. Where it's worth paying someone: if you have unrelated business income, if your public charity status under Schedule A looks shaky, if you're dealing with a multi-year revocation and reinstatement, or if your board just wants a second set of eyes because the treasurer changes every year or two and nobody wants to be the one who got it wrong. A CPA who works with small nonprofits can review a draft 990-EZ for a few hundred dollars in many markets, which is often cheaper than the stress of guessing. This article and BoosterLedger generally aren't accountants or a law firm, and nothing here is tax or legal advice. Treat the thresholds and procedures above as a starting point and confirm current numbers and forms with the IRS before you file.
Does the 990-EZ replace state charity filing requirements?
No. The 990-EZ is a federal filing to the IRS. Most states with charitable solicitation laws require a separate registration, and many accept a copy of your 990 or 990-EZ as part of that state filing, but the registration itself is a different requirement with its own deadline and fee. If your booster club or PTO solicits donations from the public, sells raffle tickets, or runs a public fundraiser, check with your state's charity regulator (often the Attorney General's office or Secretary of State) about whether you need to register before fundraising and whether an annual renewal is required. Requirements and fees differ by state and change periodically, so confirm current rules with your state charity office directly rather than relying on last year's paperwork.
What's a simple way to keep 990-EZ prep from becoming a scramble every year?
Track revenue and expenses in the same categories the form uses (program service revenue, contributions, fundraising event income, gaming income if you run raffles) as the year happens, not in April when the deadline is close. Reconcile the bank account monthly, not annually. Keep a running list of officers and their (usually $0) compensation, and keep a folder, physical or digital, with the prior year's filed 990-EZ, your EIN, your fiscal year dates, and your state charity registration number in one place, so the next treasurer isn't starting from zero. That handoff problem is the thing that quietly kills more booster clubs' exempt status than actual bad faith or fraud. A treasurer does a great job for two years, moves on when their kid graduates, and the incoming treasurer has no idea a 990-EZ was ever required, let alone when it's due. If you want a structured starting point for this instead of building your own tracking system from scratch, BoosterLedger's $99 one-time State-Personalized Treasurer Kit sets up the categories, deadline reminders, and handoff documents for your specific state, so filings and state charity renewals don't depend entirely on one person's memory.
990-EZ vs 990-N vs full 990: quick comparison
| Feature | 990-N | 990-EZ | Full 990 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross receipts threshold | Normally $50,000 or less | Less than $200,000 | $200,000 or more | |
| Total assets threshold | Any | Less than $500,000 | $500,000 or more | |
| Length | 8 data fields online | ~4 pages + schedules | ~12 pages + schedules | |
| Filing method | Online only, IRS portal | Paper or e-file | Paper or e-file | |
| Officer compensation detail | Not required | Basic listing | Detailed, includes Schedule J for high earners | |
| Public support test (Schedule A) | Not applicable | Required for 501(c)(3)s | Required for 501(c)(3)s | Source: IRS, "Annual Filing Requirements for Exempt Organizations" and Form 990-EZ instructions [2][5]. These thresholds are current as of recent IRS guidance but the IRS updates dollar figures periodically, so confirm the exact numbers for the tax year you're filing. |
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 990?
Form 990 is the IRS's annual information return for tax-exempt organizations. It reports revenue, expenses, program activities, and governance details so the IRS and the public can see how a nonprofit uses its money. There are several versions (990-N, 990-EZ, full 990) depending on the organization's gross receipts and total assets [1][2].
What is a 990 tax form?
It's an informational return, not a tax bill in the usual sense. Tax-exempt organizations file a version of the 990 (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990) every year to report income and expenses to the IRS, even though most owe no federal income tax on their normal activities [1].
What does a treasurer do?
A treasurer manages an organization's money: tracking income and expenses, reconciling the bank account, preparing budget reports, paying bills, and making sure annual filings like the 990-EZ get done on time. In small nonprofits, the treasurer is usually a volunteer, not a paid accountant.
What is a treasurer of a club?
The treasurer of a club is the officer, usually elected or appointed, who handles the club's finances: collecting dues or fundraiser proceeds, paying expenses, keeping records, and reporting the club's financial position to the members or board at regular meetings.
What does a club treasurer do differently from a corporate treasurer?
The core job is the same, tracking money and reporting on it, but a club treasurer works at a much smaller scale with volunteer help instead of paid staff, and often personally handles tasks (filing the 990-EZ, applying for a raffle license) that a large organization would assign to specialists.
Who must file Form 990-EZ instead of the 990-N?
Organizations with gross receipts of $200,000 or more, or total assets of $500,000 or more, cannot use the 990-N and must file the 990-EZ or full 990. Groups with gross receipts under $200,000 and assets under $500,000 qualify for the 990-EZ but can also choose the full 990 [2].
When is Form 990-EZ due?
The 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends. Calendar-year filers are due May 15. An automatic 6-month extension is available by filing Form 8868 before the original deadline [6].
What happens if we miss three years of 990-EZ filings?
Your organization's tax-exempt status is automatically revoked under Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j) after three consecutive years of missed filings. The IRS publishes an Auto-Revocation List; check it, then look into the streamlined retroactive reinstatement process under Revenue Procedure 2014-11 [7][9].
Does a booster club need Schedule G with its 990-EZ?
Yes, if the club had more than $15,000 in gross income from gaming activities (including raffles) or more than $15,000 from fundraising events other than gaming in that tax year. Schedule G asks for details on how those events were run and what they raised [5].
Can a small nonprofit file the 990-EZ voluntarily even if it qualifies for the 990-N?
Yes. Organizations under the $50,000 gross receipts threshold can file the 990-N, but they're allowed to file the more detailed 990-EZ instead if they want a fuller public record for donors or their own board.
Is the 990-EZ public information?
Yes. Filed 990-EZs are public documents. The IRS releases them, and sites like ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer republish them, so donors, parents, and school administrators can look up what your organization reported.
Do private foundations file the 990-EZ?
No. Private foundations file Form 990-PF regardless of their size; they never qualify for the 990-N or 990-EZ [3]. This rarely applies to booster clubs or PTOs, which are typically public charities, but it's worth confirming your classification if you're unsure.
Does filing the 990-EZ satisfy state charity registration requirements too?
No. The 990-EZ goes to the IRS only. Many states with charitable solicitation laws require a separate annual registration, sometimes accepting a copy of your 990-EZ as an attachment. Confirm requirements and fees with your state's charity office or Attorney General.
Sources
- IRS, Form 990-EZ overview: 990-EZ is the short form for small and mid-sized tax-exempt organizations
- IRS, About Form 990-PF: private foundations must file Form 990-PF regardless of size
- IRS, Instructions for Schedule B (Form 990): contributor disclosure thresholds and exceptions on Schedule B
- IRS, Instructions for Form 990-EZ: Schedule G threshold of $15,000 for gaming and fundraising event income; unrelated business income reporting
- IRS, Form 8868 and 990-series due dates: 990-EZ due date and automatic 6-month extension via Form 8868
- IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: organizations lose exempt status after three consecutive years of not filing
- IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search (Auto-Revocation List): IRS publishes a searchable Auto-Revocation List
- IRS, Revenue Procedure 2014-11: streamlined retroactive reinstatement process for organizations eligible to file 990-EZ or 990-N