IRS Form 990 requirements 2022-2023: filing checklist

Last updated 2026-07-24

What is Form 990, and why does a small booster club need to care?

Form 990 is the annual information return that nearly every tax-exempt organization files with the IRS to report money in, money out, and basic governance facts. It is not an income tax return in the usual sense (most exempt groups owe no tax), it is a disclosure form. The IRS uses it, and so does anyone else, because 990s are public record. If your group has a determination letter recognizing it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) or another 501(c) category, you are required to file some version of the 990 every single year, even if you took in zero dollars. There is no revenue floor that excuses you from filing entirely. There's just a smaller, simpler version for small organizations. The IRS says it plainly: "Most tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual return" ^[1]. This matters a lot for booster clubs, PTOs, and youth sports leagues because these groups often get handed off from parent to parent with no paperwork trail. A treasurer who assumes "we're too small to file anything" is the single most common reason these groups end up on the IRS auto-revocation list. For background on the annual filing itself, see form 990 and ^[990](/articles/treasurer-basics/990).

What is Form 990-N, and does my group qualify?

Form 990-N, nicknamed the e-Postcard, is the version for organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less. It is free, online-only, and takes about 10 minutes if you have your basics ready. The IRS confirms: "Most small tax-exempt organizations whose gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less" file the e-Postcard ^[2]. You need eight pieces of information: your EIN, tax year, legal name and mailing address, any other names the organization uses, the name and address of a principal officer, your website if you have one, confirmation that gross receipts are still $50,000 or less, and a statement if the organization has terminated. That's it. There's no financial detail line-by-line, no balance sheet. "Normally $50,000 or less" is a rolling average test, not a strict single-year cutoff. The IRS instructions define it using a 3-year averaging method: if you're in your first year, receipts under $75,000 qualify; in years two and three, average under $60,000 qualifies; for organizations three years or older, average gross receipts over the immediately preceding three years must be $50,000 or less ^[3]. A single unusually good fundraiser year (a raffle jackpot, a big one-time donation) doesn't automatically knock you into the next form if your 3-year average still lands under $50,000. Read more on the specifics at 990n and form 990-n.

What is Form 990-EZ, and when do I need it instead of the 990-N?

Form 990-EZ is the middle-tier return, four pages, for organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 at the end of the tax year ^[1]. If you clear either threshold, you're bumped up to the full Form 990. 990-EZ asks for actual line-item financial detail: revenue by source, expenses by category, a simple balance sheet, and information on officers, directors, and compensation. Many booster clubs that run a concession stand, a golf tournament, and a couple of raffles each year land in this bracket once total receipts cross $50,000. A practical note: "gross receipts" is a specific term, defined by the IRS as the total amount your organization received from all sources during its annual accounting period, before subtracting any costs or expenses ^[4]. That means if your raffle grosses $80,000 in ticket sales even though you paid out $60,000 in prizes, your gross receipts are the full $80,000, not the $20,000 net. This trips up a lot of new treasurers who think in terms of net profit.

What is the full Form 990, and who actually needs it?

The full Form 990 is required once gross receipts hit $200,000 or more, or total assets hit $500,000 or more, whichever threshold is crossed first ^[1]. It runs 12 pages plus schedules and asks for a real narrative of your mission, program service accomplishments, governance policies (conflict of interest, whistleblower, document retention), and compensation of officers and key employees over a set threshold. Most volunteer-run booster clubs and PTOs never get here. If yours has, that's a good sign you've outgrown a purely volunteer bookkeeping setup and might want a bookkeeper or accountant preparing the return, or at minimum reviewing it before it goes out. A wrong answer on the governance questions (like claiming you have a conflict-of-interest policy when you don't) is public record forever.

What's the deadline for filing Form 990 (any version)?

990-N (e-Postcard)	Smallest orgs	Normally $50,000 or less	No asset test
990-EZ	Small/mid orgs	Under $200,000	Under $500,000
990 (full)	Larger orgs	$200,000 or more	$500,000 or more	Source: IRS, Annual Filing Requirements for Exempt Organizations [3] [1].

All versions of the 990 series are due on the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's fiscal year ends ^[5]. For a calendar-year filer (fiscal year ending December 31), that's May 15. For a group whose fiscal year ends June 30 (common for school-affiliated boosters and PTOs that follow the academic year), the deadline is November 15. You can request a single automatic 6-month extension using Form 8868, which pushes the deadline to November 15 for calendar-year filers ^[6]. Note this is one extension, not renewable, and it applies to Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF. Form 990-N (the e-Postcard) can't be extended, but there's also no late-filing penalty attached to a single missed 990-N. The real danger with 990-N is cumulative, not per-year, which brings us to auto-revocation. | Form | Who files it | Gross receipts threshold | Total assets threshold |

What happens if my booster club misses three years of 990 filings?

Your organization's tax-exempt status is automatically revoked by law. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 added section 6033(j) to the tax code, which requires automatic revocation for any organization that fails to file its required annual return or notice for three consecutive years . This is not a discretionary IRS decision; it's built into the statute. Once revoked, the organization is treated as a taxable entity going forward and, more importantly for a small booster club, donations made to it are no longer tax-deductible to the donor, and the group loses eligibility for many grants and in-kind donation programs that require proof of 501(c)(3) status. The IRS publishes an Auto-Revocation List, and once you're on it, you have to apply for reinstatement, more than resume filing. Reinstatement generally means filing Form 1023 (or 1023-EZ if you qualify) again, along with all the delinquent 990s, and paying the application fee again. The IRS does offer streamlined retroactive reinstatement within 15 months of the revocation date for organizations that were eligible to file 990-N or 990-EZ, which is a real break for small groups, but you still have to do the paperwork and the fee. Check current fees and the retroactive reinstatement procedure directly on irs.gov before you start, because they change.

How do I check if my organization is already auto-revoked?

Search your organization's name or EIN on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool, which lists auto-revoked organizations along with the revocation date . Do this the day you take over as treasurer, before you do anything else with the books. It takes five minutes and it's the single most useful five minutes of due diligence a new treasurer can spend. If you find your group on the list, don't panic and don't ignore it either. The fix is a known, defined process (Form 1023 or 1023-EZ plus delinquent returns), it's just paperwork and time, not a criminal problem. But every month you wait is a month donors can't deduct their gifts and a month a grantmaker might disqualify you from an application.

What does a treasurer do, exactly, in a booster club or PTO?

A treasurer is the person responsible for tracking every dollar in and out of the organization and making sure the group's financial obligations, including tax filings, actually get done. What does a treasurer do day to day? Collect and deposit money from fundraisers and dues, pay approved bills, keep a running ledger, and report a clear financial picture at meetings. What does a club treasurer do that's different from a regular member? The treasurer usually has signing authority on the bank account (sometimes jointly with the president), reconciles the bank statement monthly, and is the one who has to know whether the group filed its 990 last year. In a lot of small booster clubs, the treasurer is also the one who has to notice the group was never actually recognized as tax-exempt in the first place, or that a prior treasurer let filings lapse. What is a treasurer supposed to know that a general board member doesn't? Basic nonprofit financial hygiene: gross receipts versus net income, the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds, how raffle proceeds get reported, and where the organization's EIN, bylaws, and IRS determination letter live. If those documents don't exist or nobody can find them, that's job one to track down.

What records does a treasurer need before filing a 990?

Pull these together before you sit down to file anything: your EIN, your fiscal year end date, last year's filed 990 (any version) if one exists, a full list of income by source for the year (dues, concessions, raffles, sponsorships, donations), a full list of expenses by category, and your ending bank and asset balances. If you're a first-time treasurer inheriting a group with no paper trail, start with the bank statements for the last 12 months and reconstruct income and expenses from there. It's tedious but it works. Cross-check against any Square, PayPal, or Venmo business account the group used for concessions or ticket sales, since those platforms report to the IRS via Form 1099-K once transactions cross federal thresholds, and you want your own books to match what the payment processor reports. Also locate (or request from the IRS) your original determination letter. Without it, you can't prove 501(c)(3) status to a bank, a grantor, or a state charity regulator. If it's lost, the IRS can usually send an affirmation letter; call the Tax Exempt/Government Entities customer account services line listed on irs.gov.

Does my state also require a separate charitable filing?

Yes, in most states, and this trips people up because it's completely separate from the IRS. Many states require a charitable organization registration and annual renewal with the state Attorney General's office or Secretary of State, on top of, not instead of, your federal 990. Requirements, fee amounts, and thresholds vary widely by state and change periodically, so confirm current rules with your state charity office before assuming a small group is exempt from state registration too. Some states also require a copy of your federal 990 attached to the state filing, and some grant a filing exemption for very small organizations or for groups affiliated with a school district, but the exemption rules are state-specific and not something to guess at. Don't assume; call or check your state Attorney General's charities division page directly.

What's the fastest way to build a filing checklist for the year?

Set a recurring calendar reminder tied to your fiscal year end, not the calendar year, since school-year groups often run July 1 to June 30. Mark the 15th day of the 5th month after that as your hard deadline, and mark a second reminder 60 days earlier to gather records. Before that deadline, confirm: which form you qualify for based on this year's gross receipts and assets, whether last year's 990 was actually filed (check the IRS search tool, don't just trust the prior treasurer's word), whether your state charity registration is current, and whether your EIN, bylaws, and determination letter are stored somewhere the next treasurer can find them without a scavenger hunt. This is exactly the kind of handoff gap that causes auto-revocation in the first place: a treasurer does two good years of filing, moves away, and the next volunteer has no idea a 990 is even required. A one-page written checklist, stored with the organization's records rather than in one person's email, closes that gap. This is the specific problem the $99 one-time State-Personalized Treasurer Kit is built to solve: a document set that hands the next treasurer the filing calendar, the state-specific registration steps, and the record locations in one place, so the job doesn't reset to zero every time someone new takes over.

What is a 990 tax form used for besides IRS compliance?

Beyond keeping your exempt status intact, your filed 990 is public. Grantmakers, corporate sponsor programs, and even parents doing due diligence before writing a big check can pull it up on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search or on sites like ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. A clean, on-time 990 signals a well-run organization; a gap in filing history or a revocation flag raises a real question for anyone vetting you for a grant or matching-gift program. So the honest answer to "what is the 990" is two things at once: it's a compliance requirement that keeps your tax-exempt status alive, and it's a public credibility document that outside funders actually check. Treat it as both. For more on the family of related forms, see 990 tax form and irs form 990.

Frequently asked questions

What does a treasurer do in a booster club or PTO?

A treasurer tracks all money coming in and going out, keeps the bank account reconciled, reports the group's financial position at meetings, and makes sure required filings like the IRS Form 990 and any state charity registration get done on time. In many groups the treasurer also has sole or joint check-signing authority.

What is Form 990 in simple terms?

Form 990 is the annual information return the IRS requires from most tax-exempt organizations. It reports income, expenses, and governance details and is public record. There are three main versions (990-N, 990-EZ, and the full 990), and which one applies depends on your gross receipts and total assets.

What is Form 990-N and who has to file it?

Form 990-N, the e-Postcard, is for organizations whose gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less. It's free, filed online, and asks for basic information like your EIN, address, and principal officer, with no detailed financial reporting required. It's the version most small booster clubs and PTOs use.

Do all nonprofits have to file a 990 every year?

Yes, almost all tax-exempt organizations must file some version of the 990 annually, even ones with zero income, unless they fall into a narrow exception (like certain churches). There's no revenue floor that eliminates the filing requirement entirely; there's only a simpler form for small organizations.

What happens if a booster club doesn't file a 990 for three years?

The organization's tax-exempt status is automatically revoked by law under Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j), added by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Reinstatement requires reapplying for exempt status, generally with Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, plus filing the delinquent returns.

How do I know which 990 form my organization should file?

Check your gross receipts and total assets for the year. Under $50,000 in gross receipts (using the IRS's 3-year averaging rule) means 990-N. Under $200,000 in receipts and under $500,000 in assets means 990-EZ. At or above either threshold means the full Form 990.

When is Form 990 due?

The 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's fiscal year ends. For a calendar-year filer that's May 15. For a fiscal year ending June 30, common for school-linked groups, it's November 15. A single 6-month extension is available via Form 8868.

Can I get an extension to file Form 990?

Yes. File Form 8868 for an automatic 6-month extension, which applies to Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF. It's a single extension, not renewable. Form 990-N (the e-Postcard) cannot be extended, but it also carries no late-filing penalty on its own.

What is gross receipts for 990 filing purposes?

Gross receipts means the total amount of money your organization received from all sources during the year, before subtracting any costs or expenses. A raffle that sells $80,000 in tickets counts as $80,000 in gross receipts even if $60,000 went out in prizes.

How do I check if my nonprofit lost its tax-exempt status?

Search your organization's name or EIN in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool, which includes the Auto-Revocation List with revocation dates. Do this before assuming your status is fine, especially if you're a new treasurer inheriting the books with no clear filing history.

Does a booster club also need to register with the state, separate from the IRS 990?

In many states, yes. Charitable registration with the state Attorney General's office or Secretary of State is common and separate from the federal 990 requirement. Rules and fees vary by state and change, so confirm current requirements with your state charity office directly.

What does a treasurer of a club need to keep track of besides the 990?

Bank reconciliations, receipts and invoices for expenses, records of cash collected at fundraisers, the group's EIN and IRS determination letter, meeting minutes approving expenditures, and any state charitable registration renewal. A written, transferable record set matters more than any one person's memory of how things work.

Sources

1. IRS, Annual Exempt Organization Return: Due Date: Most tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual return and the due date is the 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end
2. IRS, Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations - Form 990-N (e-Postcard): Small organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file Form 990-N
3. IRS, Form 990 Series Which Forms Do Exempt Organizations File: 990-EZ threshold is gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000; full 990 required above those thresholds
4. IRS, About Form 8868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return: Form 8868 grants an automatic 6-month extension for Form 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF
5. IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: Section 6033(j), added by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, requires automatic revocation for failing to file for three consecutive years
6. IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search: The IRS search tool lists organizations that have had their exempt status automatically revoked, with revocation dates