Electronic Filing Mandate for Form 990-EZ

The Taxpayer First Act, enacted July 1, 2019, requires tax-exempt organizations to electronically file information returns and related forms. The requirement to file electronically generally became effective for tax years beginning after July 1, 2019. However, for small exempt organizations, the legislation specifically allowed a postponement ("transitional relief"). As a result:

  • 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.

IRS will be sending an educational letter (Letter 6194) to organizations that filed paper Forms 990-EZ previously. There is no need to reply to the letter.

Register for the EO Webinar at 2021 Virtual IRS Nationwide Tax Forum

The 2021 Virtual IRS Nationwide Tax Forum consists of a 5-week program of live webinars beginning on July 20, 2021. IRS webinars are offered every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the 5-week duration. Registration information is available on the Tax Forums webpage

The "Charities & Tax-Exempt Organizations Update" webinar is Thursday, July 22 at 2pm EST. In this session, you'll learn about recent law and guidance changes and how those changes may affect your exempt organization. The webinar will also discuss electronic filing requirements that affect many tax-exempt organization returns. You must register for the Nationwide Tax Forum to attend this webinar.

Free Online Training for Small to Mid-Sized Section 501(c)(3) Charities

The IRS provides free interactive online training to help officers, board members, and volunteers maintain your organization's tax-exempt status at StayExempt.irs.gov. The Maintaining 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status course discusses what responsibilities your organization has and what activities can jeopardize your organization's 501(c)(3) status. The Tax-Exempt Organization Workshop provides additional information on the benefits, limitations and expectations of tax-exempt organizations.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.