Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
Since 2021, the IRS requires almost all Form 990 series returns, including the 990-N postcard, to be filed electronically. Which version you file (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990) depends on gross receipts and assets. Miss three years in a row and the IRS auto-revokes your tax-exempt status automatically, no warning letter required.
what is form 990
Form 990 is the annual information return that tax-exempt organizations file with the IRS. It's not a tax bill in most cases (exempt orgs generally don't owe income tax on mission-related revenue), it's a disclosure document. The IRS uses it to check that a nonprofit is still behaving like a nonprofit: no private inurement, reasonable spending, accurate financial reporting [1]. There isn't one single "990." There are three versions depending on your organization's size, and a small PTO filing the postcard version has a very different experience than a booster club with a part-time employee filing the full form. The IRS says plainly that "most tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual return" and that the specific form depends on the organization's financial activity [1]. For a volunteer treasurer, the practical question isn't philosophical, it's just: which version am I on the hook for, and how do I actually submit it electronically.
what is the 990 tax form and which version do I file
| Gross receipts normally ≤ $50,000 | Form 990-N (e-Postcard) | Must efile through IRS.gov [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross receipts < $200,000 AND total assets < $500,000 | Form 990-EZ | Must efile | |
| Gross receipts ≥ $200,000 OR total assets ≥ $500,000 | Form 990 (full) | Must efile | |
| Private foundations (any size) | Form 990-PF | Must efile | Most booster clubs, PTOs, and youth sports leagues fall into the 990-N bucket. If your group brings in less than $50,000 a year, which covers the large majority of small booster and PTO operations, the 990n is usually all you need. One wrinkle: "gross receipts" is not the same as your bank balance at year end. It's total revenue before subtracting expenses, so a concession stand that grosses $60,000 in sales but nets $12,000 in profit is still a $60,000-gross-receipts organization for filing purposes. Confirm your exact receipts calculation with the IRS instructions or a qualified preparer if you're close to a threshold. |
Your gross receipts and total assets decide which 990 you file. Get this wrong and you either waste hours on a form you didn't need, or worse, you underfile and create a compliance gap. | Organization size | Which form | Filing method |
why does everything have to be e-filed now
Congress made this mandatory, not optional. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019 required electronic filing of the Form 990 series for tax years beginning after July 2, 2019, and the IRS phased in the requirement so that for most organizations, tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2020 had to be efiled [3]. The IRS states directly that exempt organizations "must electronically file" their annual returns as part of the mandatory e-file rollout under the Taxpayer First Act [3]. Paper 990 forms mailed in for those tax years are, functionally, not considered filed correctly anymore for most organizations, and the IRS has stopped accepting paper for many of these returns. This matters for booster treasurers specifically because the 990-N could only ever be filed electronically anyway (it was built as a web form from the start, back to 2010 [2]). The bigger change hit small and mid-size 990-EZ filers who used to mail in a few pages once a year. If your predecessor treasurer was still printing and mailing the 990-EZ as of a few years ago, that filing may not have counted, and you'll want to check IRS records to confirm your last accepted return.
how do I actually efile the 990-N (e-Postcard)
The 990-N is filed directly through the IRS website, not through commercial tax software (though some, third-party platforms also route the same data). You'll need your organization's EIN, legal name and address, the name and address of a principal officer, your tax year, confirmation that gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less, and a statement if you've terminated [2]. The process itself takes most treasurers under 10 minutes once you have those facts assembled. There's no fee to file the 990-N. Sign in, or register for an IRS account if this is your first year at the org, confirm the organization's details, answer the eligibility questions, and submit. You'll get an on-screen confirmation, and it's smart to save or screenshot that confirmation for your files, because the IRS's own "Tax Exempt Organization Search" tool can lag behind actual submission by weeks. If your gross receipts crept over $50,000 this year, you can't file the 990-N anymore, you'll need the 990-EZ or full 990 instead, which do require actual financial statements broken into program service, management, and fundraising expense categories.
how do I efile the 990-EZ or full 990
Unlike the 990-N, the 990-EZ and full Form 990 aren't submitted through a free IRS web form. You'll file through an IRS-authorized e-file provider, which is commercial software (some free for very small orgs, others charging per return) that formats your data into the required XML and transmits it to the IRS. The IRS maintains a list of approved software providers for exempt organization returns [4]. Expect to spend real time here compared to the 990-N. The EZ version alone runs several pages covering revenue by source, functional expenses, a balance sheet, and program service accomplishments. The full 990 adds Schedule A (public charity status), often Schedule B (contributor disclosure), and for many booster and PTO groups, Schedule G if you ran a raffle, gala, or other reportable fundraising event above IRS thresholds. This is the point where a lot of volunteer treasurers hire a bookkeeper or CPA for a few hours, and honestly, that's money well spent once you're past the postcard tier. Filing the wrong numbers on a public 990 (these are public documents, anyone can pull them) is more expensive to fix later than paying for a review now.
what happens if I file late or miss a year
One missed year usually isn't a crisis. But there's a hard three-year rule that treasurers need to know cold: "Automatic revocation occurs when an organization does not file required Form 990 series returns for three consecutive years" [5]. There's no notice-and-cure period for a third miss. The revocation is automatic, by statute, effective as of the filing due date of that third year. The underlying law is Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j), added by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which mandates revocation for organizations required to file an annual return or notice that fail to do so for three consecutive years [6]. This is exactly the trap that hits booster clubs and PTOs hardest, because leadership turns over every year or two, paperwork gets handed off in a shoebox, and nobody realizes the 990-N has gone unfiled for three straight years until a bank or school district asks for proof of tax-exempt status and it's gone. If you're taking over books and you're not sure the last treasurer filed, check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool immediately, don't wait for the next due date.
when is the 990 due
Your 990 (any version) is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends. For an organization on a calendar year (ending December 31), that's May 15 of the following year, per the Form 990 instructions [7]. For a school-year-aligned booster club running July 1 to June 30, that's November 15. A six-month extension is available using Form 8868, which pushes the deadline out but does not reduce or waive it entirely, and it must be filed before the original due date [7]. The 990-N specifically has no extension mechanism and, notably, no late penalty for a single missed year, but a missed 990-N still counts toward the three-strikes revocation rule. Mark this date the moment you take over the books. Put it in whatever calendar your board actually uses, more than a filing cabinet folder nobody opens until the following spring.
what does a treasurer do
A treasurer manages the organization's money and its paper trail: bank accounts, budgets, receipts, disbursements, and the year-end tax filings that keep the group's exempt status intact. In a booster club or PTO, that usually means one person wearing the hat of bookkeeper, tax filer, and financial reporter to the board, all volunteer, all part time. Day to day, that's reconciling the bank statement monthly, tracking income by fundraiser (concessions, spirit wear, car washes, raffles), approving and documenting reimbursements, and keeping receipts organized enough that another volunteer could step in cold if you get hit by a bus, or more realistically, just move away next summer. Once a year, the treasurer role adds the compliance layer: filing the 990 series return, renewing any state charitable solicitation registration, and often applying for or renewing a raffle license if the group runs games of chance. None of this requires an accounting degree. It requires consistency and a checklist, which is exactly why so many small nonprofits fall behind when the checklist lives only in one person's head.
what does a club treasurer do differently from a corporate treasurer
A booster club or PTO treasurer is doing bookkeeping, not corporate treasury. Big-company treasurers manage investment portfolios, debt, and currency risk. A club treasurer manages a checking account, a spreadsheet or basic accounting software, and a shoebox (hopefully digital) of receipts. What's the same across both is the fiduciary duty: the money isn't yours, it belongs to the organization and, in a sense, to the community that donated or fundraised it. That means every dollar needs a paper trail: what came in, from what event, and what went out, to whom, for what. What's specific to booster and PTO treasurers is the compliance calendar layered on top of ordinary bookkeeping: the annual 990 filing, state charitable registration renewals (required in [most but not all states, confirm with your state charity office]), and raffle or gaming license renewals if applicable. A corporate treasurer has an accounting department. A booster treasurer usually has an evening a month and a spreadsheet.
what does a treasurer of a club or PTO actually do month to month
Realistically, here's the rhythm most volunteer treasurers settle into. Weekly or biweekly: deposit checks and cash from fundraisers, log every transaction. Monthly: reconcile the bank statement against your ledger, report a simple income/expense summary to the board. Quarterly: check in on budget vs. actual for major fundraisers or programs. Annually: file the 990 (or 990-N), renew state charity registration if required, renew raffle or gaming licenses, and hand off a clean set of books if leadership changes. The single biggest failure point isn't fraud, it's abandonment. A treasurer gets busy, the group misses a 990-N for one year, then the next treasurer doesn't know it was missed, then a third year passes and the IRS auto-revokes the exemption with zero further warning, per the statutory three-year rule [6]. By the time someone notices, the group has lost tax-exempt status, has to reapply from scratch (Form 1023 or 1023-EZ), and may owe back taxes on income earned while unexempt, depending on facts and dollar amounts. Confirm any reinstatement and back-tax exposure specifics with the IRS and, if warranted, a tax professional; this article isn't tax or legal advice.
how do I know if my organization already lost its exempt status
Check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool directly. It's free, public, and it's the same database the IRS itself uses to confirm status, so it's more reliable than asking around or trusting an old determination letter [8]. Search by your organization's EIN or legal name. If your organization shows up on the Auto-Revocation List, that means the IRS has already revoked exempt status for missing three consecutive years of required filings [5]. This is retroactive to the original filing deadline of that third missed year, not the date someone finally noticed. Reinstatement is possible but it's a process, not a formality: you'll typically refile Form 1023 or 1023-EZ (depending on projected size) and, depending on your situation, may qualify for streamlined retroactive reinstatement if you apply within 15 months of the revocation date, under the procedures in Revenue Procedure 2014-11 . Read the actual irs form 990 reinstatement guidance carefully before assuming your situation qualifies for the streamlined path, and confirm current procedures directly with the IRS since these rules get updated.
does my state also require a separate filing
Often yes, and this is the part treasurers miss most because it feels redundant to the federal 990. Many states require a separate charitable solicitation registration, sometimes annual, sometimes tied to a renewal cycle, administered through the state Attorney General or Secretary of State office, not the IRS. This varies enormously state to state: some states exempt small PTOs and booster clubs below a revenue threshold, others don't exempt anyone. [Confirm with your state charity office / attorney general] whether your organization needs to register or renew, because there's no single federal answer here, and getting this wrong can mean fines or a loss of standing to solicit donations in that state, independent of anything the IRS does. A good habit: whenever you file your federal 990 series return, treat that same week as your prompt to check your state's charity registration portal too. Doing both together, once a year, is much easier than trying to remember two separate deadlines on two separate calendars.
what records do I need before I sit down to efile
Gather these before you start, whether you're doing the 10-minute 990-N or the multi-hour full 990: your EIN, prior year's filed return (if any) for reference, a full income and expense ledger for the tax year, bank statements for all months, your board roster with officer names and addresses, and documentation of any single large gifts or grants if you're above the 990-N threshold. If you inherited a mess, don't try to reconstruct three years of missing records in one weekend. File what you can accurately document for the current year first, then work backward. The IRS would rather see an accurate current-year filing than a guessed-at reconstruction of prior years. This is also the point where a lot of new treasurers realize their predecessor didn't leave a real system, just a bag of receipts and a login nobody remembers. If you're starting from that spot, BoosterLedger's $99 State-Personalized Treasurer Kit is built for exactly this handoff: it gives you a state-specific checklist covering the 990 filing tier, your state's charity registration rules, and raffle licensing steps, so you're not guessing which of the three 990 versions applies to your group or reinventing a recordkeeping system from zero.
what's the real cost and time commitment for the 990 efile
The 990-N itself costs nothing to file, it's a free web form, and takes most treasurers under 10 minutes once the basic org info is in hand [2]. The 990-EZ and full 990 aren't free to efile because you're required to go through commercial IRS-authorized e-file software; costs for small nonprofit filers commonly run in the range of $0 to a few hundred dollars depending on the provider and your organization's complexity, and that's before any bookkeeper or CPA time to prepare the underlying financials. Confirm current pricing directly with IRS-authorized providers, since this changes and providers vary widely. Time commitment scales with the form. Budget 10 minutes for a 990-N, a few hours for a straightforward 990-EZ if your books are already clean, and potentially a full day or professional help for a first-time full 990 with schedules. None of this is a reason to skip the filing. It's a reason to start the recordkeeping habits (monthly reconciliation, categorized income and expenses) early in the year rather than scrambling in month 11.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 990?
Form 990 is the annual information return the IRS requires most tax-exempt organizations to file. It discloses revenue, expenses, program activities, and governance, and it's public information. The version you file (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990) depends on your organization's gross receipts and total assets [1].
What is the 990 tax form used for?
It's not a tax bill for most exempt orgs, it's disclosure. The IRS uses it to confirm the organization is still operating within its exempt purpose, hasn't engaged in private inurement, and reports its finances accurately. Donors and watchdog groups also use public 990 filings to research nonprofits before giving.
Can I still mail a paper 990?
Generally no. Under the Taxpayer First Act of 2019, most Form 990-series returns for tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2020 must be filed electronically, not on paper [3]. The 990-N has always been an online-only form since it launched in 2010 [2].
What does a treasurer do in a club or booster organization?
A treasurer tracks all income and expenses, reconciles the bank account monthly, reports finances to the board, and handles annual compliance: the 990 filing, state charity registration if required, and raffle license renewals if the group runs games of chance. It's bookkeeping plus a compliance calendar, done by one volunteer.
What happens if my booster club misses the 990 deadline three years in a row?
The IRS automatically revokes tax-exempt status. Per IRC section 6033(j), this happens by statute with no separate notice required once three consecutive years of required filings are missed [7]. Reinstatement requires reapplying, often via Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, and possibly a streamlined process if filed within 15 months of revocation [10].
How do I file the 990-N e-Postcard?
File it directly on IRS.gov, free of charge. You'll need your EIN, legal name and address, a principal officer's name and address, your tax year, and confirmation your gross receipts are $50,000 or less annually [2]. Most treasurers finish in under 10 minutes once they have those details ready.
What's the difference between 990-N, 990-EZ, and full 990?
It's based on size. Gross receipts normally $50,000 or less: file 990-N. Gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000: file 990-EZ. Above either of those: file the full Form 990. All three must be e-filed, none can be mailed on paper anymore for most organizations [2].
Is there a fee to efile a 990?
The 990-N is free through the IRS website. The 990-EZ and full 990 require IRS-authorized commercial e-file software, and pricing varies by provider, often free to a few hundred dollars for small nonprofit filers. Confirm current pricing with individual IRS-authorized e-file providers before choosing one.
When is the 990 due each year?
The 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends. Calendar-year organizations (ending Dec. 31) file by May 15 [8]. A six-month extension is available via Form 8868, filed before the original deadline, though the 990-N has no extension option.
How do I check if my organization has already lost its exempt status?
Search the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool by EIN or organization name. It shows current exempt status and includes the Auto-Revocation List for organizations that missed three consecutive years of required filings [9][6]. Check this immediately if you're taking over books and aren't sure of the filing history.
What is a treasurer, exactly, in a nonprofit context?
A treasurer is the officer responsible for an organization's money: tracking income and expenses, safeguarding funds, reporting financial status to the board, and ensuring required tax and state filings happen on time. In small nonprofits like booster clubs and PTOs, it's almost always a volunteer role held for a year or two at a time.
Does my state require anything beyond the federal 990?
Often yes. Many states require separate charitable solicitation registration through the Attorney General or Secretary of State, on top of the federal 990 filing. This varies by state and by revenue level, so confirm directly with your state charity office whether your organization must register or renew.
What records should I gather before efiling a 990?
Your EIN, prior year's filed return if available, a full ledger of income and expenses for the tax year, all bank statements, your board/officer roster, and documentation of any large individual gifts or grants if you're above the 990-N threshold. Gather these before opening any e-file software to avoid restarting mid-filing.
Sources
- IRS, Annual Exempt Organization Return: Who Must File: most tax-exempt organizations must file an annual return, with the specific form depending on financial activity
- IRS, e-Postcard Form 990-N: 990-N eligibility threshold of $50,000 or less in gross receipts and required data fields for filing
- IRS, Taxpayer First Act e-file rules for exempt organizations (Notice 2020-23 background, IRC 6033): Taxpayer First Act of 2019 mandated electronic filing for Form 990 series returns, phased in for tax years beginning after July 1, 2020
- IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: automatic revocation occurs when an organization fails to file required Form 990 series returns for three consecutive years
- 26 U.S.C. § 6033(j): statutory basis (IRC 6033(j)) requiring automatic revocation after three consecutive years of non-filing
- IRS, Instructions for Form 990: 990 series returns are due the 15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end, with extension available via Form 8868
- IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search: free public IRS tool to confirm current exempt status and check the auto-revocation list
- IRS, Revenue Procedure 2014-11: organizations may qualify for streamlined retroactive reinstatement if application is filed within 15 months of revocation