Last updated 2026-08-14
TL;DR
In 2014 the 990-N e-Postcard threshold was gross receipts normally $50,000 or less, the same threshold that applies now. If your booster club or PTO skipped filing three years running back then (or since), the IRS auto-revoked its exempt status. Confirm your current status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and file every year going forward.
What were the 990-N filing requirements in 2014?
In 2014, a tax-exempt organization qualified to file Form 990-N, the electronic notice nicknamed the "e-Postcard," if its gross receipts were normally $50,000 or less. That threshold came from the IRS's implementation of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which first required small nonprofits to file something with the IRS starting with tax years beginning in 2007. Before that law, groups under $25,000 in gross receipts didn't have to file anything at all. The $50,000 threshold took effect for tax years beginning in 2010 and it hasn't moved since. So a booster club or PTO figuring out its filing obligation in 2014 used the exact same dollar line that applies to a treasurer reading this in 2026 [1]. That consistency is actually good news: if you're catching up on old years, you don't have to hunt down a different threshold for each year back to 2010. The 990-N itself is short. It asks for the organization's legal name, any "doing business as" name, mailing address, EIN, tax year, confirmation that gross receipts are $50,000 or less, and a statement that the organization hasn't terminated. That's it. No financial statements, no program descriptions, nothing attached. It's filed online through the IRS website, not mailed [2]. If your booster club's revenue crossed $50,000 in a given year (a big raffle, a large sponsorship, a bump in concession sales), you didn't qualify for the 990-N that year. You'd have needed Form 990-EZ (generally for organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000) or the full Form 990 above that [3].
What is Form 990, and how is the 990-N different?
| 990-N (e-Postcard) | Gross receipts normally ≤ $50,000 | 8 data fields, online only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 990-EZ | Gross receipts < $200,000 and assets < $500,000 | Short financial summary | |
| 990 (full) | Gross receipts ≥ $200,000 or assets ≥ $500,000 | Full financial detail, schedules | |
| 990-PF | Private foundations, any size | Full detail, regardless of receipts | A typical youth sports booster club or elementary school PTO with a few fundraisers and a checking account under $50,000 almost always lands in the 990-N tier. That's the whole reason the e-Postcard exists: Congress and the IRS didn't want every parent-run snack bar treasurer wrestling with the full form [4]. For more on how the full form differs from the postcard, see form 990 and irs form 990. |
Form 990 is the IRS's annual information return for tax-exempt organizations. Most people asking "what is the 990" or "what is a 990 tax form" want the short version: it's how a nonprofit reports its money, its leadership, and its activities to the IRS each year, and the IRS makes most of that return public. Unlike a business tax return, a 990 usually isn't about calculating tax owed. It's disclosure. There isn't one single 990. It's a family of forms scaled to size: | Form | Who files it | What's required |
What does a treasurer do for a booster club or PTO?
A treasurer is the person legally and practically responsible for an organization's money: tracking it, reporting on it, and keeping the group's tax-exempt status intact by filing on time. That's the short answer to "what is a treasurer" and "what does a treasurer do." For a booster club specifically, the job usually breaks into four buckets. First, day-to-day bookkeeping. Recording deposits from concession sales, spirit wear, and membership dues; tracking checks written for uniforms, tournament fees, and equipment; reconciling the bank statement every month, more than at year end. Second, cash handling controls. Booster clubs run on cash: gate admissions, bake sales, 50/50 raffles. A treasurer sets up (or should insist on) two-person counts, deposit slips signed by two people, and a rule that cash never goes home in someone's car overnight. Third, tax filing. This is where the 990-N comes in. Every tax-exempt organization, regardless of size, has an annual filing requirement now. There's no longer such a thing as "too small to file." A treasurer figures out which form tier the club falls into and either files it or hands the numbers to whoever does. Fourth, handoff and continuity. Booster and PTO treasurer terms are usually one or two years. A treasurer who doesn't leave clean records, the EIN, login credentials for the IRS e-Postcard system, and a copy of the last few filings, sets up the next volunteer to fail. That's arguably the single biggest failure point in volunteer nonprofit finance: nobody has hard national data on it, but IRS revocation lists (over 760,000 organizations total since the Pension Protection Act rule took effect, per IRS revocation postings) suggest a lot of small groups lose track when leadership changes [5].
What does a club treasurer do differently from a corporate one?
A club treasurer, whether for a sports booster group, a PTO, or a hobby association, does the same core job as any nonprofit treasurer but usually without staff, software, or a finance committee backing them up. That's the honest answer to "what does a treasurer of a club do" and "what does a club treasurer do in a club." In practice this means the treasurer is often also the bookkeeper, the filer, the bank signer, and the person explaining the budget to parents at a meeting. There's rarely a controller checking their work. That's exactly why simple, repeatable controls matter more here than in a well-staffed nonprofit: two-signature checks, a written reimbursement policy, monthly bank reconciliation, and a shared drive (not one person's laptop) for records. A club treasurer also tends to inherit whatever mess the last person left. If the group hasn't filed a 990-N in three years, the treasurer walking in now is the one who discovers the auto-revocation notice, not the one who caused it. That's not a fun surprise, but it's fixable, and the fix (Form 1023 or 1023-EZ for reinstatement, sometimes with retroactive relief) is well documented by the IRS [6].
What happens if a booster club misses 990-N filings from 2014 or later?
If an organization fails to file any required return (990, 990-EZ, or 990-N) for three consecutive years, the IRS automatically revokes its tax-exempt status by operation of law under Internal Revenue Code Section 6033(j). This isn't a discretionary IRS decision; the statute makes revocation automatic once three years lapse [7]. So if a booster club's last filing was for tax year 2013 or 2014 and nothing was filed for 2015, 2016, and 2017, that club lost its exempt status automatically, with an effective revocation date tied to the filing due date of the third missed year. The IRS publishes the running list of revoked organizations, and it's searchable by name or EIN through the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool [1]. Losing exempt status means the organization is treated as a taxable entity going forward: donations are no longer tax-deductible to donors, and the organization may owe income tax on revenue. Reinstatement generally requires filing Form 1023 (or the shorter 1023-EZ for smaller organizations) and paying the applicable user fee, currently listed on the IRS's Form 1023 instructions and fee schedule [8]. Some organizations qualify for retroactive reinstatement back to the revocation date if they file within a certain window and meet the IRS's reasonable cause standard; others get reinstatement effective only from the postmark date. The rules are detailed enough that it's worth reading IRS Revenue Procedure 2014-11, which spells out the streamlined retroactive reinstatement process for small organizations eligible to file 990-N or 990-EZ . Check your own organization's status right now if you're not sure. It takes about two minutes on the IRS's 990n-adjacent search tool, and it's the single most useful five minutes a new treasurer can spend.
How do you file Form 990-N?
You file Form 990-N through the IRS's online e-Postcard system, not by mail and not on paper. As of 2016 the IRS moved the 990-N filing system to IRS.gov directly (it previously lived on a third-party Urban Institute site), so make sure you're on an irs.gov page when you file [2]. You'll need: your organization's EIN, legal name and any DBA, mailing address, the tax year you're filing for, the name and address of a principal officer, your website if you have one, and confirmation that gross receipts are $50,000 or less. There's no fee to file the 990-N itself. The due date is the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's tax year ends. For a booster club running on a calendar year (January through December), that's May 15 of the following year. For a school-year based PTO (say, July through June), it'd be November 15. Miss it, and there's no monetary penalty for a single late 990-N, but miss it three years running and you trigger the automatic revocation described above [1]. For step-by-step help on which form applies to your group and how the filing screen works, see form 990-n and 990 tax form.
What counts as gross receipts for the $50,000 threshold?
Gross receipts means the total amount your organization received from all sources during its annual accounting period, before subtracting any costs or expenses. This is a common trip-up point: a booster club that brought in $60,000 from a car wash and concession stand but only netted $15,000 after expenses is still over the $50,000 gross receipts line, not under it. The IRS defines "normally $50,000 or less" with a specific formula for organizations that haven't been around long enough to average three years: an organization in its first tax year qualifies if it received $75,000 or less; in its first two years, if the average of the two years is $60,000 or less; and after three or more years, if the average of the three most recent years is $50,000 or less . So a brand-new booster club can actually take in up to $75,000 in year one and still file the 990-N. Track your gross receipts number monthly, more than at tax time. If you're trending toward the threshold, you want to know in September, not next April when you're staring down which form to file.
What does a treasurer do when the club is bigger than 990-N size?
Once gross receipts push past the $50,000 average (or assets or receipts push into 990-EZ or full 990 territory), the treasurer's job gets noticeably heavier. The 990-EZ requires a real balance sheet, a statement of program service accomplishments, and disclosure of officer compensation. The full Form 990 adds functional expense breakdowns, governance questions, and multiple schedules depending on activities (Schedule G for fundraising events and gaming, for instance, which is directly relevant if your group runs raffles). This is usually the point where an all-volunteer club needs to decide: hire a bookkeeper or CPA for the annual filing, or have the treasurer learn the form. There's no universally right answer. A club netting $40,000 a year from one gala probably doesn't need a CPA on retainer, but a club with paid staff, multiple bank accounts, and six-figure gross receipts probably does. The IRS instructions for Form 990 and 990-EZ run long, but they're free and specific, and they're the first place to check before paying for outside help . If your club runs raffles as part of its fundraising, note that gambling and gaming income has its own reporting layer (Form 990 Schedule G, and often separate state gaming or raffle licenses) on top of whatever 990 tier you're in.
What should a new treasurer check first, regardless of the year?
Whether you're picking up the books today or reconstructing what happened back in 2014, the checklist is the same. First, confirm the EIN is correct and that you have access to it; it's the organization's ID for everything IRS-related. Second, look up current exempt status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to see if the group is in good standing or on the auto-revocation list [1]. Third, pull the last three years of filed returns (990-N submissions are viewable there too) to see what was actually filed and when. Fourth, check whether gross receipts have been trending toward or past the $50,000 line, because that changes which form you'll file next. None of this requires a professional. It requires about an hour with the IRS website and your organization's bank statements. If you find gaps (a missed year, an unclear EIN, no record of who filed what), that's fixable, it just takes longer. This is also the point where having a state-specific reference pays off, since your state's charity registration office may have its own annual filing on top of the IRS one (confirm with your state charity office). A BoosterLedger Treasurer Kit walks a new volunteer through both the IRS side and the state side for a one-time $99, built around your specific state's forms rather than a generic checklist.
Does a booster club need a separate state filing too?
Yes, in most states, on top of whatever you file with the IRS. Many states require nonprofits to register with the state attorney general's charity division or secretary of state, and some require an annual renewal or financial report separate from the federal 990 family. The details vary enormously by state: some exempt small organizations below a revenue threshold, others don't distinguish by size at all. Confirm the specific requirement with your state charity office or attorney general's charity registration division, since there's no single national answer here. Don't assume that filing your 990-N with the IRS satisfies a state requirement. They're separate systems run by separate agencies, and mixing them up is one of the most common gaps new treasurers find when they audit the last few years of records.
Frequently asked questions
What is a treasurer?
A treasurer is the officer responsible for an organization's money: recording income and expenses, reconciling bank accounts, filing required tax paperwork like Form 990-N, and reporting the financial picture to the board or membership. In a volunteer group, the treasurer is often the only person tracking the books day to day.
What does a treasurer do in a club?
In a club setting, a treasurer handles deposits and withdrawals, reconciles the bank account monthly, keeps receipts and reimbursement records, and files the club's annual IRS return (usually Form 990-N for smaller groups). They also brief incoming treasurers so the books don't go dark during a leadership change.
What is Form 990?
Form 990 is the IRS's annual information return for tax-exempt organizations, used to report income, expenses, governance, and activities. It comes in several versions scaled by size: 990-N for the smallest organizations, 990-EZ for mid-size ones, and the full Form 990 for larger nonprofits.
What is a 990 tax form?
It's the IRS's disclosure return for nonprofits, not a tax bill. Despite the name, most 990 filers owe no tax on the return itself; it exists so the IRS and the public can see how a tax-exempt organization raises and spends money.
What was the 990-N threshold in 2014, and is it different now?
In 2014, organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less could file Form 990-N. That same $50,000 threshold, set under IRS rules following the Pension Protection Act, still applies today; it hasn't changed since tax years beginning in 2010.
What happens if a nonprofit doesn't file Form 990-N for three years?
Under Internal Revenue Code Section 6033(j), the IRS automatically revokes tax-exempt status after three consecutive years of not filing any required return. This happens by operation of law, not by IRS discretion, and the organization then shows up on the IRS's Auto-Revocation List.
How do I check if my booster club's tax-exempt status was revoked?
Search your organization's name or EIN on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool at irs.gov. It shows current exempt status, past filings including 990-N submissions, and whether the group appears on the automatic revocation list.
Can a revoked organization get its exempt status back?
Yes. Reinstatement generally requires filing Form 1023 or the shorter Form 1023-EZ along with the applicable user fee. Some small organizations qualify for a streamlined process with retroactive reinstatement to the revocation date, under Revenue Procedure 2014-11, if they meet the filing window and reasonable-cause requirements.
What counts toward the $50,000 gross receipts limit for 990-N?
Gross receipts means total money received before subtracting expenses. A club that grossed $60,000 from a fundraiser but only kept $15,000 after costs is still over the $50,000 line. New organizations get higher first-year and second-year allowances before the three-year average kicks in.
Does filing Form 990-N cost anything?
No. Filing the 990-N e-Postcard itself is free and done online through irs.gov. There's a fee only if you later need to reinstate a revoked status using Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, and that fee is listed in the current IRS instructions for that form.
What does a club treasurer do that's different from a corporate treasurer?
A club treasurer usually handles bookkeeping, filing, and cash controls single-handedly, without a finance staff or committee backing them up. The core duties are the same as any nonprofit treasurer, but the volunteer treasurer carries more of the workload directly and has less institutional memory to lean on.
Do booster clubs need to file anything with their state besides the IRS 990-N?
Often yes. Many states require separate charity registration or annual financial reporting through the attorney general's office or secretary of state, on top of the federal 990-N. Requirements and size thresholds vary by state, so confirm directly with your state's charity registration office.
Sources
- IRS, Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations (Form 990-N): $50,000 gross receipts threshold for 990-N eligibility
- IRS, Annual Filing and Forms overview: form tiers scaled by organization size
- IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption List: IRS publishes searchable list of organizations that lost exempt status
- 26 U.S.C. Section 6033(j): automatic revocation after three consecutive years of not filing
- IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search: searchable tool to check current exempt status and filing history
- IRS, Instructions for Form 1023: current user fee schedule for exemption reinstatement applications
- IRS, Revenue Procedure 2014-11: streamlined retroactive reinstatement process for small organizations
- IRS, Instructions for Form 990: full Form 990 requirements including schedules such as Schedule G for gaming and fundraising events