990-EZ filing: who must file it and how it works

Last updated 2026-07-24

What is Form 990-EZ?

Form 990-EZ is the IRS's mid-size annual information return for tax-exempt organizations. It's the middle tier in a three-part system: the 990-N postcard for the smallest groups, the 990-EZ for mid-size groups, and the full Form 990 for larger ones. The IRS describes it as available to organizations "with gross receipts less than $200,000 and total assets less than $500,000 at the end of the tax year". If your booster club or PTO cleared $150,000 in ticket sales and concession revenue this year but you're under both thresholds, the EZ form is probably your filing. It runs four pages and asks for revenue, expenses, net assets, program service accomplishments, and some governance and compliance questions. That's a lot more than the 990-N, which is just eight data fields. But it's far less than the full 990 tax form, which can run past 12 pages plus schedules. Most people search "990 tax form" or "what is the 990" when they're trying to figure out which version applies to them. The honest answer: it depends entirely on your gross receipts and total assets, measured for that specific fiscal year, not last year or next year.

Who has to file the 990-EZ instead of the 990-N or full 990?

$50,000 or less	any	990-N (postcard)
Under $200,000	Under $500,000	990-EZ (or full 990)
$200,000 or more	any	Full Form 990
any	$500,000 or more	Full Form 990	A note on private foundations: they file Form 990-PF regardless of size, and that's outside the scope of this article. Most booster clubs, PTOs, and youth sports leagues are public charities, not private foundations, so this table applies to nearly everyone reading this. One trap: gross receipts means gross, not net. If your fall carnival brought in $80,000 and cost $60,000 to run, your gross receipts for this test are $80,000, not the $20,000 you kept. Treasurers who net things out accidentally end up filing the wrong form or missing a threshold they thought they were under.

You use the 990-EZ when your organization's gross receipts for the tax year are under $200,000 AND total assets at year-end are under $500,000. Cross either line and you're bumped up to the full Form 990. Stay under $50,000 in gross receipts and you can file the much simpler 990-N instead, though you're also allowed to file the EZ or full 990 voluntarily even if you qualify for the postcard. Here's the practical breakdown: | Annual gross receipts | Total assets | Required form |

What does a treasurer do, and why does the 990-EZ fall on them?

A treasurer is the volunteer (or occasionally paid) officer responsible for tracking money in and out, keeping the books straight, and making sure the organization meets its financial reporting obligations, including the annual IRS filing. In a booster club, PTO, or youth sports league, that almost always means the treasurer either files the 990-EZ directly or gathers the numbers for whoever does. What does a treasurer do in a club, day to day? Reconcile the bank account monthly. Track income by source (concessions, membership dues, sponsorships, fundraiser proceeds). Track expenses by category. Keep receipts and bank statements organized enough that someone else could reconstruct the year if needed. Report to the board regularly, usually monthly or quarterly. What does a club treasurer do that's specific to tax filing? They pull together the total revenue and expense figures, calculate gross receipts and total assets, and either complete the 990-EZ themselves or hand a clean set of numbers to whoever prepares it (a board member, a volunteer CPA, or a paid preparer). The treasurer of a club is usually the only person who has visibility into all the money, so the filing responsibility lands on them by default, even if nobody wrote it into a job description. If you're new to the role and none of this was explained when you took over, that's normal. Most treasurer handoffs happen with a shoebox of receipts and a Venmo password, not a training manual.

What information goes into a 990-EZ?

The 990-EZ asks for more detail than the postcard but still fits on four pages. Expect to report: total revenue broken into categories (contributions, program service revenue, investment income, fundraising event income net of direct expenses), total expenses, net assets at the start and end of the year, a list of your program accomplishments in narrative form, and answers to compliance questions covering things like whether you paid any officer more than $100,000 (unlikely for most booster clubs, but the IRS asks anyway), whether you engaged in political activity, and whether you had any unrelated business income. You'll also attach Schedule A if you're a public charity, which documents your public support test, this proves you're broadly funded by the public and not a handful of large donors, which is what keeps you classified as a charity rather than a private foundation. If you paid any contractor or vendor more than $600 in the year, you likely need to have issued a 1099 separately (that's an IRS reporting requirement outside the 990 itself, confirm current thresholds with the IRS). The form also asks about your mission and any changes to your organizing documents (bylaws, articles of incorporation) during the year. If your board rewrote the bylaws this year, note it.

When is the 990-EZ due, and can I get an extension?

Form 990-EZ is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's fiscal year ends. 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, which is common for school-affiliated groups, the deadline is November 15. You can request an automatic six-month extension using Form 8868, filed by the original due date. That pushes a May 15 deadline to November 15. There's no penalty for requesting the extension and no need to explain why, you just file the form on time. Miss the deadline entirely, extension included, and the IRS can assess late-filing penalties. The exact per-day penalty amount changes periodically and depends on your organization's gross receipts, so confirm the current figure directly with the IRS before assuming a number. Small organizations generally face lower penalty caps than large ones, but it still adds up if you're months late. The bigger risk isn't the dollar penalty. It's automatic revocation.

What happens if I file late or miss it three years running?

The IRS states plainly: "Organizations that fail to file required Form 990-series returns for three consecutive years automatically lose their tax-exempt status" ^[1]. This isn't a warning-then-penalty system. There's no notice before the third miss triggers it. The revocation is automatic by statute, under section 6033(j) of the Internal Revenue Code ^[1]. This catches an enormous number of small nonprofits precisely because so many are run by volunteers who rotate out every year or two. A treasurer files faithfully for two years, hands off to a new volunteer who doesn't know the deadline exists, and the organization crosses the three-year line without anyone realizing it. If this has already happened to your group, you're not alone and it's fixable, but it takes real paperwork: reapplying for exemption (usually Form 1023 or 1023-EZ for charities), and in many cases requesting retroactive reinstatement under Rev. Proc. 2014-11 if you act within specific time windows and file for the right reason ^[2]. The IRS maintains a searchable list of organizations that have lost exempt status, called the Automatic Revocation of Exemption List, and it's worth checking your own EIN against it periodically ^[3]. Don't wait for a scare to figure out your filing history. Pull your organization's name up on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool now and confirm your current status ^[3].

How is the 990-EZ different from the 990-N and the full 990?

Threshold	Gross receipts $50,000 or less	Gross receipts under $200,000 AND assets under $500,000	Gross receipts $200,000+ OR assets $500,000+
Length	8 data fields, online only	4 pages plus schedules	12+ pages plus schedules
Filed how	Online only, through IRS.gov	Paper or e-file (e-file required for most filers now)	Paper or e-file (e-file required for most filers now)
Public detail	Minimal	Moderate	Extensive	The 990-N (form 990-n) is genuinely simple, eight fields, submitted through the IRS's e-Postcard system, no financial detail required at all. The EZ requires actual bookkeeping output, revenue and expense totals, balance sheet figures, program narrative. The full IRS Form 990 adds compensation schedules, detailed functional expense breakdowns, and governance disclosures that most small booster clubs never touch. Note that as of recent IRS rules, electronic filing is mandatory for nearly all exempt organizations required to file Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF, per the Taxpayer First Act requirements phased in starting with tax years after July 2019. Paper 990-EZ filing is largely a thing of the past unless you qualify for a narrow transitional exception.

The three forms scale with your money, not with how complicated your mission is. A tiny scholarship fund and a huge booster club with the same gross receipts file the same form. | Feature | 990-N | 990-EZ | Full 990 |

What do I actually need before I sit down to file?

Gather these before you open the form or hand it to a preparer: your EIN, your total revenue by category for the fiscal year, your total expenses by category, your beginning and ending bank/asset balances, a list of any grants or large individual contributions over $5,000 (Schedule B may apply), and a short written summary of your organization's main activities for the year. If your books are in QuickBooks, Wave, or even a well-kept spreadsheet, this pulls together in an afternoon. If your books are a mix of a shared Google Sheet, a shoebox, and someone's memory, budget several evenings and expect to reconstruct some numbers from bank statements. This is the exact point where a lot of new treasurers realize they inherited a mess. If that's you, our State-Personalized Treasurer Kit is a $99 one-time toolkit built for this specific handoff moment: it includes state-specific guidance, filing checklists, and templates so you're not guessing which form applies or reconstructing a fiscal year from scratch. It's not a substitute for a CPA, but it gets your numbers organized enough that filing (or handing off to a preparer) stops being the scariest task on your list.

Do state charity registration rules apply too?

Filing the 990-EZ with the IRS satisfies federal reporting. Most states run a separate charity registration and annual reporting system, and many require you to submit a copy of your 990-EZ or a state-specific financial report annually, sometimes with an additional fee. Requirements vary enormously by state; some exempt small organizations under a certain revenue threshold, others don't exempt anyone. Confirm current requirements with your state's charity registration office or attorney general's office directly, because thresholds and forms change and getting this wrong can mean separate state penalties on top of anything the IRS does. If your booster club sells raffle tickets, runs a 50/50, or does other regulated fundraising, that's usually a completely separate state licensing requirement from your 990 filing, don't assume one covers the other.

What is a treasurer of a club actually responsible for beyond the 990?

The 990-EZ is one deliverable in a much larger job. What does a treasurer do in a club across a full year? Typically: maintain the checking/savings accounts and reconcile them monthly, present a financial report at each board meeting, manage the budget alongside the board, handle cash counting and deposit procedures for fundraisers and gate receipts, issue reimbursements against receipts, track any restricted funds (money donated for a specific purpose, like uniforms or a specific trip), and keep records organized enough for an audit or handoff. What is a treasurer, stripped down? The person accountable for making sure the money is where the books say it is, and that the organization can prove it to the IRS, the state, and its own membership if asked. It's less about spreadsheets and more about being the one person who can answer "where did the money go" with confidence, at any point in the year, more than at tax time. A good habit: treat the 990-EZ prep as a byproduct of good monthly bookkeeping, not a once-a-year scramble. If your reconciliations are current every month, the annual filing is a couple hours of pulling totals, not a week of forensic accounting.

Frequently asked questions

What is Form 990 in plain terms?

Form 990 is the annual information return tax-exempt organizations file with the IRS to report income, expenses, and activities. It comes in three main versions depending on size: the 990-N postcard, the 990-EZ, and the full Form 990. It's not an income tax return since exempt organizations generally don't owe income tax, but it is required to keep that exempt status active.

What is a 990 tax form used for?

It lets the IRS and the public see how a tax-exempt organization raises and spends money, confirming it's still operating within its exempt purpose. Donors, watchdog groups, and journalists use it too, since 990s are public record. Filing it accurately and on time is one of the core ongoing obligations of maintaining 501(c)(3) or similar status.

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

A treasurer tracks all money coming in and going out, reconciles bank accounts, reports financials to the board regularly, manages the budget, and handles the annual IRS filing (990-N, 990-EZ, or full 990 depending on size). In many small organizations, they're also the person handling cash counting for fundraisers and issuing reimbursements.

What's the difference between the 990-N and the 990-EZ?

The 990-N is for organizations with $50,000 or less in annual gross receipts and is just eight data fields filed online, no financial detail required. The 990-EZ is for organizations under $200,000 in gross receipts and under $500,000 in total assets, and requires actual revenue, expense, and balance sheet figures across four pages.

Can a booster club file the 990-N instead of the 990-EZ if it wants to?

No. If gross receipts are $50,000 or less, the 990-N is the required minimum filing, but you can choose to file the 990-EZ or even the full 990 voluntarily if the board wants more detailed public reporting. You can't go the other direction: if you're over $50,000 in gross receipts, the postcard isn't an option.

What happens if my organization missed filing for three years?

The IRS automatically revokes tax-exempt status after three consecutive years of not filing any required 990-series form, per Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j). There's no warning notice first. Recovery requires reapplying for exemption and, in some cases, requesting retroactive reinstatement under specific IRS procedures within certain time limits.

How do I know if my organization lost its tax-exempt status?

Search your organization's name or EIN on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool, which includes the Automatic Revocation of Exemption List. If you're listed, your exempt status is currently revoked and donations made to you are not tax-deductible until you're reinstated.

Is the 990-EZ due the same date every year?

It's due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends, so it varies by organization based on your fiscal year, not a fixed calendar date. Calendar-year filers (year ending December 31) file by May 15. A six-month extension is available via Form 8868, filed by the original due date.

Do I need an accountant to file a 990-EZ?

Not necessarily. Many small booster clubs and PTOs complete it themselves if the books are clean and organized. But if your fiscal year had complicated transactions, large grants, or you're unsure about classification questions, a CPA familiar with nonprofit filings is worth the cost for at least one review before you submit.

What counts toward the $200,000 gross receipts threshold?

Gross receipts means total revenue before subtracting any expenses, including full ticket or concession sale amounts, more than the profit. A fundraiser that brought in $90,000 and cost $70,000 to run counts as $90,000 toward your threshold, not the $20,000 net.

Does filing the 990-EZ with the IRS also satisfy my state's charity reporting requirement?

Usually not by itself. Most states run separate charity registration and reporting systems, and many require you to submit your 990-EZ alongside a state-specific form or fee. Confirm current requirements directly with your state's charity registration office or attorney general's office since rules vary widely and change over time.

What is a treasurer of a club expected to know about taxes?

They don't need to be a tax expert, but they need to know which 990 form applies to their organization's size, when it's due, and how to keep clean enough books to complete it. Many treasurers also need working knowledge of state charity registration and any sales tax rules tied to fundraisers.

Sources

1. IRS, Automatic Revocation of Exemption: Three consecutive years of non-filing triggers automatic loss of tax-exempt status
2. IRS, Revenue Procedure 2014-11: Procedures for requesting retroactive reinstatement of tax-exempt status
3. IRS, Tax Exempt Organization Search / Automatic Revocation List: Searchable list of organizations that lost exempt status by automatic revocation
4. IRS: Form 990-EZ is the Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax used by qualifying nonprofits
5. IRS: The instructions for Form 990-EZ detail who must file, what schedules are required, and how to complete each part
6. IRS: Small tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less can file the Form 990-N e-Postcard instead of the 990-EZ
7. IRS: The IRS provides resources and tools to help organizations determine which version of Form 990 to file
8. IRS: Organizations can file Form 8868 to request an automatic extension of time to file Form 990-EZ
9. IRS: Exempt organizations must file annual returns based on gross receipts and asset thresholds, determining whether they file 990-N, 990-EZ, or the full Form 990