Last updated 2026-07-24
TL;DR
Every tax-exempt nonprofit, including small booster clubs and PTOs, has to file some version of Form 990 every year, even with zero income. Groups under $50,000 in gross receipts file the free 990-N online through the IRS website. Bigger groups file 990-EZ or full 990 through IRS-authorized e-file providers. Miss three years in a row and the IRS auto-revokes your tax-exempt status.
what is form 990?
Form 990 is the annual information return that tax-exempt organizations file with the IRS to report money in, money out, and how the group is run. It's not an income tax return in the usual sense, most booster clubs and PTOs owe $0, but the IRS still wants the paperwork every single year. Think of it as the nonprofit world's version of an annual report crossed with a tax filing. The IRS uses it to check that a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organization is still operating within the rules that got it tax-exempt status in the first place. Donors, watchdog sites like Guidestar/Candid, and state charity regulators use it too, so a messy 990 is public and searchable. There are four versions, scaled to org size: Form 990-N (the "e-Postcard"), Form 990-EZ, full Form 990, and Form 990-PF for private foundations. Which one you file depends entirely on your gross receipts and total assets for the year, not on how organized your bank account is. [1] If your booster club or PTO has an EIN and was ever recognized as tax-exempt (even informally decades ago), the IRS almost certainly expects a 990 filing from you every year, even in a year the group did nothing but sit on a bank balance.
what is the 990 tax form used for, exactly?
The IRS uses Form 990 to confirm a tax-exempt group is still doing what it said it would do, and to catch organizations that have gone dormant, dissolved, or drifted into private benefit. States, donors, and grantmakers use the same document for very different reasons. The IRS's own instructions describe Form 990 as the return "used to report information required by section 6033" to give the IRS information on the filing organization's exempt activities, finances, and governance. [2] Section 6033 of the Internal Revenue Code is the actual law requiring annual information returns from most exempt organizations. [3] Beyond satisfying the feds, a good 990 does real work for a small nonprofit. Many banks want to see it before approving a loan or grant. Some school districts or leagues require booster clubs to show a current, complete 990 before renewing an operating agreement. And because 990s are public record (available through the IRS's own Tax Exempt Organization Search tool), a sloppy or missing filing is visible to any parent who wants to check.
what is form 990-N (the e-Postcard) and who has to file it?
Form 990-N is the short online-only version for organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less. It's free, takes about 10 minutes, and has to be filed electronically, there's no paper option. [4] The IRS defines the threshold precisely: organizations "whose gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less" file the 990-N unless they choose to file a full return instead. [4] "Normally" matters here, the IRS looks at averages over recent years, not a single lean or fat year, so check the specific averaging rule on the IRS page before assuming you qualify. To file it, go to the IRS's Form 990-N (e-Postcard) page and use the Electronic Filing System. You'll need your organization's EIN, legal name, mailing address, principal officer's name and address, tax year, confirmation gross receipts are $50,000 or under, and (if applicable) a statement that the organization has terminated. There's no login credential to remember from year to year in the newer system, it runs through IRS.gov directly. Most brand-new booster clubs and small PTOs file 990-N. If yours has raised, say, $8,000 in concession stand and spirit-wear money this year, 990-N is almost certainly your form, but confirm with the IRS if you're near the line or have unusual income like a big one-time donation.
what is form 990-EZ and full form 990, and when do you need them instead?
| 990-N | Normally $50,000 or less | N/A | Online, IRS site, free | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990-EZ | Less than $200,000 | Less than $500,000 | E-file only, via IRS-authorized provider | |
| Form 990 | $200,000 or more | $500,000 or more | E-file only, via IRS-authorized provider | |
| 990-PF | Private foundations (any amount) | Any | E-file only | A booster club that runs a big annual gala, has a sizable reserve fund, or holds real property (a concession trailer, a scoreboard fund with a large balance) can cross into 990-EZ or full 990 territory faster than the officers expect. The rule that catches people off guard: it's an "or" test. A group with modest income but a large savings balance from years of fundraising can still land in the EZ or full 990 bucket because of the assets line, not the income line. Starting with tax years after July 2019, the IRS requires 990-EZ and full 990 to be filed electronically too, there's no more mailing a paper 990-EZ. [6] You'll need to go through an IRS-authorized e-file provider; the IRS keeps a current list on its e-file for charities and non-profits page. Expect a real filing fee for a provider in these tiers, unlike the free 990-N. |
Form 990-EZ is the mid-size version for organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 at year end. Full Form 990 is required once you're above either of those thresholds. [5] Here's the size breakdown in plain terms: | Filing | Gross receipts | Total assets | Filed how |
what does a treasurer do?
A treasurer is the officer responsible for tracking every dollar in and out of the organization, keeping the books straight, and making sure required filings (like the 990) actually get done on time. In a volunteer group, the treasurer is usually the only person who touches the bank account regularly and the only one who can answer "how much money do we actually have?" without guessing. Day to day, a treasurer's job breaks into a few buckets: recording income (dues, concessions, fundraiser proceeds, sponsorships), paying and tracking expenses (uniforms, equipment, referee fees, insurance), reconciling the bank statement every month, and reporting a clear financial picture to the board and members at meetings. None of it is glamorous. Most of it is spreadsheet and receipt work. On top of the bookkeeping, the treasurer is normally the person who owns compliance: filing the annual 990 or 990-N, renewing any state charitable solicitation registration, and keeping the IRS determination letter and bylaws on file for the next person who takes the job over. If your group ever wants a raffle or bingo license, the treasurer is usually the one filling out that state paperwork too, since it asks for the same financial detail as the 990.
what does a club treasurer do differently from a corporate one?
A club or booster treasurer does the same core job (track money, reconcile accounts, report to the group) but almost always without paid staff, software budget, or a finance department behind them. The scale is smaller, but the stakes for getting it wrong (lost tax-exempt status, an audit trail nobody can follow, a raffle license denied) are just as real for a 200-family booster club as for a bigger nonprofit. What's specific to clubs: treasurers usually inherit the role from someone who may or may not have left good records, they often serve one or two years and hand off to someone new, and the group's total budget might be $5,000 to $50,000, small enough that a single missed 990-N filing can trigger IRS auto-revocation before anyone notices. That handoff risk is the single biggest difference from a corporate treasurer role. A corporate CFO has continuity and institutional memory. A booster club treasurer often has a shoebox of receipts from the last person and three months to figure out whether the group even still has tax-exempt status. This is exactly the gap a form 990 filing history and clean handoff binder are supposed to close.
when is form 990 due, and what happens if you file late?
Form 990 (in any version) is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after your organization's accounting period ends. For a group on a calendar year (Jan 1 to Dec 31), that's May 15 of the following year. [7] Miss the deadline and you can request an automatic 6-month extension using Form 8868, filed by the original due date. [6] That buys real breathing room if your books aren't ready by May. The penalty for filing late (when a penalty applies, mainly for 990-EZ and full 990, not 990-N) runs $20 per day the return is late, capped at the smaller of $12,000 or 5% of the organization's gross receipts for the year, per the IRS's own Form 990 instructions; larger organizations face a steeper daily rate and cap. [3] Because 990-N has no monetary penalty for a single late filing, the real danger with the e-Postcard isn't a fine, it's what happens after three years.
what happens if you don't file for three years in a row?
The IRS automatically revokes tax-exempt status for any organization that fails to file its required 990 (in any version) for three consecutive years. This is the single biggest risk for volunteer-run booster clubs and PTOs, because it happens automatically, with no warning letter that says "last chance." The statute is direct: an organization that "fails to file an annual return or notice required under subsection (a)(1) or (i) for 3 consecutive years shall have its status as an organization exempt from tax... revoked." [8] The revocation takes effect on the original filing due date of the third missed year, and it's retroactive, meaning the group is treated as never having stopped being exempt on paper until the IRS actually processes it, but functionally exempt status is gone. The IRS keeps a running Tax Exempt Organizations Revocation List searchable by name and EIN, so a treasurer taking over an unfamiliar club can check this in five minutes before assuming everything is fine. Once revoked, donations to the organization are no longer tax-deductible to donors, and the group may owe federal income tax on revenue going forward until status is reinstated. Reinstatement requires filing Form 1023 or 1023-EZ again (yes, effectively reapplying), along with the delinquent 990s, and in many cases the IRS charges the standard exemption application user fee again. For groups under $50,000 in average annual gross receipts, the IRS offers a Streamlined Retroactive Reinstatement process (Rev. Proc. 2014-11) if you file within 15 months of the revocation date, which avoids the harder "reasonable cause" reinstatement path. Confirm current eligibility and fees with the IRS before assuming which path applies to your group. This is the exact scenario where a 990-n filing history matters: if the prior treasurer skipped two years and you're about to skip a third without realizing it, you're one missed May 15 deadline from a multi-month reinstatement project.
how do you actually file form 990 online, step by step?
The exact steps depend on which version applies, but the overall path is the same: confirm your filing tier, gather your numbers, and file electronically since paper 990 filing is no longer accepted for any version. [6] For 990-N (the e-Postcard): 1. Confirm your gross receipts were normally $50,000 or less. 2. Go to the IRS's Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations page. 3. Have your EIN, legal name, mailing address, tax year, and principal officer info ready. 4. Submit online. You'll get an immediate confirmation of acceptance or rejection. For 990-EZ or full 990: 1. Confirm your gross receipts and total assets against the thresholds above. 2. Pick an IRS-authorized e-file provider from the e-file for charities and non-profits list; there's no free-file option built into IRS.gov for these forms the way there is for 990-N. 3. Compile a full year of income and expense detail, a balance sheet, and governance answers (board size, conflict of interest policy, compensation of officers if any). 4. Review carefully before submitting; once accepted, corrections require an amended return, not a quick edit. Either way, keep the confirmation, whether it's the 990-N submission receipt or the e-file acceptance record, in your permanent files, more than an inbox that a new treasurer won't have access to.
what records does a treasurer need before filing?
Before sitting down to file anything, a treasurer needs a full year of bank statements, an income and expense summary broken out by category, and a list of the group's officers and their addresses. Skipping this step is how a 10-minute 990-N turns into a two-hour scramble. Specifically, gather: 12 months of reconciled bank statements, total gross receipts for the year, total expenses by category, a year-end balance (cash on hand plus any savings or investment accounts), the organization's legal name exactly as it appears on the IRS determination letter, the EIN, and the current principal officer's name and address. For 990-EZ or full 990, add a breakdown of program service expenses versus administrative/fundraising expenses, and answers to governance questions like whether the board reviewed the return before filing. If any of this is missing because the last treasurer didn't hand off clean records, that's a red flag worth raising with the board immediately, not something to quietly patch over. A 990 tax form filing built on guesswork is worse than a late filing built on real numbers, since amended returns draw more attention than a first-time filer catching up.
does a raffle license or state registration affect your 990?
Yes, in a roundabout way: state charity registration and raffle licensing both ask for the same financial detail as your federal 990, and inconsistent numbers across the two filings is one of the fastest ways to get a follow-up letter from a state charity office. Most states with charitable solicitation registration laws require a copy of your most recent 990 (or 990-N confirmation) as part of the renewal packet. Raffle licensing is separate from the 990 process, it's a state or local law thing, not an IRS thing, but the two intersect because both ask "how much money did you raise and where did it go." If your state raffle application asks for gross fundraising receipts and your 990 shows a different number for the same year, expect questions. Confirm your specific state's raffle licensing and charitable registration requirements with your state's attorney general or charity office, since rules vary widely and change often. This is one reason it pays to build 990 prep and raffle license renewal into the same annual calendar entry rather than treating them as two disconnected chores that land on different desks.
what does a treasurer of a club do to prepare for a smooth handoff?
A treasurer preparing to hand off the role should leave behind a binder (physical or digital) with the last three years of 990 filings, current bank statements, the EIN and IRS determination letter, and a plain-language summary of what's due when. The goal is that the next person, who may have zero nonprofit finance background, can find everything without calling the outgoing treasurer six times. At minimum, that handoff packet needs: the EIN, a copy of the IRS determination letter, the last three years' 990 or 990-N confirmations, current bank account numbers and online access instructions, a list of recurring bills and vendors, the state charity registration or raffle license renewal dates, and a one-page calendar showing May 15 (or your fiscal year equivalent) as the annual 990 deadline circled in red. This is exactly the gap a $99 one-time State-Personalized Treasurer Kit is built to close, it's a pre-built handoff and filing calendar personalized to your state's specific raffle and charity registration rules, so a new treasurer isn't reconstructing three years of history from a shoebox. It's not accountant or legal advice, but it's the difference between a two-hour handoff and a two-month one. Whichever system you use, the core discipline is the same: don't let 990 filing live only in one person's head or one person's email inbox.
Frequently asked questions
what does a treasurer do?
A treasurer tracks all money coming in and going out, reconciles the bank account, reports finances to the board, and handles required filings like the annual IRS Form 990 or 990-N. In a booster club or PTO, the treasurer is usually the sole person with regular bank access and the one responsible for keeping tax-exempt status intact.
what is a treasurer?
A treasurer is the elected or appointed officer responsible for an organization's money: recording transactions, keeping bank accounts reconciled, and reporting the group's financial position accurately. In nonprofits, the role also usually includes filing annual IRS returns and any required state charitable registration paperwork.
what do treasurers do day to day?
Day to day, treasurers record deposits and expenses, save receipts, reconcile the bank statement monthly, pay bills or reimburse volunteers, and prepare a financial report for board meetings. Annually, they file Form 990 or 990-N, renew state registrations if required, and keep records organized for the next treasurer.
what is form 990?
Form 990 is the annual information return most tax-exempt organizations file with the IRS under Internal Revenue Code section 6033, reporting income, expenses, and governance details. Small orgs (gross receipts normally $50,000 or less) file the short online Form 990-N instead; larger ones file 990-EZ or full Form 990.
what does a club treasurer do?
A club treasurer manages the group's bank account, tracks dues and fundraiser income against expenses, and files the required annual IRS return, usually Form 990-N for smaller clubs. Because most club treasurers serve one to two years, keeping clean, transferable records is as much a part of the job as the numbers themselves.
what is a 990 tax form used for?
The IRS uses Form 990 to confirm a tax-exempt organization is still operating within its exempt purpose and to catch dormant or noncompliant groups. Donors, banks, schools, and watchdog sites also use the public 990 filing to check a nonprofit's finances before donating, lending, or renewing an agreement.
what is the 990 e-Postcard (990-N)?
Form 990-N, nicknamed the e-Postcard, is the free, online-only annual filing for tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less. It takes about 10 minutes on the IRS website and asks for basic identifying information; there's no financial detail to report beyond confirming you're under the threshold.
do I have to file a 990 if my booster club made no money this year?
Yes. Filing requirement is based on tax-exempt status, not on whether the group had income. Even a club with $0 in activity for the year still files Form 990-N (or a higher form if assets exceed the threshold) to stay compliant; skipping it counts toward the three-year auto-revocation clock.
what happens if a nonprofit doesn't file Form 990 for three years?
The IRS automatically revokes the organization's tax-exempt status after three consecutive years of missed filings, per Internal Revenue Code section 6033(j). Reinstatement requires reapplying for exemption (Form 1023 or 1023-EZ) and filing the missed returns; smaller organizations may qualify for a streamlined retroactive reinstatement process. Confirm current requirements with the IRS.
can I file Form 990-EZ or full Form 990 on paper?
No. Since tax years starting after July 2019, the IRS requires all versions of Form 990, including 990-EZ and full Form 990, to be filed electronically through an IRS-authorized e-file provider. Paper filing is no longer accepted for these forms.
when is the 990 due date for a calendar-year organization?
For an organization on a calendar fiscal year, Form 990 (any version) is due May 15 of the following year, the 15th day of the 5th month after the accounting period ends. Organizations can request an automatic 6-month extension using Form 8868, filed by the original due date.
does filing Form 990 cost money?
Form 990-N is free and filed directly on the IRS website. Form 990-EZ and full Form 990 must go through an IRS-authorized e-file provider, which typically charges a filing fee since there's no free IRS portal for those larger forms; fees vary by provider.
is Form 990 the same as a raffle or charitable solicitation license?
No. Form 990 is a federal IRS filing about tax-exempt status. A raffle license or charitable solicitation registration is a separate state or local requirement, often handled through your state's attorney general or charity office, though both ask for similar financial figures. Confirm your specific state's rules with that office.
Sources
- IRS, "Annual Exempt Organization Return: Who Must File": Which version of Form 990 an organization must file depends on gross receipts and total assets
- IRS, "About Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax": Form 990 is used to report information required under section 6033 on exempt activities, finances, and governance
- Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 26 U.S. Code Section 6033: Section 6033 establishes the annual information return requirement for exempt organizations
- IRS, "Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations (Form 990-N)": Organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file Form 990-N, an online-only free filing
- IRS, "Form 990 Series Which Forms Do Exempt Organizations File": 990-EZ applies under $200,000 gross receipts and under $500,000 total assets; full 990 applies above those thresholds
- IRS, Form 990 Instructions: Form 990 is due by the 15th day of the 5th month after the organization's accounting period ends
- IRS, "About Form 8868, Application for Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return": Organizations can request an automatic 6-month filing extension using Form 8868
- IRS, "Automatic Revocation of Exemption": Organizations must reapply for exemption after automatic revocation and may use streamlined retroactive reinstatement in some cases