Nonprofit 990
Nonprofit 990 checklist
A Form 990 is part financial statement and part public description of the organization. The return needs the year-end books, but it also needs the board policies, the program accomplishments and the functional expense split that the public sees. This checklist covers what to collect from a tax-exempt client before preparing the 2026 Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N.
Who sends itSent by the tax preparer to the nonprofit's executive director, finance lead or bookkeeper after the fiscal year ends and before the Form 990 series return is prepared.
0 of 33 ticked
01Organization details
02Governance
03Revenue
04Expenses and balance sheet
05Programs and public support
What firms get wrong
- Waiting until the return is due to ask for board policies and meeting minutes, which the organization may not have kept.
- Reporting all expenses as program expenses without a functional expense allocation.
- Missing restricted contributions and the releases from restriction in the revenue section.
- Treating a fundraising event's gross receipts as net of the event expenses.
- Leaving Schedule B donor information in the same file that will be posted publicly.
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Questions about this checklist
Who has to file Form 990?
Most tax-exempt organizations file a Form 990 series return each year. The specific form depends on the organization's gross receipts and total assets, so check the current IRS instructions before choosing Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N.
When is the Form 990 due?
A calendar-year organization files by the 15th day of the fifth month after its year ends. For the 2026 fiscal year, May 15, 2027 is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to Monday, May 17, 2027. Form 8868 can request an automatic six-month extension.
Are donor names public?
Schedule B lists donor names and amounts, but the IRS does not make Schedule B public. The rest of the Form 990 is generally available to the public.
What is the functional expense split?
It divides each expense among program services, management and general, and fundraising. The Form 990 reports those three categories, so the organization needs a reasonable allocation method and the records behind it.
What if the organization is small?
A small organization may file Form 990-N, an electronic postcard, if its gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less. Form 990-EZ has its own gross receipts and total asset limits. The organization still needs the year-end financial records.
Sources
Checked November 3, 2026. Tax rules, forms and thresholds change; confirm them with the IRS or your tax software before relying on them.
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