Stay Exempt, File your 990-n Online by May 15

Post date: Mar 27, 2014 6:58:11 PM

The IRS has provided a very easy form for charities that take in less than $50,000 each year, the 990-n or "e-Postcard", online at http://epostcard.form990.org/. Even if you are part of the GEN, you still have to file it every year by May 15.  Miss it for 3 years and the IRS will automatically revoke your event.  Here is what you will need to file:

A) The Tax year for which you are filing.  So in 2014, you will file for tax year Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2013.

B) Confirm you took in less than $50,000 and indicate if you are not still in business. (just check boxes).  

C) Provide the name and address of your event.  You can provide more than one name, so you can include both "Pagan Pride Project, Inc." and the name of your specific event.

D) Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your event.  Make sure you use yours and not National's.

E) Your website URL.

F) Name and address of a "Principal Officer".

Register for your EIN/Organization

To actually file, you have to create an account or log in to your existing account.  To create an account, go to the e-Postcard site and click "Register as a new User".  Enter your EIN and click next. It should recognize your organization and display the name, asking you for your name, email, a daytime phone number and to pick a password.  More than one person can register for a single organization, each being given a unique login id (your EIN plus a sequential number), so don't worry if you now have this responsibility, but can't reach the person who did it last year. You can just create a new account for yourself.

If you are part of the GEN, be sure to use your own EIN rather than the national GEN number.

Create and Submit your e-Postcard

Now that you have registered, or if you were already registered, you can create an e-Postcard.  Just log in with the login ID they gave you and the password you selected, fill in all the information, and submit it. You will get emails with the progress and final acceptance of your e-Postcard.