What are the filing requirements for Form 990-EZ?

Form 990-EZ is an annual information return that can be filed by certain tax-exempt organizations instead of the longer Form 990, provided they meet specific thresholds and conditions set by the IRS. 

Below are the detailed filing requirements to determine whether your organization is eligible to file Form 990-EZ:

        > Gross Receipts and Total Assets Threshold

Your organization may file Form 990-EZ if:

• Gross receipts for the tax year are less than $200,000, and
• Total assets at the end of the tax year are less than $500,000.

If your organization exceeds either of these limits, you must file Form 990 instead.

        > Organization not eligible to file Form 990-EZ

Even if an organization’s gross receipts are under $200,000 and total assets are under $500,000, the following types must file Form 990 instead of 990-EZ:

• Sponsoring Organizations of Donor-Advised Funds
  These are organizations that manage donor-advised funds, where donors can recommend how contributions are distributed. Defined under section 4966(d)(1), these sponsors are subject to special IRS oversight due to the influence donors can have over the fund’s use.

• Organizations That Operate a Hospital Facility
  This includes any organization that directly manages or provides healthcare services through a hospital, such as general or specialized hospitals, regardless of whether they’re nonprofit. They must meet specific community benefit and financial transparency requirements.

• Section 501(c)(29) Nonprofit Health Insurance Issuers
  These are nonprofits established under the Affordable Care Act as Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs). Even if they are small, they must file Form 990 to provide detailed financial and operational disclosures.

• Certain Controlling Organizations (Section 512(b)(13))
  These are organizations that control another entity (like a for-profit subsidiary or another nonprofit) and receive income from it. Under section 512(b)(13), such organizations must disclose this relationship and the related financial transactions in detail on Form 990.

These entities must file Form 990, not Form 990-EZ. Refer to General Instructions A. Who Must File and the instructions for Lines 44 and 45 of the Form 990-EZ for more clarity.

        > Private Foundations Must Use Form 990-PF

If your organization is classified as a private foundation, you are required to file Form 990-PF, not Form 990-EZ.

To determine whether your 501(c)(3) or 4947(a)(1) organization is a private foundation, review the Instructions for Schedule A (Form 990) on Public Charity Status and Public Support.

        > Group Returns Must Be Filed Using Form 990

Organizations that are filing a group return on behalf of subordinate units must use Form 990, not Form 990-EZ.

You can file Form 990-EZ only if your organization:

• It is not a private foundation
• Is not a hospital, donor-advised fund sponsor, or 501(c)(29) insurer, and
• Meets the gross receipts and total assets thresholds.