Last year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed significant changes to the Form 990, resulting in wide-spread confusion among non-profit organizations regarding what they needed to include in the form. Over the past year, our certified public accountants have worked with a variety of non-profit and government organizations to ensure the proper disclosure of financial assets and information. We’ve worked particularly hard at demystifying Form 990 and helping organizations understand the purpose and significance of this form.
In March, the IRS announced more changes to Form 990 and 990-EZ to modify and clarify certain financial reporting requirements. While it may seem like significant changes have been made to the form, the majority of revisions and clarifications have been made to the instructions of the form (rather than the form itself). There aren’t any large-scale changes or additions to the information non-profits have to report on in Form 990. This is good news for non-profits who’ve just had to relearn Form 990!
In an effort to help you understand the changes made to the forms (and their related schedules and instructions), we’ve created a list of the most significant changes below. For a full list, view the changes on the IRS website.
- The general instructions clarify that a short period return CANNOT be filed electronically unless the “initial return” or the “final return” box is selected in Item B. As a result, a short period return that results from a change in an organization’s accounting period MUST be paper-filed.
- The instructions clarify the specific documentation needed to support a name change, termination, merger, dissolution or revocation of exemption. These documents must be attached to – and filed with – Form 990.
- The instructions for Part VII Clarify that directors’ compensation for non-director independent contractor services to the organization and related organizations must be reported in Section A.
- Appendix E to the Form 990 instructions has been updated to clarify that the public inspection and disclosure requirements apply to both the original returns and amended returns.
If you are confused about the changes to 2013 Form 990 or would like some assistance filling out the form, contact our CPAs today. Our tax services are designed to help you file all of your non-profit-related forms with peace of mind.