Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Extends Deadline for Maintaining Your Center's Nonprofit Status!

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Nonprofit groups that missed the May 17 deadline to file with the IRS and avoid losing their tax-exempt status have another chance to comply with the law.

May 17 was the deadline for small (less than $25,000 in annual revenue) nonprofit organizations to file a Form 990 to maintain their tax-exempt status, if they had not filed a Form 990 for 2007 or 2008. However, many small nonprofit organizations were not familiar with the filing requirements set forth by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, and missed the May 17 filing deadline. While these organizations were slated to lose their tax-exempt status immediately, in a letter posted to the IRS Web site, Commissioner Doug Shulman offered reassurance stating that "the IRS will do what it can to help them avoid losing their tax-exempt status."

Shulman reported that the IRS would be providing additional guidance in the near future on how it will help organizations maintain their tax-exempt status, even if they missed the May 17 deadline. However, Shulman urged small nonprofit organizations to file now, and stated that a short electronic form (e-Postcard) can be completed in just a few minutes.

For more information, visit the IRS Web site. An article on the filing extension appeared in the May 18 edition of The Washington Post titled, "IRS offers reprieve for charities missing deadline."