The IRS revised Form 1023-EZ, Streamlined Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and its instructions to help small charities apply for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. These revisions don’t change the Form 1023-EZ user fee. Here’s a summary of the revisions we made to the Form 1023-EZ: A text box was added to Part III requesting a brief description of the organization’s mission or most significant activities. This change was recommended by the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate and is designed to provide a better understanding of the most significant activities that an organization engages in to further its exempt purposes. Questions about annual gross receipts, total assets and public charity classification were added to the Form 1023-EZ. These questions are also on the Form 1023-EZ Eligibility Worksheet in the instructions for Form 1023-EZ PDF that organizations must certify they have completed. Question 29 on the Form 1023-EZ Eligibility Worksheet now requires that an automatically revoked organization applying for reinstatement must seek the same foundation classification they had at the time of automatic revocation to be eligible to use the Form 1023-EZ. Organizations that are not seeking that same foundation classification must file a full Form 1023. These revisions make it easier for organizations to select the correct form when applying for tax-exempt status and help the IRS make the correct determinations on tax-exempt status.
