Exempt organization annual reporting requirements: Meaning of "reportable" and "other" compensation in Form 990

 

The reporting requirements refer to reportable compensation and other compensation. Which types and amounts of compensation are included in each, and where should we report these types and amounts on Form 990?

Reportable compensation generally means compensation reported in Box 5 of the employee’s Form W-2 PDF, or in Box 7 of a non-employee’s  Form 1099-MISC PDF . Special rules apply if an employee does not have any amount reported in Box 7 of Form W-2. Other compensation generally means compensation that is not reported on Forms W-2 or 1099. A specific type of other compensation that is less than $10,000 for a given person does not need to be reported in Part VII, except tax-deferred contributions by the employer to a defined contribution retirement plan, the annual increase in the actuarial value of a defined benefit plan, and the value of health benefits not includable in reportable compensation.  This $10,000 exception only applies to reporting in Part VII of Form 990 PDF; it does not apply to Schedule J PDF.
 
The instructions to Part VII explain these terms, and also provide a table listing various types of compensation and where to report them in Part VII and in Schedule J.

TIP:  As stated above, the $10,000 exclusions for related organization compensation and certain types of other compensation (described above) apply only to Part VII reporting, and are not available for Schedule J reporting.  Accordingly, compensation amounts required to be reported on Schedule J may exceed amounts required to be reported on Part VII for the same person.  Organizations are not required to use the available reporting exclusions for Part VII. Organizations that prefer to report the same total reportable compensation and other compensation amounts in both Part VII and Schedule J for a person listed in Schedule J may do so by reporting otherwise excludable amounts in Part VII.