The redesigned Form 990 asks a number of new questions about policies and procedures. In Section C of Part VI Governance, Management and Disclosure, the IRS asks each exempt organization if Forms 1023/1024 and 990, and 990-T are available for public inspection.

How does an organization make this information available to the public? Does your organization post these documents on:
1. its own website
2. another’s website or
3. is it available upon request.

This requirement is not at the discretion of the board or organization, but it is technically the law, under Section 6104.

Has your organization complied?

On Aug. 19, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service released the revised instructions that tax-exempt organizations will need to fill out the redesigned Form 990. This redesigned form is effective for the 2008 tax year, filed in 2009.

According to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, “These instructions are the final step in a tremendous effort to bring the Form 990 up to date and to reflect the diversity and complexity of the tax-exempt community. The revised form will give the IRS and the public a much better view of how exempt organizations operate. The improved transparency provided by these changes will also benefit the tax-exempt community.”

To allow organizations time to adjust to the new forms, the IRS is phasing in the filing requirements during a three-year transition period, depending on the org’s financial activity. Click here to review the filing requirements during the transition period.

This redesigned form has a core form with eleven parts, and depending on certain activity, an additional 16 schedules. The IRS believes the new filing requirements:
• provides enhanced transparency,
• promotes tax compliance and
• minimizes the burden on the filer.

For more information on the core form and schedules, go to www.irs.gov