Exempt organization business income tax return

File Form 990-T and pay the tax on unrelated business income, or file Form 8868 for an automatic six month extension. Pay estimated tax during the year if the tax will be $500 or more.

When: By the 15th day of the 5th month after the fiscal year ends (May 15 for a calendar year).
Agency: IRS
Form: Form 990-T
Applies to: Nonprofits in the United States, with unrelated business income.
If missed: 5% of the unpaid tax for each month late, up to 25%, plus interest
Source: www.irs.gov, read October 22, 2026

Jay explains

Income from a trade or business that is regularly carried on and unrelated to the exempt purpose is taxed like corporate income. Once gross income from it reaches $1,000 in a year, the organization files Form 990-T by the 15th day of the fifth month after its fiscal year ends, alongside the Form 990, and pays the tax at the corporate rate. Each unrelated business is computed separately. If the tax will be $500 or more, quarterly estimated payments are due as for a corporation.

Next dates

For a calendar year company. Weekend and holiday dates are moved to the next business day, as the IRS does.

May 17, 2027
May 15, 2028

Also in the federal calendar

Federal corporate income tax return Federal S corporation return Federal partnership return Business income on the owner's personal return Nonresident owner's US return, if one is owed Annual electronic notice for small exempt organizations Short annual return of an exempt organization Annual return of an exempt organization Annual return of a private foundation Written acknowledgments to donors Corporate estimated tax payment Owners' estimated tax payments

See it on your company's calendar

Your company's compliance calendar

Three answers to start. Refine it after.

What kind of organization is it?

An LLC's tax treatment decides which federal return it files. Choose the line that matches yours. Nonprofits are covered too.

State of formation

Employees

Count everyone on payroll. An S corporation's working owners are employees: they are paid a salary.

Where is it based? The state of the office, or of most of the people

A company based outside its state of formation is registered in both and files in both.

More about the company: other states, payroll, dates, abroad

Company name

Date registered in each other state

Optional. Some states key their report to the day you registered there rather than your date of formation; without it, the formation date stands in and the calendar says so.

Who runs payroll?

Fiscal year ends in

Date of formation

Needed for states that key filings to the anniversary of formation.

Annual revenue

Some taxes start at a revenue threshold.

We pay independent contractors We offer a retirement plan (401(k), SIMPLE, SEP)

Outside the United States We hold a bank or financial account outside the US A person or company outside the US owns 25% or more of it We own 10% or more of a company outside the US We pay people or companies outside the US

Each adds the FinCEN or IRS form that comes with it: the FBAR, Form 5472, Form 5471, Forms 1042 and 1042-S.

No account needed. Nothing is stored until you save it.

Put it in your calendar

The calendar is free to read and to print. A subscription keeps it alive.

Every date in Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar, updated when a rule changes
Email reminders 30 days, 7 days and 1 day before each date, and on the day
Your bookkeeper, your office manager, your CPA: invite anyone, unlimited
Mark each filing done and keep a filing record you can send a lender or a buyer
Every change in federal or state rules that touches your company, explained
Jay's plain English notes on every obligation

$190 a year ($15.83 a month), or $19 month to month

Put it in my calendar

Advisors: $49 a month for up to ten companies, $4 each after. Details