Form 990-N
Yes, the IRS is free
File 990 Now is a private company, not the IRS. Any organization eligible for Form 990-N can file it free, directly with the IRS, at irs.gov. Here is what you pay us $49.99 for, so you can decide.
Authorized, not yet certified. We can’t send returns to the IRS yet, so nothing is charged. What this means
| Filing free with the IRS | Filing with File 990 Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $49.99 per filing, charged when you submit |
| Signing in | An IRS online account, with identity verification through Login.gov or ID.me, for whoever files | An email address and password here. No IRS account or identity verification |
| Your organization's details | You type them in | Pre-filled from IRS public records, from the EIN |
| If it is rejected | The IRS shows the status in your account; you work out the fix and file again | We show the IRS's rejection and what it means, and correcting and resubmitting is free |
| Your record | The submissions list in your IRS account | A copy of each filing kept in your dashboard here |
| Next year's deadline | No reminder | An email before it is due, if you ask for one |
When you should just use the IRS
If whoever files already has a working Login.gov or ID.me account, knows the organization’s details, and will remember next year’s date, the IRS route costs nothing and works. The return is the same return either way: an e-Postcard filed through us is not more accepted, or more official, than one filed with the IRS directly.
When people use us instead
- The treasurer changed and nobody can get into the old IRS account.
- Identity verification is stuck, or the person filing does not want to go through it for a volunteer role.
- A return was rejected and nobody can tell why.
- Somebody looks after several organizations and wants them in one place.
Not sure which form you file? Who can file a 990-N. The Form 990-EZ has no free IRS option; see pricing.