What is inside
Getting tax-exempt status is the start. Keeping it is the job. Every year a 501(c)(3) owes a handful of filings to the IRS and to its state, and missing them is how nonprofits quietly lose their exemption. This playbook lays out the annual cycle and gives you a tracker to run it from.
- The annual compliance cycle at a glance
- The Form 990 family: 990-N, 990-EZ, or 990, and who files which
- State filings you cannot skip
- What actually gets an exemption revoked
- Records and retention basics (what to keep, how long)
- Your one-page compliance tracker
The Compliance Tracker app
Tracks every federal and state deadline for you, sends reminders before they hit, and pairs with the Form 990 app and your governance tools so compliance runs on rails.
And with Included, AI drafts the documents these templates describe, your agendas, minutes, reports, letters, and filings, from what you have already entered. Officers and volunteers move faster and stay more compliant, and you approve every draft before it is used.
See the platform and pricing →This guide is general information from A Step Ahead Media, DBA All In One Nonprofit, not legal or tax advice. Adapt it to your organization and consult a qualified professional in your state where appropriate.