Free Nonprofit Starter Kit
1023-EZ vs. the full 1023
There are two ways to apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status. Which one you file decides your cost and your wait:
- Form 1023-EZ: $275, often approved in about 2–6 weeks. Built for small organizations. Three pages, online.
- Form 1023 (full), $600, typically 3–6 months. Required for larger or more complex organizations, and certain types (like churches, schools, and hospitals).
Most small, founder-led nonprofits qualify for the EZ, but only if you clear the eligibility bar.
Do you qualify for the EZ?
If you can answer yes to all of these, you're very likely 1023-EZ eligible. A single no usually means the full 1023:
EZ eligibility check
- Projected annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less for each of the next three years.
- Total assets of $250,000 or less.
- Formed in the United States.
- You are not a church, school, hospital, or private foundation (these have separate paths).
- You're not a successor to, or controlled by, a for-profit.
This is a plain-English summary, the IRS Form 1023-EZ Eligibility Worksheet is the official word.
What either form needs
Whichever you file, you'll need the same foundation in place first:
- Your EIN from the IRS.
- Articles of Incorporation with the required purpose and dissolution language.
- A clear exempt purpose and a basic description of your activities.
The IRS Forms Assistant and the Nonprofit Formation assemble all of this and fill the form for you.
Know your form? File it right.
The IRS Forms Assistant walks you through the application, and the Nonprofit Formation generates the Articles and language it needs. Both included in your subscription.
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