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Is your nonprofit at risk of losing tax-exempt status?

Search by name or EIN. You'll see whether the IRS has revoked your status, the last annual return it has on record, and what to do next.

It takes about a minute, and the search runs right here on the page, so what you type never leaves your browser.

This lookup needs JavaScript turned on in your browser. The IRS's own Tax Exempt Organization Search works without it.

What the answers mean

Revoked: The IRS took away the organization's tax-exempt status after three years in a row with no annual return.
At risk: Nothing on record for the last two years or more. One more missed year and the IRS revokes status automatically.
Filing looks current: A recent annual return is on record. If one year is missing, we'll say so.
Recognized again, or Status restored: The IRS revoked the organization's status, then gave it back. That was recent, so its next annual return isn't due yet.
We can't tell: The IRS's lists disagree, or the organization is new, part of a group, a trust, or looks like a church. We say which, and how to find out.

Why two missed years matter

Miss the annual return three years in a row and the IRS revokes tax-exempt status automatically, effective on the original due date of the third one. From 2021 to 2025 that happened to about 57,000 organizations a year. The good news: at two missed years there's still time. If your gross receipts are $50,000 or less, the fix is usually the e-Postcard, a short online form.

See how your state compares in our study of revocations by state.

For trainings near you, including sessions on money and compliance, The Nonprofit Calendar lists them state by state.

What this check can't see

The IRS data runs a few months behind, and now and then it misses a return altogether. If you filed recently, your return may not show here yet, and a recent revocation may not be on the list.
Filed on paper? Recent 990 and 990-EZ returns have to be filed online, and the 990-N always is, so most returns show up here. A paper return may not.
Part of a group, like a PTA, a Little League or a local chapter? Your parent organization may file one return that covers everyone. We can't see who it covers.
Churches don't have to file at all, and neither do some religious and government bodies. We never mark them at risk.
Search uses the legal name on IRS records, not the name you go by. If yours doesn't turn up, try your EIN.
This isn't legal or tax advice. The official record is the IRS's own Tax Exempt Organization Search.

What happens to what you type

Nothing. The search runs in your browser. It downloads one slice of the IRS lists (say, the organizations in your state whose names start like yours) and looks through it right on this page. Your words and your EIN are never sent to Ember or anyone else.

Sources: IRS Automatic Revocation of Exemption List, Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Form 990-N (e-Postcard) data and Form 990 series e-file indexes, all from the IRS's bulk data pages. We refresh them every month.

Questions

How do I find out if my nonprofit's tax-exempt status was revoked?

Search your EIN or name above. It checks the IRS's Automatic Revocation of Exemption List. The IRS's own Tax Exempt Organization Search shows the same list, plus any reinstatement. If the IRS later restored the status or recognized the organization again, the answer here says so and gives the month.

How many missed years before a nonprofit loses its status?

Three in a row. The IRS revokes tax-exempt status automatically, effective on the original due date of the third missed return. File the next one on time and the run of missed years stops. Two missed years is the warning sign, and there's still time then to file and keep the status.

Do churches have to file a Form 990?

No. Churches don't have to file an annual return, and neither do some other religious and government bodies. So they can't lose their status this way. This check reads the filing codes on the IRS's main list, and it never marks a church at risk for missing returns.

What if my organization's status was revoked?

You can apply to get it back with the EIN you already have. You file Form 1023-EZ, 1023, 1024-A or 1024, with the user fee. Depending on the route and how soon you apply, the IRS can restore your status back to the day you lost it. Its page about having tax-exempt status reinstated explains the ways back.

Keep going

Not sure which return you file, or when it's due? These two will tell you.