Organizations are required to file their IRS Forms 990 within 5 months of the end of their fiscal years. Many organizations also obtain extensions.
The attached spreadsheet shows the number of months elapsed from the end of organizations' fiscal years to when the IRS received their returns. This analysis includes returns from 1998 through 2001. However, the early years present probably the most accurate portrait since returns from 2000 and 2001 were still being added to our databases.
The spreadsheet shows that in 1999, most returns (62 percent) were received between the 5th and 9th month after the close of the organizations' fiscal years. Only 10 percent were received prior to the 5th month; 17 percent in months 10-12; and 8 percent more than a year after the end of the organizations' fiscal year.
One possible reason suggested by practitioners is that auditors, who typically complete organizations' Forms 990 as well, must schedule their audits to permit a steady workflow. Thus, an accounting firm specializing in nonprofit or corporate returns will have an organization obtain an extension so the firm can schedule the audit for, say, 6 months after the close of the organization's fiscal year during a slack period for the firm.
An analysis of a random sample of 106 organizations with expenses greater than $1 million found that 61% had a request for extension included with their Forms 990. (The forms for these organizations were reviewed on GuideStar.)
KEYWORDS: FILING EXTENSION, IMAGE PROCESSING, FILING PERIOD, DIGITIZED DATA, GUIDESTAR, 990 PROCESSING