Knowledgebase

What is the time lag from when the IRS recognizes an organization's exempt status to when the determination is reflected in the BMF and SOI listings? (FAQ)   (link)

It depends, but it can be as long as three weeks from when a Determination Specialist closes the entry process of a determination before it actually shows up in the BMF (live) system. If the entry goes into the BMF system around the same time as the BMF Exempt Organization Extract is produced, the determination might not show up in the SOI's listings until the following month. Consequently, it can be up to 7 weeks from the time a specialist closes the file until it shows up on the BMF extract. Add to that the time it might take from when a Determination Specialist receives the request for exempt organization status to when he/she finishes the entry phase into the system. Depending on his/her turnaround, it could take as much as two month or more in some cases from when the IRS receives a request for exempt organization status to when that status will show on SOI extract files and listings. (Summary of correspondence between Jon Durnford (NCCS) and James Willis, Statistics of Income Div., Internal Revenue Service, 11/2004)

Also see Compliance with Information Reporting: Exempt Organizations under Cross-database Items