Nonprofit Tax Services
Nonprofits Are Not A Side Business For Us; They Are Our Primary Business.
Rubino has been focused on serving nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations in the Greater Washington, DC area for over 45 years. We know that your tax-exempt status is one of the most important assets to your organization, whether your organization has 501(c)(3) status or another classification of tax-exemption. From general start-up questions and tax-exempt applications to annual activities and Form 990 preparation, our dedicated nonprofit tax services team helps your nonprofit stay in compliance with federal and state tax law and regulations so you can focus on accomplishing your mission.
What Our Clients Say
Executive Director
The Community Ecology Institute
Our Mission Centers On Supporting Nonprofits.
At Rubino, you are not just a number. We provide a personal approach that allows us to become deeply familiar with the details of your organization, which means we develop a thorough understanding of your business and get to know you and your team. When you work with our firm, you will receive a prompt response to your inquiries from someone you know. Senior leadership is available to you during the engagement and will be involved in the details of the work. That kind of personal attention is standard procedure at Rubino.
Our Nonprofit Tax Services team focuses on staying current and up to date with federal and state nonprofit tax laws and deadlines so we can assist your organization in navigating and maintaining its compliance with the various taxing and compliance authorities and jurisdictions. We prepare hundreds of federal, state, and international forms for our clients every year and pride ourselves on the thoroughness of knowledge and responsiveness to our clients.
We know your Form 990 is available to the public so we take pride in the quality of our work so you can look your best to donors, grant administrators, state nonprofit authorities, the Internal Revenue Service, and other readers of the form.
Beyond annual information compliance and Form 990 preparation, we also offer expertise and consulting on activities and reporting, including but not limited to issues such as:
You have big accomplishments, challenges, and goals to achieve; leave the compliance and tax deadlines to us.
We offer fair and competitive rates for our nonprofit professional tax services. Please reach out to inquire about our general fees for typical nonprofit tax services.
Partner With Experience You Can Trust
The Rubino Advantage
We are focused on helping our clients, employees, and community succeed. Everything we do is focused on building relationships and adding value to every engagement. This includes helping your nonprofit overcome any obstacle.
Our many years of experience with nonprofits mean our dedicated team of experts understands the tax challenges every entity faces. We will help you develop the best strategy to mitigate your liability and make sure you have the funds your organization needs to accomplish its mission.
We combine all of our unique advantages for the singular goal of delivering dependable and accurate tax and financial services to our clients.
Built on a Platform of Unity
At Rubino, we are proud of our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in our firm. Learn more about how we focus on solving challenges, promoting success, and creating a modern workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) For Nonprofit Tax
Answer: Technically speaking, these are not identical terms. Tax-exempt generally refers to the provisions in the Internal Revenue Code that describe a federal income tax exemption. Nonprofit generally refers to the provisions in a state law that authorize the formation of a nonprofit nonstock corporation. While these are often used interchangeably in conversation or in general topics, there are distinctions that matter on the federal and state levels.
Answer: The type of tax-exempt organization you are forming determines the application form, so understanding the mission of the organization will help determine the approach.
501(c)(3) organizations are focused on charitable, religious, educational, and scientific missions. To apply for tax-exempt status as a typical public charity under 501(c)(3), your organization would file Form 1023 (or Form 1023-EZ for eligible smaller organizations).
Social welfare organizations seeking exemption under section 501(c)(4) or other organizations seeking exemption under other 501(c) subsections (like social clubs or business leagues) file the 1024 exempt application series (1024-A and 1024).
Answer: Yes, unless the organization meets a specific exception, most nonprofits are required to file a return annually. Churches, governmental units, and certain political organizations are some of the main exceptions. The filing requirements for an organization depend on the type of organization and its annual gross receipts. Most nonprofits file Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-N (e-Postcard).
TIP: Check the top right of your IRS determination letter to see if it indicates a Form 990 requirement:
Answer: The difference between these forms is the amount of information the IRS requires on each. The Form 990 requires the most amount of information, the Form 990-EZ requires much less, and the Form 990-N requires very little information. Eligibility for the smaller forms is limited to certain gross receipts and/or total assets thresholds:
- Form 990 is required for organizations with gross receipts of $200,000 or more, or total assets of $500,000 or more.
- Form 990-EZ is for organizations with gross receipts of less than $200,000 and total assets of less than $500,000.
- Form 990-N (e-Postcard) is for the smaller organizations with gross receipts of $50,000 or less.
NOTE: Always confirm your organization’s requirements with a tax advisor, as there are oftentimes exceptions to every rule. For example, certain supporting organizations are not able to file the 990-N (e-Postcard) even if gross receipts do not exceed the form’s threshold.
For a complete list of Nonprofit Tax FAQs, please click here.
Meet Our Nonprofit Tax Team Leader
