The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decides federal tax-exempt status for organizations in the United States, usually under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Organizations must apply to the IRS for this recognition, demonstrating they exist for charitable, educational, or other exempt purposes.
In order for a corporation or other qualifying entity to receive 501(c)(3) status, it must apply to the IRS for recognition by filing Form 1023 (or Form 1023-EZ), Application for Recognition of Tax Exemption. The application is a thorough examination of the organization's structure, governance, and programs.
When status is granted, the IRS will send a "letter of determination" that your organization can then use to prove its tax-exempt status on a more permanent basis. You might need the letters to show to foundations when applying for a grant, for example, or when you are applying for state tax-exemption.
The IRS publishes the list of organizations whose tax-exempt status was automatically revoked because of failure to file a required Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF or Form 990-N (e-Postcard) for three consecutive years.
You can claim exemption from withholding only if both the following situations apply: For the prior year, you had a right to a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you had no tax liability. For the current year, you expect a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you expect to have no liability.
Arkansas has a graduated state individual income tax, with rates ranging from 2.00 percent to 3.9 percent. Arkansas has a graduated corporate income tax, with rates ranging from 1.0 percent to 4.3 percent.
To get a resale certificate, a business must obtain a sales tax permit. Then that business can apply for the proper sales tax exemption forms, including resale certificates. Most states accept out-of-state resale certificates, but not all.
While the IRS does issue Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), these are merely a unique identifier, similar to a Social Security number for an individual. Applying for and receiving an EIN says nothing about the organization's tax status; however, your organization needs an EIN to apply for tax exemption.
Tax-exempt status means that an organization is exempt from paying federal corporate income tax on income generated from activities that are substantially related to the purposes for which the entity was organized (i.e., to the purposes for which the organization was granted tax-exempt status).
The IRS 7-year rule primarily applies to keeping records for claiming a deduction for bad debts or losses from worthless securities, allowing a longer period to file for a credit or refund, but it's not a universal audit limit; it's often a recommended safe buffer for general record-keeping, with the standard IRS audit period usually being 3 years, extending to 6 years for substantial income omission (over 25%) or foreign income issues, and indefinitely for fraud.
Initial and Ongoing Costs
Creating a nonprofit organization takes time, effort, and money. Fees are required to apply for incorporation and tax exemption with state and federal entities, as well as maintaining such status through annual renewals.
One easy way to pay no income tax is to have little or no taxable income. For tax year 2025, taxpayers receive a standard deduction of $15,750 (singles or married persons filing separately) or $31,500 (marrieds filing jointly). For heads of households, the standard deduction is $23,625 for tax year 2025.
Who Does Not Have to Pay Taxes? You generally don't have to pay taxes if your income is less than the standard deduction or the total of your itemized deductions, if you have a certain number of dependents, if you work abroad and are below the required thresholds, or if you're a qualifying non-profit organization.
If you incorrectly claim exemption when you do not qualify, you may face a large tax bill and possible penalties when filing your return.
You're exempt from withholding if you had no federal tax liability last year and expect none this year, claiming it on a W-4 form; true tax exemption applies to specific non-profit organizations (charities, churches) or certain types of income (like some municipal bonds), not generally to individuals, who instead use deductions or credits to lower taxes. For individuals, low income, dependents, or specific tax-exempt income sources (like certain benefits) can reduce tax burden, but full exemption is rare, and the old personal exemption for individuals was replaced by higher standard deductions.
Therefore, you will not qualify for a tax refund unless you are issued a refundable tax credit. If you file as exempt, no federal income tax is withheld from your paycheck. To file as exempt, you must have owed no federal income tax in the previous year and expect to owe no federal income tax in the current year.