Extend Your Exempt Organization Tax Deadline

Three months can happen in a blink of an eye. And if you filed an Exempt Organization Extension Form back in May, then your August 15 deadline is rapidly approaching. If you were able to spend the last three months getting your tax information together, and you’re prepared to file either your Form 990 or 990-EZ, then you’re golden. However, if you find yourself still unprepared to file your tax return by the deadline, you can breathe easy because all hope is not lost.

Quick Note: August 15 is the extended deadline if your tax-exempt organization operates on a Calendar Tax Year, which your original deadline being May 15. If it operates on a Fiscal Tax Year, your original deadline is the 15th day of the 5th month after your tax end date, and your extended deadline follows three months later.

If you’re not fully prepared this time around, you can apply for an additional, non-automatic, 3-month extension by filing Part II of the Exempt Organization Extension Form.

To successfully file a Part II, you must

1. Have already been granted an automatic, 3-month extension from a previously filed Part I, and
2. Provide reasonable cause for requesting additional time.

Unlike Part I, you have to explain a reason as to why you aren’t able to file again, and it has to be deemed valid by the IRS. So “fun in the sun” and summertime cookouts aren’t going to help at all. Hopefully, those are not the real reasons you’re requesting a second extension. But if you’re still needing more tax information to be sent to you, something like that serves as a better excuse.

If you’re approved for a second extension, your new deadline will take you well into the upcoming autumn season with your tax return due date on November 15. You’re probably still getting over the fact that these last three months flew by so quickly so don’t mistake the next three as a leisurely stroll.