Late filing penalties
Reviewed
Form 990-N
The IRS says there is no penalty for a late 990-N. The risk is revocation: three missed years in a row and the exemption is gone. See Missed years and automatic revocation.
Form 990-EZ
A 990-EZ filed late, or filed incomplete, can be charged a penalty for each day it is late, up to a maximum per return. Larger organizations face a higher daily amount. The IRS adjusts these amounts for inflation; the current figures are in General Instruction G of the Form 990-EZ instructions. The IRS can waive the penalty when the organization shows reasonable cause.
Filing Form 8868 by the original due date moves the deadline six months and avoids the penalty if the return is filed by the extended date.
California Form 199
The FTB charges $5 for each month or part of a month a Form 199 is late after the extended due date, up to $40, counted from the original due date. See California filing: Form 199, 199N and RRF-1.
990.tax cannot advise on penalty relief. If you received an IRS penalty notice, follow the instructions on the notice.