IRS Releases Revised Charity Tax Form

The Internal Revenue Service has made final its 2009 Form 990 informational tax return that charities will file this year or next.

The IRS has released a list of changes made to modify and clarify reporting requirements in the revised form, as well as in the form’s schedules, instructions, and glossary.

The revisions are numerous and important but do not represent an overhaul of the form; the IRS made major changes to the Form 990 for the previous (2008) tax year.

One addition to the 2009 form’s instructions appears in Part III, where charities state their “program service accomplishments.” Here, the IRS makes clear that an organization must report “new, significant program services-or significant changes in how it conducts program services-on its Form 990″ rather than in a letter to IRS officials.

The Form 990 is the primary document that charities file with the government each year. The IRS also released the 2009 Form 990-EZ used by smaller organizations.

To see the revised forms and the list of changes, go to http://www.irs.gov/charities.