Online Compendium of Federal and State Regulations for U.S. Nonprofit Organizations
Note: This table may not include every type of organization that qualifies for some form of federal tax-exemption. It should not be considered legal advice or otherwise used to determine matters of law, and is provided for educational purposes only. Please use official IRS materials to insure your information is completely up-to-date and accurate.
| Section of 1986 Tax Code | Description of organization | General nature of activities | Application Form | Annual return required to be filed | Contributions allowable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501(c)(1) | Corporations Organized Under Act of Congress (including Federal Credit Unions) | Instrumentalities of the United States | No Form | None | Yes, if made for exclusively public purposes |
| 501(c)(2) | Title Holding Corporation For Exempt Organization | Holding title to property of an exempt organization | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(3) (also here) |
Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals Organizations | Activities of nature implied by description of class of organization | 1023 | 9901, 990EZ8, or 990-PF | Yes, generally |
| All 501(c)(3) organizations are further categorized as one of five types under IRC 509(a): | |||||
| Sub-class | Section | Description | |||
| All 501(c)(3) organizations that don't qualify as public charities. Some private foundations are additionally subclassified as private operating foundations or private non-operating foundations, which receive some of the advantages of public charities. | |||||
| 509(a)(1) | Publicly-supported charities. | ||||
| 509(a)(2) | Exempt purpose activity-supported charities. | ||||
| 509(a)(3) | Supporting organizations for 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) charities. | ||||
| 509(a)(4) | Public safety charities. | ||||
| 501(c)(4) (also here) |
Civic Leagues, Social Welfare Organizations, and Local Associations of Employees | Promotion of community welfare; charitable, educational or recreational | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No, generally 2,3 |
| 501(c)(5) (also here) |
Labor, Agricultural, and Horticultural Organizations | Educational or instructive, the purpose being to improve conditions of work, and to improve products and efficiency | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(6) (also here) |
Business Leagues, Chambers of Commerce, Real Estate Boards, Etc. | Improvement of business conditions of one or more lines of business | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(7) (also here) |
Social and Recreation Clubs | Pleasure, recreation, social activities | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(8) (also here) |
Fraternal Beneficiary Societies and Associations | Lodge providing for payment of life, sickness, accident, or other benefits to members | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes, if for certain Sec. 501(c)(3) purposes |
| 501(c)(9) (also here) |
Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Associations | Providing for payment of life, sickness, accident or other benefits to members | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(10) (also here) |
Domestic Fraternal Societies and Associations | Lodge devoting its net earnings to charitable, fraternal, and other specified purposes. No life, sickness, or accident benefits to members | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes, if for certain Sec. 501(c)(3) purposes |
| 501(c)(11) | Teachers’ Retirement Fund Associations | Teachers’ association for payment of retirement benefits | No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(12) | Benevolent Life Insurance Associations, Mutual Ditch or Irrigation Companies, Mutual or Cooperative Telephone Companies, Etc. | Activities of a mutually beneficial nature similar to those implied by the description of class of organization | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(13) | Cemetery Companies | Burials and incidental activities | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes, generally |
| 501(c)(14) | State Chartered Credit Unions, Mutual Reserve Funds | Loans to members | No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(15) | Mutual Insurance Companies or Associations | Providing insurance to members substantially at cost | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(16) | Cooperative Organizations to Finance Crop Operations | Financing crop operations in conjunction with activities of a marketing or purchasing association | No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(17) (also here) |
Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Trusts | Provides for payment of supplemental unemployment compensation benefits | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(18) | Employee Funded Pension Trust (created before June 25, 1959) | Payment of benefits under a pension plan funded by employees | No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No2 |
| 501(c)(19) | Post or Organization of Past or Present Members of the Armed Forces | Activities implied by nature of organization | 1024 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No, generally7 |
| 501(c)(20) | Group Legal Services Plan Organizations | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 501(c)(21) | Black Lung Benefit Trusts | Funded by coal mine operators to satisfy their liability for disability or death due to black lung diseases | No Form6 | 990-BL | No4 |
| 501(c)(22) | Withdrawal Liability Payment Fund | To provide funds to meet the liability of employers withdrawing from a multi-employer pension fund | No Form6 | 990 or 990EZ8 | No5 |
| 501(c)(23) | Veterans Organization (created before 1880) | To provide insurance and other benefits to veterans | No Form6 | 990 or 990EZ8 | No, generally7 |
| 501(c)(25) | Title Holding Corporations or Trusts with Multiple Parents | Holding title and paying over income from property to 35 or fewer parents or beneficiaries | 1024 | 990 or 990EZ | No |
| 501(c)(26) | State-Sponsored Organization Providing Health Coverage for High-Risk Individuals | Provides health care coverage to high-risk individuals |
No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No |
| 501(c)(27) | State-Sponsored Workers’ Compensation Reinsurance Organization | Reimburses members for losses under workers’ compensation acts | No Form6 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | No |
| 501(d) | Religious and Apostolic Associations | Regular business activities. Communal religious community | No Form | 10659 | No2 |
| 501(e) | Cooperative Hospital Service Organizations | Performs cooperative services for hospitals | 1023 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes |
| 501(f) | Cooperative Service Organizations of Operating Educational Organizations | Performs collective investment services for educational organizations | 1023 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes |
| 501(k) | Child Care Organization | Provides care for children | 1023 | 990 or 990EZ8 | Yes |
| 501(n) | Charitable Risk Pools | Pools certain insurance risks of 501(c)(3) | 1023 | 9901 or 990EZ8 | Yes |
| 521(a) | Farmers’ Cooperative Associations | Cooperative marketing and purchasing for agricultural producers | 1028 | 990-C | No |
1 For exceptions to the filing requirement, see Chapter 2 and the Form instructions.
2 An organization exempt under a Subsection of Code section 501 other than (c)(3), may establish a charitable fund, contributions to which are deductible. Such a fund must itself meet the requirements of section 501(c)(3) and the related notice requirements of section 508(a).
3 Contributions to volunteer fire companies and similar organizations are deductible, but only if made for exclusively public purposes.
4 Deductible as a business expense to the extent allowed by Code section 192.
5 Deductible as a business expense to the extent allowed by Code section 194A.
6 Application is by letter to the address shown on Form 8718. A copy of the organizing document should be attached and the letter should be signed by an officer.
7 Contributions to these organizations are deductible only if 90% or more of the organization's members are war veterans.
8 For limits on the use of Form 990EZ, see Chapter 2 and the general instructions for Form 990EZ (or Form 990).
9 Although the organization files a partnership return, all distributions are deemed dividends. The members are not entitled to ‘‘pass-through'' treatment of the organization's income or expenses.