How to Know if You Are Already 501c3 Tax-Exempt

Once you know that you qualify to be a 501c3, you should take a moment to make sure that your organization isn’t already an approved 501c3 tax-exempt organization if your nonprofit is already operating. The easiest way to do this is to look up your nonprofit using the I.R.S. website. If you go to www.irs.gov, you can use the Exempt Organizations Select Check tool which will allow you to type the name of your nonprofit or the taxpayer identification number and search to see if your tax-exempt status is active with the I.R.S.

This is an important step! As I mentioned earlier, when I first started my nonprofit, I was doing a routine search only to see that my nonprofit’s tax-exempt status had been revoked. I later learned that it was only because we did not file one of the required documents but I never would have known had I not taken the time to look my nonprofit up. 

Here is the link: 

Exempt Organizations Select Check https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-orga nizations-select-check