How Do I Get a Copy of My 990 Form for Free? IRS and Databases

The quickest way to get a copy of Form 990 for free is the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool, which lets you download most filings from 2017 onward as image files at no charge. If the return you need predates 2017 or hasn’t been posted yet, you can either ask the organization directly (it’s legally required to let you inspect its three most recent returns for free) or submit a paper request to the IRS.

Download It From the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search

The official free source is the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, or TEOS, at apps.irs.gov/app/eos. The database holds copies of Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, and 990-T (for 501(c)(3) organizations) received by the IRS in 2017 or later.¹ Search by legal name or Employer Identification Number, and the filing downloads immediately.² TEOS refreshes on the second Tuesday of each month.³

A few things speed up the search. Fields aren’t case-sensitive, and you can enter a partial name in quotation marks. Skip common filler words like “the” or “foundation,” since TEOS indexes organizations under the legal name on file with the IRS rather than a nickname or public-facing brand.² If you have the EIN, use it; it eliminates ambiguity.

Free Third-Party Databases

If TEOS doesn’t have the filing you need, several independent platforms aggregate Form 990 data for free. GuideStar (now part of Candid), ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, and Charity Navigator all maintain searchable archives, convert returns into readable formats, and layer on financial summaries and historical comparisons. They sometimes process filings on a different schedule than TEOS, so a return missing from one site may be posted on another.

Ask the Organization Directly

Every tax-exempt organization that files a Form 990 has a legal obligation to share its returns with anyone who asks. Federal regulations require the organization to make its three most recent annual returns available for inspection at its principal office during regular business hours, free of charge. Show up in person and the organization has to provide the documents the same day. The only exception is “unusual circumstances” that would make same-day fulfillment unreasonably burdensome, and even then the deadline is no later than five business days.⁴

Written requests get a 30-day response window for mailed copies. If the organization requires advance payment, that 30-day clock starts when it receives your payment rather than your letter.⁴ The organization can charge a reasonable copying and postage fee, pegged by the IRS to its own Freedom of Information Act schedule of $0.20 per page.⁵ In-person inspection stays free regardless.

Organizations can also satisfy the copy requirement by posting the return on a publicly accessible website in a format that exactly reproduces the original filing. If they do, they can point you to the web address instead of mailing a paper copy, and they have to give you that address within seven days of a written request.⁶ Even when a return is online, the organization still has to allow in-person inspection at its offices.

The inspection right covers the entire return, including all schedules and attachments, for three years from the later of the filing due date (including extensions) or the actual filing date. It applies to any organization exempt under Section 501(c) or 501(d) that files under Section 6033, so trade associations, social welfare groups, and fraternal organizations fall under the same rule as charities.⁴

Request Older Returns From the IRS

For returns filed before 2017, or filings that haven’t appeared on TEOS yet, you can submit IRS Form 4506-A to request a copy directly from the IRS.⁷ The IRS recommends checking TEOS first.⁸

Processing generally takes up to 60 days. Inspection at an IRS office is free. Paper copies carry a fee: commercial users pay $0.20 per page, while educational institutions, media organizations, and other noncommercial requesters get the first 100 pages free and pay $0.20 per page after that. The IRS bills you after fulfilling the request unless the total exceeds $250, in which case it asks for payment upfront.⁸

Send completed forms to the IRS RAIVS Unit at Mail Stop 6716, Ogden, UT 84201, or fax to 855-653-9144. There is no email option.¹

If You Need Your Own Organization’s Return

If you work for a nonprofit and need a copy of its previously filed return, TEOS is still the fastest route for 2017-and-later filings. For older returns, your organization can submit Form 4506-A like anyone else. It should also have its own records on hand, since the three-year public inspection obligation requires keeping copies available at the principal office.⁴ A tax preparer or accountant will typically have copies as well.

When a Form 990 Won’t Exist

Not every nonprofit files a Form 990, so some searches come up empty for reasons that have nothing to do with disclosure. Churches and certain church-affiliated organizations are exempt from the filing requirement, as are government entities.⁹ Small organizations with annual gross receipts normally under $50,000 file the Form 990-N (e-Postcard) instead of a full return.¹⁰ The e-Postcard carries only basic information such as the organization’s name, EIN, and a confirmation that it still qualifies, so it won’t show you financial detail. Private foundations file Form 990-PF rather than the standard 990, and those are available through the same free channels.²

Timing matters too. Form 990 is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after the organization’s fiscal year ends, which for a calendar-year filer means May 15.¹¹ Organizations can request an automatic six-month extension on Form 8868, pushing a calendar-year deadline to November 15.¹² A return for a fiscal year that ended on December 31, 2025, could easily land at the IRS in November 2026 and then take another month or two to appear on TEOS. If you need something recent, requesting it from the organization is faster.

If the Organization Refuses to Provide It

If a tax-exempt organization won’t share its Form 990, you can report it to the IRS using Form 13909, Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form. Submit it with supporting documentation by mail to IRS EO Classification, Mail Code 4910DAL, 1100 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75242-1198, by fax to 214-413-5415, or by email to eoclass@irs.gov.¹³ Federal law backs the disclosure rule with daily penalties on the organization for noncompliance.¹⁴

1
Internal Revenue Service. Exempt Organizations Public Disclosure: Obtaining Copies of Documents from IRS
2
Internal Revenue Service. Search for Tax Exempt Organizations
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Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) Dataset Guide
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eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6104(d)-1 – Public Inspection and Distribution of Applications for Tax Exemption and Annual Information Returns of Tax-Exempt Organizations
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Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications: Costs for Providing Copies of Documents
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Internal Revenue Service. 26 CFR 301.6104(d)-2 – Making Applications and Returns Widely Available
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Internal Revenue Service. About Form 4506-A, Request for Copy of Exempt or Political Organization IRS Form
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Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 4506-A
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Internal Revenue Service. Exempt Organizations Annual Reporting Requirements – Overview – Annual Return Filing Exceptions
10
Internal Revenue Service. Annual Electronic Notice (Form 990-N) for Small Organizations FAQs: Who Must File
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Internal Revenue Service. Annual Exempt Organization Return: Due Date
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Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8868
13
Internal Revenue Service. Tell the IRS About Suspected Tax Exempt Status Abuses
14
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6652 – Failure to File Certain Information Returns, Registration Statements, Etc.