How to e-file the Form 990 PDF you prepared

Before you choose how to file, check that:

• An officer, employee or volunteer of your organization prepared the return. A paid preparer did not complete it.
• The PDF shows the form you mean to file (990-PF, 990 or 990-EZ), your organization's EIN and the right tax period.
• You have the schedules and supporting statements the return refers to.
• An officer of your organization is available to sign.
• You will pay any tax the return shows as due to the IRS separately.

See also: E-file Form 990-PF · E-file Form 990 · E-file Form 990-EZ

If you already have a Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF PDF, first check who prepared it and what is left to do. Do this before you compare filing prices.

If a paid tax preparer completed the return, ask whether e-filing is part of their engagement. Agree on how you will review the final return, how an officer will sign, and how you will get the IRS response. Ask them for the completed return and the acknowledgement for your records.

If an officer, employee or volunteer prepared the return, choose a service that accepts returns an organization prepared itself. Fast File Exempt is built for these returns. We don't currently accept returns completed by a paid preparer. You can still ask an adviser to review your organization's work before an officer signs.

Confirm the exact form on the PDF, your organization's EIN and the tax period. Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF are different returns. Which one your organization files depends on how it is classified, its finances and the IRS rules that apply to it.

Before you start, check which tax years the service supports. We file tax year 2025 returns. A return for an earlier year may need to be filed another way. Form 990-N is an electronic notice, so there is no PDF to upload.

Source: IRS: which forms exempt organizations file · IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard) page

A finished main form doesn't always mean the whole return is ready. Make sure you have the schedules and supporting statements that apply, and check which of them the service supports and what PDFs it accepts.

For a private foundation, that may include Schedule B and supporting statements. For Form 990 or 990-EZ, the schedules depend on your organization's circumstances. Check the current IRS instructions, and get professional advice where you need it, to see which ones apply.

Software that reads your PDF can save retyping, but you still need to review its entries. Compare them with the prepared form, including the organization's details, dates, totals, explanations and attachments. Fix the issues the software highlights, then review the rest of the return too.

Fast File Exempt shows the IRS form beside the entries you are checking. You can correct entries and open the prepared form as a PDF before an officer signs. Automated reading and checks can't guarantee that a return is accurate or that the IRS will accept it.

Before you file, look at the service fee and the order of the steps. At Fast File Exempt, starting the return is free, and you pay once when you're ready to add schedules and statements and sign. Look over the whole return before an officer signs. A service fee is separate from any tax your organization owes the IRS, and an extension generally gives you more time to file, not more time to pay tax.

Your PDF is the starting point. The IRS e-file format is structured data, with PDF attachments where required, so the service converts the return you reviewed into that format to send it.

Source: IRS Instructions for Form 8868 · IRS Publication 4164 (PDF)

After the return is sent, watch for the IRS acknowledgement. If the IRS rejects the return, read the reason they give and follow the instructions for correcting it promptly. An upload, a payment or a passed software check doesn't mean the IRS accepted the return.

Keep the final return, the supporting records and the acknowledgement where the people who handle your organization's returns can find them. You'll want them when you prepare next year's return or answer a question later.

If your organization prepared the return itself, check our supported forms and fees before you start. If a paid preparer completed it, ask them how they plan to e-file it.