Miscellaneous Documents
Once you have submitted the basic forms with the necessary fees, you are essentially open for business. If you have incorporated as a state nonprofit and are operating as a not-for-profit organization or have secured your federal tax exemption, there are additional forms and certifications you may want to look into. The following are a few examples. There may be other opportunities for your organization to decrease its operational expenses through a careful examination of every fee paid to every level of government.
Admission Tax ExemptionIf you are an organization that produces public events, and if your local municipality has an admission tax, you need to see under what circumstances you may be exempt.
Admission taxes are always administered at the city or county level. You should inquire of those offices whether such taxes exist in your area and how to apply for an exemption. It often requires a federal tax exemption, but it may also be possible with only your state nonprofit incorporation documentation.
As you plan to apply for obtain federal tax exemption, consider applying for a nonprofit mailing permit to reduce your annual postal costs.
Even with the increased use of e-mail, postage continues to be one of the major budget items in every nonprofit organization, particularly if you send out periodic solicitation letters. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has its own set of rules and criteria for authorizing organizations to mail at its reduced nonprofit rates, which is available on its website at
The criteria for authorization are similar in many respects to the requirements to obtain your tax-exempt status, but there are differences. While a determination letter from the IRS is one of the documents necessary to establish your status for the USPS, it is not the only one.
The application for nonprofit authorization, USPS Form 3624, is available for download at
