Registration with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau, the CHAR500 audit and review thresholds, Form 990, state tax exemptions and audit readiness, with deadlines calculated for your fiscal year.
A few quick questions. Your requirements update instantly below.
Total revenue and support over $250,000 and up to $1 million requires a CPA review report. You can file an audit instead.
Revenue bands here are approximate. The test is total revenue and support exactly as reported on the CHAR500.
File the CHAR500 with your Form 990 and any required CPA report within 4.5 months of year-end. Details →
File the full Form 990 with the schedules that apply (public support, compensation, related organizations). Details →
If you have $1,000 or more of gross income from a trade or business that isn't substantially related to your mission (such as advertising, certain rentals or retail), file Form 990-T and pay tax on the net income. Details →
Register before soliciting contributions in New York (Executive Law Article 7-A) or, for organizations holding property in New York, under EPTL 8-1.4. Details →
Apply to the Tax Department on Form ST-119.2 for an Exempt Organization Certificate (ST-119), then give it to vendors. Details →
Nonprofit employers withhold state income tax where the state has one and file quarterly wage reports. Details →
Most charities that solicit in New York, or hold property for charitable purposes there, register with the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau.
Register before soliciting contributions in New York (Executive Law Article 7-A) or, for organizations holding property in New York, under EPTL 8-1.4. Many organizations register under both.
File the CHAR500 with your Form 990 and any required CPA report within 4.5 months of year-end. Extensions are available up to 180 days. Filing fees depend on which law you are registered under and your revenue.
What New York requires is often less than what your funders, lenders or federal awards require. Check all three.
Total revenue and support of $250,000 or less: unaudited financial report. Over $250,000 up to $1 million: CPA review report. Over $1 million: CPA audit report. Under the Nonprofit Revitalization Act, organizations required to file an audit must have the board or an audit committee oversee it.
Organizations that spend $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year (for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024) need a Single Audit under the Uniform Guidance. It is due to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within 30 days of the auditor's report or 9 months after year-end, whichever is earlier. Federal funds passed through a state or county agency count.
Foundation grants, government contracts, bank loans and United Way-type funders often require audited or reviewed statements regardless of state law. Read each agreement and plan the engagement level to the strictest one.
Every document your auditor will ask for, plus New York's registration and threshold rules, on two printable pages.
Every tax-exempt organization files an annual federal information return, and the form depends on your size.
File the full Form 990 with the schedules that apply (public support, compensation, related organizations). It is due the 15th day of the 5th month after year-end, with an automatic 6-month extension on Form 8868 (not available for the 990-N). Three years of missed filings revoke exemption automatically.
If you have $1,000 or more of gross income from a trade or business that isn't substantially related to your mission (such as advertising, certain rentals or retail), file Form 990-T and pay tax on the net income. States generally tax it too.
New York grants franchise and sales tax exemption separately from federal exemption.
Apply to the Tax Department on Form ST-119.2 for an Exempt Organization Certificate (ST-119), then give it to vendors. Sales you make, such as at a gift shop, may still require collecting sales tax.
Nonprofit corporations exempt under 501(c) are generally exempt from the New York franchise tax but may need to file Form CT-247 to establish it. Unrelated business income is taxable.
Tax-exempt status doesn't exempt you from payroll taxes.
Nonprofit employers withhold state income tax where the state has one and file quarterly wage reports. 501(c)(3) organizations can usually choose between paying state unemployment tax and reimbursing the state for actual claims, which can save money for stable workforces. 501(c)(3)s are exempt from federal unemployment tax (FUTA).
These are the items auditors and reviewers ask for first. Having them ready shortens fieldwork and lowers the fee.
Board and committee minutes for the year, current bylaws, conflict of interest policy with signed annual disclosures, and whistleblower and document retention policies (both are asked about on Form 990).
Donor records reconciled to the general ledger, pledges receivable schedule, grant agreements with conditions and restrictions identified, and in-kind contribution support.
A roll-forward of restricted gifts showing what was received, released and remaining, by purpose and time restriction.
A documented method for allocating salaries and shared costs between program, management and general, and fundraising, consistent with your Form 990 Part IX.
Bank and investment reconciliations, fixed asset additions and depreciation, accrued payroll and vacation, deferred revenue, and loan statements at year-end.
Over $1 million in total revenue and support requires a CPA audit with the CHAR500. Over $250,000 up to $1 million requires a CPA review.
4.5 months after fiscal year-end (May 15 for calendar-year organizations), with extensions up to 180 days.
No. It's a separate requirement, though one firm usually performs both together.
Download the Nonprofit Audit Readiness Checklist (PDF).
Greywood CPA audits and reviews nonprofits with fixed, transparent pricing and senior-level attention on every engagement.
See our New York servicesThis guide is general information as of October 2026 and is not legal or tax advice. Thresholds and filing rules change. Your funders, lenders and governing documents may require more than state law. Confirm your obligations with a CPA or attorney.