Common questions about Exempt Organizations in Lacerte

File Form 990 by the 15th day of the 5th month after the organization's accounting period ends (May 15th for a calendar-year filer). If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, file on the next business day. A business day is any day that isn't a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. Exempt organizations (990 series filers) are typically due May 15th, but may timely file six-month extensions which allow submitted returns by November 15th. E-filed returns transmitted before midnight in your timezone will be considered timely.

Per Form 990 instructions for Part VIII, line 1e,

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide loans to small businesses as a direct incentive to keep their workers on the payroll. The loans are forgiven if all employee retention criteria are met and the funds are used for eligible expenses. Amounts of PPP loans that are forgiven may be reported on line 1e as contributions from a governmental unit in the tax year that the amounts are forgiven.

Input for Part VIII line 1e, Government grants, can be found in Screen 16.1, Contributions, Gifts, and Grants under the Contributions, Gifts, Grants section.

Lacerte can print a PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COPY of Schedule B, Schedule of Contributors.

• On page 1, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COPY is printed above the form title.
• On other pages, contributor names and addresses are omitted, but other information about the contribution is shown.

There are two ways to print the public disclosure copy:

1. Go to Screen 16.1, Contributions, Gifts, and Grants.
2. Scroll to the Miscellaneous - Schedule of Contributors section.
3. Check the box Apply public disclosure copy.

OR

1. Go to Settings -> Options.
2. Select Items to Print tab.
3. Under the Print Settings section, change Public Disclosure Copy of Schedule B to 'Yes'.

Additional Information:

• When neither condition applies, the filing copy (complete with contributor's personal information) is generated.
• The setting under Items to Print is set separately for each copy of the return (preparer file, client, government). The forms view reflects the option selected for the Preparer Review copy.
• The Public Disclosure Copy cannot be e-filed. Doing so will generate the following e-file rejection: Error Code SB-F990-013: On Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF), Part I each entry for "Contributors" must be complete. If Column (b) for an entry in Part I contains the value "Pd. 527(j)(1)" (checkbox "Pd527j1 is checked), then "Aggregate contributions" must have a value. If Column (b) for an entry contains a value other than "Pd. 527(j)(1)", then "Number", "Name", "Address" and "Aggregate contributions" must have a value and one or more of the checkboxes for Type of Contribution - "Person", "Payroll" or "Noncash" must be checked

As of tax year 2011, the IRS requires a PTIN for all returns. Before 2011, your SSN, PTIN, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) weren't required unless your organization was a section 4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust.

To show that your organization is a 4979(a)(1) trust:

1. Go to Screen 1, Client Information.
2. Scroll to the Return Info section.
3. Select the box labeled 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt.

Usually this happens if you've entered overrides on one of the following screens:

• Items of income overrides on Screen 18, Other Income Producing Activities.
• Expense overrides on screens 34–46.
• Balance sheet overrides on Screen 50.1.

Schedule A is only required for certain organizations. There are three ways to generate Schedule A:

Option 1:

1. Go to Client Information.
2. Scroll to the Return Info section. I
3. In the field labeled 501(c) Paragraph No, select 3=Charitable, Religious, Educational, Scientific, etc. from the dropdown menu.

Option 2:

1. Go to Client Information.
2. Scroll to the Return Info section.
3. Select the box labeled 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt.

Option 3:

1. Go to Screen 4.1, Misc. (990-N, 990, 990-PF, 990-T).
2. Scroll to section Form 990 Miscellaneous.
3. Select the box labeled Section 501(e), 501(f), 501(k), or 501(n) org.

To select the first Special Rules box on Schedule B, check for the following:

• Your organization is a 501(c)(3) organization filing Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
• You selected the following boxes on Part 1 of the Schedule A (See Screen 52.1, Public Charity Status for the input):
  • Organization is operated for the benefit of a college or university owned or operated by a governmental unit (Section 170(b)(1)(A)(iv)) (Line 5)
  • Organization is one that normally receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public (Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)) (Line 7)
  • Organization is a community trust (Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)) (Line 8)
• Your organization passes the 33 1/3 percent rule on Schedule A, page 2, line 14.

Form 4562 isn't required for Form 990 or Form 990-PF, since the depreciation is a book deduction, not a tax deduction.

To force Form 4562:

1. Go to Screen 4.1, Misc. (990-N, 990, 990-PF, 990-T).
2. Under the Return Options section, check the following input fields for overrides:
   • Form 4562 (990): 1=yes, 2=no [O]
   • Form 4562 (990-PF): 1=yes, 2=no[O]

The most common answer is that your organization didn't have more than $5,000 in assets during the year.

Also, make sure you've filled out inputs on Screen 43.3, Grants and Allocations to make sure Form 990-XV is complete.

1. Go to Screen 4.1, Miscellaneous.
2. Under section Form 990-PF, Miscellaneous, select the box labeled Do not complete Part IV col. (c) - Adjusted Net Income (code 38).

1. Ensure Officers are entered through Screen 2 Officers, Directors, Trustees, Managers.
2. Go to Screen 38.1 Officers, Directors, Trustees Compensation.
3. Select the applicable Officer from the Officer, Director box in the bottom, left of the program.
4. Under the sub-heading Form 990 & 990-PF, there is a checkbox for Includes compensations from unrelated organizations reportable on Form 990 Part VII and Schedule  J.
5. Repeat for each applicable officer, director, trustee, etc.

1. Go to Screen 1, Client Information.
2. Scroll to the section Return Info.
3. In the 990-T Return Type dropdown menu, select an entry.

The IRS Form 990-T instructions say that:

• If Part I, line 13, column A is more than $10,000, you should complete all lines and schedules that apply.
• If line 13, column A is $10,000 or less, you should complete Part 1, lines 1–13, column A.
• Schedules A–K aren't required.
• An override is available on Screen 4.1, Miscellaneous, under Form 990-T Miscellaneous. Select the box labeled Complete all parts and schedules.

1. On Screen 1, Client Information, go to the Return Information section.
2. Verify 990-T Return Type is set to N/A and 990-T Other Exemption also indicates N/A.

To generate Form 990-T, Schedule J, you need entries on Screen 32, Advertising Income (990-T) in the following fields:

• Name of periodical
• 1 = income reported on a consolidated basis, 2 = income reported on a separate basis (code 1)

Also, a minimum of one of the following fields must contain data:

• Gross Advertising income (code 2)
• Direct advertising costs (code 3)
• Circulation income (code 4)
• Readership costs (code 5)

Per the IRS 990-T form instructions under section Is Gross Income More Than $10,000?, if the amount in Part I, line 13, column A, is more than $10,000, complete all lines and schedules that apply.

Per instructions under section Is Gross Income $10,000 or Less?, if Part I, line 13, column A is $10,000 or less, complete the following:

• The heading (above Part I);
• Part I, lines 1–13, column (A);
• Part I, line 13, for columns (B) and (C);
• Part II, lines 29–34;
• Parts III–V, and
• Signature area.

Selecting Complete all parts and schedules (code 30) in Screen 4.1, Miscellaneous, Form 990-T will force the Schedule J.

To have a particular schedule flow to Form 990-T, Page 2, Schedule A - Cost of Goods Sold, these fields must have values in Screen 26, Inventory Sales:

• Business Code (MANDATORY for Form 990-T)
• Ending Inventory