Publication 598 (03/2005), Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations

2. The Tax and Filing Requirements

Table of Contents

All organizations subject to the tax on unrelated business income, except the exempt trusts described in section 511(b)(2), are taxable at corporate rates on that income. All exempt trusts subject to the tax on unrelated business income that, if not exempt, would be taxable as trusts, are taxable at trust rates on that income. However, an exempt trust may not claim the deduction for a personal exemption that is normally allowed to a trust.

The tax is imposed on the organization's unrelated business taxable income (described in chapter 4). The tax is reduced by any applicable tax credits, including the general business credits (such as the investment credit and the alcohol fuel credit) and the foreign tax credit.

Alternative minimum tax. Organizations liable for tax on unrelated business income may be liable for alternative minimum tax on certain adjustments and tax preference items.

Returns and Filing Requirements

An exempt organization subject to the tax on unrelated business income must file Form 990-T and attach any required supporting schedules and forms. The obligation to file Form 990-T is in addition to the obligation to file any other required returns.

Form 990-T is required if the organization's gross income from unrelated businesses is $1,000 or more. An exempt organization must report income from all its unrelated businesses on a single Form 990-T. Each organization must file a separate Form 990-T, except section 501(c)(2) title holding corporations and organizations receiving their earnings that file a consolidated return under section 1501.

The various provisions of tax law relating to accounting periods, accounting methods, at-risk limits (described in section 465), assessments, and collection penalties that apply to tax returns generally also apply to Form 990-T.

Where to file. Form 990-T must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Ogden, UT 84201-0027.

When to file. The Form 990-T of an employees' trust described in section 401(a), an IRA (including a traditional, SEP, SIMPLE, Roth, or Coverdell IRA), or an MSA must be filed by the 15th day of the 4th month after the end of its tax year. The Form 990-T of any other exempt organization must be filed by the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of its tax year. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the return is due by the next business day.

Extension of time to file. A Form 990-T filer may request an automatic 6-month extension of time to file a return by submitting Form 8868, Application for Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return.

Public inspection of return. Unlike information returns filed by exempt organizations, Form 990-T is not available for public inspection.

Payment of Tax

Estimated tax. A tax-exempt organization must make estimated tax payments if it expects its tax (unrelated business income tax after certain adjustments) to be $500 or more. Estimated tax payments are generally due by the 15th day of the 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of the tax year. If any due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the payment is due on the next business day.

Any organization that fails to pay the proper estimated tax when due may be charged an underpayment penalty for the period of underpayment. Generally, to avoid the estimated tax penalty, the organization must make estimated tax payments that total 100% of the organization's current tax year liability. However, an organization can base its required estimated tax payments on 100% of the tax shown on its return for the preceding year (unless no tax is shown) if its taxable income for each of the 3 preceding tax years was less than $1 million. If an organization's taxable income for any of those years was $1 million or more, it can base only its first required installment payment on its last year's tax.

All tax-exempt organizations should use Form 990-W (Worksheet), Estimated Tax on Unrelated Business Taxable Income for Tax-Exempt Organizations, to figure their estimated tax.

Tax due with Form 990-T. Any tax due with Form 990-T must be paid in full when the return is filed, but no later than the date the return is due (determined without extensions).

Tax Deposit Methods

An exempt organization must deposit its unrelated business income tax (including estimated tax) using one of the following methods.

Electronic deposits. The organization must make electronic deposits of all depository taxes (such as employment tax, excise tax, and unrelated business income tax) using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) in 2005 if:

The total deposits of such taxes in 2003 were more than $200,000 or
The organization was required to use EFTPS in 2004.

If the organization is required to use EFTPS and fails to do so, it may be subject to a 10% penalty. If the organization is not required to use EFTPS, it can participate voluntarily. To enroll in or get more information about EFTPS, call 1-800-555-4477 or 1-800-945-8400. To enroll online, visit www.eftps.gov.

Depositing on time. For EFTPS deposits to be made timely, the organization must initiate the transaction at least 1 business day before the date the deposit is due.

Deposits with Form 8109. If the organization is not required to (or does not voluntarily) make electronic deposits, it must make its deposits with Form 8109, Federal Tax Deposit Coupon.

The completed Form 8109 with the payment must be mailed or delivered to an authorized depositary (financial institution) for federal taxes, as instructed on the coupon.

Deposits should not be sent directly to the IRS. A penalty may be imposed if the deposits are sent to an IRS office rather than to an authorized depositary.