Form a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, filed properly.
A 501(c)(3) is the most common federal tax-exempt status for charitable, educational, and religious organizations. We form your nonprofit corporation, prepare the IRS Form 1023 application, and handle state charitable-solicitation registration so donations are deductible from day one.
What it costs to form a nonprofit in your state
Our service fee is $0. The only thing you pay is the state filing fee, passed through at cost. Pick your state to see exact pricing and processing time.
A 501(c)(3), explained without the federal-rules headache.
A 501(c)(3) is a federal tax classification, not a type of entity. You first form a nonprofit corporation under your state's law. Then you apply to the IRS for recognition as a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). The combination gives you (a) federal income tax exemption, (b) eligibility to receive tax-deductible donations under §170, (c) eligibility for most foundation grants, and (d) reduced postal rates.
To qualify for 501(c)(3), the organization must be organized and operated for one of these exempt purposes: charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, public-safety testing, fostering amateur sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals. Net earnings cannot benefit any private individual, and political activity is restricted.
There are two paths to recognition. Form 1023-EZ is a simplified application available to organizations expecting under $50,000 in annual gross receipts and under $250,000 in assets. The user fee is $275 and processing typically takes 2–4 weeks. Form 1023 (the long form) applies to everyone else, including most operating charities. The user fee is $600, the application is 11 pages plus schedules, and processing typically takes 3–6 months.
Is this the right service for you?
Charitable organizations
Organizations relieving poverty, advancing education, providing relief, supporting religion, or advancing science. Donations are tax-deductible for donors.
Schools and educational nonprofits
Private schools, after-school programs, scholarships, and educational research. Federal exemption plus state property-tax exemption in most states.
Religious organizations
Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and similar. Churches automatically qualify but Form 1023 recognition simplifies grant eligibility and donor confidence.
Arts & culture nonprofits
Theaters, museums, performing arts groups, galleries. Donations and ticket revenue are typically tax-exempt.
Health and human services
Free clinics, food banks, shelters, mental-health support, and similar. Major foundations and corporate giving programs require 501(c)(3) status.
Public-interest organizations
Environmental groups, civil-liberties organizations, community improvement. Note: substantial lobbying is restricted; political-campaign activity is prohibited.
Everything we deliver as part of this service.
Each item below is performed by our team and confirmed in your dashboard. State filing fees are passed through at cost as a separate line item.
- Articles of Incorporation for a nonprofit corporation, with proper 501(c)(3) language (purpose, dissolution, prohibited activities)
- Federal EIN from the IRS
- Customized Bylaws for nonprofit governance (board structure, member rights, conflict-of-interest policy, document retention)
- First Board Meeting minutes and Initial Board Resolutions
- Conflict-of-Interest Policy aligned with IRS expectations on Form 1023
- IRS Form 1023 or Form 1023-EZ preparation, filed for you with your one-click approval
- Registered Agent in your state for 1 year
- State charitable-solicitation registration (where required to fundraise)
- BOI report preparation (most nonprofits are exempt once 501(c)(3) is granted)
- Document vault with every filing, the Determination Letter, and donor records
- Compliance Suite tracking Form 990 deadlines, state charitable registration renewals, and annual filings
- Organization name (we check availability + USPTO)
- Charitable purpose statement (specific is better than broad)
- Initial board of directors (most states require minimum 3)
- Principal office address (we provide one if you prefer privacy)
- Proposed bylaws (we draft based on your governance preferences)
- Conflict-of-interest policy adoption
- Anticipated activities and funding sources (for IRS Form 1023)
Four steps. We do most of them.
Form the nonprofit corporation
We file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State using 501(c)(3)-required language (charitable purpose, no private inurement, dissolution clause). Most states approve within 24–72 hours.
Organize the board and adopt governance
We prepare bylaws customized to your structure, the conflict-of-interest policy, initial board minutes, and the resolution adopting them. You hold your first board meeting (we provide an agenda).
Apply for IRS tax exemption
We assess whether Form 1023-EZ or the full Form 1023 applies based on your projected receipts and structure. We prepare the application, all schedules, and the user fee payment. You review and approve before submission.
Register to fundraise and operate
Most states require charitable-solicitation registration before you solicit donations. We register in every state where you plan to fundraise. Once the IRS Determination Letter arrives, donations are tax-deductible retroactive to formation.
What you save by filing through us.
Compared to the alternatives most founders consider.
- Save the service fee
- High chance of 1023 follow-up
- No CIP or governance docs
- No state registration
- No 990 tracking
- No grant readiness check
- Done correctly
- Attorney-client privilege
- Slow turnaround
- Hourly billing creeps
- No ongoing compliance
- No software
- Articles + bylaws + CIP
- Form 1023 or 1023-EZ prepared
- Conflict policy & minutes
- Charitable registration in each state
- 990 deadline tracking
- Donor record management
“We got our 501(c)(3) determination letter in 11 weeks, with the IRS asking zero follow-up questions. The conflict-of-interest policy, the bylaws, and the charitable-solicitation registration were all done correctly the first time.”
The File.Business Promise
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. If you change your mind in the first 60 days, we refund our service fee in full. Your data stays yours, always.
Frequently asked questions.
Do I need to incorporate before applying to the IRS?
What is the difference between Form 1023 and Form 1023-EZ?
How long do donations remain deductible if my exemption is pending?
Do I need state-level tax exemption too?
What is charitable solicitation registration?
Can a nonprofit pay salaries to its founders?
What is Form 990?
Can a nonprofit engage in political activity?
What if my nonprofit is rejected by the IRS?
Are there alternatives to 501(c)(3)?
Pair this with the services that follow.
Form a For-Profit Corporation
If your work needs investor capital, a C-Corp is the standard.
Explore →Registered Agent
Required for nonprofit corporations in every state.
Explore →Annual Reports
Plus Form 990 tracking on our Compliance Suite.
Explore →BOI Reporting
Most 501(c)(3)s are exempt once the IRS grants recognition. We track it.
Explore →Form a Nonprofit through our guided 5-minute flow.
State filing plus 501(c)(3) preparation. We handle the IRS Form 1023 or 1023-EZ in our Standard and Premium packages.
since 2017
from 8,200+ reviews
covered
for formation
Real outcomes from real founders
Composite stories from 220,000+ businesses we have helped form and operate since 2017. Names changed; outcomes are typical.
Every compliance deadline your business actually hits
State annual reports, federal income tax, payroll filings, estimated quarterly tax, S-Corp election, BOI reporting. Color-coded by category, re-verified quarterly.
Compliance calendar
Year 2026, every recurring deadline color-coded by categoryEvery state's annual report deadline
220,000 founders, every kind of business.
On the $129/yr Compliance Annual Filings plan, we cover state late fees.
When you autofile your annual report through the $129/yr plan and we miss the deadline, we cover the state's late fee. The guarantee is specific to that plan and the filings it includes.
Four steps from request to delivery
File.Business runs your filing on a single concierge workflow. You provide what we need; we handle the rest.
Tell us what you need
2-minute intake. We confirm the filing type, jurisdiction, and any supporting documents required.
We prepare the filing
Our specialists draft the document, validate against state requirements, and queue for your review where required.
We submit to the state
Filed through the state portal. We pay the state fee, track the submission, and resolve any state correspondence.
Confirmation in your vault
state-required document delivered to your SOC 2 encrypted document vault, with deadline tracking for the next filing.