SECTION 3. WHAT ARE

THE PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING RECOGNITION OF EXEMPT STATUS?

In general .01 An organization seeking recognition of exempt status under § 501 or § 521 is required to submit the appropriate application. In the case of a numbered application form, the current version of the form must be submitted. A central organization that has previously received recognition of its own exemption can request a group exemption letter by submitting a letter application along with Form 8718, User Fee for Exempt Organization Determination Letter Request. See Rev. Proc. 80–27. Form 8718 is not a determination letter application. Attach this form to the determination letter application.

User fee .02 An application must be submitted with the correct user fee, as set forth in Rev. Proc. 2012–8.

Form 1023 application .03 An organization seeking recognition of exemption under § 501(c)(3) and § 501(e), (f), (k), (n), (q), or (r) must submit a completed Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemp- tion Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code . In the case of an organization that provides credit counseling services, see § 501(q) of the Code. In the case of an organization that is a hospital and is seeking exemption under § 501(c)(3), see § 501(r) of the Code.

Form 1024 application .04 An organization seeking recognition of exemption under § 501(c)(2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (12), (13), (15), (17), (19), or (25) must submit a completed Form 1024, Appli- cation for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(a), along with Form 8718. In the case of an organization that provides credit counseling services and seeks recognition of exemption under § 501(c)(4), see § 501(q) of the Code.

Letter application .05 An organization seeking recognition of exemption under § 501(c)(11), (14), (16), (18), (21), (22), (23), (26), (27), (28), or (29), or under § 501(d), must submit a letter application along with Form 8718.

Form 1028 application .06 An organization seeking recognition of exemption under § 521 must submit a completed Form 1028, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 521 of the Internal Rev- enue Code, along with Form 8718.

Form 8871 notice for political organizations

Requirements for a substantially completed application

.07 A political party, a campaign committee for a candidate for federal, state or local office, and a political action committee are all political organizations subject to tax under § 527. To be tax-exempt, a political organization may be required to notify the Service that it is to be treated as a § 527 organization by electronically filing Form 8871, Political Organization Notice of Section 527 Status . For details, go to the IRS website at www.irs.gov/polorgs .

.08 A substantially completed application, including a letter application, is one that:

(1) is signed by an authorized individual;

(2) includes an Employer Identification Number (EIN);

(3) for organizations other than those described in § 501(c)(3), includes a statement of receipts and expenditures and a balance sheet for the current year and the three preceding years (or the years the organization was in existence, if less than four years), and if the organization has not yet commenced operations or has not completed one accounting period, a proposed budget for two full accounting periods and a current statement of assets and liabilities; for organizations described in § 501(c)(3), see Form 1023 and Notice 1382;

(4) includes a detailed narrative statement of proposed activities, including each of the fundraising activities of a § 501(c)(3) organization, and a narrative description of anticipated receipts and contemplated expenditures;

2012–2 I.R.B. 264 January 9, 2012

Terrorist organizations not eligible to apply for recognition of exemption