Business & Work

Once a nonprofit organization has been established, it has ongoing annual reporting requirements.

Learn more about starting a nonprofit organization here.

The organization should select who will be in charge of filing each of these reports. It may be the executive director (if the organization has one), the board president or secretary, or the organization's attorney or tax advisor. To ensure that you get reminders for any annual filings that may be due, be sure your organization keeps its address and other contact information up-to-date with each relevant government office. 

All communications from the Illinois Secretary of State will go to your organization's current registered agent. Your registered agent can be a person in your organization who is located in Illinois or you can hire a third-party registered agent. A third-party registered agent can help you coordinate the annual filing process for a nominal fee. 

Illinois nonprofits may need to file annual reports with different agencies, including: 

• The Illinois Secretary of State's office,
• The Illinois Attorney General's office, and
• Federal and state tax agencies.

Learn more about these annual reporting requirements below. 

Illinois Secretary of State

Every Illinois nonprofit must file an annual report with the Illinois Secretary of State's office.

The Secretary of State Annual Report form is called Form NFP 114.05. It requires you to provide a list of the organization's current officers and directors. You can complete and file this form online through the Illinois Secretary of State's website. 

When this form is due depends on when you incorporated your organization. The annual report is due before the first day of the organization's incorporation anniversary month. Failure to file the organization's annual report may result in the state involuntarily dissolving the organization. 

Illinois Attorney General

Some Illinois nonprofits, including registered charitable organizations, may need to make annual filings with the Illinois Attorney General's office.

If your organization asks for donations, it should be registered as a charitable organization with the Illinois Attorney General's office. After your organization is registered, your organization will need to complete the Illinois Attorney General's annual report form. You will need to provide certain financial details about the organization's annual assets and liabilities, including: 

• A summary of all revenue received during the year,
• A summary of all expenditures during the year,
• A summary of paid fundraiser and consultant activities during the year,
• Compensation of the three highest-paid employees, and
• A description of the organization's charitable activities, including the three charitable programs with the highest expenditures.

You will also be asked to answer several questions about the organization's activities throughout the year. 

Additional filings may be needed if your organization has completed a charitable solicitation registration in another state. This might happen if the organization is asking for donations from donors in other states.

Federal and state taxes

Annual tax returns should also be filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (federal tax return) and Illinois Department of Revenue (state tax return). Which form a nonprofit should use depends upon whether it is a tax-exempt organization.  

Note: Nonprofit organizations are not necessarily tax-exempt. They do not automatically become tax-exempt. To be exempt from federal or state income taxes, an organization must file for tax-exempt status with the IRS. If you are unsure which forms apply to you, a tax advisor can help determine which form is appropriate for your organization.