State Tax-Exempt Status
Want to know more about tax-exempt status? Here is our quick guide to state tax-exempt status (states vary on other taxes, so you will want to check with your state for sales tax exemption, property tax exemption, etc.). States do change their laws, so the following information is not guaranteed to be accurate in every case.
- For the following states, there is no tax-exempt status (usually because there is no corporate tax): Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming.
- For the following states, merely filing your nonprofit Articles of Incorporation gives you tax-exempt status: Ohio, Rhode Island (but certain exempt organizations may have further filing requirements), Tennessee.
- For the following states, you are automatically tax-exempt when you receive your IRS 501(c)(3) status: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
- For the following states, you are tax-exempt upon notifying the state that you have IRS 501(c)(3) status (requirements differ as to what must accompany the notification, whether just the IRS Determination Letter, or also Articles, Bylaws, etc.): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington D.C.
- For the following states, you must apply and qualify for separate state tax-exempt status, but it is not burdensome: Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.
- For California: after you receive your 501c3, attach it to a filled-out Form 3500A and send it to the Franchise Tax Board.
