Preparing your own tax exemption application teaches you how the nonprofit world actually works; painfully, but effectively. After two decades reviewing Form 1023 and 1024 filings, I can tell you the mistakes are endemic. Vital sections left blank, boxes unchecked, answers missing, and nine out of a ten applications are hemorrhaging from budgeting errors.
These issues guarantee questioning or denial from the IRS, and they can drag your process out for months if not years.
I've given you everything you need, freely. Your job is to assemble it correctly. Think of surgeons; their procedures are documented openly, their textbooks explain every step, but nobody in their right mind watches a heart surgery on YouTube and says "Great, I'll do my own bypass." If you know what you are doing, proceed with the scalpel. If you don't, keep reading.
The Application Review and What's Included
If you want to avoid thousands in legal fees and months of delays, I go through your entire nonprofit exemption application line by line, the same way the IRS examiner will: twice.
- Completed Form 1023 or Form 1024
- Narrative description
- Budget (the most common failure point)
- Articles of Incorporation
- Bylaws
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- All attachments and supporting materials
After the first review, you'll make your corrections, and we'll go through everything again. All reviews are done over the phone so you can ask questions and understand exactly what needs to be fixed and why. If I say file it, you'll be approved. That you can count on.
Application Review For the Selfless — $399
I know this amount is utterly absurd compared to a few-thousand-dollar attorney's fee, but I still offer it to those who need it as a civic service, not a discount.
It's for the parents who turn loss into purpose, the survivors who build something stronger from what broke them, and the ones who can't look away when everyone else does. For people who act, not just care, because caring alone never changed anything.
For Attorneys and CPAs — $1,999
Yes, I work with legal professionals. Many of my clients are attorneys. If you're billing a client, you're paying pro rates; you and I both know why.
You're not tossing exemption work to a paralegal with copy-paste skills; you're hiring Rain Man with an IRS code fetish who's been getting nonprofits approved for two decades with zero rejections. You're paying for certainty, not guesswork. That's the difference.
Either way, the value is the same: a full professional review that costs a fraction of what you'd pay in cleanup when the IRS rejects your application. Just know that I'll hold your feet to the fire, because the IRS will torch you twice as hard if I don't. Better to sweat with me now than bleed later.
Don't Take My Word for It
Check out the Review Page to read real stories from people who've been through the process. Also, If your organization is tackling something truly worthy, you may qualify for my pro bono preparation work. I take only a couple causes each year; the kind that can prove they're doing what others won't.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to review the application?
What documents do you need from me?
- Completed Form 1023 or Form 1024 (download the PDF from pay.gov)
- Articles of Incorporation (include amendments if any)
- Your complete Bylaws
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Narrative and budget
- Any supporting attachments