Copy Prior Year 990 Data Into Your Current Return, No Matter Where You Filed

Estimated reading time: 12 minute(s)

Much of what goes on a Form 990 doesn’t change much from one year to the next. Your mission statement, accounting method, form of organization, officer list, and program descriptions stay largely the same. A lot of filers retype all of it anyway, every single season.

Tax990’s Copy Prior Year Data feature (only available in form-based filing) removes that step. You start your current year return, point us to last year’s information, and the data you already reported comes forward with you.

What the Copy Prior Year Data Feature Does

Copy Prior Year Data transfers information from your prior year return onto your current year filing. Some fields come over automatically. For the sections that call for your judgment, you decide what to bring forward, and you review everything before you keep filing.

The part most organizations don’t expect: you don’t have to have filed with Tax990 last year. If a different provider prepared your prior year return, you can still bring that data in. You can upload or enter your prior year information and select what to copy forward. 

Which Forms Support Copying Prior Year Data

The feature is available for three federal returns:

• Form 990, the full return for larger organizations
• Form 990-EZ, the short form for smaller organizations
• Form 990-PF, the return for private foundations

For those three forms, you can also copy across filing methods. If you used our interview-style process last year and prefer form-based entry this year, the data still transfers. Other form types can’t be copied between different filing methods.

What Copies Automatically, and What You Choose

Using Form 990 as the example, these fields carry over on their own:

• Organization mission and details
• Group exemption number
• Accounting method
• Form of organization
• Tax-exempt status
• Prior year revenue and expense summary
• Books are in care of
• Total assets, total liabilities, and total net assets, beginning-of-year values
• Schedule A prior year values

These sections are yours to select:

• Part III, Statement of Program Service Accomplishments
• Part IV, Checklist of Required Schedules
• Part V, Statements Regarding Other IRS Filings and Tax Compliance
• Part VI, Governance, Management, and Disclosure
• Part VII Section A, Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees

Form 990-EZ and Form 990-PF follow the same pattern with their own field lists. Foundations get a few additions worth calling out, including Part XIV grants and contributions paid and Schedule B contributions, which are usually the most tedious sections of the return to rebuild by hand. You can see the complete field list for each form on the Copy Prior Year Data feature page.

California Filers Can Move Federal 990 Data to CA Form 199

If your organization also files California Form 199, you can transfer data from your accepted federal 990 return directly onto it. That covers basic organization details, Item A first return, Item C IRC Section 4947(a)(1) trust, Item E accounting method, Part I receipts and revenues, Part II receipts from other sources, expenses and disbursements, and the Schedule L balance sheet.

One condition applies here. The federal return has to have been filed with Tax990. If it was, the data moves over in a few clicks instead of a second round of manual entry. Our California nonprofit compliance page walks through both filings together.

Why This Helps With Accuracy, Not Just Time

Retyping is where transcription errors get introduced, and those errors are the ones that trigger IRS notices later. Carrying data forward keeps your reporting consistent from year to year, which matters when a reviewer or a board member compares returns side by side.

Every return you file with us also runs through our IRS-guided internal audit check before submission. If something doesn’t line up, you get guidance on how to correct it. The Tax990 Commitment backs the rest: IRS acceptance or your money back, free retransmissions if the IRS rejects your return, up to three free amendments, and Form 8868 extension filing included. Protection Plus is included automatically at no additional cost, with up to $1M in professional audit defense from Enrolled Agents, CPAs, and attorneys for up to three years after IRS acceptance.

Your prior year data belongs to your organization. It should follow you.

Start Filing Now and bring last year’s return with you.

Need a hand deciding what to copy? Talk to our support team