Deadline extended by 60 days for certain nonprofits

Published on Wednesday, June 30, 2021

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Pursuant to statutory authority, and at the request of Governor Dan McKee, to ensure as seamless a process as possible, the Division of Taxation is extending the time for filing the renewal form for an additional 60 days for qualifying organizations seeking renewal of their certificates of exemption.

The Division of Taxation recently issued a reminder regarding a 2017 law that provides for certificates of exemption under Rhode Island General Laws § 44-18-30(5)(i), for charitable, educational, and religious organizations, to be valid for four years from the date of issuance.

This law change impacts a number of qualifying organizations that obtained their certificates of exemption prior to July 1, 2017, and whose certificates are expiring on June 30, 2021. The Division hopes that the extension will allow sufficient time for organizations to submit their renewal forms and comply with the law.

The extension applies only to organizations seeking renewal of their certificates of exemption under Rhode Island General Laws § 44-18-30(5)(i) and whose certificates will expire prior to the extended filing deadline.

ü All such renewals must be submitted on or before Monday, August 30, 2021. That is, the deadline is extended for all entities who were issued an exemption certificate on or before August 30, 2017, because the 2017 law requires that such an exemption certificate expires after four years.

The Division has posted a dedicated webpage with information regarding sales tax exempt organizations, which can be found at: http://www.tax.ri.gov/exemptOrg/index.php. The renewal form for exempt organizations under Rhode Island General Laws § 44-18-30(5)(i) can be found at: http://www.tax.ri.gov/exemptOrg/ExemptOrgRen_w.pdf. The application fee for an exemption certificate is unchanged and remains at $25.00. Any questions can be directed to the Division's Audit & Investigation Unit at (401) 574-8962 or Tax.Audit@tax.ri.gov.