How To Start A Nonprofit In Idaho

To incorporate an Idaho nonprofit, you must complete and file nonprofit articles of incorporation with the Idaho Secretary of State. To file your Idaho articles of incorporation yourself online, you’ll need to set up a user account at the Idaho Secretary of State’s website. See the document below and click on any number to see what information is required in the corresponding section.

How Much Does It Cost to Incorporate an Idaho Nonprofit?

Idaho charges a $30 base fee to file nonprofit Articles of Incorporation, but the grand total changes depending on your filing method. If you file online through Idaho’s new online filing system, you’ll pay $31 (the filing fee plus a $1 credit card transaction fee), plus an additional $40 if you want expedited processing. If you print and mail your Articles, you’ll pay $50 (the $30 filing fee plus a $20 fee, which is more like a penalty, for the state to process a paper filing). If it isn’t already obvious, Idaho really wants everyone to file online!

How Long Does It Take to Start an Idaho Nonprofit?

Idaho will take around 15 business days to process nonprofit articles of incorporation filed online, but you can also pay an additional $40 to get your articles processed in 1 business day. If you print and mail your documents, add on a few extra days to the 15 day total.

Does an Idaho Nonprofit Need a Registered Agent?

Yes, the state requires nonprofits to maintain an Idaho registered agent to receive service of process (legal notices) at a publicly listed Idaho street address. You can appoint yourself, a willing associate, or a commercial registered agent service like Northwest, but it’s important to know what the job involves before taking it on yourself. The address you list will likely get targeted by junk mail, data-sellers, and salespeople, which can come with a lot of hassles if you list your residential address or the address of your own office. And a registered agent actually has to be available at this address during business hours, not holding meetings, traveling, meeting with donors, soliciting donations door to door, or doing any number of things usually essential to managing and growing a new nonprofit.

A better option? Hire Northwest to be your Idaho registered agent. You won’t have to worry about being tied to your desk all day, missing a service of process, or finding your mailbox overflowing, and you can preserve your privacy by listing our Idaho street address on your nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation. If we ever do receive a service of process on behalf of your nonprofit, we’ll scan it and send it to you on the day we receive it.

A federal employer identification number (FEIN or EIN) is a little like your nonprofit’s social security number, and you’ll need one to seek federal tax-exempt status from the IRS, establish trustworthy relationships with donors, and even (in most cases) to open a bank account in your nonprofit’s name.

After the state approves your Articles of Incorporation, you can apply for an EIN at the IRS website. Or you can bypass the hassle altogether by adding our EIN service for an extra fee when you hire Northwest.

Idaho requires nonprofits to adopt bylaws at their first official meeting. This is the meeting where you’ll also elect directors, appoint officers, and take care of any other official business necessary to fully complete your organization’s formation and begin its operations. If your nonprofit intends to seek 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, be sure to adopt your bylaws before submitting the Application for Recognition of Exemption to the IRS.

Why do bylaws matter? Because they provide clear answers to important structural and procedural questions in advance and hence allow your nonprofit’s directors to guide the organization along a single, cohesive path. Will your nonprofit have voting members? Will those members be divided into distinct classes with different rights and responsibilities? How long is a director’s tenure? What are the secretary’s responsibilities? Without clear answers to questions like these, your nonprofit is truly flying blind.

It’s difficult to write bylaws, but Northwest can help. When you sign up for our registered agent service or hire us to form your nonprofit, you can also use our adaptable template for writing nonprofit bylaws, as well as our other free nonprofit forms, to help get you started. Why? Because we want your business year after year, and that means we want you to start out successful and stay successful. We also offer a free attorney-drafted nonprofit bylaws template for you to use.

Nonprofit corporations are not automatically tax-exempt, but it is possible to achieve 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status by submitting an Application for Recognition of Exemption to the IRS, paying a $275 or $600 filing fee (depending on your nonprofit’s size and nature), and waiting around 3-6 months while the IRS examines your organization’s structure, purpose, and finances.

Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code describes more than two dozen different types of tax-exempt organizations, but most nonprofits seek 501(c)(3) status for public charities and private foundations. If your Idaho nonprofit intends to seek 501(c)(3) status, make sure your Articles of Incorporation include a statement of purpose and dissolution clause using the specific language required by the IRS.

If your nonprofit obtains federal tax-exempt status, it won’t have to pay the Idaho corporate income tax either. However, most nonprofits (including churches and charities) pay the state’s sales tax when purchasing or selling goods. Learn more at Northwest’s guide to Idaho state tax exemptions.

Does an Idaho nonprofit need a business license?

Idaho doesn’t require nonprofits (or any businesses) to purchase a general, statewide business license, but some cities and counties have licensing requirements of their own. Contact your city clerk’s office to find out if your new nonprofit requires any special licenses or permits to get going.

Should an Idaho nonprofit register for state tax accounts?

Most likely. Depending on the nature of your nonprofit’s activities, you also might need to register for a seller’s permit and withholding account from the Idaho State Tax Commission. File the Idaho Business Registration application, on the State Tax Commission’s website, to register.

Do I have to register my nonprofit as a charity in Idaho?

No. Unlike most state governments, Idaho doesn’t require charitable nonprofits to register with the state to solicit charitable contributions.

To open a bank account for your Idaho nonprofit, you will need to bring the following items with you to the bank:

• A copy of your Idaho nonprofit articles of incorporation
• A copy of your nonprofit’s bylaws
• Your Idaho nonprofit’s EIN

It’s wise to call your bank ahead of time to check its requirements. Some banks may require you to bring a resolution authorizing you to open a bank account in your nonprofit’s name (particularly if your nonprofit has several directors and/or officers).

What is the Idaho nonprofit annual report?

Idaho requires nonprofits to submit an annual report updating (or confirming) information appearing on the state’s records, including your corporate name and registered agent information. There is no filing fee, and the report is always due at the end of the anniversary month of your nonprofit’s incorporation. The Idaho Secretary of State only accepts annual reports submitted online.

When you hire Northwest, we’ll send you reports reminding you of the deadlines for your annual reports, but you can also avoid the hassle altogether by adding our convenient Idaho Annual Report Service, for an additional fee due at report time.