Start a nonprofit · Indiana
How to Start a Nonprofit in Indiana
Indiana charges $20 to file nonprofit articles online, or $50 on paper. The deadline that catches founders is at the Department of Revenue: a nonprofit must complete Form NP-20A within 120 days of its formation to get sales tax treatment, and federal 501(c) status alone does not guarantee an Indiana exemption.
Every fee and rule on this page was checked against the agency's own publication on November 8, 2026. Sources are linked under each item.
At a glance
The Indiana requirements in one table.
| Type of entity | An Indiana nonprofit corporation, created by filing Articles of Incorporation (State Form 4162) with the Secretary of State. Sources: State Form 4162 |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $20 for an electronic filing and $50 for a filing in any other manner, under IC 23-0.5-9-14. The paper form states $50. Sources: IC 23-0.5-9 fees, State Form 4162 |
| Registered agent | A commercial or noncommercial registered agent. A noncommercial agent needs an Indiana address, and the signer confirms the agent consented. Sources: State Form 4162 |
| Federal exemption | Form 1023 ($600) or Form 1023-EZ ($275), filed electronically on Pay.gov. Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice |
| Business entity report | Biennial. The fee for a nonprofit corporation is $10 electronically or $20 otherwise. Sources: IC 23-0.5-9 fees |
| Sales tax | Form NP-20A on INTIME within 120 days of formation. After acceptance the nonprofit can obtain Form NP-1. Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide |
The steps
Five steps, in the order they happen.
Prepare the articles on State Form 4162.
The form asks for the corporation's name, which must include Corporation, Incorporated, Limited, Company or an abbreviation of one of those, and its principal office street address. It asks for the purposes, whether the corporation is public benefit, religious or mutual benefit, whether it has members, the registered agent, and each incorporator's name and address. The dissolution assets article must be completed, and the signature is made under penalties of perjury.
Incorporators may never be amended, so settle that list before filing. The form does not state a minimum number of directors. It also says specific language is required by the IRS in the purpose and dissolution articles to be approved for 501(c) status, and it directs you to the IRS for that language.
Sources: State Form 4162
File the articles and pay the fee.
The fee is $20 for an electronic filing and $50 for a filing in another manner. Paper filings go to the Secretary of State at 302 West Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, with a check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. Attachments must be on 8.5 by 11 inch white paper, single-sided.
Sources: IC 23-0.5-9 fees, State Form 4162
Apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.
Forming a corporation does not make it tax-exempt. The federal application is Form 1023, with a $600 user fee, or the shorter Form 1023-EZ, with a $275 user fee, for smaller organizations that pass the eligibility worksheet in the form instructions. Both are filed electronically on Pay.gov, and the IRS returns paper applications. The IRS notes that the amounts can change.
The IRS answers with a determination letter, the written ruling that recognizes the exemption.
Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice
File Form NP-20A within 120 days of formation.
Indiana's Department of Revenue guide says the nonprofit must complete Form NP-20A within 120 days of its formation. It is filed on INTIME. Before you file, register with the Secretary of State through INBiz, obtain a federal EIN, and apply to the IRS on Form 1023. Attach the IRS determination letter to the NP-20A.
A nonprofit that does not sell taxable products or buy exempt items must still file the NP-20A to meet income tax filing requirements.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
Use Form NP-1 correctly when you buy.
After the Department accepts the application, the nonprofit can obtain Form NP-1 through INTIME. Federal 501(c) status does not guarantee Indiana sales tax exemption. A qualified nonprofit buys tangible property and services tax-free only when the purchases serve its exempt purpose. Vendors need an NP-1 for each vendor relationship, and certificates expire after five years.
Purchases do not qualify if the nonprofit is predominantly social, meaning more than 50 percent of expenditures are social activities, if they benefit a member privately, or if they are used for non-exempt purposes. If a misused purchase was originally exempt, the nonprofit may owe use tax of 7 percent.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
Income tax
Exempt does not mean untaxed on every dollar.
These are the Department of Revenue's rules for income from activities unrelated to the exempt purpose.
Unrelated business income.
Form IT-20NP is required for unrelated business income, such as a gift shop or cafe. It is due on the 15th day of the fifth month after the tax year closes, and the nonprofit pays adjusted gross income tax on that income.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
Multiple unrelated businesses.
Schedule IN-UBI is needed when a nonprofit has multiple unrelated trades or businesses, which must be computed separately.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
Estimated payments.
Form IT-6 is required if unrelated business income exceeds $250 in any quarter or $2,500 in a tax year.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
After you form
Staying in good standing.
Two filings recur with different clocks.
File the business entity report every two years.
The text of IC 23-0.5-9-34 sets the fee for a nonprofit corporation at $10 when filed electronically and $20 when filed in another manner. Reinstatement after administrative dissolution or revocation costs $20 electronically or $30 otherwise, under IC 23-0.5-9-42.
Sources: IC 23-0.5-9 fees
File Form NP-20R every five years.
The Department of Revenue's guide says Form NP-20R is filed every five years to keep nonprofit status in Indiana.
Sources: DOR nonprofit tax guide
Common questions
Quick answers.
How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Indiana?
The government fees are $20 online or $50 on paper to the Secretary of State, plus the IRS user fee, which is $275 for Form 1023-EZ or $600 for Form 1023. That totals between $295 and $650 as of the date this page was verified.
Is an Indiana nonprofit exempt from sales tax automatically?
No. Federal 501(c) status does not guarantee an Indiana exemption. The nonprofit files Form NP-20A within 120 days of formation, and after approval it can obtain Form NP-1 for tax-free purchases that serve its exempt purpose.
How often does an Indiana nonprofit file a report?
The business entity report is biennial, at $10 electronically or $20 otherwise for a nonprofit corporation. Form NP-20R is filed every five years.
Do I have to register as a charity in Indiana?
The Attorney General's fundraising registration page could not be read for this page, so no rule is stated here. Check with the Attorney General's office before you solicit.
After the filing
What comes next for a Indiana nonprofit.
The state filing is the short part. These are the next four jobs, and the book that handles each.
- Book I
Get the federal application and first-year budget right
The name, bylaws, the IRS application, a founding board and a first-year budget that balances.
- Book X
Start from finished documents
Forty annotated documents, including bylaws, budgets, policies, job descriptions and board papers, as editable Word files.
- Book VII
Build the board on purpose
What a board is for, recruiting for the skills you lack, working with the chair and running meetings that reach decisions.
- Book VIII
Stay in good standing
Charitable solicitation registration, operating in a second state, insurance and annual filings.
The complete set
All ten books and forty documents, $149.
All ten books in PDF and EPUB, plus the forty documents from Book X as editable Word files. The books are not sold separately.
Free when you join the list
Every Document a New Nonprofit Needs
Articles, bylaws, minutes, the exemption application, the policies and the filings: the whole sequence a new organization has to produce, in the order it arrives.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
- Indiana Code, Title 23, Article 0.5, Chapter 9, Fees (2026)
- Indiana Secretary of State, Articles of Incorporation, Domestic Nonprofit Corporation (State Form 4162)
- Indiana Department of Revenue, Indiana Tax Guide: Nonprofit Organization
- IRS, Form 1023 and 1023-EZ: amount of user fee
- IRS, Changes to the exempt organization determinations process
Last verified November 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the agency before you file. This page is general information and not legal or tax advice.