Start a nonprofit · Mississippi
How to Start a Nonprofit in Mississippi
Mississippi charges $50 to file the articles of a nonprofit corporation. Since 2024 every nonprofit corporation also files a no-fee annual report by May 15, and skipping it leads to administrative dissolution. A nonprofit that solicits donations registers separately with the Secretary of State, at $50 for the initial registration and each renewal.
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 Mississippi requirements in one table.
| Type of entity | A Mississippi nonprofit corporation, created by filing Articles of Incorporation (Form F0001) with the Secretary of State. Sources: SOS fee schedule |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $50 for the Articles of Incorporation. Sources: SOS fee schedule |
| Federal exemption | Form 1023 ($600) or Form 1023-EZ ($275), filed electronically on Pay.gov. Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice |
| Annual report | Required of every nonprofit corporation under House Bill 1344 (2024). Due May 15, no fee. Sources: SOS annual report notice |
| Charity registration | Required before soliciting. $50 for initial registration, renewal and a Notice of Exemption. Sources: SOS charity portal |
| Sales tax | Exemptions must be specifically provided by law. There is no general exemption for a 501(c)(3). Sources: Revenue exemptions |
The steps
Four steps, in the order they happen.
File the Articles of Incorporation.
The fee for the Articles of Incorporation, Form F0001, is $50 on the Secretary of State's fee schedule.
The sources reviewed for this page do not state the minimum number of directors or the registered agent rules, so confirm those on the form and in the Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Act before filing.
Sources: SOS fee schedule
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
Register with the Secretary of State before soliciting.
Registration is required before any solicitation in Mississippi for organizations recognized under Section 501(c)(3) and for organizations that solicit the public for charitable purposes. The fee is $50 for initial registration, renewal and a Notice of Exemption, paid online.
Exemptions under Miss. Code Ann. 79-11-505(1) include organizations that do not intend to solicit and do not receive more than $25,000 a year in contributions, and certain religious institutions. Exempt organizations file a one-time online Notice of Exemption before soliciting.
Sources: SOS charity portal
Check sales tax before the first large purchase.
The Department of Revenue states that exemptions must be specifically provided by law. Its list names categories such as chartered nonprofit hospitals, nonprofit private schools, the YMCA and YWCA, orphanages and domestic violence shelters, and it does not describe a general certificate or application for nonprofits. Contact the Department of Revenue to confirm whether the organization falls in a listed category.
Sources: Revenue exemptions
Charity rules
Review and audit thresholds for Mississippi charities.
The registration instructions set financial statement lines by donation size.
Reviewed statements.
Monetary donations over $250,000 but under $750,000, with government grants excluded, call for a reviewed financial statement.
Sources: SOS charity portal
Audited statements.
Monetary donations over $750,000, or fundraising not performed solely by unpaid persons, call for an audited financial statement on a cash basis.
Sources: SOS charity portal
After you form
Staying in good standing.
Two things recur every year.
File the annual report by May 15.
Every nonprofit corporation files the annual report, which carries no fee. The Secretary of State states that failure to file results in administrative dissolution. This is separate from charity registration.
Sources: SOS annual report notice
Renew the charity registration.
Registration renews every year for $50, with the EIN or registration number, a current officer and director list, the IRS Form 990, any required financial statement and current fundraising contracts.
Sources: SOS charity portal
Common questions
Quick answers.
How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Mississippi?
The articles cost $50, plus the IRS user fee of $275 for Form 1023-EZ or $600 for Form 1023. That totals $325 or $650 as of the date this page was verified. Charity registration adds $50.
Does a Mississippi nonprofit have to file an annual report?
Yes. House Bill 1344 (2024) requires every nonprofit corporation to file one by May 15 each year at no fee. Not filing leads to administrative dissolution.
Is a Mississippi 501(c)(3) exempt from sales tax?
Not automatically. The Department of Revenue states exemptions must be specifically provided by law, and its list names particular categories of organizations.
After the filing
What comes next for a Mississippi 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.
- Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Documents Filing Fees
- Mississippi Secretary of State, New Nonprofit Annual Report Filing Requirement
- Mississippi Secretary of State, Charities Online Portal instructions
- Mississippi Department of Revenue, Sales Tax Exemptions
- 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.