Form 4506-A: Request for a Copy of Exempt or Political Organization IRS Form

Form 4506-A, Request for a Copy of Exempt or Political Organization IRS Form, is used to request under Internal Revenue Code Section 6104 a copy of an exempt or political organization's return, report or notice. The requester fills it out and sends it to the IRS.

The form opens by saying you may not have to complete it to get the copies you need. Forms 8871 and 8872 are online at irs.gov/polorgs, and Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF and 990-T are on Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) at irs.gov/teos. The form also notes that exempt and political organizations make these records available for public inspection.

A copy of an exemption application or determination letter uses Form 4506-B instead. This page holds the March 2026 edition (Rev. 3-2026). You can fill out the PDF free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.

What's on Form 4506-A

Records already online

A box at the top lists what can be found without the form: Forms 8871 and 8872, Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF and 990-T, Form 990-N (e-Postcard) and machine readable e-filed returns.

Line 1: organization

Name, employer identification number and address of the exempt or political organization. The form says to complete a separate Form 4506-A for each organization.

Lines 2 and 3: requester and category

The requester's name, contact person, address, phone and date, then the category of requester boxes.

Line 4: reason for request

An explanation of how the records will be used. The form says all requesters except commercial users provide one to avoid being charged the commercial rate.

Lines 5 to 9: forms and tax years

Tax years for Form 990 or 990-EZ, Form 990-PF, Form 990-T for 501(c)(3) organizations, Form 5227, and other forms named on the line provided.

How to fill out Form 4506-A

1
Check what is already online
The form lists irs.gov/polorgs for Forms 8871 and 8872 and irs.gov/teos for Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T and 990-N. The About page says Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF and 990-T received in 2017 or later are in bulk download free of charge on TEOS.
2
Line 1
Enter the organization's name, employer identification number and address. Use one Form 4506-A per organization.
3
Lines 2 and 3
Enter your name, a contact person, address, phone and date, then check the category of requester. If media, add the media outlet's name.
4
Line 4
Explain how the records will be used, unless you are a commercial user. The form says additional sheets can be attached if needed.
5
Lines 5 to 9
For each form you want, enter the specific tax years. More than one form can be requested. If you use line 9, write the specific form on the line provided.

Why fill Form 4506-A on indox

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How to submit it and what to know

Online submission

The About page says Form 4506-A requests may be submitted online using mobile-friendly forms at IRS.gov/forms-pubs/mobile-friendly-forms.

Complete and legible

The form says to type or print clearly, and that a request may be rejected if the form is incomplete or illegible.

Inspect at the organization

The form says exempt or political organizations make their returns, reports, notices and exempt applications available for public inspection, and the organization may be able to provide copies.

Instructions

The form says information about it and its separate instructions is at irs.gov/form4506ab, and points to Publication 6143 for its Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.

Who fills out Form 4506-A?

Anyone requesting public records
Line 2 is the requester: name, contact person, address, phone and date. Line 1 names the exempt or political organization whose records are wanted.
Five requester categories
Line 3 lists commercial user, educational institution, non-commercial scientific institution, media and all others. The form says a box has to be checked.
Media requesters
The media category has a space for the name of the media outlet.
Not for exemption applications or letters
The About page says Form 4506-B is used to request a copy of an exempt organization's exemption application or letter.

The person or organization asking for the copies fills out the form as the requester. The organization whose records are requested does not complete it.

Official sources and the blank

Official IRS form page
The agency’s own page for Form 4506-A.
Blank PDF
The official blank form, to print or fill by hand.

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Questions about Form 4506-A

Do I need Form 4506-A to see a nonprofit's Form 990?

Maybe not. The form says Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF and 990-T can be found at Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS), irs.gov/teos, and Forms 8871 and 8872 at irs.gov/polorgs.

What is the difference between Form 4506-A and Form 4506-B?

The About page says Form 4506-A requests an exempt or political organization's return, report or notice. Form 4506-B requests an exempt organization's exemption application or letter.

Why does the form ask for a reason?

Line 4 says all requesters except commercial users explain how the records will be used, to avoid being charged the commercial rate.

Can one form cover several organizations?

No. The form says to complete a separate Form 4506-A for each organization. One form can request more than one form type and tax year.

Can Form 4506-A be submitted online?

The About page says requests may be submitted online using mobile-friendly forms at IRS.gov/forms-pubs/mobile-friendly-forms.

Form 4506-A: Request for a Copy of Exempt or Political Organization IRS Form