This nonprofit 501(c)(3) name and cost calculator estimates the total cost to start a tax-exempt nonprofit in 2026, combining the state nonprofit incorporation (Articles) fee, optional name reservation, the IRS Form 1023 or 1023-EZ user fee, and any registered-agent or filing-service cost — and it walks you through checking that your nonprofit name is available first. Founders are often surprised that "free to do good" still carries real filing fees: the IRS alone charges $275 for the streamlined Form 1023-EZ or $600 for the full Form 1023. Add state incorporation and you have a concrete startup budget. Use the tool to total your costs, then follow the name-availability checklist below.
Enter your figures to total the cost of incorporating and gaining tax-exempt status.
Starting a 501(c)(3) typically costs between about $325 and $1,000+ in filing fees. The two unavoidable pieces are the IRS exemption application — $275 for the streamlined Form 1023-EZ or $600 for the full Form 1023 — and your state incorporation fee, which ranges from roughly $8 to $100 depending on the state. Optional costs (registered agent, state charity registration, legal help) push the total higher. The calculator above sums the fixed IRS user fee with your state figures so you get a realistic startup budget; the table shows the core components.
| Cost component | Typical 2026 amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State incorporation (Articles) | $8–$100 | Creates the nonprofit corporation |
| Name reservation (optional) | $0–$50 | Holds the name before incorporating |
| IRS Form 1023-EZ | $275 | Streamlined, for small orgs |
| IRS Form 1023 (full) | $600 | Larger orgs / certain types |
| State charity registration | $0–$100+ | Required to solicit donations in many states |
| Registered agent (optional) | $0–$300/yr | In-state address for service |
Forming a nonprofit is a two-step legal process, and each step has a fee. First you incorporate as a nonprofit corporation with your state by filing Articles of Incorporation, paying the state's fee. Then you apply to the IRS for federal tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) using Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, paying the IRS user fee. Incorporation makes you a legal entity; the IRS determination makes you tax-exempt and able to receive tax-deductible donations. The calculator captures both because skipping either leaves your nonprofit incomplete.
The Form 1023-EZ is a shorter, cheaper ($275) application available to smaller organizations, generally those projecting annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less and holding total assets of $250,000 or less, that pass the IRS eligibility worksheet. The full Form 1023 ($600) is required for larger organizations and certain entity types (such as churches, schools, and hospitals). Choosing correctly matters: filing 1023-EZ when you are ineligible can cause problems. The calculator lets you pick either; complete the IRS Form 1023-EZ Eligibility Worksheet first if you are unsure.
Nonprofit name clearance has more layers than a for-profit. Check four sources: (1) your state's business-entity database to confirm no existing corporation uses the name; (2) the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and state charity registries for similar nonprofits; (3) the USPTO trademark database to ensure the name does not infringe a registered mark, which matters for national fundraising; and (4) domain availability for the matching .org and .com. Only after the name clears all four should you reserve or incorporate. The order matters, clear before you commit money.
Getting 501(c)(3) status lets you receive tax-deductible gifts, but most states separately require you to register as a charity before you actively solicit donations from their residents, each with its own fee and annual renewal. A nonprofit raising money nationally may face registration in many states. This is a commonly overlooked recurring cost. The calculator includes a state charity-registration line so you can fold at least your home state's fee into the startup budget; budget additional states as your fundraising expands.
Run the defaults: $50 state incorporation, $0 name reservation, $275 Form 1023-EZ, $0 registered agent, $0 state charity registration, $0 service. The calculator totals $325 to launch. Switch to the full Form 1023 and it becomes $650; add a $100 state charity registration and a $50 reservation and you are at $800. Layer in a filing service or attorney and it rises further. Seeing each lever lets a founder choose the lean DIY path or the assisted path with eyes open.
The startup fees are not the end. A 501(c)(3) must file an annual Form 990 (or 990-EZ/990-N) with the IRS to keep its status, renew state charity registrations, possibly pay a registered agent, and may incur bookkeeping or audit costs. None of these are part of the formation fee, but they are part of running a compliant nonprofit. Plan for them so the organization does not lose its exemption, which would be far costlier than any filing fee.
Many founders complete incorporation and Form 1023-EZ themselves to save money, the forms are doable for a straightforward organization. A filing service or nonprofit attorney costs more but reduces the risk of errors that delay or jeopardize your exemption, and is worth it for complex organizations or the full Form 1023. The calculator lets you add a service/legal line so you can compare the all-in DIY cost against the assisted cost before deciding.
Incorporating under a name with your state gives no nationwide rights. If your nonprofit will operate or fundraise nationally, a federal trademark protects your name and logo against confusion with other organizations, an important safeguard when donors are choosing where to give. Screen the name for conflicts with our business name trademark conflict risk checker and budget the filing with the trademark registration cost calculator if national protection makes sense.
Donors expect a nonprofit to live at a matching .org, and ideally you should own the .com too so no one else can trade on your name. Register the domains the moment your name clears, before you announce or incorporate, because a nonprofit whose domain belongs to a squatter looks untrustworthy. Domains cost about $10–$22 a year, a negligible part of any nonprofit budget; secure them via our domain name search alongside your state name reservation research.
The IRS user fee and state incorporation fees change, and the figures here are representative for planning. Before filing, confirm the current Form 1023/1023-EZ user fee on irs.gov and the incorporation and charity-registration fees with your Secretary of State and state charity regulator. Use this calculator to budget and compare; use the official agencies for the exact amounts you will pay.
New nonprofit founders hit avoidable snags. The first is choosing the wrong IRS form, filing Form 1023-EZ while ineligible (over the gross-receipts or asset thresholds, or an excluded organization type), which can jeopardize the application. The second is forgetting state charity registration: federal 501(c)(3) status lets you receive tax-deductible gifts, but most states separately require registration before you solicit donations from their residents, each with its own fee and renewal. The third is incomplete or inconsistent governing documents, articles and bylaws that lack the IRS-required purpose and dissolution language, triggering delays. The fourth is skipping name clearance across all the relevant registries (state entity database, charity registries, and the trademark register), then colliding with another organization. The fifth is ignoring ongoing compliance, the annual Form 990 filing and state renewals, without which the exemption can be revoked. The sixth is not registering the .org domain early, leaving the door open to squatters. Budgeting the startup fees with this calculator is the first step; planning the form choice, charity registration, name clearance, and ongoing filings is what actually gets and keeps your exemption.
Run this checklist as you plan: (1) confirm the name is free in your state's business-entity database; (2) check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and state charity registries for similar nonprofits; (3) search the USPTO trademark register so the name does not infringe a mark, important for national fundraising; (4) confirm the matching .org and .com are available and register them; (5) decide between Form 1023-EZ and the full Form 1023 using the IRS eligibility worksheet, and budget the $275 or $600 user fee in the calculator; (6) add your state incorporation fee and any name-reservation cost; (7) determine which states require charity registration before you fundraise there and budget those fees; (8) prepare articles and bylaws with the IRS-required clauses; and (9) plan for the annual Form 990 and state renewals. Clearing the name everywhere before you spend, and totaling the real fees here, prevents both an embarrassing name clash and a budget surprise on the way to tax-exempt status.
Lock the rest of your brand stack while you are here: explore LLC name reservation fee by state, business name conflict checker, and domain name search, or start from the names.center homepage for every naming and domain tool.
Starting a 501(c)(3) typically costs between about $325 and $1,000+ in filing fees: the IRS charges $275 for the streamlined Form 1023-EZ or $600 for the full Form 1023, and state incorporation adds roughly $8 to $100 depending on the state. Optional registered-agent, state charity-registration, and legal-help costs raise the total. This calculator sums the IRS user fee with your state figures so you get a realistic startup budget; confirm current IRS amounts on irs.gov.
Check three places: your state's Secretary of State business-entity database to confirm no existing entity uses the name, the IRS and state charity registries for similar nonprofits, and the USPTO trademark database to make sure the name does not infringe a registered mark. Also confirm the matching .org or .com domain is free. Only after the name clears all of these should you reserve or incorporate it, which is why the guide below lays out the order.
Form 1023-EZ is a shorter, cheaper ($275) application available to smaller organizations that meet the IRS eligibility criteria, generally projected annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less and total assets of $250,000 or less. Form 1023 is the full application ($600) required for larger organizations and certain entity types. The calculator lets you pick whichever applies; if you are unsure of eligibility, complete the IRS Form 1023-EZ Eligibility Worksheet first.
Yes. A nonprofit can and often should register a federal trademark for its name and logo to protect its brand and prevent confusion with other organizations, especially for fundraising. Incorporating under a name with your state does not give nationwide rights, only a federal trademark does. If your nonprofit will operate or fundraise nationally, budget for a trademark in addition to incorporation and the IRS exemption fee.
Yes. Donors and supporters expect a nonprofit to have a matching .org (and ideally the .com too), so register the domain as soon as your name clears, before you announce or incorporate. Domains cost only about $10-$22 a year, a negligible part of a nonprofit startup budget, and securing them early prevents another organization or a squatter from taking your online identity.