1023 Part Form

Use a 1023 Part Form template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What the 1023 Part Form does

The 1023 Part Form is the IRS application used by eligible organizations seeking recognition of exemption under section 501(c)(3). It collects organizational information, governing-document details, charitable-purpose descriptions, financial data, activity plans, and authorized signatures. With signNow, an organization can upload the form, auto-detect fillable fields, add or review responses, route signature fields to authorized officers, and retain the completed document with an audit trail. Electronic signing is governed by ESIGN and applicable state law, but signNow does not replace the IRS submission process or legal review.

Who benefits from 1023 Part Form

A nonprofit founder preparing an IRS exemption application can use signNow to complete the organization’s 1023 Part Form, coordinate required approvals, and preserve a signed record for internal governance and tax documentation.
A tax professional or nonprofit operations lead can review the 1023 Part Form before signature, route specific sections to authorized officers, and keep the completed application and audit trail together for the organization’s records.

Field detection

Upload the IRS 1023 Part Form and let signNow detect fillable fields before the nonprofit team reviews placement and completeness.

Signer routing

Assign specific signature and date fields to authorized officers instead of requesting signatures through separate document copies.

Audit trail

Keep the signed application associated with an ordered record of signer actions, timestamps, and completion events.

Mobile signing

Review and sign from signNow mobile apps when an authorized officer is away from the organization’s primary office.

Reusable templates

Use templates for recurring nonprofit application workflows while updating organization-specific answers and attachments before sending.

Encrypted records

Protect application information with TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES-256 encryption at rest.

How signNow handles the form

The signNow workflow turns the prepared 1023 Part Form into a controlled review, signature, and record-keeping process.

Upload form: Upload the IRS 1023 Part Form PDF.
Review fields: Auto-detect fields and review required responses.
Assign signers: Assign signature fields to authorized officers.
Store record: Store the completed form with its audit trail.

Authenticate signer:

Records the signer’s email, authentication event, and signing action.

Capture timestamp:

Captures the date and time for every completed action.

Hash document:

Associates the signed 1023 Part Form with document integrity data.

Seal record:

Seals the completed record against unnoticed content changes.

Log actions:

Maintains ordered events for review of the signing process.

Export audit trail:

Allows authorized users to retrieve or export completion evidence.

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Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	Email verification with SMS OTP
Signature type	Typed or drawn electronic signature
Audit trail	Enabled for every signer
Document retention	Apply IRS IRC §6501(a) periods
Encryption	TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256

Use the signNow web app when nonprofit staff need to upload the 1023 Part Form, review fields, assign authorized officers, and monitor completion from a desktop workflow.
Use the signNow mobile app when an authorized officer needs to review or sign the 1023 Part Form from an iOS or Android device.
Use kiosk mode for supervised, in-person completion when multiple nonprofit officers share a controlled workstation and need to sign the same prepared application.
Use a shareable signing link when an authorized signer must open the assigned 1023 Part Form without navigating through a separate email workflow.

Connect the 1023 Part Form workflow

Connect nonprofit application records with CRM, ERP, collaboration, and cloud-storage tools while keeping the signed 1023 Part Form accessible to authorized teams.

Mobile options for 1023 Part Form

Complete the 1023 Part Form through signNow on iOS and Android devices, with secure TLS connections and mobile app access.

Mobile apps iOS and Android apps
Offline mode Offline signing available
Camera capture Camera document capture

Mobile workflows help nonprofit officers review and sign the 1023 Part Form away from a desk. Confirm that every required response, attachment, and authorized signature is present before submitting the completed materials through the appropriate IRS process.

Authentication and certificate controls

TLS encryption:

Protects data in transit

AES-256 encryption:

Protects stored records

Two-factor authentication:

Supports signer verification

SMS OTP:

Adds phone verification

PKI certificates:

Uses certificate-based signing

ID verification:

Checks identity before signing

Privacy and disclosure pitfalls

Personal addresses, officer details, and financial information may remain visible in copies shared beyond the nonprofit’s authorized review group.
A signer may approve the 1023 Part Form before required attachments, activity descriptions, or financial figures receive final review.
Unrestricted folder permissions can expose the organization’s exemption application and supporting records to unauthorized users.
Consumer-facing electronic delivery may require consent disclosures under 15 U.S.C. §7001(c) before records are provided electronically.

State rules and exclusions

State law

State filing rules

Excluded documents

Not a will

Real-estate deeds

No deed substitute

Court documents

Not a court filing

Record-keeping practices for 1023

Preserve the application, evidence of signing, and supporting records according to the organization’s tax and governance obligations.

Keep application and supporting records together

Retain the completed 1023 Part Form, supporting attachments, signer evidence, and IRS correspondence in one controlled repository. If the application contains tax records, apply the relevant IRS retention rule, including IRC §6501(a): three years from filing, six years when 25% or more of income is understated, or longer where fraud or no return applies.

Export the audit trail with the form

Export the signNow audit trail with the signed application so reviewers can connect each signature, timestamp, authentication event, and document version to the final 1023 Part Form. Restrict exports to authorized administrators and record the export date in the organization’s document log.

Archive sensitive nonprofit information securely

Use encrypted storage and access permissions for officer addresses, financial statements, and other information included in the 1023 Part Form. Review sharing links regularly, remove unnecessary access, and preserve an unaltered archival copy after the authorized signer completes the workflow.

Document the retention decision

Document the organization’s retention decision in a written policy rather than deleting records when the IRS review ends. State requirements can exceed federal periods, so confirm any additional obligation with the applicable state authority or qualified counsel before disposal.

Nonprofit operations

A nonprofit operations team preparing an IRS exemption application needs several authorized people to review and sign one controlled 1023 Part Form.

Upload the prepared IRS application
Route signatures to authorized officers

The team can keep the application, signature events, and audit trail together instead of circulating multiple PDF copies. The workflow supports review before signing while leaving eligibility analysis and IRS submission decisions with the organization and its qualified advisers.

Tax advisory practice

A tax professional coordinating nonprofit filings needs a consistent way to collect approvals without losing the final document version.

Assign role-based signing fields
Export completion evidence

A prepared template can reduce repeated field placement for similar nonprofit applications. Each organization’s responses and supporting records remain subject to professional review, applicable IRS instructions, and the adviser’s document-retention policy.

1023 Part Form troubleshooting

These answers address field detection, signing authority, electronic-record requirements, privacy, and IRS filing boundaries.

Upload the IRS PDF again and check whether the fields are flattened or protected. signNow can auto-detect fillable fields, but a scanned or restricted document may require manual field placement before assigning nonprofit officers.

The Business plan includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, and mobile apps. Business Premium adds bulk send, while Enterprise adds advanced signer authentication. Select the plan based on the organization’s workflow rather than assuming every feature is included.

ESIGN and UETA generally recognize electronic signatures when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established. The organization must still follow IRS submission instructions and confirm that its chosen signature process satisfies the applicable filing requirement.

Use signNow’s audit trail to review signer identity, timestamps, actions, and completion evidence. Keep the final 1023 Part Form and exported audit trail together, then apply the organization’s tax-record policy and IRC §6501(a) requirements.

Remove unnecessary recipients, limit document permissions, and avoid forwarding the completed application through uncontrolled channels. For consumer-facing electronic records, 15 U.S.C. §7001(c) requires disclosure and access procedures before electronic delivery.

The IRS application contains organizational, financial, and activity information, so verify every response before signature. signNow records the signing event but does not determine whether the nonprofit qualifies under IRC §501(c)(3) or whether the application is complete.

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