(a) Applications for exemption from Federal income tax, applications for a group exemption letter, and supporting documents. If the Internal Revenue Service determines that an organization described in section 501(c) or section 501(d) is exempt from Federal income tax for any taxable year, the application upon which the determination is based, together with any supporting documents, shall be open to public inspection. Such applications and supporting documents shall be open for public inspection even after any revocation of the Internal Revenue Service's determination that the organization is exempt from Federal income tax. In the past, some applications were destroyed and therefore are not available for inspection. For purposes of determining the availability for public inspection, a claim for exemption from Federal income tax filed to re-establish exempt status after denial thereof under the provisions of section 503 or 504 (as in effect on December 31, 1969), or under the corresponding provisions of any prior revenue law, is considered an application for exemption from Federal income tax.

(b) Notices of status filed by political organizations. If, in accordance with section 527(i), an organization notifies the Internal Revenue Service that it is a political organization as described in section 527, exempt from Federal income tax for any taxable year, the notice of status filed by the political organization shall be open to public inspection.

(c) Letters or documents issued by the Internal Revenue Service with respect to an application for exemption from Federal income tax. If an application for exemption from Federal income tax is filed with the Internal Revenue Service after October 31, 1976, and is open to public inspection under paragraph (a) of this section, then any letter or document issued to the applicant by the Internal Revenue Service that relates to the application is also open to public inspection. For rules relating to when a letter or document is issued, see § 301.6110-2(h). Letters or documents to which this paragraph (c) applies include, but are not limited to—

(1) Favorable rulings and determination letters, including group exemption letters, issued in response to applications for exemption from Federal income tax;

(2) Technical advice memoranda issued with respect to the approval, or subsequent approval, of an application for exemption from Federal income tax;

(3) Letters issued in response to an application for exemption from Federal income tax (including applications for a group exemption letter) that propose a finding that the applicant is not entitled to be exempt from Federal income tax, if the applicant is subsequently determined, on the basis of that application, to be exempt from Federal income tax; and

(4) Any letter or document issued by the Internal Revenue Service relating to an organization's status as an organization described in section 509(a), 4940(d)(2), 4942(j)(3), or 4943(f), including a determination letter that the organization is or is not a private foundation.

(d) Requirement of exempt status. An application for exemption from Federal income tax (including applications for a group exemption letter), supporting documents, and letters or documents issued by the Internal Revenue Service that relate to the application shall not be open to public inspection before the organization is determined, on the basis of that application, to be exempt from Federal income tax for any taxable year. If an organization is determined to be exempt from Federal income tax for any taxable year, these materials shall not be withheld from public inspection on the basis that the organization is subsequently determined not to be exempt for any other taxable year.

(e) Documents included in the term “application for exemption from Federal income tax.” For purposes of this section—

(1) Prescribed application form. If a form is prescribed for an organization's application for exemption from Federal income tax, the application includes the form and all documents and statements that the Internal Revenue Service requires to be filed with the form, any amendments or revisions to the original application, or any resubmitted applications where the original application was submitted in draft form or was withdrawn. An application includes an application for reinstatement of tax-exempt status after an organization's tax-exempt status has been revoked pursuant to section 6033(j). An application submitted in draft form or an application submitted and later withdrawn is not considered an application.

(2) No prescribed application form. If no form is prescribed for an organization's application for exemption from Federal income tax, the application includes the submission by letter requesting recognition of tax exemption and any statements or documents as prescribed by Revenue Procedure 2011-9, IRB 2011-2 (January 10, 2011), or any successor guidance describing procedures for application for exempt status pursuant to section 501 and section 521 of the Internal Revenue Code. See § 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b).

(3) Application for a Group Exemption Letter. The application for a group exemption letter includes the letter submitted by or on behalf of subordinate organizations that seek exempt status pursuant to a group exemption letter and any statements or documents as prescribed by Revenue Procedure 80-27, 1980-1 CB 677 (June 20, 1980), and any successor guidance. See § 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b).

(4) Notice of status filed under section 527(i). For purposes of this section, documents included in the term “notice of status filed under section 527(i)” include—

(i) Form 8871, “Political Organization Notice of Section 527 Status;”

(ii) Form 8453-X, “Declaration of Electronic Filing of Notice of Section 527 Status;” and

(iii) Any other additional forms or documents that the Internal Revenue Service may prescribe.

(f) Material open to public inspection under section 6110. Under section 6110, certain written determinations, including negative determinations issued to organizations that applied for an exemption from Federal income tax, issued by the Internal Revenue Service are made available for public inspection. Section 6110 does not apply, however, to material that is open to public inspection under section 6104. See sections 6104(a)(1) and 6110(l)(1).

(g) Supporting documents defined. For purposes of this section, “supporting documents,” with respect to an application for exemption from Federal income tax, means any statement or document not described in paragraph (e) of this section that is submitted by the organization or group in support of its application prior to a determination described in paragraph (a) of this section. Items submitted in connection with an application in draft form, or with an application submitted and later withdrawn, are not supporting documents. There are no supporting documents with respect to Notices of Status filed by political organizations.

(h) Statement of exempt status. For efficient tax administration, the Internal Revenue Service may publish, in paper or electronic format, the names of organizations currently recognized as exempt from Federal income tax, including organizations recognized as exempt from Federal income tax under particular paragraphs of section 501(c) or section 501(d). In addition to having the opportunity to inspect material relating to an organization exempt from Federal income tax, a person may request a statement, or the Internal Revenue Service may disclose, in response to or in anticipation of a request, the following information—

(1) The subsection and paragraph of section 501 (or the corresponding provision of any prior revenue law) under which the organization or group has been determined, on the basis of an application open to public inspection, to qualify for exemption from Federal income tax; and

(2) Whether an organization or group is currently recognized as exempt from Federal income tax.

(i) Publication of non-exempt status. (1) For publication of the notice of the revocation of a determination that an organization is described in section 501(c)(3), see section 7428(c).

(2) For publication of a list including any organization the tax exemption of which is revoked for failure to file required returns or notices for three consecutive years, see section 6033(j).

(3) For publication of notice of suspension of tax exemption of terrorist organizations, see section 501(p).

(j) Withholding of certain information from public inspection. For rules relating to certain information contained in an application for exemption from Federal income tax and supporting documents that will be withheld from public inspection, see § 301.6104(a)-5(a).

(k) Procedures for inspection. For rules relating to procedures for public inspection of applications for exemption from Federal income tax and supporting documents, see § 301.6104(a)-6.

(l) Effective/applicability date. The rules of this section apply February 29, 2012.