4506-B

Request for a Copy of Exempt Organization 
IRS Application or Letter

Agency
IRS
Revision
Rev. 5-2024
Fillable fields
39
Pages
1
Official source
IRS form page
Checked
October 21, 2026
Fill 4506-B online
Page 1 of form 4506-B

Form 4506-B: Request for a Copy of Exempt Organization IRS Application or Letter

Form 4506-B is the request a person or organization sends to the IRS for a copy of an exempt organization's exemption application or determination letter, under section 6104. The instructions say the items it covers include the most recent Form 1023, 1023-EZ, 1024 or 1024-A with its supporting documents, the determination letter, a currently dated affirmation letter, and other publicly disclosable items such as group exemption requests.

The form is not for returns, reports or notices. The form says to use Form 4506-A, Request for a copy of Exempt or Political Organization IRS Form, for those. The instructions also say determination letters issued 2014 or later are available for inspection and printing on Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) at www.irs.gov/teos, and that exempt organizations make their exempt applications available for public inspection.

The instructions say Form 4506-B is submitted by email with the "Submit Form" button at the bottom of the form. This page hosts the May 2024 revision. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download it without an account.

What's on Form 4506-B

Line 1: Requester

First and last name, phone and extension, the date, and a street address with city, state or province, country and ZIP or foreign postal code.

Line 2: Exempt organization

The organization's name, employer identification number and address. The form says to complete a separate Form 4506-B for each organization.

Line 3: Category of requester

Five boxes: commercial user, educational institution, non-commercial scientific institution, media and all others, plus a space for the name of the media outlet.

Line 4: Reason for request

Space to explain how the records will be used. The form asks this of all requesters except commercial users, to avoid being charged the commercial rate.

Line 5: Items requested

Four boxes: application for exemption, exemption determination letter only, affirmation letter, and other, with lines to name the specific other items.

Submit Form button

A button at the bottom sends the form by email. Its disclaimer says the email submission of Form 4506-B is not encrypted for security.

How to fill out Form 4506-B

  1. 1

    Check TEOS first

    The instructions say determination letters issued 2014 or later can be viewed and printed on Tax Exempt Organization Search at www.irs.gov/teos without filing this form.

  2. 2

    Line 1

    Enter the requester's name, phone number and address.

  3. 3

    Line 2

    Enter the organization's official name under which exempt status was approved, its address and its EIN. The instructions say that without the official name the IRS may not be able to locate the item.

  4. 4

    Lines 3 and 4

    Check one requester category. Unless the box checked is commercial user, explain on line 4 why the records are requested and how they will be used.

  5. 5

    Line 5

    Check each item requested. The instructions say the application box returns only the most recent application, and earlier applications are requested with the "other" box and the lines provided.

  6. 6

    Submit

    Click "Submit Form" at the bottom of the page. The About page says to open and complete the form in Adobe Acrobat Reader and to use its functions, not a web browser's PDF viewer, when submitting.

Why fill Form 4506-B on indox

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How it is submitted, what it costs and what gets rejected

How to submit

The instructions say Form 4506-B is now accepted only by email, sent with the "Submit Form" button at the bottom of the form.

Copy charges

The instructions list $.20 per page for commercial users. Educational institutions, media, non-commercial scientific institutions and all other requesters get the first 100 pages free, then $.20 per page.

Billing

The instructions say the IRS sends a bill for the photocopy cost, and if the cost is over $250 the IRS will ask for payment in advance.

Rejected requests

The instructions say incomplete requests and requests for documents not specified on the form, such as copies of returns, will be rejected.

Other items take longer

The instructions say requests for "other" documents take longer to process and could result in significant delays.

Inspecting at the organization

The form says exempt organizations make their exempt applications available for public inspection, so a person can visit the organization instead, and it may provide copies.

Who fills out Form 4506-B?

  • Commercial users

    Line 3 has a box for commercial users. The instructions list their charge for paper copies as $.20 per page, and they are the one category not asked for a reason on line 4.

  • Educational, scientific and media requesters

    Educational institutions, non-commercial scientific institutions and media each have a box. Media requesters also give the name of the media outlet.

  • All other requesters

    Anyone who is not in the other four groups checks "All others". The instructions give this group the first 100 pages free, then $.20 per page.

  • The organization or its officers

    The instructions say an organization or its officers may request a copy of its own application, but will only receive the copy that is "Open for Public Inspection".

  • Not for returns or reports

    Copies of an exempt or political organization's return, report or notice are requested on Form 4506-A instead.

The requester completes the form and sends it to the IRS. Line 3 asks which of five requester categories applies, and the category sets the copy charge.

Official sources and the blank

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Questions about Form 4506-B

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

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

How is Form 4506-B sent to the IRS?

By email, using the "Submit Form" button at the bottom of the form. The form notes that the email submission is not encrypted for security.

How much does a copy cost?

The instructions list $.20 per page for commercial users. All other categories get the first 100 pages free, then $.20 per page. The IRS sends a bill and asks for payment in advance over $250.

Can I get a determination letter without this form?

The instructions say determination letters issued 2014 or later are available for inspection and printing on Tax Exempt Organization Search at www.irs.gov/teos.

Can an organization ask for a copy of its own application?

Yes. The instructions say it or its officers receive only the copy that is "Open for Public Inspection", which leaves out items such as information that may identify a contributor.

How do I request an older application?

The instructions say the application box returns only the most recent application. Previous applications are requested by checking "other" and naming them on the lines provided.