Your IRS wants to help you.

Since June 2011 IRS has released a monthly list of charities whose tax-exempt status has been revoked for failure to file the annual form 990 or one of its smaller siblings, the 990-EZ and 990-N postcard, for three consecutive years.

This was big news when the automatic revocation list was inaugurated and close to 300,000 charities were revealed.

Next month’s list will be larger than usual because IRS is changing the admission standard. It’s easier to get on.

Starting in March, charities will get one month notice that they’re facing revocation. Until now, you didn’t make the list until tax-exempt status had been revoked for six months.

March’s list will have a seven month catch up–all those revoked but not yet revealed, plus those soon to be revoked–so it will be much longer.

The service offers a search page. It’s bad news if you’re a hit. Here’s how to get tax-exempt status reinstated.

I don’t understand why only one month of advance notice. Why not three or four months? That would presumably be enough time to make a 990 filing and avoid the revocation. One month isn’t enough time to pull it together.

In any case, expect a longer revocation list in March from IRS. There’s something to live for.