Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

9-26-2018

JEL Codes

C8, I20

Abstract

Form990.xlsm is a freely available, standalone, macro-enabled Excel workbook that allows users to easily download and analyze IRS Form 990 tax data for nonprofits. This information is extremely difficult to access in machine-readable format, but the IRS recently made the data available as XML files. Form990.xlsm directly imports data in separate sheets for each institution. This paper demonstrates how to use this tool by analyzing a small sample of private, selective liberal arts colleges. We compare Form 990 data with IPEDS and find substantial agreement, but important differences. Endowments were different by more than 5% in 7 of 46 observations. Student FTEs had a greater than 5% difference in 22 out 46 schools (several were over 20%). Form 990 data offer researchers an alternative to IPEDS that is arguably of higher quality.

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