Does a Rhode Island Nonprofit Need an Audit?
Rhode Island requires every registered charitable organization to file an annual financial statement audited by an independent certified public accountant. An organization with annual gross income of $1,000,000 or less may instead file an IRS Form 990 or compiled statements.
Data as of Sep 21, 2026 · Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse (public data)
Does a Rhode Island nonprofit need an audit?
Rhode Island requires every registered charitable organization to file an annual financial statement audited by an independent certified public accountant. An organization with annual gross income of $1,000,000 or less may instead file an IRS Form 990 or compiled statements.
| Topic | Applies to | Rule | Threshold | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State law | annual gross income above $1,000,000 | Every charitable organization registered pursuant to § 5-53.1-2 shall file with the director a copy of the annual financial statement of the organization audited by an independent certified public accountant for the organization's immediately preceding fiscal year ... Charitable organizations having annual gross income of one million dollars ($1,000,000) or less shall be considered to have met the financial requirements of this section by providing either an IRS Form 990 or the following financial statements for the immediately preceding fiscal year compiled by an independent public or certified accountant: (1) Statement of activities; and (2) Statement of financial position. | $1,000,000 | R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-53.1-4(a) (Internet Archive snapshot 2025-08-06) | Last verified: 2026-09-21 |
Who enforces this in Rhode Island?
The first rule in the table comes from R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-53.1-4(a) (Internet Archive snapshot 2025-08-06). Check that source for the Rhode Island office and the filing instructions that apply to your organization.
How does this differ from the federal single audit?
The federal single audit applies when a nonprofit spends $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 2024 ($750,000 for earlier fiscal years). State rules are separate and are listed on this page.
Read what the single audit threshold means or check whether an organization needs a federal single audit.
Rhode Island nonprofit single audits in the federal data
The federal single audit is a separate requirement. These pages count the Rhode Island nonprofit filings in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse and the firms named on them.
Common questions
Does a Rhode Island nonprofit need an audit?
Rhode Island requires every registered charitable organization to file an annual financial statement audited by an independent certified public accountant. An organization with annual gross income of $1,000,000 or less may instead file an IRS Form 990 or compiled statements.