Tax and legal: EIN, 501(c)(3), and your address on Xerish

What this step is for

Xerish pays Givers'' Gifts to your bank account through Stripe Connect. Stripe and the IRS need to know who you are as a legal entity before a single dollar moves.

Why it matters

• Tax compliance. Gifts to a verified 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible for U.S. Givers. Gifts to an unverified Organization are not — and Xerish must disclose that to Givers.
• Payout enablement. Stripe will not release funds without an EIN, legal name, and address that matches IRS records.
• F.I.G.S. verification. Your tax-exempt status is one input the review team uses when granting the F.I.G.S. verified badge.

How to complete it

1. EIN. Enter your 9-digit Employer Identification Number (format: 12-3456789). This is on the IRS Determination Letter you received when your 501(c)(3) status was approved.
2. Legal name. Must exactly match what the IRS has on file. Punctuation matters: if the IRS has "Hope Outreach, Inc.", don''t enter "Hope Outreach Inc".
3. Address. The principal place of business, not a P.O. Box for the Stripe Connect requirement (P.O. Boxes are permitted for the public-display address only).
4. Determination Letter upload. Optional but speeds up F.I.G.S. review. PDF preferred.

What to expect after

The Org card displays a "501(c)(3) verified" indicator once Stripe confirms the EIN matches IRS records (usually under 24 hours, sometimes immediate).

Common mistakes

• Typos in the EIN. A single wrong digit blocks the entire payout pipeline. Triple-check.
• Using a fiscal sponsor''s EIN as if it were yours. If you operate under fiscal sponsorship, that''s a different setup — contact support before completing this step.
• Mismatched legal name. "Inc" vs "Inc." has tripped up several Organizations. Match the Determination Letter exactly.

For churches: most churches do not file for 501(c)(3) explicitly — they are tax-exempt under IRS group exemption or by default. Enter your EIN; if you do not have a Determination Letter, that''s normal. Xerish will note your status as "church (auto-exempt)" rather than "501(c)(3) verified."