Washington — The Internal Revenue Service has finished the long process of revising the Form 990 with the release on Tuesday of the final instructions for the tax document, which is filed annually by nonprofit colleges, foundations, and other charitable organizations. The overhaul is the first major set of changes for the form since 1979.

Some nonprofit officials had complained about aspects of the draft instructions, which were released in April. While the IRS bent a bit, modifying rules relating to the reporting of executive compensation, most of the draft language remained intact, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported.

In the past, institutions were required to describe the pay and benefits received by their chief executives and their five other highest-paid officials. The new form, however, will scrutinize all officials earning more than $150,000 a year who also control 10 percent of an organization’s activities. Information will be required about a maximum of 20 highest-paid officials.

Charity watchdogs praised the new instructions for seeking more disclosure about potential conflicts of interest between nonprofit officials, donors, and recipients of services. —Paul Fain