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EIN74-1590271

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Houston Zoo Inc.

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on Internal Revenue Service records. Published by Humblebee.

Exempt under
501(c)(3)[1]
IRS ruling date
January 1967[2]
Publication 78 data
Listed (PC)[3]
Total revenue, period ending Dec 2024
$82,689,282[4]

The IRS master file lists Houston Zoo Inc. in Houston, Texas[5], as exempt under section 501(c)(3)[1]. It appears in the IRS Publication 78 data, the list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions[3].

IRS status

The IRS lists this organization as exempt under section 501(c)(3), as a charitable organization[1]. Its ruling date in the IRS master file is January 1967[2]. Its foundation code 16 means the IRS treats it as a public charity under section 509(a)(2), which normally receives more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees and gross receipts related to its exempt purposes and no more than one-third from gross investment income and unrelated business income[6]. It is listed in Publication 78 data with status code PC, a public charity[3]. Its IRS deductibility code says contributions are deductible[7]. The IRS classifies it under NTEE code D115, Animal-Related, Single Organization Support[8].

Item IRS record
EIN[5] 74-1590271
Location in IRS records[5] Houston, Texas
Exempt under[1] Section 501(c)(3)
IRS classification[1] Charitable Organization
Ruling date[2] January 1967
Foundation code[6] 16: Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes 509(a)(2)
Deductibility code[7] 1: Contributions are deductible
Publication 78 data[3] Listed, status PC
NTEE code[8] D115: Animal-Related, Single Organization Support
Filing requirement[9] 990 (all other) or 990EZ return
Fiscal year ends[10] December
Latest e-filed return[11] Form 990, tax period ending December 2024

Finances as reported to the IRS

On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023, the organization reported total revenue of $82,522,000, total expenses of $62,823,859 and net assets of $318,085,248 at year end[12]. The main revenue lines on that return were program service revenue of $52,272,056 and contributions, gifts and grants of $26,684,759[13]. On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2022, it reported total revenue of $68,161,300 and net assets of $294,035,147[14]. On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2021, it reported total revenue of $84,488,792 and net assets of $284,050,047[15]. For the tax period ending December 2024, the IRS master file lists total revenue of $82,689,282 and total assets of $380,810,630[4].

IRS master file, newer period. For the most recent return in the IRS master file, for the tax period ending December 2024, the IRS lists total revenue of $82,689,282 and total assets of $380,810,630.[4]

December 2021: total revenue $84.5M$84.5MDecember 2021: total expenses $48.4M$48.4MDec 2021December 2022: total revenue $68.2M$68.2MDecember 2022: total expenses $54.2M$54.2MDec 2022December 2023: total revenue $82.5M$82.5MDecember 2023: total expenses $62.8M$62.8MDec 2023
  • Total revenue
  • Total expenses
Amounts as reported on each return, rounded in the chart. Exact figures are in the table below[12].
Tax period ending Form Total revenue Total expenses Net assets at year end
December 2021[15]Form 990$84,488,792$48,433,202$284,050,047
December 2022[14]Form 990$68,161,300$54,219,079$294,035,147
December 2023[12]Form 990$82,522,000$62,823,859$318,085,248

Totals as reported on each return. The IRS publishes these extracts one to two years after filing.

Balance sheet, tax period ending December 2023

Line Amount
Total assets[16] $379,916,374
Total liabilities[16] $61,831,126
Net assets or fund balances[16] $318,085,248

Employees. Houston Zoo Inc. reported 599 employees on Form W-3 for calendar year ending with or within the tax period ending December 2023 (Form 990, Part V, line 2a).[17]

Compensation over $100,000. On the Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023, Houston Zoo Inc. reported 24 individuals who received more than $100,000 of reportable compensation from the organization (Part VII, line 2).[18]

Questions people ask

What is the EIN of Houston Zoo Inc.?
The IRS master file lists the organization with EIN 74-1590271[5].
Is Houston Zoo Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit?
Yes. The IRS lists it as exempt under section 501(c)(3) as a charitable organization[1].
Are donations to Houston Zoo Inc. tax-deductible?
It appears in the IRS Publication 78 data as a public charity[3]. Its IRS deductibility code says contributions are deductible[7].
Where is Houston Zoo Inc. located?
The IRS master file lists it in Houston, Texas[5].
How much revenue does Houston Zoo Inc. report?
On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023, it reported total revenue of $82,522,000[12]. The IRS master file lists total revenue of $82,689,282 for the tax period ending December 2024[4].

Facts and sources

  1. The IRS lists Houston Zoo Inc. as exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, classification: Charitable Organization. IRS EO Business Master File
  2. The ruling date in the IRS master file (the month and year of the IRS letter recognizing the exemption) is January 1967. IRS EO Business Master File
  3. Houston Zoo Inc. (EIN 74-1590271) appears in the IRS Publication 78 data, the list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, with status code PC (A public charity, deductibility limitation 50% (60% for cash contributions)). IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search data
  4. For the most recent return in the IRS master file, for the tax period ending December 2024, the IRS lists total revenue of $82,689,282 and total assets of $380,810,630. IRS EO Business Master File
  5. The IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File lists Houston Zoo Inc. with employer identification number (EIN) 74-1590271, located in Houston, Texas. IRS EO Business Master File
  6. IRS foundation code 16 for Houston Zoo Inc.: Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt... IRS EO Business Master File
  7. IRS deductibility code 1 for Houston Zoo Inc.: Contributions are deductible. IRS EO Business Master File
  8. The IRS master file assigns Houston Zoo Inc. the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code D115: Animal-Related, Single Organization Support. IRS EO Business Master File
  9. IRS filing requirement code 01 for Houston Zoo Inc.: 990 (all other) or 990EZ return. IRS EO Business Master File
  10. Houston Zoo Inc.'s accounting period (fiscal year) ends in December, according to the IRS master file. IRS EO Business Master File
  11. The IRS Form 990 series e-file data released in 2025 includes a Form 990 from Houston Zoo Inc. for the tax period ending December 2024. IRS Form 990 e-file data
  12. On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023, Houston Zoo Inc. reported total revenue $82,522,000, total expenses $62,823,859, net assets or fund balances at year end $318,085,248. IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  13. Revenue lines on the Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023: contributions, gifts and grants $26,684,759 (Part VIII, line 1h); program service revenue $52,272,056 (Part VIII, line 2g); investment income $1,704,940 (Part VIII, line 3); total revenue $82,522,000 (Part VIII, line 12). IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  14. On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2022, Houston Zoo Inc. reported total revenue $68,161,300, total expenses $54,219,079, net assets or fund balances at year end $294,035,147. IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  15. On its Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2021, Houston Zoo Inc. reported total revenue $84,488,792, total expenses $48,433,202, net assets or fund balances at year end $284,050,047. IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  16. Balance sheet at the end of the tax period ending December 2023 (Form 990, Part X): total assets $379,916,374, total liabilities $61,831,126, net assets or fund balances $318,085,248. IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  17. Houston Zoo Inc. reported 599 employees on Form W-3 for calendar year ending with or within the tax period ending December 2023 (Form 990, Part V, line 2a). IRS SOI Form 990 extracts
  18. On the Form 990 for the tax period ending December 2023, Houston Zoo Inc. reported 24 individuals who received more than $100,000 of reportable compensation from the organization (Part VII, line 2). IRS SOI Form 990 extracts

All figures are as the organization reported them to the IRS for the stated tax period. Say the tax period with every figure. Finance figures come from the IRS SOI annual extracts, which lag filing by one to two years. The IRS master file can list a newer period: keep the two apart and name each period. To see an organization's own filings, use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.