Disclosed herein is a method for purification of dianhydrides comprising a substantial amount (10000 ppm or more) of at least one metal salt. In one aspect the method is useful for the purification of dianhydrides prepared by the reaction of a halophthalic anhydride with a metal carbonate and may be optionally catalyzed by a phase transfer catalyst. The purification of the dianhydrides may be accomplished by hydrolyzing the dianhydride metal salt mixture directly to a tetraacid with an inorganic acid, followed by separating the impurities from an aqueous phase, and subsequently heating the tetraacid to effect ring closure to form a purified dianhydride having less than 50 parts per million metal halide and lower levels of other residual impurities. In one aspect the method is highly effective in removing phase transfer catalyst impurities such as hexalkylguanidinium halides initially present in the dianhydride undergoing purification.