IRS Choices for Late Filers: Fee Plans and Penalty Aid

The IRS introduced a number of choices to help taxpayers who missed the April submitting deadline for his or her 2023 federal earnings tax returns. These embrace applications to assist these scuffling with fee and potential penalty relief for first-time offenders.

Taxpayers ought to pay as a lot as they’ll as quickly as potential to reduce penalties and curiosity. The present curiosity on unpaid taxes is 8%, compounded every day. The late-filing penalty is mostly 5% per 30 days, and the late-payment penalty is normally 0.5% per 30 days, each maxing out at 25%. If a return is filed greater than 60 days late, the minimal penalty is $485 or 100% of the unpaid tax, whichever is much less.

Submitting and paying electronically may also help scale back penalties and curiosity. The IRS recommends utilizing IRS Direct Pay, a free service out there on IRS.gov. Different digital fee choices are additionally out there. Taxpayers ought to go to the “Make a Fee” web page on the IRS web site for extra particulars.

Submitting and paying as quickly as potential can considerably scale back penalties and curiosity. An extension to file extends the deadline to October 15 however doesn’t lengthen the time to pay. Penalties and curiosity apply to any taxes owed after April 15.

Some taxpayers might qualify for penalty reduction. These receiving a penalty discover ought to comply with the directions for requesting reduction. Taxpayers who’ve filed and paid on time for the previous three years might qualify for first-time penalty abatement. Others might qualify for reduction if their failure to file or pay was as a consequence of cheap trigger.

Curiosity is charged on any tax not paid by April 15 and any penalties assessed. It stops accruing as soon as the steadiness is paid in full. The legislation doesn’t permit for curiosity abatement primarily based on cheap trigger or first-time reduction.

Taxpayers unable to pay in full by the deadline ought to nonetheless file their tax returns and pay what they’ll. The IRS presents a number of fee choices, together with on-line fee plans. Brief-term fee plans can be found for balances lower than $100,000, giving taxpayers as much as 180 days to pay. Lengthy-term fee plans can be found for balances lower than $50,000, permitting month-to-month funds for as much as 72 months. Direct debit is required for balances between $25,000 and $50,000.

Even with an installment settlement, curiosity and late-payment penalties proceed to accrue on unpaid taxes. Nevertheless, the failure to pay penalty is reduce in half whereas the settlement is in impact.

Some taxpayers routinely qualify for additional time to file and pay with out penalties and curiosity. This consists of taxpayers in sure catastrophe areas, U.S. residents and resident aliens dwelling and dealing exterior the US and Puerto Rico, and members of the army on responsibility exterior the US and Puerto Rico, in addition to these serving in fight zones.

To keep away from future surprises, taxpayers ought to test their withholding yearly. The Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov may also help people guarantee they’re paying the right amount of tax. If changes are wanted, taxpayers ought to submit a brand new Type W-4 to their employer.

By following these tips and using out there IRS sources, taxpayers can handle their obligations extra successfully, even when they miss the preliminary submitting deadline.

Picture: Envato

This text, “IRS Options for Late Filers: Payment Plans and Penalty Relief” was first revealed on Small Business Trends