IRS Provides Last-Minute Penalty Relief for Taxpayers Who Underpaid in 2018, March 28, 2019

Mar. 28, 2019

The IRS released last minute penalty relief for certain taxpayers whose tax withholding or estimated tax payments were insufficient in 2018. Usually, a penalty will apply if the taxpayer did not pay at least 90 percent of his or her tax liability for the year. For the 2018 tax year only, the IRS lowered the threshold to 80 percent to account for the significant changes made to the tax code late in 2017. Under previous guidance released in January, the relief was to apply for taxpayers who paid at least 85 percent of their total tax liability. This relief applies both to taxpayers who paid through employer withholding and those who paid quarterly estimated payments (or any combination). If the taxpayer qualifies for this relief but has already filed a return, the taxpayer can request a refund using Form 843, which must be filed in paper format. For more information on the underpayment penalty, visit Tax Facts Online.