The IRS charges two separate penalties and they stack. Filing late costs ten times more than paying late — which is why you should file even if you cannot pay. Enter your dates and see the number.
Every figure comes from the rules the IRS publishes in Failure to File Penalty and Failure to Pay Penalty. Partial months count as full months — that is the IRS rule, not our rounding.
The tax required to be shown on the return, less anything paid on time and less refundable credits.
| Item | How it is computed | Amount |
|---|
Interest is not included. The IRS charges interest on penalties and the rate changes quarterly, so the real total will be somewhat higher. This number is the floor, not the ceiling.
5% of the tax owed for each month or partial month the return is late, up to a maximum of 25%.
With a 25% cap and a 5% monthly rate, this penalty maxes out after five months. After that it stops growing.
Base: the tax required to be shown on the return, less tax paid on time and less refundable credits.
0.5% of the unpaid tax for each month or partial month, also capped at 25%.
With an approved payment plan it drops to 0.25% per month. If the IRS has sent a notice of intent to levy and you do not pay within 10 days, it rises to 1%.
Unlike the other one, this keeps running for a long time: it takes more than four years to reach its cap.
When a return is filed more than 60 days late, the failure to file penalty cannot be less than the amount in the table or 100% of the tax owed, whichever is less.
| Return due date (without extension) | Multa mínima |
|---|---|
| After 12/31/2025 | $525 |
| 01/01/2025 to 12/31/2025 | $510 |
| 01/01/2024 to 12/31/2024 | $485 |
| 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023 | $450 |
| 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2022 | $435 |
The same amounts apply to Forms 1040 and 1120. Source: IRS, Failure to File Penalty.
Saying so matters as much as the number: