Missing April 15 triggers two separate IRS penalties plus interest. They compound monthly. Here's what each one costs and what you should do next.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
They're separate. Both can apply at the same time.
Source: IRS Publication 17; IRC §6651(a)(1)
Source: IRS Publication 17; IRC §6651(a)(2)
When both penalties apply in the same month, the failure-to-file rate is reduced by the failure-to-pay rate — you pay 5% total, not 5.5%.
Say you owe $3,000 in taxes and miss the April 15 deadline without filing an extension. Here's how the penalties stack up over time, before interest.
| 1 month late | $150 penalty (5% of $3,000) |
| 2 months late | $300 penalty (10% of $3,000) |
| 5 months late (maximum) | $750 penalty (25% of $3,000) |
| After 5 months, failure-to-pay continues | 0.5% per month on the unpaid balance |
| Plus IRS interest | Federal short-term rate + 3% per year, compounded daily |
That $3,000 tax bill can become $3,750 in penalties alone after five months, not counting interest. Filing as soon as possible after the deadline stops the penalty clock.
Every additional month you wait adds another 5% to the failure-to-file penalty. The IRS doesn't offer a grace period for filing late — the penalty starts the day after the deadline.
If you can't pay the full amount, pay as much as possible. The failure-to-pay penalty and interest accrue on the unpaid balance, not on the full amount. Partial payment reduces what keeps compounding.
First Time Penalty Abatement (FTA) is available if you have no penalties in the previous three years and are otherwise compliant. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or submit Form 843 to request it.
If you can't pay the full balance, apply for an installment agreement at IRS.gov. Interest and the failure-to-pay penalty continue, but the IRS won't pursue collection actions if you're in a payment plan.
The failure-to-file penalty is calculated on unpaid taxes. If the IRS owes you money, there are no unpaid taxes, so no penalty applies. You can file weeks or months after April 15 without any financial consequence.
The catch: you have three years from the original due date to claim your refund. File a 2022 return after April 15, 2026, and the refund is forfeited entirely. There's no extension for this — the three-year window is hard.
Even if you're due a refund, filing on time is worth doing. Refunds take longer after the deadline rush, and a tax return reminder takes less than a minute to set.
The failure-to-file penalty is 5% of unpaid taxes for each month (or partial month) your return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. If you're more than 60 days late, the minimum penalty is $525 or 100% of the tax owed, whichever is less.
No. If you're owed a refund, the IRS does not charge a failure-to-file penalty. You just lose access to the refund until you file. But you must file within three years of the original due date to claim it — after that, the refund is forfeited.
Failure-to-file applies when you miss the return deadline. Failure-to-pay applies when taxes are owed but not paid by the deadline. Both can apply at the same time, though when they do, the failure-to-file rate is reduced by the failure-to-pay rate.
Yes. File as soon as possible — every additional month adds to the penalty. There's no separate form required to file late without an extension. Just submit your return through normal channels.
Yes. You can request penalty abatement under First Time Penalty Abatement (FTA) if you have a clean compliance history for the past three years. You can also request abatement for reasonable cause — illness, natural disaster, or other circumstances beyond your control.
The same penalties apply from the original April 15 deadline, not from October 15. Filing on October 16 is treated as late from April 15, not late from October 15. The extension deadline is not a second chance to restart the penalty clock.
A free reminder before April 15 takes 30 seconds to set. No account, no app. The IRS penalty clock waits for no one.
Set My Tax ReminderLast modified: