Many people who owe back taxes can now pay up without penalty after IRS waives its usual fees

Practically 5 million individuals, companies and tax-exempt organizations — most making underneath $400,000 per 12 months — shall be eligible for the aid beginning this week, which totals about $1 billion, the company stated.

The IRS quickly suspended mailing automated reminders to pay overdue tax payments in the course of the pandemic, starting in February 2022, and company management says the pause in automated reminders is a purpose behind the choice to forgive the failure-to-pay penalties.

“Because of the unprecedented results of the COVID-19 pandemic, these reminders would have usually been issued as a comply with up after the preliminary discover,” the IRS stated in a press release.

“Though these reminder notices have been suspended, the failure-to-pay penalty continues to accrue for taxpayers who didn’t totally pay their payments in response to the preliminary steadiness due discover.”

Whereas the IRS plans to renew sending out regular assortment notices, the Tuesday announcement is supposed as one-time aid based mostly on the unprecedented interruption brought on by the pandemic, IRS officers stated.

“It was a unprecedented time and the IRS needed to take extraordinary steps,” IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel advised reporters. He stated the change shall be automated for a lot of taxpayers and won’t require further motion.

Taxpayers are eligible for automated aid in the event that they filed a Kind 1040, 1041, 1120 collection or Kind 990-T tax return for years 2020 or 2021, owe lower than $100,000 per 12 months in again taxes, and acquired an preliminary balance-due discover between Feb. 5, 2022 and Dec. 7, 2023.

If individuals paid the failure-to-pay penalty, they’ll get a refund, Werfel stated on a name with reporters. “Folks must know the IRS is on their facet,” he stated.