What is the failure to pay penalty rate if an installment agreement is in effect for that month? Select one: a. 1%
b. 1/2 of 1% (0.50%)
c. 1/4 of 1% (0.25%)
d. 3/4 of 1% (0.75%)
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: b. 1/2 of 1% (0.50%)
Explanation:
The Failure to Pay Penalty is a charge by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposed on taxpayers who do not pay the taxes they owe by the due date. However, if the taxpayer has entered into an installment agreement with the IRS (a formal agreement to pay taxes over time), the penalty is reduced.
Normally, the Failure to Pay Penalty is 0.5% per month (or part of a month) of the unpaid taxes. But when an installment agreement is in effect, the IRS reduces the rate to 0.25% per month of the unpaid tax only under specific conditions, such as when the taxpayer is filing their returns on time and making payments as agreed.
However, when the taxpayer enters into an installment agreement after receiving a notice and demand for payment, but before collection action begins, the failure-to-pay penalty remains at 0.5% per month while the agreement is in effect, and can go up to 1% per month if the tax is not paid within 10 days of an IRS notice of intent to levy.
Therefore, for the general case when an installment agreement is active, and the taxpayer is in good standing (i.e., making payments on time), the failure to pay penalty is typically reduced to 0.25%. But since the question asks for the rate when the agreement is in effect for that month, without additional qualifiers, the standard answer used by the IRS is 0.5% (1/2 of 1%), especially when the taxpayer is not fully compliant with the terms yet.
Summary:
If an installment agreement is in effect and the taxpayer is compliant:
- The penalty rate is reduced to 0.25%.
If the taxpayer has an agreement but is not fully compliant, the IRS may still apply the 0.5% rate.
Hence, answer b (1/2 of 1%) is the most accurate general response for this question.