First Time Penalty Abatement, Tax Penalty Relief!

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First Time Penalty Abatement, Tax Penalty Relief!

If you have no history of tax problems with the IRS, such as back tax returns, but you incurred a penalty for failing to file a tax return, or failing to pay taxes on time, you may be in luck and be able to obtain First time tax penalty relief. The Internal Revenue Service will often lessen certain penalties for taxpayers with a history of good behavior. This tax penalty penalty relief (i.e. penalty abatement) is done by using an administrative waiver called the first-time penalty abatement request.

How this works

For individuals with this tax problem, this IRS tax penalty relief applies to two of the most common tax penalties: The failure to file (delinquency) penalty, and the failure to pay penalty. For businesses, this relief applies to the failure to deposit penalty for payroll taxes on the form 941. According to a government 2012 report, in 2010, about 1.65 million individual taxpayers qualified for this tax penalty relief, but only 8.8% of those taxpayers actually received the abatement of the tax penalty.  The reason for this number being so low is that in general terms taxpayers and tax professionals don’t readily know that this type of penalty relief exists when they analyze their tax situation. The IRS does not indicate this tax penalty relief option on its penalty-related notices since they do not want to encourage taxpayers to think they can avoid following the rules, so it is helpful to work with a tax attorney who knows how this tax penalty relief is applied to help you save money.

New York State · DTF

NY Penalty & Interest Calculator

Estimate the penalties and daily-compounding interest the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance may add to unpaid personal income tax or sales & use tax — and see what it grows to if left unresolved.

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Personal income tax is usually due April 15.
An extension to file is not an extension to pay — interest and the late-payment penalty still apply.
Estimated total owed
$0

The cost of waiting

If this balance stays unresolved, here's roughly where it heads — penalties keep climbing to their caps and interest compounds every day.

You don't have to face New York State alone

Timothy S. Hart is a New York tax attorney and CPA who helps individuals and businesses address penalty abatement, payment plans, and other relief options with the NY DTF.

Estimate only — not legal or tax advice. This tool estimates New York State civil penalties and daily-compounding interest for personal income tax (Tax Law §685) and sales & use tax (Tax Law §1145), using published NY DTF rates for January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026. Interest rates are set quarterly and change during the year, and your actual liability depends on the Department's assessment, any payments or credits applied, and facts specific to your situation. It does not calculate corporation, withholding, or estimated-tax penalties, or criminal penalties. Verify figures against the NY Department of Taxation and Finance or with a tax professional. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no particular outcome (including penalty abatement) is promised or guaranteed.

Get relief now

Your tax problem has a solution. Contact Tim Hart today for immediate guidance.

Tax attorney Timothy S. Hart

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Tax attorney Timothy S. Hart

Attorney Timothy Hart

Timothy S Hart, the founding partner of the tax law firm of Timothy S. Hart Law Group, P.C. is both a New York Tax Lawyer & Certified Public Accountant. His area of expertise includes innovative solutions to solve your Internal Revenue Service and New York State tax problems, including tax settlements through the Federal and New York State offer in compromise programs, filing unfiled tax returns, voluntary disclosures, tax audits, and criminal investigations.