If you do not file Form 2210 to calculate underpayment of estimated taxes, the IRS will generally calculate any penalty for you and send a bill. You are not required to file it unless you are requesting a waiver or using a specific, specialized calculation method.
You are not required to file Form 2210 if you underpaid taxes during the year. However, completing the form will calculate your underpayment penalty. If you don't file it, the IRS will send you a notice detailing any penalties.
If you miss a quarterly estimated tax payment, the IRS charges a failure-to-pay penalty and interest on the underpayment, starting at 0.5% per month (up to 25%), plus daily compounding interest, even if you're due a refund later, though penalties can be reduced or waived for certain situations like natural disasters or qualifying retirement/disability, and you should pay the missed amount immediately to stop penalties from growing.
The IRS underpayment penalty is triggered when you don't pay enough tax throughout the year, typically by failing to meet safe harbor rules: either paying less than 90% of your current year's tax liability or less than 100% (or 110% for high earners) of your prior year's tax, and owing $1,000 or more in tax after credits and withholding, or by paying estimated taxes late. Common causes include insufficient tax withholding from paychecks, underestimating income from self-employment, or not making timely quarterly estimated tax payments.
Penalties may also be waived if your underpayment was due to a casualty, local disaster, or other unusual circumstances where applying the penalty would be unfair. To request a waiver, you will need to send a signed written explanation (under penalty of perjury) to the address listed at the top of your notice.
The IRS will not charge you an underpayment penalty if: You pay at least 90% of the tax you owe for the current year, or 100% of the tax you owed for the previous tax year, or. You owe less than $1,000 in tax after subtracting withholdings and credits.
How do I delete Form 2210?
Generally, most taxpayers will avoid this penalty if they either owe less than $1,000 in tax after subtracting their withholding and refundable credits, or if they paid withholding and estimated tax of at least 90% of the tax for the current year or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the prior year, whichever is ...
5 Common Mistakes That Lead to Employee Underpayments
We may be able to remove or reduce some penalties if you acted in good faith and can show reasonable cause for why you weren't able to meet your tax obligations. By law we cannot remove or reduce interest unless the penalty is removed or reduced. For more information, see penalty relief.
Failure to file or pay penalties
Fires, natural disasters or civil disturbances. Inability to get records. Death, serious illness or unavoidable absence of the taxpayer or immediate family. System issues that delayed a timely electronic filing or payment.
Before filling out Form 2210, ensure you have the following:
Yes, the IRS will come after you for not filing taxes, eventually leading to penalties, interest, collections like liens or levies, and potentially criminal prosecution if you persistently refuse, as there's no statute of limitations for unfiled returns, allowing them to pursue you indefinitely. They can even file a Substitute for Return (SFR) for you, creating a tax bill, and begin a 10-year collection period.
The IRS underpayment penalty is triggered when you don't pay enough tax throughout the year, typically by failing to meet safe harbor rules: either paying less than 90% of your current year's tax liability or less than 100% (or 110% for high earners) of your prior year's tax, and owing $1,000 or more in tax after credits and withholding, or by paying estimated taxes late. Common causes include insufficient tax withholding from paychecks, underestimating income from self-employment, or not making timely quarterly estimated tax payments.
Avoid a penalty
You may avoid the Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty if: Your filed tax return shows you owe less than $1,000 or. You paid at least 90% of the tax shown on the return for the taxable year or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the prior year, whichever amount is less.
IRS underpayment penalty rate
The underpayment penalty is calculated by multiplying how much tax you owed for each quarter by the interest rate for that quarter. This quarter (January through March), the underpayment penalty interest rate is 7%, which remains the same as it was throughout 2025.
To avoid the IRS Form 2210 underpayment penalty, use the "safe harbor" rules by paying at least 90% of your current year's tax or 100% (or 110% for high-income earners) of the prior year's tax throughout the year via estimated payments or withholding, or owe less than $1,000; if you still underpay, you may request a penalty waiver for specific hardships like disaster, disability, or retirement.
For most filers, if your federal tax withholdings and timely payments are not equal to 90% of your current year tax, or 100% of the total tax from the prior year (whichever is less), then you may need to complete Form 2210 to determine if you are required to pay an underpayment penalty.
Purpose of Form
Use Form 2210 to see if you owe a penalty for underpaying your estimated tax. The IRS will generally figure your penalty for you and you should not file Form 2210. You can, however, use Form 2210 to figure your penalty if you wish to include the penalty on your return.