Minimum penalty

The floor on the failure-to-file penalty once a return is more than 60 days late.

Last reviewed September 21, 2026

The floor on the failure-to-file penalty once a return is more than 60 days late.

The smaller of a fixed dollar amount ($525 for returns due in 2026, indexed annually) or 100 percent of the unpaid tax. It is why a small balance filed very late produces a penalty larger than 25 percent of the tax.