Interest rates increase for the first quarter of 2019

Interest rates increase for the first quarter of 2019

The IRS has announced that interest rates will increase for the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2019. The rates will be:

• 6% for overpayments [5% in the case of a corporation] 
• 3.5% for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000 
• 6% for underpayments 
• 8% for large corporate underpayments 

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. 

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during October 2018 to take effect Nov. 1, 2018, based on daily compounding.