IRS: Interest Rates Remain the Same for the Fourth Quarter of 2021

 The Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning October 1, 2021. The rates will be:

  • 3% for overpayments (2% in the case of a corporation);
     
  • 0.5 % for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000;
     
  • 3% percent for underpayments; and
     
  • 5% percent 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 July 2021 to take effect August 1, 2021, based on daily compounding.

Revenue Ruling 2021-17, announcing the rates of interest, will appear in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2021-37, dated September 13, 2021.