Imposition of accuracy-related penalty on underpayments
Imposition of penalty
Portion of underpayment to which section applies
This section shall apply to the portion of any underpayment which is attributable to 1 or more of the following:
Negligence or disregard of rules or regulations.
Any substantial understatement of income tax.
Any substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1.
Any substantial overstatement of pension liabilities.
Any substantial estate or gift tax valuation understatement.
Any disallowance of claimed tax benefits by reason of a transaction lacking economic substance (within the meaning of section 7701(o)) or failing to meet the requirements of any similar rule of law.
Any undisclosed foreign financial asset understatement.
Any inconsistent estate basis.
Any overstatement of the deduction provided in section 170(p).
Any disallowance of a deduction by reason of section 170(h)(7).
This section shall not apply to any portion of an underpayment on which a penalty is imposed under section 6663. Except as provided in paragraph (1) or (2)(B) of section 6662A(e), this section shall not apply to the portion of any underpayment which is attributable to a reportable transaction understatement on which a penalty is imposed under section 6662A.
Negligence
Substantial understatement of income tax
Substantial understatement
In general
For purposes of this section, there is a substantial understatement of income tax for any taxable year if the amount of the understatement for the taxable year exceeds the greater of—
10 percent of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year, or
$5,000.
Special rule for corporations
In the case of a corporation other than an S corporation or a personal holding company (as defined in section 542), there is a substantial understatement of income tax for any taxable year if the amount of the understatement for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of—
10 percent of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year (or, if greater, $10,000), or
$10,000,000.
Special rule for taxpayers claiming section 199A deduction
Understatement
In general
For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “understatement” means the excess of—
the amount of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year, over
the amount of the tax imposed which is shown on the return, reduced by any rebate (within the meaning of section 6211(b)(2)).
The excess under the preceding sentence shall be determined without regard to items to which section 6662A applies.
Reduction for understatement due to position of taxpayer or disclosed item
The amount of the understatement under subparagraph (A) shall be reduced by that portion of the understatement which is attributable to—
the tax treatment of any item by the taxpayer if there is or was substantial authority for such treatment, or
any item if—
the relevant facts affecting the item’s tax treatment are adequately disclosed in the return or in a statement attached to the return, and
there is a reasonable basis for the tax treatment of such item by the taxpayer.
For purposes of clause (ii)(II), in no event shall a corporation be treated as having a reasonable basis for its tax treatment of an item attributable to a multiple-party financing transaction if such treatment does not clearly reflect the income of the corporation.
Reduction not to apply to tax shelters
In general
Tax shelter
For purposes of clause (i), the term “tax shelter” means—
a partnership or other entity,
any investment plan or arrangement, or
any other plan or arrangement,
if a significant purpose of such partnership, entity, plan, or arrangement is the avoidance or evasion of Federal income tax.
Secretarial list
Substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1
In general
For purposes of this section, there is a substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1 if—
the value of any property (or the adjusted basis of any property) claimed on any return of tax imposed by chapter 1 is 150 percent or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of such valuation or adjusted basis (as the case may be), or
the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such return in connection with any transaction between persons described in section 482 is 200 percent or more (or 50 percent or less) of the amount determined under section 482 to be the correct amount of such price, or
the net section 482 transfer price adjustment for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5,000,000 or 10 percent of the taxpayer’s gross receipts.
Limitation
Net section 482 transfer price adjustment
For purposes of this subsection—
In general
Certain adjustments excluded in determining threshold
For purposes of determining whether the threshold requirements of paragraph (1)(B)(ii) are met, the following shall be excluded:
Any portion of the net increase in taxable income referred to in subparagraph (A) which is attributable to any redetermination of a price if—
it is established that the taxpayer determined such price in accordance with a specific pricing method set forth in the regulations prescribed under section 482 and that the taxpayer’s use of such method was reasonable,
the taxpayer has documentation (which was in existence as of the time of filing the return) which sets forth the determination of such price in accordance with such a method and which establishes that the use of such method was reasonable, and
the taxpayer provides such documentation to the Secretary within 30 days of a request for such documentation.
Any portion of the net increase in taxable income referred to in subparagraph (A) which is attributable to a redetermination of price where such price was not determined in accordance with such a specific pricing method if—
the taxpayer establishes that none of such pricing methods was likely to result in a price that would clearly reflect income, the taxpayer used another pricing method to determine such price, and such other pricing method was likely to result in a price that would clearly reflect income,
the taxpayer has documentation (which was in existence as of the time of filing the return) which sets forth the determination of such price in accordance with such other method and which establishes that the requirements of subclause (I) were satisfied, and
the taxpayer provides such documentation to the Secretary within 30 days of request for such documentation.
Any portion of such net increase which is attributable to any transaction solely between foreign corporations unless, in the case of any such corporations, the treatment of such transaction affects the determination of income from sources within the United States or taxable income effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States.
Special rule
Coordination with reasonable cause exception
Substantial overstatement of pension liabilities
In general
Limitation
Substantial estate or gift tax valuation understatement
In general
Limitation
Increase in penalty in case of gross valuation misstatements
In general
Gross valuation misstatements
The term “gross valuation misstatements” means—
any substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1 as determined under subsection (e) by substituting—
in paragraph (1)(A), “200 percent” for “150 percent”,
in paragraph (1)(B)(i)—
“400 percent” for “200 percent”, and
“25 percent” for “50 percent”, and
in paragraph (1)(B)(ii)—
“$20,000,000” for “$5,000,000”, and
“20 percent” for “10 percent”.
any substantial overstatement of pension liabilities as determined under subsection (f) by substituting “400 percent” for “200 percent”,
any substantial estate or gift tax valuation understatement as determined under subsection (g) by substituting “40 percent” for “65 percent”, and
any disallowance of a deduction described in subsection (b)(10).
Increase in penalty in case of nondisclosed noneconomic substance transactions
In general
Nondisclosed noneconomic substance transactions
Special rule for amended returns
Undisclosed foreign financial asset understatement
In general
Undisclosed foreign financial asset
Increase in penalty for undisclosed foreign financial asset understatements
Inconsistent estate basis reporting
Increase in penalty in case of overstatement of qualified charitable contributions
Substantial understatement of income tax due to disallowance of applicable energy credits
In general
In the case of a taxpayer for which there is a disallowance of an applicable energy credit for any taxable year, for purposes of determining whether there is a substantial understatement of income tax for such taxable year, subsection (d)(1) shall be applied—
in subparagraphs (A) and (B), by substituting “1 percent” for “10 percent” each place it appears, and
without regard to subparagraph (C).
Disallowance of an applicable energy credit
Source
(Added Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7721(a),Notes
Editorial Notes
Codification
Prior Provisions
Amendments
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2025 Amendment
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Effective Date of 2020 Amendment
Effective Date of 2018 Amendment
Effective Date of 2017 Amendment
Effective Date of 2015 Amendment
Effective Date of 2014 Amendment
Effective Date of 2010 Amendment
In general.—
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 6662A, 6664, 6676, and 7701 of this title] shall apply to transactions entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Underpayments.—
The amendments made by subsections (b) and (c)(1) [amending this section and sections 6662A and 6664 of this title] shall apply to underpayments attributable to transactions entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Understatements.—
The amendments made by subsection (c)(2) [amending section 6664 of this title] shall apply to understatements attributable to transactions entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Refunds and credits.—
The amendment made by subsection (d) [amending section 6676 of this title] shall apply to refunds and credits attributable to transactions entered into after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Effective Date of 2005 Amendment
Effective Date of 2004 Amendment
In general.—
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section [enacting section 6662A of this title and amending this section and section 6664 of this title] shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Disqualified opinions.—
Section 6664(d)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [now section 6664(d)(4)(B)] (as added by subsection (c)) shall not apply to the opinion of a tax advisor if—
the opinion was provided to the taxpayer before the date of the enactment of this Act,
the opinion relates to one or more transactions all of which were entered into before such date, and
the tax treatment of items relating to each such transaction was included on a return or statement filed by the taxpayer before such date.”