Automated Tax Credit - Tax Debt Resolution
Glossary

First-Time Penalty Abatement (FTA)

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First-Time Penalty Abatement (FTA) is an IRS program that allows taxpayers to remove or reduce certain penalties if they have a clean compliance history. This relief is available for penalties related to:

  • Failure to File.
  • Failure to Pay.
  • Failure to Deposit.

To qualify for FTA, taxpayers must meet the following conditions:

  1. No penalties have been assessed in the previous three tax years.
  2. All required tax returns have been filed.
  3. The taxpayer is either current on payment of taxes or has arranged a payment plan.

FTA can be requested by calling the IRS or by writing a formal request. If granted, the IRS will remove the penalty, reducing the taxpayer’s overall liability. FTA is especially helpful for taxpayers who have missed a filing or payment deadline due to an oversight or isolated incident and have a history of compliance.

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