US: IRS keeps interest rates on overpaid and underpaid tax unchanged for Q1 2024

On 17 November 2023, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates will remain unchanged for overpaid and underpaid tax for the calendar quarter beginning 1 January 2024. This means the interest rates remain the same as per the previous quarter.

For individuals, the rate for overpayments and underpayments will be 8% per year, compounded daily. Here is a complete list of the new rates:

• 8% for overpayments (payments made in excess of the amount owed), 7% for corporations.
• 5.5% for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.
• 8% for underpayments (taxes owed but not fully paid).
• 10% 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 three percentage points.

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus two percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus five 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 of a percentage point.

The interest rates are computed from the federal short-term rate determined in October 2023.

The new interest rates and past rates will be published in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2023-49, Revenue Ruling 2023-22, on 4 December 2023.