The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. A corporation generally must make estimated tax payments as it earns or receives income during its tax year. After the end of the year, the corporation must file an income tax return. This section will help you determine when and how to pay and file corporate income taxes.

Estimated Tax

Generally, a corporation must make installment payments if it expects its estimated tax for the year to be $500 or more. If the corporation does not pay the installments when they are due, it may be subject to an underpayment penalty. This section will explain how to avoid this penalty.

When to pay estimated tax. Installment payments are due by the 15th day of the 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of the corporation's tax year.

Example 1. Your corporation's tax year ends December 31. Installment payments are due on April 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15.

Example 2. Your corporation's tax year ends June 30. Installment payments are due on October 15, December 15, March 15, and June 15.

If any due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the installment is due on the next business day.

How to figure each required installment. Use Form 1120-W as a worksheet to figure each required installment of estimated tax. You will generally use one of the following two methods to figure each required installment. You should use the method that yields the smallest installment payments.

Note: In these discussions, "return" generally refers to the corporation's original return. However, an amended return is considered the original return if the amended return is filed by the due date (including extensions) of the original return.

Method 1. Each required installment is 25% of the income tax the corporation will show on its return for the current year.

Method 2. Each required installment is 25% of the income tax shown on the corporation's return for the previous year.

To use Method 2:

1. The corporation must have filed a return for the previous year,
2. The return must have been for a full 12 months, and
3. The return must have shown a positive tax liability (not zero).

Also, if the corporation is a large corporation, it can use Method 2 to figure the first installment only.

A large corporation is one with at least $1 million of modified taxable income in any of the last 3 years. Modified taxable income is taxable income figured without net operating loss or capital loss carrybacks or carryovers.

Other methods. If a corporation's income is expected to vary during the year because, for example, its business is seasonal, it may be able to lower the amount of one or more required installments by using one or both of the following methods.

1. The annualized income installment method.
2. The adjusted seasonal installment method.

Use Schedule A of Form 1120-W to see if using one or both of these methods will lower the amount of any required installments.

Refiguring required installments. If after the corporation figures and deposits estimated tax it finds that its tax liability for the year will be more or less than originally estimated, it may have to refigure its required installments. If earlier installments were underpaid, the corporation may owe an underpayment penalty.

In this situation, an immediate catchup payment should be made to reduce any penalty resulting from the underpayment of any earlier installments, whether caused by a change in an estimate, not making a deposit, or a mistake.

Underpayment penalty. If the corporation does not pay a required installment of estimated tax by its due date, it may be subject to a penalty. The penalty is figured separately for each installment due date. The corporation may owe a penalty for an earlier due date, even if it paid enough tax later to make up the underpayment. This is true even if the corporation is due a refund when its return is filed.

Form 2220. Use Form 2220 to determine if a corporation is subject to the penalty for underpayment of estimated tax and, if so, the amount of the penalty.

If the corporation is charged a penalty, the amount of the penalty depends on the following three factors.

1. The amount of the underpayment.
2. The period during which the underpayment was due and unpaid.
3. An interest rate for underpayments that is published quarterly by the IRS in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

A corporation generally does not have to file Form 2220 with its income tax return because the IRS will figure any penalty and bill the corporation. However, even if the corporation does not owe a penalty, complete and attach the form to the corporation's tax return if any of the following apply.

1. The annualized income installment method was used to figure any required installment.
2. The adjusted seasonal installment method was used to figure any required installment.
3. The corporation is a large corporation and Method 2 was used to figure its first required installment.

How to pay estimated tax. Unless you volunteer or are required to make electronic deposits, you should mail or deliver your payment with a completed Form 8109 to an authorized financial institution. For more information, see the instructions for Form 1120-W.

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). You may have to deposit taxes using EFTPS. You must use EFTPS to make deposits of all depository tax liabilities (including social security, Medicare, withheld income, excise, and corporate income taxes) you incur in 2001 if you deposited more than $200,000 in federal depository taxes in 1999 or you had to make electronic deposits in 2000. If you first meet the $200,000 threshold in 2000, you must begin depositing using EFTPS in 2002. Once you meet the $200,000 threshold, you must continue to make deposits using EFTPS in later years.

If you must use EFTPS but fail to do so, you may be subject to a 10% penalty.

If you are not required to use EFTPS because you did not meet the $200,000 threshold during 1998, or during any subsequent year, then you may voluntarily make your deposits using EFTPS. However, if you are using EFTPS voluntarily, you will not be subject to the 10% penalty if you make a deposit using a paper coupon.

For information about EFTPS, access the IRS web site at www.irs.gov, or see Publication 966, The Easiest Way to Pay Your Federal Taxes.

To enroll in EFTPS, call:

• 1-800-945-8400, or
• 1-800-555-4477.

Quick refund of overpayments. A corporation that has overpaid its estimated tax for the tax year may be able to apply for a quick refund.

Form 4466. Use Form 4466 to apply for a quick refund of an overpayment of estimated tax. A corporation can apply for a quick refund if the overpayment is:

• At least 10% of its expected tax liability, and
• At least $500.

Use Form 4466 to figure the corporation's expected tax liability and the overpayment of estimated tax.

File Form 4466 before the 16th day of the 3rd month after the end of the tax year, but before the corporation files its income tax return. An extension of time to file the corporation's income tax return will not extend the time for filing Form 4466. The IRS will act on the form within 45 days from the date you file it.

Income Tax Return

This section will help you to determine when and how to report a corporation's income tax.

Who must file. Unless exempt under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, all domestic corporations (including corporations in bankruptcy) must file an income tax return whether or not they have taxable income.

Which form to file. A corporation must generally file Form 1120 to report its income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and to figure its income tax liability. However, a corporation may file Form 1120-A if its gross receipts, total income, and total assets are each under $500,000 and it meets certain other requirements. Also, certain organizations must file special returns. For more information, see the instructions for Forms 1120 and 1120-A.

When to file. Generally, a corporation must file its income tax return by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the end of its tax year. A new corporation filing a short-period return must generally file by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the short period ends. A corporation that has dissolved must generally file by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the date it dissolved.

Example 1. A corporation's tax year ends December 31. It must file its income tax return by March 15th.

Example 2. A corporation's tax year ends June 30. It must file its income tax return by September 15th.

If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the due date is extended to the next business day.

Extension of time to file. File Form 7004 to request a 6-month extension of time to file a corporation income tax return. The IRS will grant the extension if you complete the form properly, file it, and pay any balance due by the due date for the return.

Form 7004 does not extend the time for paying the tax due on the return. Interest will be charged on any part of the final tax due not shown as a balance due on Form 7004. The interest is figured from the original due date of the return to the date of payment.

For more information, see the instructions for Form 7004.

Penalty for late filing of return. A corporation that does not file its tax return by the due date, including extensions, may be penalized 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month the return is late, up to a maximum of 25% of the unpaid tax. If the corporation is charged a penalty for late payment of tax (discussed next) for the same period of time, this penalty is reduced by the amount of that penalty. The minimum penalty for a return that is over 60 days late is the smaller of the tax due or $100. The penalty will not be imposed if the corporation can show the failure to file on time was due to a reasonable cause. Corporations that file late must attach a statement explaining the reasonable cause.

Penalty for late payment of tax. A corporation that does not pay the tax when due may be penalized 1/2 of 1% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month the tax is not paid, up to a maximum of 25% of the unpaid tax. The penalty will not be imposed if the corporation can show that the failure to pay on time was due to a reasonable cause.

Trust fund recovery penalty. If income, social security, and Medicare taxes that a corporation must withhold from employee wages are not withheld or are not deposited or paid to the United States Treasury, the trust fund recovery penalty may apply. The penalty is the full amount of the unpaid trust fund tax. This penalty may apply to you if these unpaid taxes cannot be immediately collected from the business.

The trust fund recovery penalty may be imposed on all persons who are determined by the IRS to be responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over these taxes, and who acted willfully in not doing so.

A responsible person can be an officer or employee of a corporation, an accountant, or a volunteer director/trustee. A responsible person also may include one who signs checks for the corporation or otherwise has authority to cause the spending of business funds.

Willfully means voluntarily, consciously, and intentionally. A responsible person acts willfully if the person knows the required actions are not taking place.

For more information on withholding and paying these taxes, see Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide.

Amended return. Use Form 1120X to correct any error in a Form 1120 or Form 1120-A.

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