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What Is Estimated Tax?
Taxes are an important part of life, and everyone has an obligation to pay them. One of the taxes that many taxpayers must pay is estimated tax. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines estimated tax as the “amount of income taxes that you must pay throughout the year.” These taxes are quarterly payments and are intended to cover the taxpayer’s federal taxes that cannot be withheld from their paychecks.
Estimated tax payments are usually made four times each year—April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. The due dates will change depending on the date of the month and the taxpayer’s filing status. Payment by check or money order can be made to the IRS or, if the taxpayer is enrolled in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, payments can be made online or over the phone.
The purpose of estimated tax payments is to help the taxpayer pay both the federal income tax and self-employment taxes. Self-employment taxes are applicable to those who are “self-employed and do not have taxes withheld from their earnings.” A similar concept, backup withholding, is applicable to wage earners and applies when the earnings exceed $600 a year and/or if “persons do not provide a valid Social Security number to their employer.” This tax is different than estimated tax because the IRS receives the payments without the taxpayer having to take any action.
In terms of what is expected of taxpayers, according to the IRS, they must pay either 90 percent of their current year’s tax liability or 100 percent of the prior year’s tax liability, whichever is less. This calculation is done by most taxpayers when they file their annual tax return. If the amount owed is more than $1,000, then the taxpayer may be subject to an “accuracy-related penalty.”
What is the penalty for not paying Estimated Tax?
The penalty for not paying estimated tax is quite steep. The penalty for not paying estimated taxes is calculated at an annual rate of 10 percent. So, for example, if a taxpayer were found liable for tax due on their estimated taxes that total $1,000, then they could be assessed a penalty of $100.
In Conclusion
Estimated tax is a type of tax that many taxpayers have to pay throughout the year in order to cover their federal taxes. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to make the payments quarterly or they are subject to a 10 percent penalty. It is important to understand the ways that taxes are calculated in order to avoid penalties and to prevent any problems while filing taxes.