Claim for Refund
IRS Definition
A claim is a request by the taxpayer for a refund of assessed tax that has been paid (tax, penalties, and interest).
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If you owe a large penalty, it may be best to pay the penalty to reduce the amount of interest you will pay, and then file a claim for refund.
If you have already paid a tax penalty and want to request a refund of the penalty that you paid based on reasonable cause or IRS error, you can file IRS Form 843, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement.
You must file this form within two years of the date you paid the penalties. Your claim for refund must include a reason for your request and supporting evidence.
Note: The IRS usually won’t accept Form 843 as a request for penalty removal unless you have already paid the penalty.
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