§6404. Abatements

(a) General rule

The Secretary is authorized to abate the unpaid portion of the assessment of any tax or any liability in respect thereof, which-

(1) is excessive in amount, or

(2) is assessed after the expiration of the period of limitation properly applicable thereto, or

(3) is erroneously or illegally assessed.

(b) No claim for abatement of income, estate, and gift taxes

No claim for abatement shall be filed by a taxpayer in respect of any assessment of any tax imposed under subtitle A or B.

(c) Small tax balances

The Secretary is authorized to abate the unpaid portion of the assessment of any tax, or any liability in respect thereof, if the Secretary determines under uniform rules prescribed by the Secretary that the administration and collection costs involved would not warrant collection of the amount due.

(d) Assessments attributable to certain mathematical errors by Internal Revenue Service

In the case of an assessment of any tax imposed by chapter 1 attributable in whole or in part to a mathematical error described in section 6213(g)(2)(A), if the return was prepared by an officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service acting in his official capacity to provide assistance to taxpayers in the preparation of income tax returns, the Secretary is authorized to abate the assessment of all or any part of any interest on such deficiency for any period ending on or before the 30th day following the date of notice and demand by the Secretary for payment of the deficiency.

(e) Abatement of interest attributable to unreasonable errors and delays by Internal Revenue Service

(1) In general

In the case of any assessment of interest on-

(A) any deficiency attributable in whole or in part to any unreasonable error or delay by an officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service (acting in his official capacity) in performing a ministerial or managerial act, or

(B) any payment of any tax described in section 6212(a) to the extent that any unreasonable error or delay in such payment is attributable to such an officer or employee being erroneous or dilatory in performing a ministerial or managerial act,

the Secretary may abate the assessment of all or any part of such interest for any period. For purposes of the preceding sentence, an error or delay shall be taken into account only if no significant aspect of such error or delay can be attributed to the taxpayer involved, and after the Internal Revenue Service has contacted the taxpayer in writing with respect to such deficiency or payment.

(2) Interest abated with respect to erroneous refund check

The Secretary shall abate the assessment of all interest on any erroneous refund under section 6602 until the date demand for repayment is made, unless-

(A) the taxpayer (or a related party) has in any way caused such erroneous refund, or

(B) such erroneous refund exceeds $50,000.

(f) Abatement of any penalty or addition to tax attributable to erroneous written advice by the Internal Revenue Service

(1) In general

The Secretary shall abate any portion of any penalty or addition to tax attributable to erroneous advice furnished to the taxpayer in writing by an officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service, acting in such officer's or employee's official capacity.

(2) Limitations

Paragraph (1) shall apply only if-

(A) the written advice was reasonably relied upon by the taxpayer and was in response to a specific written request of the taxpayer, and

(B) the portion of the penalty or addition to tax did not result from a failure by the taxpayer to provide adequate or accurate information.

(3) Initial regulations

Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall prescribe such initial regulations as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.

(g) Review of denial of request for abatement of interest

(1) In general

The Tax Court shall have jurisdiction over any action brought by a taxpayer who meets the requirements referred to in section 7430(c)(4)(A)(ii) to determine whether the Secretary's failure to abate interest under this section was an abuse of discretion, and may order an abatement, if such action is brought within 180 days after the date of the mailing of the Secretary's final determination not to abate such interest.

(2) Special rules

(A) Date of mailing

Rules similar to the rules of section 6213 shall apply for purposes of determining the date of the mailing referred to in paragraph (1).

(B) Relief

Rules similar to the rules of section 6512(b) shall apply for purposes of this subsection.

(C) Review

An order of the Tax Court under this subsection shall be reviewable in the same manner as a decision of the Tax Court, but only with respect to the matters determined in such order.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 792 ; Oct. 4, 1976, Pub. L. 94–455, title XII, §1212(a), title XIX, §1906(b)(13)(A), 90 Stat. 1712 , 1834; Dec. 24, 1980, Pub. L. 96–589, §6(b)(2), 94 Stat. 3407 ; Oct. 22, 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, title XV, §1563(a), 100 Stat. 2762 ; Nov. 10, 1988, Pub. L. 100–647, title I, §1015(n), title VI, §6229(a), 102 Stat. 3572 , 3733; July 30, 1996, Pub. L. 104–168, title III, §§301(a), (b), 302(a), title VII, §701(c)(3), 110 Stat. 1457 , 1464.)

References in Text

The date of the enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (f)(3), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 100–647, which was approved Nov. 10, 1988.

Amendments

1996-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–168, §301(b), substituted "Abatement of interest attributable to unreasonable errors" for "Assessments of interest attributable to errors" in heading.

Subsec. (e)(1)(A), (B). Pub. L. 104–168, §301(a), inserted "unreasonable" before "error" and substituted "in performing a ministerial or managerial act" for "in performing a ministerial act".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–168, §302(a), added subsec. (g).

Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 104–168, §701(c)(3), substituted "section 7430(c)(4)(A)(ii)" for "section 7430(c)(4)(A)(iii)".

1988-Subsec. (e)(1)(B). Pub. L. 100–647, §1015(n), inserted "error or" before "delay" and "erroneous or" before "dilatory".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–647, §6229(a), added subsec. (f).

1986-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–514 added subsec. (e).

1980-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 96–589 substituted "section 6213(g)(2)(A)" for "section 6213(f)(2)(A)".

1976-Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 94–455, §1906(b)(13)(A), struck out "or his delegate" after "Secretary" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–455, §1212(a), added subsec. (d).

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Section 301(c) of Pub. L. 104–168 provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to interest accruing with respect to deficiencies or payments for taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act [July 30, 1996]."

Section 302(b) of Pub. L. 104–168 provided that: "The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to requests for abatement after the date of the enactment of this Act [July 30, 1996]."

Section 701(d) of Pub. L. 104–168 provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 6656 and 7430 of this title] shall apply in the case of proceedings commenced after the date of the enactment of this Act [July 30, 1996]."

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by section 1015(n) of Pub. L. 100–647 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, to which such amendment relates, see section 1019(a) of Pub. L. 100–647, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Section 6229(b) of Pub. L. 100–647 provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to advice requested on or after January 1, 1989."

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Section 1563(b) of Pub. L. 99–514 provided that:

"(1) In general.-The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to interest accruing with respect to deficiencies or payments for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1978.

"(2) Statute of limitations.-If refund or credit of any amount resulting from the application of the amendment made by subsection (a) is prevented at any time before the close of the date which is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 22, 1986] by the operation of any law or rule of law (including res judicata), refund or credit of such amount (to the extent attributable to the application of the amendment made by subsection (a)) may, nevertheless, be made or allowed if claim therefore [sic] is filed before the close of such 1-year period."

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–589 effective on Oct. 1, 1979, but not applicable to proceedings under Title 11, Bankruptcy, commenced before Oct. 1, 1979, see section 7(e) of Pub. L. 96–589, set out as a note under section 108 of this title.

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Section 1212(b) of Pub. L. 94–455 provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to returns filed for taxable years ending after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 4, 1976]."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 6213 of this title.