Information Release

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G 2006-01 - Automated Compliance Program Penalties - Issued June, 2006

The purpose of this information release is to notify the public that the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) has changed some of its penalties on tax assessments imposed through its automated compliance programs.

The Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) is paying special attention to taxpayers who fail to comply with filing and payment requirements that lead to a tax assessment issued from one of ODT’s automated compliance programs. ODT has already accelerated the billing and assessment cycle times. This penalty revision is initiated in order to encourage better compliance by taxpayers and reflects the costs associated with more intensive compliance efforts. It is an effort to ensure fairness for all the taxpayers who are filing and paying on time.

Effective June, 2006, the penalties imposed for an assessment under one of ODT’s automated compliance programs have been increased and will only be reduced if a penalty remission is requested. In general, a request for reduction of penalty will only be granted if unique circumstances exist; even then, such reduction will likely only be a partial and not a complete abatement of the penalty.  

With delinquency programs, estimated assessments are often issued. If documentation is received to reflect a different tax liability from that assessed, most of those assessments will be adjusted using the corrected assessment process (for more information on corrected assessments, see Information Release G 2002-01 Modified Appeal Procedures – Corrected Assessments). As applicable, the penalty will be adjusted based on the revised tax liability – but the penalty will likely not be reduced from the penalty structure provided below.

While penalties assessed by ODT can be partially or fully abated, interest charges cannot be abated. Interest is assessed based on rates set under Ohio Revised Code 5703.47. Interest rates are published on the ODT Web site (tax.ohio.gov).

Below is the penalty structure that will apply to ODT’s tax assessments issued via one of its automated compliance programs. Note: there is no change to penalties applied at the first stage of billing. Additionally, the penalties imposed as the result of an audit (see Information Release G 2001-02 Discretionary Penalty for Audits), an enforcement action, or a tax discovery effort are not subject to this revised penalty structure.

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Explanation of Terms

DQ – Late filing or non-filing of a return/report (delinquency)

NRL – Return or report filed with no remittance of payment

Variance – Review of return/report indicates additional tax is due

FAGI – Discrepancy in federal adjusted gross income (FAGI) on return filed with the Internal Revenue Service compared to return filed with Ohio Department of Taxation

CP2000 – Discrepancy resulting from additional information received from the Internal Revenue Service

RAR – Revenue Agent Report received from the Internal Revenue Service

Note: Internal Revenue Service provides information to the Ohio Department of Taxation under authorization of Section 6103(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For additional information on Sales and Use, Corporation Franchise, and Employer Withholding tax assessments, please contact the Business Tax Assessment unit toll-free at (888) 297-7150; for Individual Income and School District Income taxes call the Income Tax Assessment unit toll-free at (888) 297-2911; for Commercial Activity Tax information, please contact the CAT Division at (888) 722-8829.