Taxation: USA's IRS leaves interest rates unchanged

Text of notice dated 19 August 2010 (unedited)

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service today announced that interest rates for the calendar quarter beginning October 1, 2010, will remain the same. The rates will be:

* four (4) percent for overpayments [three (3) percent in the case of a corporation]; * four (4) percent for underpayments; * six (6) percent for large corporate underpayments; and * one and one-half (1.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate during July 2010 to take effect August 1, 2010, based on daily compounding.