Reasonable Cause Defense for Erroneous Refund Claims

§ 6676. Erroneous claim for refund or credit(a) Civil penaltyIf a claim for refund or credit with respect to income or employment tax is made for an excessive amount, unless it is shown that the claim for such excessive amount is due to reasonable cause, the person making such claim shall be liable for a penalty in an amount equal to 20 percent of the excessive amount. (b) Excessive amountFor purposes of this section, the term “excessive amount” means in the case of any person the amount by which the amount of the claim for refund or credit for any taxable year exceeds the amount of such claim allowable under this title for such taxable year. (c) Noneconomic substance transactions treated as lacking reasonable causeFor purposes of this section, any excessive amount which is attributable to any transaction described in section 6662(b)(6) shall not be treated as due to reasonable cause. (d) Coordination with other penaltiesThis section shall not apply to any portion of the excessive amount of a claim for refund or credit which is subject to a penalty imposed under part II of subchapter A of chapter 68. (Added Pub. L. 110–28, title VIII, § 8247(a), May 25, 2007, 121 Stat. 204; amended Pub. L. 111–152, title I, § 1409(d), Mar. 30, 2010, 124 Stat. 1070; Pub. L. 114–113, div. Q, title II, § 209(b), (c), Dec. 18, 2015, 129 Stat. 3084, 3085; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(a)(305), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1199; Pub. L. 119–21, title VII, § 70605(f), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 288.) Editorial Notes Codification Section 1409(d) of Pub. L. 111–152, which directed the amendment of section 6676 without specifying the act to be amended, was executed to this section, which is section 6676 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See 2010 Amendment note below. Prior ProvisionsA prior section 6676, added Pub. L. 87–397, § 1(b), Oct. 5, 1961, 75 Stat. 828; amended Pub. L. 91–172, title I, § 101(j)(52), Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 531; Pub. L. 93–406, title II, § 1016(a)(20), Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 931; Pub. L. 97–248, title III, § 316(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 607; Pub. L. 98–67, title I, § 105(a), Aug. 5, 1983, 97 Stat. 380; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title IV, § 422(c), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 798; Pub. L. 99–514, title XV, §§ 1501(b), 1523(b)(3), 1524(b), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2736, 2748, 2749; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1015(g), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3570, related to failure to supply identifying numbers, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7711(b)(1), (c), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2393, applicable to returns and statements the due date for which (determined without regard to extensions) is after Dec. 31, 1989.