Getting any updates from the IRS website

[cririuss_ca]

TurboTax 2025 assessed a penalty charge for underpayment of my withholding tax for this year - but I  went to Federal Taxes > Other Tax Situations > Additional Tax Payments > Underpayment Penalties  and specified to let IRS figure out the penalty.  

I  already have an  account in IRS  for awhile  (  I use it primarily to view my tax transcripts)  .   I checked to confirm that I already  set up my "Notices and Letters" to  "online and letter" so I hope  that I can receive the penalty notice (if I get assessed with one) on the IRS website.    

BTW I wonder how I could ask  IRS to give me a pass this time  as its my first "offense" -  I have been unemployed since mid 2024 and the job market is  atrociously bad (thanks, AI) and  I consider myself semi-retired ( am still a few years short of 59 1/2). 

[DavidD66]

The IRS does offer First-Time Penalty Abatement (FTA) for taxpayers that have not been assessed any penalties (except for underpayment of estimated tax) for the three years preceding the penalty year.  The abatement applies to failure-to-file, failure-to-pay, or failure to deposit penalties for a single tax year (or period).  It does not apply to under payment of estimated tax, which is essentially just interest on tax owed which cannot waived. 

[cririuss_ca]

ugh - IRS can't even spare this first time "offender" -  the penalty assessment is from my underpayment (actually, non-payment) of estimated tax :((   I've paid my withholding in full every year in the past (through W2 withholding tax) .

So for 2026, I assume I will just divide the total tax owed for 2025 by 4 to make quarterly payments?   Can I pay just 90%  for each quarter? 

[AmyC]

It depends. The options and reasoning are:

• The estimates to pay 90% of this year's tax  
• 100% of your 2025 tax unless your AGI exceeds the income limit of $150,000, which requires 110%. Since your income may fluctuate through the year, making payments based on 2025 might be a safer option.
• Failure to meet one of the above opens you to underpayment penalty, even with a refund.

The IRS believes taxes should be paid when income is earned. For example: If you decide to sell stock for a big gain in one quarter, the estimates should be increased that quarter to match.