§6676 — Erroneous claim for refund or credit

7 cases·2 distinguished·1 overruled·4 cited

(a)Civil penalty

If 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 amount

For 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 cause

For 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 penalties

This 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.

7 Citing Cases

OVERRULED Kirk Stevens & Shannon Stevens, Petitioners T.C. Memo. 2025-45 · 2025

485, 493 (2017), supplementing and overruling in part 147 T.C.

DIST. Yitzchok D. Rand & Shulamis Klugman, Petitioners 141 T.C. No. 12 · 2013

First, the section 6676 penalty does not apply to claims to the earned income credit.9 See sec.

Rand v. Commissioner 141 T.C. 376 · 2013

imposed. More simply stated, the portion of a disallowed credit that reduced a tax liability may be subject to an accuracy-related penalty. Second, to the extent an improperly claimed credit resulted in a refund, it may be subject to a penalty under section 6676. In 2007 Congress added section 6676, which imposes a 20% penalty on an erroneous claim for refund. Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-28, sec. 8247(a), 121 Stat. at 204. An erroneous claim for refund is

Alon Farhy, Petitioner 160 T.C. No. 6 · 2023

9 We note that respondent’s own internal guidance has concluded that the section 6676 penalty, an assessable penalty, is subject to deficiency procedures on the basis of a similar line of reasoning.

Marie M. Kanda, Petitioner · 2026 · T.C.
Naysha Oquendo v. Comm'r of Internal Revenue · Cir.
Thomas More Law Center v. Barack Obama · Cir.

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