CP14 notice: the first bill, and what waiting adds
Enter the unpaid tax from your return, the tax year and when the return was filed. The calculator rebuilds the CP14 balance, penalty by penalty, and shows how it grows if you pay later.
- Late payment penalty
- 0.5 % a month
- Interest rate, fourth quarter of 2026
- 7 % a year
- Short-term plan, no fee
- 180 days
- Online plan with direct debit
- $29
Balance on October 20, 2026
$6,742
$442 added to $6,300 of tax since April 15, 2026; interest now runs at about $1 a day.
| Unpaid tax | $6,300 |
| Failure to file penalty | $0 |
| Failure to pay penalty, 7 months | $221 |
| Interest, compounded daily | $222 |
Penalties of IRC 6651 and interest at each quarter's underpayment rate (7 % in the fourth quarter of 2026). Estimate, not tax advice.
| Month ending | Penalties | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2026 | $32 | $31 | $6,363 |
| June 15, 2026 | $63 | $64 | $6,427 |
| July 15, 2026 | $95 | $98 | $6,493 |
| August 15, 2026 | $126 | $137 | $6,563 |
| September 15, 2026 | $158 | $177 | $6,634 |
| October 15, 2026 | $189 | $215 | $6,704 |
| October 20, 2026 | $221 | $222 | $6,742 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How we calculate · rules and rates read on irs.gov · not tax advice, the IRS decides
A CP14 is the first notice the IRS mails when a return shows tax that was not paid by the due date. It states the balance: the unpaid tax, the late payment penalty of 0.5 % of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month since the due date, any late filing penalty, and interest at the quarterly rate (7 % a year in the fourth quarter of 2026) compounded daily. It is a bill, not a levy notice: the IRS asks you to pay by the date printed on it, to set up a payment plan if you cannot, or to call if you disagree. Paying the full amount by that date stops further interest. After it, interest and penalty keep running, and unpaid balances lead to further notices and eventually to a notice of intent to levy. For $6,300 left unpaid on a 2025 return filed on time, the balance on October 20, 2026 is $6,742, and it grows by about $1.29 a day.
What the CP14 amount is made of
The IRS page on the CP14 says the notice is sent because you owe money on unpaid taxes, and that it explains how much and how to pay. The number is not arbitrary: it is the tax shown on your return minus what was paid by the due date, plus two charges set by law. The failure to pay penalty runs from the due date at 0.5 % a month, and interest runs daily on the tax and on the penalties. If the return itself was late, a late filing penalty is in the total too.
For a 2025 return filed by April 15, 2026 with $6,300 left unpaid, the account on October 20, 2026 looks like this:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Unpaid tax | $6,300 |
| Late payment penalty, 7 months | $221 |
| Interest, compounded daily | $222 |
| Balance | $6,742 |
Rebuild your CP14 balance
Balance on October 20, 2026
$6,742
| Unpaid tax | $6,300 |
| Failure to file penalty | $0 |
| Failure to pay penalty, 7 months | $221 |
| Interest, compounded daily | $222 |
What a few months of silence cost
The CP14 page answers the interest question directly: no further interest is charged if you pay the full amount by the date on the notice, but interest accrues on the unpaid amount after that date. The late payment penalty also continues, month by month, until it reaches 25 % of the tax. The table carries the same $6,300 forward at the current rate.
| Paid in full on | Penalty to date | Interest to date | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | $221 | $222 | $6,742 |
| November 20, 2026 | $252 | $262 | $6,814 |
| January 20, 2027 | $315 | $342 | $6,957 |
| April 20, 2027 | $410 | $464 | $7,173 |
| October 20, 2027 | $599 | $723 | $7,622 |
| October 20, 2028 | $977 | $1,289 | $8,565 |
The cost of waiting is modest month to month, which is why CP14 balances tend to be left alone. The step that changes the slope comes later: once a final notice of intent to levy has gone unanswered for 10 days, the penalty rate doubles to 1 % a month, as the CP504 page shows.
Paying part of it now
A partial payment is not wasted while the rest is arranged. The late payment penalty is figured each month on the tax still unpaid at the start of the month, and interest runs on the whole balance, so every dollar sent early stops both from growing on that dollar. The site's calculators apply a payment to the tax first, the order that cuts the penalty fastest; the IRS's own allocation can differ. Notice 746, listed on the CP14 page, explains how the IRS computes the penalty and interest shown on the bill. For the following year, the IRS points to its Tax Withholding Estimator: a CP14 on a wage earner's return often means too little was withheld, and the same gap repeats unless the W-4 changes.
The four replies the notice allows
Pay in full. Online from a bank account, through the online account, by card with a processor's fee, or by check with the bottom part of the notice. Paying by the notice date ends the interest on the bill.
Pay over 180 days. A short-term plan has no set-up fee for balances under $100,000; interest and penalty keep running until the balance is paid.
Pay monthly. A long-term plan online with direct debit costs $29. On a filed-on-time return, the late payment penalty falls to 0.25 % a month while the plan runs. Spreading the $6,742 above over 24 months comes to $311 a month. The payment plan page compares terms.
Disagree. Call the number in the IRS Help section of the notice with your records ready: cancelled checks, a payment confirmation, an amended return. A payment that was made but applied to the wrong year is a common cause, and the IRS can move it.
CP14C, and when a CP14 is not the first letter
If your address of record is in a federally declared disaster area, the IRS sends a CP14C instead. It means the deadline to file and pay has been postponed automatically, without a request. The IRS also mentions hardship: when paying would leave you unable to meet basic living costs, it may delay collection until your situation improves (see currently not collectible status). The notice can be viewed and downloaded in the IRS online account, where you can also opt to receive some notices electronically. The arithmetic on this page follows the IRS penalty and interest rules; the amount on your own notice is the IRS's figure and governs.