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Find it yourself

The Form 5472 penalty, looked up properly.

We're not going to print the number. Here's why, and how to find the real one in about a minute.

a stale penalty number is worse than no number at all

Why there's no number on this page.

The penalty amount is set by law and has changed over the years. Every marketing page that prints one is gambling that the number is still current — and if it isn't, you're the one who plans around a wrong number. Given that the penalty repeats per form and per year, the cost of being wrong is real money.

So this page does something more useful than guess: it sends you to the source where the number actually lives, and tells you exactly what to look for when you get there.

The source: the IRS instructions.

The penalty is published by the IRS in the Instructions for Form 5472. That document is the primary source — it is what a tax professional reads, and it is where the current amount is stated. The About Form 5472 page is the shorter overview and a good place to confirm you have the right form.

If you need the broader picture of whether the form even applies to you, start with our who must file Form 5472 page first.

What to look for when you get there.

  1. 01

    The current penalty amount

    The instructions state the penalty per form, per year. That last part is the one that matters — the penalty is not a one-time fine, it repeats for every form and every year that was missed.

  2. 02

    The separate records penalty

    There is a second, different penalty for failing to maintain the records the form requires. It is its own number and it stacks the same way. People who found the first penalty and stopped reading miss this one.

  3. 03

    The reasonable-cause relief

    The IRS allows relief where the failure had reasonable cause and not willful neglect. The instructions explain how that is claimed. If you are facing a penalty, this is the part you want a professional to read with you.

What it depends on in your case.

How much you actually face depends on three things: how many forms were missed (one per year, and multiple reportable transactions can mean multiple forms), whether the failure was considered willful, and whether you can show reasonable cause. None of those is a number you'll find on a summary page — they're specific to your filings.

To be clear about our part: we form the entity, but Form 5472 is a tax filing and it is not something Corppy files for you. The Form 5472 guide is the honest walkthrough of who is responsible for what.

Formed right is the first step.

We'll get your US company set up correctly, then be straight with you about what you still need to file.

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