Form 2210-F: The Estimated Tax Penalty for Farmers and Fishers
Published November 5, 2026
The general rule for this penalty is on Form 2210. Farmers and fishers may use a different form. Form 2210-F is for individuals, estates, and trusts that have at least two-thirds of their gross income from farming or fishing. The test looks at your 2024 or 2025 gross income. This guide is general information, not advice about your own case.
The two tests
You may owe the penalty if you did not pay, by January 15, 2026, at least the smaller of these two amounts:
- Two-thirds of the tax shown on your 2025 return.
- 100% of the tax shown on your 2024 return, if your 2024 return covered a 12-month period.
The first test is two-thirds, not 90%. That is the main difference from the test on Form 2210.
When you do not owe the penalty
The instructions list several exceptions. You do not owe the penalty if you had no tax liability for 2024, you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien for the entire year, and your 2024 return covered a full 12 months. You also do not owe it if you file your 2025 return and pay the tax due by March 2, 2026. Another exception applies when the total tax on your 2025 return, minus the tax you paid through withholding, is less than $1,000.
Do you have to file Form 2210-F?
Often you do not. The IRS generally figures any penalty and sends you a bill. You file Form 2210-F only if box A or box B in Part I applies. Box A is a request for a waiver. The instructions explain the waiver rules. If you check box A or box B, you figure the penalty yourself and attach the form to your return.
If the IRS sends a bill for the penalty and you pay by the date on the bill, the instructions say no interest is charged on the penalty.
How the penalty is figured
The form starts with your 2025 tax after credits. It takes two-thirds of that amount and compares the result with the tax on your 2024 return. The smaller amount is your required payment. Withholding counts toward that payment. Estimated payments do not go on the withholding line.
Part III figures the penalty on any underpayment. It counts the days from January 15, 2026, to the date the underpayment was paid, or to April 15, 2026, whichever is earlier. The penalty equals the underpayment times the number of days, divided by 365, times 7%.
Keep records of farm and fishing income
The two-thirds test depends on your gross income. Keep records that show how much of your income came from farming or fishing, for both 2024 and 2025. Good records make it easier to decide whether the test applies. They also help if you need to explain a waiver request or a penalty figure.
Form 2210 and Form 2210-F
Form 2210 is the general form for underpayment of estimated tax. It uses the 90% test for 2025. Form 2210-F uses the two-thirds test. If you are not sure which form applies, read both sets of instructions before you calculate anything.
Next steps
Gather your 2024 and 2025 tax figures, your withholding records, and your farm or fishing income records. Read the Part I boxes first. For the general rules, read our guide to Form 2210. For planning payments, see the estimated tax safe harbor rules. For farm income details, see Schedule F farm income basics.
Upload your documents and answer a few simple questions. Your preparer reviews every deduction and credit and lets you know when your return is ready to sign.
Sources: Sources: IRS, Form 2210-F, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Farmers and Fishers (2025) (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2210f.pdf); Instructions for Form 2210-F (2025) (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i2210f.pdf); IRS, About Form 2210-F (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210-f) This is general information, not advice about your specific return.
