Figuring Your Required Annual Payment
(Part I)(p56)

Figure your required annual payment in Part I of Form 2210, following the line-by-line instructions. If you rounded the entries on your tax return to whole dollars, you can round on Form 2210.

The tax on Lori Lane's 2011 return was $12,400. Her AGI was not more than $150,000. The tax on her 2012 return (Form 1040, line 55) is $13,044. Line 56 (self-employment tax) is $8,902. Her 2012 total tax is $21,946.

For 2012, Lori had $1,600 income tax withheld and made four equal estimated tax payments ($1,000 each). 90% of her 2012 tax is $19,751. Because she paid less than her 2011 tax ($12,400) and less than 90% of her 2012 tax ($19,751), and does not meet an exception, Lori knows that she owes a penalty for underpayment of estimated tax. The IRS will figure the penalty for Lori, but she decides to figure it herself on Form 2210 and pay it with her taxes when she files her tax return.

Lori's required annual payment is $12,400 (100% of 2011 tax) because that is smaller than 90% of her 2012 tax.

If you file a separate return for 2012, but you filed a joint return with your spouse for 2011, see 2011 joint return and 2012 separate returns, earlier, to figure the amount to enter as your 2011 tax on line 8 of Form 2210.