Treasury, IRS provide penalty relief for remittance transfer providers who fail to deposit excise tax under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
IR-2025-102, Oct. 7, 2025
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance providing deposit penalty relief for the first three quarters of 2026 to remittance transfer providers. Notice 2025-55 provides relief in connection with the new excise tax imposed on certain remittance transfers under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill.
Penalty relief available for the first three quarters of 2026
Treasury and the IRS understand there might be challenges implementing the new law and have determined it is in the interest of sound tax administration to provide limited penalty relief related to remittance transfer tax deposits.
Notice 2025-55 provides limited penalty relief for remittance transfer providers who fail to deposit the correct amount of remittance transfer tax as required during the first three quarters of 2026. Specifically, these providers may avoid deposit penalties if they:
Additionally, under today’s guidance, remittance transfer providers may use the deposit safe harbor rules under the Excise Tax Procedural Regulations even if there was an underpayment of required deposits of the remittance transfer tax for the first three quarters of 2026. However, providers must satisfy the reasonable cause standard for deposit penalties.
Remittance transfer tax under the OBBB
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, remittance transfer providers are required to collect the remittance transfer tax from certain senders, make semimonthly deposits and file quarterly returns with the IRS. The first semimonthly deposit is due Jan. 29, 2026. The 1% remittance tax will apply to certain remittances when the sender makes the transaction with cash, a money order, a cashier’s check or a similar physical instrument.
For more information, refer to One, Big, Beautiful Bill provisions on IRS.gov.
