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IRS notice decoder · Business accounts and employer notices

CP15B: a trust fund recovery penalty has been charged to you

A CP15B says the IRS charged you personally a trust fund recovery penalty for a business's unpaid withheld employment or excise taxes.

By the Carry Forward Learning team Reviewed by Hunter Nottingham, JD, CPA

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CheckedOct 19, 2026

What a CP15B means

A CP15B says the IRS charged you a trust fund recovery penalty (TFRP). It is charged to a person, not the business: someone the IRS found responsible who willfully failed to collect, account for or pay over withheld employment taxes or certain excise taxes. source 1 source 2

The trust fund part is the money held for someone else: income tax and the employee's share of social security and Medicare withheld from pay. That's why the law lets the IRS reach the people who decided which bills got paid.

The notice explains the amount, the due date and your payment options. source 1

The date that counts

Pay by the due date printed on the notice; the IRS says interest keeps running on what's unpaid after the date on the payment coupon. source 1

Why people get one

  • The IRS found that you were responsible for paying over a business's withheld employment taxes or certain excise taxes and willfully didn't. source 1
  • Usually this follows an earlier proposal letter and an interview about who controlled the business's finances.

First steps

  1. Read the notice for the amount, the tax periods and the due date. source 1
  2. If you agree, pay by the due date or apply online for a payment plan. source 1
  3. If you disagree, the IRS describes the route: pay the share of the penalty for one employee (or one transaction, for excise tax) for each quarter, and file Form 843 for each quarter to claim a refund. source 1
  4. To pause collection while that claim is pending, the IRS says you also have to post a bond, as described on its page. source 1
  5. Get help from a tax professional who represents people in collection matters; this penalty is personal and large.

What not to do

  • Don't assume the business's payment plan protects you. The penalty is a separate charge against you personally.
  • Don't ignore it. The IRS says interest keeps being charged until the balance is paid. source 1
  • Don't pay through a link or phone number in an unexpected email or text. Use irs.gov, typed in yourself.
  • Related CP504B The business's own notice of intent to levy for unpaid tax.

Keep reading

Questions

Why was I charged this penalty?

The IRS charges it for willfully failing to collect, account for or pay over employment or excise taxes. source 1

How do I contest a trust fund recovery penalty?

The IRS says to pay the share for one employee (or one transaction, for excise tax) for each quarter charged, and file Form 843 for each quarter. source 1

Is interest charged?

Yes, if you don't pay the full amount by the date on the payment coupon, the IRS says. source 1

Sources

  1. IRS, Understanding your CP15B notice (external site) checked Oct 19, 2026
  2. 26 U.S.C. § 6672 (Cornell LII) (external site) checked Oct 19, 2026

Every rule on this page comes from the IRS page in the list, read on the date shown. Your notice itself is the final word on its own dates and amounts.