Instructions for Form 2210 Schedule AI
Annualized Income Installment Method

General Instructions

If your income varied during the year because, for example, you operated your business on a seasonal basis, you may be able to lower or eliminate the amount of one or more required installments by using the annualized income installment method. Use Schedule AI to figure the required installments to enter on Form 2210, line 18.

If you use Schedule AI for any payment due date, you must use it for all payment due dates. To figure the amount of each required installment, Schedule AI automatically selects the smaller of the annualized income installment or the regular installment (that has been increased by the amount saved by using the annualized income installment method in figuring any earlier installments).

To use the annualized income installment method, you must do all three of the following.

  1. Enter the amounts from columns (a)-(d) of Schedule AI, line 25, in the corresponding columns of Form 2210, line 18.


  2. Check box C in Part II.


  3. Attach both Form 2210 and Schedule AI to your return.

Additional Information

See Pub. 505 for more details about the annualized income installment method and a completed example. Estates and trusts with short tax years, see Notice 87-32.

Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ Filers

If you are filing Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ and you did not receive wages as an employee subject to U.S. income tax withholding, the instructions for Schedule AI are modified as follows.

  1. Skip column (a).


  2. Enter on line 1 your income for the period that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.


  3. Increase the amount on line 17 by the amount determined by multiplying your income for the period that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business by the following.


  4. However, if you can use a treaty rate lower than 30%, use the percentages determined by multiplying your treaty rate by 2.4, 1.5, and 1, respectively.

  5. Enter in line 22, column (b), 1/2 of the amount from Form 2210, Part I, line 9. In columns (c) and (d), enter 1/4 of that amount.


  6. Skip column (b), lines 20 and 23.

Part I—Annualized Income Installments

Line 1

For each period (column), figure your total income minus your adjustments to income. Include your share of partnership or S corporation income or loss items for the period.

If you are self-employed, be sure to take into account the deduction for one-half of your self-employment tax. To figure this amount for each period, complete Schedule AI, Part II, and divide the amount in columns (a)-(d) on line 34 by 8, 4.8, 3, and 2, respectively.

Line 2

Estates and trusts, do not use the amounts shown in columns (a)-(d). Instead, use 6, 3, 1.71429, and 1.09091, respectively, as the annualization amounts.

Line 6

For each column, multiply line 4 by line 5 and enter the result on line 6. But if line 3 is more than $150,500 ($75,250 if married filing separately), use the worksheet on this page to figure the amount to enter on line 6.

Itemized Deductions Worksheet—Line 6

----------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Enter the amount from line 4 of Schedule AI          1. _________
 2. Enter the amount included in line 1 for medical
    and dental expenses, investment interest, casualty
    or theft losses, and gambling losses                 2. _________
 3. Subtract line 2 from line 1                          3. _________
 4. Enter the number given on Schedule AI, line 5        4. _________
 5. Multiply line 1 by line 4                            5. _________
    Note. If the amount on line 3 is zero, stop here
    and enter the amount from line 5 on Schedule AI,
    line 6.
 6. Multiply line 3 by line 4                            6. _________
 7. Multiply line 6 by 80% (.80)                         7. _________
 8. Enter the amount from Schedule AI, line 3            8. _________
 9. Enter $150,500 ($75,250 if married filing
    separately)                                          9. _________
10. Subtract line 9 from line 8                         10. _________
11. Multiply line 10 by 3% (.03)                        11. _________
12. Enter the smaller of line 7 or line 11              12. _________
13. Divide line 12 by 3.0                               13. _________
14. Subtract line 13 from line 12                       14. _________
15. Subtract line 14 from line 5. Enter the result
    here and on Schedule AI, line 6                     15. _________
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Line 10

For each column, multiply $3,300 by your total exemptions. But if line 3 is more than the amount shown below for your filing status, use the worksheet on page 7 to figure the amount to enter on line 10.

  Single                     $150,500
  Married filing jointly or
  qualifying widow(er)       $225,750
  Married filing separately  $112,875
  Head of household          $188,150

Exemption Worksheet—Line 10

----------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Multiply $3,300 by the number of exemptions
    you plan to claim                                    1. _________
 2. Enter the amount from Schedule AI, line 3            2. _________
 3. Enter the amount shown below for your filing
    status
      Single—$150,500
      Married filing jointly or qualifying
      widow(er)—$225,750
      Married filing separately—$112,875
      Head of household—$188,150                        3. _________
 4. Subtract line 3 from line 2                          4. _________
 5. Is line 4 more than $122,500 (more than
    $61,250 if married filing separately)?
    [] Yes. Multiply $1,100 by the number of
       exemptions you plan to claim and enter
       the result here and on Schedule AI, line
       10. Do not complete the rest of this
       worksheet.
    [] No. Divide line 4 by $2,500 ($1,250 if
       married filing separately). If the result
       is not a whole number, increase it to
       the next whole number                             5. _________
 6. Multiply line 5 by 2% (.02). Enter the result as
    a decimal, but not more than 1.0                     6. _________
 7. Multiply line 1 by the decimal on line 6             7. _________
 8. Divide line 7 by 1.5                                 8. _________
 9. Subtract line 8 from line 1. Enter the result
    here and on Schedule AI, line 10                     9. _________
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Line 12

To compute the tax, use the Tax Table, Tax Computation Worksheet, Qualified Dividends and Capital Gain Tax Worksheet, Schedule D Tax Worksheet, Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet, Schedule J, or Form 8615.

Line 14

Enter all of the other taxes you owed because of events that occurred during the months shown in the column headings. Include the same taxes used to figure Form 2210, line 2 (except self-employment tax), plus the tax from Form 4972, Tax on Lump-Sum Distributions, and any alternative minimum tax (AMT).

To figure the AMT, individuals use Form 6251, Alternative Minimum Tax— Individuals; estates and trusts use Schedule I of Form 1041. Figure alternative minimum taxable income based on your income and deductions during the periods shown in the column headings. Multiply this amount by the annualization amounts shown for each column on Schedule AI, line 2, before subtracting the AMT exemption.

Line 16

For each column, enter the credits you are entitled to because of events that occurred during the months shown in the column headings. These are the credits you used to arrive at the amounts on lines 1 and 3 of Part I, Required Annual Payment. When figuring your credits, annualize any item of income or deduction used to figure each credit. For example, your earned income (and AGI) for the first period (column (a)) is $8,000 and you qualify for the earned income credit (EIC). Use your annualized earned income ($32,000) to figure your EIC for column (a). For details, see Rev. Rul. 79-179, 1979-1 C.B. 436.

Part II—Annualized Self-Employment Tax

If you had net earnings from self-employment during any period, complete Part II for that period to figure your annualized self-employment tax.

If you are married and filing a joint return and both you and your spouse had net earnings from self-employment, complete a separate Part II for each spouse. Enter on line 13 the combined amounts from line 34 of both Parts II.

Line 26

To figure your net earnings from self-employment on line 26, multiply your net profit from all trades or businesses for each period by 92.35% (.9235).

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information. We need it to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103.

The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated burden for individual taxpayers filing this form is approved under OMB control number 1545-0074 and is included in the estimates shown in the instructions for their individual income tax return. The estimated burden for all other taxpayers who file this form is shown below.

                    Short            Regular
                    Method           Method
Recordkeeping      13 min.           13 min.
Learning about
the law or the
form               15 min.           31 min.
Preparing the
form               32 min.     2 hr., 2 min.
Copying,
assembling, and
sending the form
to the IRS         16 min.            41 min.

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. See the instructions for the tax return with which this form is filed.

Instructions for Form 2210