Form 433-F

When the IRS needs Form 433-F, and when it doesn't

Form 433-F, Collection Information Statement, collects “current financial information necessary for determining how a wage earner or self-employed individual can satisfy an outstanding tax liability,” in the words of its own instructions. The current version is Rev. 7-2024; the instructions are printed on pages 3 and 4 of the form PDF, and there is no separate instruction booklet.

You typically need it when

• You mail Form 9465 and can’t pay the line 10 amount, or your balance is over $50,000 (see Form 9465 line by line).
• Your plan won’t pay the balance by the collection statute expiration date. A partial payment installment agreement always needs a financial statement, and the IRS reviews it every two years (how partial payment plans work).
• You ask the IRS to pause collection for hardship. For currently not collectible status the IRS may ask for Form 433-F, 433-A or 433-B plus proof of income, expenses, accounts and assets (how CNC works).
• You try to revise a plan online and can’t meet the minimum payment. The IRS system then directs you to Form 433-F or 433-H.
• An IRS employee or letter asks for it.

You usually don’t need it when

• You qualify for a Simple Payment Plan: $50,000 or less for individuals, all returns filed, balance paid by the CSED. The IRS says these plans “don’t require a collection information statement.”
• You can pay within 180 days (IRS.gov, 2026) (a short-term plan).
• You are filing an offer in compromise. That needs Form 433-A (OIC) or 433-B (OIC), not 433-F.

Form 433-F vs 433-H vs 433-A: which statement applies

Form 433-H is an interactive PDF that some browsers can’t display; download it and open it in Adobe Reader. Like Form 9465, it tells you to expect a reply in about 30 days. Its instructions still print the $178 and $107 setup fees, which remain current for applications made by phone, mail or in person in 2026.

Form 433-F section by section

Answer every item. Write “N/A” if a question doesn’t apply, and use extra sheets when a section is too small. Keep a copy of everything you send.

Page 1 header: household

Names, address (check the box if it changed since your last return), county, SSN or ITIN for you and your spouse, phone numbers, and the number of people in the household you can claim on this year’s return, split into under 65 and 65 and over. If you or your spouse have self-employment income, add the business name, EIN, type of business and number of employees.

Section A: accounts and lines of credit

List every personal bank account, including online and mobile accounts such as PayPal, savings and money market accounts, even if the balance is zero. Then list investments: CDs, trusts, IRAs, Keogh and SEP plans, 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, mutual funds, stocks, bonds and commodities. Check the box for business accounts. Do not list bank loans here.

Digital assets

List every digital asset you own or have a financial interest in (for example, Bitcoin or Ethereum): the wallet or exchange, the email address used to open it, where it is held, and the amount and its US dollar value today.

Section B: real estate

Every property you own or are buying, including your home, vacation property, timeshares and land: monthly payment, current value, balance owed, year purchased and price, and any refinance. Equity is current market value minus what you owe.

Section C: other assets

Vehicles (make, model, year; write “lease” for a leased car), boats, RVs, whole life insurance policies, valuables, and business assets such as tools, equipment, inventory and intangibles like domain names or patents. Again, equity is value minus balance owed.

Section D: credit cards

Every card and line of credit, even with no balance: credit limit, balance and minimum payment.

Section E: business information

Only if you or your spouse have self-employment income, including online sales. E1 lists accounts receivable, including government grants and contracts. E2 lists merchant card accounts and any digital asset wallet or exchange the business uses.

Section F: employment

Employer, pay frequency, gross pay and taxes per pay period, and time with the employer, for you and your spouse. Attaching a current pay stub replaces this section.

Section G: non-wage household income

Monthly alimony, child support, net self-employment income, net rental income, unemployment, pensions, interest and dividends, Social Security and other income. Net self-employment income is after ordinary and necessary business expenses; attach Schedule C or a current-year profit and loss statement. For rental income, don’t deduct depreciation. Enter “0” if either is a loss. “Other” includes K-1 distributions from partnerships and S corporations, LLC distributions, gambling income and rent subsidies.

Section H: monthly necessary living expenses

Enter monthly amounts in five groups: food and personal care, transportation, housing and utilities, medical, and other. Convert bills that aren’t monthly:

Example (assumed figures): a $450 grocery bill every two weeks is 450 x 2.17 = $976.50 a month, and quarterly estimated tax payments of $1,200 are 1,200 / 3 = $400 a month.

• Food and personal care (box 1) and medical out-of-pocket (box 4): give the IRS standard amount, or your actual spending if it is higher. If you don’t spend more than the standard, fill in the total only.
• Housing: rent goes here; a mortgage payment is listed in Section B. Only list utilities, taxes and insurance that aren’t already inside your mortgage or rent.
• Transportation: fuel, insurance, maintenance, registration, parking and tolls; public transportation separately.
• Other: child or dependent care for dependents you claim, estimated tax payments, term life insurance only (whole life belongs in Section C), required retirement contributions, union dues, minimum payments on delinquent state and local taxes, federally guaranteed student loans for your own post-secondary education, and court-ordered payments (have the order and proof you pay it).

Signature

You (and your spouse, if the statement covers both of you) sign under penalty of perjury that the information is true, correct and complete.

How the IRS uses the numbers

The IRS compares your income with the Collection Financial Standards, which are effective for financial analysis on or after 29 June 2026. What is left over after allowable expenses is, broadly, what the IRS expects you to pay each month.

• National standards (food, housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care, miscellaneous) are allowed in full for your family size without proof of what you spend. So are the out-of-pocket health care standards, which are per person and higher for people 65 and older.
• Local standards for housing and utilities (by county) and for transportation are caps. You are generally allowed the lesser of what you actually spend or the standard.
• Miscellaneous can’t exceed the standard for your household size. It covers things like credit card payments and bank fees.
• Deviations. If the standards leave you unable to cover basic living expenses, the IRS may allow actual expenses, but you must document why.
• The six-year rule. If you don’t qualify for a Simple Payment Plan but can pay the balance, with penalties and interest, within six years, the IRS may allow living expenses above the standards and other payments such as minimum credit card or student loan payments. You still provide financial information but don’t have to substantiate reasonable expenses. (The IRS raised this period from five to six years in 2012.)

The IRS also looks at equity in assets from Sections A to C. The IRS suggests considering a loan or available credit before a payment plan, and a plan that needs financial review may also need a Notice of Federal Tax Lien determination.

The IRS may contact you for proof, such as pay statements, bank and investment statements, loan statements and bills. Having those ready shortens the case.

Documents to gather

• Recent pay stubs for you and your spouse (these can replace Section F).
• Recent statements for every bank, investment, retirement and digital asset account.
• Mortgage and car loan statements, with current value estimates for each property and vehicle.
• Schedule C or a current-year profit and loss statement if you are self-employed, and your Schedule E for rentals.
• Monthly bills: rent, utilities, phone and internet, insurance, child care, medical costs.
• Court orders for child support or alimony, with proof of payment.
• Statements for delinquent state or local taxes and federally guaranteed student loans.

Check the current standards for your county and household size on IRS.gov before you fill in Section H.

Where to send Form 433-F and how long it takes

Form 433-F has no mailing address of its own. Send it:

• With Form 9465, to the Form 9465 address for your state (see where to mail Form 9465), when you request a plan by mail;
• To the address, fax or employee named in the IRS letter or call that asked for it; or
• As directed online, if the IRS online tool sent you to it after a revision attempt.

The IRS says it usually answers a payment plan request within 30 days, longer for returns filed after 31 March. A Form 433-F case can take longer if the IRS asks for supporting documents. The IRS does not publish a separate processing time for Form 433-F.

Common Form 433-F mistakes

1. Leaving out zero-balance accounts or unused credit cards. The form asks for all of them.
2. Forgetting digital assets or payment apps. PayPal-type accounts and crypto wallets are asked about specifically.
3. Putting the mortgage under rent. Mortgage payments belong in Section B.
4. Claiming whole life premiums as an expense. Only term life counts; whole life is an asset.
5. Deducting depreciation from rental income. Only cash expenses count.
6. Numbers that don’t match your statements. The IRS can ask for proof; unexplained gaps between stated income and deposits slow the case.
7. Filing 433-F with an offer in compromise. Use Form 433-A (OIC) or 433-B (OIC) with Form 656.
8. Not signing. An unsigned statement can’t be processed.

How to complete Form 433-F, step by step

1. Confirm you need it. Check whether a Simple Payment Plan or short-term plan applies first; neither needs Form 433-F.
2. Pick the right statement. Use 433-H if you earn wages and owe more than $50,000 and want a plan, 433-A (OIC) for an offer, 433-B for a business.
3. Gather statements. Collect pay stubs, account statements, loan statements, bills and court orders.
4. Look up the standards. Check the Collection Financial Standards for your county and household size.
5. Complete every section. Fill in Sections A to H, convert non-monthly bills, and write N/A where an item doesn’t apply.
6. Sign and send. Sign under penalty of perjury and send it with Form 9465 or to the IRS office that asked for it; keep a copy.
7. Answer follow-up quickly. Respond to any IRS request for documents by the date given.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading in the Fresh Start hub

• Form 9465 line by lineThe payment plan request that Form 433-F often goes with.
• Currently not collectible statusWhen the IRS pauses collection for hardship.
• Partial payment installment agreementPaying less than the full balance before the CSED.
• Forms 433-A and 433-A (OIC)The longer statements, including the one used with an offer.
• Fresh Start forms libraryEvery IRS form you may need, in one place.