The applicable federal rate (AFR) is the interest rate that applies to personal loans. It is the minimum rate applicable to such loans under U.S. law. The applicable federal rate applies to loans where the interest rate is lower than the tax rate if the loan were to otherwise be income.

Which AFR is used for imputed interest?

Every month, the IRS publishes a list of current Applicable Federal Rates, which reflect market conditions. For example, in June 2018, the AFR for loans of less than 3 years was 1.78%. If you loan someone money at no interest, or at 0.25%, or at any rate below 1.78%, you have to deal with imputed interest.

What is the minimum interest rate for a family loan in 2021?

0.6 percent
Preservation | Family Wealth Protection & Planning AFRs are published monthly and represent the minimum interest rates that should be charged for family loans to avoid tax complications. The Section 7520 interest rate for January 2021 is 0.6 percent.

What’s the minimum AFR rate for a family loan?

Which AFR rate to use for a family loan would depend on the length of time designated for payback. Let’s say you were giving a loan to a family member for $10,000 to be paid back in one year. You would need to charge the borrower a minimum interest rate of 1.69% for the loan.

Is the AFR the same as the market rate?

The AFR for your loan would be the published rate on the date the loan was made, and it can retain that rate even if market rates or the AFR subsequently increase. Generally, the shorter the term, the lower the AFR. When lending money to a close or related party it is often tempting to bypass formalities and perhaps forgo interest.

How long does a loan have to be for the IRS to use the AFR?

The length of the loan should correspond to the AFRs: short-term (three years or less), mid-term (up to nine years) and long-term (more than nine years). Also, the parties must use the AFR that is published by the IRS at the time when the lender initially makes the loan.

How are short term and long term AFR rates determined?

The IRS publishes three AFRs: short-term, mid-term and long-term. Short-term AFR rates are determined from the one-month average of the market yields from marketable obligations, such as U.S. government T-bills with maturities of three years or less. Mid-term AFR rates are from obligations of maturities of more than three and up to nine years.