Late relief

Missed the deadline? You still have options.

A late Form 2553 is one of the most common situations we see, and in most cases it is fixable. The IRS has standing procedures for granting late S corporation election relief — the work is in showing you qualify and documenting why the election was late.

Start my Form 2553

Your options

More than one way forward

Which path fits depends on how late you are, whether returns have been filed, and what the election is actually worth to you this year.

Relief under Rev. Proc. 2013-30

The most common path. If the election is filed within three years and 75 days of the intended effective date, the entity intended to be an S corporation all along, and the only reason it failed was the missed filing, the IRS will generally grant relief when a reasonable-cause statement is attached.

Relief tied to a filed return

If the business already filed — or is about to file — as an S corporation, the election can often be submitted alongside that return with the proper late-election language, rather than as a standalone request.

Electing for the next tax year instead

Sometimes relief is not the best answer. If the current year brings little benefit, a clean, timely election for the following tax year is simpler and carries no risk of denial. We tell you when this is the stronger option.

Private letter ruling (rare)

For elections outside the three-year-and-75-day window, or with facts that fall outside the automatic relief procedures, a private letter ruling may be the only route. It is expensive and slow, and we will say so plainly before you spend anything.

How we help

What the process looks like with us

Late relief lives or dies on the details. These are the pieces we handle.

We confirm whether you actually missed the deadline — plenty of people who think they did have not.
We check that your entity still meets every S corporation eligibility test for the retroactive period.
We write a reasonable-cause statement to your real facts, not a boilerplate paragraph.
We collect and prepare shareholder consents for every owner during the retroactive period, including former owners.
We complete Part IV and the late-election language exactly as the procedure requires.
We route the package to the correct IRS service center and can mail it certified with return receipt.
We tell you what the CP261 acceptance notice looks like and what to do if it never shows up.

Late relief is handled as an add-on to the flat filing fee — see the pricing page for the full breakdown, or read the in-depth late relief guide.

Online 2553 provides general information about IRS Form 2553 and the S corporation election. It is not a law firm or an accounting firm, is not authorized by the IRS, and does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. Your facts matter — confirm your situation with a qualified tax professional before filing.

Next step

Not sure how late you actually are?

Send us your formation date and the tax year you want the election to start. We'll tell you whether you need relief before you pay anything.

Start my Form 2553