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Applicable Federal Rates · January 2015

Applicable Federal Rates for January 2015

Every rate the IRS published for January 2015 in Rev. Rul. 2015-1: the short-, mid- and long-term AFR at four compounding periods, the multiples, the adjusted AFR, and the § 7520 rate. The 120% mid-term row is worked below the table.

In January 2015 the mid-term AFR was 1.75% and 120% of it was 2.10% (annual compounding), so a 72(t)/SEPP payment beginning in either of the two following months could use up to the greater of 5% and 2.10%. The § 7520 rate for the month was 2.2%.

Table 1 — Applicable Federal Rates, by compounding period
RateAnnualSemiannualQuarterlyMonthly
Short-term (3 years or less)
AFR0.41%0.41%0.41%0.41%
110% AFR0.45%0.45%0.45%0.45%
120% AFR0.49%0.49%0.49%0.49%
130% AFR0.53%0.53%0.53%0.53%
Mid-term (over 3, up to 9 years)
AFR1.75%1.74%1.74%1.73%
110% AFR1.92%1.91%1.91%1.90%
120% AFR2.10%2.09%2.08%2.08%
130% AFR2.27%2.26%2.25%2.25%
150% AFR2.63%2.61%2.60%2.60%
175% AFR3.07%3.05%3.04%3.03%
Long-term (over 9 years)
AFR2.67%2.65%2.64%2.64%
110% AFR2.94%2.92%2.91%2.90%
120% AFR3.21%3.18%3.17%3.16%
130% AFR3.48%3.45%3.44%3.43%
Table 2 — Adjusted AFR (§ 1288, tax-exempt obligations)
TermAnnualSemiannualQuarterlyMonthly
Short-term adjusted AFR0.41%0.41%0.41%0.41%
Mid-term adjusted AFR1.36%1.36%1.36%1.36%
Long-term adjusted AFR2.67%2.65%2.64%2.64%
Tables 3 and 5 — § 382 and § 7520 rates
Adjusted federal long-term rate (§ 382)2.67%
Long-term tax-exempt rate (§ 382; highest of this and the prior two months)2.80%
§ 7520 rate (annuities, life estates, remainders)2.2%

Source: IRS Rev. Rul. 2015-1, Tables 1, 2, 3 and 5 (PDF on irs.gov). Percentages are shown as the ruling prints them; nothing here is rounded or derived except the worked lines below, which are labelled as such. Rates apply to the calendar month named, under IRC § 1274(d); which month governs a given instrument depends on the Code section that uses it.

How the 120% mid-term rate is derived

The IRS applies each multiple to the semiannual mid-term AFR, then converts that semiannual rate to the other compounding periods. Multiplying the annual figure by 1.2 does not reproduce the published table; this does, within 0.01 percentage points, in every ruling since January 2000.

semiannual mid-term AFR 1.74% × 1.2 2.09% (published semiannual 120%: 2.09%) annual (1 + s/2)² − 1 2.10% (published: 2.10%) quarterly 4 × ((1 + s/2)^(1/2) − 1) 2.08% (published: 2.08%) monthly 12 × ((1 + s/2)^(1/6) − 1) 2.08% (published: 2.08%)

The § 7520 rate is the annual 120% mid-term figure rounded to the nearest 0.2%, with a tie rounding up: 2.10% → 2.2%, which is what the ruling publishes.

What these rates are for

IRC § 1274(d) requires the IRS to publish the applicable federal rates every month: the short-term rate for instruments of three years or less, the mid-term rate for over three and up to nine years, and the long-term rate beyond that, each set from the average market yield on outstanding U.S. Treasury obligations of comparable maturity. The multiples serve other Code sections: 120% of the mid-term rate caps a 72(t)/SEPP fixed-amortization or annuitization payment (Notice 2022-6) and, rounded to 0.2%, is the § 7520 rate used to value annuities, life estates and remainders; the 110%, 130%, 150% and 175% rows feed § 42, § 382, § 467 and § 468 computations. The adjusted AFR in Table 2 is the § 1288 rate for tax-exempt obligations.

Informational only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Confirm the figure against the linked ruling before relying on it.

Last reviewed: November 2026 · snapshot built 2026-10-26 from irs.gov.

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