Applicable Federal Rates · September 2026
Applicable Federal Rates for September 2026
Every rate the IRS published for September 2026 in Rev. Rul. 2026-17: 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 September 2026 the mid-term AFR was 4.49% and 120% of it was 5.40% (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 5.40%. The § 7520 rate for the month was 5.4%.
| Rate | Annual | Semiannual | Quarterly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term (3 years or less) | ||||
| AFR | 4.18% | 4.14% | 4.12% | 4.10% |
| 110% AFR | 4.60% | 4.55% | 4.52% | 4.51% |
| 120% AFR | 5.03% | 4.97% | 4.94% | 4.92% |
| 130% AFR | 5.45% | 5.38% | 5.34% | 5.32% |
| Mid-term (over 3, up to 9 years) | ||||
| AFR | 4.49% | 4.44% | 4.42% | 4.40% |
| 110% AFR | 4.94% | 4.88% | 4.85% | 4.83% |
| 120% AFR | 5.40% | 5.33% | 5.29% | 5.27% |
| 130% AFR | 5.85% | 5.77% | 5.73% | 5.70% |
| 150% AFR | 6.77% | 6.66% | 6.61% | 6.57% |
| 175% AFR | 7.92% | 7.77% | 7.70% | 7.65% |
| Long-term (over 9 years) | ||||
| AFR | 5.12% | 5.06% | 5.03% | 5.01% |
| 110% AFR | 5.65% | 5.57% | 5.53% | 5.51% |
| 120% AFR | 6.16% | 6.07% | 6.02% | 5.99% |
| 130% AFR | 6.69% | 6.58% | 6.53% | 6.49% |
| Term | Annual | Semiannual | Quarterly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term adjusted AFR | 3.16% | 3.14% | 3.13% | 3.12% |
| Mid-term adjusted AFR | 3.40% | 3.37% | 3.36% | 3.35% |
| Long-term adjusted AFR | 3.88% | 3.84% | 3.82% | 3.81% |
| Adjusted federal long-term rate (§ 382) | 3.88% |
| Long-term tax-exempt rate (§ 382; highest of this and the prior two months) | 3.88% |
| § 7520 rate (annuities, life estates, remainders) | 5.4% |
Source: IRS Rev. Rul. 2026-17, 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.
The § 7520 rate is the annual 120% mid-term figure rounded to the nearest 0.2%, with a tie rounding up: 5.40% → 5.4%, 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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