Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Form 720 is the Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return, and it is filed by a person or business that is liable for, or responsible for collecting, the federal excise taxes listed on it. A return is due for each quarter of the calendar year, on April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. This page follows the Rev. June 2026 edition of the form and its instructions.
Quick reference
| Item | As the IRS form or instructions state it |
|---|---|
| Form and edition | Form 720 (Rev. June 2026), Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return |
| Due dates | April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31, one for each quarter |
| Where to send a paper return | Ogden, UT 84201-0009 (Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service) |
| Indoor tanning services tax | 10% of the amount paid for that service |
| Remittance transfer tax | 1% of the amount of certain remittance transfers after 2025 |
| Air transportation of persons | 7.5% percentage tax plus $5.30 per domestic segment for 2026 |
| PCOR fee, policy years ending October 1, 2025 to before October 1, 2026 | $3.84 per average life covered |
| How long to keep records | At least 4 years from the latest of three listed dates |
What Form 720 is for and who files it
The instructions state the purpose in one sentence: “Use Form 720 and attachments to report your liability by IRS No. and pay the excise taxes listed on the form.” An excise tax is a tax on a specific kind of sale, service or activity, not on income, and each tax on the form carries an IRS number.
The instructions give two situations in which a return is required: “You must file Form 720 if:” first, “You were liable for, or responsible for collecting, any of the federal excise taxes listed in Form 720, Parts I and II, for a prior quarter and you haven’t filed a final return”; or second, “You are liable for, or responsible for collecting, any of the federal excise taxes listed in Form 720, Parts I and II, for the current quarter”.
Most readers searching for this form are one of two kinds of filer. A business that collects an excise tax from customers, such as a tanning salon or an airline, files because it collects. A person who owes a tax directly, such as an individual importing a gas guzzling automobile, files because the tax is theirs.
Quarterly due dates and how the return is filed
On timing, the instructions say “You must file a return for each quarter of the calendar year” and print the schedule below.
| Quarter covered | Due by, as printed |
|---|---|
| January, February, March | “Jan., Feb., Mar. April 30” |
| April, May, June | “Apr., May, June July 31” |
| July, August, September | “July, Aug., Sept. October 31” |
| October, November, December | “Oct., Nov., Dec. January 31” |
The instructions add a weekend rule: “If any due date for filing a return falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, you may file the return on the next business day.”
For a paper return, the instructions list one address: “Ogden, UT 84201-0009”. They also say “You can electronically file Form 720 through any electronic return originator (ERO), transmitter, and/or intermediate service provider (ISP) participating in the IRS e-file program for excise taxes.”
A quarter with nothing to report still has instructions: “If you aren’t reporting a tax that you normally report, enter a zero on the appropriate line in Form 720, Part I or II.” On one fee, “If you file the second-quarter Form 720 only to report the PCOR fee, no filing is required in other quarters unless you have to report other fees or taxes.”
The parts of the form in plain words
The form is built in three parts, plus schedules. Part I lists environmental taxes, communications and air transportation taxes, fuel taxes, retail taxes, the ship passenger tax and other excise taxes. Part II lists further taxes, and Part III carries the total tax. The form tells filers of environmental taxes to “attach Form 6627”, and the instructions say “Complete Schedule C for claims only if you are reporting liability in Part I or II of Form 720.”
Two related forms come up often. For changes to an earlier quarter, the instructions say “If you have adjustments to liabilities reported for prior quarters, see Form 720-X, Amended Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return.” They add “Don’t enter adjustments on Form 720.”
Rates and figures the instructions print
Many of the taxes are a flat percentage or a fixed dollar amount, and the instructions state them in plain sentences. These are the ones most likely to matter to an individual or a small business.
| Tax | As the instructions print it |
|---|---|
| Indoor tanning services | “The tax on indoor tanning service is 10% of the amount paid for that service.” |
| Air transportation of persons, percentage | “The percentage tax is 7.5% of amounts paid for taxable transportation of persons by air.” |
| Air transportation of persons, per segment | “For calendar year 2026, the tax on the amount paid for each domestic segment of taxable transportation is $5.30.” |
| Remittance transfers | “imposes a 1% tax on the amount of certain remittance transfers that occur after 2025” |
Indoor tanning has a clear collector. The instructions say “The tax is paid by the person paying for the indoor tanning service and is collected by the person receiving payment for the indoor tanning services.” They add “If the tax isn’t collected for any reason, the collector is liable for the tax.”
The remittance transfer tax is new for 2026. The instructions say “The 1% remittance transfer tax applies to certain remittances when the sender makes the transaction with cash, a money order, a cashier’s check, or a similar physical instrument.” Providers have collection duties: “Remittance transfer providers are required to collect the remittance transfer tax from certain senders, make semimonthly deposits, and file quarterly returns.”
A one-time filing by an individual
Form 720 is not only for businesses. On the gas guzzler tax, the instructions say “Use Form 6197, Gas Guzzler Tax, to figure the liability for this tax.” An importer who does not import such automobiles in the course of a trade or business may qualify for a single filing. The steps include “File Form 720 for the quarter in which you incur liability for the tax.” and “Pay the tax with Form 720. No deposits are required.”
On the identification number, the instructions say “If you are an individual and don’t have an EIN, enter your social security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) on Form 720 and Form 720-V, Payment Voucher, in the space for the EIN.”
For records, the instructions say “Keep records to support all claims and all exemptions at least 4 years from the latest of the date:” the tax became due, the tax was paid or a claim was filed.
Where to go next
Businesses that need an employer identification number can read how to get an EIN and Form SS-4. For the quarterly payroll return, see Form 941. For the IRS’s own overview, see the IRS page for Form 720.
Where this comes from
The editions read for this page are Form 720 (Rev. June 2026) and the Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026), which are the revisions irs.gov served when they were read on 2026-10-19; check the revision printed on the form you file, because a later revision can change the lines, the rates and the due dates. This page describes Form 720 (Rev. June 2026), Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return; Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026), as served on irs.gov on October 19, 2026. The IRS can revise a form after we read it, and the form you file and its own instructions control. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Common mistakes
- Treating the filing as annual. The instructions say “You must file a return for each quarter of the calendar year”, not once a year.
- Correcting an earlier quarter on the current return. The instructions say “Don’t enter adjustments on Form 720.”
- Skipping a quarter because nothing is owed. The instructions say to enter a zero on the line for a tax that is normally reported, and the form is signed and dated.
- Assuming the tanning tax falls on the salon. The instructions say “The tax is paid by the person paying for the indoor tanning service”, with the salon as collector.
Related: how to get an EIN, Form SS-4, Form 941, Form 8300, and Form 1065.
Sources
- Form 720 (Rev. June 2026), Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f720.pdf
- Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i720.pdf
Read from the IRS pages linked above on October 19, 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice. The IRS form and the instructions for your own form control, and your own facts decide the outcome.