PCORI Only: File Form 720 Once a Year
One return, once a year. If the PCORI fee is the only excise item your organization owes, that is your whole Form 720 obligation. PCORI reporting happens on the second-quarter return, and the IRS says you "will not be required to file Form 720 for the other quarters of the year." There are no deposits either. The next due date is Monday, August 2, 2027, because July 31, 2027 falls on a Saturday.
This pattern usually fits an employer with a self-insured health plan, or an arrangement such as an HRA that is subject to the fee. If your only health coverage is an insurance policy, the IRS chart puts the fee on the issuer, not on you. See who owes the PCORI fee and how it works if you are not sure which side you are on.
What a PCORI-only year looks like on the calendar
Form 720 has four due dates each year. Three of them don't apply to you.
| Quarter | Form 720 due | PCORI-only filer |
|---|---|---|
| Oct to Dec 2026 | Feb 1, 2027 | Do not file |
| Jan to Mar 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | Do not file |
| Apr to Jun 2027 | Aug 2, 2027 | File and pay the fee |
| Jul to Sep 2027 | Nov 1, 2027 | Do not file |
Your plan year doesn't change this. A plan year that ended in any month of 2026 is reported on the one return due in 2027. The fee is due by July 31 of the calendar year after the plan year ends, moved to the next business day when that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday.
Why the word "quarterly" on the form doesn't bind you
The general rule in the instructions does sound strict: you must file a return for each quarter, and a business that was liable in a prior quarter keeps filing until it files a final return. Read alone, that could suggest last year's PCORI return now commits you to all four quarters.
It doesn't. The "Who Must File" section carries a caution that sends you to special rules for this fee, and those rules are plain: "If you file Form 720 only to report the fee, don't file Form 720 for the first, third, or fourth quarter of the year."
The same goes for the instruction to enter a zero when you aren't reporting a tax you normally report. That text sits right next to the sentence that says second-quarter PCORI filers have no filing in other quarters unless they have other fees or taxes to report. You don't need placeholder returns.
What you owe with that one return, and what you can skip
Payment is due when the return is due. Deposits aren't required for this fee, so you can leave out the semimonthly deposit routine that many excise filers follow. Schedule A isn't needed either, since the form says not to complete it for Part II taxes, and PCORI is in Part II.
The amount is your average covered lives times the rate for your plan year. Rates in the June 2026 form:
| Plan year ended | Rate | Self-insured line |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025 | $3.47 | 133(c) |
| Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026 | $3.84 | 133(d) |
The IRS sources we used give no rate for plan years ending on or after October 1, 2026. So if your plan year ends December 31, 2026, look for the rate in the second-quarter 2027 instructions before you do the math. For a plan year that does have a published rate, the PCORI fee calculator gives you the number quickly.
What if an IRS notice asks about another quarter?
The IRS sources we checked don't describe this situation, so we won't guess at how the IRS handles one. Here is what those sources do say, and it's useful if you need to respond:
- IRS Q&A 8 states that filers with no other Form 720 liabilities "will not be required to file Form 720 for the other quarters of the year."
- For a notice about a penalty, the instructions say to reply to the notice with an explanation. The IRS then decides whether you meet the reasonable-cause criteria. Don't include that explanation with the return itself.
- The IRS lists an excise hotline, 866-699-4096, on its excise e-file page.
Have your second-quarter return and its proof of filing ready before you reply. Also check the notice against your records. If you did owe another excise tax in that quarter, the once-a-year rule doesn't cover you.
Should you check "Final return," and when does this pattern end?
The instructions say to file a final return if you have been filing Form 720 and you go out of business or won't owe excise taxes reportable on Form 720 in future quarters. If you expect to owe PCORI again next year, that second condition doesn't describe you, so the box doesn't fit.
Two changes can end the one-return pattern:
- You start owing another Form 720 tax. You then file for each quarter you have that liability, as described in who must file Form 720. PCORI still goes only on the second-quarter return. On first-, third-, and fourth-quarter filings, the instructions say not to make an entry on the IRS No. 133 line.
- The fee stops applying to you. That can happen when your plan ends or moves to fully insured coverage, leaving you with no subject arrangement. You would still report the last plan year that ended while the plan was subject to the fee, and the fee itself covers only plan years ending before October 1, 2029.
Filing your one return online
A once-a-year task is easy to forget between filings, and the details fade. If you file your PCORI fee online with EasyFile720, past returns stay saved in your account, so next year you can see what you reported last time.
The process is guided from business details through to submission. You enter your covered lives, the rate and the math are handled for you, and validations check for common mistakes before you submit. You sign electronically and get an IRS acknowledgment once the return is accepted.
Your next step is to create a free account, with no credit card needed to start, and add the business that sponsors the plan. Have its EIN, your plan year end date, and your average covered lives ready. You pay $39.95 when you file, which is likely all a single PCORI-only business needs. See pricing if you handle more than one business.
FAQ
Do I need to send the IRS a zero return for the quarters when I owe nothing?▼
Not if PCORI is the only thing you report. The Form 720 instructions say no filing is required in other quarters unless you have other fees or taxes to report.
We filed Form 720 for PCORI last year. Does that put us on a quarterly schedule?▼
No. The IRS says filers with no other Form 720 liabilities file only once a year, and that repeats each year you owe the fee.
Do I need an EFTPS account if PCORI is my only excise item?▼
No. Deposits are not required for this fee, so you are not required to pay it through EFTPS. If you choose EFTPS anyway, apply the payment to the second quarter.
Is the Full Year Plan worth buying for one PCORI return a year?▼
For one business filing one return a year, the $39.95 per-filing price is the simpler fit. The Full Year Plan makes more sense if you file for several businesses or several quarters.
File your PCORI fee online
Create a free account with no credit card and build your return. You pay $39.95 only when you file. EasyFile720 is an IRS-authorized e-file provider, and you get an acknowledgment when the IRS accepts your return.
Sources: Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026); Form 720 (Rev. June 2026); IRS PCORI Questions and Answers; IRS Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fee page; IRS PCORI coverage chart; IRS Excise Tax e-File and Compliance page; 720 Business Rules Publication 2026Q4v1.0. General information, not tax advice. Confirm how the rules apply to you with a qualified advisor or the IRS.
