Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 36
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 36, § 186 (2026)

Interest

✓ current as of May 2026
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A person who fails to pay any tax, other than a tax imposed pursuant to chapter 105, on or before the last date prescribed for payment is liable for interest on the tax, calculated from that date and compounded monthly. The rate of interest for any calendar year equals the highest prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal on the first day of September of the preceding calendar year or, if the first day of September falls on a weekend or holiday, on the next succeeding business day, rounded up to the next whole percent plus 3 percentage points. The rate of interest for any calendar year beginning on or after January 1, 2018 equals the prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal on the first day of September of the preceding calendar year or, if the first day of September falls on a weekend or holiday, on the next succeeding business day, rounded up to the next whole percent plus one percentage point. For purposes of this section, the last date prescribed for payment of tax must be determined without regard to any extension of time permitted for filing a return. A tax that is upheld on administrative or judicial review bears interest from the date on which payment would have been due in the absence of review. Any amount that has been erroneously refunded and is recoverable by the assessor bears interest at the rate determined pursuant to this section from the date of payment of the refund. A credit or reimbursement that has been allowed or paid pursuant to this Title and is recoverable by the assessor bears interest at the rate determined pursuant to this section from the date it was allowed or paid. Interest accrues automatically, without being assessed by the assessor, and is recoverable by the assessor in the same manner as if it were a tax assessed under this Title. If the failure to pay a tax when required is explained to the satisfaction of the assessor, the assessor may abate or waive the payment of all or any part of that interest.   [PL 2017, c. 211, Pt. A, §6 (AMD).]
Except as otherwise provided in this Title, and except for taxes imposed pursuant to chapter 105, interest at the rate determined pursuant to this section must be paid on overpayments of tax from the date the return listing the overpayment was filed or the date payment was made, whichever is later.   [PL 2009, c. 625, §3 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1977, c. 679, §1 (NEW). PL 1981, c. 22, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 180, §1 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 364, §14 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 706, §§3,4 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 333, §§1,3 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 772, §7 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 502, §§A164,A165 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 846, §6 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 668, §13 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 414, §9 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 583, §9 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 583, §24 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 673, §KK1 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 673, §KK3 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 625, §3 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 211, Pt. A, §6 (AMD).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1990–2023 · leading case: Blue Yonder, LLC v. State Tax Assessor, 2011 ME 49 (Me. 2011).
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Blue Yonder, LLC v. State Tax Assessor, 2011 ME 49 (Me. 2011). · cites it 4× “Blue Yonder also challenges the imposition of interest pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 186 (Supp.2002). [2] We agree with Blue Yonder that the tax was assessed improperly, and we vacate the judgment.”
Eric v. Warnquist v. State Tax Assessor, 2019 ME 19 (Me. 2019). · cites it 6× “§ 5217-A (2017) regarding the income tax credit available to them for income taxes paid to a foreign jurisdiction.”
Victor Bravo Aviation, LLC v. State Tax Assessor, 2011 ME 50 (Me. 2011). · cites it 4× “See 36 M.R.S. § 186 (2005). [¶ 3] The Assessor cross-appeals from the court's decision vacating the Assessor's *1240 denial of Victor Bravo's request for abatement of penalties.”
West Point-Pepperell, Inc. v. State Tax Assessor, 1997 ME 58 (Me. 1997). · cites it 2× “Moreover, since the State is entitled to collect interest that accrues due to the delay caused by an appeal, 36 M.R.S.A. § 186 (1990 & Supp.1996), the taxpayer has a significant stake in the timely prosecution and determination of the taxpayer's challenge to an assessment.”
Precast Structures, Inc. v. State Tax Assessor, 568 A.2d 517 (Me. 1990). · cites it 2× “36 M.R.S.A. § 186 (Supp.1989). That is not surprising since one who is liable for the tax like Precast has the full use of the money during that period.”
Express Scripts Inc. et al., 2023 ME 68 (Me. 2023). “• Finally, in Count 6, Express Scripts argued that any interest that has accrued against Express Scripts for failure to pay tax as a result of this litigation should be abated pursuant to 36 M.R.S. § 186 (2023). [¶12] The matter was transferred to the Business and Consumer…”
Victor Bravo Aviation, LLC v. State Tax Assessor, 2012 ME 32 (Me. 2012). · cites it 6× “Victor Bravo argues that the trial court erred by declining to waive or abate interest assessed against Victor Bravo, pursuant to 36 M.R.S. § 186 (2005). 1 We affirm the trial court’s order.”
Eric v. Warnquist v. State Tax Assessor, 2019 ME 19 (Me. 2019). · cites it 6× “§ 5217-A (2017) regarding the income tax credit available to them for income taxes paid to a foreign jurisdiction. They also challenge the court’s determination that the penalties and interest assessed against them for the 2012 and 2013 tax years were appropriate.”
Eric v. Warnquist v. State Tax Assessor, 2019 ME 19 (Me. 2019). · cites it 2× “See 36 M.R.S. §§ 186, 187-B; see also John Swenson Granite, Inc.”
Warnquist v. State Tax Assessor (Me. Super. Ct 2018). · cites it 2× “13 Given the prior notice given to the Petitioners and the explicit directions found in the worksheet, Petitioners have not shown any reasonable cause to abate the assessed substantial understatement penalties.”
Mile High Air v. State Tax Assessor (Me. Super. Ct 2012). “2002), (Count IV); and 2) whether MHA has established sufficient grounds for the waiver of interest pursuant to 36 M.R.S.A. § 186 (Supp. 2002), (Count VI).”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.