The structure of the title compound, C(12)H(8)N(2)O(4)S(2), contains no direction-specific intermolecular interactions, i.e. no C-H...O hydrogen bonds, no aromatic pi-pi-stacking interactions and no C-H...pi(arene) interactions. This behaviour is compared with the three known symmetrical isomers of bis(nitrophenyl) disulfide, having the nitro groups on the two 2-, 3- or 4-positions, all of which exhibit direction-specific supramolecular aggregation.