Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 1.162-8. Treatment of excessive compensation.
Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).
Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 162
Cite as 26 CFR § 1.162-8
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Source
- T.D. 6500, 25 FR 11402, Nov. 26, 1960; 25 FR 14021, Dec. 21, 1960; T.D. 9989, 89 FR 17606, Mar. 11, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 162
- Length
- 133 words · about 1 min to read
The income tax liability of the recipient in respect of an amount ostensibly paid to him as compensation, but not allowed to be deducted as such by the payor, will depend upon the circumstances of each case. Thus, in the case of excessive payments by corporations, if such payments correspond or bear a close relationship to stockholdings, and are found to be a distribution of earnings or profits, the excessive payments will be treated as a dividend. If such payments constitute payment for property, they should be treated by the payor as a capital expenditure and by the recipient as part of the purchase price. In the absence of evidence to justify other treatment, excessive payments for salaries or other compensation for personal services will be included in gross income of the recipient.
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter A Income tax
- Part 1 Income taxes
- Itemized Deductions for Individuals and Corporations
Nearby sections
- § 1.162-3 Materials and supplies.
- § 1.162-4 Repairs.
- § 1.162-5 Expenses for education.
- § 1.162-7 Compensation for personal services.
- § 1.162-8 Treatment of excessive compensation.
- § 1.162-9 Bonuses to employees.
- § 1.162-10 Certain employee benefits.
- § 1.162-10T Questions and answers relating to the deduction of employee benefits under the Tax Reform Act of 1984; certain limits on amounts deductible (temporary).
- § 1.162-11 Rentals.