Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 31.3121(a)(1)-1. Annual wage limitation.
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. § 3121(a)(1)
Cite as 26 CFR § 31.3121(a)(1)-1
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Issued
- December 20, 1960 by T.D. 6516
- Last amended
- December 19, 1979 by T.D. 7660
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 3121(a)(1)
- Length
- 2,190 words · about 10 min to read
- Defines
- 1 term
- Cross-references
- cites 3 Code sections and 5 regulations; cited by 7
(exclusive of remuneration excepted from wages in accordance with paragraph (j) of § 31.3121(a)-1 or §§ 31.3121(a)(2)-1 to 31.3121(a)(15)-1, inclusive) paid within the calendar year by an employer to the employee for employment performed for him at any time after 1936. For provisions relating to the treatment of tips for purposes of the annual wage limitation see § 31.3121(q)-1.
Employee A, in 1967 receives $7,000 from employer B in part payment of $8,000 due him from employment performed in 1967. In 1968 A receives from employer B the balance of $1,000 due him for employment performed in 1967, and thereafter in 1968 also receives $7,000 for employment performed in 1968 for employer B. The first $6,600 of the $7,000 received during 1967 is subject to the taxes in 1967. The remaining $400 received in 1967 is not included as wages and is not subject to the taxes. The balance of $1,000 received in 1968 for employment during 1967 is subject to the taxes during 1968 as is also the first $6,800 of the $7,000 thereafter received in 1968 ($1,000 plus $6,800 totaling $7,800, which is the annual wage limitation applicable to remuneration received in 1968 by an employee from any one employer). The remaining $200 received in 1968 is not included as wages and is not subject to the taxes.
During 1968 employee C receives from employer D a salary of $1,300 a month for employment performed for D during the first 7 months of 1968, or total remuneration of $9,100. At the end of the 6th month C has received $7,800 from employer D, and only that part of his total remuneration from D constitutes wages subject to the taxes. The $1,300 received by employee C from employer D in the 7th month is not included as wages and is not subject to the taxes. At the end of the 7th month C leaves the employ of D and enters the employ of E. C receives remuneration of $1,560 a month from employer E in each of the remaining 5 months of 1968, or total remuneration of $7,800 from employer E. The entire $7,800 received by C from employer E constitutes wages and is subject to the taxes. Thus, the first $7,800 received from employer D and the entire $7,800 received from employer E constitute wages.
During the calendar year 1968 F is simultaneously an officer (an employee) of the X Corporation, the Y Corporation, and the Z Corporation and during such year receives a salary of $7,800 from each corporation. Each $7,800 received by F from each of the Corporations X, Y, and Z (whether or not such corporations are related) constitutes wages and is subject to the taxes.
The M Corporation which is engaged in the manufacture of automobiles, including the manufacture of automobile engines, discontinues the manufacture of the engines and transfers all the property used in such manufacturing operation to the N Company. The N Company is considered to have acquired a separate unit of the trade or business of the M Corporation, namely, its engine manufacturing unit.
The R Corporation which is engaged in the operation of a chain of grocery stores transfers one of such stores to the S Company. The S Company is considered to have acquired a separate unit of the trade or business of the R Corporation.
The Y Corporation in 1968 acquires by purchase all the property of the X Company and immediately after the acquisition employs in its trade or business employee A, who, immediately prior to the acquisition, was employed by the X Company. The X Company has in 1968 (the calendar year in which the acquisition occurs) and prior to the acquisition paid $5,000 of wages to A. The Y Corporation in 1968 pays to A remuneration of $5,000 with respect to employment. Only $2,800 of the remuneration paid by the Y Corporation is considered to be wages. For purposes of the $7,800 limitation, the Y Corporation is credited with the $5,000 paid to A by the X Company. If in the same calendar year, the Z Company acquires the property by purchase from the Y Corporation and A immediately after the acquistion is employed by the Z Company in its trade or business, no part of the remuneration paid to A by the Z Company in the year of the acquisition will be considered to be wages. The Z Company will be credited with the remuneration paid to A by the Y Corporation and also with the wages paid to A by the X Company (considered for purposes of the application of the $7,800 limitation as having also been paid by the Y Corporation).
[T.D. 6516, 25 FR 13032, Dec. 20, 1960, as amended by T.D. 6744, 29 FR 8307, July 2, 1964; T.D. 6983, 33 FR 18015, Dec. 4, 1968; T.D. 7374, 40 FR 30948, July 24, 1975; T.D. 7660, 44 FR 75139, Dec. 19, 1979]
Terms defined here
Where the text says “the term … means”. Select a term to jump to its definition.
Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.
Code sections it cites
- § 6413 Special rules applicable to certain employment taxes
- § 501 Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.
- § 3121 Definitions
Regulations it cites
- § 31.3121(a)-1 Wages.
- § 31.3121(a)(2)-1 Payments on account of sickness or accident disability, medical or hospitalization expenses, or death.
- § 31.3121(q)-1 Tips included for employee taxes.
- § 31.6413(c)-1 Special refunds.
- § 31.3121(s)-1 Concurrent employment by related corporations with common paymaster.
Cited by 7 other regulations
- § 1.45R-3 Calculating the credit.
- § 1.414(v)-2 Catch-up contributions required to be designated Roth contributions under section 414(v)(7).
- § 31.3121(a)-1 Wages.
- § 31.3121(q)-1 Tips included for employee taxes.
- § 31.3202-1 Collection of, and liability for, employee tax.
- § 31.3221-1 Measure of employer tax.
- § 31.3231(e)-2 Contribution base.
Amendment history
From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.
- Amended by T.D. 7660 (44 FR 75139)
- Amended by T.D. 7374 (40 FR 30948)
- Amended by T.D. 6983 (33 FR 18015)
- Amended by T.D. 6744 (29 FR 8307)
- Issued by T.D. 6516 (25 FR 13032)
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter C Employment taxes and collection of income tax at source
- Part 31 Employment taxes and collection of income tax at source
- Subpart B Federal Insurance Contributions Act (Chapter 21, Internal Revenue Code of 1954)
- General Provisions
Nearby sections
- § 31.3121(a)-1 Wages.
- § 31.3121(a)-1T Question and answer relating to the definition of wages in section 3121(a) (Temporary).
- § 31.3121(a)-2 Wages; when paid and received.
- § 31.3121(a)-3 Reimbursement and other expense allowance amounts.
- § 31.3121(a)(1)-1 Annual wage limitation.
- § 31.3121(a)(2)-1 Payments on account of sickness or accident disability, medical or hospitalization expenses, or death.
- § 31.3121(a)(3)-1 Retirement payments.
- § 31.3121(a)(4)-1 Payments on account of sickness or accident disability, or medical or hospitalization expenses.
- § 31.3121(a)(5)-1 Payments from or to certain tax-exempt trusts, or under or to certain annuity plans or bond purchase plans.