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Internal Revenue Code · 26 U.S.C.

§ 3401. Definitions

In force Text current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026) release point 119-121

Official text, no changes From the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, release point 119-121 (current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026)). Compare it with the official text at uscode.house.gov (external site).

Cite as 26 U.S.C. § 3401

At a glance

Read from the text, the source credit and the official notes. Not part of the law.

Status
In force
Enacted
September 21, 1961 by Pub. L. 87–256
Last amended
March 23, 2018 by Pub. L. 115–141
Amendments
32 dated changes in the source credit
Length
9 subsections · 2,428 words · about 11 min to read
Defines
10 terms
Cross-references
cites 19; cited by 20 Code sections and 46 other regulations
Regulations
31 issued under this section
(a) Wages For purposes of this chapter, the term “wages” means all remuneration (other than fees paid to a public official) for services performed by an employee for his employer, including the cash value of all remuneration (including benefits) paid in any medium other than cash; except that such term shall not include remuneration paid—
(1) for active service performed in a month for which such employee is entitled to the benefits of section 112 (relating to certain combat zone compensation of members of the Armed Forces of the United States) to the extent remuneration for such service is excludable from gross income under such section,
(2) for agricultural labor (as defined in section 3121(g)) unless the remuneration paid for such labor is wages (as defined in section 3121(a)),
(3) for domestic service in a private home, local college club, or local chapter of a college fraternity or sorority,
(4) for service not in the course of the employer’s trade or business performed in any calendar quarter by an employee, unless the cash remuneration paid for such service is $50 or more and such service is performed by an individual who is regularly employed by such employer to perform such service. For purposes of this paragraph, an individual shall be deemed to be regularly employed by an employer during a calendar quarter only if—
(A) on each of some 24 days during such quarter such individual performs for such employer for some portion of the day service not in the course of the employer’s trade or business, or
(B) such individual was regularly employed (as determined under subparagraph (A)) by such employer in the performance of such service during the preceding calendar quarter,
(5) for services by a citizen or resident of the United States for a foreign government or an international organization,
(6) for such services, performed by a nonresident alien individual, as may be designated by regulations prescribed by the Secretary,
[(7) Repealed. Pub. L. 89–809, title I, § 103(k), Nov. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 1554]
(8)
(A) for services for an employer (other than the United States or any agency thereof)—
(i) performed by a citizen of the United States if, at the time of the payment of such remuneration, it is reasonable to believe that such remuneration will be excluded from gross income under section 911, or
(ii) performed in a foreign country or in a possession of the United States by such a citizen if, at the time of the payment of such remuneration, the employer is required by the law of any foreign country or possession of the United States to withhold income tax upon such remuneration,
(B) for services for an employer (other than the United States or any agency thereof) performed by a citizen of the United States within a possession of the United States (other than Puerto Rico), if it is reasonable to believe that at least 80 percent of the remuneration to be paid to the employee by such employer during the calendar year will be for such services,
(C) for services for an employer (other than the United States or any agency thereof) performed by a citizen of the United States within Puerto Rico, if it is reasonable to believe that during the entire calendar year the employee will be a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico, or
(D) for services for the United States (or any agency thereof) performed by a citizen of the United States within a possession of the United States to the extent the United States (or such agency) withholds taxes on such remuneration pursuant to an agreement with such possession,
(9) for services performed by a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church in the exercise of his ministry or by a member of a religious order in the exercise of duties required by such order,
(10)
(A) for services performed by an individual under the age of 18 in the delivery or distribution of newspapers or shopping news, not including delivery or distribution to any point for subsequent delivery or distribution, or
(B) for services performed by an individual in, and at the time of, the sale of newspapers or magazines to ultimate consumers, under an arrangement under which the newspapers or magazines are to be sold by him at a fixed price, his compensation being based on the retention of the excess of such price over the amount at which the newspapers or magazines are charged to him, whether or not he is guaranteed a minimum amount of compensation for such services, or is entitled to be credited with the unsold newspapers or magazines turned back,
(11) for services not in the course of the employer’s trade or business, to the extent paid in any medium other than cash,
(12) to, or on behalf of, an employee or his beneficiary—
(A) from or to a trust described in section 401(a) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a) at the time of such payment unless such payment is made to an employee of the trust as remuneration for services rendered as such employee and not as a beneficiary of the trust,
(B) under or to an annuity plan which, at the time of such payment, is a plan described in section 403(a),
(C) for a payment described in section 402(h)(1) and (2) if, at the time of such payment, it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be entitled to an exclusion under such section for payment,
(D) under an arrangement to which section 408(p) applies, or
(E) under or to an eligible deferred compensation plan which, at the time of such payment, is a plan described in section 457(b) which is maintained by an eligible employer described in section 457(e)(1)(A),
(13) pursuant to any provision of law other than section 5(c) or 6(1) of the Peace Corps Act, for service performed as a volunteer or volunteer leader within the meaning of such Act,
(14) in the form of group-term life insurance on the life of an employee,
(15) to or on behalf of an employee if (and to the extent that) at the time of the payment of such remuneration it is reasonable to believe that a corresponding deduction is allowable under section 217 (determined without regard to section 274(n)),
(16)
(A) as tips in any medium other than cash,11 So in original. Probably should be followed by “or”.
(B) as cash tips to an employee in any calendar month in the course of his employment by an employer unless the amount of such cash tips is $20 or more,
(17) for service described in section 3121(b)(20),
(18) for any payment made, or benefit furnished, to or for the benefit of an employee if at the time of such payment or such furnishing it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude such payment or benefit from income under section 127, 129, 134(b)(4), or 134(b)(5),
(19) for any benefit provided to or on behalf of an employee if at the time such benefit is provided it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude such benefit from income under section 74(c), 108(f)(4), 117, or 132,
(20) for any medical care reimbursement made to or for the benefit of an employee under a self-insured medical reimbursement plan (within the meaning of section 105(h)(6)),
(21) for any payment made to or for the benefit of an employee if at the time of such payment it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude such payment from income under section 106(b),
(22) any payment made to or for the benefit of an employee if at the time of such payment it is reasonable to believe that the employee will be able to exclude such payment from income under section 106(d), or
(23) for any benefit or payment which is excludable from the gross income of the employee under section 139B(b).
The term “wages” includes any amount includible in gross income of an employee under section 409A and payment of such amount shall be treated as having been made in the taxable year in which the amount is so includible.
(b) Payroll period

For purposes of this chapter, the term “payroll period” means a period for which a payment of wages is ordinarily made to the employee by his employer, and the term “miscellaneous payroll period” means a payroll period other than a daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual payroll period.

(c) Employee

For purposes of this chapter, the term “employee” includes an officer, employee, or elected official of the United States, a State, or any political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia, or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing. The term “employee” also includes an officer of a corporation.

(d) Employer For purposes of this chapter, the term “employer” means the person for whom an individual performs or performed any service, of whatever nature, as the employee of such person, except that—
(1) if the person for whom the individual performs or performed the services does not have control of the payment of the wages for such services, the term “employer” (except for purposes of subsection (a)) means the person having control of the payment of such wages, and
(2) in the case of a person paying wages on behalf of a nonresident alien individual, foreign partnership, or foreign corporation, not engaged in trade or business within the United States, the term “employer” (except for purposes of subsection (a)) means such person.
[(e) Repealed. Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 11041(c)(2)(A), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2082]
(f) Tips

For purposes of subsection (a), the term “wages” includes tips received by an employee in the course of his employment. Such wages shall be deemed to be paid at the time a written statement including such tips is furnished to the employer pursuant to section 6053(a) or (if no statement including such tips is so furnished) at the time received.

(g) Crew leader rules to apply

Rules similar to the rules of section 3121(o) shall apply for purposes of this chapter.

(h) Differential wage payments to active duty members of the uniformed services
(1) In general

For purposes of subsection (a), any differential wage payment shall be treated as a payment of wages by the employer to the employee.

(2) Differential wage payment For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “differential wage payment” means any payment which—
(A) is made by an employer to an individual with respect to any period during which the individual is performing service in the uniformed services (as defined in chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code) while on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, and
(B) represents all or a portion of the wages the individual would have received from the employer if the individual were performing service for the employer.
(i) Qualified stock for which an election is in effect under section 83(i) For purposes of subsection (a), qualified stock (as defined in section 83(i)) with respect to which an election is made under section 83(i) shall be treated as wages—
(1) received on the earliest date described in section 83(i)(1)(B), and
(2) in an amount equal to the amount included in income under section 83 for the taxable year which includes such date.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 455; Aug. 9, 1955, ch. 681, 69 Stat. 616; Pub. L. 87–256, § 110(g)(1), Sept. 21, 1961, 75 Stat. 537; Pub. L. 87–293, title II, § 201(c), Sept. 22, 1961, 75 Stat. 625; Pub. L. 87–792, § 7(l), Oct. 10, 1962, 76 Stat. 830; Pub. L. 88–272, title II, §§ 204(b), 213(c), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 36, 52; Pub. L. 89–97, title III, § 313(d)(1), (2), July 30, 1965, 79 Stat. 383, 384; Pub. L. 89–809, title I, § 103(k), Nov. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 1554; Pub. L. 92–279, § 2, Apr. 26, 1972, 86 Stat. 125; Pub. L. 93–406, title II, § 2002(g)(7), Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 970; Pub. L. 94–455, title XII, § 1207(e)(1)(C), title XV, § 1501(b)(7), title XIX, §§ 1903(c), 1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1707, 1736, 1810, 1834; Pub. L. 95–600, title I, § 164(b)(1), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2813; Pub. L. 95–615, § 207(a), Nov. 8, 1978, 92 Stat. 3108; Pub. L. 96–222, title I, § 103(a)(13)(A), Apr. 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 213; Pub. L. 97–34, title I, §§ 112(b)(5), 124(e)(2)(A), title III, § 311(h)(6), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 195, 200, 282; Pub. L. 97–448, title I, § 103(c)(12)(B), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2377; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title IV, § 491(d)(38), title V, § 531(d)(4), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 851, 885; Pub. L. 99–514, title I, § 122(e)(4), title XII, § 1272(c), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2112, 2594; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, §§ 1001(g)(4)(B)(iii), 1011(f)(9), 1011B(a)(22)(D), (33), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3352, 3463, 3486, 3488; Pub. L. 101–140, title II, § 203(a)(2), Nov. 8, 1989, 103 Stat. 830; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7631(a), (b), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2378; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, § 11703(f)(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–517; Pub. L. 104–117, § 1(c), Mar. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 828; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, §§ 1421(b)(8)(D), 1704(t)(4)(C), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1798, 1887; Pub. L. 104–191, title III, § 301(c)(2)(C), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2049; Pub. L. 105–206, title VI, § 6023(14), (15), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 825; Pub. L. 107–16, title VI, § 641(a)(1)(D)(i), June 7, 2001, 115 Stat. 119; Pub. L. 108–121, title I, § 106(b)(4), Nov. 11, 2003, 117 Stat. 1339; Pub. L. 108–173, title XII, § 1201(d)(2)(C), Dec. 8, 2003, 117 Stat. 2477; Pub. L. 108–357, title III, § 320(b)(4), title VIII, § 885(b)(2), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1473, 1639; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 585(b)(2)(D), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1932; Pub. L. 109–135, title IV, § 412(tt), Dec. 21, 2005, 119 Stat. 2640; Pub. L. 110–245, title I, §§ 105(a)(1), 115(c), June 17, 2008, 122 Stat. 1628, 1637; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, §§ 11041(c)(2)(A), 13603(b)(1), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2082, 2163; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(a)(217), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1194.)

Terms defined here

Where the text says “the term … means”. Select a term to jump to its definition.

Regulations under this section

Treasury regulations (26 CFR) issued under § 3401

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of Title 26 and 26 CFR.

This section cites 19 other sections

Cited by 20 Code sections

Cited in 46 regulations not issued under it

Show 22 more

Amendment history

From the source credit and the official notes, newest first.

  1. Amended by Pub. L. 115–141Parts changed in 2018: (a)
  2. Amended by Pub. L. 115–97Parts changed in 2017: (e) (i)
  3. Amended by Pub. L. 110–245Parts changed in 2008: (a)(23) (h)
  4. Amended by Pub. L. 109–135Parts changed in 2005: (g)
  5. Amended by Pub. L. 108–375Parts changed in 2004: (a) (a)(18) (a)(19)
  6. Amended by Pub. L. 108–357
  7. Amended by Pub. L. 108–173Parts changed in 2003: (a)(18) (a)(22)
  8. Amended by Pub. L. 108–121
  9. Amended by Pub. L. 107–16Parts changed in 2001: (a)(12)(E)
  10. Amended by Pub. L. 105–206Parts changed in 1998: (a)(19)
  11. Amended by Pub. L. 104–191Parts changed in 1996: (a)(1) (a)(12)(D) (a)(21)
  12. Amended by Pub. L. 104–188
  13. Amended by Pub. L. 104–117
  14. Amended by Pub. L. 101–508Parts changed in 1990: (a)(20)
  15. Amended by Pub. L. 101–239Parts changed in 1989: (a)(2) (g) (h)
  16. Amended by Pub. L. 101–140
  17. Amended by Pub. L. 100–647Parts changed in 1988: (a)(12)(C) (a)(15) (a)(19) (g)
  18. Amended by Pub. L. 99–514Parts changed in 1986: (a)(8)(D) (a)(20)
  19. Amended by Pub. L. 98–369Parts changed in 1984: (a) (a)(12) (a)(20)
  20. Amended by Pub. L. 97–448Parts changed in 1983: (a)(12)(D)
  21. Amended by Pub. L. 97–34Parts changed in 1981: (a)(12)(D) (a)(18) (a)(19)
  22. Amended by Pub. L. 96–222Parts changed in 1980: (a)(18)
  23. Amended by Pub. L. 95–615Parts changed in 1978: (a)(18)
  24. Amended by Pub. L. 95–600
  25. Amended by Pub. L. 94–455Parts changed in 1976: (a)(6) (a)(12)(D) (a)(17) (c)
  26. Amended by Pub. L. 93–406Parts changed in 1974: (a)(12)(D)
  27. Amended by Pub. L. 92–279Parts changed in 1972: (a)(1)
  28. Amended by Pub. L. 89–809Parts changed in 1966: (a)(6)
  29. Amended by Pub. L. 89–97Parts changed in 1965: (a)(16) (f)
  30. Amended by Pub. L. 88–272Parts changed in 1964: (a)(14) (a)(15)
  31. Amended by Pub. L. 87–792Parts changed in 1962: (a)(12)(B)
  32. Amended by Pub. L. 87–293Parts changed in 1961: (a)(6)(C) (a)(13)
  33. Enacted by Pub. L. 87–256

Where it sits in the Code

  1. Subtitle C Employment Taxes
  2. Chapter 24 COLLECTION OF INCOME TAX AT SOURCE ON WAGES

Nearby sections

Official notes

The Law Revision Counsel's notes for this section (amendments, effective dates and related laws) are long, so they have their own page.