USC Subchapter A

in effect

26 U.S.C. § 6201 Assessment authority

(a) Authority of SecretaryThe Secretary is authorized and required to make the inquiries, determinations, and assessments of all taxes (including interest, additional amounts, additions to the tax, and assessable penalties) imposed by this title, or accruing under any former internal revenue law, which have not been duly paid by stamp at the time and in the manner provided by law. Such authority shall extend to and include the following:(1) Taxes shown on returnThe Secretary shall assess all taxes determined by the taxpayer or by the Secretary as to which returns or lists (or payments under section 6225(c)(2)(B)(i)) are made under this title. (2) Unpaid taxes payable by stamp(A) Omitted stampsWhenever any article upon which a tax is required to be paid by means of a stamp is sold or removed for sale or use by the manufacturer thereof or whenever any transaction or act upon which a tax is required to be paid by means of a stamp occurs without the use of the proper stamp, it shall be the duty of the Secretary, upon such information as he can obtain, to estimate the amount of tax which has been omitted to be paid and to make assessment therefor upon the person or persons the Secretary determines to be liable for such tax. (B) Check or money order not duly paidIn any case in which a check or money order received under authority of section 6311 as payment for stamps is not duly paid, the unpaid amount may be immediately assessed as if it were a tax imposed by this title, due at the time of such receipt, from the person who tendered such check or money order. (3) Erroneous income tax prepayment creditsIf on any return or claim for refund of income taxes under subtitle A there is an overstatement of the credit for income tax withheld at the source, or of the amount paid as estimated income tax, the amount so overstated which is allowed against the tax shown on the return or which is allowed as a credit or refund may be assessed by the Secretary in the same manner as in the case of a mathematical or clerical error appearing upon the return, except that the provisions of section 6213(b)(2) (relating to abatement of mathematical or clerical error assessments) shall not apply with regard to any assessment under this paragraph. (4) Certain orders of criminal restitution(A) In generalThe Secretary shall assess and collect the amount of restitution under an order pursuant to section 3556 of title 18, United States Code, for failure to pay any tax imposed under this title in the same manner as if such amount were such tax. (B) Time of assessmentAn assessment of an amount of restitution under an order described in subparagraph (A) shall not be made before all appeals of such order are concluded and the right to make all such appeals has expired. (C) Restriction on challenge of assessmentThe amount of such restitution may not be challenged by the person against whom assessed on the basis of the existence or amount of the underlying tax liability in any proceeding authorized under this title (including in any suit or proceeding in court permitted under section 7422). (b) Amount not to be assessed(1) Estimated income taxNo unpaid amount of estimated income tax required to be paid under section 6654 or 6655 shall be assessed. (2) Federal unemployment taxNo unpaid amount of Federal unemployment tax for any calendar quarter or other period of a calendar year, computed as provided in section 6157, shall be assessed. (c) Compensation of childAny income tax under chapter 1 assessed against a child, to the extent attributable to amounts includible in the gross income of the child, and not of the parent, solely by reason of section 73(a), shall, if not paid by the child, for all purposes be considered as having also been properly assessed against the parent. (d) Required reasonable verification of information returnsIn any court proceeding, if a taxpayer asserts a reasonable dispute with respect to any item of income reported on an information return filed with the Secretary under subpart B or C of part III of subchapter A of chapter 61 by a third party and the taxpayer has fully cooperated with the Secretary (including providing, within a reasonable period of time, access to and inspection of all witnesses, information, and documents within the control of the taxpayer as reasonably requested by the Secretary), the Secretary shall have the burden of producing reasonable and probative information concerning such deficiency in addition to such information return. (e) Deficiency proceedingsFor special rules applicable to deficiencies of income, estate, gift, and certain excise taxes, see subchapter B.

26 U.S.C. § 6202 Establishment by regulations of mode or time of assessment

If the mode or time for the assessment of any internal revenue tax (including interest, additional amounts, additions to the tax, and assessable penalties) is not otherwise provided for, the Secretary may establish the same by regulations.

26 U.S.C. § 6203 Method of assessment

The assessment shall be made by recording the liability of the taxpayer in the office of the Secretary in accordance with rules or regulations prescribed by the Secretary. Upon request of the taxpayer, the Secretary shall furnish the taxpayer a copy of the record of the assessment.

26 U.S.C. § 6204 Supplemental assessments

(a) General ruleThe Secretary may, at any time within the period prescribed for assessment, make a supplemental assessment whenever it is ascertained that any assessment is imperfect or incomplete in any material respect. (b) Restrictions on assessmentFor restrictions on assessment of deficiencies in income, estate, gift, and certain excise taxes, see section 6213.

26 U.S.C. § 6205 Special rules applicable to certain employment taxes

(a) Adjustment of tax(1) General ruleIf less than the correct amount of tax imposed by section 3101, 3111, 3201, 3221, or 3402 is paid with respect to any payment of wages or compensation, proper adjustments, with respect to both the tax and the amount to be deducted, shall be made, without interest, in such manner and at such times as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe. (2) United States as employerFor purposes of this subsection, in the case of remuneration received from the United States or a wholly-owned instrumentality thereof during any calendar year, each head of a Federal agency or instrumentality who makes a return pursuant to section 3122 and each agent, designated by the head of a Federal agency or instrumentality, who makes a return pursuant to such section shall be deemed a separate employer. (3) Guam or American Samoa as employerFor purposes of this subsection, in the case of remuneration received during any calendar year from the Government of Guam, the Government of American Samoa, a political subdivision of either, or any instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing which is wholly owned thereby, the Governor of Guam, the Governor of American Samoa, and each agent designated by either who makes a return pursuant to section 3125 shall be deemed a separate employer. (4) District of Columbia as employerFor purposes of this subsection, in the case of remuneration received during any calendar year from the District of Columbia or any instrumentality which is wholly owned thereby, the Mayor of the District of Columbia and each agent designated by him who makes a return pursuant to section 3125 shall be deemed a separate employer. (5) States and political subdivisions as employerFor purposes of this subsection, in the case of remuneration received from a State or any political subdivision thereof (or any instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing which is wholly owned thereby) during any calendar year, each head of an agency or instrumentality, and each agent designated by either, who makes a return pursuant to section 3125 shall be deemed a separate employer. (b) UnderpaymentsIf less than the correct amount of tax imposed by section 3101, 3111, 3201, 3221, or 3402 is paid or deducted with respect to any payment of wages or compensation and the underpayment cannot be adjusted under subsection (a) of this section, the amount of the underpayment shall be assessed and collected in such manner and at such times (subject to the statute of limitations properly applicable thereto) as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe.

26 U.S.C. § 6206 Special rules applicable to excessive claims under certain sections

Any portion of a refund made under section 6416(a)(4) and any portion of a payment made under section 6420, 6421, 6427, or 6435 which constitutes an excessive amount (as defined in section 6675(b)), and any civil penalty provided by section 6675, may be assessed and collected as if it were a tax imposed by section 4081 (with respect to refunds under section 6416(a)(4) and payments under sections 6420, 6421, and 6435), or 4041 or 4081 (with respect to payments under section 6427) and as if the person who made the claim were liable for such tax. The period for assessing any such portion, and for assessing any such penalty, shall be 3 years from the last day prescribed for the filing of the claim under section 6416(a)(4), 6420, 6421, 6427, or 6435, as the case may be.

26 U.S.C. § 6207 Cross references

(1) For prohibition of suits to restrain assessment of any tax, see section 7421. (2) For prohibition of assessment of taxes against insolvent banks, see section 7507. (3) For assessment where property subject to tax has been sold in a distraint proceeding without the tax having been assessed prior to such sale, see section 6342. (4) For assessment with respect to taxes required to be paid by chapter 52, see section 5703. (5) For assessment in case of distilled spirits removed from place where distilled and not deposited in bonded warehouse, see section 5006(c). (6) For period of limitation upon assessment, see chapter 66.