Us Code § 7215 - Offenses with respect to collected taxes
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 7215 — Offenses with respect to collected taxes, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 7215. Offenses with respect to collected taxes
(a) Penalty
Any person who fails to comply with any provision of section 7512(b) shall, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.
(b) Exceptions
This section shall not apply—
(1) to any person, if such person shows that there was reasonable doubt as to (A) whether the law required collection of tax, or (B) who was required by law to collect tax, and
(2) to any person, if such person shows that the failure to comply with the provisions of section 7512(b) was due to circumstances beyond his control.
For purposes of paragraph (2), a lack of funds existing immediately after the payment of wages (whether or not created by the payment of such wages) shall not be considered to be circumstances beyond the control of a person.
(Added Pub. L. 85–321, §2, Feb. 11, 1958, 72 Stat. 6; amended Pub. L. 97–248, title III, §§307(a)(15), 308(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 590, 591; Pub. L. 98–67, title I, §102(a), Aug. 5, 1983, 97 Stat. 369.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1983—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–67 repealed amendments made by Pub. L. 97–248. See 1982 Amendment note below.
1982—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–248 provided that, applicable to payments of interest, dividends, and patronage dividends paid or credited after June 30, 1983, last sentence of subsec. (b) is amended to read as follows: "For purposes of paragraph (2), a lack of funds existing immediately after the payment of wages or amounts subject to withholding under subchapter B of chapter 24 (whether or not created by the payment of such wages or amounts) shall not be considered to be circumstances beyond the control of a person." Section 102(a), (b) of Pub. L. 98–67, title I, Aug. 5, 1983, 97 Stat. 369, repealed subtitle A (§§301–308) of title III of Pub. L. 97–248 as of the close of June 30, 1983, and provided that the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 [now 1986] [this title] shall be applied and administered (subject to certain exceptions) as if such subtitle A (and the amendments made by such subtitle A) had not been enacted.
About This Section
26 U.S.C. § 7215 is part of Title 26 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 26 U.S.C. § 7215. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.