Title 26Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73

§3505 Liability of third parties paying or providing for wages

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Employment Taxes › Chapter CHAPTER 25— - GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT TAXES › § 3505

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a lender, surety, or other person who is not the employer pays wages directly to an employee (or to an agent for that employee), that person must pay the United States the taxes (with interest) the employer should have withheld from those wages. If that person gives money to an employer just to pay wages and they have actual notice or knowledge (as described in section 6323(i)(1)) that the employer will not make the required tax deposits, they must pay the unpaid taxes (with interest). Their payment responsibility is limited to 25 percent of the funds they supplied for that purpose. Any amounts paid by that lender or other person will be applied against what the employer still owes.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §3505

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For purposes of section 3102, 3202, 3402, and 3403, if a lender, surety, or other person, who is not an employer under such sections with respect to an employee or group of employees, pays wages directly to such an employee or group of employees, employed by one or more employers, or to an agent on behalf of such employee or employees, such lender, surety, or other person shall be liable in his own person and estate to the United States in a sum equal to the taxes (together with interest) required to be deducted and withheld from such wages by such employer.
(b)If a lender, surety, or other person supplies funds to or for the account of an employer for the specific purpose of paying wages of the employees of such employer, with actual notice or knowledge (within the meaning of section 6323(i)(1)) that such employer does not intend to or will not be able to make timely payment or deposit of the amounts of tax required by this subtitle to be deducted and withheld by such employer from such wages, such lender, surety, or other person shall be liable in his own person and estate to the United States in a sum equal to the taxes (together with interest) which are not paid over to the United States by such employer with respect to such wages. However, the liability of such lender, surety, or other person shall be limited to an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount so supplied to or for the account of such employer for such purpose.
(c)Any amounts paid to the United States pursuant to this section shall be credited against the liability of the employer.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable only with respect to wages paid on or after Jan. 1, 1967, see section 114(c)(1) of Pub. L. 89–719, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1966 Amendment note under section 6323 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 3505

Title 26Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73