Title 26 — Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73
§6672 Failure to collect and pay over tax, or attempt to evade or defeat tax
Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle F— - Procedure and Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 68— - ADDITIONS TO THE TAX, ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS, AND ASSESSABLE PENALTIES › Subchapter Subchapter B— - Assessable Penalties › Part PART I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 6672
Summary
If a person who must collect and turn in federal tax money willfully fails to collect it, willfully lies about it, willfully does not pay it, or willfully tries to cheat the tax, that person must pay a penalty equal to the full amount of the tax that was not collected, not accounted for, or evaded. This penalty is in addition to other penalties, but the penalties in section 6653 and the listed part of chapter 68 do not apply when this penalty does. Before the tax agency tries to assess this penalty, it must notify the person in writing (to the address set by law) or in person. That notice must come at least 60 days before any demand for payment. If the notice is sent before the normal assessment time limit ends, the time to assess is extended to either 90 days after the notice or, if the person protests, 30 days after the agency’s final decision. A person who wants to challenge the penalty can pay the required amount, file for a refund, and post a bond equal to 1½ times the unpaid excess, then sue in court. If several people are liable, anyone who pays can sue the others for their shares in a separate case. Unpaid, honorary board members of tax-exempt groups are not liable if they don’t run day-to-day or know about the failure.
Full Legal Text
Title 26, §6672
Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Any person required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over any tax imposed by this title who willfully fails to collect such tax, or truthfully account for and pay over such tax, or willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any such tax or the payment thereof, shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be liable to a penalty equal to the total amount of the tax evaded, or not collected, or not accounted for and paid over. No penalty shall be imposed under section 6653 or part II of subchapter A of chapter 68 for any offense to which this section is applicable.
(b)(1)No penalty shall be imposed under subsection (a) unless the Secretary notifies the taxpayer in writing by mail to an address as determined under section 6212(b) or in person that the taxpayer shall be subject to an assessment of such penalty.
(2)The mailing of the notice described in paragraph (1) (or, in the case of such a notice delivered in person, such delivery) shall precede any notice and demand of any penalty under subsection (a) by at least 60 days.
(3)If a notice described in paragraph (1) with respect to any penalty is mailed or delivered in person before the expiration of the period provided by section 6501 for the assessment of such penalty (determined without regard to this paragraph), the period provided by such section for the assessment of such penalty shall not expire before the later of—
(A)the date 90 days after the date on which such notice was mailed or delivered in person, or
(B)if there is a timely protest of the proposed assessment, the date 30 days after the Secretary makes a final administrative determination with respect to such protest.
(4)This subsection shall not apply if the Secretary finds that the collection of the penalty is in jeopardy.
(c)(1)If, within 30 days after the day on which notice and demand of any penalty under subsection (a) is made against any person, such person—
(A)pays an amount which is not less than the minimum amount required to commence a proceeding in court with respect to his liability for such penalty,
(B)files a claim for refund of the amount so paid, and
(C)furnishes a bond which meets the requirements of paragraph (3),
(2)If, within 30 days after the day on which his claim for refund with respect to any penalty under subsection (a) is denied, the person described in paragraph (1) fails to begin a proceeding in the appropriate United States district court (or in the Court of Federal Claims) for the determination of his liability for such penalty, paragraph (1) shall cease to apply with respect to such penalty, effective on the day following the close of the 30-day period referred to in this paragraph.
(3)The bond referred to in paragraph (1) shall be in such form and with such sureties as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe and shall be in an amount equal to 1½ times the amount of excess of the penalty assessed over the payment described in paragraph (1).
(4)The running of the period of limitations provided in section 6502 on the collection by levy or by a proceeding in court in respect of any penalty described in paragraph (1) shall be suspended for the period during which the Secretary is prohibited from collecting by levy or a proceeding in court.
(5)If the Secretary makes a finding that the collection of the penalty is in jeopardy, nothing in this subsection shall prevent the immediate collection of such penalty.
(d)If more than 1 person is liable for the penalty under subsection (a) with respect to any tax, each person who paid such penalty shall be entitled to recover from other persons who are liable for such penalty an amount equal to the excess of the amount paid by such person over such person’s proportionate share of the penalty. Any claim for such a recovery may be made only in a proceeding which is separate from, and is not joined or consolidated with—
(1)an action for collection of such penalty brought by the United States, or
(2)a proceeding in which the United States files a counterclaim or third-party complaint for the collection of such penalty.
(e)No penalty shall be imposed by subsection (a) on any unpaid, volunteer member of any board of trustees or directors of an organization exempt from tax under subtitle A if such member—
(1)is solely serving in an honorary capacity,
(2)does not participate in the day-to-day or financial operations of the organization, and
(3)does not have actual knowledge of the failure on which such penalty is imposed.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–141 substituted “Court of Federal Claims” for “Court of Claims”. 1998—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 105–206, § 3307(a), inserted “or in person” after “section 6212(b)”. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–206, § 3307(b)(1), inserted “(or, in the case of such a notice delivered in person, such delivery)” after “paragraph (1)”. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 105–206, § 3307(b)(2), inserted “or delivered in person” after “mailed” in introductory provisions and in subpar. (A). 1996—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 104–168, § 901(a), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–168, § 903(a), added subsec. (d). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–168, § 904(a), added subsec. (e). 1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–239, § 7721(c)(9), inserted “or part II of subchapter A of chapter 68” after “under section 6653”. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 101–239, § 7737(a), inserted at end “Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit any counterclaim for the remainder of such penalty in a proceeding begun as provided in paragraph (2).” 1978—Pub. L. 95–628 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), added subsec. (a) heading, and added subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–206, title III, § 3307(c), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 744, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [July 22, 1998].”
Effective Date
of 1996 Amendment Pub. L. 104–168, title IX, § 901(b),
July 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 1466, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to proposed assessments made after
June 30, 1996.” Pub. L. 104–168, title IX, § 903(b),
July 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 1466, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to penalties assessed after the date of the enactment of this Act [
July 30, 1996].”
Effective Date
of 1989 AmendmentAmendment by section 7721(c)(9) of Pub. L. 101–239 applicable to returns the due date for which (determined without regard to extensions) is after Dec. 31, 1989, see section 7721(d) of Pub. L. 101–239, set out as a note under section 461 of this title. Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7737(b), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2404, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section and section 6694 and 6703 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 1989].”
Effective Date
of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–628, § 9(c), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3633, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 7103 and 7421 of this title] shall apply with respect to penalties assessed more than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1978].” Public Information To Ensure Employee Awareness of Responsibilities and Liabilities Under Tax Depository System Pub. L. 104–168, title IX, § 904(b), July 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 1467, provided that: “(1) In general.—The Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary’s delegate (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the ‘Secretary’) shall take such actions as may be appropriate to ensure that employees are aware of their responsibilities under the Federal tax depository system, the circumstances under which employees may be liable for the penalty imposed by section 6672 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the responsibility to promptly report to the Internal Revenue Service any failure referred to in subsection (a) of such section 6672. Such actions shall include—“(A) printing of a warning on deposit coupon booklets and the appropriate tax returns that certain employees may be liable for the penalty imposed by such section 6672, and “(B) the development of a special information packet. “(2) Development of explanatory materials.—The Secretary shall develop materials explaining the circumstances under which board members of tax-exempt organizations (including voluntary and honorary members) may be subject to penalty under section 6672 of such Code. Such materials shall be made available to tax-exempt organizations. “(3) IRS instructions.—The Secretary shall clarify the instructions to Internal Revenue Service employees on the application of the penalty under section 6672 of such Code with regard to voluntary members of boards of trustees or directors of tax-exempt organizations.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 6672
Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73