Title 26Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73

§7207 Fraudulent returns, statements, or other documents

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle F— - Procedure and Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 75— - CRIMES, OTHER OFFENSES, AND FORFEITURES › Subchapter Subchapter A— - Crimes › Part PART I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 7207

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If someone intentionally gives the Secretary, or another person when required, false or fake lists, tax returns, accounts, statements, or other documents, or gives false information required under sections 6047(b), 6104(d), or 527(i) or (j), they can be fined up to $10,000 ($50,000 for a corporation), jailed for up to 1 year, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §7207

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any person who willfully delivers or discloses to the Secretary any list, return, account, statement, or other document, known by him to be fraudulent or to be false as to any material matter, shall be fined not more than $10,000 ($50,000 in the case of a corporation), or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. Any person required pursuant to section 6047(b), section 6104(d), or subsection (i) or (j) of section 527 to furnish any information to the Secretary or any other person who willfully furnishes to the Secretary or such other person any information known by him to be fraudulent or to be false as to any material matter shall be fined not more than $10,000 ($50,000 in the case of a corporation), or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002—Pub. L. 107–276 substituted “pursuant to section 6047(b), section 6104(d), or subsection (i) or (j) of section 527” for “pursuant to subsection (b) of section 6047 or pursuant to subsection (d) of section 6104”. 1998—Pub. L. 105–277 struck out “or (e)” after “subsection (d)”. 1987—Pub. L. 100–203 inserted reference to subsec. (e) of section 6104. 1984—Pub. L. 98–369 struck out “or (c)” after “subsection (b)”. 1982—Pub. L. 97–248 substituted “$10,000 ($50,000 in the case of a corporation)” for “$1,000” wherever appearing. 1980—Pub. L. 96–603 substituted “subsection (b) or (c) of section 6047 or pursuant to subsection (d) of section 6104” for “section 6047(b) or (c), 6056, or 6104(d)”. 1976—Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”. 1969—Pub. L. 91–172 substituted “section 6047(b) or (c), 6056, or 6104(d)” for “section 6047(b) or (c)”. 1962—Pub. L. 87–792 inserted sentence providing that any person required pursuant to section 6047(b) or (c) to furnish any information to the Secretary or any other person who willfully furnishes to the Secretary or such other person any information known by him to be fraudulent or to be false as to any material matter shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 Amendment Pub. L. 107–276, § 6(h)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1934, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (d) [amending this section] shall apply to reports and notices required to be filed on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 2, 2002].”

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–277 applicable to requests made after the later of Dec. 31, 1998, or the 60th day after the Secretary of the Treasury first issues the

Regulations

referred to in section 6104(d)(4) of this title, see section 1004(b)(3) of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as a note under section 6104 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–203 applicable to returns for years beginning after Dec. 31, 1986, and on and after Dec. 22, 1987, in case of applications submitted after
July 15, 1987, or on or before
July 15, 1987, if the organization has a copy of the application on
July 15, 1987, see section 10704(d) of Pub. L. 100–203, set out as a note under section 6652 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–369 applicable to obligations issued after Dec. 31, 1983, see section 491(f)(1) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 62 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1982 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–248 applicable to offenses committed after Sept. 3, 1982, see section 329(e) of Pub. L. 97–248, set out as a note under section 7201 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–603 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1980, see section 1(f) of Pub. L. 96–603, set out as a note under section 6033 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1969 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–172 effective Jan. 1, 1970, see section 101(k)(1) of Pub. L. 91–172, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4940 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1962 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 87–792 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1962, see section 8 of Pub. L. 87–792, set out as a note under section 22 of this title. Annual Reports Pub. L. 110–428, § 2(e), Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4840, provided that: “The Secretary of the Treasury shall annually submit to Congress and make publicly available a report on the filing of false and fraudulent returns by individuals incarcerated in Federal and State prisons. Such report shall include statistics on the number of false and fraudulent returns associated with each Federal and State prison.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 7207

Title 26Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73