Title 26Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73

§7214 Offenses by officers and employees of the United States

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 › § 7214

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a federal officer or employee who handles tax matters uses their job to do wrong, they can be punished. That includes using power to extort or mistreat people; taking or asking for fees or payments the law does not allow; refusing to do their duties to get around tax rules; planning with others to cheat the United States; helping or giving chances for someone to cheat the United States; making false books, certificates, returns, or statements; failing to report known tax fraud in writing to the Secretary; or taking money or gifts to settle charges unless the law allows it. Any internal revenue officer or employee who has a financial interest in making tobacco, snuff, cigarettes, distilled spirits, or fermented liquors must be fired and can be fined up to $5,000. For penalties about officers who trade in public funds, debts, or property, see 18 U.S.C. 1901.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §7214

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any officer or employee of the United States acting in connection with any revenue law of the United States—
(1)who is guilty of any extortion or willful oppression under color of law; or
(2)who knowingly demands other or greater sums than are authorized by law, or receives any fee, compensation, or reward, except as by law prescribed, for the performance of any duty; or
(3)who with intent to defeat the application of any provision of this title fails to perform any of the duties of his office or employment; or
(4)who conspires or colludes with any other person to defraud the United States; or
(5)who knowingly makes opportunity for any person to defraud the United States; or
(6)who does or omits to do any act with intent to enable any other person to defraud the United States; or
(7)who makes or signs any fraudulent entry in any book, or makes or signs any fraudulent certificate, return, or statement; or
(8)who, having knowledge or information of the violation of any revenue law by any person, or of fraud committed by any person against the United States under any revenue law, fails to report, in writing, such knowledge or information to the Secretary; or
(9)who demands, or accepts, or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly as payment or gift, or otherwise, any sum of money or other thing of value for the compromise, adjustment, or settlement of any charge or complaint for any violation or alleged violation of law, except as expressly authorized by law so to do;
(b)Any internal revenue officer or employee interested, directly or indirectly, in the manufacture of tobacco, snuff, or cigarettes, or in the production, rectification, or redistillation of distilled spirits, shall be dismissed from office; and each such officer or employee so interested in any such manufacture or production, rectification, or redistillation or production of fermented liquors shall be fined not more than $5,000.
(c)For penalty on collecting or disbursing officers trading in public funds or debts or property, see 18 U.S.C. 1901.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1976—Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”. 1958—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 85–859 struck out a cross reference that related to penalty imposed for unlawfully removing or permitting to be removed distilled spirits from a bonded warehouse.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1958 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 85–859 effective Sept. 3, 1958, see section 210(a)(1) of Pub. L. 85–859, set out as

Effective Date

note under section 5001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 7214

Title 26Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73