Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§14503 Withholding State and local income tax by certain carriers

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE IV— - INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › Part PART B— - MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › Chapter CHAPTER 145— - FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS › § 14503

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Stops states and local governments from taxing pay for workers who regularly do assigned driving work in two or more States for motor carriers that operate under subchapter I of chapter 135, or for motor private carriers. The word "employee" means what section 31132 says. Motor and motor private carriers that withhold pay must send tax reports only to the worker’s State and local government of residence. Water carriers under subchapter II of chapter 135 must send tax reports only to the employee’s State and local residence and to any State or local area where the worker earned more than 50 percent of pay in the preceding calendar year. A worker is treated as earning over 50 percent in a State if they worked there more than 50 percent of their total work time that year. This rule covers masters, officers, and sailors on vessels in foreign, coastwise, intercoastal, noncontiguous trade, or U.S. fisheries.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §14503

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)No part of the compensation paid by a motor carrier providing transportation subject to jurisdiction under subchapter I of chapter 135 or by a motor private carrier to an employee who performs regularly assigned duties in 2 or more States as such an employee with respect to a motor vehicle shall be subject to the income tax laws of any State or subdivision of that State, other than the State or subdivision thereof of the employee’s residence.
(2)In this subsection, the term “employee” has the meaning given such term in section 31132.
(b)(1)In this subsection, an employee is deemed to have earned more than 50 percent of pay in a State or subdivision of that State in which the time worked by the employee in the State or subdivision is more than 50 percent of the total time worked by the employee while employed during the calendar year.
(2)A water carrier providing transportation subject to jurisdiction under subchapter II of chapter 135 shall file income tax information returns and other reports only with—
(A)the State and subdivision of residence of the employee (as shown on the employment records of the carrier); and
(B)the State and subdivision in which the employee earned more than 50 percent of the pay received by the employee from the carrier during the preceding calendar year.
(3)This subsection applies to pay of a master, officer, or sailor who is a member of the crew on a vessel engaged in foreign, coastwise, intercoastal, or noncontiguous trade or in the fisheries of the United States.
(c)A motor and motor private carrier withholding pay from an employee under subsection (a) of this section shall file income tax information returns and other reports only with the State and subdivision of residence of the employee.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 11504 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 14503

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73