Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73
§5520 Withholding of city or county income or employment taxes
Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart D— - Pay and Allowances › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - PAY ADMINISTRATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - WITHHOLDING PAY › § 5520
Summary
Cities and counties can make employers hold back local income or employment taxes from workers’ pay and send those amounts to a local official or department when the employer normally withholds for employees who regularly work inside that city or county. The United States does not consent to any local rule that puts heavier burdens on the federal government than on other employers or that penalizes the U.S. or its employees because of these withholding rules. A federal agency may not accept payment from a city or county for doing that tax withholding. City — a local government called a municipality by the Census, or a town/township the Treasury Secretary finds acts like a municipality, is closely settled, and has no incorporated places as the Census defines. County — a local government called a county by the Census and within whose borders 500 or more persons are regularly employed by all Federal agencies. Ordinance — a law, order, resolution, or similar rule adopted by the city or county under state law that has local force. Agency — an Executive agency, the judicial branch, or the United States Postal Service.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §5520
Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)When a city or county ordinance—
(1)provides for the collection of a tax by imposing on employers generally the duty of withholding sums from the pay of employees and making returns of the sums to a designated city or county officer, department, or instrumentality; and
(2)imposes the duty to withhold generally on the payment of compensation earned within the jurisdiction of the city or county in the case of employees whose regular place of employment is within such jurisdiction;
(b)This section does not give the consent of the United States to the application of an ordinance which imposes more burdensome requirements on the United States than on other employers or which subjects the United States or its employees to a penalty or liability because of this section. An agency of the United States may not accept pay from a city or county for services performed in withholding city or county income or employment taxes from the pay of employees of the agency.
(c)For the purpose of this section—
(1)“city” means any unit of general local government which—
(A)is classified as a municipality by the Bureau of the Census, or
(B)is a town or township which, in the determination of the Secretary of the Treasury—
(i)possesses powers and performs functions comparable to those associated with municipalities,
(ii)is closely settled, and
(iii)contains within its boundaries no incorporated places, as defined by the Bureau of the Census,
(2)“county” means any unit of local general government which is classified as a county by the Bureau of the Census and within the political boundaries of which 500 or more persons are regularly employed by all agencies of the Federal Government;
(3)“ordinance” means an ordinance, order, resolution, or similar instrument which is duly adopted and approved by a city or county in accordance with the constitution and statutes of the State in which it is located and which has the force of law within such city or county; and
(4)“agency” means—
(A)an Executive agency;
(B)the judicial branch; and
(C)the United States Postal Service.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–180 inserted “(other than service described in section 5517(d) of this title)” after “Armed Forces” in penultimate sentence. 1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–365 designated existing provisions as cl. (i), inserted “, or whose regular place of Federal employment is not within,” after “not a resident of”, and added cl. (ii). 1977—Pub. L. 95–30, § 408(a)(1), inserted “or county” after “city” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–30, § 408(a)(2), (3), substituted “city or county” for “city” in introductory provisions preceding par. (1), in par. (2), and in provisions following par. (2), and, in par. (1), substituted “a designated city or county officer, department, or instrumentality” for “the city”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–30, § 408(a)(2), substituted “city or county” for “city”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–30, § 408(a)(4), (5), added pars. (2) and (3) and redesignated former par. (2) as (4). 1976—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 94–358 substituted provision defining a city, for purposes of this section, as any unit of general local government which is classified a municipality by the Bureau of the Census, or is a town or township which in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury possesses powers and performs functions comparable to those associated with municipalities, is closely settled, and contains within its boundaries no incorporated places, as defined by the Bureau of the Census, within the political boundaries of which five hundred or more persons are regularly employed by all agencies of the Federal Government, for provision defining a city, for purposes of this section, as a city which is duly incorporated under the laws of a State and within the political boundaries of which five hundred or more persons are regularly employed by all agencies of the Federal Government.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–365, § 2, Sept. 15, 1978, 92 Stat. 599, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by the first section of this Act [amending this section] shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 15, 1978].”
Effective Date
of 1977 Amendment Pub. L. 95–30, title IV, § 408(c), May 23, 1977, 91 Stat. 157, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [May 23, 1977].”
Effective Date
of 1976 Amendment Pub. L. 94–358, § 2,
July 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 910, provided that: “The amendment made by the first section of this Act [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [
July 12, 1976].”
Effective Date
Pub. L. 93–340, § 3,
July 10, 1974, 88 Stat. 295, provided that: “This section shall become effective on the date of enactment of this Act [
July 10, 1974]. The provisions of the first section and section 2 of this Act [enacting this section and amending section 410 of Title 39, Postal Service] shall become effective on the ninetieth day following the date of enactment.”
Executive Documents
Executive Order No. 11833 Ex. Ord. No. 11833, Jan. 13, 1975, 40 F.R. 2673, which related to the withholding of city income or employment taxes by Federal agencies, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11863,
June 12, 1975, 40 F.R. 25413, formerly set out below. Executive Order No. 11863 Ex. Ord. No. 11863,
June 12, 1975, 40 F.R. 25431, which related to the withholding of city income or employment taxes by Federal agencies, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11968, Jan. 31, 1977, 42 F.R. 6787, formerly set out below. Executive Order No. 11968 Ex. Ord. No. 11968, Jan. 31, 1977, 42 F.R. 6787, which related to the withholding of District of Columbia, State and city income or employment taxes, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11997,
June 22, 1977, 42 F.R. 31759, set out below. Ex. Ord. No. 11997. Withholding of District of Columbia, State, City and County Income or Employment Taxes Ex. Ord. No. 11997,
June 22, 1977, 42 F.R. 31759, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 5516, 5517 and 5520 of Title 5 of the United States Code, and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, in order to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the withholding of county income or employment taxes as authorized by Section 5520 of Title 5 of the United States Code as amended by section 408 of Public Law 95–30, as well as to provide for the withholding of District of Columbia, State and city income or employment taxes, it is hereby ordered as follows: section 1. Whenever the Secretary of the Treasury enters into an agreement pursuant to section 5516, 5517 or 5520 of Title 5 of the United States Code, with the District of Columbia, a State, a city or a county, as the case may be, with regard to the withholding, by an agency of the United States, hereinafter referred to as an agency, of income or employment taxes from the pay of Federal employees or members of the Armed Forces, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure that each agreement is consistent with those sections and
Regulations
, including this Order, issued thereunder. Sec. 2. Each agreement shall provide (a) when tax withholding shall begin, (b) that the head of an agency may rely on the withholding certificate of an employee or a member of the Armed Forces in withholding taxes, (c) that the method for calculating the amount to be withheld for District of Columbia, State, city or county income or employment taxes shall produce approximately the tax required to be withheld by the District of Columbia or State law; or city or county ordinance, whichever is applicable, and (d) that procedures for the withholding, filing of returns, and payment of the withheld taxes to the District of Columbia, a State, a city or a county shall conform to the usual fiscal practices of agencies. Any agreement affecting members of the Armed Forces shall also provide that the head of an agency may rely on the certificate of legal residence of a member of the Armed Forces in determining his or her residence for tax withholding purposes. No agreement shall require the collection by an agency of delinquent tax liabilities of an employee or a member of the Armed Forces. Sec. 3. The head of each agency shall designate, or provide for the designation of, the officers or employees whose duty it shall be to withhold taxes, file required returns, and direct payment of the taxes withheld, in accordance with this Order, any
Regulations
prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and the new applicable agreement. Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prescribe additional
Regulations
to implement section 5516, 5517 and 5520 of Title 5 of the United States Code, and this Order. Sec. 5. Executive Order No. 11968 of January 31, 1977, is hereby revoked. However, all actions heretofore taken by the President or his delegates in respect of the matters affected by this Order and in force at the time of the issuance of this Order, including any
Regulations
prescribed or approved by the President or his delegates in respect of such matters and any existing agreements approved by his delegates, shall, except as they may be inconsistent with the provisions of this Order, remain in effect until amended, modified, or revoked pursuant to the authority conferred by this Order, unless sooner terminated by operation of law. Jimmy Carter.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 5520
Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73