Title 26, Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-110
§7429 Review of Jeopardy Levy or Assessment Procedures
Title 26 › Subtitle F — Procedure and Administration › CHAPTER 76 — JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS › Subchapter B — Proceedings by Taxpayers and Third Parties › § 7429
Summary
The IRS must get written approval from the Chief Counsel (or that person’s delegate) before making certain emergency tax assessments or levies, and must wait at least 30 days after giving notice and demand. Within 5 days after such an assessment or levy, the IRS must give the taxpayer a written statement showing the information it used. The taxpayer has 30 days after getting that statement (or after the last day it was due) to ask the IRS to review what it did. The IRS will decide whether the assessment or levy was reasonable and whether the amount is appropriate. If the taxpayer is not satisfied, they can sue. They must file suit within 90 days after the IRS tells them its decision or within 90 days after the 16th day following the review request, whichever comes first. District courts usually handle these cases, but the Tax Court can also if the taxpayer had already filed a timely petition under section 6213(a) before the assessment and the same tax periods are involved. The court must decide within 20 days after the case starts, unless proper service delays that start; the taxpayer can ask for up to a 40-day extension for good cause. If the court finds the IRS action unreasonable or the amount wrong, it can order the levy released, the assessment reduced or canceled, or other relief. Court decisions are final. The IRS must prove the action was reasonable, but the taxpayer must prove the assessed amount is wrong; the IRS must give a written statement of the facts it relied on. Saturdays, Sundays, and D.C. holidays do not count as the last day of any time period.
Full Legal Text
Title 26, §7429
Internal Revenue Code, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Administrative review
(1)Administrative review
(A)Prior approval required
No assessment may be made under section 6851(a), 6852(a), 6861(a), or 6862, and no levy may be made under section 6331(a) less than 30 days after notice and demand for payment is made, unless the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service (or such Counsel’s delegate) personally approves (in writing) such assessment or levy.
(B)Information to taxpayer
Within 5 days after the day on which such an assessment or levy is made, the Secretary shall provide the taxpayer with a written statement of the information upon which the Secretary relied in making such assessment or levy.
(2)Request for review
Within 30 days after the day on which the taxpayer is furnished the written statement described in paragraph (1), or within 30 days after the last day of the period within which such statement is required to be furnished, the taxpayer may request the Secretary to review the action taken.
(3)Redetermination by Secretary
After a request for review is made under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall determine—
(A)whether or not—
(i)the making of the assessment under section 6851, 6861, or 6862, as the case may be, is reasonable under the circumstances, and
(ii)the amount so assessed or demanded as a result of the action taken under section 6851, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, or
(B)whether or not the levy described in subsection (a)(1) is reasonable under the circumstances.
(b)Judicial review
(1)Proceedings permitted
Within 90 days after the earlier of— (A)
(B)the 16th day after the request described in subsection (a)(2) was made,
the taxpayer may bring a civil action against the United States for a determination under this subsection in the court with jurisdiction determined under paragraph (2).
(2)Jurisdiction for determination
(A)In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the district courts of the United States shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any civil action for a determination under this subsection.
(B)Tax Court
If a petition for a redetermination of a deficiency under section 6213(a) has been timely filed with the Tax Court before the making of an assessment or levy that is subject to the review procedures of this section, and 1 or more of the taxes and taxable periods before the Tax Court because of such petition is also included in the written statement that is provided to the taxpayer under subsection (a), then the Tax Court also shall have jurisdiction over any civil action for a determination under this subsection with respect to all the taxes and taxable periods included in such written statement.
(3)Determination by court
Within 20 days after a proceeding is commenced under paragraph (1), the court shall determine—
(A)whether or not—
(i)the making of the assessment under section 6851, 6861, or 6862, as the case may be, is reasonable under the circumstances, and
(ii)the amount so assessed or demanded as a result of the action taken under section 6851, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, or
(B)whether or not the levy described in subsection (a)(1) is reasonable under the circumstances.
If the court determines that proper service was not made on the United States or on the Secretary, as may be appropriate, within 5 days after the date of the commencement of the proceeding, then the running of the 20-day period set forth in the preceding sentence shall not begin before the day on which proper service was made on the United States or on the Secretary, as may be appropriate.
(4)Order of court
If the court determines that the making of such levy is unreasonable, that the making of such assessment is unreasonable, or that the amount assessed or demanded is inappropriate, then the court may order the Secretary to release such levy, to abate such assessment, to redetermine (in whole or in part) the amount assessed or demanded, or to take such other action as the court finds appropriate.
(c)Extension of 20-day period where taxpayer so requests
If the taxpayer requests an extension of the 20-day period set forth in subsection (b)(2) and establishes reasonable grounds why such extension should be granted, the court may grant an extension of not more than 40 additional days.
(d)Computation of days
For purposes of this section, Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday in the District of Columbia shall not be counted as the last day of any period.
(e)Venue
(1)District court
A civil action in a district court under subsection (b) shall be commenced only in the judicial district described in section 1402(a)(1) or (2) of title 28, United States Code.
(2)Transfer of actions
If a civil action is filed under subsection (b) with the Tax Court and such court finds that there is want of jurisdiction because of the jurisdiction provisions of subsection (b)(2), then the Tax Court shall, if such court determines it is in the interest of justice, transfer the civil action to the district court in which the action could have been brought at the time such action was filed. Any civil action so transferred shall proceed as if such action had been filed in the district court to which such action is transferred on the date on which such action was actually filed in the Tax Court from which such action is transferred.
(f)Finality of determination
Any determination made by a court under this section shall be final and conclusive and shall not be reviewed by any other court.
(g)Burden of proof
(1)Reasonableness of levy, termination, or jeopardy assessment
In a proceeding under subsection (b) involving the issue of whether the making of a levy described in subsection (a)(1) or the making of an assessment under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862 is reasonable under the circumstances, the burden of proof in respect to such issue shall be upon the Secretary.
(2)Reasonableness of amount of assessment
In a proceeding under subsection (b) involving the issue of whether an amount assessed or demanded as a result of action taken under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, the Secretary shall provide a written statement which contains any information with respect to which his determination of the amount assessed was based, but the burden of proof in respect of such issue shall be upon the taxpayer.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105–206 substituted “Administrative review” for “Information to taxpayer” in heading and amended text of par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Within 5 days after the day on which an assessment is made under section 6851(a), 6852(a), 6861(a), or 6862, or levy is made under section 6331(a) less than 30 days after notice and demand for payment is made under section 6331(a), the Secretary shall provide the taxpayer with a written statement of the information upon which the Secretary relies in making such assessment or levy.” 1988—Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(e)(3), inserted “levy or” after “jeopardy” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(a), inserted “or levy is made under section 6331(a) less than 30 days after notice and demand for payment is made under section 6331(a),” after “6862,” and “or levy” after “such assessment”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(b), amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “After a request for review is made under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall determine whether or not— “(A) the making of the assessment under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862, as the case may be, is reasonable under the circumstances, and “(B) the amount so assessed or demanded as a result of the action taken under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(c), amended subsec. (b) generally, substituting provisions of pars. (1) to (4) for provisions of former pars. (1) to (3) relating to actions permitted, determination by district court, and order of district court. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(e)(1), struck out “district” before “court”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(d), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows: “A civil action under subsection (b) shall be commenced only in the judicial district described in section 1402(a)(1) or (2) of title 28, United States Code.” Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(e)(1), struck out “district” after “made by a”. Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(e)(2), in heading substituted “levy, termination,” for “termination” and in text substituted “a proceeding” for “an action” and inserted “the making of a levy described in subsection (a)(1) or” after “whether”. Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 100–647, § 6237(e)(2)(C), substituted “a proceeding” for “an action”. 1987—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–203, § 10713(b)(2)(F)(i), substituted “6851(a), 6852(a)” for “6851(a),”. Subsecs. (a)(3)(A), (B), (b)(2)(A), (B), (g)(1), (2). Pub. L. 100–203, § 10713(b)(2)(F)(ii), substituted “6851, 6852,” for “6851,” wherever appearing. 1984—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 98–369 inserted provision that if the court determines that proper service was not made on the United States within 5 days after the date of the commencement of the action, the running of the 20-day period shall not begin before the day on which proper service was made on the United States.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–206, title III, § 3434(b),
July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 760, provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to taxes assessed and levies made after the date of the enactment of this Act [
July 22, 1998].”
Effective Date
of 1988 Amendment Pub. L. 100–647, title VI, § 6237(f), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3743, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to jeopardy levies issued and assessments made on or after July 1, 1989.”
Effective Date
of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title IV, § 446(b),
July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 817, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to actions commenced after the date of the enactment of this Act [
July 18, 1984].”
Effective Date
Section applicable with respect to action taken under section 6851, 6861, or 6862 of this title where notice and demand takes place after Feb. 28, 1977, see section 1204(d) of Pub. L. 94–455, as amended, set out as a note under section 6851 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 7429
Title 26, Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110