26 USC 3405 - Special rules for pensions, annuities, and certain other deferred income

View all text of Chapter 24 [§ 3401 - § 3456]

§ 3405. Special rules for pensions, annuities, and certain other deferred income

(a) Periodic payments

(1) Withholding as if payment were wages

(2) Election of no withholding

(3) When election takes effect

(4) Amount withheld where no withholding allowance certificate in effect

(b) Nonperiodic distribution

(1) Withholding

(2) Election of no withholding

(A) In general

(B) Scope of election

An election under subparagraph (A)—

(i) except as provided in clause (ii), shall be on a distribution-by-distribution basis, or

(ii) to the extent provided in regulations, may apply to subsequent nonperiodic distributions made by the payor to the payee under the same arrangement.

(1) In general

In the case of any designated distribution which is an eligible rollover distribution—

(A) subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply, and

(B) the payor of such distribution shall withhold from such distribution an amount equal to 20 percent of such distribution.

(2) Exception

(3) Eligible rollover distribution

(d) Liability for withholding

(1) In general

(2) Plan administrator liable in certain cases

(A) In general

In the case of any plan to which this paragraph applies, paragraph (1) shall not apply and the plan administrator shall withhold, and be liable for, payment of the tax unless the plan administrator—

(i) directs the payor to withhold such tax, and

(ii) provides the payor with such information as the Secretary may require by regulations.

(B) Plans to which paragraph applies

This paragraph applies to any plan described in, or which at any time has been determined to be described in—

(i) section 401(a),

(ii) section 403(a),

(iii) section 301(d) of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975, or

(iv) section 457(b) and which is maintained by an eligible employer described in section 457(e)(1)(A).

(e) Definitions and special rules

For purposes of this section—

(1) Designated distribution

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term “designated distribution” means any distribution or payment from or under—

(i) an employer deferred compensation plan,

(ii) an individual retirement plan (as defined in section 7701(a)(37)), or

(iii) a commercial annuity.

(B) Exceptions

The term “designated distribution” shall not include—

(i) any amount which is wages without regard to this section,

(ii) the portion of a distribution or payment which it is reasonable to believe is not includible in gross income, and

(iii) any amount which is subject to withholding under subchapter A of chapter 3 (relating to withholding of tax on nonresident aliens and foreign corporations) by the person paying such amount or which would be so subject but for a tax treaty, or

(iv) any distribution described in section 404(k)(2).

For purposes of clause (ii), any distribution or payment from or under an individual retirement plan (other than a Roth IRA) shall be treated as includible in gross income.

(2) Periodic payment

(3) Nonperiodic distribution

[(4) Repealed. Pub. L. 102–318, title V, § 521(b)(38), July 3, 1992, 106 Stat. 312]

(5) Employer deferred compensation plan

(6) Commercial annuity

(7) Plan administrator

(8) Maximum amount withheld

(9) Separate arrangements to be treated separately

(10) Time and manner of election

(A) In general

(B) Payor required to notify payee of rights to elect

(i) Periodic payments

The payor of any periodic payment—

(I) shall transmit to the payee notice of the right to make an election under subsection (a) not earlier than 6 months before the first of such payments and not later than when making the first of such payments,(II) if such a notice is not transmitted under subclause (I) when making such first payment, shall transmit such a notice when making such first payment, and(III) shall transmit to payees, not less frequently than once each calendar year, notice of their rights to make elections under subsection (a) and to revoke such elections.

(ii) Nonperiodic distributions

(iii) Notice

(11) Withholding includes deduction

(12) Failure to provide correct TIN

If—

(A) a payee fails to furnish his TIN to the payor in the manner required by the Secretary, or

(B) the Secretary notifies the payor before any payment or distribution that the TIN furnished by the payee is incorrect,

no election under subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) shall be treated as in effect and subsection (a)(4) shall not apply to such payee.

(13) Election may not be made with respect to certain payments outside the United States or its possessions

(A) In general

(B) Exception

Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if the recipient certifies to the payor, in such manner as the Secretary may prescribe, that such person is not—

(i) a United States citizen or a resident alien of the United States, or

(ii) an individual to whom section 877 applies.

(f) Withholding to be treated as wage withholding under section 3402 for other purposes

For purposes of this chapter (and so much of subtitle F as relates to this chapter)—

(1) any designated distribution (whether or not an election under this section applies to such distribution) shall be treated as if it were wages paid by an employer to an employee with respect to which there has been withholding under section 3402, and

(2) in the case of any designated distribution not subject to withholding under this section by reason of an election under this section, the amount withheld shall be treated as zero.

(Added Pub. L. 97–248, title III, § 334(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 623; amended Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title V, § 542(c), title VII, §§ 714(j)(1), (4), (5), 722(h)(4)(A), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 891, 962, 963, 976; Pub. L. 99–514, title XI, § 1102(e)(1), title XII, § 1234(b)(1), title XVIII, § 1875(c)(10), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2416, 2566, 2895; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1012(bb)(2)(A)–(C), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3534; Pub. L. 102–318, title V, §§ 521(b)(36)–(40), 522(b)(1)–(2)(C), July 3, 1992, 106 Stat. 312–314; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, § 1704(t)(71), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1891; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(7) [title III, § 314(b)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–643; Pub. L. 107–16, title VI, § 641(a)(1)(D)(ii), (iii), June 7, 2001, 115 Stat. 119; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 11041(c)(2)(F), (G), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2084.)