§6672. Failure to collect and pay over tax, or attempt to evade or defeat tax

(a) General rule

Any person required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over any tax imposed by this title who willfully fails to collect such tax, or truthfully account for and pay over such tax, or willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any such tax or the payment thereof, shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be liable to a penalty equal to the total amount of the tax evaded, or not collected, or not accounted for and paid over. No penalty shall be imposed under section 6653 or part II of subchapter A of chapter 68 for any offense to which this section is applicable.

(b) Extension of period of collection where bond is filed

(1) In general

If, within 30 days after the day on which notice and demand of any penalty under subsection (a) is made against any person, such person-

(A) pays an amount which is not less than the minimum amount required to commence a proceeding in court with respect to his liability for such penalty,

(B) files a claim for refund of the amount so paid, and

(C) furnishes a bond which meets the requirements of paragraph (3),

no levy or proceeding in court for the collection of the remainder of such penalty shall be made, begun, or prosecuted until a final resolution of a proceeding begun as provided in paragraph (2). Notwithstanding the provisions of section 7421(a), the beginning of such proceeding or levy during the time such prohibition is in force may be enjoined by a proceeding in the proper court. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit any counterclaim for the remainder of such penalty in a proceeding begun as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) Suit must be brought to determine liability for penalty

If, within 30 days after the day on which his claim for refund with respect to any penalty under subsection (a) is denied, the person described in paragraph (1) fails to begin a proceeding in the appropriate United States district court (or in the Court of Claims) ¹ for the determination of his liability for such penalty, paragraph (1) shall cease to apply with respect to such penalty, effective on the day following the close of the 30-day period referred to in this paragraph.

(3) Bond

The bond referred to in paragraph (1) shall be in such form and with such sureties as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe and shall be in an amount equal to 1½ times the amount of excess of the penalty assessed over the payment described in paragraph (1).

(4) Suspension of running of period of limitations on collection

The running of the period of limitations provided in section 6502 on the collection by levy or by a proceeding in court in respect of any penalty described in paragraph (1) shall be suspended for the period during which the Secretary is prohibited from collecting by levy or a proceeding in court.

(5) Jeopardy collection

If the Secretary makes a finding that the collection of the penalty is in jeopardy, nothing in this subsection shall prevent the immediate collection of such penalty.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 828 ; Nov. 10, 1978, Pub. L. 95–628, §9(a), 92 Stat. 3633 ; Dec. 19, 1989, Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, §§7721(c)(9), 7737(a), 103 Stat. 2400 , 2404.)

References in Text

The Court of Claims, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals were merged effective Oct. 1, 1982, into a new United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by Pub. L. 97–164, Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 25 , which also created a United States Claims Court [now United States Court of Federal Claims] that inherited the trial jurisdiction of the Court of Claims. See sections 48, 171 et seq., 791 et seq., and 1491 et seq. of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Amendments

1989-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–239, §7721(c)(9), inserted "or part II of subchapter A of chapter 68" after "under section 6653".

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 101–239, §7737(a), inserted at end "Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit any counterclaim for the remainder of such penalty in a proceeding begun as provided in paragraph (2)."

1978-Pub. L. 95–628 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), added subsec. (a) heading, and added subsec. (b).

Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by section 7721(c)(9) of Pub. L. 101–239 applicable to returns the due date for which (determined without regard to extensions) is after Dec. 31, 1989, see section 7721(d) of Pub. L. 101–239, set out as a note under section 461 of this title.

Section 7737(b) of Pub. L. 101–239 provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section and sections 6694 and 6703 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 1989]."

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Section 9(c) of Pub. L. 95–628 provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 7103 and 7421 of this title] shall apply with respect to penalties assessed more than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1978]."

Cross References

Liability for taxes withheld or collected, see sections 3403 and 7501 of this title.

Willful failure to collect or pay over tax, punishment for, see section 7202 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 6050C, 7103, 7421, 7501 of this title.

¹ See References in Text note below.