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26 U.S.C. §3401(d)

TITLE 26 > Subtitle C > CHAPTER 24 > § 3401

§ 3401. Definitions

(d) Employer

For purposes of this chapter, the term “employer” means the person for whom an individual performs or performed any service, of whatever nature, as the employee of such person, except that—

(1) if the person for whom the individual performs or performed the services does not have control of the payment of the wages for such services, the term “employer” (except for purposes of subsection (a)) means the person having control of the payment of such wages, and

(2) in the case of a person paying wages on behalf of a nonresident alien individual, foreign partnership, or foreign corporation, not engaged in trade or business within the United States, the term “employer” (except for purposes of subsection (a)) means such person.


26 C.F.R. §31.3121(d)-2 Who are employers

(a) Every person is an employer if he employs one or more employees. Neither the number of employees employed nor the period during which any such employee is employed is material for the purpose of determining whether the person for whom the services are performed is an employer.

(b) An employer may be an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a trust, an estate, a joint-stock company, an association, or a syndicate, group, pool, joint venture, or other unincorporated organization, group, or entity. A trust or estate, rather than the fiduciary acting for on behalf of the trust or estate, is generally the employer.

(c) Although a person may be an employer under this section, services performed in his employ may be of such a nature, or performed under such circumstances, as not to constitute employment (see §31.3121(b)–3).


26 U.S.C. §3121 Definitions

(b) Employment

For purposes of this chapter, the term "employment" means any service, of whatever nature, performed
(A) by an employee for the person employing him, irrespective of the citizenship or residence of either,

(i) within the United States, or
(ii) on or in connection with an American vessel or American aircraft under a contract of service which is entered into within the United States or during the performance of which and while the employee is employed on the vessel or aircraft it touches at a port in the United States, if the employee is employed on and in connection with such vessel or aircraft when outside the United States, or

(B) outside the United States by a citizen or resident of the United States as an employee for an American employer (as defined in subsection (h)), or
(C) if it is service, regardless of where or by whom performed, which is designated as employment or recognized as equivalent to employment under an agreement entered into under section 233 of the Social Security Act; except that such term shall not include -

(h) American employer

For purposes of this chapter [Chapter 21, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)], the term "American employer" means an employer which is -

(1) the United States or any instrumentality thereof,
(2) an individual who is a resident of the United States,
(3) a partnership, if two-thirds or more of the partners are residents of the United States,
(4) a trust, if all of the trustees are residents of the United States, or
(5) a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any State.


26 C.F.R. § 31.3121(a)(7)-1   Payments for services not in the course of employer's trade or business or for domestic service.

(a) Meaning of terms—

(1) Services not in the course of employer's trade or business. The term “services not in the course of the employer's trade or business” includes services that do not promote or advance the trade or business of the employer. Such term does not include services performed for a corporation. As used in this section, the term does not include service not in the course of the employer's trade or business performed on a farm operated for profit or domestic service in a private home of the employer. See paragraph (f) of §31.3121(g)–1 for provisions relating to services not in the course of the employer's trade or business performed on a farm operated for profit.

(2) Domestic service in a private home of the employer. Services of a household nature performed by an employee in or about a private home of the person by whom he is employed constitute domestic service in a private home of the employer. A private home is a fixed place of abode of an individual or family. A separate and distinct dwelling unit maintained by an individual in an apartment house, hotel, or other similar establishment may constitute a private home. If a dwelling house is used primarily as a boarding or lodging house for the purpose of supplying board or lodging to the public as a business enterprise, it is not a private home. In general, services of a household nature in or about a private home include services performed by cooks, waiters, butlers, housekeepers, governesses, maids, valets, baby sitters, janitors, laundresses, furnacemen, caretakers, handymen, gardeners, footmen, grooms, and chauffeurs of automobiles for family use. The term “domestic service in a private home of the employer” does not include the services enumerated above unless such services are performed in or about a private home of the employer. Services not of a household nature, such as services performed as a private secretary, tutor, or librarian, even though performed in the employer's home, are not included within the term “domestic service in a private home of the employer”. As used in this section, the term does not include domestic service in a private home of the employer performed on a farm operated for profit or service not in the course of the employer's trade or business. See paragraph (f) §31.3121(g)–1 for provisions relating to domestic service in a private home of the employer performed on a farm operated for profit.

(b) Payments other than in cash. The term “wages” does not include remuneration paid in any medium other than cash (1) for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business, or (2) for domestic service in a private home of the employer. Cash remuneration includes checks and other monetary media of exchange. Remuneration paid in any medium other than cash, such as lodging, food, clothing, car tokens, transportation passes or tickets, or other goods or commodities, for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business or for domestic service in a private home of the employer does not constitute wages.

(c) Cash payments. (1) The term “wages” does not include cash remuneration paid by an employer in any calendar quarter after 1954 to an employee for—

(i) Domestic service in a private home of the employer, or

(ii) Service not in the course of the employer's trade or business, unless the cash remuneration paid in such quarter by the employer to the employee for such service is $50 or more.

(2) The test relating to cash remuneration of $50 or more is based on the remuneration paid in a calendar quarter rather than on the remuneration earned during a calendar quarter. It is immaterial whether the remuneration was earned before 1955 or after 1954.

Example.   In the calendar quarter ending March 31, 1955, employer X pays employee A cash remuneration of $50 for service not in the course of X's trade or business. Such remuneration constitutes wages subject to the taxes even though $10 thereof represents payment for such service performed by A for X in December 1954.

In determining whether $50 or more has been paid either for domestic service in a private home of the employer or for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business, only cash remuneration for such service shall be taken into account. Cash remuneration includes checks and other monetary media of exchange. Remuneration paid in any other medium, such as lodging, food, clothing, car tokens, transportation passes or tickets, or other goods or commodities, is disregarded in determining whether the cash-remuneration test is met. If an employee receives cash remuneration from an employer in a calendar quarter for both types of services the $50 cash-remuneration test is to be applied separately to each type of service. If an employee receives cash remuneration from more than one employer in a calendar quarter for domestic service in a private home of the employer or for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business, the $50 cash-remuneration test is to be applied separately to the remuneration received from each employer. See §31.3102–1, relating to deduction of employee tax or amounts equivalent to the tax from cash payments for the services described in this section; §31.3121(a)–2, relating to time of payment of wages for such services; and §31.3121(i)–1, relating to computations to the nearest dollar of any payment of cash remuneration for domestic service in a private home of the employer.