Withholding of Tax on Payment to Foreigners
Form 1042 & 1042-S
Purpose of Form
Use Form 1042 to report the following.
• The tax withheld under chapter 3 (excluding withholding under sections 1445 and 1446 except as indicated below) on certain income of foreign persons, including nonresident aliens, foreign partnerships, foreign corporations, foreign estates, and foreign trusts.
• The tax withheld under chapter 4 on withholdable payments. For the withholding requirements of chapter 4, see Regulations sections 1.1471-2(a), 1.1471-4(b), and 1.1472-1(a).
• The tax withheld pursuant to section 5000C on specified federal procurement payments. • The tax withheld under section 877A on payments of eligible deferred compensation items or distributions from nongrantor trusts to a covered expatriate.
• Payments that are reported on Form 1042-S under chapter 3 or 4. See Regulations section 1.1474-1(d)(2)(i) for the definition of a chapter 4 reportable amount (which are amounts required to be reported on Form 1042-S for chapter 4 purposes) and Regulations section 1.1461-1(c)(2) for amounts subject to reporting for chapter 3 purposes.
Certain distributions subject to section 1445 withholding tax. Publicly traded trusts, real estate investment trusts, and regulated investment companies that are qualified investment entities (as defined under section 897(h)(4)) must withhold section 1445 tax on certain distributions and report such amounts on Form 1042. For more information, see Regulations section 1.1445-8 and the Instructions for Form 1042-S.
Publicly traded partnerships (section 1446 withholding tax). For purposes of reporting on Form 1042, a publicly traded partnership (PTP) must withhold section 1446 tax on distributions of effectively connected income (ECI) to its foreign partners. A nominee that receives a distribution of ECI from a PTP and is treated as the withholding agent must use Form 1042 to report the tax withheld. For this purpose, a nominee is a domestic person holding an interest in the PTP on behalf of one or more foreign partners. For more information, see Regulations section 1.1446-4 and Pub. 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities.
You must file Form 1042 if any of the following applies.
• You are required to file or otherwise file Form(s) 1042-S for purposes of either chapter 3 or 4 (whether or not any tax was withheld or was required to be withheld to the extent reporting is required). File Form 1042 even if you file Form(s) 1042-S electronically.
• You file Form(s) 1042-S to report to a recipient tax withheld by your withholding agent.
• You pay gross investment income to foreign private foundations that are subject to tax under section 4948(a).
• You pay any foreign person specified federal procurement payments that are subject to withholding under section 5000C.
• You pay an eligible deferred compensation item to a covered expatriate or you are a trustee making a distribution from a nongrantor trust to a covered expatriate under section 877A.
• You are a QI, withholding foreign partnership (WP), withholding foreign trust (WT), participating foreign financial institution (FFI), or reporting Model 1 FFI making a claim for a collective refund under your respective agreement with the IRS. See Regulations section 1.1471-1(b) (114) for the definition of a reporting Model 1 FFI.
Withholding Agent
Any person required to withhold tax is a withholding agent. A withholding agent may be an individual, trust, estate, partnership, corporation, nominee, government agency, association, or tax-exempt foundation, whether domestic or foreign. For purposes of chapter 4, a withholding agent includes a participating FFI or registered deemed-compliant FFI to the extent such FFI is required to withhold tax. See Regulations section 1.1473-1(d) for the definition of a withholding agent for purposes of chapter 4.
Withholding of Tax
In most cases, a foreign person is subject to U.S. tax on its U.S. source income. Most types of U.S. source income received by a foreign person are subject to U.S. tax of 30%. A reduced rate, including exemption, may apply if there is a tax treaty between the foreign person's country of residence and the United States. The tax is generally withheld (chapter 3 withholding) from the payment made to the foreign person.
The term “chapter 3 withholding” is used in this publication descriptively to refer to withholding required under sections 1441, 1442, and 1443 of the Internal Revenue Code.
In most cases, chapter 3 withholding describes the withholding regime that requires withholding on a payment of U.S. source income. Payments to foreign persons, including nonresident alien individuals, foreign entities, and governments, may be subject to chapter 3 withholding.
Withholding may also be required on a payment to the extent required under chapter 4. “chapter 4” refers to chapter 4 of Subtitle A (sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code). See Chapter 4 Withholding Requirements, later.
Chapter 3 withholding does not include withholding under section 1445 of the Internal Revenue Code (see U.S. Real Property Interest, later) or under section 1446 of the Internal Revenue Code (see Partnership Withholding on Effectively Connected Income and Section 1446(f) Withholding, later).
U.S. Code § 1441 - Withholding of tax on nonresident aliens
(a)General rule
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), all persons, in whatever capacity acting (including lessees or mortgagors of real or personal property, fiduciaries, employers, and all officers and employees of the United States) having the control, receipt, custody, disposal, or payment of any of the items of income specified in subsection (b) (to the extent that any of such items constitutes gross income from sources within the United States), of any nonresident alien individual or of any foreign partnership shall (except as otherwise provided in regulations prescribed by the Secretary under section 874) deduct and withhold from such items a tax equal to 30 percent thereof, except that in the case of any item of income specified in the second sentence of subsection (b), the tax shall be equal to 14 percent of such item.
(b)Income itemsThe items of income referred to in subsection (a) are interest (other than original issue discount as defined in section 1273), dividends, rent, salaries, wages, premiums, annuities, compensations, remunerations, emoluments, or other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gains, profits, and income, gains described in section 631(b) or (c), amounts subject to tax under section 871(a)(1)(C), and gains subject to tax under section 871(a)(1)(D). The items of income referred to in subsection (a) from which tax shall be deducted and withheld at the rate of 14 percent are amounts which are received by a nonresident alien individual who is temporarily present in the United States as a nonimmigrant under subparagraph (F), (J), (M), or (Q) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and which are—(1)incident to a qualified scholarship to which section 117(a) applies, but only to the extent includible in gross income; or(2)in the case of an individual who is not a candidate for a degree at an educational organization described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii), granted by—(A)an organization described in section 501(c)(3) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a),(B)a foreign government,(C)an international organization, or a binational or multinational educational and cultural foundation or commission created or continued pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, or(D)the United States, or an instrumentality or agency thereof, or a State, or a possession of the United States, or any political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia,as a scholarship or fellowship for study, training, or research in the United States. In the case of a nonresident alien individual who is a member of a domestic partnership, the items of income referred to in subsection (a) shall be treated as referring to items specified in this subsection included in his distributive share of the income of such partnership.
(c)Exceptions(1)Income connected with United States business
No deduction or withholding under subsection (a) shall be required in the case of any item of income (other than compensation for personal services) which is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States and which is included in the gross income of the recipient under section 871(b)(2) for the taxable year.
(2)Owner unknown
The Secretary may authorize the tax under subsection (a) to be deducted and withheld from the interest upon any securities the owners of which are not known to the withholding agent.
(3)Bonds with extended maturity dates
The deduction and withholding in the case of interest on bonds, mortgages, or deeds of trust or other similar obligations of a corporation, within subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 1451 (as in effect before its repeal by the Tax Reform Act of 1984) were it not for the fact that the maturity date of such obligations has been extended on or after January 1, 1934, and the liability assumed by the debtor exceeds 27½ percent of the interest, shall not exceed the rate of 27½ percent per annum.
(4)Compensation of certain aliens
Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, compensation for personal services may be exempted from deduction and withholding under subsection (a).
(5)Special items
In the case of gains described in section 631(b) or (c), and gains subject to tax under section 871(a)(1)(D), the amount required to be deducted and withheld shall, if the amount of such gain is not known to the withholding agent, be such amount, not exceeding 30 percent of the amount payable, as may be necessary to assure that the tax deducted and withheld shall not be less than 30 percent of such gain.
(6)Per diem of certain aliens
No deduction or withholding under subsection (a) shall be required in the case of amounts of per diem for subsistence paid by the United States Government (directly or by contract) to any nonresident alien individual who is engaged in any program of training in the United States under the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended.
(7)Certain annuities received under qualified plans
No deduction or withholding under subsection (a) shall be required in the case of any amount received as an annuity if such amount is, under section 871(f), exempt from the tax imposed by section 871(a).
(8)Original issue discount
The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be necessary for the deduction and withholding of the tax on original issue discount subject to tax under section 871(a)(1)(C) including rules for the deduction and withholding of the tax on original issue discount from payments of interest.
(9)Interest income from certain portfolio debt investments
In the case of portfolio interest (within the meaning of section 871(h)), no tax shall be required to be deducted and withheld from such interest unless the person required to deduct and withhold tax from such interest knows, or has reason to know, that such interest is not portfolio interest by reason of section 871(h)(3) or (4).
(10)Exception for certain interest and dividends
No tax shall be required to be deducted and withheld under subsection (a) from any amount described in section 871(i)(2).
(11)Certain gambling winnings
No tax shall be required to be deducted and withheld under subsection (a) from any amount exempt from the tax imposed by section 871(a)(1)(A) by reason of section 871(j).
(12)Certain dividends received from regulated investment companies(A)In general
No tax shall be required to be deducted and withheld under subsection (a) from any amount exempt from the tax imposed by section 871(a)(1)(A) by reason of section 871(k).
(B)Special rule
For purposes of subparagraph (A), clause (i) of section 871(k)(1)(B) shall not apply to any dividend unless the regulated investment company knows that such dividend is a dividend referred to in such clause. A similar rule shall apply with respect to the exception contained in section 871(k)(2)(B).
(d)Exemption of certain foreign partnerships
Subject to such terms and conditions as may be provided by regulations prescribed by the Secretary, subsection (a) shall not apply in the case of a foreign partnership engaged in trade or business within the United States if the Secretary determines that the requirements of subsection (a) impose an undue administrative burden and that the collection of the tax imposed by section 871(a) on the members of such partnership who are nonresident alien individuals will not be jeopardized by the exemption.
(e)Alien resident of Puerto Rico
For purposes of this section, the term “nonresident alien individual” includes an alien resident of Puerto Rico.
(f)Continental shelf areas
For sources of income derived from, or for services performed with respect to, the exploration or exploitation of natural resources on submarine areas adjacent to the territorial waters of the United States, see section 638.
(g)Cross reference
For provision treating 85 percent of social security benefits as subject to withholding under this section, see section 871(a)(3).
U.S. Code § 1442 - Withholding of tax on foreign corporations
(a)General rule
In the case of foreign corporations subject to taxation under this subtitle, there shall be deducted and withheld at the source in the same manner and on the same items of income as is provided in section 1441 a tax equal to 30 percent thereof. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the references in section 1441(b) to sections 871(a)(1)(C) and (D) shall be treated as referring to sections 881(a)(3) and (4), the reference in section 1441(c)(1) to section 871(b)(2) shall be treated as referring to section 842 or section 882(a)(2), as the case may be, the reference in section 1441(c)(5) to section 871(a)(1)(D) shall be treated as referring to section 881(a)(4), the reference in section 1441(c)(8) to section 871(a)(1)(C) shall be treated as referring to section 881(a)(3), the references in section 1441(c)(9) to sections 871(h) and 871(h)(3) or (4) shall be treated as referring to sections 881(c) and 881(c)(3) or (4), the reference in section 1441(c)(10) to section 871(i)(2) shall be treated as referring to section 881(d), and the references in section 1441(c)(12) to sections 871(a) and 871(k) shall be treated as referring to sections 881(a) and 881(e) (except that for purposes of applying subparagraph (A) of section 1441(c)(12), as so modified, clause (ii) of section 881(e)(1)(B) shall not apply to any dividend unless the regulated investment company knows that such dividend is a dividend referred to in such clause).
(b)Exemption
Subject to such terms and conditions as may be provided by regulations prescribed by the Secretary, subsection (a) shall not apply in the case of a foreign corporation engaged in trade or business within the United States if the Secretary determines that the requirements of subsection (a) impose an undue administrative burden and that the collection of the tax imposed by section 881 on such corporation will not be jeopardized by the exemption.
(c)Exception for certain possessions corporations(1)Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands
For purposes of this section, the term “foreign corporation” does not include a corporation created or organized in Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands or under the law of any such possession if the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 881(b)(1) are met with respect to such corporation.
(2)Commonwealth of Puerto Rico(A)In generalIf dividends are received during a taxable year by a corporation—(i)created or organized in, or under the law of, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and(ii)with respect to which the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 881(b)(1) are met for the taxable year,subsection (a) shall be applied for such taxable year by substituting “10 percent” for “30 percent”.(B)Applicability
If, on or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, an increase in the rate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s withholding tax which is generally applicable to dividends paid to United States corporations not engaged in a trade or business in the Commonwealth to a rate greater than 10 percent takes effect, this paragraph shall not apply to dividends received on or after the effective date of the increase.
U.S. Code § 1443 - Foreign tax-exempt organizations
(a)Income subject to section 511
In the case of income of a foreign organization subject to the tax imposed by section 511, this chapter shall apply to income includible under section 512 in computing its unrelated business taxable income, but only to the extent and subject to such conditions as may be provided under regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
(b)Income subject to section 4948
In the case of income of a foreign organization subject to the tax imposed by section 4948(a), this chapter shall apply, except that the deduction and withholding shall be at the rate of 4 percent and shall be subject to such conditions as may be provided under regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
U.S. Code § 1446 - Withholding of tax on foreign partners’ share of effectively connected income
(a)General ruleIf—(1)a partnership has effectively connected taxable income for any taxable year, and(2)any portion of such income is allocable under section 704 to a foreign partner,such partnership shall pay a withholding tax under this section at such time and in such manner as the Secretary shall by regulations prescribe.
(b)Amount of withholding tax(1)In general
The amount of the withholding tax payable by any partnership under subsection (a) shall be equal to the applicable percentage of the effectively connected taxable income of the partnership which is allocable under section 704 to foreign partners.
(2)Applicable percentageFor purposes of paragraph (1), the term “applicable percentage” means—(A)the highest rate of tax specified in section 1 in the case of the portion of the effectively connected taxable income which is allocable under section 704 to foreign partners who are not corporations, and(B)the highest rate of tax specified in section 11(b) in the case of the portion of the effectively connected taxable income which is allocable under section 704 to foreign partners which are corporations.
(c)Effectively connected taxable incomeFor purposes of this section, the term “effectively connected taxable income” means the taxable income of the partnership which is effectively connected (or treated as effectively connected) with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States computed with the following adjustments:(1)Paragraph (1) of section 703(a) shall not apply.(2)The partnership shall be allowed a deduction for depletion with respect to oil and gas wells but the amount of such deduction shall be determined without regard to sections 613 and 613A.(3)There shall not be taken into account any item of income, gain, loss, or deduction to the extent allocable under section 704 to any partner who is not a foreign partner.
(d)Treatment of foreign partners(1)Allowance of credit
Each foreign partner of a partnership shall be allowed a credit under section 33 for such partner’s share of the withholding tax paid by the partnership under this section. Such credit shall be allowed for the partner’s taxable year in which (or with which) the partnership taxable year (for which such tax was paid) ends.
(2)Credit treated as distributed to partnerExcept as provided in regulations, a foreign partner’s share of any withholding tax paid by the partnership under this section shall be treated as distributed to such partner by such partnership on the earlier of—(A)the day on which such tax was paid by the partnership, or(B)the last day of the partnership’s taxable year for which such tax was paid.
(e)Foreign partner
For purposes of this section, the term “foreign partner” means any partner who is not a United States person.
(f)Special rules for withholding on dispositions of partnership interests(1)In general
Except as provided in this subsection, if any portion of the gain (if any) on any disposition of an interest in a partnership would be treated under section 864(c)(8) as effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States, the transferee shall be required to deduct and withhold a tax equal to 10 percent of the amount realized on the disposition.
(2)Exception if nonforeign affidavit furnished(A)In general
No person shall be required to deduct and withhold any amount under paragraph (1) with respect to any disposition if the transferor furnishes to the transferee an affidavit by the transferor stating, under penalty of perjury, the transferor’s United States taxpayer identification number and that the transferor is not a foreign person.
(B)False affidavitSubparagraph (A) shall not apply to any disposition if—(i)the transferee has actual knowledge that the affidavit is false, or the transferee receives a notice (as described in section 1445(d)) from a transferor’s agent or transferee’s agent that such affidavit or statement is false, or(ii)the Secretary by regulations requires the transferee to furnish a copy of such affidavit or statement to the Secretary and the transferee fails to furnish a copy of such affidavit or statement to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as required by such regulations.
(C)Rules for agents
The rules of section 1445(d) shall apply to a transferor’s agent or transferee’s agent with respect to any affidavit described in subparagraph (A) in the same manner as such rules apply with respect to the disposition of a United States real property interest under such section.
(3)Authority of Secretary to prescribe reduced amount
At the request of the transferor or transferee, the Secretary may prescribe a reduced amount to be withheld under this section if the Secretary determines that to substitute such reduced amount will not jeopardize the collection of the tax imposed under this title with respect to gain treated under section 864(c)(8) as effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business with in the United States.
(4)Partnership to withhold amounts not withheld by the transferee
If a transferee fails to withhold any amount required to be withheld under paragraph (1), the partnership shall be required to deduct and withhold from distributions to the transferee a tax in an amount equal to the amount the transferee failed to withhold (plus interest under this title on such amount).
(5)Definitions
Any term used in this subsection which is also used under section 1445 shall have the same meaning as when used in such section.
(6)Regulations
The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations or other guidance as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection, including regulations providing for exceptions from the provisions of this subsection.
(g)RegulationsThe Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including—(1)regulations providing for the application of this section in the case of publicly traded partnerships, and(2)regulations providing—(A)that, for purposes of section 6655, the withholding tax imposed under this section shall be treated as a tax imposed by section 11 and any partnership required to pay such tax shall be treated as a corporation, and(B)appropriate adjustments in applying section 6655 with respect to such withholding tax.