26 U.S.C. § 3405: Special rules for pensions, annuities, and certain other deferred income

The payor of any periodic payment (as defined in subsection (e)(2)) shall withhold from such payment the amount which would be required to be withheld from such payment if such payment were a payment of wages by an employer to an employee for the appropriate payroll period. An individual may elect to have paragraph (1) not apply with respect to periodic payments made to such individual. Such an election shall remain in effect until revoked by such individual. Any election under this subsection (and any revocation of such an election) shall take effect as provided by subsection (f)(3) of section 3402 for withholding allowance certificates. In the case of any payment with respect to which a withholding allowance certificate is not in effect, the amount withheld under paragraph (1) shall be determined under rules prescribed by the Secretary. The payor of any nonperiodic distribution (as defined in subsection (e)(3)) shall withhold from such distribution an amount equal to 10 percent of such distribution. An individual may elect not to have paragraph (1) apply with respect to any nonperiodic distribution. except as provided in clause (ii), shall be on a distribution-by-distribution basis, or to the extent provided in regulations, may apply to subsequent nonperi­odic distributions made by the payor to the payee under the same arrangement. subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply, and the payor of such distribution shall withhold from such distribution an amount equal to 20 percent of such distribution. Paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply to any distribution if the distributee elects under section 401(a)(31)(A) to have such distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan. For purposes of this subsection, the term “eligible rollover distribution” has the meaning given such term by section 402(f)(2)(A). Except as provided in paragraph (2), the payor of a designated distribution (as defined in subsection (e)(1)) shall withhold, and be liable for, payment of the tax required to be withheld under this section. directs the payor to withhold such tax, and provides the payor with such information as the Secretary may require by regulations. section 401(a), section 403(a), section 301(d) of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975, or section 457(b) and which is maintained by an eligible employer described in section 457(e)(1)(A). an employer deferred compensation plan, an individual retirement plan (as defined in section 7701(a)(37)), or a commercial annuity. any amount which is wages without regard to this section, the portion of a distribution or payment which it is reasonable to believe is not includible in gross income, and 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 any distribution described in section 404(k)(2). The term “periodic payment” means a designated distribution which is an annuity or similar periodic payment. The term “nonperiodic distribution” means any designated distribution which is not a periodic payment. The term “employer deferred compensation plan” means any pension, annuity, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan or other plan deferring the receipt of compensation. The term “commercial annuity” means an annuity, endowment, or life insurance contract issued by an insurance company licensed to do business under the laws of any State. The term “plan administrator” has the meaning given such term by section 414(g). The maximum amount to be withheld under this section on any designated distribution shall not exceed the sum of the amount of money and the fair market value of other property (other than securities of the employer corporation) received in the distribution. No amount shall be required to be withheld under this section in the case of any designated distribution which consists only of securities of the employer corporation and cash (not in excess of $200) in lieu of financial shares. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “securities of the employer corporation” has the meaning given such term by section 402(e)(4)(E). If the payor has more than 1 arrangement under which designated distributions may be made to any individual, each such arrangement shall be treated separately. Any election and any revocation under this section shall be made at such time and in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. 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, 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 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. The payor of any nonperiodic distribution shall transmit to the payee notice of the right to make any election provided in subsection (b) at the time of the distribution (or at such earlier time as may be provided in regulations). Any notice transmitted pursuant to this subparagraph shall be in such form and contain such information as the Secretary shall prescribe. The terms “withholding”, “withhold”, and “withheld” include “deducting”, “deduct”, and “deducted”. a payee fails to furnish his TIN to the payor in the manner required by the Secretary, or the Secretary notifies the payor before any payment or distribution that the TIN furnished by the payee is incorrect, Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in the case of any periodic payment or nonperiodic distribution which is to be delivered outside of the United States and any possession of the United States, no election may be made under subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) with respect to such payment. a United States citizen or a resident alien of the United States, or an individual to whom section 877 applies. 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 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. Except as provided in paragraph (4), the amendment made by subsections (a) [enacting this section] and (d) [amending section 3402 of this title ] shall apply to payments or other distributions made after December 31, 1982 . Except as provided in paragraph (4), the amendments made by subsection (b) [amending section 6047 of this title ] shall take effect on January 1, 1983 . The amendments made by subsection (c) [enacting section 6704 of this title ] shall take effect on January 1, 1985 . For purposes of section 3405(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954], in the case of periodic payments beginning before January 1, 1983 , the first periodic payment after December 31, 1982 , shall be treated as the first such periodic payment. The Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe such regulations which delay (but not beyond June 30, 1983 ) the application of some or all of the amendments made by this section with respect to any payor until such time as such payor is able to comply without undue hardship with the requirements of such provisions. No penalty shall be assessed under section 6672 with respect to any failure to withhold as required by the amendments made by this section if such failure was before July 1, 1983 , and if the person made a good faith effort to comply with such withholding requirements.”