Internal Revenue Code definition

What is the Internal Revenue Code?

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is the tax law used at the federal level by the United States government. The IRC is contained within Section 26 of the U.S. Code, and is broken down into the following topic areas:

  • Subtitle A - Income Taxes

  • Subtitle B - Estate and Gift Taxes

  • Subtitle C - Employment Taxes

  • Subtitle D - Miscellaneous Excise Taxes

  • Subtitle E - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes

  • Subtitle F - Procedure and Administration

  • Subtitle G - The Joint Committee on Taxation

  • Subtitle H - Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns

  • Subtitle I - Trust Fund Code

  • Subtitle J - Coal Industry Health Benefits

  • Subtitle K - Group Health Plan Requirements

A few tax-related statutes are not contained within the Internal Revenue Code. For example, bankruptcy law is contained within Section 11 of the U.S. Code.

The IRC is occasionally adjusted and updated by Congress. The IRC is enforced by the Internal Revenue Service, which can impose fines and other penalties when the IRC is breached.