26 U.S.C. § 4951
Taxes on self-dealing
United States · Title 26 — INTERNAL REVENUE CODE · Status: effective
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- Citation
- 26 U.S.C. § 4951, Taxes on self-dealing, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/463534
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Full text
There is hereby imposed a tax on each act of self-dealing between a disqualified person and a trust described in section 501(c)(21). The rate of tax shall be equal to 10 percent of the amount involved with respect to the act of self-dealing for each year (or part thereof) in the taxable period. The tax imposed by this paragraph shall be paid by any disqualified person (other than a trustee acting only as a trustee of the trust) who participates in the act of self-dealing.
In any case in which a tax is imposed by paragraph (1), there is hereby imposed on the participation of any trustee of such a trust in an act of self-dealing between a disqualified person and the trust, knowing that it is such an act, a tax equal to 2½ percent of the amount involved with respect to the act of self-dealing for each year (or part thereof) in the taxable period, unless such participation is not willful and is due to reasonable cause. The tax imposed by this paragraph shall be paid by any such trustee who participated in the act of self-dealing.
In any case in which an initial tax is imposed by subsection (a)(1) on an act of self-dealing by a disqualified person with a trust described in section 501(c)(21) and in which the act is not corrected within the taxable period, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 100 percent of the amount involved. The tax imposed by this paragraph shall be paid by any disqualified person (other than a trustee acting only as a trustee of such a trust) who participated in the act of self-dealing.
In any case in which an additional tax is imposed by paragraph (1), if a trustee of such a trust refused to agree to part or all of the correction, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 50 percent of the amount involved. The tax imposed by this paragraph shall be paid by any such trustee who refused to agree to part or all of the correction.
If more than one person is liable under any paragraph of subsection (a) or (b) with respect to any one act of self-dealing, all such persons shall be jointly and severally liable under such paragraph with respect to such act.
For purposes of this section, the term “self-dealing” means any direct or indirect—
For purposes of paragraph (1)—
For purposes of this section—
The term “taxable period” means, with respect to any act of self-dealing, the period beginning with the date on which the act of self-dealing occurs and ending on the earliest of—
The term “amount involved” means, with respect to any act of self-dealing, the greater of the amount of money and the fair market value of the other property given or the amount of money and the fair market value of the other property received; except that in the case of services described in subsection (d)(2)(C), the amount involved shall be only the excess compensation. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the fair market value—
The terms “correction” and “correct” mean, with respect to any act of self-dealing, undoing the transaction to the extent possible, but in any case placing the trust in a financial position not worse than that in which it would be if the disqualified person were dealing under the highest fiduciary standards.
The term “disqualified person” means, with respect to a trust described in section 501(c)(21), a person who is—
an owner of more than 10 percent of—
For purposes of this section, a payment, out of assets or income of a trust described in section 501(c)(21), for the purposes described in subclause (I) or (IV) of section 501(c)(21)(A)(i) shall not be considered an act of self-dealing.
Legislative history
The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone.
- Black Lung Benefits Revenue Act of 1977House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- An act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 with respect to the determination of second tier taxes, and for other purposes.House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Energy Policy Act of 1992