US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

26 U.S.C. § 3321

Imposition of tax

(a)

General rule

There is hereby imposed on every rail employer for each calendar month an excise tax, with respect to having individuals in his employ, equal to 4 percent of the total rail wages paid by him during such month.

(b)

Tax on employee representatives

(1)

In general

There is hereby imposed on the income of each employee representative a tax equal to 4 percent of the rail wages paid to him during the calendar month.

(2)

Determination of wages

The rail wages of an employee representative for purposes of paragraph (1) shall be determined in the same manner and with the same effect as if the employee organization by which such employee representative is employed were a rail employer.

(c)

Termination if loans to railroad unemployment fund repaid

The tax imposed by this section shall not apply to rail wages paid on or after the 1st day of any calendar month if, as of such 1st day, there is—
(1)
no balance of transfers made before , to the railroad unemployment insurance account under section 10(d) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and
(2)
no unpaid interest on such transfers.

Pub. L. 98–76, title II, § 231(a)97 Stat. 426Pub. L. 99–272, title XIII, § 13301(a)100 Stat. 325Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1018(u)(17)102 Stat. 3590(Added , , ; amended , , ; , title VIII, § 7106(a), , , 3772.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 360(d) of Title 45Section 10(d) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is classified to , Railroads.

Amendments

Pub. L. 100–647, § 7106(a)1988—, amended section generally, revising and restating provisions of subsecs. (a) and (b) and specifying imposition of 4 percent tax on rail wages rather than a tax based on the “applicable percentage” of rail wages, and in subsec. (c) substituting provisions relating to termination if loans to railroad unemployment fund repaid for provisions relating to rates of tax.

Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(u)(17), added a period at end of par. (4).

Pub. L. 99–2721986—Subsec. (c). amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment subsec. (c) read as follows:

Rate of Tax“(c) .—For purposes of this section—

For taxable period july 1 through “(1) .—The applicable percentage for the taxable period beginning on , and ending on , shall be 2 percent.

Subsequent taxable periods“(2) .—The applicable percentage for any taxable period beginning after 1986 shall be the sum of—

“(A) 2 percent, plus

“(B) 0.3 percent for each preceding taxable period.

In no event shall the applicable percentage exceed 5 percent.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

section 1018(u)(17) of Pub. L. 100–647Pub. L. 99–514section 1019(a) of Pub. L. 100–647section 1 of this titleAmendment by effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, , to which such amendment relates, see , set out as a note under .

Pub. L. 100–647, title VII, § 7106(d)102 Stat. 3774

section 3323 of this titlesection 231n of Title 45“The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 3322, 6157, 6201, 6317, 6513, and 6601 of this title, omitting , and amending provisions set out as a note under , Railroads], and the provisions of subsection (b) [set out below], shall apply to remuneration paid after .”
, , , provided that:

Effective Date

Pub. L. 98–76, title II, § 231(d)97 Stat. 429

“The amendments made by this section [enacting this chapter and amending sections 6157, 6201, 6317, 6513, and 6601 of this title] shall apply to remuneration paid after .”
, , , provided that:

Continuation of Surtax Rate Through 1990

Pub. L. 100–647, title VII, § 7106(b)102 Stat. 3773

“(1)

In general .—

In the case of any calendar month beginning before —
“(A)
there shall be substituted for ‘4 percent’ in subsections (a) and (b) of section 3321 of the 1986 Code the percentage equal to the sum of—
“(i)
4 percent, plus
“(ii)
the surtax rate (if any) for such calendar month, and
“(B)
subsection (c) of such section shall not apply to so much of the tax imposed by such section as is attributable to the surtax rate.
“(2)

Surtax rate .—

For purposes of paragraph (1), the surtax rate shall be—
“(A)
45 U.S.C. 360(d) 3.5 percent for each month during a calendar year if, as of September 30, of the preceding calendar year, there was a balance of transfers (or unpaid interest thereon) made after , to the railroad unemployment insurance account under section 10(d) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act [], and
“(B)
zero for any other calendar month.”
, , , provided that: