Accounting and Auditing Research and Databases: Practitioner's Desk Reference

The Internal Revenue Code

Realize that the Code, or the IRC, is the common name for the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as Amended. The Code compiles most tax statutes passed by Congress. It is located in Title 26 of the United States Code. To cite a specific tax provision, tax researchers use the Code section number followed by specific provisions within that Code section. For example, cite “IRC § 61(a)(1)” as the authority for salary as gross income.

Use the Find by Citation approach in a tax research database as the fastest way to pull up a Code section. On the left side of the screen is the link to using the citation in Checkpoint. The citation approach usually provides a template box to assist the researcher in pulling up the desired Code section or other authority.

Cite a provision within a Code section with as much precision as possible. Drill into the subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, and clauses, when possible. Within parentheses following the Code section number, subsections use lowercase letters, paragraphs use numbers, subparagraphs use capital letters, and clauses use lowercase roman numerals.

Only if a Code section existed back under the 1939 codification does the current Code not include a small letter before a paragraph number, such as section 1223(3) for the holding period for stock. Precede the Code section number with “IRC” and either abbreviation for section: “sec.” or the symbol “§.” For example, IRC § 61(a)(1) states that gross income includes compensation. ...