26 USC § 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t26/s7201"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "26 USC § 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax"
title_number: 26
title_name: "INTERNAL REVENUE CODE"
section_number: "7201"
section_name: "Attempt to evade or defeat tax"
chapter_number: 75
chapter_name: "CRIMES, OTHER OFFENSES, AND FORFEITURES"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "Crimes"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 851; Pub. L. 97–248, title III, § 329(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 618.)"
---


# § 7201. Attempt to evade or defeat tax

Any person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any tax imposed by this title or the payment thereof shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100,000 ($500,000 in the case of a corporation), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 851; Pub. L. 97–248, title III, § 329(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 618.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1982— substituted “$100,000 ($500,000 in the case of a corporation)” for “$10,000”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 7203, 7206, and 7207 of this title] shall apply to offenses committed after the date of the enactment of this Act [
> 
> ].”

, , , provided that: