SECTION 3. WITHHOLDING
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2016-29 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States
RESPONSIBILITY AND QDD TAX LIABILITY
Sec. 3.01. Chapters 3 and 4 Withholding Responsibilities.
(A) Chapter 4 Withholding. QI is a withholding agent for purposes of chapter 4 and subject to the withholding and reporting provisions applicable to withholding agents under sections 1471 and 1472 with respect to its accounts. QI is required to withhold 30 percent of any withholdable payment made after June 30, 2014, to an account holder that is an FFI unless either QI can reliably associate the payment (or portion of the payment) with documentation upon which it is permitted to rely to treat the payment as exempt from withholding under § 1.1471–2(a)(4) or the payment is made under a grandfathered obligation described in § 1.1471– 2(b). See § 1.1471–2(b)(2)(i)(A)( 2 ) for the definition of grandfathered obligation with respect to an obligation giving rise to
a dividend equivalent. QI is also required to withhold 30 percent of any withholdable payment made after June 30, 2014, to an account holder that is an NFFE unless either QI can reliably associate the payment (or portion of the payment) with a certification described in § 1.1472– 1(b)(1)(ii) or an exception to withholding under § 1.1472–1 otherwise applies.
If QI is a participating FFI or registered deemed-compliant FFI (other than a reporting Model 1 FFI), QI will satisfy its requirement to withhold under sections 1471(a) and 1472(a) with respect to direct account holders that are entities by withholding on withholdable payments made to nonparticipating FFIs and recalcitrant account holders to the extent required under its FATCA requirements as a participating FFI or registered deemedcompliant FFI. See the FFI Agreement, § 1.1471–5(f)(1), or the applicable Model 2 IGA for the withholding requirements that apply to withholdable payments made to account holders of the FFI that are individuals treated as recalcitrant account holders or non-consenting accounts. If QI is a reporting Model 1 FFI or a registered deemed-compliant Model 1 IGA FFI, QI will satisfy its requirement to withhold under section 1471(a) with respect to direct account holders by withholding on withholdable payments made to nonparticipating FFIs to the extent required under its FATCA requirements as a registered deemed-compliant FFI or registered deemed-compliant Model 1 IGA FFI. QI must, however, withhold in the manner described in sections 3.02 and 3.03 of this Agreement for when QI assumes or does not assume primary withholding responsibility for purposes of chapters 3 and 4 regardless of its chapter 4 status.
(B) Chapter 3 Withholding. To the extent that QI makes a payment of an amount subject to chapter 3 withholding, QI is required to withhold 30 percent of the gross amount of any such payment made to an account holder that is (or is presumed) a foreign person unless QI can reliably associate the payment with documentation upon which it can rely to treat the payment as made to a payee that is a U.S. person or as made to a beneficial owner that is a foreign person entitled to a reduced rate of withholding. See section 5 of this Agreement regarding documenta
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tion requirements. With respect an amount subject to chapter 4 withholding that is also an amount subject to chapter 3 withholding, QI may credit any tax withheld under chapter 4 against its liability for any tax due under chapter 3 with respect to the payment so that no additional withholding is required on the payment for purposes of chapter 3. Nothing in chapter 4 or the regulations thereunder (including the FFI Agreement) or any applicable IGA relieves QI of its requirements to withhold under chapter 3 to the extent required in this Agreement.
Sec. 3.02. Primary Chapters 3 and 4 Withholding Responsibility Not As- sumed. Notwithstanding sections 1.01 and 3.01 of this Agreement, QI is not be required to withhold with respect to a payment of U.S. source FDAP income if it (a) does not assume primary withholding responsibility under section 3.03 of this Agreement by electing to be withheld upon under § 1.1471–2(a)(2)(iii) for purposes of chapter 4, (b) provides the withholding agent from which QI receives the payment with a valid withholding certificate that indicates that QI does not assume primary withholding responsibility for chapters 3 and 4 purposes, and (c) provides correct withholding statements (including information regarding any account holders or interest holders of an intermediary or flow-through entity that holds an account with QI, other than a qualified intermediary that assumes primary withholding responsibility, withholding foreign partnership, or withholding foreign trust) as described in section 6.02 of this Agreement. However, QI that is acting as a QDD must assume primary withholding responsibility to the extent required under section 3.03(B) of this Agreement. Notwithstanding its election not to assume primary withholding responsibility under chapters 3 and 4, QI shall, however, withhold the difference between the amount of withholding required under chapter 3 or 4 and the amount actually withheld by another withholding agent if QI—
(A) Actually knows that the appropriate amount has not been withheld by another withholding agent; or
(B) Made an error which results in the withholding agent’s failure to withhold the correct amount due ( e.g ., QI fails to
provide an accurate withholding statement with respect to the payment, including a failure to provide information regarding any account holders or interest holders of an intermediary or flow-through entity that holds an account with QI to the extent required in section 6 of this Agreement) and QI has not corrected the underwithholding under section 9.05 of this Agreement. QI is not required to withhold on an amount that it pays to another qualified intermediary that has assumed primary withholding responsibility with respect to the payment or to a withholding foreign partnership or withholding foreign trust. See section 8 of this Agreement regarding QI’s responsibility to report amounts subject to withholding under chapter 3 or 4 on Form 1042–S.
Sec. 3.03. Assumption of Primary Chapters 3 and 4 Withholding Responsibility.
(A) In General. QI, upon notification to a withholding agent, may assume primary withholding responsibility for purposes of chapters 3 and 4 by providing a valid withholding certificate described in section 6 of this Agreement to a withholding agent that makes a payment of U.S. source FDAP income to QI and by designating on the withholding statement associated with such certificate the account(s) for which QI assumes primary withholding responsibility. QI may assume primary withholding responsibility without informing the IRS. QI is not required to assume primary withholding responsibility for all accounts it holds with the withholding agent. If QI assumes primary withholding responsibility for any account, it must assume that responsibility under chapters 3 and 4 for all withholdable payments and amounts subject to chapter 3 withholding made by the withholding agent to that account. QI may assume primary withholding responsibility for U.S. source FDAP payments of substitute interest as described in § 1.861– 2(a)(7). If QI assumes primary withholding responsibility for payments of substitute interest (as described in this paragraph), it must assume primary withholding responsibility with respect to all such payments. QI assumes primary withholding responsibility for payments of substitute interest for purposes of this
Agreement when it assumes such responsibility for payments of interest and substitute interest it receives in connection with a sale-repurchase or similar agreement, a securities lending transaction, or collateral that it holds in connection with its activities as a dealer in securities. As a result, QI may represent its status as a qualified intermediary on the withholding certificate described in section 6.01 of this Agreement with respect to payments it receives of interest and substitute interest described in the preceding sentence regardless of whether it acts as an intermediary or as a principal with respect to these payments.
To the extent that QI assumes primary withholding responsibility, QI shall withhold as described in section 3.01 of this Agreement. QI is not required to withhold on amounts it pays to another qualified intermediary that has assumed primary withholding responsibility with respect to the payment (including a qualified intermediary acting as a QDD) or to a withholding foreign partnership or a withholding foreign trust. See section 8 of this Agreement regarding QI’s responsibility to report amounts subject to withholding on Form 1042–S.
(B) Assumption of Withholding Re- sponsibility by a QDD. If QI is acting as a QDD, it must assume primary chapters 3 and 4 withholding responsibility for any dividend equivalent payment that it makes and must withhold with respect to a dividend equivalent payment on the dividend payment date for the applicable dividend (as determined in § 1.1441–2(e)(4)). A QDD must also assume primary chapter 3 and chapter 4 withholding responsibility for payments made with respect to a potential section 871(m) transaction even if the payment is not a dividend equivalent if the amount paid is an amount subject to chapter 3 or 4 withholding. A QDD is not required to withhold under chapter 3 or 4 on amounts it pays to another qualified intermediary that has assumed primary withholding responsibility with respect to the payment, or to a withholding foreign partnership or a withholding foreign trust. See section 8 of this Agreement regarding QDD’s responsibility to report dividend equivalent payments and other amounts subject to withholding on Form 1042–S.
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Sec. 3.04. Backup Withholding Under Section 3406 and Form 1099 Reporting Responsibility.
(A) Backup Withholding. QI is a payor under section 3406 with respect to reportable payments. Under section 3406, unless an exception to backup withholding applies, a payor is required to deduct and withhold 28 2 percent from a reportable payment to an account holder that is a U.S. non-exempt recipient if the U.S. nonexempt recipient has not provided its U.S. TIN in the manner required under that section; the IRS notifies the payor that the U.S. TIN furnished by the payee is incorrect; there has been a notified payee under-reporting described in section 3406(c); or there has been a payee certification failure described in section 3406(d). (B) Coordination of Chapter 4 With- holding and Backup Withholding. With respect to a withholdable payment that is also a reportable payment subject to backup withholding under section 3406, QI is not required to withhold under section 3406 if QI withheld on such payment under chapter 4. See § 31.3406(g)–1(e). Alternatively, if QI is a participating FFI or a registered deemed-compliant FFI (other than a reporting Model 1 FFI), it may elect to satisfy its obligation to withhold under chapter 4 (or the FFI Agreement) on a withholdable payment made to a recalcitrant account holder that is a U.S. non-exempt recipient by satisfying its backup withholding obligation under section 3406 provided that the payment is also a reportable payment. See section 4 of the FFI Agreement. Nothing in chapter 4 (including the FFI Agreement) or any applicable IGA relieves QI of its requirements to backup withhold under section 3406 to the extent required by this Agreement.
(C) Form 1099 Reporting. If QI applies backup withholding (as described in section 3.04(B) of this Agreement), it must report the amount subject to backup withholding on Form 1099 and not on Form 1042–S.
Sec. 3.05. Primary Form 1099 Re- porting and Backup Withholding Re- sponsibility for Reportable Payments
Other Than Reportable Amounts. QI is responsible for reporting on Form 1099 and backup withholding on reportable payments other than reportable amounts to the extent required under this section 3.05 and section 8.06 of this Agreement, whether or not QI assumes primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to reportable amounts under section 3.07 of this Agreement. Further, no provision of this Agreement which requires QI to provide another withholding agent with information regarding reportable amounts shall be construed as relieving QI of its Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding obligations with respect to reportable payments that are not reportable amounts.
See, however, § 31.3406(g)–1(e) providing that a payor (irrespective of whether the payor is a U.S. or non-U.S. payor) is not required to backup withhold under section 3406 on a reportable payment that is paid and received outside the United States with respect to an offshore obligation or on gross proceeds from a sale effected outside the United States, unless the payor has actual knowledge that the payee is a U.S. person.
(A) U.S. Payor. Except as provided in section 3.05(C) of this Agreement, if QI is a U.S. payor, QI has primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for reportable payments other than reportable amounts. For example, if QI is a U.S. payor, it has primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for payments of foreign source income as well as all broker proceeds paid to account holders that are, or are presumed to be, U.S. non-exempt recipients.
(B) Non-U.S. Payor. If QI is a nonU.S. payor, QI has primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for broker proceeds described in section 2.75(B)(2) of this Agreement and foreign source fixed and determinable income other than income paid and received outside United States as described in section 2.75(B)(3) of this Agreement, if such payments are made (or presumed made) to U.S. non-exempt recipients.
(C) Special Procedure for Broker Proceeds. If QI is a U.S. payor, QI may request another payor that is either a U.S.
financial institution or another qualified intermediary to report on Form 1099 and, if required, backup withhold with respect to broker proceeds from a sale that is effected at an office outside the United States (as defined in § 1.6045–1(g)(3)(iii)) that QI is otherwise required to report under section 3.05(A) and section 8.05 of this Agreement, provided the other payor actually receives the broker proceeds. In such a case, QI will not be responsible for primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding with respect to broker proceeds, provided that the other payor agrees to do the reporting and backup withholding and QI provides all of the information necessary for the other payor to properly report and backup withhold. QI, however, remains responsible for primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding if the other payor does not agree to report and backup withhold, or if QI knows that the other payor failed to do so. If, however, QI is a participating FFI or registered deemed-compliant FFI (other than a reporting Model 1 FFI) that reports an account on Form 1099 in order to satisfy its U.S. account reporting requirement under chapter 4, as described in section 8.04 of this Agreement, QI is responsible for reporting on Form 1099 with respect to reportable payments made to such U.S. account and must report in the manner described in the FFI Agreement.
(D) Special Procedure for QDDs. QI acting as a QDD must assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for any payments made with respect to a potential section 871(m) transaction that are reportable payments. Thus, for example, if QI acts as a QDD with respect to an NPC that is a potential section 871(m) transaction and makes a payment pursuant to the NPC to a U.S. person that is a U.S. non-exempt recipient, QI must backup withhold and report any amount paid to the U.S. person to the extent required under section 3406 and § 1.6041–1(d)(5). See also section 8.03(C) of this Agreement for a QDD’s Form 1042–S reporting requirements for a qualifying dividend equivalent offsetting payment (notwithstanding the limitation in section 2.70(B) of this Agreement).
2See section 3406(a) providing that the current applicable rate of backup withholding is the fourth lowest rate of tax applicable under section 1(c).
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Sec. 3.06. Primary Form 1099 Re- porting and Backup Withholding Re- sponsibility For Reportable Amounts Not Assumed. Notwithstanding sections 1.01 and 3.04 of this Agreement, QI shall not be required to report on Form 1099 and, if required, backup withhold with respect to a reportable amount if QI does not assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility and it provides a payor from which it receives a reportable amount the Forms W–9 of its U.S. non-exempt recipient account holders (or, if a U.S. non-exempt recipient fails to provide a Form W–9, information regarding the account holder’s name, address, and U.S. TIN, if a U.S. TIN is available) together with the withholding rate pools (as defined in section 6.03(D) of this Agreement) attributable to U.S. non-exempt recipient account holders so that such payor may report on Form 1099 and, if required, backup withhold. If QI elects to backup withhold on withholdable payments that are also reportable amounts made to recalcitrant account holders that are also U.S. non-exempt recipients, QI shall not be required to report on Form 1099 and backup withhold with respect to a reportable amount if it provides a payor from which it receives a reportable amount information regarding such recalcitrant account holders. See section 6.03 of this Agreement and section 4 of the FFI Agreement. If QI reports its U.S. accounts on Forms 1099 under its FATCA requirements as a participating FFI or registered deemed-compliant FFI, see section 8.04(A) of this Agreement providing that QI cannot delegate to a withholding agent its requirement to report its U.S. accounts. See sections 3.04 and 8.06 of this Agreement for QI’s obligations regarding Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding with respect to reportable amounts and see also section 6.03 of this Agreement for when QI may provide a chapter 4 withholding rate pool of U.S. payees. If QI elects not to assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, QI must provide the withholding agent with such information regarding any account holders or interest holders of an intermediary or flow-through entity that holds an account with QI. See also sections 3.05(D) and 3.07 of this Agreement requiring a QI
acting as a QDD for payments with respect to potential section 871(m) transactions to assume primary Form 1099 and backup withholding responsibility for such amounts. Notwithstanding its election not to assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, QI shall backup withhold and report a reportable amount to the extent required under sections 3.04 and 8.06 of this Agreement if— (A) QI actually knows that a reportable amount is subject to backup withholding and that another payor failed to apply backup withholding, or (B) Another payor has not applied backup withholding to a reportable amount because of an error made by QI ( e.g ., QI failed to provide the other payor with information regarding the name, address, U.S. TIN (if available), and withholding rate pool for a U.S. non-exempt recipient account holder subject to backup withholding, including a failure to provide information regarding any account holders or interest holders of an intermediary or flow-through entity that holds an account with QI to the extent required in section 6 of this Agreement).
QI is not required to backup withhold, however, on a reportable amount that QI makes to a withholding foreign partnership, withholding foreign trust, or another qualified intermediary that has assumed primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to the payment. QI is also not required to backup withhold on a reportable amount that QI makes to an intermediary or flowthrough entity that is a participating FFI, registered deemed-compliant FFI, or another qualified intermediary that does not assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to the payment provided that such intermediary or flow-through entity allocates the payment on its withholding statement to a chapter 4 withholding rate pool of U.S. payees and the withholding statement is associated with a valid Form W–8IMY that provides the applicable certification(s) for allocating the payment to this pool or allocates the payment on its withholding statement to a chapter 4 withholding rate pool of recalcitrant account holders. See section 3.05 of this Agreement for backup withholding responsibil
ity for reportable payments other than reportable amounts. See section 8.06 of this Agreement regarding QI’s responsibility to report reportable payments on Form 1099. Sec. 3.07. Assumption of Primary Form 1099 Reporting and Backup Withholding Responsibility. QI may assume primary Form 1099 reporting responsibility and primary backup withholding responsibility with respect to reportable amounts without approval from the IRS. See sections 3.04 and 8.06 of this Agreement for QI’s obligations regarding Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding with respect to reportable amounts. QI that assumes such responsibility is subject to all of the obligations imposed by chapter 61 and section 3406, as modified by this Agreement, and QI shall be subject to any applicable penalties for failure to meet those obligations. QI shall inform a payor from which it receives a reportable amount that it has assumed primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility by providing the payor with a valid withholding certificate described in section 6 of this Agreement and by designating on the withholding statement associated with such certificate the account(s) for which QI assumes primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility. QI may assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility without informing the IRS.
QI is not required to assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for all accounts it holds with a payor. However, if QI assumes primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility for any account, it must assume that responsibility for all reportable amounts made by a payor to that account.
If QI is acting as a QDD, it must assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to any payment made with respect to a potential section 871(m) transaction, provided that the amount is a reportable payment. In addition, if QI is assuming primary withholding responsibility for payments of substitute interest (as described in section 3.03(A) of this Agreement), it must assume primary Form 1099
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reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to all such payments.
QI shall not be required to backup withhold on a reportable amount it makes to a withholding foreign partnership, withholding foreign trust, or another qualified intermediary that has assumed primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to the reportable amount. QI is also not required to backup withhold on a reportable amount that QI makes to an intermediary or flow-through entity that is a participating FFI, registered deemed-compliant FFI, or another qualified intermediary that does not assume primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility with respect to the payment provided that such intermediary or flowthrough entity allocates the payment on its withholding statement to a chapter 4 withholding rate pool of U.S. payees and the withholding statement is associated with a valid Form W–8IMY that provides the applicable certification(s) for allocating the payment to this pool or allocates the payment on its withholding statement to a chapter 4 withholding rate pool of recalcitrant account holders. See section 8 of this Agreement regarding QI’s responsibility to report reportable payments on Form 1099.
Sec. 3.08. Deposit Requirements. If QI assumes primary withholding responsibility under chapters 3 and 4 or primary Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding responsibility, it must deposit amounts withheld under chapter 3 or 4 or section 3406 at the time and in the manner provided under section 6302 (see § 1.6302–2) by electronic funds transfer as provided under § 31.6302–1(h). If QI is a non-U.S. payor that does not assume primary withholding responsibility under chapters 3 and 4 or primary Form 1099 reporting and section 3406 backup withholding responsibility, QI must deposit amounts withheld by the 15th day following the month in which the withholding occurred.
If QI is acting as a QDD, it must also make deposits with respect to its QDD tax liability. At the time the QDD determines that it has a QDD tax liability (as described in section 3.09(D) of this Agreement), it must deposit any tax for which it is liable at the time and in the manner
provided under section 6302 (see § 1.6302–2) (substituting the term “QDD” for “withholding agent” and “sections 871(a) and 881” for “chapter 3” and “due under sections 871 and 881” for “withheld pursuant to chapter 3”) by electronic funds transfer as provided in § 31.6302– 1(h). See section 3.09(D) of this Agreement for the timing for determining the QDD tax liability. The deposit requirements under section 6302 and § 1.6302–2 apply separately to amounts due for a QDD’s QDD tax liability and any amounts withheld under chapters 3 and 4.
Sec. 3.09. QDD Tax Liability. In addition to satisfying its withholding tax liability as described in this Agreement, a QDD must satisfy its QDD tax liability. The QDD’s QDD tax liability is the sum of its tax liability under sections 871(a) and 881, if any, for:
(A) its section 871(m) amount (as defined in section 2.79 of this Agreement) for amounts received and made as a QDD in its dealer capacity;
(B) its dividends that are not on underlying securities associated with potential section 871(m) transactions and its dividend equivalent payments received as a QDD in its non-dealer capacity; and
(C) any payments, such as interest, received as a QDD with respect to potential section 871(m) transactions or underlying securities that are not dividend or dividend equivalent payments.
A QDD that is a foreign branch of a U.S. financial institution does not have a QDD tax liability and is not required to report such liability on Form 1042. Instead, such a QDD must determine and report its tax liability in accordance with chapter 1 and the appropriate income tax return filing obligations for the U.S. corporation.
(D) Timing for Determining QDD Tax Liability. A QDD must determine its QDD tax liability due under sections 3.09(A) and (B) for each underlying security and section 871(m) transaction on the date that a dividend is paid on the underlying security, as provided in § 1.1441– 2(e)(4). A QDD must determine its QDD tax liability due under section 3.09(C) at the time such payments are made, as provided in § 1.1441–2(e).
See section 7.01(C) of this Agreement regarding QI that is acting as a QDD’s
responsibility to report on Form 1042 its QDD tax liability and to maintain a reconciliation schedule for its section 871(m) amount and other amounts related to its QDD tax liability.
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