Taxes Tax Planning What Is a Tax Code? By Logan Allec Updated on April 25, 2022 Reviewed by Eric Estevez In This Article View All In This Article How Tax Codes Work Criticism of Tax Codes Example of a Tax Code Frequently Asked Questions Photo: Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images Definition A tax code is a set of laws that governs taxation in a given jurisdiction. In the U.S., the Internal Revenue Code contains all federal tax laws, including those pertaining to income, estates, employment, gifts, and sales. Key Takeaways A tax code is a unified set of laws that govern the taxation systems in a particular jurisdiction.The U.S. tax code is known as the Internal Revenue Code.Not all jurisdictions have a unified tax code. For example, many states’ tax laws are scattered throughout various codes.Tax codes are often criticized for their complexity and unfairness. How Tax Codes Work Tax codes are an organized set of laws for a particular jurisdiction. That means they are often created by the legislative body of that jurisdiction. Over time, they may receive both minor and major revisions. For example, in the United States, tax laws originate as bills in Congress. When passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, these bills go to the president for approval and signature to become laws. Like many bodies of law, tax codes are often organized into different sections. For example, the Internal Revenue Code is divided into the following 11 subtitles: Subtitle A: Income TaxesSubtitle B: Estate and Gift TaxesSubtitle C: Employment TaxesSubtitle D: Miscellaneous Excise TaxesSubtitle E: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise TaxesSubtitle F: Procedure and AdministrationSubtitle G: The Joint Committee on TaxationSubtitle H: Financing of Presidential Election CampaignsSubtitle I: Trust Fund CodeSubtitle J: Coal Industry Health BenefitsSubtitle K: Group Health Plan Requirements Note Individual states may or may not have their own tax codes. Instead of codifying a group of tax-specific laws, a state may spread its tax rules across various components of its laws. In fact, federal tax laws began as these types of individual revenue acts—until they were codified into a unified tax code in 1939. Jurisdictions generally have some kind of revenue agency or department that is responsible for fairly enforcing the laws found in the tax code. In the United States, this agency is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Other countries have different names for their tax code enforcement agencies: United Kingdom: Her Majesty’s Revenue and CustomsChina: State Taxation AdministrationCanada: Canada Revenue Agency Regulations and Official Guidance In the United States, the Internal Revenue Code—as the nation’s tax code—is the ultimate source of authority on all matters pertaining to federal taxation. However, while they’re not as authoritative as the tax code itself, other sources of tax authority can be helpful for taxpayers. For example, Treasury regulations are the Department of the Treasury’s official interpretation of various parts of the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS also publishes official guidance intended to help taxpayers understand tax laws and obligations. Criticism of Tax Codes Many people and organizations dislike paying taxes, and criticisms of tax codes are commonplace. Complexity It’s fairly common for tax codes to be criticized for their complexity and difficulty to understand. Even tax department employees sometimes have trouble understanding their own tax code correctly. For example, in 2017 the Office of the Auditor General of Canada tested agents working for the Canada Revenue Agency and found that they provided incorrect information almost 30% of the time. In the 1980s, the U.S. General Accounting Office ran a similar assessment of IRS telephone operators and found they gave incorrect responses 36% of the time. If a tax code is too complicated or difficult for a country’s own tax agents to explain correctly, critics may claim it’s unreasonable to expect the average taxpayer to understand it. Unfairness Others criticize tax codes for their perceived unfairness in terms of who pays the most in taxes. For example, the Internal Revenue Code is routinely criticized by politicians for benefiting wealthy Americans at the expense of the average citizen. This criticism is not unique to the United States tax code. In the United Kingdom, over 117,000 people signed a petition urging the prime minister to “stand up and fix the system” that consists of “tax breaks for corporates and wealthy individuals.” Example of a Tax Code A tax code is a unified set of laws that provide the statutory basis for all tax systems within a nation or other jurisdiction. Note In certain contexts, the term “tax code” is used to refer to a code—that is, a series of numbers and letters—that has some significance for indirect tax, payroll tax, or other tax purposes. For example, Title 26 of the United States code, known as the Internal Revenue Code, contains all of the United States’ federal tax laws and is therefore its tax code. It covers taxation related to income, employment, estates, gifts, sales, and more. Note The Internal Revenue Code’s official name is the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, because that was the year of the last major overhaul. It was originally compiled in 1939 and also received extensive updates in 1954. Frequently Asked Questions What is an example of a tax code? A tax code is a set of laws that is the basis for all tax systems within a country or jurisdiction. The United States tax code is the Internal Revenue Code, which codifies all federal tax laws, and is a comprehensive source for all of these laws. What does IRC mean for taxes? The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is the tax code for the United States. It covers all federal taxes, including income taxes, gift and estate taxes, employment taxes, and excise taxes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. “26 U.S. Code Title 26—Internal Revenue Code.” IRS. “Tax Code, Regulations, and Official Guidance.” Office of the Auditor General of Canada. “Report 2—Call Centres—Canada Revenue Agency." U.S. General Accounting Office. “Tax Administration: Monitoring the Accuracy and Administration of IRS’ 1989 Test Call Survey.” Page 3. 38 Degrees. “To: Boris Johnson, Prime Minister: Close Tax Loopholes for the Rich and Powerful.” U.S. Census Bureau. “Title 26, U.S. Code.”