2002 U.S. Code
Title 26 - INTERNAL REVENUE CODE
CHAPTER 1 - NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES
Subchapter B - Computation of Taxable Income
PART III - ITEMS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM GROSS INCOME
Sec. 139 - Disaster relief payments

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§139. Disaster relief payments (a) General rule

Gross income shall not include any amount received by an individual as a qualified disaster relief payment.

(b) Qualified disaster relief payment defined

For purposes of this section, the term “qualified disaster relief payment” means any amount paid to or for the benefit of an individual—

(1) to reimburse or pay reasonable and necessary personal, family, living, or funeral expenses incurred as a result of a qualified disaster,

(2) to reimburse or pay reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or rehabilitation of a personal residence or repair or replacement of its contents to the extent that the need for such repair, rehabilitation, or replacement is attributable to a qualified disaster,

(3) by a person engaged in the furnishing or sale of transportation as a common carrier by reason of the death or personal physical injuries incurred as a result of a qualified disaster, or

(4) if such amount is paid by a Federal, State, or local government, or agency or instrumentality thereof, in connection with a qualified disaster in order to promote the general welfare,

but only to the extent any expense compensated by such payment is not otherwise compensated for by insurance or otherwise.

(c) Qualified disaster defined

For purposes of this section, the term “qualified disaster” means—

(1) a disaster which results from a terroristic or military action (as defined in section 692(c)(2)),

(2) a Presidentially declared disaster (as defined in section 1033(h)(3)),

(3) a disaster which results from an accident involving a common carrier, or from any other event, which is determined by the Secretary to be of a catastrophic nature, or

(4) with respect to amounts described in subsection (b)(4), a disaster which is determined by an applicable Federal, State, or local authority (as determined by the Secretary) to warrant assistance from the Federal, State, or local government or agency or instrumentality thereof.

(d) Coordination with employment taxes

For purposes of chapter 2 and subtitle C, a qualified disaster relief payment shall not be treated as net earnings from self-employment, wages, or compensation subject to tax.

(e) No relief for certain individuals

Subsections (a) and (f) shall not apply with respect to any individual identified by the Attorney General to have been a participant or conspirator in a terroristic action (as so defined), or a representative of such individual.

(f) Exclusion of certain additional payments

Gross income shall not include any amount received as payment under section 406 of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act.

(Added Pub. L. 107–134, title I, §111(a), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2432.)

References in Text

Section 406 of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is section 406 of Pub. L. 107–42, which is set out as a note under section 40101 of Title 49, Transportation.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 139 was renumbered section 140 of this title.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 107–134, title I, §111(c), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2433, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section and renumbering former section 139 as section 140 of this title] shall apply to taxable years ending on or after September 11, 2001.”