In general. For purposes of §§ 301.6334-2 and 301.6334-3, the amount of wages, salary, or other income that is exempt from levy must be determined on the basis of a written and properly verified statement submitted by the taxpayer to his or her employer for submission to the district director specifying the facts necessary to determine the standard deduction and the aggregate amount of the deductions for personal exemptions allowed the taxpayer under section 151 in the taxable year in which the levy is served. In the absence of submission of such statement, the amount that is exempt from levy must be determined as if the taxpayer were a married individual filing a separate return with only 1 personal exemption.

Content of statement. The statement in paragraph (a) of this section must be a written statement signed under penalty of perjury, and dated, containing the following information—

The filing status of the taxpayer as either:

Single;

Married filing a joint return;

Married filing a separate return;

Head of household; or

Qualifying widow or widower with dependent child;

The name, relationship, and Social Security Number of each individual whom the taxpayer can claim as a personal exemption on the taxpayer's income tax return; and

Any additional standard deductions that the taxpayer can claim on account of age (65 or older) or blindness on the taxpayer's income tax return.

Submission of verified statement—(1) Obligation of employer. An employer upon whom a notice of levy for wages, salary, or other income of a taxpayer is served must promptly notify the taxpayer of the fact that a notice of levy has been served. Unless otherwise indicated on the face of the notice of levy, the employer must request the taxpayer to provide the employer with a written statement signed under penalty of perjury, and dated, containing the information set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, and this statement must be submitted by the employer to the district director. The employer must submit this statement to the district director at the time the employer first responds to the notice of levy.

Submission by taxpayer. The taxpayer must provide the employer upon whom the notice of levy has been served with a verified statement complying with paragraph (b) of this section. Unless the taxpayer provides a verified statement, the amount that is exempt from levy must be determined as if the taxpayer were a married individual filing a separate return with only 1 personal exemption.

Additional statements. A taxpayer may submit a verified statement to his or her employer at any time. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this section, such verified statement will be effective for any payment of wages, salary, or other income made after the date of submission and will replace any previously submitted verified statement. The employer must provide the district director with the statement on the next occasion on which the employer responds to the notice of levy.

Effect of verified statement—(1) A verified statement submitted by an employee is effective upon receipt by the employer, and the employer is required to compute the exempt amount on the basis of the information contained in the verified statement unless notified to the contrary by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Internal Revenue Service may find that a verified statement submitted by an employee contains a materially incorrect statement, or it may determine, after written request to the employee for verification of information contained in the verified statement, that it lacks sufficient information to determine whether the verified statement is correct. If the Internal Revenue Service so finds or determines, and notifies the employer in writing that the verified statement is defective, upon receipt of such notice the employer shall consider the verified statement to be defective for purposes of computing the exempt amount.

If the Internal Revenue Service notifies the employer that the verified statement is defective, the Internal Revenue Service will, based upon its finding, advise the employer that the employer is to compute the exempt amount as if no verified statement had been submitted by the employee or will describe upon what basis the exempt amount is to be computed. The Internal Revenue Service will also specify which Internal Revenue Service office to contact for further information.

In addition to any notice furnished to the employer for the employer's use, the Internal Revenue Service will provide the employer with a copy for the employee of each notice it furnishes the employer.

The employer must promptly furnish the employee with a copy of any Internal Revenue Service notice with respect to a verified statement submitted by the employee.

Once paragraph (d)(3) of this section applies, the employer must continue to compute the exempt amount on the basis of the written notice from the Internal Revenue Service until the Internal Revenue Service by written notice advises the employer to compute the exempt amount on the basis of a new verified statement (as described in paragraph (d)(7) of this section) and revokes its earlier written notice.

Once paragraph (d)(3) of this section applies, the employee may submit a new verified statement together with a written explanation of any circumstances of the employee which have changed since the Internal Revenue Service's earlier written notice, or any other circumstances or reasons as justification or support for the claims made by the employee on the new verified statement. The employee may submit the new verified statement and written explanation either—

To the Internal Revenue Service office specified in the notice furnished to the employer under paragraph (d)(3) of this section; or

To the employer, who must forward the new verified statement and written explanation to the Internal Revenue Service office specified in the notice earlier furnished to the employer on the next occasion on which the employer responds to the notice of levy.

Effective date. These provisions are effective with respect to levies made on or after July 1, 1989. However, any reasonable attempt by a taxpayer to comply with the statutory amendments addressed by these regulations prior to February 21, 1995 will be considered as meeting the requirements of these regulations.