Legal Alert: New Authority Concerning Tax Treatment of Tips

The Revenue Ruling discusses the assessment of employer FICA taxes on tips, including the application of section 3121(q) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the application of the credit allowed under section 45B of the Code, but warns that it is first necessary to determine whether a payment is actually a “tip” for these purposes, noting that it makes no difference what the payment might be called. Even though described as a “tip,” a payment that constitutes a “service charge” is wages, and is subject to withholding and reporting as such.