(a) Persons other than corporations. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the return of a person other than a corporation shall be filed with any person assigned the responsibility to receive returns in the local Internal Revenue Service office that serves the principal place of business or legal residence of such person. If such person has no principal place of business or legal residence in any internal revenue district, the return shall be filed with the District Director at Baltimore, Maryland, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Corporations. The return of a corporation shall be filed with any person assigned the responsibility to receive returns in the local Internal Revenue Service office that serves the principal place of business or principal office or agency of the corporation, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) Returns of taxpayers outside the United States. The return of a person (other than a corporation) outside the United States having no legal residence or principal place of business in the United States, or the return of a corporation having no principal place of business or principal office or agency in the United States, shall be filed with the Internal Revenue Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19255, or as otherwise directed in the applicable forms and instructions.

(d) Returns filed with internal revenue service centers or Social Security Administration office. Notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, whenever instructions applicable to such returns provide that the returns shall be filed with an internal revenue service center or an office of the Social Security Administration, such returns shall be so filed in accordance with such instructions.

(e) Hand-carried returns. Except as provided in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, and notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 6091(b) and paragraph (d) of this section—

(1) Persons other than corporations. Returns of persons other than corporations which are filed by hand carrying shall be filed with any person assigned the responsibility to receive hand-carried returns in the local Internal Revenue Service office as provided in paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) Corporations. Returns of corporations which are filed by hand carrying shall be filed with any person assigned the responsibility to receive hand-carried returns in the local Internal Revenue Service office as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) Exceptions. This paragraph shall not apply to returns of—

(i) Persons who have no legal residence, no principal place of business, nor principal office or agency served by a local Internal Revenue Service office,

(ii) Citizens of the United States whose principal place of abode for the period with respect to which the return is filed is outside the United States,

(iii) Persons who claim the benefits of section 911 (relating to earned income from sources without the United States), section 922 (relating to special deduction for Western Hemisphere trade corporations), section 931 (relating to income from sources within possessions of the United States), section 933 (relating to income from sources within Puerto Rico), or section 941 (relating to the special deduction for China Trade Act corporations), and

(iv) Nonresident alien persons and foreign corporations.

(f) Permission to file in office other than required office. The Commissioner may permit the filing of any return required to be made under the regulations in this subpart in any local Internal Revenue Service office, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of section 6091(b) and paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

(g) Returns of officers and employees of the Internal Revenue Service. The Commissioner may require any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to file any return required of him under the regulations in this subpart in any local Internal Revenue Service office selected by the Commissioner, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of section 6091(b) and paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

(68A Stat. 747, 26 U.S.C. 6051; 68A Stat. 917, 26 U.S.C. 7805)

[T.D. 6516, 25 FR 13032, Dec. 20, 1960, as amended by T.D. 6915, 32 FR 5261, Mar. 29, 1967; T.D. 7495, 42 FR 33727, July 1, 1977; T.D. 7580, 43 FR 60160, Dec. 26, 1978; T.D. 9156, 69 FR 55745, Sept. 16, 2004]