INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986

I.R.C. § 7447A.  Retirement for special trial judges

(a) In general

(1) Retirement

Any special trial judge appointed pursuant to section 7443A may retire from service as a special trial judge if the individual meets the age and service requirements set forth in the following table:

(2) Length of service

In making any determination of length of service as a special trial judge there shall be included all periods (whether or not consecutive) during which an individual served as a special trial judge

(b) Retirement upon disability

Any special trial judge appointed pursuant to section 7443A who becomes permanently disabled from performing such individual's duties shall retire from service as a special trial judge.

(c) Recalling of retired special trial judges

Any individual who has retired pursuant to subsection (a) may be called upon by the chief judge to perform such judicial duties with the Tax Court as may be requested of such individual for a period or periods specified by the chief judge, except that in the case of any such individual—

(1) the aggregate of such periods in any 1 calendar year shall not (without the consent of such individual) exceed 90 calendar days, and

(2) such individual shall be relieved of performing such duties during any period in which illness or disability precludes the performance of such duties.

Any act, or failure to act, by an individual performing judicial duties pursuant to this subsection shall have the same force and effect as if it were the act (or failure to act) of a special trial judge. Any individual who is performing judicial duties pursuant to this subsection shall be paid the same compensation (in lieu of retired pay) and allowances for travel and other expenses as a special trial judge.

(d) Retired pay

(1) In general

Any individual who retires pursuant to subsection (a) and elects under subsection (e) to receive retired pay under this subsection shall receive retired pay during any period of retirement from service as a special trial judge at a rate which bears the same ratio to the rate of the salary payable to a special trial judge during such period as—

(A) the number of years such individual has served as special trial judge bears to,

(B) 15,

except that the rate of such retired pay shall not be more than the rate of such salary for such period.

(2) Retirement upon disability

Any individual who retires pursuant to subsection (b) and elects under subsection (e) to receive retired pay under this subsection shall receive retired pay during any period of retirement from service as a special trial judge—

(A) at a rate equal to the rate of the salary payable to a special trial judge during such period, if the individual had at least 10 years of service as a special trial judge before retirement, and

(B) at a rate equal to ½ the rate described in subparagraph (A), if the individual had fewer than 10 years of service as a special trial judge before retirement.

(3) Beginning date and payment

Retired pay under this subsection shall begin to accrue on the day following the date on which the individual's salary as a special trial judge ceases to accrue, and shall continue to accrue during the remainder of such individual's life. Retired pay under this subsection shall be paid in the same manner as the salary of a special trial judge.

(4) Partial years

In computing the rate of the retired pay for an individual to whom paragraph (1) applies, any portion of the aggregate number of years such individual has served as a special trial judge which is a fractional part of 1 year shall be eliminated if it is less than 6 months, or shall be counted as a full year if it is 6 months or more.

(5) Recalled service

In computing the rate of the retired pay for an individual to whom paragraph (1) applies, any period during which such individual performs services under subsection (c) on a substantially full-time basis shall be treated as a period during which such individual has served as a special trial judge.

(e) Election to Receive Retired Pay

Any special trial judge may elect to receive retired pay under subsection (d). Such an election—

(1) may be made only while an individual is a special trial judge (except that in the case of an individual who fails to be reappointed as a special trial judge, such election may be made within 60 days after such individual leaves office as a special trial judge),

(2) once made, shall be irrevocable, and

(3) shall be made by filing notice thereof in writing with the chief judge.

The chief judge shall transmit to the Office of Personnel Management a copy of each notice filed with the chief judge under this subsection.

(f) Other rules made applicable

The rules of subsections (f), (g), (h)(2), (i), and (j), and the first sentence of subsection (h)(1), of section 7447 shall apply to a special trial judge in the same manner as a judge of the Tax Court. For purposes of the preceding sentence, any reference to the President in such subsections shall be applied as if it were a reference to the chief judge.

(Added Pub. L. 117–328, div. T, title VII, §702(a), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5402.)

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