26 U.S.C. § 61 — Gross income defined
This is the passage the answer relied on, shown in the document's own words. The highlighted text is the exact excerpt quoted — extracted verbatim by the citation system, so it cannot be fabricated.
> Official source: https://uscode.house.gov/quicksearch/get.plx?title=26§ion=61 — Internal Revenue Code text as published by the U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, USLM bulk release point 119-102, retrieved 2026-09-09. Cite as: IRC § 61. **Statutory text only** — editorial notes, amendment history and effective-date notes are omitted; confirm currency for amendments after the release point.
(a) General definition › (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, gross income means all income from whatever source derived, including (but not limited to) the following items:
(1)
Compensation for services, including fees, commissions, fringe benefits, and similar items;
(a) General definition › (9) Gross income derived from business;
(3)
Gains derived from dealings in property;
(4)
Interest;
(5)
Rents;
(6)
Royalties;
(7)
Dividends;
(8)
Annuities;
(9)
Income from life insurance and endowment contracts;
(a) General definition › (14) Pensions;
(11)
Income from discharge of indebtedness;
(12)
Distributive share of partnership gross income;
(13)
Income in respect of a decedent; and
(14)
Income from an interest in an estate or trust.
(b) Cross references For items specifically included in gross income, see part II (sec. 71 and following). For items specifically excluded from gross income, see part III (sec. 101 and following).
*Source credit: (Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 17; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title V, § 531(c), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 884; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 11051(b)(1)(A), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2089.)*
Excerpt shown from a longer document — use the official source button above to read the complete publication.