---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 C.F.R. § 404.143"
title: "20"
number: "404.143"
heading: "How we credit quarters of coverage for calendar years after 1977."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/404.143"
---

# §404.143. How we credit quarters of coverage for calendar years after 1977.

- (a) **Crediting quarters of coverage (QCs).** For calendar years after 1977, we credit you with a QC for each part of the total wages paid and self-employment income credited (under [§ 404.144](/cfr/20/404.144.md)) to you in a calendar year that equals the amount required for a QC in that year. For example, if the total of your wages and self-employment income for a calendar year is more than twice, but less than 3 times, the amount required for a QC in that year, we credit you with only 2 QCs for the year. The rules for crediting QCs in this section are subject to the limitations in [§ 404.146](/cfr/20/404.146.md), which tells when a calendar quarter cannot be a QC. In addition, we cannot credit you with more than four QCs for any calendar year. The amount of wages and self-employment income that you must have for each QC is—
  - (1) $250 for calendar year 1978; and
  - (2) For each calendar year after 1978, an amount determined by the Commissioner for that year (on the basis of a formula in section 213(d)(2) of the Act which reflects national increases in average wages). The amount determined by the Commissioner is published in the Federal Register on or before November 1 of the preceding year and included in the appendix to this subpart.
- (b) **Assigning QCs.** We assign a QC credited under [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section to a specific calendar quarter in the calendar year only if the assignment is necessary to—
  - (1) Give you fully or currently insured status;
  - (2) Entitle you to a computation or recomputation of your primary insurance amount; or
  - (3) **Permit you to establish a period of disability.**

## Notes

### Amendments

[45 FR 25834, Apr. 15, 1980, as amended at 62 FR 38450, July 18, 1997]

### Authority

Authority: Secs. 205(a), 212, 213, 214, 216, 217, 223, and 702(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(a), 412, 413, 414, 416, 417, 423, and 902(a)(5)).

### Source

Source: 45 FR 25384, Apr. 15, 1980, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[45 FR 25834, Apr. 15, 1980, as amended at 62 FR 38450, July 18, 1997]