Foreign Tax Credit Splitting Events, 8127-8143 [2012-3356]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 14, 2012 / Rules and Regulations
the interest paid from C to B would result in
25u of interest income to B and 25u of
deductible interest expense to C. For
purposes of reporting the combined income
of B and C, country X first requires B and C
to determine their own income (or loss) on
a separate schedule. For this purpose,
however, neither B nor C takes into account
the 25u of interest paid from C to B because
the income of B and C is included in the
same combined base. The separate income of
B and C reported on their country X
schedules for year 1, which do not reflect the
25u intercompany payment, is 100u and
200u, respectively. The combined income
reported for country X purposes is 300u (the
sum of the 100u separate income of B and
200u separate income of C).
(ii) Result. On the separate schedules
described in paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(A) of this
section, B’s separate income is 100u and C’s
separate income is 200u. Under paragraph
(f)(3)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, the 25u interest
payment from C to B is taken into account
for purposes of determining B’s and C’s
portions of the combined income under
paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section, because B
and C would have taken the items into
account if they did not compute their income
on a combined basis. Thus, B’s portion of the
combined income is 125u (100u plus 25u)
and C’s portion of the combined income is
175u (200u less 25u). The result is the same
regardless of whether the 25u interest
payment from C to B is deductible for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes. See paragraph
(f)(3)(iii)(B)(2) of this section.
Example 2. (i) Facts. A, a United States
person, owns 100 percent of B, an entity
organized in country X. B is a corporation for
country X tax purposes, and a disregarded
entity for U.S. income tax purposes. B owns
100 percent of C and D, entities organized in
country X that are corporations for both U.S.
and country X tax purposes. B, C, and D use
the ‘‘u’’ as their functional currency and file
on a combined basis for country X income
tax purposes. Country X imposes an income
tax described in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section at the rate of 30 percent on the
taxable income of corporations organized in
country X. Under the country X combined
reporting regime, income (or loss) of C and
D is attributed to, and treated as income (or
loss) of, B. B has the sole obligation to pay
country X income tax imposed with respect
to income of B and income of C and D that
is attributed to, and treated as income of, B.
Under the law of country X, country X may
proceed against B, but not C or D, if B fails
to pay over to country X all or any portion
of the country X income tax imposed with
respect to such income. In year 1, B has
income of 100u, C has income of 200u, and
D has a net loss of (60u). Under the law of
country X, B is considered to have 240u of
taxable income with respect to which 72u of
country X income tax is imposed. Country X
does not provide mandatory rules for
allocating D’s loss.
(ii) Result. Under paragraph (f)(3)(ii) of this
section, the 72u of country X tax is
considered to be imposed on the combined
income of B, C, and D. Because country X
law does not provide mandatory rules for
allocating D’s loss between B and C, under
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paragraph (f)(3)(iii)(C) of this section D’s
(60u) loss is allocated pro rata: 20u to B
((100u/300u) × 60u) and 40u to C ((200u/
300u) × 60u). Under paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this
section, the 72u of country X tax must be
allocated pro rata among B, C, and D.
Because D has no income for country X tax
purposes, no country X tax is allocated to D.
Accordingly, 24u (72u × (80u/240u)) of the
country X tax is allocated to B, and 48u (72u
× (160u/240u)) of such tax is allocated to C.
Under paragraph (f)(4)(ii) of this section, A is
considered to have legal liability for the 24u
of country X tax allocated to B under
paragraph (f)(3) of this section.
Example 3. (i) Facts. A, B, and C are U.S.
persons that each use the calendar year as
their taxable year. A and B each own 50
percent of the capital and profits of D, an
entity organized in country M. D is a
partnership for U.S. tax purposes, but is a
corporation for country M tax purposes. D
uses the ‘‘u’’ as its functional currency and
the calendar year as its taxable year for both
U.S. tax purposes and country M tax
purposes. Country M imposes an income tax
described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section
at a rate of 30 percent at the entity level on
the taxable income of D. On September 30 of
Year 1, A sells its 50 percent interest in D to
C. A’s sale of its partnership interest results
in a termination of the partnership under
section 708(b)(1)(B) for U.S. tax purposes. As
a result of the termination, ‘‘old’’ D’s taxable
year closes on September 30 of Year 1 for
U.S. tax purposes. New D also has a short
U.S. taxable year, beginning on October 1 and
ending on December 31 of Year 1. The sale
of A’s interest does not close D’s taxable year
for country M tax purposes. D has 400u of
taxable income for its foreign taxable year
ending December 31, Year 1 with respect to
which country M imposes 120u of income
tax, equal to $120 as translated in accordance
with section 986(a).
(ii) Result. Under paragraph (f)(4)(i) of this
section, partnership D is legally liable for the
$120 of country M income tax imposed on its
foreign taxable income. Because D’s taxable
year closes on September 30, Year 1, for U.S.
tax purposes, but does not close for country
M tax purposes, under paragraph (f)(4)(i) of
this section the $120 of country M tax must
be allocated under the principles of § 1.1502–
76(b) between terminating D and new D. See
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii) for rules relating to the
allocation of terminating D’s country M taxes
between A and B and the allocation of new
D’s country M taxes between B and C.
*
*
*
*
*
(h) * * *
(4) Paragraphs (f)(3), (f)(4), and (f)(5)
of this section apply to foreign taxes
paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning after February 14, 2012.
However, if an amount of tax is paid or
accrued in a taxable year of any person
beginning on or before February 14,
2012, and the tax is treated as paid or
accrued by such person under 26 CFR
1.901–2(f) (revised as of April 1, 2011),
then paragraph (f)(4) of this section will
not apply, and 26 CFR 1.901–2(f)
(revised as of April 1, 2011) will apply,
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8127
to determine the person with legal
liability for that tax. No other person
will be treated as legally liable for such
tax, even if the tax is paid or accrued on
a date that falls within a taxable year of
such other person beginning after
February 14, 2012. Taxpayers may
choose to apply paragraph (f)(3) of this
section to foreign taxes paid or accrued
in taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2010, and on or before
February 14, 2012.
Steven T. Miller,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and
Enforcement.
Approved: February 8, 2012.
Emily S. McMahon,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
(Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2012–3352 Filed 2–9–12; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
26 CFR Part 1
[TD 9577]
RIN 1545–BK50
Foreign Tax Credit Splitting Events
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Final and temporary
regulations.
AGENCY:
This document contains final
and temporary Income Tax Regulations
with respect to a new provision of the
Internal Revenue Code (Code) that
addresses situations in which foreign
income taxes have been separated from
the related income. These regulations
are necessary to provide guidance on
applying the new statutory provision,
which was enacted as part of legislation
commonly referred to as the Education
Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act
(EJMAA) on August 10, 2010. These
regulations affect taxpayers claiming
foreign tax credits. The text of the
temporary regulations also serves as the
text of the proposed regulations (REG–
132736–11) published in the Proposed
Rules section of this issue of the Federal
Register.
DATES: Effective Date: These regulations
are effective on February 14, 2012.
Applicability Dates: For dates of
applicability, see §§ 1.704–
1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3), 1.909–1T(e), 1.909–
2T(c), 1.909–3T(c), 1.909–4T(b), 1.909–
5T(c), and 1.909–6T(h).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Suzanne M. Walsh, (202) 622–3850 (not
a toll-free call).
SUMMARY:
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Background
I. Section 909
Section 909 was enacted as part of
EJMAA (Pub. L. 111–226, 124 Stat. 2389
(2010)) to address situations in which
foreign income taxes have been
separated from the related income.
Section 909(a) provides that if there is
a foreign tax credit splitting event with
respect to a foreign income tax paid or
accrued by a taxpayer, such tax is not
taken into account for federal tax
purposes before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into
account by the taxpayer. Section 909(b)
provides special rules with respect to a
‘‘section 902 corporation,’’ which is
defined in section 909(d)(5) as any
foreign corporation with respect to
which one or more domestic
corporations meets the ownership
requirements of section 902(a) or (b) (a
section 902 shareholder of the relevant
section 902 corporation). If there is a
foreign tax credit splitting event with
respect to a foreign income tax paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation,
the tax is not taken into account for
purposes of section 902 or 960, or for
purposes of determining earnings and
profits under section 964(a), before the
taxable year in which the related
income is taken into account by such
section 902 corporation or a section 902
shareholder. Thus, the tax is not added
to the section 902 corporation’s pool of
‘‘post-1986 foreign income taxes’’ (as
defined in section 902(c)(2) and § 1.902–
1(a)(8)), and its pool of ‘‘post-1986
undistributed earnings’’ (as defined in
section 902(c)(1) and § 1.902–1(a)(9)) is
not reduced by such tax. Accordingly,
section 909 suspends foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by a section 902
corporation at the level of the payor
section 902 corporation. In the case of
a partnership, section 909(a) and (b)
apply at the partner level, and, except
as otherwise provided by the Secretary,
a similar rule applies in the case of an
S corporation or trust. See section
909(c)(1).
For purposes of section 909, there is
a foreign tax credit splitting event with
respect to a foreign income tax if the
related income is (or will be) taken into
account by a covered person. See
section 909(d)(1). Section 909 does not
suspend foreign income taxes if the
same person pays the tax but takes into
account the related income in a different
taxable period (or periods) due to, for
example, timing differences between the
U.S. and foreign tax accounting rules.
The term ‘‘foreign income tax’’ means
any income, war profits, or excess
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profits tax paid or accrued to any
foreign country or to any possession of
the United States. See section 909(d)(2).
The Joint Committee on Taxation’s
technical explanation of the revenue
provisions of EJMAA states that a
foreign income tax includes any tax
paid in lieu of such a tax within the
meaning of section 903. Staff of the Joint
Committee on Taxation, Technical
Explanation of the Revenue Provisions
of the Senate Amendment to the House
Amendment to the Senate Amendment
to H.R. 1586, Scheduled For
Consideration by the House of
Representatives on August 10, 2010, at
5 (August 10, 2010) (JCT Explanation).
Section 909(d)(3) provides that the term
‘‘related income’’ means, with respect to
any portion of any foreign income tax,
the income (or, as appropriate, earnings
and profits) to which such portion of the
foreign income tax relates. The term
‘‘covered person’’ means, with respect
to any person who pays or accrues a
foreign income tax (the ‘‘payor’’): (1)
Any entity in which the payor holds,
directly or indirectly, at least a 10
percent ownership interest (determined
by vote or value); (2) any person that
holds, directly or indirectly, at least a 10
percent ownership interest (determined
by vote or value) in the payor; (3) any
person that bears a relationship to the
payor described in section 267(b) or
707(b); and (4) any other person
specified by the Secretary. See section
909(d)(4).
Except as otherwise provided by the
Secretary, any foreign income tax not
currently taken into account by reason
of section 909 is taken into account as
a foreign income tax paid or accrued in
the taxable year in which, and to the
extent that, the taxpayer, the section 902
corporation or a section 902 shareholder
(as the case may be) takes the related
income into account under chapter 1 of
Subtitle A of the Code. See section
909(c)(2). Notwithstanding this general
rule, foreign income taxes are translated
into U.S. dollars under the rules of
section 986(a) in the year actually paid
or accrued and suspended, and not as if
they were paid or accrued in the year in
which the related income is taken into
account. See section 909(c)(2).
Section 909(e) provides that the
Secretary may issue such regulations or
other guidance as is necessary or
appropriate to carry out the purposes of
section 909, including guidance
providing appropriate exceptions from
the provisions of section 909 and for its
proper application to hybrid
instruments. The JCT Explanation states
that such guidance may address the
proper application of section 909 in
cases involving disregarded payments,
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group relief, or other arrangements
having a similar effect. JCT Explanation
at 6. Section 211(c)(1) of EJMAA
provides that section 909 applies to
foreign income taxes paid or accrued
(including foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by section 902 corporations) in
taxable years beginning after December
31, 2010 (post-2010 taxable years).
Section 211(c)(2) of EJMAA provides
that section 909 also applies to foreign
taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or before December 31,
2010 (pre-2011 taxable years), but only
for purposes of applying sections 902
and 960 to periods after December 31,
2010. For this purpose, there is no
increase to a section 902 corporation’s
earnings and profits for the amount of
any pre-2011 taxes to which section 909
applies that were previously deducted
in computing earnings and profits in a
pre-2011 taxable year. The JCT
Explanation clarifies that the section
902 effective date rule ‘‘applies for
purposes of applying sections 902 and
960 to dividends paid, and inclusions
under section 951(a) that occur, in
taxable years beginning after December
31, 2010.’’ JCT Explanation at 6–7.
II. Section 901 Proposed Regulations
Issued in 2006
Section 909 was enacted to address
concerns about the inappropriate
separation of foreign income taxes and
related income. These concerns were
also the basis for the issuance in 2006
of proposed regulations under section
901 (2006 proposed regulations)
concerning the determination of the
person who paid a foreign income tax
for foreign tax credit purposes (REG–
124152–06, 71 FR 44240 (Aug. 4, 2006)).
In particular, the proposed regulations
would provide guidance under § 1.901–
2(f) relating to the person on whom
foreign law imposes legal liability for
tax, including in the case of taxes
imposed on the income of foreign
consolidated groups and entities that
have different classifications for U.S.
and foreign tax law purposes. The
Treasury Department and the IRS
received written comments on the
proposed regulations and held a hearing
on October 13, 2006. All comments are
available at www.regulations.gov or
upon request. After taking into account
the comments received, the 2006
proposed regulations are adopted, in
part, as final regulations published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
III. Notice 2010–92
The Treasury Department and the IRS
issued Notice 2010–92 (2010–2 CB 916
(December 6, 2010)), which primarily
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addresses the application of section 909
to foreign income taxes paid or accrued
by a section 902 corporation in pre-2011
taxable years. The notice provides rules
for determining whether foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by a section 902
corporation in pre-2011 taxable years
(pre-2011 taxes) are suspended under
section 909 in post-2010 taxable years of
a section 902 corporation. It also
identifies an exclusive list of
arrangements that will be treated as
giving rise to foreign tax credit splitting
events in pre-2011 taxable years (pre2011 splitter arrangements) and
provides guidance on determining the
amount of related income and pre-2011
taxes paid or accrued with respect to
pre-2011 splitter arrangements. The pre2011 splitter arrangements are reverse
hybrid structures, certain foreign
consolidated groups, disregarded debt
structures in the context of group relief
and other loss-sharing regimes, and two
classes of hybrid instruments. The
notice states that the Treasury
Department and the IRS expect future
guidance will treat pre-2011 splitter
arrangements as giving rise to foreign
tax credit splitting events in post-2010
taxable years.
Notice 2010–92 states that future
guidance may identify additional
transactions or arrangements to which
section 909 applies (including, for
example, additional arrangements
involving group relief regimes),
although any such guidance will apply
only with respect to foreign taxes paid
or accrued in post-2010 taxable years.
The notice also states that the Treasury
Department and the IRS do not intend
to finalize the portion of the 2006
proposed regulations relating to the
determination of the person who paid a
foreign income tax with respect to the
income of a reverse hybrid. See Prop.
§ 1.901–2(f)(2)(iii).
Concerning the effective date of
section 909(b) (addressing a foreign tax
credit splitting event with respect to a
foreign income tax paid or accrued by
a section 902 corporation), Notice 2010–
92 provides that, consistent with the
JCT Explanation, the Treasury
Department and the IRS intend to issue
regulations providing that section 909
does not apply in computing foreign
taxes deemed paid under section 902 or
960 before the first day of the section
902 corporation’s first post-2010 taxable
year. Regarding the application of the
section 909 effective date to situations
involving partnerships, the notice states
that in the case of a section 902
corporation that is a partner in a
partnership, the section 902
corporation’s distributive share of
foreign income taxes paid or accrued by
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the partnership in a pre-2011 taxable
year of the partnership that is included
in a post-2010 taxable year of the
section 902 corporation will be treated
as a tax paid or accrued by the section
902 corporation in a post-2010 taxable
year. See § 1.702–1(a)(6).
Notice 2010–92 also provides
guidance concerning the application of
section 909 to partnerships and trusts,
as well as the interaction between
section 909 and other Code provisions.
In addition, the notice solicits
comments on issues that should be
addressed in regulations, including
whether portions of the 2006 proposed
regulations should be finalized or
modified in light of the enactment of
section 909. The Treasury Department
and the IRS received written comments
on Notice 2010–92, which are discussed
in this preamble.
Explanation of Provisions
I. Section 704(b)
Section 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
provides that if a branch of a
partnership (including a disregarded
entity owned by the partnership) is
required to include in income under
foreign law a payment (an inter-branch
payment) it receives from the
partnership or another branch of the
partnership, any creditable foreign tax
expenditure (CFTE) imposed with
respect to the payment relates to the
income in the CFTE category that
includes the items attributable to the
recipient (the recipient CFTE category).
However, because the inter-branch
payment is disregarded for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes, the income related
to the CFTEs imposed with respect to
the payment may remain in the CFTE
category that includes the items
attributable to the payor of the interbranch payment (the payor CFTE
category). This is an exception to the
general application of the principles of
§ 1.904–6 that would allocate the CFTEs
to the payor CFTE category that
includes the related income. See
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1). Because this
exception allows the CFTEs and related
income to be allocated to different CFTE
categories, they may potentially be
allocated to the partners in a manner
that separates the CFTEs from the
related income.
Notice 2010–92 states that the
Treasury Department and the IRS
recognize that certain allocations of
CFTEs and income of a partnership can
result in a separation of the CFTEs and
the related income for purposes of
section 909, notwithstanding that these
allocations satisfy the requirements of
section 704(b) and the regulations under
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that section. The notice states that
partnership allocations that satisfy the
requirements of section 704(b) and the
regulations under that section will not
constitute pre-2011 splitter
arrangements except to the extent the
arrangement otherwise constitutes one
of the arrangements identified in the
notice as a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement (for example, allocations of
taxes paid by a hybrid partnership on
income of a reverse hybrid). However,
the notice also states that the Treasury
Department and the IRS will provide in
future guidance that allocations
described in § 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
will result in a foreign tax credit
splitting event in post-2010 taxable
years to the extent such allocations
result in foreign income taxes being
allocated to a different partner than the
related income. The notice also solicits
comments on the extent to which
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d) and (b)(5),
Example 24 should be modified in light
of the enactment of section 909. A
comment recommended eliminating the
special exception for inter-branch
payments set forth in § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). The Treasury
Department and the IRS have
determined that the regulations should
be revised to prevent allocations under
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) that would
result in such a separation of taxes and
related income from satisfying the safe
harbor, regardless of whether section
909 applies.
These temporary regulations remove
the special exception for inter-branch
payments set forth in § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). As a result, the
general principles of § 1.904–6 will
apply to an inter-branch payment so
that the CFTEs imposed on that
payment will be allocated to the CFTE
category that includes the related
income for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes. Accordingly, if the CFTEs and
related income are allocated to partners
in the same ratios, the safe harbor is
satisfied and the allocation does not
give rise to a foreign tax credit splitting
event. The temporary regulations revise
Example 24 of § 1.704–1(b)(5) to reflect
these changes. These changes are
generally effective for taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
Allocations made in accordance with
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) in taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011, and before January 1, 2012, will
result in a foreign tax credit splitting
event and suspension of foreign income
taxes that are allocated to a different
partner than the covered person that is
allocated the related income. See
§ 1.909–5T(a)(2).
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The temporary regulations also
provide a transition rule for
partnerships whose agreements were
entered into prior to February 14, 2012.
If there has been no material
modification to the partnership
agreement on or after February 14, 2012,
then the partnership may apply the
provisions of § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) as in effect prior to
February 14, 2012. See § 1.704–
1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3). For purposes of this
transition rule, any change in ownership
constitutes a material modification to
the partnership agreement. This
transition rule does not apply to any
taxable year in which persons bearing a
relationship to each other specified in
section 267(b) or 707(b) collectively
have the power to amend the
partnership agreement without the
consent of any unrelated party (and all
subsequent taxable years). In the case of
any partnership that applies, under the
transition rule, the provisions of
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) as in effect
prior to February 14, 2012, an allocation
of foreign income taxes paid or accrued
by the partnership with respect to an
inter-branch payment will result in a
foreign tax credit splitting event to the
extent that the tax on the inter-branch
payment is not allocated to the partners
in proportion to the distributive shares
of income to which the inter-branch
payment tax relates. See § 1.909–
2T(b)(4).
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II. Section 909
A. In General
The temporary regulations provide an
exclusive list of arrangements that will
be treated as giving rise to foreign tax
credit splitting events under section 909
with respect to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2012, as
well as an exclusive list of arrangements
that will be treated as giving rise to
foreign tax credit splitting events with
respect to foreign income taxes paid or
accrued in a taxable year beginning on
or after January 1, 2011, and before
January 1, 2012. The temporary
regulations further treat the foreign
consolidated group splitter arrangement
described in § 1.909–6T(b)(2) as giving
rise to a foreign tax credit splitting event
with respect to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued in a taxable year
beginning on or after January 1, 2012,
and on or before February 14, 2012. In
addition, these regulations provide rules
for determining related income and split
taxes and for coordinating the
interaction between section 909 and
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other Code provisions. Finally, these
regulations include the guidance
described in Notice 2010–92, which
primarily addresses the application of
section 909 to foreign income taxes paid
or accrued by section 902 corporations
in taxable years beginning on or before
December 31, 2010.
B. Definitions and Special Rules
Section 1.909–1T(a) provides
definitions, and § 1.909–1T(b), (c), and
(d) provide rules that apply for purposes
of that section and §§ 1.909–2T through
1.909–5T. First, § 1.909–1T(b) and (c)
provide rules substantially similar to
those set forth in Notice 2010–92
concerning the application of section
909 to partnerships and trusts, except
that the temporary regulations expand
the scope of the rules to include S
corporations and taxes paid or accrued
by persons other than section 902
corporations. Section 1.909–1T(b)
provides that under section 909(c)(1),
section 909 applies at the partner level,
and similar rules apply in the case of an
S corporation or trust. Accordingly, in
the case of foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by a partnership, S corporation
or trust, taxes allocated to one or more
partners, shareholders or beneficiaries
(as the case may be) will be treated as
split taxes to the extent such taxes
would be split taxes if the partner,
shareholder or beneficiary had paid or
accrued the taxes directly on the date
such taxes are taken into account by the
partner under sections 702 and 706(a),
by the shareholder under section
1373(a), or by the beneficiary under
section 901(b)(5). Any such split taxes
will be suspended in the hands of the
partner, shareholder or beneficiary.
Section 5.02 of Notice 2010–92
provides that, for purposes of applying
section 909 in post-2010 taxable years,
there will not be a foreign tax credit
splitting event with respect to a foreign
income tax paid or accrued by a partner
with respect to its distributive share of
the related income of a partnership that
is a covered person with respect to the
partner to the extent the related income
is taken into account by the partner. A
comment recommended that regulations
adopt an aggregate approach in the
partnership context in determining
whether related income is taken into
account by a covered person. The
Treasury Department and the IRS agree
with this comment. Accordingly,
§ 1.909–1T(c) provides that for purposes
of determining whether related income
is taken into account by a covered
person, related income of a partnership,
S corporation or trust is considered to
be taken into account by the partner,
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shareholder or beneficiary to whom the
related income is allocated.
Second, § 1.909–1T(d) addresses the
application of section 909 to annual
layers of pre-1987 accumulated profits
and pre-1987 foreign income taxes of a
section 902 corporation. Section 909
and the regulations under that section
will apply to pre-1987 accumulated
profits and pre-1987 foreign income
taxes of a section 902 corporation
attributable to taxable years beginning
on or after January 1, 2012. Pursuant to
section 902(c)(6) and § 1.902–1(a)(10)(i)
and (a)(10)(iii), earnings and profits and
associated foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by a foreign corporation in
taxable years before it was a section 902
corporation are treated as pre-1987
accumulated profits and pre-1987
foreign income taxes. Section 1.909–
1T(d) provides that foreign corporations
that become section 902 corporations
must account for split taxes paid or
accrued and related income in preacquisition taxable years beginning on
or after January 1, 2012. Suspension of
split taxes paid or accrued with respect
to pre-1987 accumulated profits
attributable to earlier taxable years is
not required.
The rules of § 1.909–1T apply to
taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011.
C. Splitter Arrangements
1. In General
Section 909(d)(1) provides that there
is a foreign tax credit splitting event
with respect to a foreign income tax if
the related income is (or will be) taken
into account by a covered person. The
Treasury Department and the IRS
believe that a transaction or
arrangement in which the related
income was taken into account by a
covered person before the associated
foreign income tax is paid or accrued
(for example, due to a timing difference)
presents the same concerns about the
inappropriate separation of foreign
income taxes and related income that
section 909 was intended to address.
Accordingly, § 1.909–2T(a)(1) provides
that there is a foreign tax credit splitting
event with respect to foreign income
taxes paid or accrued if and only if, in
connection with an arrangement
described in § 1.909–2T(b) (a splitter
arrangement) the related income was, is
or will be taken into account for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes by a
person that is a covered person with
respect to the payor of the tax.
Foreign income taxes that are paid or
accrued in connection with a splitter
arrangement are split taxes to the extent
provided in § 1.909–2T(b). Income (or,
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as the case may be, earnings and profits)
that was, is or will be taken into account
by a covered person in connection with
a splitter arrangement is related income
to the extent provided in § 1.909–2T(b).
Split taxes will not be taken into
account for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into
account by the payor or, in the case of
split taxes paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation, by a section 902
shareholder of such section 902
corporation. Therefore, in the case of
split taxes paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation, split taxes will not be
taken into account for purposes of
section 902 or 960, or for purposes of
determining earnings and profits under
section 964(a), before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into
account by the payor section 902
corporation, a section 902 shareholder
of the section 902 corporation, or a
member of the section 902 shareholder’s
consolidated group. See § 1.909–3T(a)
for rules relating to when split taxes and
related income are taken into account.
A comment requested that the
regulations provide an exclusive list of
arrangements that are subject to section
909 for post-2010 taxable years, similar
to the approach adopted in Notice
2010–92, which provides an exclusive
list of arrangements that are treated as
giving rise to foreign tax credit splitting
events for purposes of applying section
909 to pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by
section 902 corporations. The Treasury
Department and the IRS agree with the
comment, and accordingly, § 1.909–
2T(b) sets forth an exclusive list of
arrangements that will be treated as
giving rise to foreign tax credit splitting
events. Future guidance may identify
additional transactions or arrangements
to which section 909 applies, although
any such guidance will apply to foreign
taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or after the date such
guidance is issued.
In particular, the Treasury
Department and the IRS are concerned
about certain types of asset transfers that
can result in the separation of foreign
income taxes and the related income, for
example, because of differences in when
income accrues or how basis is
determined for purposes of U.S. and
foreign tax law. Section 901(m) applies
to foreign taxes paid or accrued in
connection with certain transactions
that are covered asset acquisitions
described in section 901(m)(2). The
Treasury Department and the IRS
considered several approaches to
address the interaction of sections
901(m) and 909, including providing
taxpayers with an election to apply
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section 909 in lieu of section 901(m).
The Treasury Department and the IRS
concluded that applying section 909 to
covered asset acquisitions between
related parties would substantially
increase the complexity and
administrative burdens associated with
such transactions. Accordingly, a
covered asset acquisition is not a foreign
tax credit splitting event for purposes of
section 909. Nevertheless, section
901(m) may apply to foreign taxes paid
or accrued in connection with a foreign
tax credit splitting event, for example, if
an election under section 338(a) is made
with respect to the acquisition of the
interests in a reverse hybrid. In such
case, the Treasury Department and the
IRS are considering the extent to which
section 909 should apply to suspend
deductions for foreign income taxes
with respect to which section 901(m)
disallows a credit.
The Treasury Department and the IRS
are also considering whether to treat as
foreign tax credit splitting events other
arrangements or transactions that can
result in the separation of foreign
income taxes and the related income, for
example, because of differences in when
a shareholder is taxed on a dividend out
of earnings of a covered person. One
such arrangement is a distribution that
is a dividend for foreign tax purposes
but for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes is either not includible in the
shareholder’s gross income pursuant to
section 305(a) or is disregarded. See
Rev. Rul. 80–154 (1980–1 CB 68)
(involving a series of arrangements that
were treated as a stock distribution from
a foreign corporation to which section
305(a) applies), and Rev. Rul. 83–142
(1983–2 CB 68) (involving a cash
payment by a corporation to its
shareholder which was returned to the
corporation and disregarded for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes even
though treated as a dividend subject to
withholding tax under foreign law). The
Treasury Department and the IRS are
considering whether and to what extent
such types of asset transfers and
distributions should be treated as
foreign tax credit splitting events and
request comments on the circumstances
in which such treatment should apply.
2. Reverse Hybrid Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909–2T(b)(1) describes a
reverse hybrid splitter arrangement. The
definition of a reverse hybrid splitter
arrangement is substantially identical to
that set forth in Notice 2010–92, except
that the scope is extended to cover taxes
paid or accrued by persons other than
section 902 corporations. A reverse
hybrid is an entity that is a corporation
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes
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but is a fiscally transparent entity
(under the principles of § 1.894–1(d)(3))
or a branch under the laws of a foreign
country imposing tax on the income of
the entity. A reverse hybrid is a splitter
arrangement when a payor pays or
accrues foreign income taxes with
respect to income of a reverse hybrid. A
reverse hybrid splitter arrangement
exists even if the reverse hybrid has a
loss or a deficit in earnings and profits
for a particular year for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes (for example, due
to a timing difference). The foreign
income taxes paid or accrued with
respect to income of the reverse hybrid
are split taxes. The related income with
respect to split taxes from a reverse
hybrid splitter arrangement is the
earnings and profits (computed for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes) of the
reverse hybrid attributable to the
activities of the reverse hybrid that gave
rise to income included in the payor’s
foreign tax base with respect to which
the split taxes were paid or accrued.
Accordingly, related income of the
reverse hybrid only includes items of
income or expense attributable to a
disregarded entity owned by the reverse
hybrid to the extent that the income
attributable to the activities of the
disregarded entity is included in the
payor’s foreign tax base.
3. Loss-Sharing Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909–2T(b)(2) expands the
types of loss-sharing arrangements that
Notice 2010–92 treats as splitter
arrangements. A foreign group relief or
loss-sharing regime is a regime in which
one entity may surrender its loss to
offset the income of one or more other
entities. Such a loss of one entity that,
in connection with a foreign group relief
or other loss-sharing regime, is taken
into account by one or more other
entities for foreign tax purposes is a
‘‘shared loss.’’ Shared losses can be used
to shift foreign tax liability from one
entity to another without a concomitant
shift in U.S. earnings and profits. Notice
2010–92 applied only to shared losses
attributable to debt that is disregarded
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. A
comment suggested that it would be
appropriate to treat other loss-sharing
arrangements as foreign tax credit
splitter arrangements as well, in
particular, when the payor of a tax
could have used the shared loss to offset
foreign tax on income that is treated as
the payor’s own income under U.S.
Federal income tax principles. The
Treasury Department and the IRS agree
that the scope of loss-sharing
arrangements that are treated as splitter
arrangements should be expanded to
cover these cases. Accordingly § 1.909–
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2T(b)(2)(i) defines a ‘‘loss-sharing
splitter arrangement’’ as arising under a
foreign group relief or other loss-sharing
regime to the extent a shared loss of a
U.S. combined income group could
have been used to offset income of that
group (a ‘‘usable shared loss’’) but is
used instead to offset income of another
U.S. combined income group.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(ii), a U.S.
combined income group consists of a
single individual or corporation and all
other entities (including entities that are
fiscally transparent for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes under the
principles of § 1.894–1(d)(3)) that for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes
combine any of their respective items of
income, deduction, gain or loss with the
income, deduction, gain or loss of such
individual or corporation. A U.S.
combined income group may arise, for
example, as a result of an entity being
disregarded for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes or, in the case of a partnership
or hybrid partnership and a partner, as
a result of the allocation of income or
any other item of the partnership to the
partner. For this purpose, a branch is
treated as an entity, all members of a
U.S. consolidated group are treated as a
single corporation, and individuals
filing a joint return are treated as a
single individual. A U.S. combined
income group may consist of a single
individual or corporation and no other
entities, but cannot include more than
one individual or corporation. In
addition, an entity that combines items
of income, deduction, gain or loss with
the income, deduction, gain or loss of
two or more other entities can belong to
more than one U.S. combined income
group. For example, a hybrid
partnership that has two corporate
partners that do not combine items of
income, deduction, gain or loss with
each other belongs to each partner’s
separate U.S. combined income group,
because each partner receives an
allocable share of hybrid partnership
items.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(A), the
income of a U.S. combined group
consists of the aggregate amount of
taxable income of the members of the
group that have positive taxable income,
as computed under foreign law. Under
§ 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the amount of
shared loss of a U.S. combined income
group is the sum of the shared losses of
all members of the group. Section
1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(A) and (B) provide
that in the case of an entity that is
fiscally transparent (under the
principles of § 1.894–1(d)(3)) for foreign
tax purposes and that is a member of
more than one U.S. combined income
group, the foreign taxable income or
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shared loss of the entity is allocated
between or among the groups under
foreign tax law. In the case of an entity
that is not fiscally transparent for
foreign tax purposes and is a member of
more than one U.S. combined income
group, the entity’s foreign taxable
income or shared loss is allocated
between the separate U.S. combined
income groups based on U.S. Federal
income tax principles. Although the
allocations are based on U.S. Federal
income tax principles, the amount of the
foreign taxable income or shared loss to
be allocated is determined under foreign
law. In the case of a hybrid partnership
with two partners that are in different
U.S. combined income groups, income
or a shared loss incurred by the hybrid
partnership, as determined under
foreign law, is allocated between or
among the U.S. combined income
groups based on how the hybrid
partnership allocated the income or loss
under section 704(b). To the extent the
income or shared loss would be income
or loss under U.S. tax principles in
another year, the income or shared loss
is allocated to the U.S. combined
income groups based on how the hybrid
partnership would allocate the income
or shared loss if it were recognized for
U.S. tax purposes in the year it is
recognized for foreign tax purposes. To
the extent the income or shared loss
would not constitute income or loss
under U.S. tax principles in any year,
the income or shared loss is allocated to
the U.S. combined income groups in the
same manner as the partnership items
attributable to the activity giving rise to
the income or shared loss.
Section 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iv) provides
that split taxes from a loss-sharing
splitter arrangement are foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by a member of a
U.S. combined income group with
respect to income equal to the amount
of the usable shared loss of that U.S.
combined income group that offsets
income of a different U.S. combined
income group. Under § 1.909–
2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is an
amount of income of the individual or
corporate member of a U.S. combined
income group equal to the amount of
income of that U.S. combined income
group that is offset by the usable shared
loss of another U.S. combined income
group.
4. Hybrid Instrument Splitter
Arrangements
Section 1.909–2T(b)(3) describes
hybrid instrument splitter arrangements.
The definition of hybrid instrument
splitter arrangements is substantially
identical to that set forth in Notice
2010–92, except that the scope is
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extended to cover taxes paid or accrued
by persons other than section 902
corporations. In addition, § 1.909–
2T(b)(3)(i)(D) defines a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument as an instrument that
is treated as equity for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes but is treated as
indebtedness for foreign tax purposes,
or with respect to which the issuer is
otherwise entitled to a deduction for
foreign tax purposes for amounts paid or
accrued with respect to the instrument.
For example, an instrument that is
treated as equity for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes but with respect to
which amounts paid or accrued by the
issuer are treated for foreign tax
purposes as a deductible notional
interest payment (even though the
instrument is otherwise treated as
equity for foreign tax purposes) is a U.S.
equity hybrid instrument. Under
§ 1.909–2T(b)(3)(i)(A), a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument is a splitter
arrangement if foreign income taxes are
paid or accrued by the owner of a U.S.
equity hybrid instrument with respect to
payments or accruals on or with respect
to the instrument that are deductible by
the issuer under the laws of a foreign
jurisdiction in which the issuer is
subject to tax but that do not give rise
to income for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(3)(i)(B), split
taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement equal
the total amount of foreign income
taxes, including withholding taxes, paid
or accrued by the owner of the hybrid
instrument less the amount of foreign
income taxes that would have been paid
or accrued had the owner of the U.S.
equity hybrid instrument not been
subject to foreign tax on income from
the instrument. Under § 1.909–
2T(b)(3)(i)(C), the related income with
respect to split taxes from a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement
is income of the issuer of the U.S. equity
hybrid instrument in an amount equal
to the payments or accruals giving rise
to the split taxes that are deductible by
the issuer for foreign tax purposes,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the issuer’s income or
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
Section 1.909–2T(b)(3)(ii)(D) defines a
U.S. debt hybrid instrument as an
instrument that is treated as equity for
foreign tax purposes but as indebtedness
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(3)(ii)(A), a U.S.
debt hybrid instrument is a splitter
arrangement if foreign income taxes are
paid or accrued by the issuer of a U.S.
debt hybrid instrument with respect to
income in an amount equal to the
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interest (including original issue
discount) paid or accrued on the
instrument that is deductible for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but that
does not give rise to a deduction under
the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in
which the issuer is subject to tax. Under
§ 1.909–2T(b)(3)(ii)(B), split taxes from a
U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement are the foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by the issuer on
the income that would have been offset
by the interest paid or accrued on the
U.S. debt hybrid instrument had such
interest been deductible for foreign tax
purposes. Under § 1.909–2T(b)(3)(ii)(C),
the related income from a U.S. debt
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement
is the gross amount of the interest
income recognized for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes by the owner of the
U.S. debt hybrid instrument,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the owner’s income or
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
5. Partnership Inter-Branch Payment
Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909–2T(b)(4) describes a
partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement. The Treasury
Department and the IRS stated in
section 5.03 of Notice 2010–92 that
future guidance would provide that
allocations described in § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) will result in a foreign
tax credit splitting event in post-2010
taxable years to the extent such
allocations result in foreign income
taxes being allocated to a different
partner than the related income.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(4)(i), an
allocation of foreign income tax paid or
accrued by a partnership with respect to
an inter-branch payment as described in
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of
April 1, 2011) (the inter-branch payment
tax), is a splitter arrangement to the
extent the inter-branch payment tax is
not allocated to the partners in the same
proportion as the distributive shares of
income in the CFTE category to which
the inter-branch payment tax is or
would be assigned under § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d) without regard to
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). Under
§ 1.909–2T(b)(4)(ii), split taxes from a
partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement equal the excess of
the amount of the inter-branch payment
tax allocated to a partner under the
partnership agreement over the amount
of the inter-branch payment tax that
would have been allocated to the
partner if the tax had been allocated in
the same proportion as the distributive
shares of income in that CFTE category.
Under § 1.909–2T(b)(4)(iii), related
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income from a partnership inter-branch
payment splitter arrangement equals the
amount of income allocated to a partner
that exceeds the amount of income that
would have been allocated to the
partner if income in that CFTE category
in the amount of the inter-branch
payment had been allocated to the
partners in the same proportion as the
inter-branch payment tax was allocated
under the partnership agreement.
D. Rules Regarding Related Income and
Split Taxes and Coordination Rules
Section 4.06 of Notice 2010–92
provides guidance on determining the
amount of related income and pre-2011
split taxes paid or accrued with respect
to pre-2011 splitter arrangements. A
comment requested guidance on the
treatment of related income and split
taxes in the case of certain dispositions
that were not described in section 4.06
of Notice 2010–92 (specifically,
dispositions of section 902 corporations
in transactions other than those that
qualify under section 381). The
Treasury Department and the IRS expect
to issue regulations that provide
additional guidance on determining the
amount of related income and split
taxes attributable to a foreign tax credit
splitting event, and intend to address
the comment when such regulations are
issued. Until such guidance is issued,
§ 1.909–3T(a) provides that the
principles of § 1.909–6T(d) through
1.909–6T(f) (which adopt the rules
described in section 4.06 of Notice
2010–92) will apply to related income
and split taxes in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2011,
except that the alternative ‘‘related
income first’’ method described in
§ 1.909–6T(d)(4) (which adopts section
4.06(b)(4) of Notice 2010–92) for
identifying distributions of related
income applies only to identify the
amount of pre-2011 split taxes of a
section 902 corporation that are
suspended as of the first day of the
section 902 corporation’s first taxable
year beginning on or after January 1,
2011. A comment recommended that
taxpayers be given the choice to apply
the ‘‘related income first’’ method to
identify post-2010 split taxes of a
section 902 corporation, with use of
such method conditioned on the
taxpayer not applying section 902 to
distributions from a section 902
corporation until all of the corporation’s
earnings and profits attributable to
related income have been distributed.
The Treasury Department and the IRS
believe that the recommendation would
necessitate rules that would result in
significant administrative complexity,
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and accordingly, the comment was not
adopted.
These temporary regulations include a
rule concerning split taxes that was not
described in Notice 2010–92. Section
1.909–3T(b) provides that split taxes
include taxes paid or accrued in taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011, with respect to the amount of a
disregarded payment that is deductible
by the payor of the disregarded payment
under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction
in which the payor of the disregarded
payment is subject to tax on related
income from a splitter arrangement. The
amount of the deductible disregarded
payment to which this rule applies is
limited to the amount of related income
from such splitter arrangement.
In addition to future guidance on
determining the amount of related
income and split taxes, the Treasury
Department and the IRS expect to issue
regulations that provide additional
guidance on the interaction between
section 909 and other Code provisions
such as sections 904(c), 905(a), and
905(c). Until such guidance is issued,
§ 1.909–4T(a) provides that the
principles of § 1.909–6T(g), which adopt
the rules described in section 6 of
Notice 2010–92, will apply to taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011.
E. 2011 and Certain 2012 Splitter
Arrangements
Section 909 applies to foreign income
taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2010.
Section 1.909–2T(b), setting forth the
exclusive list of splitter arrangements, is
effective for foreign income taxes paid
or accrued in taxable years beginning on
or after January 1, 2012. Notice 2010–92
states that pre-2011 splitter
arrangements will give rise to foreign
tax credit splitting events in post-2010
taxable years. Accordingly, § 1.909–
5T(a)(1) provides that foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by any person in
a taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, and before January 1,
2012, in connection with a pre-2011
splitter arrangement (as defined in
§ 1.909–6T(b)), are split taxes to the
same extent that such taxes would have
been treated as pre-2011 split taxes if
such taxes were paid or accrued by a
section 902 corporation in a pre-2011
taxable year. The related income with
respect to split taxes from such an
arrangement is the related income
described in § 1.909–6T(b), determined
as if the payor were a section 902
corporation.
In addition, Notice 2010–92 states
that allocations described in § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) will result in a foreign
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tax credit splitting event in post-2010
taxable years to the extent such
allocations result in foreign income
taxes being allocated to a different
partner than the related income.
Accordingly, § 1.909–5T(a)(2) provides
that foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by any person in a taxable year
beginning on or after January 1, 2011,
and before January 1, 2012, in
connection with a partnership interbranch payment splitter arrangement
described in § 1.909–2T(b)(4) are split
taxes to the extent such taxes are
identified as split taxes in § 1.909–
2T(b)(4)(ii). The related income with
respect to the split taxes is the related
income described in § 1.909–
2T(b)(4)(iii).
Finally, these temporary regulations
provide that foreign income taxes paid
or accrued by any person in a taxable
year beginning on or after January 1,
2012, and on or before February 14,
2012 in connection with a foreign
consolidated group splitter arrangement
described in § 1.909–6T(b)(2) are split
taxes to the same extent that such taxes
would have been treated as pre-2011
split taxes if such taxes were paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation in
a pre-2011 taxable year. This rule
ensures that section 909 applies to
suspend foreign tax on income of
foreign consolidated groups paid or
accrued in post-2010 taxable years to
the extent the tax is not apportioned
among the members of the group in
accordance with the principles of Treas.
Reg. § 1.901–2(f)(3). Final regulations
published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register explicitly apply the
ratable allocation rules of Treas. Reg.
§ 1.901–2(f)(3) to tax paid on combined
income of foreign consolidated groups,
without regard to whether the group
members are jointly and severally liable
for the tax under foreign law.
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F. Pre-2011 Foreign Tax Credit Splitting
Events
Section 1.909–6T adopts the rules
described in Notice 2010–92 regarding
pre-2011 foreign tax credit splitting
events and the application of section
909 to foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation in
pre-2011 taxable years.
Availability of IRS Documents
IRS notices and revenue rulings cited
in this preamble are made available by
the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402.
Effect on Other Documents
The following publication is obsolete
as of February 14, 2012:
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Notice 2010–92 (2010–2 CB 916).
Special Analyses
It has been determined that this
Treasury decision is not a significant
regulatory action as defined in
Executive Order 12866. Therefore, a
regulatory assessment is not required. It
also has been determined that section
553(b) of the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply
to these regulations. For the
applicability of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6), refer
to the Special Analyses section of the
preamble of the cross-referenced notice
of proposed rulemaking published in
this issue of the Federal Register.
Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the
Internal Revenue Code, this regulation
has been submitted to the Chief Counsel
for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration for comment on its
impact on small businesses.
Drafting Information
The principal author of these
regulations is Suzanne M. Walsh of the
Office of Associate Chief Counsel
(International). However, other
personnel from the IRS and Treasury
Department participated in their
development.
List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1
Income taxes, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Adoption of Amendments to the
Regulations
Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is
amended as follows:
PART 1—INCOME TAXES
Paragraph 1. The authority citation
for part 1 continues to read in part as
follows:
■
Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
Par. 2. Section 1.704–1 is amended as
follows:
■ 1. Paragraph (b)(0) is amended by
adding an entry for § 1.704–
1(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3) and revising the entry for
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
■ 2. Paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(b)(3) is added.
■ 3. Paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) is
revised.
■ 4. Paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) is
revised.
■ 5. Paragraph (b)(5) Example 24 is
revised.
The additions and revisions read as
follows:
■
§ 1.704–1.
Partner’s distributive share.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Determination of partner’s
distributive share—(0) Cross-references.
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Heading
Section
*
[Reserved]
*
*
*
*
1.704–1(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3)
*
[Reserved]
*
*
*
*
1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
*
*
*
*
*
(1) * * *
(ii) * * *
(b) * * *
(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance,
see § 1.704–1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3).
*
*
*
*
*
(4) * * *
(viii) * * *
(c) * * *
(3) * * *
(ii) Special rules. Income attributable
to an activity shall include the amount
included in a partner’s income as a
guaranteed payment (within the
meaning of section 707(c)) from the
partnership to the extent that the
guaranteed payment is not deductible
by the partnership under foreign law.
See paragraph (b)(5) Example 25 (iv) of
this section. Income attributable to an
activity shall not include an item of
partnership income to the extent the
allocation of such item of income (or
payment thereof) results in a deduction
under foreign law. See paragraph (b)(5)
Example 25 (iii) and (iv) of this section.
Similarly, income attributable to an
activity shall not include net income
that foreign law would exclude from the
foreign tax base as a result of the status
of a partner. See paragraph (b)(5)
Example 27 of this section.
(d) * * *
(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance,
see § 1.704–1T(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
*
*
*
*
*
(5) * * *
Example 24. [Reserved]. For further
guidance, see § 1.704–1T(b)(5) Example
24.
*
*
*
*
*
■ Par. 3. Section 1.704–1T is added to
read as follows:
§ 1.704–1T Partner’s distributive share
(temporary).
(a) Through (b)(1)(ii)(b)(2) [Reserved].
For further guidance, see § 1.704–1(a)
through (b)(1)(ii)(b)(2).
(3) Special rules for certain interbranch payments—(A) In general. The
provisions of § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) apply for partnership
taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2012.
(B) Transition rule. Transition relief is
provided herein to partnerships whose
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agreements were entered into prior to
February 14, 2012. In such case, if there
has been no material modification to the
partnership agreement on or after
February 14, 2012, then the partnership
may apply the provisions of § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of April 1,
2011). For purposes of this paragraph
(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3), any change in ownership
constitutes a material modification to
the partnership agreement. This
transition rule does not apply to any
taxable year in which persons bearing a
relationship to each other that is
specified in section 267(b) or section
707(b) collectively have the power to
amend the partnership agreement
without the consent of any unrelated
party (and all subsequent taxable years).
(b)(1)(iii) through (b)(4)(viii)(d)(2)
[Reserved]. For further guidance, see
§ 1.704–1(b)(1)(iii) through
(b)(4)(viii)(d)(2).
(3) Special rules for inter-branch
payments. For rules relating to foreign
tax paid or accrued in partnership
taxable years beginning before January
1, 2012 in respect of certain inter-branch
payments, see 26 CFR 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of April 1,
2011).
(b)(4)(ix) through (b)(5) Example 23
[Reserved]. For further guidance, see
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(ix) through (b)(5)
Example 23.
Example 24. (i) The facts are the same as
in Example 21, except that businesses M and
N are conducted by entities (DE1 and DE2,
respectively) that are corporations for
country X and Y tax purposes and
disregarded entities for U.S. tax purposes.
Also, assume that DE1 makes payments of
$75,000 during 2012 to DE2 that are
deductible by DE1 for country X tax purposes
and includible in income of DE2 for country
Y tax purposes. As a result of such payments,
DE1 has taxable income of $25,000 for
country X purposes on which $10,000 of
taxes are imposed and DE2 has taxable
income of $125,000 for country Y purposes
on which $25,000 of taxes are imposed. For
U.S. tax purposes, $100,000 of AB’s income
is attributable to the activities of DE1 and
$50,000 of AB’s income is attributable to the
activities of DE2. Pursuant to the partnership
agreement, all partnership items from
business M, excluding CFTEs paid or accrued
by business M, are allocated 75 percent to A
and 25 percent to B, and all partnership
items from business N, excluding CFTEs paid
or accrued by business N, are split evenly
between A and B (50 percent each).
Accordingly, A is allocated 75 percent of the
income from business M ($75,000), and 50
percent of the income from business N
($25,000). B is allocated 25 percent of the
income from business M ($25,000), and 50
percent of the income from business N
($25,000).
(ii) Because the partnership agreement
provides for different allocations of the net
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income attributable to businesses M and N,
the net income attributable to each of
business M and business N is income in
separate CFTE categories. See paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(c)(2) of this section. Under
paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(3) of this section, the
$100,000 of net income attributable to
business M is in the business M CFTE
category and the $50,000 of net income
attributable to business N is in the business
N CFTE category. Under paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1) of this section, the $10,000 of
country X taxes is allocated to the business
M CFTE category and $10,000 of the country
Y taxes is allocated to the business N CFTE
category. The additional $15,000 of country
Y tax imposed with respect to the interbranch payment is assigned to the business
M CFTE category because for U.S. tax
purposes, the related $75,000 of income that
country Y is taxing is in the business M CFTE
category. Therefore, $25,000 of taxes ($10,000
of country X taxes and $15,000 of the country
Y taxes) is related to the $100,000 of net
income in the business M CFTE category and
the other $10,000 of country Y taxes is
related to the $50,000 of net income in the
business N CFTE category. See paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(c)(1) of this section. The
allocations of country X taxes will be in
proportion to the distributive shares of
income to which they relate and will be
deemed to be in accordance with the
partners’ interests in the partnership if such
taxes are allocated 75 percent to A and 25
percent to B. The allocations of country Y
taxes will be in proportion to the distributive
shares of income to which they relate and
will be deemed to be in accordance with the
partners’ interests in the partnership if
$15,000 of such taxes is allocated 75 percent
to A and 25 percent to B and the other
$10,000 of such taxes is allocated 50 percent
to A and 50 percent to B. No inference is
intended with respect to the application of
other provisions to arrangements that involve
disregarded payments.
(iii) Assume that the facts are the same as
in paragraph (i) of this Example 24, except
that in order to reflect the $75,000 payment
from DE1 to DE2, the partnership agreement
allocates $75,000 of the income attributable
to business M equally between A and B (50
percent each). In order to prevent separating
the CFTEs from the related foreign income,
the $75,000 payment is treated as a divisible
part of the business M activity and, therefore,
a separate activity. See paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(c)(2)(iii) of this section. Because
items from the disregarded payment and
business N are both shared equally between
A and B, the disregarded payment activity
and the business N activity are treated as a
single CFTE category. See paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(c)(2)(i) of this section.
Accordingly, $25,000 of net income
attributable to business M is in the business
M CFTE category and $75,000 of income of
business M attributable to the disregarded
payment and the $50,000 of net income
attributable to business N are in the business
N CFTE category. Under paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1) of this section, the $10,000 of
country X taxes is allocated to the business
M CFTE category and all $25,000 of the
country Y taxes is allocated to the business
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N CFTE category. The allocations of country
X taxes will be in proportion to the
distributive shares of income to which they
relate and will be deemed to be in
accordance with the partners’ interests in the
partnership if such taxes are allocated 75
percent to A and 25 percent to B. The
allocations of country Y taxes will be in
proportion to the distributive shares of
income to which they relate and will be
deemed to be in accordance with the
partners’ interests in the partnership if such
taxes are allocated 50 percent to A and 50
percent to B.
Example 25 through (e) [Reserved].
For further guidance, see § 1.704–1(b)(5)
Example 25 through (e).
(f) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
■ Par. 4. Section 1.909–0T is added to
read as follows:
§ 1.909–0T Outline of regulation
provisions for section 909 (temporary).
This section lists the headings for
§§ 1.909–1T through 1.909–6T.
§ 1.909–1T Definitions and special rules
(temporary).
(a) Definitions.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued by a partnership,
S corporation or trust.
(c) Related income of a partnership, S
corporation or trust.
(d) Application of section 909 to pre-1987
accumulated profits and pre-1987 foreign
income taxes.
(e) Effective/applicability date.
(f) Expiration date.
§ 1.909–2T Splitter arrangements
(temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event.
(1) In general.
(2) Split taxes not taken into account.
(b) Splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes from a reverse hybrid
splitter arrangement.
(iii) Related income from a reverse hybrid
splitter arrangement.
(iv) Reverse hybrid.
(2) Loss-sharing splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) U.S. combined income group.
(iii) Income and shared loss of a U.S.
combined income group.
(iv) Split taxes from a loss-sharing splitter
arrangement.
(v) Related income from a loss-sharing
splitter arrangement.
(vi) Foreign group relief or other losssharing regime.
(vii) Examples.
(3) Hybrid instrument splitter
arrangements.
(i) U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement.
(ii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement.
(4) Partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes from a partnership interbranch payment splitter arrangement.
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(iii) Related income from a partnership
inter-branch payment splitter arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
§ 1.909–3T Rules regarding related income
and split taxes (temporary).
(a) Interim rules for identifying related
income and split taxes.
(b) Split taxes on deductible disregarded
payments.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
§ 1.909–4T Coordination rules (temporary).
(a) Interim rules.
(b) Effective/applicability date.
(c) Expiration date.
§ 1.909–5T 2011 and 2012 splitter
arrangements (temporary).
(a) Taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning in 2011.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued in certain taxable
years beginning in 2012 with respect to a
foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
§ 1.909–6T Pre-2011 foreign tax credit
splitting events (temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event.
(1) In general.
(2) Taxes not subject to suspension under
section 909.
(3) Taxes subject to suspension under
section 909.
(b) Pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid structure splitter
arrangements.
(2) Foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangements.
(3) Group relief or other loss-sharing
regime splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes and related income.
(4) Hybrid instrument splitter
arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement.
(iii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement.
(c) General rules for applying section 909
to pre-2011 split taxes and related income.
(1) Annual determination.
(2) Separate categories.
(d) Special rules regarding related income.
(1) Annual adjustments.
(2) Effect of separate limitation losses and
deficits.
(3) Pro rata method for distributions out of
earnings and profits that include both related
income and other income.
(4) Alternative method for distributions out
of earnings and profits that include both
related income and other income.
(5) Distributions, deemed distributions,
and inclusions out of related income.
(6) Carryover of related income.
(7) Related income taken into account by
a section 902 shareholder.
(8) Related income taken into account by
a payor section 902 corporation.
(9) Related income taken into account by
an affiliated group of corporations that
includes a section 902 shareholder.
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(10) Distributions of previously-taxed
earnings and profits.
(e) Special rules regarding pre-2011 split
taxes.
(1) Taxes deemed paid pro rata out of pre2011 split taxes and other taxes.
(2) Pre-2011 split taxes deemed paid in
pre-2011 taxable years.
(3) Carryover of pre-2011 split taxes.
(4) Determining when pre-2011 split taxes
are no longer treated as pre-2011 split taxes.
(f) Rules relating to partnerships and trusts.
(1) Taxes paid or accrued by partnerships.
(2) Section 704(b) allocations.
(3) Trusts.
(g) Interaction between section 909 and
other Code provisions.
(1) Section 904(c).
(2) Section 905(a).
(3) Section 905(c).
(4) Other foreign tax credit provisions.
(h) Effective/applicability date.
(i) Expiration date.
Par. 5. Sections 1.909–1T, 1.909–2T,
1.909–3T, 1.909–4T, 1.909–5T, and
1.909–6T are added to read as follows:
■
§ 1.909–1T Definitions and special rules
(temporary).
(a) Definitions. For purposes of
section 909, this section, and §§ 1.909–
2T through –5T, the following
definitions apply:
(1) The term section 902 corporation
means any foreign corporation with
respect to which one or more domestic
corporations meet the ownership
requirements of section 902(a) or (b).
(2) The term section 902 shareholder
means any domestic corporation that
meets the ownership requirements of
section 902(a) or (b) with respect to a
section 902 corporation.
(3) The term payor means a person
that pays or accrues a foreign income
tax within the meaning of § 1.901–2(f),
and also includes a person that takes
foreign income taxes paid or accrued by
a partnership, S corporation, estate or
trust into account pursuant to section
702(a)(6), section 901(b)(5) or section
1373(a).
(4) The term covered person means,
with respect to a payor—
(i) Any entity in which the payor
holds, directly or indirectly, at least a 10
percent ownership interest (determined
by vote or value);
(ii) Any person that holds, directly or
indirectly, at least a 10 percent
ownership interest (determined by vote
or value) in the payor; or
(iii) Any person that bears a
relationship that is described in section
267(b) or 707(b) to the payor.
(5) The term foreign income tax
means any income, war profits, or
excess profits tax paid or accrued to any
foreign country or to any possession of
the United States. A foreign income tax
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includes any tax paid in lieu of such a
tax within the meaning of section 903.
(6) The term post-1986 foreign income
taxes has the meaning provided in
§ 1.902–1(a)(8).
(7) The term post-1986 undistributed
earnings has the meaning provided in
§ 1.902–1(a)(9).
(8) The term disregarded entity means
an entity that is disregarded as an entity
separate from its owner, as provided in
§ 301.7701–2(c)(2)(i).
(9) The term hybrid partnership
means a partnership that is subject to
income tax in a foreign country as a
corporation (or otherwise at the entity
level) on the basis of residence, place of
incorporation, place of management or
similar criteria.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued by a
partnership, S corporation or trust.
Under section 909(c)(1), section 909
applies at the partner level, and similar
rules apply in the case of an S
corporation or trust. Accordingly, in the
case of foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by a partnership, S corporation
or trust, taxes allocated to one or more
partners, shareholders or beneficiaries
(as the case may be) will be treated as
split taxes to the extent such taxes
would be split taxes if the partner,
shareholder or beneficiary had paid or
accrued the taxes directly on the date
such taxes are taken into account by the
partner under sections 702 and 706(a),
by the shareholder under section
1373(a), or by the beneficiary under
section 901(b)(5). Any such split taxes
will be suspended in the hands of the
partner, shareholder or beneficiary.
(c) Related income of a partnership, S
corporation or trust. For purposes of
determining whether related income is
taken into account by a covered person,
related income of a partnership, S
corporation or trust is considered to be
taken into account by the partner,
shareholder or beneficiary to whom the
related income is allocated.
(d) Application of section 909 to pre1987 accumulated profits and pre-1987
foreign income taxes. Section 909 and
§§ 1.909–1T through –5T will apply to
pre-1987 accumulated profits (as
defined in § 1.902–1(a)(10)(i)) and pre1987 foreign income taxes (as defined in
§ 1.902–1(a)(10)(iii)) of a section 902
corporation attributable to taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
(e) Effective/applicability date. This
section applies to taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(f) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
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§ 1.909–2T Splitter arrangements
(temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event—
(1) In general. There is a foreign tax
credit splitting event with respect to
foreign income taxes paid or accrued if
and only if, in connection with an
arrangement described in paragraph (b)
of this section (a splitter arrangement)
the related income was, is or will be
taken into account for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes by a person that is
a covered person with respect to the
payor of the tax. Foreign income taxes
that are paid or accrued in connection
with a splitter arrangement are split
taxes to the extent provided in
paragraph (b) of this section. Income (or,
as appropriate, earnings and profits) that
was, is or will be taken into account by
a covered person in connection with a
splitter arrangement is related income to
the extent provided in paragraph (b) of
this section.
(2) Split taxes not taken into account.
Split taxes will not be taken into
account for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into
account by the payor or, in the case of
split taxes paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation, by a section 902
shareholder of such section 902
corporation. Therefore, in the case of
split taxes paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation, split taxes will not be
taken into account for purposes of
sections 902 or 960, or for purposes of
determining earnings and profits under
section 964(a), before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into
account by the payor section 902
corporation, a section 902 shareholder
of the section 902 corporation, or a
member of the section 902 shareholder’s
consolidated group. See § 1.909–3T(a)
for rules relating to when split taxes and
related income are taken into account.
(b) Splitter arrangements. The
arrangements set forth in this paragraph
(b) are splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid splitter
arrangements—(i) In general. A reverse
hybrid is a splitter arrangement when a
payor pays or accrues foreign income
taxes with respect to income of a reverse
hybrid. A reverse hybrid splitter
arrangement exists even if the reverse
hybrid has a loss or a deficit in earnings
and profits for a particular year for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes (for
example, due to a timing difference).
(ii) Split taxes from a reverse hybrid
splitter arrangement. The foreign
income taxes paid or accrued with
respect to income of the reverse hybrid
are split taxes.
(iii) Related income from a reverse
hybrid splitter arrangement. The related
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income with respect to split taxes from
a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement is
the earnings and profits (computed for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes) of the
reverse hybrid attributable to the
activities of the reverse hybrid that gave
rise to income included in the payor’s
foreign tax base with respect to which
the split taxes were paid or accrued.
Accordingly, related income of the
reverse hybrid only includes items of
income or expense attributable to a
disregarded entity owned by the reverse
hybrid to the extent that the income
attributable to the activities of the
disregarded entity is included in the
payor’s foreign tax base.
(iv) Reverse hybrid. The term reverse
hybrid means an entity that is a
corporation for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes but is a fiscally transparent
entity (under the principles of § 1.894–
1(d)(3)) or a branch under the laws of a
foreign country imposing tax on the
income of the entity.
(2) Loss-sharing splitter
arrangements—(i) In general. A foreign
group relief or other loss-sharing regime
is a loss-sharing splitter arrangement to
the extent that a shared loss of a U.S.
combined income group could have
been used to offset income of that group
(usable shared loss) but is used instead
to offset income of another U.S.
combined income group.
(ii) U.S. combined income group. The
term U.S. combined income group
means an individual or a corporation
and all entities (including entities that
are fiscally transparent for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes under the
principles of § 1.894–1(d)(3)) that for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes
combine any of their respective items of
income, deduction, gain or loss with the
income, deduction, gain or loss of such
individual or corporation. A U.S.
combined income group can arise, for
example, as a result of an entity being
disregarded or, in the case of a
partnership or hybrid partnership and a
partner, as a result of the allocation of
income or any other item of the
partnership to the partner. For purposes
of this paragraph (b)(2)(ii), a branch is
treated as an entity, all members of a
U.S. affiliated group of corporations (as
defined in section 1504) that file a
consolidated return are treated as a
single corporation, and two or more
individuals that file a joint return are
treated as a single individual. A U.S.
combined income group may consist of
a single individual or corporation and
no other entities, but cannot include
more than one individual or
corporation. In addition, an entity may
belong to more than one U.S. combined
income group. For example, a hybrid
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8137
partnership with two corporate partners
that do not combine any of their items
of income, deduction, gain or loss for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes is in
a separate U.S. combined income group
with each of its partners.
(iii) Income and shared loss of a U.S.
combined income group—(A) Income.
Except as otherwise provided in this
paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of a
U.S. combined income group is the
aggregate amount of taxable income
recognized or taken into account for
foreign tax purposes by those members
that have positive taxable income for
foreign tax purposes. In the case of an
entity that is fiscally transparent (under
the principles of § 1.894–1(d)(3)) for
foreign tax purposes and that is a
member of more than one U.S.
combined income group, the foreign
taxable income of the entity is allocated
between or among the groups under
foreign tax law. In the case of an entity
that is not fiscally transparent for
foreign tax purposes and that is a
member of more than one U.S.
combined income group, the foreign
taxable income of that entity is allocated
between or among those groups based
on U.S. Federal income tax principles.
For example, in the case of a hybrid
partnership, the foreign taxable income
of the partnership is allocated between
or among the groups in the manner the
partnership allocates the income under
section 704(b). To the extent the foreign
taxable income would be income under
U.S. tax principles in another year, the
income is allocated between or among
the groups based on how the hybrid
partnership would allocate the income
if the income were recognized for U.S.
tax purposes in the year in which the
income is recognized for foreign tax
purposes. To the extent the foreign
taxable income would not constitute
income under U.S. tax principles in any
year, the income is allocated between or
among the groups in the same manner
as the partnership items attributable to
the activity giving rise to the foreign
taxable income.
(B) Shared loss. The term shared loss
means a loss of one entity for foreign tax
purposes that, in connection with a
foreign group relief or other loss-sharing
regime, is taken into account by one or
more other entities. Except as otherwise
provided in this paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B),
the amount of shared loss of a U.S.
combined income group is the sum of
the shared losses of all members of the
U.S. combined income group. In the
case of an entity that is fiscally
transparent (under the principles of
§ 1.894–1(d)(3)) for foreign tax purposes
and that is a member of more than one
U.S. combined income group, the
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shared loss of the entity is allocated
between or among the groups under
foreign tax law. In the case of an entity
that is not fiscally transparent for
foreign tax purposes and that is a
member of more than one U.S.
combined income group, the shared loss
of that entity will be allocated between
or among those groups based on U.S.
Federal income tax principles. For
example, in the case of a hybrid
partnership, the shared loss of the
partnership will be allocated between or
among the groups in the manner the
partnership allocates the loss under
section 704(b). To the extent the shared
loss would be a loss under U.S. tax
principles in another year, the loss is
allocated between or among the groups
based on how the partnership would
allocate the loss if the loss were
recognized for U.S. tax purposes in the
year in which the loss is recognized for
foreign tax purposes. To the extent the
shared loss would not constitute a loss
under U.S. tax principles in any year,
the loss is allocated between or among
the groups in the same manner as the
partnership items attributable to the
activity giving rise to the shared loss.
(iv) Split taxes from a loss-sharing
splitter arrangement. Split taxes from a
loss-sharing splitter arrangement are
foreign income taxes paid or accrued by
a member of the U.S. combined income
group with respect to income equal to
the amount of the usable shared loss of
that group that offsets income of another
U.S. combined income group.
(v) Related income from a losssharing splitter arrangement. The
related income with respect to split
taxes from a loss-sharing splitter
arrangement is an amount of income of
the individual or corporate member of
the U.S. combined income group equal
to the amount of income of that U.S.
combined income group that is offset by
the usable shared loss of another U.S.
combined income group.
(vi) Foreign group relief or other losssharing regime. A foreign group relief or
other loss-sharing regime exists when an
entity may surrender its loss to offset
the income of one or more other entities.
A foreign group relief or other losssharing regime does not include an
allocation of loss of an entity that is a
partnership or other fiscally transparent
entity (under the principles of § 1.894–
1(d)(3)) for foreign tax purposes or
regimes in which foreign tax is imposed
on combined income (such as a foreign
consolidated regime), as described in
§ 1.901–2(f)(3).
(vii) Examples. The following
examples illustrate the rules of
paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
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Example 1. (i) Facts. USP, a domestic
corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a
corporation organized in country A. CFC1
wholly owns CFC2 and CFC3, both
corporations organized in country A. CFC2
wholly owns DE, an entity organized in
country A. DE is a corporation for country A
tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes. Country A has
a loss-sharing regime under which a loss of
CFC1, CFC2, CFC3 or DE may be used to
offset the income of one or more of the
others. Country A imposes an income tax at
the rate of 30% on the taxable income of
corporations organized in country A. In year
1, before any loss sharing, CFC1 has no
income, CFC2 has income of 50u, CFC3 has
income of 200u, and DE has a loss of 100u.
Under the provisions of country A’s losssharing regime, the group decides to use DE’s
100u loss to offset 100u of CFC3’s income.
After the loss is shared, for country A’s tax
purposes, CFC2 still has 50u of income on
which it pays 15u of country A tax. CFC3 has
income of 100u (200u less the 100u shared
loss) on which it pays 30u of country A tax.
For U.S. tax purposes, the loss sharing with
CFC3 is not taken into account. Because DE
is a disregarded entity, its 100u loss is taken
into account by CFC2 and reduces its
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes. Accordingly, before application
of section 909, CFC2 has a loss for earnings
and profits purposes of 65u (50u income less
15u taxes paid to country A less 100u loss
of DE). CFC2 also has the U.S. dollar
equivalent of 15u of foreign taxes to add to
its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.
CFC3 has earnings and profits of 170u (200u
income less 30u of taxes) and the dollar
equivalent of 30u of foreign taxes to add to
its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.
(ii) Result. Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(ii),
CFC2 and DE constitute one U.S. combined
income group, while CFC1 and CFC3 each
constitute separate U.S. combined income
groups. Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(A),
the income of the CFC2 combined income
group is 50u (CFC2’s country A taxable
income of 50u). The income of the CFC3 U.S.
combined income group is 200u (CFC3’s
country A taxable income of 200u). Pursuant
to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the shared loss of
the CFC2 U.S. combined income group
includes the 100u of shared loss incurred by
DE. The usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group is 50u, the amount
of the group’s shared loss that could have
otherwise offset CFC2’s 50u of country A
taxable income that is included in the
income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income
group. There is a splitter arrangement
because the 50u usable shared loss of the
CFC2 U.S. combined income group was used
instead to offset income of CFC3, which is
included in the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group. Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iv), the
split taxes are the 15u of country A income
taxes paid by CFC2 on 50u of income, an
amount of income of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group equal to the amount
of usable shared loss of that group that was
used to offset income of the CFC3 U.S.
combined income group. Pursuant to
§ 1.909–2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is the
50u of CFC3’s income that equals the amount
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of income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group that was offset by the usable shared
loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income
group.
Example 2. (i) Facts. USP, a domestic
corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a
corporation organized in country B. CFC1
wholly owns CFC2 and CFC3, both
corporations organized in country B. CFC2
wholly owns DE, an entity organized in
country B. DE is a corporation for country B
tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes. CFC2 and
CFC3 each own 50% of HP1, an entity
organized in country B. HP1 is a corporation
for country B tax purposes and a partnership
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Assume that all items of income and loss of
HP1 are allocated for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes equally between CFC2 and CFC3,
and that all entities use the country B
currency ‘‘u’’ as their functional currency.
Country B has a loss-sharing regime under
which a loss of any of CFC1, CFC2, CFC3,
DE, and HP1 may be used to offset the
income of one or more of the others. Country
B imposes an income tax at the rate of 30%
on the taxable income of corporations
organized in country B. In year 1, before any
loss sharing, CFC2 has income of 100u, CFC1
and CFC3 have no income, DE has a loss of
100u, and HP1 has income of 200u. Under
the provisions of country B’s loss-sharing
regime, the group decides to use DE’s 100u
loss to offset 100u of HP1’s income. After the
loss is shared, for country B tax purposes,
CFC2 has 100u of income on which it pays
30u of country B income tax, and HP1 has
100u of income (200u less the 100u shared
loss) on which it pays 30u of country B
income tax. For U.S. Federal income tax
purposes, the loss sharing with HP1 is not
taken into account, and, because DE is a
disregarded entity, its 100u loss is taken into
account by CFC2 and reduces CFC2’s
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes. The 200u income of HP1 is
allocated 50/50 to CFC2 and CFC3, as is the
30u of country B income tax paid by HP1.
Accordingly, before application of section
909, for U.S. Federal income tax purposes,
CFC2 has earnings and profits of 55u (100u
income + 100u share of HP1’s income – 100u
loss of DE – 30u country B income tax paid
by CFC2 – 15u share of HP1’s country B
income tax) and the dollar equivalent of 45u
of country B income tax to add to its post1986 foreign income taxes pool. CFC3 has
earnings and profits of 85u (100u share of
HP1’s income less 15u share of HP1’s country
B income taxes) and the dollar equivalent of
15u of country B income tax to add to its
post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.
(ii) U.S. combined income groups.
Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(ii), because the
income and loss of HP1 are combined in part
with the income and loss of both CFC2 and
CFC3, it belongs to both of the separate CFC2
and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups. DE
is a member of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group.
(iii) Income of the U.S. combined income
groups. Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iii)(A),
the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group is the 200u country B taxable
income of the members of the group with
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positive taxable incomes (CFC2’s country B
taxable income of 100u + 50% of HP1’s
country B taxable income of 200u, or 100u).
Because DE does not have positive taxable
income for country B tax purposes, its 100u
loss is not included in the income of the
CFC2 U.S. combined income group. The
income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group is 100u (50% of HP1’s country B
taxable income of 200u, or 100u).
(iv) Shared loss of the U.S. combined
income groups. Pursuant to § 1.909–
2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the shared loss of the CFC2
U.S. combined income group is the 100u loss
incurred by DE that is used to offset 100u of
HP1’s income. The CFC3 U.S. combined
income group has no shared loss. Pursuant to
§ 1.909–2T(b)(2)(i), the usable shared loss of
the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is
100u, the full amount of the group’s 100u
shared loss that could have been used to
offset income of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group had the loss been used to offset
100u of CFC2’s country B taxable income.
(v) Income offset by shared loss. The
shared loss of the CFC2 combined income
group is used to offset 100u country B taxable
income of HP1. Because the taxable income
of HP1 is allocated 50/50 between the CFC2
and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups, the
shared loss is treated as offsetting 50u of the
CFC2 U.S. combined income group’s income
and 50u of the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group’s income.
(vi) Splitter arrangement. There is a splitter
arrangement because 50u of the 100u usable
shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group was used to offset income of
the CFC3 U.S. combined income group.
Pursuant to § 1.909–2T(b)(2)(iv), the split
taxes are the 15u of country B income tax
paid by CFC2 on 50u of its income, which
is equal to the amount of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group’s usable shared loss
that was used to offset income of another
U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to
§ 1.909–2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is the
50u of CFC3’s income that was offset by the
usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group.
(3) Hybrid instrument splitter
arrangements—(i) U.S. equity hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement—(A) In
general. A U.S. equity hybrid
instrument is a splitter arrangement if
payments or accruals on or with respect
to such instrument:
(1) Give rise to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by the owner of such
instrument;
(2) Are deductible by the issuer under
the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in
which the issuer is subject to tax; and
(3) Do not give rise to income for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes.
(B) Split taxes from a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
Split taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement equal
the total amount of foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by the owner of the
hybrid instrument less the amount of
foreign income taxes that would have
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been paid or accrued had the owner of
the U.S. equity hybrid instrument not
been subject to foreign tax on income
from the instrument.
(C) Related income from a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
The related income with respect to split
taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement is
income of the issuer of the U.S. equity
hybrid instrument in an amount equal
to the payments or accruals giving rise
to the split taxes that are deductible by
the issuer for foreign tax purposes,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the issuer’s income or
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
(D) U.S. equity hybrid instrument. The
term U.S. equity hybrid instrument
means an instrument that is treated as
equity for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes but is treated as indebtedness
for foreign tax purposes, or with respect
to which the issuer is otherwise entitled
to a deduction for foreign tax purposes
for amounts paid or accrued with
respect to the instrument.
(ii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement—(A) In general. A
U.S. debt hybrid instrument is a splitter
arrangement if foreign income taxes are
paid or accrued by the issuer of a U.S.
debt hybrid instrument with respect to
income in an amount equal to the
interest (including original issue
discount) paid or accrued on the
instrument that is deductible for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but that
does not give rise to a deduction under
the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in
which the issuer is subject to tax.
(B) Split taxes from a U.S. debt hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement. Split
taxes from a U.S. debt hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement are the
foreign income taxes paid or accrued by
the issuer on the income that would
have been offset by the interest paid or
accrued on the U.S. debt hybrid
instrument had such interest been
deductible for foreign tax purposes.
(C) Related income from a U.S. debt
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
The related income from a U.S. debt
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement
is the gross amount of the interest
income recognized for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes by the owner of the
U.S. debt hybrid instrument,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the owner’s income or
earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
(D) U.S. debt hybrid instrument. The
term U.S. debt hybrid instrument means
an instrument that is treated as equity
for foreign tax purposes but as
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indebtedness for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes.
(4) Partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangements—(i) In general. An
allocation of foreign income tax paid or
accrued by a partnership with respect to
an inter-branch payment as described in
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of
April 1, 2011) (the inter-branch
payment tax) is a splitter arrangement to
the extent the inter-branch payment tax
is not allocated to the partners in the
same proportion as the distributive
shares of income in the CFTE category
to which the inter-branch payment tax
is or would be assigned under § 1.704–
1(b)(4)(viii)(d) without regard to
§ 1.704–1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
(ii) Split taxes from a partnership
inter-branch payment splitter
arrangement. The split taxes from a
partnership inter-branch splitter
arrangement equal the excess of the
amount of the inter-branch payment tax
allocated to a partner under the
partnership agreement over the amount
of the inter-branch payment tax that
would have been allocated to the
partner if the inter-branch payment tax
had been allocated to the partners in the
same proportion as the distributive
shares of income in the CFTE category
referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this
section.
(iii) Related income from a
partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement. The related
income from a partnership inter-branch
payment splitter arrangement equals the
amount of income allocated to a partner
that exceeds the amount of income that
would have been allocated to the
partner if income in the CFTE category
referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this
section in the amount of the interbranch payment had been allocated to
the partners in the same proportion as
the inter-branch payment tax was
allocated under the partnership
agreement.
(c) Effective/applicability date. This
section applies to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
§ 1.909–3T Rules regarding related income
and split taxes (temporary).
(a) Interim rules for identifying related
income and split taxes. The principles
of paragraphs (d) through (f) of § 1.909–
6T apply to related income and split
taxes in taxable years beginning on or
after January 1, 2011, except that the
alternative method for identifying
distributions of related income
described in § 1.909–6T(d)(4) applies
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only to identify the amount of pre-2011
split taxes of a section 902 corporation
that are suspended as of the first day of
the section 902 corporation’s first
taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2011.
(b) Split taxes on deductible
disregarded payments. Split taxes
include taxes paid or accrued in taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011, with respect to the amount of a
disregarded payment that is deductible
by the payor of the disregarded payment
under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction
in which the payor of the disregarded
payment is subject to tax on related
income from a splitter arrangement. The
amount of the deductible disregarded
payment to which this paragraph (b)
applies is limited to the amount of
related income from such splitter
arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date. The
rules of this section apply to taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
§ 1.909–4T
Coordination rules (temporary).
(a) Interim rules. The principles of
paragraph (g) of § 1.909–6T apply to
taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011.
(b) Effective/applicability date. The
rules of this section apply to taxable
years beginning on or after January 1,
2011.
(c) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
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§ 1.909–5T 2011 and 2012 splitter
arrangements (temporary).
(a) Taxes paid or accrued in taxable
years beginning in 2011. (1) Foreign
income taxes paid or accrued by any
person in a taxable year beginning on or
after January 1, 2011, and before January
1, 2012, in connection with a pre-2011
splitter arrangement (as defined in
§ 1.909–6T(b)), are split taxes to the
same extent that such taxes would have
been treated as pre-2011 split taxes if
such taxes were paid or accrued by a
section 902 corporation in a taxable year
beginning on or before December 31,
2010. The related income with respect
to split taxes from such an arrangement
is the related income described in
§ 1.909–6T(b), determined as if the
payor were a section 902 corporation.
(2) Foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by any person in a taxable year
beginning on or after January 1, 2011,
and before January 1, 2012, in
connection with a partnership interbranch payment splitter arrangement
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described in § 1.909–2T(b)(4) are split
taxes to the extent that such taxes are
identified as split taxes in § 1.909–
2T(b)(4)(ii). The related income with
respect to the split taxes is the related
income described in § 1.909–
2T(b)(4)(iii).
(b) Taxes paid or accrued in certain
taxable years beginning in 2012 with
respect to a foreign consolidated group
splitter arrangement. Foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by any person in
a taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2012, and on or before
February 14, 2012, in connection with a
foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangement described in § 1.909–
6T(b)(2) are split taxes to the same
extent that such taxes would have been
treated as pre-2011 split taxes if such
taxes were paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation in a taxable year
beginning on or before December 31,
2010. The related income with respect
to split taxes from such an arrangement
is the related income described in
§ 1.909–6T(b)(2), determined as if the
payor were a section 902 corporation.
(c) Effective/applicability date. The
rules of this section apply to foreign
taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2011,
and on or before February 14, 2012.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
§ 1.909–6T Pre-2011 foreign tax credit
splitting events (temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event—
(1) In general. This section provides
rules for determining whether foreign
income taxes paid or accrued by a
section 902 corporation (as defined in
section 909(d)(5)) in taxable years
beginning on or before December 31,
2010 (pre-2011 taxable years and pre2011 taxes) are suspended under section
909 in taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2010 (post-2010 taxable
years) of a section 902 corporation.
Paragraph (b) of this section identifies
an exclusive list of arrangements that
will be treated as giving rise to foreign
tax credit splitting events in pre-2011
taxable years (pre-2011 splitter
arrangements). Paragraphs (c), (d), and
(e) of this section provide rules for
determining the related income and pre2011 split taxes paid or accrued with
respect to pre-2011 splitter
arrangements. Paragraph (f) of this
section provides rules concerning the
application of section 909 to
partnerships and trusts. Paragraph (g) of
this section provides rules concerning
the interaction between section 909 and
other Internal Revenue Code (Code)
provisions.
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(2) Taxes not subject to suspension
under section 909. Pre-2011 taxes that
will not be suspended under section 909
or paragraph (a) of this section are:
(i) Any pre-2011 taxes that were not
paid or accrued in connection with a
pre-2011 splitter arrangement identified
in paragraph (b) of this section;
(ii) Any pre-2011 taxes that were paid
or accrued in connection with a pre2011 splitter arrangement identified in
paragraph (b) of this section (pre-2011
split taxes) but that were deemed paid
under section 902(a) or 960 on or before
the last day of the section 902
corporation’s last pre-2011 taxable year;
(iii) Any pre-2011 split taxes if either
the payor section 902 corporation took
the related income into account in a pre2011 taxable year or a section 902
shareholder (as defined in § 1.909–
1T(a)(2)) of the relevant section 902
corporation took the related income into
account on or before the last day of the
section 902 corporation’s last pre-2011
taxable year; and
(iv) Any pre-2011 split taxes paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation in
taxable years of such section 902
corporation beginning before January 1,
1997.
(3) Taxes subject to suspension under
section 909. To the extent that the
section 902 corporation paid or accrued
pre-2011 split taxes that are not
described in paragraph (a)(2) of this
section, section 909 and the regulations
under that section will apply to such
pre-2011 split taxes for purposes of
applying sections 902 and 960 in post2010 taxable years of the section 902
corporation. Accordingly, these taxes
will be removed from the section 902
corporation’s pools of post-1986 foreign
income taxes and suspended under
section 909 as of the first day of the
section 902 corporation’s first post-2010
taxable year. There is no increase to a
section 902 corporation’s earnings and
profits for the amount of any pre-2011
taxes to which section 909 applies that
were previously deducted in computing
earnings and profits in a pre-2011
taxable year.
(b) Pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
The arrangements set forth in this
paragraph (b) are pre-2011 splitter
arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid structure splitter
arrangements. A reverse hybrid
structure exists when a section 902
corporation owns an interest in a
reverse hybrid. A reverse hybrid is an
entity that is a corporation for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but is a
pass-through entity or a branch under
the laws of a foreign country imposing
tax on the income of the entity. As a
result, the owner of the reverse hybrid
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is subject to tax on the income of the
entity under foreign law. A pre-2011
splitter arrangement involving a reverse
hybrid structure exists when pre-2011
taxes are paid or accrued by a section
902 corporation with respect to income
of a reverse hybrid that is a covered
person with respect to the section 902
corporation. A pre-2011 splitter
arrangement involving a reverse hybrid
structure may exist even if the reverse
hybrid has a deficit in earnings and
profits for a particular year (for example,
due to a timing difference). Such taxes
paid or accrued by the section 902
corporation are pre-2011 split taxes. The
related income is the earnings and
profits (computed for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes) of the reverse
hybrid attributable to the activities of
the reverse hybrid that gave rise to
income included in the foreign tax base
with respect to which the pre-2011 split
taxes were paid or accrued.
Accordingly, related income of the
reverse hybrid would not include any
item of income or expense attributable
to a disregarded entity (as defined in
§ 301.7701–2(c)(2)(i) of this chapter)
owned by the reverse hybrid if income
attributable to the activities of the
disregarded entity is not included in the
foreign tax base.
(2) Foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangements. A foreign consolidated
group exists when a foreign country
imposes tax on the combined income of
two or more entities. Tax is considered
imposed on the combined income of
two or more entities even if the
combined income is computed under
foreign law by attributing to one such
entity the income of one or more
entities. A foreign consolidated group is
a pre-2011 splitter arrangement to the
extent that the taxpayer did not allocate
the foreign consolidated tax liability
among the members of the foreign
consolidated group based on each
member’s share of the consolidated
taxable income included in the foreign
tax base under the principles of § 1.901–
2(f)(3) (revised as of April 1, 2011). A
pre-2011 splitter arrangement involving
a foreign consolidated group may exist
even if one or more members has a
deficit in earnings and profits for a
particular year (for example, due to a
timing difference). Pre-2011 taxes paid
or accrued with respect to the income of
a foreign consolidated group are pre2011 split taxes to the extent that taxes
paid or accrued by one member of the
foreign consolidated group are imposed
on a covered person’s share of the
consolidated taxable income included
in the foreign tax base. The related
income is the earnings and profits
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(computed for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes) of such other member
attributable to the activities of that other
member that gave rise to income
included in the foreign tax base with
respect to which the pre-2011 split taxes
were paid or accrued. No inference
should be drawn from the treatment of
foreign consolidated groups under
section 909 as to the determination of
the person who paid the foreign income
tax for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes.
(3) Group relief or other loss-sharing
regime splitter arrangements—(i) In
general. A foreign group relief or other
loss-sharing regime exists when one
entity with a loss permits the loss to be
used to offset the income of one or more
entities (shared loss). A pre-2011
splitter arrangement involving a shared
loss exists when the following three
conditions are met:
(A) There is an instrument that is
treated as indebtedness under the laws
of the jurisdiction in which the issuer is
subject to tax and that is disregarded for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes
(disregarded debt instrument). Examples
of a disregarded debt instrument
include a debt obligation between two
disregarded entities that are owned by
the same section 902 corporation, two
disregarded entities that are owned by a
partnership with one or more partners
that are section 902 corporations, a
section 902 corporation and a
disregarded entity that is owned by that
section 902 corporation, or a
partnership in which the section 902
corporation is a partner and a
disregarded entity that is owned by such
partnership.
(B) The owner of the disregarded debt
instrument pays a foreign income tax
attributable to a payment or accrual on
the instrument.
(C) The payment or accrual on the
disregarded debt instrument gives rise
to a deduction for foreign tax purposes
and the issuer of the instrument incurs
a shared loss that is taken into account
under foreign law by one or more
entities that are covered persons with
respect to the owner of the instrument.
(ii) Split taxes and related income. In
situations described in paragraph
(b)(3)(i) of this section, pre-2011 taxes
paid or accrued by the owner of the
disregarded debt instrument with
respect to amounts paid or accrued on
the instrument (up to the amount of the
shared loss) are pre-2011 split taxes.
The related income of a covered person
is an amount equal to the shared loss,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the covered person’s earnings
and profits.
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(4) Hybrid instrument splitter
arrangements—(i) In general. A hybrid
instrument for purposes of this
paragraph (b)(4) is an instrument that
either is treated as equity for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but is
treated as indebtedness for foreign tax
purposes (U.S. equity hybrid
instrument), or is treated as
indebtedness for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes but is treated as equity for
foreign tax purposes (U.S. debt hybrid
instrument).
(ii) U.S. equity hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement. If the issuer of a
U.S. equity hybrid instrument is a
covered person with respect to a section
902 corporation that is the owner of the
U.S. equity hybrid instrument, there is
a pre-2011 splitter arrangement with
respect to the portion of the pre-2011
taxes paid or accrued by the owner
section 902 corporation with respect to
the amounts on the instrument that are
deductible by the issuer as interest
under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction
in which the issuer is subject to tax but
that do not give rise to income for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes. Pre-2011
split taxes paid or accrued by the
section 902 corporation equal the total
amount of pre-2011 taxes paid or
accrued by the section 902 corporation
less the amount of pre-2011 taxes that
would have been paid or accrued had
the section 902 corporation not been
subject to tax on income from the U.S.
equity hybrid instrument. The related
income of the issuer of the U.S. equity
hybrid instrument is an amount equal to
the amounts that are deductible by the
issuer for foreign tax purposes,
determined without regard to the actual
amount of the issuer’s earnings and
profits.
(iii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement. If the owner of a
U.S. debt hybrid instrument is a covered
person with respect to a section 902
corporation that is the issuer of the U.S.
debt hybrid instrument, there is a pre2011 splitter arrangement with respect
to the portion of the pre-2011 taxes paid
or accrued by the section 902
corporation on income in an amount
equal to the interest (including original
issue discount) paid or accrued on the
instrument that is deductible for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but that
does not give rise to a deduction under
the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in
which the issuer is subject to tax. Pre2011 split taxes are the pre-2011 taxes
paid or accrued by the section 902
corporation on the income that would
have been offset by the interest paid or
accrued on the U.S. debt hybrid
instrument had such interest been
deductible for foreign tax purposes. The
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related income with respect to a U.S.
debt hybrid instrument is the gross
amount of the interest income
recognized for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes by the owner of the U.S. debt
hybrid instrument, determined without
regard to the actual amount of the
owner’s earnings and profits.
(c) General rules for applying section
909 to pre-2011 split taxes and related
income—(1) Annual determination. The
determination of related income, other
income, pre-2011 split taxes, and other
taxes, and the portion of these amounts
that were distributed, deemed paid or
otherwise transferred or eliminated
must be made on an annual basis
beginning with the first taxable year of
the section 902 corporation beginning
after December 31, 1996 (post-1996
taxable year) in which the section 902
corporation paid or accrued a pre-2011
tax with respect to a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement and ending with the
section 902 corporation’s last pre-2011
taxable year. Annual amounts of related
income and pre-2011 split taxes are
aggregated for each separate pre-2011
splitter arrangement.
(2) Separate categories. The
determination of annual and aggregate
amounts of related income and pre-2011
split taxes with respect to each pre-2011
splitter arrangement must be made for
each separate category as defined in
§ 1.904–4(m) of the section 902
corporation, each covered person, and
any other person that succeeds to the
related income and pre-2011 split taxes.
In the case of a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement involving a shared loss (as
described in paragraph (b)(3) of this
section), the amount of the related
income in each separate category of the
covered person is equal to the amount
of income in that separate category that
was offset by the shared loss for foreign
tax purposes. In the case of a pre-2011
splitter arrangement involving a U.S.
equity hybrid instrument (as described
in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section),
the related income is assigned to the
issuer’s separate categories in the same
proportions as the pre-2011 split taxes.
Earnings and profits, including related
income, are assigned to separate
categories under the rules of §§ 1.904–
4, 1.904–5, and 1.904–7. Foreign income
taxes, including pre-2011 split taxes, are
assigned to separate categories under
the rules of § 1.904–6. A section 902
shareholder must consistently apply
methodologies for determining pre-2011
split taxes and related income with
respect to all pre-2011 splitter
arrangements.
(d) Special rules regarding related
income—(1) Annual adjustments. In the
case of each pre-2011 splitter
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arrangement involving a reverse hybrid
or a foreign consolidated group (as
described in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2)
of this section, respectively), a covered
person’s aggregate amount of related
income must be adjusted each year by
the net amount of income and expense
attributable to the activities of the
covered person that give rise to income
included in the foreign tax base, even if
the net amount is negative and
regardless of whether the section 902
corporation paid or accrued any pre2011 split taxes in such year.
(2) Effect of separate limitation losses
and deficits. Related income is
determined without regard to the
application of § 1.960–1(i)(4) (relating to
the effect of separate limitation losses
on earnings and profits in another
separate category) or section 952(c)(1)
(relating to certain earnings and profits
deficits).
(3) Pro rata method for distributions
out of earnings and profits that include
both related income and other income.
If the earnings and profits of a covered
person include amounts attributable to
both related income and other income,
including earnings and profits
attributable to taxable years beginning
before January 1, 1997, then
distributions, deemed distributions, and
inclusions out of earnings and profits
(for example, under sections 301, 304,
367(b), 951(a), 964(e), 1248, or 1293) of
the covered person are considered made
out of related income and other income
on a pro rata basis. Any reduction of a
covered person’s earnings and profits
that results from a payment on stock
that is not treated as a dividend for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes (for
example, pursuant to section 312(n)(7))
will also reduce related income and
other income on a pro rata basis.
(4) Alternative method for
distributions out of earnings and profits
that include both related income and
other income. Solely for purposes of
identifying the amount of pre-2011 split
taxes of a section 902 corporation that
are suspended as of the first day of the
section 902 corporation’s first post-2010
taxable year, in lieu of the rule set forth
in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, a
section 902 shareholder may choose to
treat all distributions, deemed
distributions, and inclusions out of
earnings and profits of a covered person
as attributable first to related income. A
section 902 shareholder may choose to
use this alternative method on a timely
filed original income tax return for the
first post-2010 taxable year in which the
shareholder computes an amount of
foreign income taxes deemed paid with
respect to a section 902 corporation that
paid or accrued pre-2011 split taxes.
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Such choice by a section 902
shareholder is evidenced by employing
the method on its income tax return; the
section 902 shareholder need not file a
separate statement. A section 902
shareholder that chooses this alternative
method must consistently apply it with
respect to all pre-2011 splitter
arrangements.
(5) Distributions, deemed
distributions, and inclusions of related
income. Distributions, deemed
distributions, and inclusions of related
income (including indirectly through a
partnership) to persons other than the
payor section 902 corporation retain
their character as related income with
respect to the associated pre-2011 split
taxes.
(6) Carryover of related income.
Related income carries over to other
corporations in the same manner as
earnings and profits carry over under
section 381, § 1.367(b)–7, or similar
rules, and retains its character as related
income with respect to the associated
pre-2011 split taxes.
(7) Related income taken into account
by a section 902 shareholder. Related
income will be considered taken into
account by a section 902 shareholder to
the extent that the related income is
recognized as gross income by the
section 902 shareholder, or by an
affiliated corporation described in
paragraph (d)(9) of this section, upon a
distribution, deemed distribution, or
inclusion (such as under section 951(a))
out of the earnings and profits of the
covered person attributable to such
related income.
(8) Related income taken into account
by a payor section 902 corporation.
Related income will be considered taken
into account by a payor section 902
corporation if:
(i) The related income is reflected in
the earnings and profits of such section
902 corporation for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes by reason of a distribution,
deemed distribution, or inclusion out of
the earnings and profits of the covered
person attributable to such related
income; or
(ii) The payor section 902 corporation
and the covered person are combined in
a transaction described in section
381(a)(1) or (a)(2).
(9) Related income taken into account
by an affiliated group of corporations
that includes a section 902 shareholder.
A section 902 shareholder will be
considered to have taken related income
into account if one or more members of
an affiliated group of corporations (as
defined in section 1504) that files a
consolidated Federal income tax return
that includes the section 902
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shareholder takes the related income
into account.
(10) Distributions of previously-taxed
earnings and profits. Distributions and
deemed distributions described in
paragraph (d) of this section (including
in the case of a section 902 shareholder
that has chosen the alternative method
described in paragraph (d)(4) of this
section) do not include distributions of
amounts described in section 959(c)(1)
or (c)(2), which are distributed before
amounts described in section 959(c)(3).
(e) Special rules regarding pre-2011
split taxes—(1) Taxes deemed paid prorata out of pre-2011 split taxes and
other taxes. If the pre-2011 taxes of a
section 902 corporation include both
pre-2011 split taxes and other taxes,
then foreign taxes deemed paid under
section 902 or 960 or otherwise removed
from post-1986 foreign income taxes in
pre-2011 taxable years will be treated as
attributable to pre-2011 split taxes and
other taxes on a pro-rata basis.
(2) Pre-2011 split taxes deemed paid
in pre-2011 taxable years. Pre-2011 split
taxes deemed paid in pre-2011 taxable
years in connection with a dividend
paid to a shareholder described in
section 902(b) retain their character as
pre-2011 split taxes. The section 902(b)
shareholder will be treated as the payor
section 902 corporation with respect to
those pre-2011 split taxes.
(3) Carryover of pre-2011 split taxes.
Pre-2011 split taxes that carry over to
another foreign corporation, including
under section 381, § 1.367(b)–7 or
similar rules, retain their character as
pre-2011 split taxes. The transferee
foreign corporation will be treated as the
payor section 902 corporation with
respect to those pre-2011 split taxes.
(4) Determining when pre-2011 split
taxes are no longer treated as pre-2011
split taxes. For each pre-2011 splitter
arrangement, as related income is taken
into account by the payor section 902
corporation or a section 902 shareholder
as provided in paragraph (d) of this
section, a ratable portion of the
associated pre-2011 split taxes will no
longer be treated as pre-2011 split taxes.
In the case of a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement involving a reverse hybrid
or a foreign consolidated group (as
described in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2)
of this section, respectively), if aggregate
related income is reduced to zero (other
than as a result of a distribution,
deemed distribution, or inclusion
described in paragraph (d) of this
section) or less than zero, pre-2011 split
taxes will retain their character as pre2011 split taxes until the amount of
aggregate related income is positive and
the related income is taken into account
by the payor section 902 corporation or
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a section 902 shareholder as provided in
paragraph (d) of this section.
(f) Rules relating to partnerships and
trusts—(1) Taxes paid or accrued by
partnerships. In the case of foreign
income taxes paid or accrued by a
partnership, the taxes will be treated as
pre-2011 split taxes to the extent such
taxes are allocated to one or more
section 902 corporations and would be
pre-2011 split taxes if the partner
section 902 corporation had paid or
accrued the taxes directly on the date
such taxes are included by the section
902 corporation under sections 702 and
706(a). Further, any foreign income
taxes subject to section 909 will be
suspended in the hands of the partner
section 902 corporation.
(2) Section 704(b) allocations.
Partnership allocations that satisfy the
requirements of section 704(b) and the
regulations thereunder will not
constitute pre-2011 splitter
arrangements except to the extent the
arrangement is otherwise described in
paragraph (b) of this section (for
example, a payment or accrual on a
disregarded debt instrument that gives
rise to a shared loss).
(3) Trusts. Rules similar to the rules
of paragraph (f)(1) of this section will
apply in the case of any trust with one
or more beneficiaries that is a section
902 corporation.
(g) Interaction between section 909
and other Code provisions—(1) Section
904(c). Section 909 does not apply to
excess foreign income taxes that were
paid or accrued in pre-2011 taxable
years and carried forward and deemed
paid or accrued under section 904(c) in
a post-2010 taxable year.
(2) Section 905(a). For purposes of
determining in post-2010 taxable years
the allowable deduction for foreign
income taxes paid or accrued under
section 164(a), the carryover of excess
foreign income taxes under section
904(c), and the extended period for
claiming a credit or refund under
section 6511(d)(3)(A), foreign income
taxes to which section 909 applies are
first taken into account and treated as
paid or accrued in the year in which the
related income is taken into account,
and not in the earlier year to which the
tax relates (determined without regard
to section 909).
(3) Section 905(c). If a
redetermination of foreign taxes claimed
as a direct credit under section 901
occurs in a post-2010 taxable year and
the foreign tax redetermination relates
to a pre-2011 taxable year, to the extent
such foreign tax redetermination
increased the amount of foreign income
taxes paid or accrued with respect to the
pre-2011 taxable year (for example, due
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8143
to an additional assessment of foreign
tax or a payment of a previously accrued
tax not paid within two years), section
909 will not apply to such taxes. If a
redetermination of foreign tax paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation
occurs in a post-2010 taxable year and
increases the amount of foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by the section 902
corporation with respect to a pre-2011
taxable year (for example, due to an
additional assessment of foreign tax or
a payment of a previously accrued tax
not paid within two years), such taxes
will be treated as pre-2011 taxes.
Section 909 will apply to such taxes if
they are pre-2011 split taxes and the
taxes will be suspended in the post2010 taxable year in which they would
otherwise be taken into account as a
prospective adjustment to the section
902 corporation’s pools of post-1986
foreign income taxes.
(4) Other foreign tax credit provisions.
Section 909 does not affect the
applicability of other restrictions or
limitations on the foreign tax credit
under existing law, including, for
example, the substantiation
requirements of section 905(b).
(h) Effective/applicability date. This
section applies to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by section 902
corporations in pre-2011 taxable years
for purposes of computing foreign
income taxes deemed paid with respect
to distributions or inclusions out of
earnings and profits of section 902
corporations in taxable years of the
section 902 corporation beginning after
December 31, 2010.
(i) Expiration date. The applicability
of this section expires on February 9,
2015.
Steven T. Miller,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and
Enforcement.
Approved: February 8, 2012.
Emily S. McMahon,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
(Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2012–3356 Filed 2–9–12; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
26 CFR Part 1
[TD 9568]
RIN 1545–BI47
Section 482; Methods To Determine
Taxable Income in Connection With a
Cost Sharing Arrangement; Correction
AGENCY:
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
14FER1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8127-8143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3356]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
26 CFR Part 1
[TD 9577]
RIN 1545-BK50
Foreign Tax Credit Splitting Events
AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.
ACTION: Final and temporary regulations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document contains final and temporary Income Tax
Regulations with respect to a new provision of the Internal Revenue
Code (Code) that addresses situations in which foreign income taxes
have been separated from the related income. These regulations are
necessary to provide guidance on applying the new statutory provision,
which was enacted as part of legislation commonly referred to as the
Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (EJMAA) on August 10, 2010.
These regulations affect taxpayers claiming foreign tax credits. The
text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of the
proposed regulations (REG-132736-11) published in the Proposed Rules
section of this issue of the Federal Register.
DATES: Effective Date: These regulations are effective on February 14,
2012.
Applicability Dates: For dates of applicability, see Sec. Sec.
1.704-1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3), 1.909-1T(e), 1.909-2T(c), 1.909-3T(c), 1.909-
4T(b), 1.909-5T(c), and 1.909-6T(h).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne M. Walsh, (202) 622-3850 (not
a toll-free call).
[[Page 8128]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
I. Section 909
Section 909 was enacted as part of EJMAA (Pub. L. 111-226, 124
Stat. 2389 (2010)) to address situations in which foreign income taxes
have been separated from the related income. Section 909(a) provides
that if there is a foreign tax credit splitting event with respect to a
foreign income tax paid or accrued by a taxpayer, such tax is not taken
into account for federal tax purposes before the taxable year in which
the related income is taken into account by the taxpayer. Section
909(b) provides special rules with respect to a ``section 902
corporation,'' which is defined in section 909(d)(5) as any foreign
corporation with respect to which one or more domestic corporations
meets the ownership requirements of section 902(a) or (b) (a section
902 shareholder of the relevant section 902 corporation). If there is a
foreign tax credit splitting event with respect to a foreign income tax
paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation, the tax is not taken into
account for purposes of section 902 or 960, or for purposes of
determining earnings and profits under section 964(a), before the
taxable year in which the related income is taken into account by such
section 902 corporation or a section 902 shareholder. Thus, the tax is
not added to the section 902 corporation's pool of ``post-1986 foreign
income taxes'' (as defined in section 902(c)(2) and Sec. 1.902-
1(a)(8)), and its pool of ``post-1986 undistributed earnings'' (as
defined in section 902(c)(1) and Sec. 1.902-1(a)(9)) is not reduced by
such tax. Accordingly, section 909 suspends foreign income taxes paid
or accrued by a section 902 corporation at the level of the payor
section 902 corporation. In the case of a partnership, section 909(a)
and (b) apply at the partner level, and, except as otherwise provided
by the Secretary, a similar rule applies in the case of an S
corporation or trust. See section 909(c)(1).
For purposes of section 909, there is a foreign tax credit
splitting event with respect to a foreign income tax if the related
income is (or will be) taken into account by a covered person. See
section 909(d)(1). Section 909 does not suspend foreign income taxes if
the same person pays the tax but takes into account the related income
in a different taxable period (or periods) due to, for example, timing
differences between the U.S. and foreign tax accounting rules. The term
``foreign income tax'' means any income, war profits, or excess profits
tax paid or accrued to any foreign country or to any possession of the
United States. See section 909(d)(2). The Joint Committee on Taxation's
technical explanation of the revenue provisions of EJMAA states that a
foreign income tax includes any tax paid in lieu of such a tax within
the meaning of section 903. Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation,
Technical Explanation of the Revenue Provisions of the Senate Amendment
to the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1586, Scheduled
For Consideration by the House of Representatives on August 10, 2010,
at 5 (August 10, 2010) (JCT Explanation). Section 909(d)(3) provides
that the term ``related income'' means, with respect to any portion of
any foreign income tax, the income (or, as appropriate, earnings and
profits) to which such portion of the foreign income tax relates. The
term ``covered person'' means, with respect to any person who pays or
accrues a foreign income tax (the ``payor''): (1) Any entity in which
the payor holds, directly or indirectly, at least a 10 percent
ownership interest (determined by vote or value); (2) any person that
holds, directly or indirectly, at least a 10 percent ownership interest
(determined by vote or value) in the payor; (3) any person that bears a
relationship to the payor described in section 267(b) or 707(b); and
(4) any other person specified by the Secretary. See section 909(d)(4).
Except as otherwise provided by the Secretary, any foreign income
tax not currently taken into account by reason of section 909 is taken
into account as a foreign income tax paid or accrued in the taxable
year in which, and to the extent that, the taxpayer, the section 902
corporation or a section 902 shareholder (as the case may be) takes the
related income into account under chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Code.
See section 909(c)(2). Notwithstanding this general rule, foreign
income taxes are translated into U.S. dollars under the rules of
section 986(a) in the year actually paid or accrued and suspended, and
not as if they were paid or accrued in the year in which the related
income is taken into account. See section 909(c)(2).
Section 909(e) provides that the Secretary may issue such
regulations or other guidance as is necessary or appropriate to carry
out the purposes of section 909, including guidance providing
appropriate exceptions from the provisions of section 909 and for its
proper application to hybrid instruments. The JCT Explanation states
that such guidance may address the proper application of section 909 in
cases involving disregarded payments, group relief, or other
arrangements having a similar effect. JCT Explanation at 6. Section
211(c)(1) of EJMAA provides that section 909 applies to foreign income
taxes paid or accrued (including foreign income taxes paid or accrued
by section 902 corporations) in taxable years beginning after December
31, 2010 (post-2010 taxable years). Section 211(c)(2) of EJMAA provides
that section 909 also applies to foreign taxes paid or accrued in
taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010 (pre-2011
taxable years), but only for purposes of applying sections 902 and 960
to periods after December 31, 2010. For this purpose, there is no
increase to a section 902 corporation's earnings and profits for the
amount of any pre-2011 taxes to which section 909 applies that were
previously deducted in computing earnings and profits in a pre-2011
taxable year. The JCT Explanation clarifies that the section 902
effective date rule ``applies for purposes of applying sections 902 and
960 to dividends paid, and inclusions under section 951(a) that occur,
in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.'' JCT Explanation
at 6-7.
II. Section 901 Proposed Regulations Issued in 2006
Section 909 was enacted to address concerns about the inappropriate
separation of foreign income taxes and related income. These concerns
were also the basis for the issuance in 2006 of proposed regulations
under section 901 (2006 proposed regulations) concerning the
determination of the person who paid a foreign income tax for foreign
tax credit purposes (REG-124152-06, 71 FR 44240 (Aug. 4, 2006)). In
particular, the proposed regulations would provide guidance under Sec.
1.901-2(f) relating to the person on whom foreign law imposes legal
liability for tax, including in the case of taxes imposed on the income
of foreign consolidated groups and entities that have different
classifications for U.S. and foreign tax law purposes. The Treasury
Department and the IRS received written comments on the proposed
regulations and held a hearing on October 13, 2006. All comments are
available at www.regulations.gov or upon request. After taking into
account the comments received, the 2006 proposed regulations are
adopted, in part, as final regulations published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register.
III. Notice 2010-92
The Treasury Department and the IRS issued Notice 2010-92 (2010-2
CB 916 (December 6, 2010)), which primarily
[[Page 8129]]
addresses the application of section 909 to foreign income taxes paid
or accrued by a section 902 corporation in pre-2011 taxable years. The
notice provides rules for determining whether foreign income taxes paid
or accrued by a section 902 corporation in pre-2011 taxable years (pre-
2011 taxes) are suspended under section 909 in post-2010 taxable years
of a section 902 corporation. It also identifies an exclusive list of
arrangements that will be treated as giving rise to foreign tax credit
splitting events in pre-2011 taxable years (pre-2011 splitter
arrangements) and provides guidance on determining the amount of
related income and pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued with respect to pre-
2011 splitter arrangements. The pre-2011 splitter arrangements are
reverse hybrid structures, certain foreign consolidated groups,
disregarded debt structures in the context of group relief and other
loss-sharing regimes, and two classes of hybrid instruments. The notice
states that the Treasury Department and the IRS expect future guidance
will treat pre-2011 splitter arrangements as giving rise to foreign tax
credit splitting events in post-2010 taxable years.
Notice 2010-92 states that future guidance may identify additional
transactions or arrangements to which section 909 applies (including,
for example, additional arrangements involving group relief regimes),
although any such guidance will apply only with respect to foreign
taxes paid or accrued in post-2010 taxable years. The notice also
states that the Treasury Department and the IRS do not intend to
finalize the portion of the 2006 proposed regulations relating to the
determination of the person who paid a foreign income tax with respect
to the income of a reverse hybrid. See Prop. Sec. 1.901-2(f)(2)(iii).
Concerning the effective date of section 909(b) (addressing a
foreign tax credit splitting event with respect to a foreign income tax
paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation), Notice 2010-92 provides
that, consistent with the JCT Explanation, the Treasury Department and
the IRS intend to issue regulations providing that section 909 does not
apply in computing foreign taxes deemed paid under section 902 or 960
before the first day of the section 902 corporation's first post-2010
taxable year. Regarding the application of the section 909 effective
date to situations involving partnerships, the notice states that in
the case of a section 902 corporation that is a partner in a
partnership, the section 902 corporation's distributive share of
foreign income taxes paid or accrued by the partnership in a pre-2011
taxable year of the partnership that is included in a post-2010 taxable
year of the section 902 corporation will be treated as a tax paid or
accrued by the section 902 corporation in a post-2010 taxable year. See
Sec. 1.702-1(a)(6).
Notice 2010-92 also provides guidance concerning the application of
section 909 to partnerships and trusts, as well as the interaction
between section 909 and other Code provisions. In addition, the notice
solicits comments on issues that should be addressed in regulations,
including whether portions of the 2006 proposed regulations should be
finalized or modified in light of the enactment of section 909. The
Treasury Department and the IRS received written comments on Notice
2010-92, which are discussed in this preamble.
Explanation of Provisions
I. Section 704(b)
Section 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) provides that if a branch of a
partnership (including a disregarded entity owned by the partnership)
is required to include in income under foreign law a payment (an inter-
branch payment) it receives from the partnership or another branch of
the partnership, any creditable foreign tax expenditure (CFTE) imposed
with respect to the payment relates to the income in the CFTE category
that includes the items attributable to the recipient (the recipient
CFTE category). However, because the inter-branch payment is
disregarded for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, the income related to
the CFTEs imposed with respect to the payment may remain in the CFTE
category that includes the items attributable to the payor of the
inter-branch payment (the payor CFTE category). This is an exception to
the general application of the principles of Sec. 1.904-6 that would
allocate the CFTEs to the payor CFTE category that includes the related
income. See Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1). Because this exception
allows the CFTEs and related income to be allocated to different CFTE
categories, they may potentially be allocated to the partners in a
manner that separates the CFTEs from the related income.
Notice 2010-92 states that the Treasury Department and the IRS
recognize that certain allocations of CFTEs and income of a partnership
can result in a separation of the CFTEs and the related income for
purposes of section 909, notwithstanding that these allocations satisfy
the requirements of section 704(b) and the regulations under that
section. The notice states that partnership allocations that satisfy
the requirements of section 704(b) and the regulations under that
section will not constitute pre-2011 splitter arrangements except to
the extent the arrangement otherwise constitutes one of the
arrangements identified in the notice as a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement (for example, allocations of taxes paid by a hybrid
partnership on income of a reverse hybrid). However, the notice also
states that the Treasury Department and the IRS will provide in future
guidance that allocations described in Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
will result in a foreign tax credit splitting event in post-2010
taxable years to the extent such allocations result in foreign income
taxes being allocated to a different partner than the related income.
The notice also solicits comments on the extent to which Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d) and (b)(5), Example 24 should be modified in light of
the enactment of section 909. A comment recommended eliminating the
special exception for inter-branch payments set forth in Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). The Treasury Department and the IRS have
determined that the regulations should be revised to prevent
allocations under Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) that would result in
such a separation of taxes and related income from satisfying the safe
harbor, regardless of whether section 909 applies.
These temporary regulations remove the special exception for inter-
branch payments set forth in Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). As a
result, the general principles of Sec. 1.904-6 will apply to an inter-
branch payment so that the CFTEs imposed on that payment will be
allocated to the CFTE category that includes the related income for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, if the CFTEs and related
income are allocated to partners in the same ratios, the safe harbor is
satisfied and the allocation does not give rise to a foreign tax credit
splitting event. The temporary regulations revise Example 24 of Sec.
1.704-1(b)(5) to reflect these changes. These changes are generally
effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
Allocations made in accordance with Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) in
taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, and before January
1, 2012, will result in a foreign tax credit splitting event and
suspension of foreign income taxes that are allocated to a different
partner than the covered person that is allocated the related income.
See Sec. 1.909-5T(a)(2).
[[Page 8130]]
The temporary regulations also provide a transition rule for
partnerships whose agreements were entered into prior to February 14,
2012. If there has been no material modification to the partnership
agreement on or after February 14, 2012, then the partnership may apply
the provisions of Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) as in effect prior to February 14, 2012. See Sec.
1.704-1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3). For purposes of this transition rule, any
change in ownership constitutes a material modification to the
partnership agreement. This transition rule does not apply to any
taxable year in which persons bearing a relationship to each other
specified in section 267(b) or 707(b) collectively have the power to
amend the partnership agreement without the consent of any unrelated
party (and all subsequent taxable years). In the case of any
partnership that applies, under the transition rule, the provisions of
Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
as in effect prior to February 14, 2012, an allocation of foreign
income taxes paid or accrued by the partnership with respect to an
inter-branch payment will result in a foreign tax credit splitting
event to the extent that the tax on the inter-branch payment is not
allocated to the partners in proportion to the distributive shares of
income to which the inter-branch payment tax relates. See Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(4).
II. Section 909
A. In General
The temporary regulations provide an exclusive list of arrangements
that will be treated as giving rise to foreign tax credit splitting
events under section 909 with respect to foreign income taxes paid or
accrued in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012, as well
as an exclusive list of arrangements that will be treated as giving
rise to foreign tax credit splitting events with respect to foreign
income taxes paid or accrued in a taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, and before January 1, 2012. The temporary regulations
further treat the foreign consolidated group splitter arrangement
described in Sec. 1.909-6T(b)(2) as giving rise to a foreign tax
credit splitting event with respect to foreign income taxes paid or
accrued in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2012, and on
or before February 14, 2012. In addition, these regulations provide
rules for determining related income and split taxes and for
coordinating the interaction between section 909 and other Code
provisions. Finally, these regulations include the guidance described
in Notice 2010-92, which primarily addresses the application of section
909 to foreign income taxes paid or accrued by section 902 corporations
in taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010.
B. Definitions and Special Rules
Section 1.909-1T(a) provides definitions, and Sec. 1.909-1T(b),
(c), and (d) provide rules that apply for purposes of that section and
Sec. Sec. 1.909-2T through 1.909-5T. First, Sec. 1.909-1T(b) and (c)
provide rules substantially similar to those set forth in Notice 2010-
92 concerning the application of section 909 to partnerships and
trusts, except that the temporary regulations expand the scope of the
rules to include S corporations and taxes paid or accrued by persons
other than section 902 corporations. Section 1.909-1T(b) provides that
under section 909(c)(1), section 909 applies at the partner level, and
similar rules apply in the case of an S corporation or trust.
Accordingly, in the case of foreign income taxes paid or accrued by a
partnership, S corporation or trust, taxes allocated to one or more
partners, shareholders or beneficiaries (as the case may be) will be
treated as split taxes to the extent such taxes would be split taxes if
the partner, shareholder or beneficiary had paid or accrued the taxes
directly on the date such taxes are taken into account by the partner
under sections 702 and 706(a), by the shareholder under section
1373(a), or by the beneficiary under section 901(b)(5). Any such split
taxes will be suspended in the hands of the partner, shareholder or
beneficiary.
Section 5.02 of Notice 2010-92 provides that, for purposes of
applying section 909 in post-2010 taxable years, there will not be a
foreign tax credit splitting event with respect to a foreign income tax
paid or accrued by a partner with respect to its distributive share of
the related income of a partnership that is a covered person with
respect to the partner to the extent the related income is taken into
account by the partner. A comment recommended that regulations adopt an
aggregate approach in the partnership context in determining whether
related income is taken into account by a covered person. The Treasury
Department and the IRS agree with this comment. Accordingly, Sec.
1.909-1T(c) provides that for purposes of determining whether related
income is taken into account by a covered person, related income of a
partnership, S corporation or trust is considered to be taken into
account by the partner, shareholder or beneficiary to whom the related
income is allocated.
Second, Sec. 1.909-1T(d) addresses the application of section 909
to annual layers of pre-1987 accumulated profits and pre-1987 foreign
income taxes of a section 902 corporation. Section 909 and the
regulations under that section will apply to pre-1987 accumulated
profits and pre-1987 foreign income taxes of a section 902 corporation
attributable to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
Pursuant to section 902(c)(6) and Sec. 1.902-1(a)(10)(i) and
(a)(10)(iii), earnings and profits and associated foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by a foreign corporation in taxable years before it was
a section 902 corporation are treated as pre-1987 accumulated profits
and pre-1987 foreign income taxes. Section 1.909-1T(d) provides that
foreign corporations that become section 902 corporations must account
for split taxes paid or accrued and related income in pre-acquisition
taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012. Suspension of
split taxes paid or accrued with respect to pre-1987 accumulated
profits attributable to earlier taxable years is not required.
The rules of Sec. 1.909-1T apply to taxable years beginning on or
after January 1, 2011.
C. Splitter Arrangements
1. In General
Section 909(d)(1) provides that there is a foreign tax credit
splitting event with respect to a foreign income tax if the related
income is (or will be) taken into account by a covered person. The
Treasury Department and the IRS believe that a transaction or
arrangement in which the related income was taken into account by a
covered person before the associated foreign income tax is paid or
accrued (for example, due to a timing difference) presents the same
concerns about the inappropriate separation of foreign income taxes and
related income that section 909 was intended to address. Accordingly,
Sec. 1.909-2T(a)(1) provides that there is a foreign tax credit
splitting event with respect to foreign income taxes paid or accrued if
and only if, in connection with an arrangement described in Sec.
1.909-2T(b) (a splitter arrangement) the related income was, is or will
be taken into account for U.S. Federal income tax purposes by a person
that is a covered person with respect to the payor of the tax.
Foreign income taxes that are paid or accrued in connection with a
splitter arrangement are split taxes to the extent provided in Sec.
1.909-2T(b). Income (or,
[[Page 8131]]
as the case may be, earnings and profits) that was, is or will be taken
into account by a covered person in connection with a splitter
arrangement is related income to the extent provided in Sec. 1.909-
2T(b). Split taxes will not be taken into account for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes before the taxable year in which the related income
is taken into account by the payor or, in the case of split taxes paid
or accrued by a section 902 corporation, by a section 902 shareholder
of such section 902 corporation. Therefore, in the case of split taxes
paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation, split taxes will not be
taken into account for purposes of section 902 or 960, or for purposes
of determining earnings and profits under section 964(a), before the
taxable year in which the related income is taken into account by the
payor section 902 corporation, a section 902 shareholder of the section
902 corporation, or a member of the section 902 shareholder's
consolidated group. See Sec. 1.909-3T(a) for rules relating to when
split taxes and related income are taken into account.
A comment requested that the regulations provide an exclusive list
of arrangements that are subject to section 909 for post-2010 taxable
years, similar to the approach adopted in Notice 2010-92, which
provides an exclusive list of arrangements that are treated as giving
rise to foreign tax credit splitting events for purposes of applying
section 909 to pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by section 902
corporations. The Treasury Department and the IRS agree with the
comment, and accordingly, Sec. 1.909-2T(b) sets forth an exclusive
list of arrangements that will be treated as giving rise to foreign tax
credit splitting events. Future guidance may identify additional
transactions or arrangements to which section 909 applies, although any
such guidance will apply to foreign taxes paid or accrued in taxable
years beginning on or after the date such guidance is issued.
In particular, the Treasury Department and the IRS are concerned
about certain types of asset transfers that can result in the
separation of foreign income taxes and the related income, for example,
because of differences in when income accrues or how basis is
determined for purposes of U.S. and foreign tax law. Section 901(m)
applies to foreign taxes paid or accrued in connection with certain
transactions that are covered asset acquisitions described in section
901(m)(2). The Treasury Department and the IRS considered several
approaches to address the interaction of sections 901(m) and 909,
including providing taxpayers with an election to apply section 909 in
lieu of section 901(m). The Treasury Department and the IRS concluded
that applying section 909 to covered asset acquisitions between related
parties would substantially increase the complexity and administrative
burdens associated with such transactions. Accordingly, a covered asset
acquisition is not a foreign tax credit splitting event for purposes of
section 909. Nevertheless, section 901(m) may apply to foreign taxes
paid or accrued in connection with a foreign tax credit splitting
event, for example, if an election under section 338(a) is made with
respect to the acquisition of the interests in a reverse hybrid. In
such case, the Treasury Department and the IRS are considering the
extent to which section 909 should apply to suspend deductions for
foreign income taxes with respect to which section 901(m) disallows a
credit.
The Treasury Department and the IRS are also considering whether to
treat as foreign tax credit splitting events other arrangements or
transactions that can result in the separation of foreign income taxes
and the related income, for example, because of differences in when a
shareholder is taxed on a dividend out of earnings of a covered person.
One such arrangement is a distribution that is a dividend for foreign
tax purposes but for U.S. Federal income tax purposes is either not
includible in the shareholder's gross income pursuant to section 305(a)
or is disregarded. See Rev. Rul. 80-154 (1980-1 CB 68) (involving a
series of arrangements that were treated as a stock distribution from a
foreign corporation to which section 305(a) applies), and Rev. Rul. 83-
142 (1983-2 CB 68) (involving a cash payment by a corporation to its
shareholder which was returned to the corporation and disregarded for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes even though treated as a dividend
subject to withholding tax under foreign law). The Treasury Department
and the IRS are considering whether and to what extent such types of
asset transfers and distributions should be treated as foreign tax
credit splitting events and request comments on the circumstances in
which such treatment should apply.
2. Reverse Hybrid Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909-2T(b)(1) describes a reverse hybrid splitter
arrangement. The definition of a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement is
substantially identical to that set forth in Notice 2010-92, except
that the scope is extended to cover taxes paid or accrued by persons
other than section 902 corporations. A reverse hybrid is an entity that
is a corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but is a fiscally
transparent entity (under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) or a
branch under the laws of a foreign country imposing tax on the income
of the entity. A reverse hybrid is a splitter arrangement when a payor
pays or accrues foreign income taxes with respect to income of a
reverse hybrid. A reverse hybrid splitter arrangement exists even if
the reverse hybrid has a loss or a deficit in earnings and profits for
a particular year for U.S. Federal income tax purposes (for example,
due to a timing difference). The foreign income taxes paid or accrued
with respect to income of the reverse hybrid are split taxes. The
related income with respect to split taxes from a reverse hybrid
splitter arrangement is the earnings and profits (computed for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes) of the reverse hybrid attributable to the
activities of the reverse hybrid that gave rise to income included in
the payor's foreign tax base with respect to which the split taxes were
paid or accrued. Accordingly, related income of the reverse hybrid only
includes items of income or expense attributable to a disregarded
entity owned by the reverse hybrid to the extent that the income
attributable to the activities of the disregarded entity is included in
the payor's foreign tax base.
3. Loss-Sharing Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909-2T(b)(2) expands the types of loss-sharing
arrangements that Notice 2010-92 treats as splitter arrangements. A
foreign group relief or loss-sharing regime is a regime in which one
entity may surrender its loss to offset the income of one or more other
entities. Such a loss of one entity that, in connection with a foreign
group relief or other loss-sharing regime, is taken into account by one
or more other entities for foreign tax purposes is a ``shared loss.''
Shared losses can be used to shift foreign tax liability from one
entity to another without a concomitant shift in U.S. earnings and
profits. Notice 2010-92 applied only to shared losses attributable to
debt that is disregarded for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. A
comment suggested that it would be appropriate to treat other loss-
sharing arrangements as foreign tax credit splitter arrangements as
well, in particular, when the payor of a tax could have used the shared
loss to offset foreign tax on income that is treated as the payor's own
income under U.S. Federal income tax principles. The Treasury
Department and the IRS agree that the scope of loss-sharing
arrangements that are treated as splitter arrangements should be
expanded to cover these cases. Accordingly Sec. 1.909-
[[Page 8132]]
2T(b)(2)(i) defines a ``loss-sharing splitter arrangement'' as arising
under a foreign group relief or other loss-sharing regime to the extent
a shared loss of a U.S. combined income group could have been used to
offset income of that group (a ``usable shared loss'') but is used
instead to offset income of another U.S. combined income group.
Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(ii), a U.S. combined income group
consists of a single individual or corporation and all other entities
(including entities that are fiscally transparent for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) that
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes combine any of their respective
items of income, deduction, gain or loss with the income, deduction,
gain or loss of such individual or corporation. A U.S. combined income
group may arise, for example, as a result of an entity being
disregarded for U.S. Federal income tax purposes or, in the case of a
partnership or hybrid partnership and a partner, as a result of the
allocation of income or any other item of the partnership to the
partner. For this purpose, a branch is treated as an entity, all
members of a U.S. consolidated group are treated as a single
corporation, and individuals filing a joint return are treated as a
single individual. A U.S. combined income group may consist of a single
individual or corporation and no other entities, but cannot include
more than one individual or corporation. In addition, an entity that
combines items of income, deduction, gain or loss with the income,
deduction, gain or loss of two or more other entities can belong to
more than one U.S. combined income group. For example, a hybrid
partnership that has two corporate partners that do not combine items
of income, deduction, gain or loss with each other belongs to each
partner's separate U.S. combined income group, because each partner
receives an allocable share of hybrid partnership items.
Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of a U.S. combined
group consists of the aggregate amount of taxable income of the members
of the group that have positive taxable income, as computed under
foreign law. Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the amount of shared
loss of a U.S. combined income group is the sum of the shared losses of
all members of the group. Section 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(A) and (B)
provide that in the case of an entity that is fiscally transparent
(under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) for foreign tax purposes
and that is a member of more than one U.S. combined income group, the
foreign taxable income or shared loss of the entity is allocated
between or among the groups under foreign tax law. In the case of an
entity that is not fiscally transparent for foreign tax purposes and is
a member of more than one U.S. combined income group, the entity's
foreign taxable income or shared loss is allocated between the separate
U.S. combined income groups based on U.S. Federal income tax
principles. Although the allocations are based on U.S. Federal income
tax principles, the amount of the foreign taxable income or shared loss
to be allocated is determined under foreign law. In the case of a
hybrid partnership with two partners that are in different U.S.
combined income groups, income or a shared loss incurred by the hybrid
partnership, as determined under foreign law, is allocated between or
among the U.S. combined income groups based on how the hybrid
partnership allocated the income or loss under section 704(b). To the
extent the income or shared loss would be income or loss under U.S. tax
principles in another year, the income or shared loss is allocated to
the U.S. combined income groups based on how the hybrid partnership
would allocate the income or shared loss if it were recognized for U.S.
tax purposes in the year it is recognized for foreign tax purposes. To
the extent the income or shared loss would not constitute income or
loss under U.S. tax principles in any year, the income or shared loss
is allocated to the U.S. combined income groups in the same manner as
the partnership items attributable to the activity giving rise to the
income or shared loss.
Section 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iv) provides that split taxes from a loss-
sharing splitter arrangement are foreign income taxes paid or accrued
by a member of a U.S. combined income group with respect to income
equal to the amount of the usable shared loss of that U.S. combined
income group that offsets income of a different U.S. combined income
group. Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is an amount
of income of the individual or corporate member of a U.S. combined
income group equal to the amount of income of that U.S. combined income
group that is offset by the usable shared loss of another U.S. combined
income group.
4. Hybrid Instrument Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909-2T(b)(3) describes hybrid instrument splitter
arrangements. The definition of hybrid instrument splitter arrangements
is substantially identical to that set forth in Notice 2010-92, except
that the scope is extended to cover taxes paid or accrued by persons
other than section 902 corporations. In addition, Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(3)(i)(D) defines a U.S. equity hybrid instrument as an instrument
that is treated as equity for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but is
treated as indebtedness for foreign tax purposes, or with respect to
which the issuer is otherwise entitled to a deduction for foreign tax
purposes for amounts paid or accrued with respect to the instrument.
For example, an instrument that is treated as equity for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes but with respect to which amounts paid or accrued
by the issuer are treated for foreign tax purposes as a deductible
notional interest payment (even though the instrument is otherwise
treated as equity for foreign tax purposes) is a U.S. equity hybrid
instrument. Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(3)(i)(A), a U.S. equity hybrid
instrument is a splitter arrangement if foreign income taxes are paid
or accrued by the owner of a U.S. equity hybrid instrument with respect
to payments or accruals on or with respect to the instrument that are
deductible by the issuer under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in
which the issuer is subject to tax but that do not give rise to income
for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(3)(i)(B), split taxes from a U.S. equity
hybrid instrument splitter arrangement equal the total amount of
foreign income taxes, including withholding taxes, paid or accrued by
the owner of the hybrid instrument less the amount of foreign income
taxes that would have been paid or accrued had the owner of the U.S.
equity hybrid instrument not been subject to foreign tax on income from
the instrument. Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(3)(i)(C), the related income
with respect to split taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement is income of the issuer of the U.S. equity hybrid
instrument in an amount equal to the payments or accruals giving rise
to the split taxes that are deductible by the issuer for foreign tax
purposes, determined without regard to the actual amount of the
issuer's income or earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes.
Section 1.909-2T(b)(3)(ii)(D) defines a U.S. debt hybrid instrument
as an instrument that is treated as equity for foreign tax purposes but
as indebtedness for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Under Sec.
1.909-2T(b)(3)(ii)(A), a U.S. debt hybrid instrument is a splitter
arrangement if foreign income taxes are paid or accrued by the issuer
of a U.S. debt hybrid instrument with respect to income in an amount
equal to the
[[Page 8133]]
interest (including original issue discount) paid or accrued on the
instrument that is deductible for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but
that does not give rise to a deduction under the laws of a foreign
jurisdiction in which the issuer is subject to tax. Under Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(3)(ii)(B), split taxes from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement are the foreign income taxes paid or accrued by
the issuer on the income that would have been offset by the interest
paid or accrued on the U.S. debt hybrid instrument had such interest
been deductible for foreign tax purposes. Under Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(3)(ii)(C), the related income from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement is the gross amount of the interest income
recognized for U.S. Federal income tax purposes by the owner of the
U.S. debt hybrid instrument, determined without regard to the actual
amount of the owner's income or earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
5. Partnership Inter-Branch Payment Splitter Arrangements
Section 1.909-2T(b)(4) describes a partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement. The Treasury Department and the IRS stated in
section 5.03 of Notice 2010-92 that future guidance would provide that
allocations described in Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) will result in
a foreign tax credit splitting event in post-2010 taxable years to the
extent such allocations result in foreign income taxes being allocated
to a different partner than the related income.
Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4)(i), an allocation of foreign income tax
paid or accrued by a partnership with respect to an inter-branch
payment as described in Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of
April 1, 2011) (the inter-branch payment tax), is a splitter
arrangement to the extent the inter-branch payment tax is not allocated
to the partners in the same proportion as the distributive shares of
income in the CFTE category to which the inter-branch payment tax is or
would be assigned under Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d) without regard to
Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3). Under Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4)(ii), split
taxes from a partnership inter-branch payment splitter arrangement
equal the excess of the amount of the inter-branch payment tax
allocated to a partner under the partnership agreement over the amount
of the inter-branch payment tax that would have been allocated to the
partner if the tax had been allocated in the same proportion as the
distributive shares of income in that CFTE category. Under Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(4)(iii), related income from a partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement equals the amount of income allocated to a partner
that exceeds the amount of income that would have been allocated to the
partner if income in that CFTE category in the amount of the inter-
branch payment had been allocated to the partners in the same
proportion as the inter-branch payment tax was allocated under the
partnership agreement.
D. Rules Regarding Related Income and Split Taxes and Coordination
Rules
Section 4.06 of Notice 2010-92 provides guidance on determining the
amount of related income and pre-2011 split taxes paid or accrued with
respect to pre-2011 splitter arrangements. A comment requested guidance
on the treatment of related income and split taxes in the case of
certain dispositions that were not described in section 4.06 of Notice
2010-92 (specifically, dispositions of section 902 corporations in
transactions other than those that qualify under section 381). The
Treasury Department and the IRS expect to issue regulations that
provide additional guidance on determining the amount of related income
and split taxes attributable to a foreign tax credit splitting event,
and intend to address the comment when such regulations are issued.
Until such guidance is issued, Sec. 1.909-3T(a) provides that the
principles of Sec. 1.909-6T(d) through 1.909-6T(f) (which adopt the
rules described in section 4.06 of Notice 2010-92) will apply to
related income and split taxes in taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, except that the alternative ``related income first''
method described in Sec. 1.909-6T(d)(4) (which adopts section
4.06(b)(4) of Notice 2010-92) for identifying distributions of related
income applies only to identify the amount of pre-2011 split taxes of a
section 902 corporation that are suspended as of the first day of the
section 902 corporation's first taxable year beginning on or after
January 1, 2011. A comment recommended that taxpayers be given the
choice to apply the ``related income first'' method to identify post-
2010 split taxes of a section 902 corporation, with use of such method
conditioned on the taxpayer not applying section 902 to distributions
from a section 902 corporation until all of the corporation's earnings
and profits attributable to related income have been distributed. The
Treasury Department and the IRS believe that the recommendation would
necessitate rules that would result in significant administrative
complexity, and accordingly, the comment was not adopted.
These temporary regulations include a rule concerning split taxes
that was not described in Notice 2010-92. Section 1.909-3T(b) provides
that split taxes include taxes paid or accrued in taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2011, with respect to the amount of a
disregarded payment that is deductible by the payor of the disregarded
payment under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in which the payor of
the disregarded payment is subject to tax on related income from a
splitter arrangement. The amount of the deductible disregarded payment
to which this rule applies is limited to the amount of related income
from such splitter arrangement.
In addition to future guidance on determining the amount of related
income and split taxes, the Treasury Department and the IRS expect to
issue regulations that provide additional guidance on the interaction
between section 909 and other Code provisions such as sections 904(c),
905(a), and 905(c). Until such guidance is issued, Sec. 1.909-4T(a)
provides that the principles of Sec. 1.909-6T(g), which adopt the
rules described in section 6 of Notice 2010-92, will apply to taxable
years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
E. 2011 and Certain 2012 Splitter Arrangements
Section 909 applies to foreign income taxes paid or accrued in
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Section 1.909-2T(b),
setting forth the exclusive list of splitter arrangements, is effective
for foreign income taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning on
or after January 1, 2012. Notice 2010-92 states that pre-2011 splitter
arrangements will give rise to foreign tax credit splitting events in
post-2010 taxable years. Accordingly, Sec. 1.909-5T(a)(1) provides
that foreign income taxes paid or accrued by any person in a taxable
year beginning on or after January 1, 2011, and before January 1, 2012,
in connection with a pre-2011 splitter arrangement (as defined in Sec.
1.909-6T(b)), are split taxes to the same extent that such taxes would
have been treated as pre-2011 split taxes if such taxes were paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation in a pre-2011 taxable year. The
related income with respect to split taxes from such an arrangement is
the related income described in Sec. 1.909-6T(b), determined as if the
payor were a section 902 corporation.
In addition, Notice 2010-92 states that allocations described in
Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) will result in a foreign
[[Page 8134]]
tax credit splitting event in post-2010 taxable years to the extent
such allocations result in foreign income taxes being allocated to a
different partner than the related income. Accordingly, Sec. 1.909-
5T(a)(2) provides that foreign income taxes paid or accrued by any
person in a taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2011, and
before January 1, 2012, in connection with a partnership inter-branch
payment splitter arrangement described in Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4) are
split taxes to the extent such taxes are identified as split taxes in
Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4)(ii). The related income with respect to the split
taxes is the related income described in Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4)(iii).
Finally, these temporary regulations provide that foreign income
taxes paid or accrued by any person in a taxable year beginning on or
after January 1, 2012, and on or before February 14, 2012 in connection
with a foreign consolidated group splitter arrangement described in
Sec. 1.909-6T(b)(2) are split taxes to the same extent that such taxes
would have been treated as pre-2011 split taxes if such taxes were paid
or accrued by a section 902 corporation in a pre-2011 taxable year.
This rule ensures that section 909 applies to suspend foreign tax on
income of foreign consolidated groups paid or accrued in post-2010
taxable years to the extent the tax is not apportioned among the
members of the group in accordance with the principles of Treas. Reg.
Sec. 1.901-2(f)(3). Final regulations published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register explicitly apply the ratable allocation
rules of Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.901-2(f)(3) to tax paid on combined income
of foreign consolidated groups, without regard to whether the group
members are jointly and severally liable for the tax under foreign law.
F. Pre-2011 Foreign Tax Credit Splitting Events
Section 1.909-6T adopts the rules described in Notice 2010-92
regarding pre-2011 foreign tax credit splitting events and the
application of section 909 to foreign income taxes paid or accrued by a
section 902 corporation in pre-2011 taxable years.
Availability of IRS Documents
IRS notices and revenue rulings cited in this preamble are made
available by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Effect on Other Documents
The following publication is obsolete as of February 14, 2012:
Notice 2010-92 (2010-2 CB 916).
Special Analyses
It has been determined that this Treasury decision is not a
significant regulatory action as defined in Executive Order 12866.
Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It also has been
determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5
U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations. For the
applicability of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6),
refer to the Special Analyses section of the preamble of the cross-
referenced notice of proposed rulemaking published in this issue of the
Federal Register. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue
Code, this regulation has been submitted to the Chief Counsel for
Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for comment on its impact
on small businesses.
Drafting Information
The principal author of these regulations is Suzanne M. Walsh of
the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). However, other
personnel from the IRS and Treasury Department participated in their
development.
List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1
Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Adoption of Amendments to the Regulations
Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is amended as follows:
PART 1--INCOME TAXES
0
Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read in
part as follows:
Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
0
Par. 2. Section 1.704-1 is amended as follows:
0
1. Paragraph (b)(0) is amended by adding an entry for Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3) and revising the entry for Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
0
2. Paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(b)(3) is added.
0
3. Paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) is revised.
0
4. Paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) is revised.
0
5. Paragraph (b)(5) Example 24 is revised.
The additions and revisions read as follows:
Sec. 1.704-1. Partner's distributive share.
* * * * *
(b) Determination of partner's distributive share--(0) Cross-
references.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heading Section
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * *
[Reserved] 1.704-1(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3)
* * * * *
[Reserved] 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3)
* * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) * * *
(ii) * * *
(b) * * *
(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see Sec. 1.704-
1T(b)(1)(ii)(b)(3).
* * * * *
(4) * * *
(viii) * * *
(c) * * *
(3) * * *
(ii) Special rules. Income attributable to an activity shall
include the amount included in a partner's income as a guaranteed
payment (within the meaning of section 707(c)) from the partnership to
the extent that the guaranteed payment is not deductible by the
partnership under foreign law. See paragraph (b)(5) Example 25 (iv) of
this section. Income attributable to an activity shall not include an
item of partnership income to the extent the allocation of such item of
income (or payment thereof) results in a deduction under foreign law.
See paragraph (b)(5) Example 25 (iii) and (iv) of this section.
Similarly, income attributable to an activity shall not include net
income that foreign law would exclude from the foreign tax base as a
result of the status of a partner. See paragraph (b)(5) Example 27 of
this section.
(d) * * *
(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see Sec. 1.704-
1T(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
* * * * *
(5) * * *
Example 24. [Reserved]. For further guidance, see Sec. 1.704-
1T(b)(5) Example 24.
* * * * *
0
Par. 3. Section 1.704-1T is added to read as follows:
Sec. 1.704-1T Partner's distributive share (temporary).
(a) Through (b)(1)(ii)(b)(2) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see
Sec. 1.704-1(a) through (b)(1)(ii)(b)(2).
(3) Special rules for certain inter-branch payments--(A) In
general. The provisions of Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and
Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) apply for partnership taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
(B) Transition rule. Transition relief is provided herein to
partnerships whose
[[Page 8135]]
agreements were entered into prior to February 14, 2012. In such case,
if there has been no material modification to the partnership agreement
on or after February 14, 2012, then the partnership may apply the
provisions of Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(c)(3)(ii) and Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of April 1, 2011). For purposes of this
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(b)(3), any change in ownership constitutes a
material modification to the partnership agreement. This transition
rule does not apply to any taxable year in which persons bearing a
relationship to each other that is specified in section 267(b) or
section 707(b) collectively have the power to amend the partnership
agreement without the consent of any unrelated party (and all
subsequent taxable years).
(b)(1)(iii) through (b)(4)(viii)(d)(2) [Reserved]. For further
guidance, see Sec. 1.704-1(b)(1)(iii) through (b)(4)(viii)(d)(2).
(3) Special rules for inter-branch payments. For rules relating to
foreign tax paid or accrued in partnership taxable years beginning
before January 1, 2012 in respect of certain inter-branch payments, see
26 CFR 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of April 1, 2011).
(b)(4)(ix) through (b)(5) Example 23 [Reserved]. For further
guidance, see Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(ix) through (b)(5) Example 23.
Example 24. (i) The facts are the same as in Example 21, except
that businesses M and N are conducted by entities (DE1 and DE2,
respectively) that are corporations for country X and Y tax purposes
and disregarded entities for U.S. tax purposes. Also, assume that
DE1 makes payments of $75,000 during 2012 to DE2 that are deductible
by DE1 for country X tax purposes and includible in income of DE2
for country Y tax purposes. As a result of such payments, DE1 has
taxable income of $25,000 for country X purposes on which $10,000 of
taxes are imposed and DE2 has taxable income of $125,000 for country
Y purposes on which $25,000 of taxes are imposed. For U.S. tax
purposes, $100,000 of AB's income is attributable to the activities
of DE1 and $50,000 of AB's income is attributable to the activities
of DE2. Pursuant to the partnership agreement, all partnership items
from business M, excluding CFTEs paid or accrued by business M, are
allocated 75 percent to A and 25 percent to B, and all partnership
items from business N, excluding CFTEs paid or accrued by business
N, are split evenly between A and B (50 percent each). Accordingly,
A is allocated 75 percent of the income from business M ($75,000),
and 50 percent of the income from business N ($25,000). B is
allocated 25 percent of the income from business M ($25,000), and 50
percent of the income from business N ($25,000).
(ii) Because the partnership agreement provides for different
allocations of the net income attributable to businesses M and N,
the net income attributable to each of business M and business N is
income in separate CFTE categories. See paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(2)
of this section. Under paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(3) of this section,
the $100,000 of net income attributable to business M is in the
business M CFTE category and the $50,000 of net income attributable
to business N is in the business N CFTE category. Under paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1) of this section, the $10,000 of country X taxes
is allocated to the business M CFTE category and $10,000 of the
country Y taxes is allocated to the business N CFTE category. The
additional $15,000 of country Y tax imposed with respect to the
inter-branch payment is assigned to the business M CFTE category
because for U.S. tax purposes, the related $75,000 of income that
country Y is taxing is in the business M CFTE category. Therefore,
$25,000 of taxes ($10,000 of country X taxes and $15,000 of the
country Y taxes) is related to the $100,000 of net income in the
business M CFTE category and the other $10,000 of country Y taxes is
related to the $50,000 of net income in the business N CFTE
category. See paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(1) of this section. The
allocations of country X taxes will be in proportion to the
distributive shares of income to which they relate and will be
deemed to be in accordance with the partners' interests in the
partnership if such taxes are allocated 75 percent to A and 25
percent to B. The allocations of country Y taxes will be in
proportion to the distributive shares of income to which they relate
and will be deemed to be in accordance with the partners' interests
in the partnership if $15,000 of such taxes is allocated 75 percent
to A and 25 percent to B and the other $10,000 of such taxes is
allocated 50 percent to A and 50 percent to B. No inference is
intended with respect to the application of other provisions to
arrangements that involve disregarded payments.
(iii) Assume that the facts are the same as in paragraph (i) of
this Example 24, except that in order to reflect the $75,000 payment
from DE1 to DE2, the partnership agreement allocates $75,000 of the
income attributable to business M equally between A and B (50
percent each). In order to prevent separating the CFTEs from the
related foreign income, the $75,000 payment is treated as a
divisible part of the business M activity and, therefore, a separate
activity. See paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(2)(iii) of this section.
Because items from the disregarded payment and business N are both
shared equally between A and B, the disregarded payment activity and
the business N activity are treated as a single CFTE category. See
paragraph (b)(4)(viii)(c)(2)(i) of this section. Accordingly,
$25,000 of net income attributable to business M is in the business
M CFTE category and $75,000 of income of business M attributable to
the disregarded payment and the $50,000 of net income attributable
to business N are in the business N CFTE category. Under paragraph
(b)(4)(viii)(d)(1) of this section, the $10,000 of country X taxes
is allocated to the business M CFTE category and all $25,000 of the
country Y taxes is allocated to the business N CFTE category. The
allocations of country X taxes will be in proportion to the
distributive shares of income to which they relate and will be
deemed to be in accordance with the partners' interests in the
partnership if such taxes are allocated 75 percent to A and 25
percent to B. The allocations of country Y taxes will be in
proportion to the distributive shares of income to which they relate
and will be deemed to be in accordance with the partners' interests
in the partnership if such taxes are allocated 50 percent to A and
50 percent to B.
Example 25 through (e) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see Sec.
1.704-1(b)(5) Example 25 through (e).
(f) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
0
Par. 4. Section 1.909-0T is added to read as follows:
Sec. 1.909-0T Outline of regulation provisions for section 909
(temporary).
This section lists the headings for Sec. Sec. 1.909-1T through
1.909-6T.
Sec. 1.909-1T Definitions and special rules (temporary).
(a) Definitions.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued by a partnership, S corporation or
trust.
(c) Related income of a partnership, S corporation or trust.
(d) Application of section 909 to pre-1987 accumulated profits
and pre-1987 foreign income taxes.
(e) Effective/applicability date.
(f) Expiration date.
Sec. 1.909-2T Splitter arrangements (temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event.
(1) In general.
(2) Split taxes not taken into account.
(b) Splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes from a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement.
(iii) Related income from a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement.
(iv) Reverse hybrid.
(2) Loss-sharing splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) U.S. combined income group.
(iii) Income and shared loss of a U.S. combined income group.
(iv) Split taxes from a loss-sharing splitter arrangement.
(v) Related income from a loss-sharing splitter arrangement.
(vi) Foreign group relief or other loss-sharing regime.
(vii) Examples.
(3) Hybrid instrument splitter arrangements.
(i) U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
(ii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
(4) Partnership inter-branch payment splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes from a partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement.
[[Page 8136]]
(iii) Related income from a partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
Sec. 1.909-3T Rules regarding related income and split taxes
(temporary).
(a) Interim rules for identifying related income and split
taxes.
(b) Split taxes on deductible disregarded payments.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
Sec. 1.909-4T Coordination rules (temporary).
(a) Interim rules.
(b) Effective/applicability date.
(c) Expiration date.
Sec. 1.909-5T 2011 and 2012 splitter arrangements (temporary).
(a) Taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning in 2011.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued in certain taxable years beginning in
2012 with respect to a foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date.
(d) Expiration date.
Sec. 1.909-6T Pre-2011 foreign tax credit splitting events
(temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event.
(1) In general.
(2) Taxes not subject to suspension under section 909.
(3) Taxes subject to suspension under section 909.
(b) Pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid structure splitter arrangements.
(2) Foreign consolidated group splitter arrangements.
(3) Group relief or other loss-sharing regime splitter
arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) Split taxes and related income.
(4) Hybrid instrument splitter arrangements.
(i) In general.
(ii) U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
(iii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter arrangement.
(c) General rules for applying section 909 to pre-2011 split
taxes and related income.
(1) Annual determination.
(2) Separate categories.
(d) Special rules regarding related income.
(1) Annual adjustments.
(2) Effect of separate limitation losses and deficits.
(3) Pro rata method for distributions out of earnings and
profits that include both related income and other income.
(4) Alternative method for distributions out of earnings and
profits that include both related income and other income.
(5) Distributions, deemed distributions, and inclusions out of
related income.
(6) Carryover of related income.
(7) Related income taken into account by a section 902
shareholder.
(8) Related income taken into account by a payor section 902
corporation.
(9) Related income taken into account by an affiliated group of
corporations that includes a section 902 shareholder.
(10) Distributions of previously-taxed earnings and profits.
(e) Special rules regarding pre-2011 split taxes.
(1) Taxes deemed paid pro rata out of pre-2011 split taxes and
other taxes.
(2) Pre-2011 split taxes deemed paid in pre-2011 taxable years.
(3) Carryover of pre-2011 split taxes.
(4) Determining when pre-2011 split taxes are no longer treated
as pre-2011 split taxes.
(f) Rules relating to partnerships and trusts.
(1) Taxes paid or accrued by partnerships.
(2) Section 704(b) allocations.
(3) Trusts.
(g) Interaction between section 909 and other Code provisions.
(1) Section 904(c).
(2) Section 905(a).
(3) Section 905(c).
(4) Other foreign tax credit provisions.
(h) Effective/applicability date.
(i) Expiration date.
0
Par. 5. Sections 1.909-1T, 1.909-2T, 1.909-3T, 1.909-4T, 1.909-5T, and
1.909-6T are added to read as follows:
Sec. 1.909-1T Definitions and special rules (temporary).
(a) Definitions. For purposes of section 909, this section, and
Sec. Sec. 1.909-2T through -5T, the following definitions apply:
(1) The term section 902 corporation means any foreign corporation
with respect to which one or more domestic corporations meet the
ownership requirements of section 902(a) or (b).
(2) The term section 902 shareholder means any domestic corporation
that meets the ownership requirements of section 902(a) or (b) with
respect to a section 902 corporation.
(3) The term payor means a person that pays or accrues a foreign
income tax within the meaning of Sec. 1.901-2(f), and also includes a
person that takes foreign income taxes paid or accrued by a
partnership, S corporation, estate or trust into account pursuant to
section 702(a)(6), section 901(b)(5) or section 1373(a).
(4) The term covered person means, with respect to a payor--
(i) Any entity in which the payor holds, directly or indirectly, at
least a 10 percent ownership interest (determined by vote or value);
(ii) Any person that holds, directly or indirectly, at least a 10
percent ownership interest (determined by vote or value) in the payor;
or
(iii) Any person that bears a relationship that is described in
section 267(b) or 707(b) to the payor.
(5) The term foreign income tax means any income, war profits, or
excess profits tax paid or accrued to any foreign country or to any
possession of the United States. A foreign income tax includes any tax
paid in lieu of such a tax within the meaning of section 903.
(6) The term post-1986 foreign income taxes has the meaning
provided in Sec. 1.902-1(a)(8).
(7) The term post-1986 undistributed earnings has the meaning
provided in Sec. 1.902-1(a)(9).
(8) The term disregarded entity means an entity that is disregarded
as an entity separate from its owner, as provided in Sec. 301.7701-
2(c)(2)(i).
(9) The term hybrid partnership means a partnership that is subject
to income tax in a foreign country as a corporation (or otherwise at
the entity level) on the basis of residence, place of incorporation,
place of management or similar criteria.
(b) Taxes paid or accrued by a partnership, S corporation or trust.
Under section 909(c)(1), section 909 applies at the partner level, and
similar rules apply in the case of an S corporation or trust.
Accordingly, in the case of foreign income taxes paid or accrued by a
partnership, S corporation or trust, taxes allocated to one or more
partners, shareholders or beneficiaries (as the case may be) will be
treated as split taxes to the extent such taxes would be split taxes if
the partner, shareholder or beneficiary had paid or accrued the taxes
directly on the date such taxes are taken into account by the partner
under sections 702 and 706(a), by the shareholder under section
1373(a), or by the beneficiary under section 901(b)(5). Any such split
taxes will be suspended in the hands of the partner, shareholder or
beneficiary.
(c) Related income of a partnership, S corporation or trust. For
purposes of determining whether related income is taken into account by
a covered person, related income of a partnership, S corporation or
trust is considered to be taken into account by the partner,
shareholder or beneficiary to whom the related income is allocated.
(d) Application of section 909 to pre-1987 accumulated profits and
pre-1987 foreign income taxes. Section 909 and Sec. Sec. 1.909-1T
through -5T will apply to pre-1987 accumulated profits (as defined in
Sec. 1.902-1(a)(10)(i)) and pre-1987 foreign income taxes (as defined
in Sec. 1.902-1(a)(10)(iii)) of a section 902 corporation attributable
to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
(e) Effective/applicability date. This section applies to taxable
years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(f) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
[[Page 8137]]
Sec. 1.909-2T Splitter arrangements (temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event--(1) In general. There is a
foreign tax credit splitting event with respect to foreign income taxes
paid or accrued if and only if, in connection with an arrangement
described in paragraph (b) of this section (a splitter arrangement) the
related income was, is or will be taken into account for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes by a person that is a covered person with respect
to the payor of the tax. Foreign income taxes that are paid or accrued
in connection with a splitter arrangement are split taxes to the extent
provided in paragraph (b) of this section. Income (or, as appropriate,
earnings and profits) that was, is or will be taken into account by a
covered person in connection with a splitter arrangement is related
income to the extent provided in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) Split taxes not taken into account. Split taxes will not be
taken into account for U.S. Federal income tax purposes before the
taxable year in which the related income is taken into account by the
payor or, in the case of split taxes paid or accrued by a section 902
corporation, by a section 902 shareholder of such section 902
corporation. Therefore, in the case of split taxes paid or accrued by a
section 902 corporation, split taxes will not be taken into account for
purposes of sections 902 or 960, or for purposes of determining
earnings and profits under section 964(a), before the taxable year in
which the related income is taken into account by the payor section 902
corporation, a section 902 shareholder of the section 902 corporation,
or a member of the section 902 shareholder's consolidated group. See
Sec. 1.909-3T(a) for rules relating to when split taxes and related
income are taken into account.
(b) Splitter arrangements. The arrangements set forth in this
paragraph (b) are splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid splitter arrangements--(i) In general. A reverse
hybrid is a splitter arrangement when a payor pays or accrues foreign
income taxes with respect to income of a reverse hybrid. A reverse
hybrid splitter arrangement exists even if the reverse hybrid has a
loss or a deficit in earnings and profits for a particular year for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes (for example, due to a timing
difference).
(ii) Split taxes from a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement. The
foreign income taxes paid or accrued with respect to income of the
reverse hybrid are split taxes.
(iii) Related income from a reverse hybrid splitter arrangement.
The related income with respect to split taxes from a reverse hybrid
splitter arrangement is the earnings and profits (computed for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes) of the reverse hybrid attributable to the
activities of the reverse hybrid that gave rise to income included in
the payor's foreign tax base with respect to which the split taxes were
paid or accrued. Accordingly, related income of the reverse hybrid only
includes items of income or expense attributable to a disregarded
entity owned by the reverse hybrid to the extent that the income
attributable to the activities of the disregarded entity is included in
the payor's foreign tax base.
(iv) Reverse hybrid. The term reverse hybrid means an entity that
is a corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but is a fiscally
transparent entity (under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) or a
branch under the laws of a foreign country imposing tax on the income
of the entity.
(2) Loss-sharing splitter arrangements--(i) In general. A foreign
group relief or other loss-sharing regime is a loss-sharing splitter
arrangement to the extent that a shared loss of a U.S. combined income
group could have been used to offset income of that group (usable
shared loss) but is used instead to offset income of another U.S.
combined income group.
(ii) U.S. combined income group. The term U.S. combined income
group means an individual or a corporation and all entities (including
entities that are fiscally transparent for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) that for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes combine any of their respective items of
income, deduction, gain or loss with the income, deduction, gain or
loss of such individual or corporation. A U.S. combined income group
can arise, for example, as a result of an entity being disregarded or,
in the case of a partnership or hybrid partnership and a partner, as a
result of the allocation of income or any other item of the partnership
to the partner. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(2)(ii), a branch is
treated as an entity, all members of a U.S. affiliated group of
corporations (as defined in section 1504) that file a consolidated
return are treated as a single corporation, and two or more individuals
that file a joint return are treated as a single individual. A U.S.
combined income group may consist of a single individual or corporation
and no other entities, but cannot include more than one individual or
corporation. In addition, an entity may belong to more than one U.S.
combined income group. For example, a hybrid partnership with two
corporate partners that do not combine any of their items of income,
deduction, gain or loss for U.S. Federal income tax purposes is in a
separate U.S. combined income group with each of its partners.
(iii) Income and shared loss of a U.S. combined income group--(A)
Income. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(A),
the income of a U.S. combined income group is the aggregate amount of
taxable income recognized or taken into account for foreign tax
purposes by those members that have positive taxable income for foreign
tax purposes. In the case of an entity that is fiscally transparent
(under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) for foreign tax purposes
and that is a member of more than one U.S. combined income group, the
foreign taxable income of the entity is allocated between or among the
groups under foreign tax law. In the case of an entity that is not
fiscally transparent for foreign tax purposes and that is a member of
more than one U.S. combined income group, the foreign taxable income of
that entity is allocated between or among those groups based on U.S.
Federal income tax principles. For example, in the case of a hybrid
partnership, the foreign taxable income of the partnership is allocated
between or among the groups in the manner the partnership allocates the
income under section 704(b). To the extent the foreign taxable income
would be income under U.S. tax principles in another year, the income
is allocated between or among the groups based on how the hybrid
partnership would allocate the income if the income were recognized for
U.S. tax purposes in the year in which the income is recognized for
foreign tax purposes. To the extent the foreign taxable income would
not constitute income under U.S. tax principles in any year, the income
is allocated between or among the groups in the same manner as the
partnership items attributable to the activity giving rise to the
foreign taxable income.
(B) Shared loss. The term shared loss means a loss of one entity
for foreign tax purposes that, in connection with a foreign group
relief or other loss-sharing regime, is taken into account by one or
more other entities. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph
(b)(2)(iii)(B), the amount of shared loss of a U.S. combined income
group is the sum of the shared losses of all members of the U.S.
combined income group. In the case of an entity that is fiscally
transparent (under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) for foreign
tax purposes and that is a member of more than one U.S. combined income
group, the
[[Page 8138]]
shared loss of the entity is allocated between or among the groups
under foreign tax law. In the case of an entity that is not fiscally
transparent for foreign tax purposes and that is a member of more than
one U.S. combined income group, the shared loss of that entity will be
allocated between or among those groups based on U.S. Federal income
tax principles. For example, in the case of a hybrid partnership, the
shared loss of the partnership will be allocated between or among the
groups in the manner the partnership allocates the loss under section
704(b). To the extent the shared loss would be a loss under U.S. tax
principles in another year, the loss is allocated between or among the
groups based on how the partnership would allocate the loss if the loss
were recognized for U.S. tax purposes in the year in which the loss is
recognized for foreign tax purposes. To the extent the shared loss
would not constitute a loss under U.S. tax principles in any year, the
loss is allocated between or among the groups in the same manner as the
partnership items attributable to the activity giving rise to the
shared loss.
(iv) Split taxes from a loss-sharing splitter arrangement. Split
taxes from a loss-sharing splitter arrangement are foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by a member of the U.S. combined income group with
respect to income equal to the amount of the usable shared loss of that
group that offsets income of another U.S. combined income group.
(v) Related income from a loss-sharing splitter arrangement. The
related income with respect to split taxes from a loss-sharing splitter
arrangement is an amount of income of the individual or corporate
member of the U.S. combined income group equal to the amount of income
of that U.S. combined income group that is offset by the usable shared
loss of another U.S. combined income group.
(vi) Foreign group relief or other loss-sharing regime. A foreign
group relief or other loss-sharing regime exists when an entity may
surrender its loss to offset the income of one or more other entities.
A foreign group relief or other loss-sharing regime does not include an
allocation of loss of an entity that is a partnership or other fiscally
transparent entity (under the principles of Sec. 1.894-1(d)(3)) for
foreign tax purposes or regimes in which foreign tax is imposed on
combined income (such as a foreign consolidated regime), as described
in Sec. 1.901-2(f)(3).
(vii) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of
paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
Example 1. (i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns
CFC1, a corporation organized in country A. CFC1 wholly owns CFC2
and CFC3, both corporations organized in country A. CFC2 wholly owns
DE, an entity organized in country A. DE is a corporation for
country A tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes. Country A has a loss-sharing regime under which
a loss of CFC1, CFC2, CFC3 or DE may be used to offset the income of
one or more of the others. Country A imposes an income tax at the
rate of 30% on the taxable income of corporations organized in
country A. In year 1, before any loss sharing, CFC1 has no income,
CFC2 has income of 50u, CFC3 has income of 200u, and DE has a loss
of 100u. Under the provisions of country A's loss-sharing regime,
the group decides to use DE's 100u loss to offset 100u of CFC3's
income. After the loss is shared, for country A's tax purposes, CFC2
still has 50u of income on which it pays 15u of country A tax. CFC3
has income of 100u (200u less the 100u shared loss) on which it pays
30u of country A tax. For U.S. tax purposes, the loss sharing with
CFC3 is not taken into account. Because DE is a disregarded entity,
its 100u loss is taken into account by CFC2 and reduces its earnings
and profits for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Accordingly,
before application of section 909, CFC2 has a loss for earnings and
profits purposes of 65u (50u income less 15u taxes paid to country A
less 100u loss of DE). CFC2 also has the U.S. dollar equivalent of
15u of foreign taxes to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes
pool. CFC3 has earnings and profits of 170u (200u income less 30u of
taxes) and the dollar equivalent of 30u of foreign taxes to add to
its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.
(ii) Result. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(ii), CFC2 and DE
constitute one U.S. combined income group, while CFC1 and CFC3 each
constitute separate U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to Sec.
1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of the CFC2 combined income group
is 50u (CFC2's country A taxable income of 50u). The income of the
CFC3 U.S. combined income group is 200u (CFC3's country A taxable
income of 200u). Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the
shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group includes the 100u
of shared loss incurred by DE. The usable shared loss of the CFC2
U.S. combined income group is 50u, the amount of the group's shared
loss that could have otherwise offset CFC2's 50u of country A
taxable income that is included in the income of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group. There is a splitter arrangement because the
50u usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group was
used instead to offset income of CFC3, which is included in the CFC3
U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iv),
the split taxes are the 15u of country A income taxes paid by CFC2
on 50u of income, an amount of income of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group equal to the amount of usable shared loss of that group
that was used to offset income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is
the 50u of CFC3's income that equals the amount of income of the
CFC3 U.S. combined income group that was offset by the usable shared
loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group.
Example 2. (i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns
CFC1, a corporation organized in country B. CFC1 wholly owns CFC2
and CFC3, both corporations organized in country B. CFC2 wholly owns
DE, an entity organized in country B. DE is a corporation for
country B tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes. CFC2 and CFC3 each own 50% of HP1, an entity
organized in country B. HP1 is a corporation for country B tax
purposes and a partnership for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Assume that all items of income and loss of HP1 are allocated for
U.S. Federal income tax purposes equally between CFC2 and CFC3, and
that all entities use the country B currency ``u'' as their
functional currency. Country B has a loss-sharing regime under which
a loss of any of CFC1, CFC2, CFC3, DE, and HP1 may be used to offset
the income of one or more of the others. Country B imposes an income
tax at the rate of 30% on the taxable income of corporations
organized in country B. In year 1, before any loss sharing, CFC2 has
income of 100u, CFC1 and CFC3 have no income, DE has a loss of 100u,
and HP1 has income of 200u. Under the provisions of country B's
loss-sharing regime, the group decides to use DE's 100u loss to
offset 100u of HP1's income. After the loss is shared, for country B
tax purposes, CFC2 has 100u of income on which it pays 30u of
country B income tax, and HP1 has 100u of income (200u less the 100u
shared loss) on which it pays 30u of country B income tax. For U.S.
Federal income tax purposes, the loss sharing with HP1 is not taken
into account, and, because DE is a disregarded entity, its 100u loss
is taken into account by CFC2 and reduces CFC2's earnings and
profits for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. The 200u income of HP1
is allocated 50/50 to CFC2 and CFC3, as is the 30u of country B
income tax paid by HP1. Accordingly, before application of section
909, for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, CFC2 has earnings and
profits of 55u (100u income + 100u share of HP1's income - 100u loss
of DE - 30u country B income tax paid by CFC2 - 15u share of HP1's
country B income tax) and the dollar equivalent of 45u of country B
income tax to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool. CFC3
has earnings and profits of 85u (100u share of HP1's income less 15u
share of HP1's country B income taxes) and the dollar equivalent of
15u of country B income tax to add to its post-1986 foreign income
taxes pool.
(ii) U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(2)(ii), because the income and loss of HP1 are combined in
part with the income and loss of both CFC2 and CFC3, it belongs to
both of the separate CFC2 and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups. DE
is a member of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group.
(iii) Income of the U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to
Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group is the 200u country B taxable income of the members of
the group with
[[Page 8139]]
positive taxable incomes (CFC2's country B taxable income of 100u +
50% of HP1's country B taxable income of 200u, or 100u). Because DE
does not have positive taxable income for country B tax purposes,
its 100u loss is not included in the income of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group. The income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income
group is 100u (50% of HP1's country B taxable income of 200u, or
100u).
(iv) Shared loss of the U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to
Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iii)(B), the shared loss of the CFC2 U.S.
combined income group is the 100u loss incurred by DE that is used
to offset 100u of HP1's income. The CFC3 U.S. combined income group
has no shared loss. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(i), the usable
shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is 100u, the full
amount of the group's 100u shared loss that could have been used to
offset income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group had the loss
been used to offset 100u of CFC2's country B taxable income.
(v) Income offset by shared loss. The shared loss of the CFC2
combined income group is used to offset 100u country B taxable
income of HP1. Because the taxable income of HP1 is allocated 50/50
between the CFC2 and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups, the shared
loss is treated as offsetting 50u of the CFC2 U.S. combined income
group's income and 50u of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group's
income.
(vi) Splitter arrangement. There is a splitter arrangement
because 50u of the 100u usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group was used to offset income of the CFC3 U.S. combined
income group. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(2)(iv), the split taxes
are the 15u of country B income tax paid by CFC2 on 50u of its
income, which is equal to the amount of the CFC2 U.S. combined
income group's usable shared loss that was used to offset income of
another U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(2)(v), the related income is the 50u of CFC3's income that was
offset by the usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income
group.
(3) Hybrid instrument splitter arrangements--(i) U.S. equity hybrid
instrument splitter arrangement--(A) In general. A U.S. equity hybrid
instrument is a splitter arrangement if payments or accruals on or with
respect to such instrument:
(1) Give rise to foreign income taxes paid or accrued by the owner
of such instrument;
(2) Are deductible by the issuer under the laws of a foreign
jurisdiction in which the issuer is subject to tax; and
(3) Do not give rise to income for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes.
(B) Split taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement. Split taxes from a U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement equal the total amount of foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by the owner of the hybrid instrument less the amount of
foreign income taxes that would have been paid or accrued had the owner
of the U.S. equity hybrid instrument not been subject to foreign tax on
income from the instrument.
(C) Related income from a U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement. The related income with respect to split taxes from a U.S.
equity hybrid instrument splitter arrangement is income of the issuer
of the U.S. equity hybrid instrument in an amount equal to the payments
or accruals giving rise to the split taxes that are deductible by the
issuer for foreign tax purposes, determined without regard to the
actual amount of the issuer's income or earnings and profits for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes.
(D) U.S. equity hybrid instrument. The term U.S. equity hybrid
instrument means an instrument that is treated as equity for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but is treated as indebtedness for foreign
tax purposes, or with respect to which the issuer is otherwise entitled
to a deduction for foreign tax purposes for amounts paid or accrued
with respect to the instrument.
(ii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter arrangement--(A) In
general. A U.S. debt hybrid instrument is a splitter arrangement if
foreign income taxes are paid or accrued by the issuer of a U.S. debt
hybrid instrument with respect to income in an amount equal to the
interest (including original issue discount) paid or accrued on the
instrument that is deductible for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but
that does not give rise to a deduction under the laws of a foreign
jurisdiction in which the issuer is subject to tax.
(B) Split taxes from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement. Split taxes from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement are the foreign income taxes paid or accrued by the issuer
on the income that would have been offset by the interest paid or
accrued on the U.S. debt hybrid instrument had such interest been
deductible for foreign tax purposes.
(C) Related income from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter
arrangement. The related income from a U.S. debt hybrid instrument
splitter arrangement is the gross amount of the interest income
recognized for U.S. Federal income tax purposes by the owner of the
U.S. debt hybrid instrument, determined without regard to the actual
amount of the owner's income or earnings and profits for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
(D) U.S. debt hybrid instrument. The term U.S. debt hybrid
instrument means an instrument that is treated as equity for foreign
tax purposes but as indebtedness for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
(4) Partnership inter-branch payment splitter arrangements--(i) In
general. An allocation of foreign income tax paid or accrued by a
partnership with respect to an inter-branch payment as described in
Sec. 1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3) (revised as of April 1, 2011) (the
inter-branch payment tax) is a splitter arrangement to the extent the
inter-branch payment tax is not allocated to the partners in the same
proportion as the distributive shares of income in the CFTE category to
which the inter-branch payment tax is or would be assigned under Sec.
1.704-1(b)(4)(viii)(d) without regard to Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(4)(viii)(d)(3).
(ii) Split taxes from a partnership inter-branch payment splitter
arrangement. The split taxes from a partnership inter-branch splitter
arrangement equal the excess of the amount of the inter-branch payment
tax allocated to a partner under the partnership agreement over the
amount of the inter-branch payment tax that would have been allocated
to the partner if the inter-branch payment tax had been allocated to
the partners in the same proportion as the distributive shares of
income in the CFTE category referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this
section.
(iii) Related income from a partnership inter-branch payment
splitter arrangement. The related income from a partnership inter-
branch payment splitter arrangement equals the amount of income
allocated to a partner that exceeds the amount of income that would
have been allocated to the partner if income in the CFTE category
referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section in the amount of the
inter-branch payment had been allocated to the partners in the same
proportion as the inter-branch payment tax was allocated under the
partnership agreement.
(c) Effective/applicability date. This section applies to foreign
income taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2012.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
Sec. 1.909-3T Rules regarding related income and split taxes
(temporary).
(a) Interim rules for identifying related income and split taxes.
The principles of paragraphs (d) through (f) of Sec. 1.909-6T apply to
related income and split taxes in taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, except that the alternative method for identifying
distributions of related income described in Sec. 1.909-6T(d)(4)
applies
[[Page 8140]]
only to identify the amount of pre-2011 split taxes of a section 902
corporation that are suspended as of the first day of the section 902
corporation's first taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(b) Split taxes on deductible disregarded payments. Split taxes
include taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, with respect to the amount of a disregarded payment
that is deductible by the payor of the disregarded payment under the
laws of a foreign jurisdiction in which the payor of the disregarded
payment is subject to tax on related income from a splitter
arrangement. The amount of the deductible disregarded payment to which
this paragraph (b) applies is limited to the amount of related income
from such splitter arrangement.
(c) Effective/applicability date. The rules of this section apply
to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
Sec. 1.909-4T Coordination rules (temporary).
(a) Interim rules. The principles of paragraph (g) of Sec. 1.909-
6T apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(b) Effective/applicability date. The rules of this section apply
to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
(c) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
Sec. 1.909-5T 2011 and 2012 splitter arrangements (temporary).
(a) Taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning in 2011. (1)
Foreign income taxes paid or accrued by any person in a taxable year
beginning on or after January 1, 2011, and before January 1, 2012, in
connection with a pre-2011 splitter arrangement (as defined in Sec.
1.909-6T(b)), are split taxes to the same extent that such taxes would
have been treated as pre-2011 split taxes if such taxes were paid or
accrued by a section 902 corporation in a taxable year beginning on or
before December 31, 2010. The related income with respect to split
taxes from such an arrangement is the related income described in Sec.
1.909-6T(b), determined as if the payor were a section 902 corporation.
(2) Foreign income taxes paid or accrued by any person in a taxable
year beginning on or after January 1, 2011, and before January 1, 2012,
in connection with a partnership inter-branch payment splitter
arrangement described in Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4) are split taxes to the
extent that such taxes are identified as split taxes in Sec. 1.909-
2T(b)(4)(ii). The related income with respect to the split taxes is the
related income described in Sec. 1.909-2T(b)(4)(iii).
(b) Taxes paid or accrued in certain taxable years beginning in
2012 with respect to a foreign consolidated group splitter arrangement.
Foreign income taxes paid or accrued by any person in a taxable year
beginning on or after January 1, 2012, and on or before February 14,
2012, in connection with a foreign consolidated group splitter
arrangement described in Sec. 1.909-6T(b)(2) are split taxes to the
same extent that such taxes would have been treated as pre-2011 split
taxes if such taxes were paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation
in a taxable year beginning on or before December 31, 2010. The related
income with respect to split taxes from such an arrangement is the
related income described in Sec. 1.909-6T(b)(2), determined as if the
payor were a section 902 corporation.
(c) Effective/applicability date. The rules of this section apply
to foreign taxes paid or accrued in taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2011, and on or before February 14, 2012.
(d) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
Sec. 1.909-6T Pre-2011 foreign tax credit splitting events
(temporary).
(a) Foreign tax credit splitting event--(1) In general. This
section provides rules for determining whether foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation (as defined in section
909(d)(5)) in taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010
(pre-2011 taxable years and pre-2011 taxes) are suspended under section
909 in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010 (post-2010
taxable years) of a section 902 corporation. Paragraph (b) of this
section identifies an exclusive list of arrangements that will be
treated as giving rise to foreign tax credit splitting events in pre-
2011 taxable years (pre-2011 splitter arrangements). Paragraphs (c),
(d), and (e) of this section provide rules for determining the related
income and pre-2011 split taxes paid or accrued with respect to pre-
2011 splitter arrangements. Paragraph (f) of this section provides
rules concerning the application of section 909 to partnerships and
trusts. Paragraph (g) of this section provides rules concerning the
interaction between section 909 and other Internal Revenue Code (Code)
provisions.
(2) Taxes not subject to suspension under section 909. Pre-2011
taxes that will not be suspended under section 909 or paragraph (a) of
this section are:
(i) Any pre-2011 taxes that were not paid or accrued in connection
with a pre-2011 splitter arrangement identified in paragraph (b) of
this section;
(ii) Any pre-2011 taxes that were paid or accrued in connection
with a pre-2011 splitter arrangement identified in paragraph (b) of
this section (pre-2011 split taxes) but that were deemed paid under
section 902(a) or 960 on or before the last day of the section 902
corporation's last pre-2011 taxable year;
(iii) Any pre-2011 split taxes if either the payor section 902
corporation took the related income into account in a pre-2011 taxable
year or a section 902 shareholder (as defined in Sec. 1.909-1T(a)(2))
of the relevant section 902 corporation took the related income into
account on or before the last day of the section 902 corporation's last
pre-2011 taxable year; and
(iv) Any pre-2011 split taxes paid or accrued by a section 902
corporation in taxable years of such section 902 corporation beginning
before January 1, 1997.
(3) Taxes subject to suspension under section 909. To the extent
that the section 902 corporation paid or accrued pre-2011 split taxes
that are not described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, section 909
and the regulations under that section will apply to such pre-2011
split taxes for purposes of applying sections 902 and 960 in post-2010
taxable years of the section 902 corporation. Accordingly, these taxes
will be removed from the section 902 corporation's pools of post-1986
foreign income taxes and suspended under section 909 as of the first
day of the section 902 corporation's first post-2010 taxable year.
There is no increase to a section 902 corporation's earnings and
profits for the amount of any pre-2011 taxes to which section 909
applies that were previously deducted in computing earnings and profits
in a pre-2011 taxable year.
(b) Pre-2011 splitter arrangements. The arrangements set forth in
this paragraph (b) are pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
(1) Reverse hybrid structure splitter arrangements. A reverse
hybrid structure exists when a section 902 corporation owns an interest
in a reverse hybrid. A reverse hybrid is an entity that is a
corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but is a pass-through
entity or a branch under the laws of a foreign country imposing tax on
the income of the entity. As a result, the owner of the reverse hybrid
[[Page 8141]]
is subject to tax on the income of the entity under foreign law. A pre-
2011 splitter arrangement involving a reverse hybrid structure exists
when pre-2011 taxes are paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation
with respect to income of a reverse hybrid that is a covered person
with respect to the section 902 corporation. A pre-2011 splitter
arrangement involving a reverse hybrid structure may exist even if the
reverse hybrid has a deficit in earnings and profits for a particular
year (for example, due to a timing difference). Such taxes paid or
accrued by the section 902 corporation are pre-2011 split taxes. The
related income is the earnings and profits (computed for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes) of the reverse hybrid attributable to the
activities of the reverse hybrid that gave rise to income included in
the foreign tax base with respect to which the pre-2011 split taxes
were paid or accrued. Accordingly, related income of the reverse hybrid
would not include any item of income or expense attributable to a
disregarded entity (as defined in Sec. 301.7701-2(c)(2)(i) of this
chapter) owned by the reverse hybrid if income attributable to the
activities of the disregarded entity is not included in the foreign tax
base.
(2) Foreign consolidated group splitter arrangements. A foreign
consolidated group exists when a foreign country imposes tax on the
combined income of two or more entities. Tax is considered imposed on
the combined income of two or more entities even if the combined income
is computed under foreign law by attributing to one such entity the
income of one or more entities. A foreign consolidated group is a pre-
2011 splitter arrangement to the extent that the taxpayer did not
allocate the foreign consolidated tax liability among the members of
the foreign consolidated group based on each member's share of the
consolidated taxable income included in the foreign tax base under the
principles of Sec. 1.901-2(f)(3) (revised as of April 1, 2011). A pre-
2011 splitter arrangement involving a foreign consolidated group may
exist even if one or more members has a deficit in earnings and profits
for a particular year (for example, due to a timing difference). Pre-
2011 taxes paid or accrued with respect to the income of a foreign
consolidated group are pre-2011 split taxes to the extent that taxes
paid or accrued by one member of the foreign consolidated group are
imposed on a covered person's share of the consolidated taxable income
included in the foreign tax base. The related income is the earnings
and profits (computed for U.S. Federal income tax purposes) of such
other member attributable to the activities of that other member that
gave rise to income included in the foreign tax base with respect to
which the pre-2011 split taxes were paid or accrued. No inference
should be drawn from the treatment of foreign consolidated groups under
section 909 as to the determination of the person who paid the foreign
income tax for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
(3) Group relief or other loss-sharing regime splitter
arrangements--(i) In general. A foreign group relief or other loss-
sharing regime exists when one entity with a loss permits the loss to
be used to offset the income of one or more entities (shared loss). A
pre-2011 splitter arrangement involving a shared loss exists when the
following three conditions are met:
(A) There is an instrument that is treated as indebtedness under
the laws of the jurisdiction in which the issuer is subject to tax and
that is disregarded for U.S. Federal income tax purposes (disregarded
debt instrument). Examples of a disregarded debt instrument include a
debt obligation between two disregarded entities that are owned by the
same section 902 corporation, two disregarded entities that are owned
by a partnership with one or more partners that are section 902
corporations, a section 902 corporation and a disregarded entity that
is owned by that section 902 corporation, or a partnership in which the
section 902 corporation is a partner and a disregarded entity that is
owned by such partnership.
(B) The owner of the disregarded debt instrument pays a foreign
income tax attributable to a payment or accrual on the instrument.
(C) The payment or accrual on the disregarded debt instrument gives
rise to a deduction for foreign tax purposes and the issuer of the
instrument incurs a shared loss that is taken into account under
foreign law by one or more entities that are covered persons with
respect to the owner of the instrument.
(ii) Split taxes and related income. In situations described in
paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by
the owner of the disregarded debt instrument with respect to amounts
paid or accrued on the instrument (up to the amount of the shared loss)
are pre-2011 split taxes. The related income of a covered person is an
amount equal to the shared loss, determined without regard to the
actual amount of the covered person's earnings and profits.
(4) Hybrid instrument splitter arrangements--(i) In general. A
hybrid instrument for purposes of this paragraph (b)(4) is an
instrument that either is treated as equity for U.S. Federal income tax
purposes but is treated as indebtedness for foreign tax purposes (U.S.
equity hybrid instrument), or is treated as indebtedness for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes but is treated as equity for foreign tax
purposes (U.S. debt hybrid instrument).
(ii) U.S. equity hybrid instrument splitter arrangement. If the
issuer of a U.S. equity hybrid instrument is a covered person with
respect to a section 902 corporation that is the owner of the U.S.
equity hybrid instrument, there is a pre-2011 splitter arrangement with
respect to the portion of the pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by the
owner section 902 corporation with respect to the amounts on the
instrument that are deductible by the issuer as interest under the laws
of a foreign jurisdiction in which the issuer is subject to tax but
that do not give rise to income for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.
Pre-2011 split taxes paid or accrued by the section 902 corporation
equal the total amount of pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by the section
902 corporation less the amount of pre-2011 taxes that would have been
paid or accrued had the section 902 corporation not been subject to tax
on income from the U.S. equity hybrid instrument. The related income of
the issuer of the U.S. equity hybrid instrument is an amount equal to
the amounts that are deductible by the issuer for foreign tax purposes,
determined without regard to the actual amount of the issuer's earnings
and profits.
(iii) U.S. debt hybrid instrument splitter arrangement. If the
owner of a U.S. debt hybrid instrument is a covered person with respect
to a section 902 corporation that is the issuer of the U.S. debt hybrid
instrument, there is a pre-2011 splitter arrangement with respect to
the portion of the pre-2011 taxes paid or accrued by the section 902
corporation on income in an amount equal to the interest (including
original issue discount) paid or accrued on the instrument that is
deductible for U.S. Federal income tax purposes but that does not give
rise to a deduction under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction in which
the issuer is subject to tax. Pre-2011 split taxes are the pre-2011
taxes paid or accrued by the section 902 corporation on the income that
would have been offset by the interest paid or accrued on the U.S. debt
hybrid instrument had such interest been deductible for foreign tax
purposes. The
[[Page 8142]]
related income with respect to a U.S. debt hybrid instrument is the
gross amount of the interest income recognized for U.S. Federal income
tax purposes by the owner of the U.S. debt hybrid instrument,
determined without regard to the actual amount of the owner's earnings
and profits.
(c) General rules for applying section 909 to pre-2011 split taxes
and related income--(1) Annual determination. The determination of
related income, other income, pre-2011 split taxes, and other taxes,
and the portion of these amounts that were distributed, deemed paid or
otherwise transferred or eliminated must be made on an annual basis
beginning with the first taxable year of the section 902 corporation
beginning after December 31, 1996 (post-1996 taxable year) in which the
section 902 corporation paid or accrued a pre-2011 tax with respect to
a pre-2011 splitter arrangement and ending with the section 902
corporation's last pre-2011 taxable year. Annual amounts of related
income and pre-2011 split taxes are aggregated for each separate pre-
2011 splitter arrangement.
(2) Separate categories. The determination of annual and aggregate
amounts of related income and pre-2011 split taxes with respect to each
pre-2011 splitter arrangement must be made for each separate category
as defined in Sec. 1.904-4(m) of the section 902 corporation, each
covered person, and any other person that succeeds to the related
income and pre-2011 split taxes. In the case of a pre-2011 splitter
arrangement involving a shared loss (as described in paragraph (b)(3)
of this section), the amount of the related income in each separate
category of the covered person is equal to the amount of income in that
separate category that was offset by the shared loss for foreign tax
purposes. In the case of a pre-2011 splitter arrangement involving a
U.S. equity hybrid instrument (as described in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of
this section), the related income is assigned to the issuer's separate
categories in the same proportions as the pre-2011 split taxes.
Earnings and profits, including related income, are assigned to
separate categories under the rules of Sec. Sec. 1.904-4, 1.904-5, and
1.904-7. Foreign income taxes, including pre-2011 split taxes, are
assigned to separate categories under the rules of Sec. 1.904-6. A
section 902 shareholder must consistently apply methodologies for
determining pre-2011 split taxes and related income with respect to all
pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
(d) Special rules regarding related income--(1) Annual adjustments.
In the case of each pre-2011 splitter arrangement involving a reverse
hybrid or a foreign consolidated group (as described in paragraphs
(b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section, respectively), a covered person's
aggregate amount of related income must be adjusted each year by the
net amount of income and expense attributable to the activities of the
covered person that give rise to income included in the foreign tax
base, even if the net amount is negative and regardless of whether the
section 902 corporation paid or accrued any pre-2011 split taxes in
such year.
(2) Effect of separate limitation losses and deficits. Related
income is determined without regard to the application of Sec. 1.960-
1(i)(4) (relating to the effect of separate limitation losses on
earnings and profits in another separate category) or section 952(c)(1)
(relating to certain earnings and profits deficits).
(3) Pro rata method for distributions out of earnings and profits
that include both related income and other income. If the earnings and
profits of a covered person include amounts attributable to both
related income and other income, including earnings and profits
attributable to taxable years beginning before January 1, 1997, then
distributions, deemed distributions, and inclusions out of earnings and
profits (for example, under sections 301, 304, 367(b), 951(a), 964(e),
1248, or 1293) of the covered person are considered made out of related
income and other income on a pro rata basis. Any reduction of a covered
person's earnings and profits that results from a payment on stock that
is not treated as a dividend for U.S. Federal income tax purposes (for
example, pursuant to section 312(n)(7)) will also reduce related income
and other income on a pro rata basis.
(4) Alternative method for distributions out of earnings and
profits that include both related income and other income. Solely for
purposes of identifying the amount of pre-2011 split taxes of a section
902 corporation that are suspended as of the first day of the section
902 corporation's first post-2010 taxable year, in lieu of the rule set
forth in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, a section 902 shareholder
may choose to treat all distributions, deemed distributions, and
inclusions out of earnings and profits of a covered person as
attributable first to related income. A section 902 shareholder may
choose to use this alternative method on a timely filed original income
tax return for the first post-2010 taxable year in which the
shareholder computes an amount of foreign income taxes deemed paid with
respect to a section 902 corporation that paid or accrued pre-2011
split taxes. Such choice by a section 902 shareholder is evidenced by
employing the method on its income tax return; the section 902
shareholder need not file a separate statement. A section 902
shareholder that chooses this alternative method must consistently
apply it with respect to all pre-2011 splitter arrangements.
(5) Distributions, deemed distributions, and inclusions of related
income. Distributions, deemed distributions, and inclusions of related
income (including indirectly through a partnership) to persons other
than the payor section 902 corporation retain their character as
related income with respect to the associated pre-2011 split taxes.
(6) Carryover of related income. Related income carries over to
other corporations in the same manner as earnings and profits carry
over under section 381, Sec. 1.367(b)-7, or similar rules, and retains
its character as related income with respect to the associated pre-2011
split taxes.
(7) Related income taken into account by a section 902 shareholder.
Related income will be considered taken into account by a section 902
shareholder to the extent that the related income is recognized as
gross income by the section 902 shareholder, or by an affiliated
corporation described in paragraph (d)(9) of this section, upon a
distribution, deemed distribution, or inclusion (such as under section
951(a)) out of the earnings and profits of the covered person
attributable to such related income.
(8) Related income taken into account by a payor section 902
corporation. Related income will be considered taken into account by a
payor section 902 corporation if:
(i) The related income is reflected in the earnings and profits of
such section 902 corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes by
reason of a distribution, deemed distribution, or inclusion out of the
earnings and profits of the covered person attributable to such related
income; or
(ii) The payor section 902 corporation and the covered person are
combined in a transaction described in section 381(a)(1) or (a)(2).
(9) Related income taken into account by an affiliated group of
corporations that includes a section 902 shareholder. A section 902
shareholder will be considered to have taken related income into
account if one or more members of an affiliated group of corporations
(as defined in section 1504) that files a consolidated Federal income
tax return that includes the section 902
[[Page 8143]]
shareholder takes the related income into account.
(10) Distributions of previously-taxed earnings and profits.
Distributions and deemed distributions described in paragraph (d) of
this section (including in the case of a section 902 shareholder that
has chosen the alternative method described in paragraph (d)(4) of this
section) do not include distributions of amounts described in section
959(c)(1) or (c)(2), which are distributed before amounts described in
section 959(c)(3).
(e) Special rules regarding pre-2011 split taxes--(1) Taxes deemed
paid pro-rata out of pre-2011 split taxes and other taxes. If the pre-
2011 taxes of a section 902 corporation include both pre-2011 split
taxes and other taxes, then foreign taxes deemed paid under section 902
or 960 or otherwise removed from post-1986 foreign income taxes in pre-
2011 taxable years will be treated as attributable to pre-2011 split
taxes and other taxes on a pro-rata basis.
(2) Pre-2011 split taxes deemed paid in pre-2011 taxable years.
Pre-2011 split taxes deemed paid in pre-2011 taxable years in
connection with a dividend paid to a shareholder described in section
902(b) retain their character as pre-2011 split taxes. The section
902(b) shareholder will be treated as the payor section 902 corporation
with respect to those pre-2011 split taxes.
(3) Carryover of pre-2011 split taxes. Pre-2011 split taxes that
carry over to another foreign corporation, including under section 381,
Sec. 1.367(b)-7 or similar rules, retain their character as pre-2011
split taxes. The transferee foreign corporation will be treated as the
payor section 902 corporation with respect to those pre-2011 split
taxes.
(4) Determining when pre-2011 split taxes are no longer treated as
pre-2011 split taxes. For each pre-2011 splitter arrangement, as
related income is taken into account by the payor section 902
corporation or a section 902 shareholder as provided in paragraph (d)
of this section, a ratable portion of the associated pre-2011 split
taxes will no longer be treated as pre-2011 split taxes. In the case of
a pre-2011 splitter arrangement involving a reverse hybrid or a foreign
consolidated group (as described in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of
this section, respectively), if aggregate related income is reduced to
zero (other than as a result of a distribution, deemed distribution, or
inclusion described in paragraph (d) of this section) or less than
zero, pre-2011 split taxes will retain their character as pre-2011
split taxes until the amount of aggregate related income is positive
and the related income is taken into account by the payor section 902
corporation or a section 902 shareholder as provided in paragraph (d)
of this section.
(f) Rules relating to partnerships and trusts--(1) Taxes paid or
accrued by partnerships. In the case of foreign income taxes paid or
accrued by a partnership, the taxes will be treated as pre-2011 split
taxes to the extent such taxes are allocated to one or more section 902
corporations and would be pre-2011 split taxes if the partner section
902 corporation had paid or accrued the taxes directly on the date such
taxes are included by the section 902 corporation under sections 702
and 706(a). Further, any foreign income taxes subject to section 909
will be suspended in the hands of the partner section 902 corporation.
(2) Section 704(b) allocations. Partnership allocations that
satisfy the requirements of section 704(b) and the regulations
thereunder will not constitute pre-2011 splitter arrangements except to
the extent the arrangement is otherwise described in paragraph (b) of
this section (for example, a payment or accrual on a disregarded debt
instrument that gives rise to a shared loss).
(3) Trusts. Rules similar to the rules of paragraph (f)(1) of this
section will apply in the case of any trust with one or more
beneficiaries that is a section 902 corporation.
(g) Interaction between section 909 and other Code provisions--(1)
Section 904(c). Section 909 does not apply to excess foreign income
taxes that were paid or accrued in pre-2011 taxable years and carried
forward and deemed paid or accrued under section 904(c) in a post-2010
taxable year.
(2) Section 905(a). For purposes of determining in post-2010
taxable years the allowable deduction for foreign income taxes paid or
accrued under section 164(a), the carryover of excess foreign income
taxes under section 904(c), and the extended period for claiming a
credit or refund under section 6511(d)(3)(A), foreign income taxes to
which section 909 applies are first taken into account and treated as
paid or accrued in the year in which the related income is taken into
account, and not in the earlier year to which the tax relates
(determined without regard to section 909).
(3) Section 905(c). If a redetermination of foreign taxes claimed
as a direct credit under section 901 occurs in a post-2010 taxable year
and the foreign tax redetermination relates to a pre-2011 taxable year,
to the extent such foreign tax redetermination increased the amount of
foreign income taxes paid or accrued with respect to the pre-2011
taxable year (for example, due to an additional assessment of foreign
tax or a payment of a previously accrued tax not paid within two
years), section 909 will not apply to such taxes. If a redetermination
of foreign tax paid or accrued by a section 902 corporation occurs in a
post-2010 taxable year and increases the amount of foreign income taxes
paid or accrued by the section 902 corporation with respect to a pre-
2011 taxable year (for example, due to an additional assessment of
foreign tax or a payment of a previously accrued tax not paid within
two years), such taxes will be treated as pre-2011 taxes. Section 909
will apply to such taxes if they are pre-2011 split taxes and the taxes
will be suspended in the post-2010 taxable year in which they would
otherwise be taken into account as a prospective adjustment to the
section 902 corporation's pools of post-1986 foreign income taxes.
(4) Other foreign tax credit provisions. Section 909 does not
affect the applicability of other restrictions or limitations on the
foreign tax credit under existing law, including, for example, the
substantiation requirements of section 905(b).
(h) Effective/applicability date. This section applies to foreign
income taxes paid or accrued by section 902 corporations in pre-2011
taxable years for purposes of computing foreign income taxes deemed
paid with respect to distributions or inclusions out of earnings and
profits of section 902 corporations in taxable years of the section 902
corporation beginning after December 31, 2010.
(i) Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on
February 9, 2015.
Steven T. Miller,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
Approved: February 8, 2012.
Emily S. McMahon,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2012-3356 Filed 2-9-12; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-P