Guidance on Passive Foreign Investment Companies, 33120-33161 [2019-12030]

Agencies

• Internal Revenue Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 133 (Thursday, July 11, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 33120-33161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12030]



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Vol. 84

Thursday,

No. 133

July 11, 2019

Part II





Department of the Treasury





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Internal Revenue Service





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26 CFR Part 1





 Guidance on Passive Foreign Investment Companies; Proposed Rules

Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 133 / Thursday, July 11, 2019 / 
Proposed Rules

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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 1

[REG-105474-18]
RIN 1545-BO59, 1545-BM69


Guidance on Passive Foreign Investment Companies

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Withdrawal of notice of proposed rulemaking; notice of proposed 
rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations under sections 
1291, 1297, and 1298 of the Internal Revenue Code (``Code'') regarding 
the determination of ownership in a passive foreign investment company 
within the meaning of section 1297(a) (``PFIC'') and the treatment of 
certain income received or accrued by a foreign corporation and assets 
held by a foreign corporation for purposes of section 1297. The 
regulations provide guidance regarding when a foreign corporation is a 
qualifying insurance corporation (``QIC'') under section 1297(f) of the 
Code and the amounts of income and assets that a QIC excludes from 
passive income and assets pursuant to section 1297(b)(2)(B) (``PFIC 
insurance exception'') for purposes of section 1297(a). The regulations 
also clarify the application and scope of certain rules that determine 
whether a United States person that directly or indirectly holds stock 
in a PFIC is treated as a shareholder of the PFIC, and whether a 
foreign corporation is a PFIC. The regulations affect United States 
persons with direct or indirect ownership interests in certain foreign 
corporations.

DATES: Written or electronic comments and requests for a public hearing 
must be received by September 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to: CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-105474-18), room 
5203, Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, 
Washington, DC 20044. Submissions may be hand-delivered Monday through 
Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-
105474-18), Courier's Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224, or sent electronically via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov (IRS REG-105474-18).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the proposed regulations, 
Josephine Firehock at (202) 317-4932 (for the PFIC Insurance Exception) 
or Jorge M. Oben at (202) 317-6934 (for general rules, including 
indirect ownership and look-through rules); concerning submissions and 
requests for a public hearing, Regina L. Johnson at (202) 317-6901 (not 
toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

I. In General

    This document contains proposed amendments to 26 CFR part 1 under 
sections 1291, 1297, and 1298. Sections 1291 through 1298 set forth tax 
regimes for shareholders that own stock of a PFIC. Under section 
1297(a), a foreign corporation (``Tested Foreign Corporation'') 
qualifies as a PFIC if it satisfies either of the following tests: (i) 
75 percent or more of the Tested Foreign Corporation's gross income for 
a taxable year is passive (``Income Test''); or (ii) the average 
percentage of assets held by the Tested Foreign Corporation during a 
taxable year that produce (or that are held for the production of) 
passive income is at least 50 percent (``Asset Test''). Section 
1297(b)(1) generally defines passive income as any income of a kind 
that would constitute foreign personal holding company income 
(``FPHCI'') under section 954(c), and section 1297(b)(2) provides 
exceptions to this general definition. Income of a kind not described 
in section 954(c)(1) (for example, premiums on insurance and annuity 
contracts) is excluded from passive income.
    In addition, section 1297(c) provides a look-through rule that 
applies when determining the PFIC status of a Tested Foreign 
Corporation that directly or indirectly owns at least 25 percent of the 
stock (determined by value) of another corporation.
    Section 1298(b)(3) provides an exception from PFIC status for 
certain Tested Foreign Corporations that change from one active 
business to another active business. Section 1298(b)(7) provides that 
certain stock (``qualified stock'') in a domestic C corporation owned 
by a Tested Foreign Corporation through a 25-percent-owned domestic 
corporation is treated as an asset generating non-passive income for 
purposes of section 1297(a), provided that the Tested Foreign 
Corporation is subject to the accumulated earnings tax or waives any 
treaty protections against the imposition of the accumulated earnings 
tax.
    Section 1298(a) sets forth special rules applicable to shareholders 
of PFICs, including attribution rules that treat a United States person 
as the owner of PFIC stock that is owned by another person (other than 
an individual). For instance, section 1298(a)(2) sets forth the 
attribution rules for ownership through a corporation, and section 
1298(a)(3) sets forth the attribution rules for ownership through a 
partnership, estate, or trust. In addition, section 1298(a)(1)(B) 
provides that, except to the extent provided in regulations, section 
1298(a) will not apply to treat stock owned (or treated as owned) by a 
United States person as owned by another United States person.
    The Department of the Treasury (``Treasury Department'') and the 
IRS announced their intention to issue regulations that address the 
operation of the Income Test and Asset Test in Notice 88-22, 1988-1 
C.B. 489 (``Notice 88-22'').

II. PFIC Insurance Exception

    Before its amendment by section 14501 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 
Pub. L. 115-97, 131 Stat. 2234 (2017) (the ``Act''), former section 
1297(b)(2)(B) provided that passive income generally did not include 
investment income derived in the active conduct of an insurance 
business by a corporation that is predominantly engaged in an insurance 
business and that would be subject to tax under subchapter L if it were 
a domestic corporation. Congress was concerned about a lack of clarity 
and precision in the PFIC insurance exception, and in particular about 
the lack of precision regarding how much insurance or reinsurance 
business a company must do to qualify under the exception, which made 
the exception difficult to enforce. H.R. Report 115-409 at 409-410. To 
address these concerns, the Act modified the PFIC insurance exception 
to provide that passive income does not include investment income 
derived in the active conduct of an insurance business by a QIC. Thus, 
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the PFIC insurance 
exception provides that a foreign corporation's income attributable to 
an insurance business will not be passive income if three requirements 
are met. First, the foreign corporation must be a QIC as defined in 
section 1297(f). Second, the foreign corporation must be engaged in an 
``insurance business.'' Third, the income must be derived from the 
``active conduct'' of that insurance business.
    On April 24, 2015, the Federal Register published a notice of 
proposed rulemaking at 80 FR 22954 (the ``2015 proposed regulations'') 
under former sections 1297(b)(2)(B) and 1298(g). The 2015 proposed 
regulations addressed the PFIC insurance exception and provided 
guidance regarding the extent

[[Page 33121]]

to which a foreign corporation's investment income and the assets 
producing that income are excluded from passive income and passive 
assets for purposes of the passive income and passive asset tests in 
section 1297(a). Comments were received on the previously proposed 
regulations. A public hearing was requested and was held on September 
18, 2015.
    This document withdraws the 2015 proposed regulations and proposes 
new regulations with respect to the insurance exception as amended by 
the Act. Accordingly, this preamble does not address the comments 
received regarding the 2015 proposed regulations unless the comment 
relates to these new proposed regulations.

Explanation of Provisions

I. General Rules

A. Overview

    These regulations provide guidance with respect to a number of 
issues that are not specifically addressed in the current regulations 
and resolve some of the complexities that arise in the determination of 
the ownership of a PFIC and in the application of the Income Test and 
Asset Test in cases in which the look-through rule of section 1297(c) 
applies to a Tested Foreign Corporation.
    Specifically, these regulations provide guidance on the application 
of the corporate attribution rules when a partnership indirectly holds 
a Tested Foreign Corporation through a corporation that is not a PFIC. 
These regulations also clarify the scope of the section 1297(b)(1) 
cross-reference to section 954(c) for purposes of defining passive 
income, and they set forth rules that address certain computational and 
characterization issues that arise in applying the Asset Test. In 
addition, these regulations provide rules concerning the treatment of 
income and assets of a 25-percent-owned subsidiary under section 
1297(c). These regulations provide guidance on the application of the 
section 1298(b)(3) change of business exception and also propose a new 
rule analogous to the section 1298(b)(3) change of business exception 
that takes into consideration the assets of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation. Finally, these regulations provide guidance on the 
application of the section 1298(b)(7) qualified stock exception and 
provide a rule for waiving treaty benefits that would exempt a Tested 
Foreign Corporation from the accumulated earnings tax.

B. Determination of Ownership and Attribution Through Partnerships

    Section 1298(a) provides attribution rules that apply to the extent 
that the effect is to treat stock of a PFIC as owned by a United States 
person. Except as provided in regulations, the attribution rules do not 
apply to treat stock owned or treated as owned by a United States 
person as owned by any other person.
    Section 1298(a)(2)(A) provides that if 50 percent or more in value 
of the stock of a corporation is owned, directly or indirectly, by or 
for any person, that person is considered to own the stock owned 
directly or indirectly by or for the corporation in proportion to the 
person's ownership of the corporation. However, under section 
1298(a)(2)(B), the 50 percent ownership threshold does not apply in the 
case of stock held through a PFIC or a corporation that would be a PFIC 
if it were not a controlled foreign corporation within the meaning of 
section 957(a) (``CFC''). Section 1298(a)(3) provides that stock owned, 
directly or indirectly, by a partnership, estate, or trust is 
considered owned proportionately by its partners or beneficiaries. The 
current rules in Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8) are consistent with these 
statutory provisions.
    Comments have inquired whether the attribution rules are intended 
to be applied to a tiered ownership structure on a ``top-down'' basis, 
by starting with a United States person and determining what stock is 
considered owned at each successive lower tier on a proportionate 
basis. Alternatively, the comments have posited, the rules could be 
applied on a ``bottom-up'' basis, by starting with a PFIC and 
attributing ownership of its stock upwards to each successive upper 
tier until the United States person whose ownership in the PFIC is 
being tested is reached.
    The two approaches can have different ownership consequences when a 
partnership indirectly owns stock of a Tested Foreign Corporation 
through a corporation that is not a PFIC. A United States person not 
treated as a shareholder of PFIC stock indirectly held by a partnership 
through a non-PFIC corporation under a ``top-down'' approach may be 
treated as a shareholder under a ``bottom-up'' approach as a result of 
the application of section 1298(a)(3) and Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(iii), 
which provide that holders of interests in a pass-through entity are 
considered to proportionately own stock owned directly or indirectly by 
the pass-through entity. Consider, for example, the following fact 
pattern. A, a United States citizen, owns 50 percent of the interests 
in Foreign Partnership, a foreign partnership, the remainder of which 
is owned by an unrelated foreign person. Foreign Partnership owns 100 
percent of the stock of FC1 and 50 percent of the stock of FC2, the 
remainder of which is owned by an unrelated foreign person. Both FC1 
and FC2 are foreign corporations that are not PFICs (determined without 
applying section 1297(d)). FC1 and FC2 each own 50 percent of the stock 
of FC3, a foreign corporation that is a PFIC. Under a ``bottom-up'' 
approach, Foreign Partnership could be treated as owning 75 percent of 
the stock of FC3 indirectly through FC1 and FC2, and accordingly, A 
could be treated as owning 37.5 percent of the stock of FC3. Under a 
``top-down'' approach, however, A would be treated as owning 50 percent 
of the stock of FC1 and 25 percent of the stock of FC2, and the only 
stock of FC3 that would be attributed to A would be the 25 percent of 
the FC3 stock treated as indirectly owned by A through FC1. Comments 
have noted that a ``top-down'' approach produces the same result as if 
the partnership were disregarded and partners were treated as if they 
directly or indirectly owned a partnership's direct and indirect 
interests in a non-PFIC foreign corporation; it could thus be viewed as 
consistent with an aggregate theory of partnerships.
    Under the proposed regulations, the attribution rules apply 
consistently whether a United States person owns stock of a non-PFIC 
foreign corporation through a partnership or directly, as they would 
under the ``top-down'' approach. This ensures that ownership of a 
foreign corporation that is a PFIC through a partnership will not 
change the amount of the stock of the PFIC that the United States 
person is treated as owning. Accordingly, under the proposed 
regulations, for purposes of determining whether a partner, S 
corporation shareholder, or beneficiary in a partnership, S 
corporation, estate, or nongrantor trust is considered under Sec.  
1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii)(A) to own a portion of stock of a PFIC owned 
indirectly by the partnership, S corporation, estate, or trust through 
a non-PFIC foreign corporation, the partner, shareholder, or 
beneficiary will be considered to own 50 percent or more in value of 
the stock of the non-PFIC foreign corporation through the partnership, 
estate, or trust only if the partner, shareholder, or beneficiary 
directly or indirectly owns 50 percent or more of the ownership 
interests in the partnership, estate, or trust. See proposed Sec.  
1.1291-1(b)(8)(iii).
    If, in the previously posited example, Foreign Partnership were 
replaced with

[[Page 33122]]

another foreign corporation, FC4, the proposed regulations would not 
apply. It may seem less appropriate for the amount of FC3 stock that is 
treated as owned by A to be limited to the 25 percent of FC3 indirectly 
owned by A through FC4 and FC1. Instead, FC4 could be treated as owning 
25 percent of the stock of FC3 indirectly through FC2, and thus A could 
be treated as owning 12.5 percent of the stock of FC3 indirectly 
through FC4 and FC2 in addition to the 25 percent owned indirectly 
through FC4 and FC1. The Treasury Department and the IRS request 
comments as to whether a ``top-down'' attribution analysis or some 
alternative analysis should apply under section 1298(a) in a purely 
corporate structure such as this one, such that A would not be treated 
as owning any stock of FC3 indirectly through FC4 and FC2.

C. Income Test

1. In General
    In the Technical and Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 
100-647, 102 Stat. 3342), Congress amended section 1297(b)(1) to define 
the term passive income generally as any income of a kind that would 
constitute FPHCI under section 954(c). FPHCI, and thus passive income, 
includes interest income that would be tax-exempt under section 103. 
See Sec. Sec.  1.954-2(b)(3), 1.952-2(c)(1). Neither the rules under 
subtitle A, chapter 1, subchapter N, part III, subpart F of the Code 
(``subpart F'') nor rules under section 1297, however, address the 
treatment for purposes of FPHCI or the Income Test of other types of 
income that are otherwise excluded from gross income, such as 
intercompany dividends that are excluded from the income of a recipient 
under the consolidated return regulations. See Sec.  1.1502-
13(f)(2)(ii). As discussed in more detail in Part I.F of this 
Explanation of Provisions, a Tested Foreign Corporation may be treated 
under section 1297(c) as receiving directly income received by a 25-
percent-owned subsidiary, including a domestic corporation. As 
discussed in more detail in Part I.H of this Explanation of Provisions, 
a Tested Foreign Corporation could own a second domestic corporation 
through a 25-percent-owned domestic corporate subsidiary and could thus 
be treated under sections 1297(c) and 1298(b)(7) as receiving 
intercompany dividends from the lower-tier domestic corporation that 
would be excluded from the income of the upper-tier domestic 
corporation under the consolidated return regulations. Accordingly, the 
operation of the statutory rules under sections 1297 and 1298 indicate 
that the Income Test is intended to take into account all income of a 
Tested Foreign Corporation, without regard to reductions or exclusions 
that might apply for purposes of determining the U.S. Federal income 
tax imposed on such income. Consistent with those rules, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS have concluded that intercompany dividends 
received by a corporation from a member of its consolidated group and 
treated as received under section 1297(c) by a Tested Foreign 
Corporation that directly or indirectly owns stock in the corporation 
should be taken into account for purposes of the Income Test. Thus, the 
proposed regulations indicate that income for purposes of the Income 
Test includes all dividend income, including dividends that are 
excluded from gross income under section 1502 and Sec.  1.1502-13. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(b). The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome 
comments on this approach. However, see Part I.F.3 of this Explanation 
of Provisions for a discussion of rules that could eliminate such 
dividends.
2. Exceptions From Passive Income
    Furthermore, there are a number of exceptions to the definition of 
FPHCI in section 954(c), as well as in section 954(h) and (i), and 
special rules and definitions in section 954(c) that affect the 
determination of FPHCI. Specifically, in addition to the exceptions 
contained within the general definition of FPHCI in section 954(c)(1), 
section 954(c)(2) provides three exceptions: (i) An active rents and 
royalties exception; (ii) an export financing exception; and (iii) a 
dealer exception. Section 954(c)(3) provides two additional exceptions: 
(i) A related person, same country dividend and interest exception; and 
(ii) a related person, same country rents and royalty exception. In 
addition, for taxable years of foreign corporations beginning after 
December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2020, section 954(c)(6) 
excludes from FPHCI certain dividends, interest, rents, and royalties 
received or accrued from a related corporation that is a CFC. Moreover, 
section 954(h) provides rules that apply for purposes of section 
954(c)(1) pursuant to which income derived in an active banking or 
financing business is excluded from FPHCI. Additionally, under section 
954(i), income from an active insurance business is excluded from FPHCI 
for purposes of section 954(c)(1). Finally, section 954(c)(4) contains 
a look-through rule that applies in the case of a sale of certain 
partnership interests, and section 954(c)(5) contains definitions and 
special rules applicable to commodity transactions.
    Separately, section 1297(b)(2) provides explicit exclusions to the 
general definition of passive income set forth in section 1297(b)(1). 
Specifically, section 1297(b)(2) provides four exceptions: (i) An 
active banking exception; (ii) an active insurance business exception; 
(iii) a related person interest, dividends, rents, and royalties 
exception; and (iv) an export trade financing exception.
    Questions have been raised regarding the scope of the cross-
reference to section 954(c) in section 1297(b)(1) for purposes of 
defining passive income for PFIC purposes. Comments have inquired 
whether the section 954(c) reference in section 1297(b) incorporates 
all of the exceptions to FPHCI that are in section 954(c). In addition, 
by their terms, certain exceptions to FPHCI apply only to a foreign 
corporation that is a CFC. If these exceptions apply for PFIC purposes, 
the comments also question whether a Tested Foreign Corporation must 
also be a CFC in order to benefit from the exceptions.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS understand that Congress did 
not intend for all of the exceptions in section 954(c) to apply for 
purposes of determining passive income under the PFIC provisions. In 
particular, the exceptions in section 954(c)(3) (relating to certain 
income received from related persons) and 954(c)(6) (relating to 
certain income received from related CFCs) were not meant to be taken 
into account for PFIC purposes. The legislative history indicates that 
Congress intended for the section 1297(c) look-through rules or the 
section 1297(b)(2)(C) exception to apply to income items that otherwise 
would be entitled to the section 954(c)(3) exception. It indicates:

    The bill conforms the PFIC definition of passive income to the 
definition of passive income under subpart F (sec. 954(c)). This 
change, in conjunction with the look-through rule for certain 25-
percent-owned corporations and the lookthrough rules added by the 
bill (described below), makes it explicit that earnings of certain 
related foreign corporations organized in the same country as its 
shareholder that, if distributed to the shareholder would be 
excluded from foreign personal holding company income under the 
same-country exception of subpart F (sec. 954(c)(3)), are subject to 
either the section [1297(c)] look-through treatment or the look-
through treatment for amounts paid by related parties that are not 
25 percent owned (described below).


[[Page 33123]]


H.R. Rep. No. 100-795, at 271-272 (1988); S. Rep. No. 100-445, at 285-
286 (1988).
    Thus, the proposed regulations do not incorporate the section 
954(c)(3) exception for purposes of determining passive income for PFIC 
purposes. Similarly, under the proposed regulations, the section 
954(c)(6) exception also does not apply for determining PFIC status 
because the section 1297(b)(2)(C) related-person exception is intended 
to be the sole related-person exception applicable for determining 
passive income under the PFIC rules.
    Additional questions are raised with respect to the FPHCI 
exceptions for active banking, financing, and insurance income because 
section 1297(b) does not specifically cross-reference section 954(h) 
and (i). As with section 1297(b)(2)(C), it is possible that sections 
1297(b)(2)(A) and (B) were intended to be the sole exceptions for 
active banking, financing, and insurance income applicable for 
determining passive income under the PFIC rules because section 1297(b) 
has specific exceptions for active banking, financing, and insurance 
income. Alternatively, the section 1297(b) cross-reference to section 
954(c) could be read to include the exceptions provided in section 
954(h) and (i), which apply for purposes of section 954(c) by their 
terms. It may be appropriate for income that satisfies the requirements 
in section 954(h) and (i) to be excluded from passive income because 
Congress generally defined passive income by reference to FPHCI, and 
when section 954(h) and (i) were enacted, each with a cross-reference 
to section 954(c), Congress did not provide that section 954(h) or (i) 
should not apply for PFIC purposes. Moreover, the fact that the PFIC 
provisions are more generally not intended to apply to foreign 
corporations engaged in active businesses supports the application of 
rules excluding active banking, financing, and insurance income from 
the definition of passive income.
    However, with respect to section 954(i), Congress recently amended 
the exclusion for income derived in the active conduct of an insurance 
business in section 1297(b)(2)(B) to require that income be earned by a 
QIC, as discussed in Part II of the Background section of this 
preamble. Given this statutory change and the tests contained in the 
definition of QIC in section 1297(f), the Treasury Department and the 
IRS have determined that the exception for insurance income in section 
954(i) should not apply in addition to the newly modified exception in 
section 1297(b)(2)(B). Accordingly, the proposed regulations provide 
that the section 954(i) exception to FPHCI does not apply in addition 
to the PFIC exception. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(B). By 
contrast, given that no final regulations under the PFIC regime provide 
rules concerning an exclusion of active banking and financing income, 
these proposed regulations provide that the FPHCI exception for banking 
and financing income under section 954(h) applies for purposes of 
determining PFIC status. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(A). The 
application of section 954(h) is in addition to the PFIC exception. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS request comments about whether, when 
regulations are in force under section 1297(b)(2)(A), the corollary 
FPHCI exclusion should also continue to apply.
    Comments have noted that the application of section 954(c) for PFIC 
purposes can be uncertain when a Tested Foreign Corporation is not also 
a CFC. For instance, the application of section 954(h) for PFIC 
purposes could be interpreted to apply only to amounts received by a 
Tested Foreign Corporation that also is a CFC. Passive income for PFIC 
purposes is defined by cross-reference to section 954(c) because the 
income items that comprise FPHCI are generally passive in nature. The 
CFC status of the recipient of an item of FPHCI does not affect the 
passive nature of the item, and thus is not relevant for purposes of 
determining whether an item is passive under the PFIC rules. Therefore, 
it is appropriate for income derived by any Tested Foreign Corporation, 
and not just Tested Foreign Corporations that also are CFCs, to be 
eligible for the exceptions to FPHCI, including the section 954(h) 
exception.
    For the reasons discussed in this Part I.C.2, the proposed 
regulations provide that for purposes of section 1297(b)(1), passive 
income is determined by reference to the items of income listed in 
section 954(c)(1), subject only to the exceptions found in section 
954(c)(1), section 954(c)(2)(A) (relating to active rents and 
royalties), section 954(c)(2)(B) (relating to certain export financing 
interest), section 954(c)(2)(C) (relating to dealers), and section 
954(h) (relating to entities engaged in the active conduct of a 
banking, financing, or similar business). See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(i)(A). In addition, the rules in section 
954(c)(4) (relating to sales of certain partnership interests) and 
954(c)(5) (relating to certain commodity hedging transactions) apply 
for PFIC purposes. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(C). However, 
for the reasons stated in this Part I.C.2, the exceptions in section 
954(c)(3) (relating to certain income received from related persons), 
section 954(c)(6) (relating to certain amounts received from related 
controlled foreign corporations), and section 954(i) (relating to 
entities engaged in the active conduct of an insurance business) are 
not taken into account for purposes of section 1297(b)(1). See proposed 
Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(B). The proposed regulations also provide that 
an entity is treated as a CFC for purposes of applying an exception to 
FPHCI and for purposes of determining whether a person is a related 
person with respect to the entity. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(1)(i)(D). Comments are requested as to whether regulations should 
provide any additional special rules concerning the definition of a 
related person under section 954(d)(3) for purposes of applying an 
FPHCI exception to a Tested Foreign Corporation that is not a CFC.
3. Income and Gains From Certain Transactions
    The Income Test is computed based on a Tested Foreign Corporation's 
gross income. However, pursuant to section 954(c), certain categories 
of income are FPHCI only to the extent that gains exceed losses with 
respect to the category. For instance, under section 954(c)(1)(B) only 
``the excess of gains over losses from the sale or exchange'' of 
certain property is treated as FPHCI. Similar rules apply to income 
from commodities transactions under section 954(c)(1)(C), foreign 
currency gains under section 954(c)(1)(D), and income from notional 
principal contracts under section 954(c)(1)(F). The proposed 
regulations provide that for purposes of the Income Test, items of 
income under section 954(c) that are determined by netting gains 
against losses are taken into account by a corporation on that net 
basis, so that only net gains in a particular category of FPHCI are 
taken into account. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(ii). However, the 
net amount of income in each category of FPHCI is determined separately 
for each relevant corporation, such that net gains or losses of a 
corporation, at least 25 percent of the value of stock of which is 
owned, directly or indirectly, by a Tested Foreign Corporation (``Look-
Through Subsidiary'') may not be netted against net losses or gains of 
another Look-Through Subsidiary or of a Tested Foreign Corporation.
4. Income Earned Through Partnerships
    The proposed regulations provide guidance on the treatment of a 
corporation's distributive share of partnership income for purposes of 
the

[[Page 33124]]

Income Test. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that 
income earned by a Tested Foreign Corporation through a partnership 
should be treated similarly to income earned through a corporate 
subsidiary. As discussed in more detail in Part I.F of this Explanation 
of Provisions, if a Tested Foreign Corporation owns a Look-Through 
Subsidiary, the Tested Foreign Corporation is treated as if it directly 
received its proportionate share of the income of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary, and certain items of income received from the Look-Through 
Subsidiary are proportionately eliminated. If a corporation is not a 
Look-Through Subsidiary, income received from the corporation is 
characterized in accordance with the general rules described in Part 
I.C.2 of this Explanation of Provisions, under which dividends 
generally will be passive. Accordingly, the proposed regulations 
provide that a Tested Foreign Corporation's distributive share of any 
item of income of a partnership is treated as income received directly 
by the Tested Foreign Corporation, provided the Tested Foreign 
Corporation owns, directly or indirectly, at least 25 percent of the 
value of the partnership, in which case the partnership is referred to 
as a ``Look-Through Partnership,'' and income elimination rules similar 
to those for Look-Through Subsidiaries apply. See proposed Sec.  
1.1297-1(c)(2)(i). If the Tested Foreign Corporation owns less than 25 
percent of the value of a partnership, the corporation's distributive 
share of any item of income of the partnership is passive income. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2)(ii).
    As a result of these rules, in cases in which the Tested Foreign 
Corporation owns at least 25 percent of the value of the partnership, 
the exceptions to passive income contained in section 1297(b)(2) and 
the relevant exceptions to foreign personal holding company income in 
section 954(c) and (h) that are based on whether income is derived in 
the active conduct of a business generally apply if, and only if, the 
partnership engages in the relevant business activities. The focus on 
partnership activities is consistent with the principles applicable to 
partnership interests under the regulations under subpart F. See Sec.  
1.954-2(a)(5)(ii)(A); Sec.  1.954-3(a)(6). However, as described in 
Part I.F.5 of this Explanation of Provisions, these proposed 
regulations also include rules that, in certain circumstances, allow 
the character of income to be determined at the level of the Tested 
Foreign Corporation, taking into account activities performed by the 
Tested Foreign Corporation and certain subsidiaries of the Tested 
Foreign Corporation, whether such subsidiaries are in corporate or 
partnership form.
    Although the subpart F regulations provide rules concerning the 
classification of a CFC's distributive share of partnership income 
that, absent these proposed regulations, would generally be applicable 
by virtue of section 1297's adoption of FPHCI as the basis for passive 
income, the Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that the 
differing policies of the subpart F and PFIC regimes warrant different 
rules for partnerships. Specifically, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS have concluded that it is appropriate to generally characterize a 
corporation's distributive share of partnership income as passive when 
the corporation owns less than 25 percent of the value of the 
partnership, consistent with the treatment of Look-Through Subsidiary 
income, notwithstanding the fact that under the subpart F regulations, 
such income could have been excluded from FPHCI by virtue of the 
partnership's activities regardless of the corporation's level of 
ownership. The different treatment is warranted because of the 
flexibility that entities have in their characterization for U.S. 
Federal income tax purposes under Sec.  301.7701-3 and because of the 
fact that treating a subsidiary as a partnership may not have U.S. 
income tax consequences for a Tested Foreign Corporation, as it could 
for a CFC. However, the Treasury Department and the IRS request 
comments as to whether a 25 percent threshold for the Tested Foreign 
Corporation's percentage ownership in the partnership is the 
appropriate threshold for distinguishing between a distributive share 
of partnership income that is automatically treated as passive and a 
distributive share that is characterized in accordance with the 
activities undertaken by the partnership (or, as applicable under the 
rules described in Part I.F.5 of this Explanation of Provisions, the 
Tested Foreign Corporation and certain subsidiaries of the Tested 
Foreign Corporation), or whether an alternative threshold should be 
considered. Furthermore, the Treasury Department and the IRS request 
comments as to whether different rules should apply with respect to 
partners in general partnerships than with respect to partners in 
limited partnerships, or with respect to partners that materially 
participate in the activities of the partnership.
5. Income From a Related Person
    The proposed regulations provide additional guidance on the 
application of the section 1297(b)(2)(C) related-person exception to 
dividends, interest, rents, and royalties. The proposed regulations 
provide that the determination of whether the payor of an item of 
income is a related person should be made on the date of receipt or 
accrual, as applicable based on the recipient's method of accounting, 
of the item of income. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(3)(iv).
    Under Sec.  1.904-5(c)(2)(ii)(C) (the ``cream-skimming rule''), 
interest paid to a related person is treated as passive income to the 
payee to the extent that the payor has passive income. Under this rule, 
if a foreign corporation had $200 of passive gross income and $200 of 
non-passive gross income, and that foreign corporation made an interest 
payment of $100 to a related foreign corporation, for purposes of 
determining the nature of the interest income in the hands of the payee 
foreign corporation, the entire $100 of interest would be treated as 
passive income rather than as ratably allocable between passive and 
non-passive income. Although the Treasury Department and the IRS 
considered applying a cream-skimming rule for purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(C), the Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded that 
the PFIC regime does not raise the policy concerns addressed by the 
cream-skimming rule in the foreign tax credit and subpart F contexts. 
In those contexts, because interest expense can reduce a foreign 
corporation's subpart F income or otherwise affect the calculation of 
foreign tax credits, an interest payment could otherwise be used to try 
to reduce the passive income of the payor and convert it into non-
passive income of the payee. However, because the Income Test is 
applied on the basis of gross income, an interest payment cannot be 
used in the same fashion for purposes of the Income Test. Accordingly, 
under the proposed regulations, for purposes of the section 
1297(b)(2)(C) exception, interest is properly allocable to income of 
the related person that is not passive income based on the relative 
portion of the related person's income for its taxable year that ends 
in or with the taxable year of the recipient that is not passive 
income. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(3)(i). Dividends are treated as 
properly allocable to income of the related person that is not passive 
income based on the portion of the related payor's current-year 
earnings and profits for the taxable year that ends

[[Page 33125]]

in or with the taxable year of the recipient that are attributable to 
non-passive income. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(3)(ii). Comments are 
specifically requested concerning alternative methods of determining 
the portion of dividends treated as properly allocable to income of a 
related person (including if the payor has no current earnings and 
profits), including by reference to accumulated earnings and profits, 
and if so, how to address concerns about the availability of 
information. The proposed regulations further provide that rents and 
royalties are allocable to income of the related person which is not 
passive income to the extent the related person's deduction for the 
rent or royalty is allocated to non-passive income under the principles 
of Sec. Sec.  1.861-8 through 1.861-14T. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(3)(iii). Comments are specifically requested regarding any 
concerns about the availability of information and alternative methods 
of determining the portion of rents and royalties treated as properly 
allocable to income of a related person that would address any such 
concerns.

D. Asset Test

1. Methodology of Application of Asset Test
    Section 1297(a)(2) provides that a Tested Foreign Corporation is a 
PFIC if the average percentage of assets held by the corporation during 
a taxable year that produce passive income or are held for the 
production of passive income is at least 50 percent. Notice 88-22 
provides that the average percentage of assets of a Tested Foreign 
Corporation is calculated by averaging the value of the assets of the 
corporation, determined as of the end of each quarterly period of the 
corporation's taxable year.
    These regulations clarify that the average percentage of a Tested 
Foreign Corporation's assets is determined using the average of the 
gross values (or adjusted bases) at the end of each quarter of the 
foreign corporation's taxable year. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(i) and (d)(1)(ii)(A). Alternatively, the assets of a Tested 
Foreign Corporation can be measured for purposes of the Asset Test more 
frequently than quarterly (for example, weekly or monthly). The quarter 
or shorter interval used by a Tested Foreign Corporation is referred to 
as its ``measuring period.'' Applying the Asset Test based on a period 
that recurs more frequently than a quarter provides a more precise 
measurement of ``average,'' but the more frequently recurring basis is 
not required because of the potential administrative burden that it 
could impose on a shareholder of a Tested Foreign Corporation. The same 
measuring period must be used for the Tested Foreign Corporation for 
the initial year (including a short year) that for which the 
shareholder elects to use the alternative measuring period and any and 
all subsequent years unless the election to use the more frequently 
recurring measuring period is revoked. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B).
    If a Tested Foreign Corporation has a short taxable year, the 
quarterly measuring dates for purposes of the Asset Test are the same 
as they would be for a full taxable year, except that the final 
quarterly measuring date will be the final day of the short taxable 
year. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(ii)(C). Thus, for instance, if 
a Tested Foreign Corporation for which the election for a shorter 
period has not been made has a short year of eight months, the 
corporation would have two quarters ending on the foreign corporation's 
normal quarterly measuring dates and a third quarter ending on the 
final day of the short taxable year. The asset amounts for those three 
quarterly measuring dates would be averaged to determine the average 
percentage of a Tested Foreign Corporation's assets that are passive 
for the year. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that 
applying the Asset Test based on the taxable year quarters that ended 
during the short year properly accounts for the administrative 
difficulties of calculating quarterly measurements with respect to a 
short year.
    Under section 1297(e), the assets of a Tested Foreign Corporation 
are required to be measured based on (i) value, pursuant to section 
1297(e)(1), if it is a publicly traded corporation for the taxable 
year, or if section 1297(e)(2) does not apply to it for the taxable 
year; or (ii) adjusted basis, pursuant to section 1297(e)(2), if it is 
a CFC, or elects the application of section 1297(e)(2). The statute 
does not specify whether a corporation that is publicly traded during 
only part of the taxable year is publicly traded ``for the taxable 
year,'' and thus whether such a corporation's assets should be measured 
for the taxable year based on value or on adjusted basis or whether, if 
the corporation is a CFC for the remainder of the year, a combination 
of the two should be used. For instance, a Tested Foreign Corporation 
that is a CFC at the beginning of its taxable year and became publicly 
traded during the last month of its taxable year could be required 
under section 1297(e) to have its assets measured based on either 
adjusted basis or value for all four quarterly measuring periods or 
based on adjusted basis for its first three quarterly measuring periods 
and value for its fourth quarterly measuring period. The proposed 
regulations provide that the Asset Test should apply on the basis of 
value for the entire year if the corporation was publicly traded on the 
majority of days during the year or section 1297(e)(2) did not apply to 
the corporation on the majority of days of the year. Otherwise, the 
Asset Test should apply on the basis of adjusted basis for the entire 
year. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(v). The Treasury Department and 
the IRS have determined that allowing a shareholder the option of 
choosing either method with respect to a Tested Foreign Corporation 
could facilitate the avoidance of the PFIC rules, and that the rule in 
the proposed regulation imposes the least administrative burden. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on these rules.
    Under the proposed regulations, the rules described in this Part 
I.D.1 for making or revoking an election for an alternative measuring 
period also apply for purposes of the election provided in section 
1297(e)(2)(B) to use adjusted bases of assets for purposes of the Asset 
Test. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(iii)(B) and (d)(1)(iv). Both 
elections may be made by a United States person that is eligible under 
Sec.  1.1295-1(d) with respect to the Tested Foreign Corporation or 
that would be eligible if the Tested Foreign Corporation were a PFIC. 
See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(iv)(A). Thus, in the case of a Tested 
Foreign Corporation owned by a domestic partnership in which U.S. 
individuals are partners, only the domestic partnership and not its 
partners may make the elections, ensuring that the Tested Foreign 
Corporation is treated consistently for all of the partners, which 
would facilitate reporting by the partnership if the Tested Foreign 
Corporation were a PFIC. However, the Treasury Department and the IRS 
request comments as to whether either election should be available to 
any United States person that is a shareholder (within the meaning of 
Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(7) or (8)) of the Tested Foreign Corporation or that 
would be a shareholder of the Tested Foreign Corporation if it were a 
PFIC.
    If the person is required to file the Form 8621 (or successor form) 
with respect to the Tested Foreign Corporation, the elections may be 
made in the manner provided in the instructions to the Form 8621; until 
such instructions are provided, the elections may be made by attaching 
a written statement to the Form 8621

[[Page 33126]]

providing for the election to a return for the year for which the 
election is made. If the person is not required to file the Form 8621 
with respect to the Tested Foreign Corporation (for example, because 
the Tested Foreign Corporation is not a PFIC), the person may make the 
elections by attaching a written statement providing for the election 
to a return for the year for which the election is made. Id. The 
elections are revoked in a similar manner. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(iv)(B). A new election for an alternative measuring period or 
under section 1297(e)(2)(B) may not be made until the sixth taxable 
year following the year for which the previous such election was 
revoked, and such subsequent election may not be revoked until the 
sixth taxable year following the year for which the subsequent election 
was made. See id.
2. Characterization of Dual-Character Assets
    Pursuant to section 1297(a), an asset is considered passive for 
purposes of the Asset Test if it produces passive income or is held for 
the production of passive income. Notice 88-22 states that an asset 
that produces both passive income and non-passive income during a 
Tested Foreign Corporation's taxable year is treated partly as a 
passive asset and partly as a non-passive asset in proportion to the 
relative amounts of income generated by the asset during the year. 
Proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(2) generally adopts the rule set forth in 
Notice 88-22, and provides that an asset that produces both passive 
income and non-passive income during a taxable year is treated as two 
assets, one of which is passive and one of which is non-passive. 
Consistent with the rule in Notice 88-22, for purposes of applying the 
Asset Test, the value (or adjusted basis) of the asset is allocated 
between the passive assets and non-passive assets based on the ratio of 
passive income produced by the asset during the taxable year to non-
passive income.
    The proposed regulation also provides a specific rule for stock of 
a related person with respect to which no dividends are received or 
accrued, as applicable based on the recipient's method of accounting, 
during a taxable year but that previously generated dividends that were 
characterized as non-passive income, in whole or in part, under section 
1297(b)(2)(C). See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(2)(iii). The stock is 
characterized based on the dividends received or accrued, as applicable 
based on the recipient's method of accounting, with respect thereto for 
the prior two years. Id.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that it may 
also be appropriate to bifurcate an asset that in part produces income 
and in part does not produce income between a passive and a non-passive 
asset for purposes of the Asset Test in order to provide a more 
accurate measure of the Tested Foreign Corporation's passive assets. 
For example, if a Tested Foreign Corporation uses a portion of a 
building, which is depreciable real property, in its trade or business 
that generates non-passive income, while renting a portion of the 
building in exchange for rents that are treated as passive, it would be 
appropriate for the portions of the building to be considered 
separately as non-passive and passive assets, respectively. 
Accordingly, the proposed regulations provide that for purposes of 
applying the Asset Test, if an asset in part produces income and in 
part does not produce any income, the asset must be bifurcated pursuant 
to the method that most reasonably reflects the uses of the property. 
See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(2)(ii). A similar approach applies to 
characterize gain for subpart F purposes. See Sec.  1.954-2(e)(1)(iv).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on these 
rules, including suggestions for how to minimize the burden associated 
with determining how to bifurcate the relevant assets.
3. Characterization of Partnership Interests
    The proposed regulations provide guidance on the characterization 
of a partnership interest for purposes of the Asset Test. As discussed 
in Part I.C.4 of this Explanation of Provisions, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS have determined that it is appropriate to treat 
a partnership in a manner similar to a corporate subsidiary for 
purposes of determining whether a Tested Foreign Corporation is a PFIC. 
Accordingly, the proposed regulations provide that for purposes of the 
Asset Test, a Tested Foreign Corporation that directly or indirectly 
owns an interest in a partnership is treated as if it held its 
proportionate share of the assets of a partnership, provided the Tested 
Foreign Corporation owns, directly or indirectly, at least 25 percent, 
by value, of the interests in the partnership. See proposed Sec.  
1.1297-1(d)(3)(i). A corporation's proportionate share of a partnership 
asset is treated as producing passive income, or being held to produce 
passive income, to the extent the asset produced, or was held to 
produce, passive income in the partnership's hands, taking into account 
only the partnership's activities, unless the rules described in Part 
I.F.5 of this Explanation of Provisions apply to allow the character of 
the income to be determined at the level of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation, taking into account activities performed by certain 
subsidiaries of the Tested Foreign Corporation. If a Tested Foreign 
corporation owns less than 25 percent of the value of the partnership, 
its interest in the partnership is treated as a passive asset. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(3)(ii).
4. Characterization of Dealer Property
    For purposes of the Asset Test, an asset is considered passive if 
it produces passive income or is held for the production of passive 
income. Under the dealer exception in section 954(c)(2)(C), gain from 
the disposition of certain dealer property is treated as non-passive 
income for purposes of the Income Test. However, certain other income 
derived with respect to the dealer property (such as dividends and 
interest) is treated as passive income. The exception from passive 
income for dealer property in section 954(c)(2)(C) is predicated on the 
fact that a dealer holds the property as part of its trade or business 
and not for the production of passive income. Accordingly, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS have determined that, given that the PFIC regime 
is concerned with whether the asset is part of an active business, it 
is appropriate to characterize dealer property for purposes of the 
Asset Test based solely on the character of the gain derived from the 
disposition of the property. Accordingly, the proposed regulations 
provide that property that is subject to the dealer exception is 
characterized as a non-passive asset for purposes of the Asset Test, 
notwithstanding the dual-character asset rules discussed in Part I.D.2 
of this Explanation of Provisions. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(4).

E. Treatment of Stapled Entities

    The Treasury Department and the IRS understand that, in certain 
situations, equity interests in two or more foreign entities must be 
sold together as stapled interests within the meaning of section 
269B(c)(3). Stapled entities (as defined in section 269B(c)(2)) may be 
structured in such a way that income and the assets generating the 
income are in one entity, while the activities generating the income 
are engaged in by the other entity. For example, two stapled entities 
might jointly carry on a real estate business, with one stapled entity 
owning real property that is leased to third parties to generate rental 
income, while the other stapled entity provides management services 
with respect to the

[[Page 33127]]

real property that, if engaged in by the first stapled entity, would 
allow the rental income received by it to be characterized as non-
passive income pursuant to section 954(c)(2)(A) and these proposed 
regulations. However, if the PFIC status of the stapled entity 
receiving the rental income were determined on a stand-alone basis, the 
income might be treated as passive income. Given that stapled interests 
represent a single economic interest to their shareholders, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that it is appropriate, 
for purposes of determining whether a stapled entity is a PFIC, to 
treat them as such. This is consistent with the treatment of stapled 
entities in section 269B(a)(3) for purposes of determining whether a 
stapled entity is a regulated investment company (``RIC'') or a real 
estate investment trust (``REIT''). Accordingly, the proposed 
regulations provide that for purposes of determining whether any 
stapled entity is a PFIC, all entities that are stapled entities with 
respect to each other are treated as one entity. See proposed Sec.  
1.1297-1(e). Comments are requested as to whether similar treatment 
should be provided for purposes of the subpart F rules.

F. Look-Through Rule for 25-Percent-Owned Subsidiaries

    As noted in Part I.C.4 of this Explanation of Provisions, in 
determining PFIC status, section 1297(c) applies when a Tested Foreign 
Corporation owns, directly or indirectly, at least 25 percent of the 
value of the stock of another corporation, a Look-Through Subsidiary. 
In such instance, the Tested Foreign Corporation is treated as if it 
directly held its proportionate share of the assets and directly 
received its proportionate share of the income of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary. Section 1297(c) was enacted to prevent ``foreign 
corporations owning the stock of subsidiaries engaged in active 
businesses [from being] classified as PFlCs.'' H.R. Rep. No. 99-841, at 
II-644 (1986) (Conf. Rep.).
1. Determining a Tested Foreign Corporation's Ownership of a Look-
Through Subsidiary and Proportionate Share of a Look-Through 
Subsidiary's Assets and Income
    Neither the statute nor the regulations provide guidance on how to 
calculate a Tested Foreign Corporation's indirect ownership in another 
corporation for purposes of determining whether the corporation is a 
Look-Through Subsidiary under section 1297(c). In addition, the statute 
and regulations do not provide a methodology for determining a Tested 
Foreign Corporation's proportionate share of a Look-Through 
Subsidiary's income and assets for purposes of section 1297(c).
    Under section 1297(c), the determination of whether a Tested 
Foreign Corporation owns, directly or indirectly, at least 25 percent 
of the stock of another corporation is based on value. The proposed 
regulations provide that indirect stock ownership for purposes of 
section 1297(c) is determined under the principles of section 958(a) 
applicable for determining ownership by value. See proposed Sec.  
1.1297-2(b)(1). The section 958(a) principles apply without regard to 
whether entities are domestic or foreign, and thus indirect ownership 
includes corporate ownership through intermediate corporations, 
partnerships, trusts, and estates, regardless of whether such 
intermediate entities are foreign or domestic. Id. In addition, stock 
considered owned by reason of applying the section 958(a) indirect 
ownership rules is generally considered actually owned for purposes of 
reapplying the indirect ownership rules. See Sec.  1.958-2(f)(1).
    Section 1297(c) provides that a Tested Foreign Corporation is 
treated as holding its proportionate share of the assets of the Look-
Through Subsidiary, and receiving its proportionate share of the income 
of the Look-Through Subsidiary. The proposed regulations provide 
guidance on the meaning of ``proportionate share'' for purposes of 
section 1297(c). Specifically, proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2) provides 
that a Tested Foreign Corporation is treated as owning a share of each 
asset, and receiving a proportionate share of each item of income, of a 
Look-Through Subsidiary proportionate to the Tested Foreign 
Corporation's percentage ownership (by value) of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary. Comments are requested concerning alternative methods that 
might better determine a Tested Foreign Corporation's proportionate 
share of income of a Look-Through Subsidiary that has multiple classes 
of stock outstanding.
    Changes in stock ownership may cause fluctuations in a Tested 
Foreign Corporation's ownership in a Look-Through Subsidiary during a 
taxable year. For purposes of the Asset Test, ownership of a Look-
Through Subsidiary is determined on each measuring date. See proposed 
Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2)(i). If the requisite 25-percent ownership is not 
met with respect to a corporation on the last day of a measuring 
period, as defined in Part I.D.1 of this Explanation of Provisions, the 
stock of the corporation would be a passive asset for purposes of that 
measuring period, absent the application of a special rule, such as the 
new rule for dealer property in proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(4), 
described in Part I.D.4 of this Explanation of Provisions. For purposes 
of the Income Test, a subsidiary is considered a Look-Through 
Subsidiary if the Tested Foreign Corporation owns an average of 25 
percent of the value of the subsidiary for the year, taking into 
account its ownership on the last day of each measuring period of the 
Tested Foreign Corporation's taxable year. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
2(b)(2)(ii)(A). If the Tested Foreign Corporation does not maintain, on 
average, at least 25-percent ownership of the subsidiary for the 
taxable year, the Tested Foreign Corporation is not, under the general 
rule in the proposed regulations, treated as receiving its 
proportionate share of the income of the subsidiary for that year under 
section 1297(c). However, the Tested Foreign Corporation may be treated 
as receiving directly its proportionate share of the income of the 
subsidiary for each measuring period in a taxable year for which the 
25-percent ownership requirement is met on the relevant measuring date, 
provided the taxpayer can establish gross income for each of those 
measuring periods. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2)(ii)(B). Comments 
are requested concerning appropriate methods for a taxpayer to 
establish gross income for a measuring period.
2. Overlap Between Section 1297(c) and Section 1298(b)(7)
    Section 1298(b)(7) provides a special characterization rule that 
applies when a Tested Foreign Corporation owns at least 25 percent of 
the value of the stock of a domestic corporation and is subject to the 
accumulated earnings tax under section 531 (or waives any benefit under 
a treaty that would otherwise prevent imposition of such tax). In such 
instance, section 1298(b)(7) treats the qualified stock held by the 
domestic corporation as a non-passive asset, and the related income as 
non-passive income. By its terms, the section 1297(c) look-through rule 
also could apply to the qualified stock, which is stock in a domestic C 
corporation that is not a RIC or REIT, and look through to the assets 
of the corporation that issued the qualified stock for purposes of the 
Income Test and Asset Test. For example, assume a Tested Foreign 
Corporation owns 50 percent of the value of the stock in a domestic 
corporation, US1, which, in turn, owns 50 percent of the stock of a 
lower tier domestic corporation, US2 (which is not

[[Page 33128]]

a RIC or a REIT). US2 wholly owns the stock of a foreign corporation, 
FC. The section 1297(c) look-through rule applies to treat the Tested 
Foreign Corporation as if it held its proportionate share of the 
assets, and received a proportionate share of the income, of US1. Both 
the section 1297(c) look-through rule and the section 1298(b)(7) 
characterization rule, by their terms, would apply to the stock of US2. 
The section 1297(c) rule would look through to the assets of US2 and 
FC. The section 1298(b)(7) characterization rule would treat the stock 
of US2 as a non-passive asset, and the income derived from the stock as 
income as non-passive income.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that the 
special characterization rule of section 1298(b)(7) should generally 
take precedence over the section 1297(c) look-through rule when both 
rules would apply simultaneously because the characterization rule of 
section 1298(b)(7) is the more specific rule where the Tested Foreign 
Corporation owns a domestic corporation. Thus, the proposed regulations 
provide that the look-through rule of section 1297(c) does not apply to 
a domestic corporation, and any subsidiaries of the domestic 
corporation, if the stock of the domestic corporation is characterized, 
under section 1298(b)(7), as a non-passive asset producing non-passive 
income. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2)(iii). However, these proposed 
regulations provide certain limitations on the application of section 
1298(b)(7), including a new anti-abuse rule, in which case section 
1297(c) would apply. The limitations and anti-abuse rule are described 
in Part I.H of this Explanation of Provisions. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS welcome comments on these rules.
3. Elimination of Certain Assets and Income for Purposes of Applying 
Section 1297(a)
    Section 1297(c) aggregates the income and assets of a Tested 
Foreign Corporation and a Look-Through Subsidiary for purposes of 
testing the PFIC status of the Tested Foreign Corporation. However, 
there are no statutory or regulatory rules that prevent the double 
counting of income and assets arising from contracts and other 
transactions among a Tested Foreign Corporation and one or more Look-
Through Subsidiaries. Intercompany items that are not eliminated for 
purposes of determining a Tested Foreign Corporation's PFIC status may 
result in a duplication of passive income or passive assets attributed 
to the Tested Foreign Corporation. For instance, if a wholly-owned 
Look-Through Subsidiary earned $100x of passive income during a taxable 
year, and distributed the $100x as a dividend to a Tested Foreign 
Corporation, the Tested Foreign Corporation would have a total of $200x 
of passive income ($100x of passive income under section 1297(c) and a 
$100x dividend) for purposes of the Income Test, even though only $100 
of passive income was earned economically. Any double-counting of 
intercompany income and assets distorts the effect of section 1297(c) 
on the Income Test and Asset Test.
    The legislative history to the PFIC rules provides an approach that 
would eliminate certain assets and income in order to prevent double-
counting. See H.R. Rep. No. 100-795, at 268 (1988) (``Under this look-
through rule, a foreign corporation that owns at least 25 percent of 
the stock of another corporation is treated as owning a proportionate 
part of the other corporation's assets and income. Thus, amounts such 
as interest and dividends received from foreign or domestic 
subsidiaries are eliminated from the shareholder's income in applying 
the income test and the stock or debt investment is eliminated from the 
shareholder's assets in applying the asset test.''); Staff, Joint 
Committee on Taxation, General Explanation of the Tax Reform Act of 
1986, JCS-10-87, at 1026 (1987). The Treasury Department and the IRS 
have determined that it is appropriate to follow that approach. Thus, 
the proposed regulations provide that intercompany payments of 
dividends and interest between a Look-Through Subsidiary and the Tested 
Foreign Corporation and stock and debt receivables are eliminated in 
applying the Income Test and the Asset Test. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
2(c)(1) and (2). In the case of dividends, in order to qualify for 
elimination, the payment must be attributable to income of a Look-
Through Subsidiary that was included in gross income by the Tested 
Foreign Corporation for purposes of determining its PFIC status. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(c)(2). Thus, dividends attributable to income 
of the Look-Through Subsidiary earned in a year before the Tested 
Foreign Corporation owned, on average, at least 25% by value of the 
Look-Through Subsidiary would generally not qualify for elimination. As 
a result of the elimination rule, for example, interest and dividends 
received by a Tested Foreign Corporation from a wholly owned Look-
Through Subsidiary are eliminated from the Tested Foreign Corporation's 
gross income for purposes of applying section 1297(a)(1), except to the 
extent that dividend amounts are attributable to income that has not 
been treated as received directly by the Tested Foreign Corporation 
under the section 1297(c) look-through rule. Additionally, the proposed 
regulations extend this treatment to intercompany payments between two 
Look-Through Subsidiaries of a Tested Foreign Corporation and the 
associated stock and debt receivables. Similarly, stock and debt 
investments in a lower-tier Look-Through Subsidiary are eliminated for 
purposes of applying the Income Test and Asset Test to the Tested 
Foreign Corporation. In the case of a Tested Foreign Corporation that 
owns less than 100 percent of a Look-Through Subsidiary, the proposed 
regulations provide that while stock and dividends are eliminated in 
their entirety, eliminations of debt receivables and interest are made 
in proportion to the shareholder's direct and indirect ownership (by 
value) in the Look-Through Subsidiary. The proposed regulations also 
provide for eliminations under these principles for ownership interests 
in a Look-Through Partnership, as well as intercompany debt receivables 
and interest paid or accrued thereon between a Tested Foreign 
Corporation and a Look-Through Partnership. See proposed Sec.  1.1297-
2(c)(3). Comments are requested on the application of the elimination 
rule if the Tested Foreign Corporation owns less than 100 percent of 
the Look-Through Subsidiary or Partnership. Comments are also requested 
as to whether the Treasury Department and the IRS should consider the 
elimination of rents, royalties, or any other types of intercompany 
income, and any related assets, and if so, how to effectuate the 
elimination.
4. Section 1297(b)(2)(C) Related Person Determination With Respect to 
Interest, Dividends, Rents, and Royalties Received by Look-Through 
Subsidiaries and Certain Partnerships
    Section 1297(c) provides that a Tested Foreign Corporation is 
treated as receiving directly its proportionate share of the income of 
a Look-Through Subsidiary for purposes of applying the Income Test to 
the Tested Foreign Corporation. Section 1297(b)(2)(C) provides that, 
for purposes of the Income Test, passive income does not include 
interest, dividends, rents or royalties received or accrued from a 
related person (within the meaning of section 954(d)(3)) to the extent 
such amount is properly allocable to income of the related person that 
is not passive

[[Page 33129]]

income. The statute and current regulations do not address the level at 
which the ``related person'' determination is made if a Look-Through 
Subsidiary receives or accrues an item of income that is treated as 
directly received by a Tested Foreign Corporation pursuant to section 
1297(c). Thus, the interaction and application of the two rules is 
unclear in cases in which the payor of an item of income is a ``related 
person'' with respect to either the Look-Through Subsidiary or the 
Tested Foreign Corporation, but not with respect to both.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that, because 
section 1297(c) generally applies by classifying an item at the level 
of Look-Through Subsidiary and then carrying that classification up to 
the Tested Foreign Corporation, it is appropriate to determine whether 
the section 1297(b)(2)(C) exception applies (and, thus, determine the 
passive or non-passive character of an item of income) at the Look-
Through Subsidiary level, and then flow up the passive or non-passive 
character of the item to the Tested Foreign Corporation for purposes of 
applying the Income Test. Accordingly, proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(d)(1) 
provides that, in applying section 1297(b)(2)(C), ``related person'' 
status is tested with respect to the payor of the item of income and 
the Look-Through Subsidiary. The same rule applies for items of income 
received by a partnership and treated as received directly by a Tested 
Foreign Corporation pursuant to proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2). The 
Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on these rules.
5. Attribution of Activities of a Look-Through Subsidiary and Certain 
Partnerships
    The interaction of section 1297(c) and certain exceptions from 
passive income also raises issues that require a threshold 
determination of whether an exception should apply at a Look-Through 
Subsidiary level or a Tested Foreign Corporation level. For instance, 
under proposed Sec.  1.1296-4 in the notice of proposed rulemaking 
(INTL-0065-93) published in the Federal Register (60 FR 20922) on April 
28, 1995, the banking exception in section 1297(b)(2)(A) applies only 
if a number of requirements are satisfied, including a deposit taking 
requirement, a lending requirement, and a license requirement. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1296-4. In a bank holding company structure, in which 
a Tested Foreign Corporation wholly owns a Look-Through Subsidiary that 
separately satisfies the section 1297(b)(2)(A) requirements, the 
banking exception would apply to the income derived by the Look-Through 
Subsidiary in its banking business if an approach that applied the 
exception at the Look-Through Subsidiary level were adopted, but would 
not apply if an approach that applied the exception at the Tested 
Foreign Corporation level were adopted because the Tested Foreign 
Corporation would not literally meet all of the banking exception 
requirements. Similarly, the character of assets held by a Look-Through 
Subsidiary that is a dealer in property in the ordinary course of its 
trade or business as a dealer would depend on whether an approach that 
applied the exception in section 954(c)(2)(C) at the Look-Through 
Subsidiary level were adopted, or whether an approach were applied that 
determined the character at the level of a Tested Foreign Corporation 
that was not itself a dealer.
    A corollary issue arises with respect to the application of other 
exceptions to passive income under section 954(c). For instance, under 
Sec.  1.954-2(c)(1)(ii), the active rental income exception in section 
954(c)(2)(A) applies if certain activities are performed with respect 
to real property by the lessor's own employees. In a structure in which 
a Tested Foreign Corporation holds real estate assets directly and 
employees of its Look-Through Subsidiary conduct the activities related 
to the Tested Foreign Corporation's real estate business necessary to 
satisfy the exception, the exception would apply if the character of 
the income were determined at the level of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation and the activities of the managers and employees of the 
Look-Through Subsidiary were attributed to the Tested Foreign 
Corporation. However, the exception would not apply if the activities 
were not attributed to the Tested Foreign Corporation, because in such 
case the relevant activities are not performed by employees of the 
Tested Foreign Corporation, as literally required in the regulation. 
Additional complexities arise when the Tested Foreign Corporation owns 
less than 100 percent of the Look-Through Subsidiary.
    Under current law, the character of income or assets is determined 
at the level of the entity that directly earns the income or holds the 
assets based on the activities of that entity. However, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS understand that active businesses in foreign 
jurisdictions generating rent and royalty income are often organized 
with assets and income, on the one hand, and activities, on the other 
hand, contained in separate entities for various business reasons. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that if assets are held 
and activities undertaken in separate entities within a group of 
wholly-owned Look-Through Subsidiaries headed by a Tested Foreign 
Corporation, the activities of the Look-Through Subsidiaries should be 
taken into account for purposes of determining whether an item of rent 
or royalty income of the Tested Foreign Corporation is passive income, 
as they would if the Look-Through Subsidiaries were disregarded as 
separate from the Tested Foreign Corporation for U.S. Federal income 
tax purposes.
    Accordingly, the proposed regulations provide that an item of rent 
or royalty income received or accrued by a Tested Foreign Corporation 
(or treated as received or accrued by the Tested Foreign Corporation 
pursuant to section 1297(c)) that would otherwise be passive income 
under the general rule is not passive income for purposes of section 
1297 if the item would be excluded from passive income, determined by 
taking into account the activities performed by the officers and 
employees of the Tested Foreign Corporation as well as activities 
performed by the officers and employees of certain Look-Through 
Subsidiaries and certain partnerships in which the Tested Foreign 
Corporation or one of the Look-Through Subsidiaries is a partner. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(e)(1). In some cases, a Look-Through Subsidiary 
or Look-Through Partnership may have more than one unrelated owner 
owning at least 25 percent of the entity's value. Activities, unlike 
income or expense, are qualitative in nature and cannot be easily 
allocated between owners based on their percentage ownership. If 
activities are attributed to any owner of 25 percent or more of the 
Look-Through Subsidiary or partnership, then up to four owners could 
potentially be able to take into account the same activities. Because 
it may be difficult to allocate activities among multiple entities but 
inappropriate to allow double-counting of the activities by attributing 
the activities of a Look-Through Subsidiary or a partnership to 
multiple unrelated entities, the proposed regulations provide that a 
Tested Foreign Corporation may take into account the activities 
performed only by those Look-Through Subsidiaries or partnerships with 
respect to which the Tested Foreign Corporation owns (directly or 
indirectly) more than 50 percent of the value, because at this level of 
ownership the activities of the Look-Through Subsidiary or Look-Through 
Partnership could be attributed to only another

[[Page 33130]]

foreign corporation within the same chain of ownership as the Tested 
Foreign Corporation and not an unrelated entity.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on the 
application of the activity attribution rules to Look-Through 
Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned by a Tested Foreign Corporation, 
including whether it is appropriate for a Tested Foreign Corporation to 
take into account all activities of a Look-Through Subsidiary in which 
the Tested Foreign Corporation owns more than 50 percent of the value 
of the stock, and whether a different ownership threshold for 
attribution of activities would be appropriate.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS also request comments on 
whether the ability to apply an exception to passive income at the 
Tested Foreign Corporation level taking into account the activities of 
certain subsidiaries should apply for purposes of other exceptions, 
such as for purposes of the exception in section 1297(b)(2)(A). 
Comments should consider the interaction of the rules for elimination 
of intercompany assets and income described in Part I.F.3 of this 
Explanation of Provisions with the rules for taking into account the 
activities of certain Look-Through Subsidiaries and Look-Through 
Partnerships.
6. Gain on the Disposition of Stock of a Look-Through Subsidiary
    Section 1297(c) does not address the treatment of a Tested Foreign 
Corporation's gain from the disposition of stock of a Look-Through 
Subsidiary for purposes of the Income Test. Questions have been raised 
as to whether such a disposition should be treated as a disposition of 
stock or a deemed disposition of the assets of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary, and how gain on the disposition should be characterized for 
purposes of the Income Test.
    The proposed regulations provide that, for purposes of the Income 
Test, the disposition of a Look-Through Subsidiary is treated as the 
disposition of stock, and gain is computed accordingly. However, the 
proposed regulations limit the amount of the gain taken into account 
for purposes of the Income Test in order to avoid double-counting any 
income that the Tested Foreign Corporation takes into account under 
section 1297(c) in determining the PFIC status of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation during the year of the disposition or took into account for 
such purpose in a prior year that has not been distributed as a 
dividend to the Tested Foreign Corporation. Thus, the amount of gain 
taken into account for purposes of the Income Test (``Residual Gain'') 
is equal to the total gain recognized by the Tested Foreign Corporation 
on the disposition, reduced (but not below zero) by the amount (if any) 
by which (A) the aggregate income (if any) of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary (and any other Look-Through Subsidiary, to the extent stock 
in such other Look-Through Subsidiary is owned indirectly through the 
Look-Through Subsidiary) taken into account by the Tested Foreign 
Corporation under section 1297(c)(2) with respect to the disposed Look-
Through Subsidiary stock exceeds (B) the aggregate dividends (if any) 
received by the Tested Foreign Corporation from the Look-Through 
Subsidiary with respect to the disposed stock (including dividends 
attributable to stock of any other Look-Through Subsidiary owned 
indirectly through the Look-Through Subsidiary). The Residual Gain is 
computed on a share-by-share basis with respect to income of a Look-
Through Subsidiary that was taken into account by the Tested Foreign 
Corporation and dividends received from a Look-Through Subsidiary. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(f)(1). Comments are requested on the 
calculation of Residual Gain for purposes of section 1297(a).
    Gain from the disposition of stock generally is treated as FPHCI 
under section 954(c)(1)(B)(i). However, section 954(c) does not contain 
a look-through rule comparable to section 1297(c). In order to comport 
with the policy underlying section 1297(c), the Treasury Department and 
the IRS have determined that the character of the gain from the 
disposition of a Look-Through Subsidiary should correspond to the 
character of the underlying assets of the Look-Through Subsidiary. 
Accordingly, proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(f)(2) provides that the Residual 
Gain taken into account by the Tested Foreign Corporation will be 
characterized as passive income or non-passive income in proportion to 
the passive assets and non-passive assets of the disposed-of Look-
Through Subsidiary (and any other Look-Through Subsidiary, to the 
extent owned indirectly through the Look-Through Subsidiary) treated as 
held by the Tested Foreign Corporation pursuant to section 1297(c) on 
the date of the disposition, measured using the method (value or 
adjusted bases) that is used to measure the assets of the Tested 
Foreign Corporation for purposes of the Asset Test.
    Pursuant to proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(C), section 954(c)(4) 
applies with respect to the disposition of interests in a Look-Through 
Partnership. Comments are requested concerning whether any additional 
guidance is needed concerning the disposition of interests in a Look-
Through Partnership.

G. Change-of-Business Exception (Including Dispositions of Stock of a 
Look-Through Subsidiary)

    Section 1298(b)(3) provides an exception from PFIC status (the 
``Change-of-Business Exception'') for a Tested Foreign Corporation that 
is ``in transition from one active business to another active 
business.'' H.R. Rep. No. 99-841, at II-644 (1986) (Conf. Rep.). Under 
section 1298(b)(3), the Change-of-Business Exception applies for a 
taxable year of the Tested Foreign Corporation if (i) neither the 
Tested Foreign Corporation nor a predecessor of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation was a PFIC in a prior taxable year; (ii) it is established 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that (A) substantially all of the 
passive income of the Tested Foreign Corporation for the taxable year 
is attributable to proceeds from the disposition of one or more active 
trades or businesses, and (B) the Tested Foreign Corporation will not 
be a PFIC for either of the two taxable years following such taxable 
year; and (iii) the Tested Foreign Corporation is not, in fact, a PFIC 
for either of such two taxable years. Thus, notwithstanding the 
legislative history and the title of section 1298(b)(3), a Tested 
Foreign Corporation may qualify for the Change-of-Business Exception 
even if it does not engage in an active business after a disposition.
    The proposed regulations provide general guidance with respect to 
the Change-of-Business Exception. First, the proposed regulations 
provide that for purposes of section 1298(b)(3)(B), the existence of an 
active trade or business and the determination of whether assets are 
used in an active trade or business is determined by reference to 
Treas. Reg. Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(2), (3), and (5), except that officers 
and employees do not include the officers and employees of related 
entities as provided in Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(3). See proposed Sec.  
1.1298-2(c)(3). If, however, the activity attribution rules described 
in Part I.F.5 of this Explanation of Provisions or section 954(h)(3)(E) 
would apply to cause the activities of another entity to be taken into 
account, they are taken into account for purposes of determining the 
applicability of the Change-of-Business Exception. Id. In addition, the 
proposed regulations provide that income attributable to proceeds from 
the disposition of an active trade or business means income

[[Page 33131]]

earned on investment of such proceeds but does not include the proceeds 
themselves. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-2(c)(1). The regulations also 
provide that section 1298(b)(3) may apply to either a taxable year of 
the disposition of the active trade or business or the immediately 
succeeding taxable year, but in any event may apply to only one year 
with respect to a disposition. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-2(e). Thus, a 
Tested Foreign Corporation that receives proceeds from a disposition in 
more than one taxable year may apply the Change-of-Business Exception 
to only one year. A Tested Foreign Corporation can choose which year it 
applies the Change-of-Business Exception if the exception can apply in 
more than one year.
    Several comments have inquired regarding the application of the 
Change-of-Business Exception to the sale or exchange of stock of a 
Look-Through Subsidiary that conducts an active trade or business. 
Specifically, these comments have questioned whether, by reason of 
section 1297(c), the Tested Foreign Corporation should be treated as 
disposing of an active trade or business conducted by a Look-Through 
Subsidiary for purposes of the Change-of-Business Exception. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that, given that 
section 1297(c) applies ``for purposes of determining whether [a] 
foreign corporation is a [PFIC],'' the Change-of-Business Exception 
should, in appropriate circumstances, apply to a Tested Foreign 
Corporation's disposition of its interest in a Look-Through Subsidiary 
that is engaged in an active trade or business. Thus, the proposed 
regulations provide that, for purposes of the Change-of-Business 
Exception, a disposition of stock of a Look-Through Subsidiary is 
treated as a disposition of a proportionate share of the assets held by 
the Look-Through Subsidiary on the date of the disposition. See 
proposed Sec.  1.1298-2(d). Therefore, the portion of the proceeds 
attributable to assets used by a Look-Through Subsidiary in an active 
trade or business is considered for purposes of the Change-of-Business 
Exception to be proceeds from the disposition of an active trade or 
business.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS also understand that Tested 
Foreign Corporations may not be able to satisfy the requirements of the 
Change-of-Business Exception provided in section 1298(b)(3) in certain 
situations in which proceeds from the disposition of an active trade or 
business cause the Tested Foreign Corporation to qualify as a PFIC 
pursuant to the Asset Test. The Treasury Department and the IRS have 
determined that if a Tested Foreign Corporation has historically 
engaged in an active trade or business and proceeds from the 
disposition of such business cause it to qualify as a PFIC, it may be 
appropriate in certain circumstances to which section 1298(b)(3) does 
not apply to treat the Tested Foreign Corporation as not a PFIC. 
Accordingly, the proposed regulations expand the Change-of-Business 
Exception in section 1298(b)(3) to apply if, on the measuring dates 
that occur during the taxable year to which the Change-of-Business 
Exception is proposed to apply and after the disposition, on average, 
substantially all of the passive assets of a corporation are 
attributable to proceeds from the disposition of one or more active 
trades or businesses. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-2(b)(2)(ii).
    Furthermore, the Treasury Department and the IRS understand that in 
certain circumstances, the Change-of-Business Exception could apply to 
the liquidation of a Tested Foreign Corporation if it were not for the 
fact that foreign law restrictions make it difficult to complete the 
liquidation within the year for which the exception applies. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that it is appropriate 
to allow the Change-of-Business Exception to be relied upon when such a 
liquidation is completed within a reasonable period of time after the 
disposition. Accordingly, in the case of a corporation, substantially 
all of the passive assets of which are attributable to proceeds from 
the disposition of one or more active trades or businesses, proposed 
Sec.  1.1298-2(c)(4) provides that a Tested Foreign Corporation will be 
deemed to satisfy the requirement that the Tested Foreign Corporation 
not be a PFIC for the two years following the year for which it relies 
on the Change-of-Business Exception if it completely liquidates by the 
end of the year following the year for which it relies on the Change-
of-Business Exception. U.S. Federal income tax principles apply to 
determine whether a Tested Foreign Corporation has completely 
liquidated. See Rev. Rul. 54-518, 1954-2 C.B. 142 (concluding that if a 
corporation ceases business operations, has retained no assets, and has 
no income, the mere retention of a charter does not prevent it from 
being treated as completely liquidated).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments concerning 
whether any other guidance is necessary concerning the application of 
section 1298(b)(3), including concerning the conditions under which the 
requirements of section 1298(b)(3)(C) will be considered satisfied.

H. Domestic Subsidiary Stock Rule

    As discussed in Part I.F.2 of this Explanation of Provisions, 
section 1298(b)(7) provides a special characterization rule that 
applies if a Tested Foreign Corporation owns at least 25 percent of the 
value of the stock of a domestic corporation and is subject to the 
accumulated earnings tax under section 531 (or waives any benefit under 
a treaty that would otherwise prevent imposition of such tax). The 
proposed regulations clarify that stock of the 25-percent-owned 
domestic corporation and the qualified stock generally must be owned by 
the Tested Foreign Corporation and the 25-percent-owned domestic 
corporation, respectively, either directly or indirectly through one or 
more partnerships. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(b)(1) and (c).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that the 
accumulated earnings tax need not actually be imposed on a foreign 
corporation in a taxable year in order for it to qualify for section 
1298(b)(7). Furthermore, a Tested Foreign Corporation's ability to rely 
on section 1298(b)(7) in a given year should not depend on whether it 
has U.S. source income in that year, as it would if Sec.  1.532-1(c) 
applied to determine whether the Tested Foreign Corporation was subject 
to tax under section 531. Accordingly, the regulations provide that a 
Tested Foreign Corporation is considered subject to the tax imposed by 
section 531 for purposes of section 1298(b)(7) regardless of whether 
the tax actually is imposed on the corporation and regardless of 
whether the requirements of Sec.  1.532-1(c) are met. See proposed 
Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(1). Additionally, comments have raised questions 
concerning the waiver of treaty benefits that would prevent imposition 
of the accumulated earnings tax. The proposed regulations provide that 
a Tested Foreign Corporation must waive any benefit under a treaty by 
attaching to its U.S. Federal income tax return for the taxable year 
for which it applies section 1298(b)(7) a statement that it irrevocably 
waives treaty protection against the imposition of the accumulated 
earnings tax, effective for all prior, current, and future taxable 
years. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(2)(i). If a Tested Foreign 
Corporation is not otherwise required to file a U.S. Federal income tax 
return, the waiver can be made in a resolution (or other governance 
document) to be kept in the entity's records or, in the case of a 
publicly traded corporation, in a statement in the corporation's public

[[Page 33132]]

filings. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(2)(ii).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS understand that foreign 
corporations may be relying on section 1298(b)(7) to avoid being 
treated as PFICs notwithstanding their direct and indirect ownership of 
predominantly passive assets by ensuring that a sufficient amount of 
such assets are held indirectly through two tiers of domestic 
subsidiaries. For example, a Tested Foreign Corporation might hold 
stock of another foreign corporation that is PFIC, but rely on a two-
tiered domestic chain holding passive assets to avoid being treated as 
a PFIC; as a result, a United States person holding stock of the Tested 
Foreign Corporation would generally not be treated as a shareholder of 
the PFIC stock owned by the Tested Foreign Corporation. Accordingly, 
the proposed regulations provide that, notwithstanding the general 
coordination rule between section 1297(c) and section 1298(b)(7) in 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2)(iii), section 1298(b)(7) does not apply 
for purposes of determining if a foreign corporation is a PFIC for 
purposes of the ownership attribution rules in section 1298(a)(2) and 
Treas. Reg. Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii). See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(e). 
Thus, if a Tested Foreign Corporation would qualify as a PFIC if 
section 1298(b)(7) did not apply, either because section 1297(c) 
applied to treat the Tested Foreign Corporation as owning directly the 
assets of a domestic corporation in which it indirectly held qualified 
stock, or because the qualified stock was treated as a passive asset, 
then persons that held stock of a PFIC through the Tested Foreign 
Corporation would be considered under section 1298(a)(2)(B) and Treas. 
Reg. Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii)(B) to own a proportionate amount (by 
value) of the stock of the PFIC regardless of the level of their 
ownership interest in the Tested Foreign Corporation.
    To address the possibility of passive assets--particularly non-
stock assets that could not themselves be eligible for the special 
treatment of section 1298(b)(7)--being held through a two-tiered chain 
of domestic subsidiaries in order to avoid the PFIC rules, the proposed 
regulations further provide anti-abuse rules under the authority of 
section 1298(g), one of which provides that section 1298(b)(7) will not 
apply if the Tested Foreign Corporation would be a PFIC if the 
qualified stock or any income received or accrued with respect thereto 
were disregarded. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(f)(1). Furthermore, under 
a second anti-abuse rule, section 1298(b)(7) will not apply if a 
principal purpose for the Tested Foreign Corporation's formation or 
acquisition of the 25-percent-owned domestic corporation is to avoid 
classification of the Tested Foreign Corporation as a PFIC. A principal 
purpose will be deemed to exist if the 25-percent-owned domestic 
corporation is not engaged in an active trade or business in the United 
States. See proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(f)(2). No inference is intended as 
to the application of section 1298(b)(7) under prior law. The IRS may, 
where appropriate, challenge transactions under the Code, regulatory 
provisions under prior law, or judicial doctrines. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS welcome comments on these rules.

II. PFIC Insurance Exception Rules

    The proposed regulations provide guidance regarding whether the 
income of a foreign corporation is excluded from passive income 
pursuant to section 1297(b)(2)(B) because the income is derived in the 
active conduct of an insurance business by a QIC. Part II.A of this 
Explanation of Provisions describes the rules in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
4 for determining whether a foreign corporation is a QIC. Part II.B of 
this Explanation of Provisions describes the rules in proposed Sec.  
1.1297-5(c)(2) defining the term insurance business. Part II.C of this 
Explanation of Provisions describes the rules in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
5(c) regarding the active conduct of an insurance business. Part II.D 
of this Explanation of Provisions describes the rules in proposed Sec.  
1.1297-5(f) regarding the application of the section 1297(b)(2)(B) 
exception to items of income treated as received or accrued or assets 
treated as held by a QIC pursuant to section 1297(c). Part II.E of this 
Explanation of Provisions describes the rules in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
5(d) regarding the treatment of income and assets of certain domestic 
insurance corporations owned by a QIC as active for purposes of 
1297(a). Part II.F of this Explanation of Provisions describes the rule 
in proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(g) prohibiting the double counting of any 
item for purposes of proposed Sec. Sec.  1.1297-4 and 1.1297-5.

A. QIC Status Requirement

    Generally, section 1297(f) provides that a QIC is a foreign 
corporation that (1) would be subject to tax under subchapter L if it 
were a domestic corporation and (2) has applicable insurance 
liabilities that constitute more than 25 percent of its total assets. 
Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4 provides guidance regarding the requirements 
under section 1297(f)(1) that a foreign corporation must satisfy to 
qualify as a QIC.
1. Insurance Company Requirement
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(b)(1) provides guidance regarding when a 
foreign corporation would be the type of corporation that would be 
taxable under subchapter L (that is, an insurance company) if the 
corporation were a domestic corporation. See section 1297(f)(1)(A). It 
provides that a foreign corporation would be subject to tax under 
subchapter L if it were a domestic corporation if it is an insurance 
company as defined in section 816(a) (generally requiring more than 
half of the corporation's business during the taxable year to be the 
issuing of insurance or annuity contracts, or the reinsuring of risks 
underwritten by insurance companies).
2. 25 Percent Test
    In addition to the insurance company requirement, generally a 
foreign corporation's ``applicable insurance liabilities'' (defined in 
section 1297(f)(3)(A) and proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(f)(2)) must exceed 25 
percent of its ``total assets'' (defined in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
4(f)(7) to be a QIC. Section 1297(f)(1)(B); see also proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4(c). This determination is made on the basis of the foreign 
corporation's liabilities and assets as reported on the corporation's 
applicable financial statement for the last year ending with or within 
the taxable year. This test hereinafter is referred to as the ``25 
percent test.'' Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(c) provides guidance regarding 
the application of the 25 percent test.
3. Alternative Facts and Circumstance Test
    If a foreign corporation fails the 25 percent test, section 
1297(f)(2) permits a United States person to elect to treat stock in 
the corporation as stock of a QIC under certain circumstances. 
Specifically, to make the election, the foreign corporation must be 
predominantly engaged in an insurance business, and its applicable 
insurance liabilities must constitute 10 percent or more of its total 
assets, hereinafter the ``10 percent test.'' A United States person may 
only make this election if the foreign corporation fails the 25 percent 
test solely due to runoff-related or rating-related circumstances 
involving its insurance business, as further described in Part II.A.3.b 
of this Explanation of Provisions.

[[Page 33133]]

a. Predominantly Engaged in an Insurance Business
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(2) provides guidance regarding the 
circumstances under which a foreign corporation is predominantly 
engaged in an insurance business. In the case of a foreign corporation 
that fails the 25-percent test, Congress included the predominantly 
engaged requirement as part of the alternative facts and circumstances 
test to ascertain whether a foreign corporation is truly engaged in an 
insurance business despite the low ratio of applicable insurance 
liabilities to assets. See H.R. Rep. No. 115-466, at 671 (2017) (Conf. 
Rep.) (``Facts and circumstances that tend to show the firm may not be 
predominantly engaged in an insurance business include a small number 
of insured risks with low likelihood but large potential costs; workers 
focused to a greater degree on investment activities than underwriting 
activities; and low loss exposure. Additional relevant facts for 
determining whether the foreign corporation is predominantly engaged in 
an insurance business include: Claims payment patterns for the current 
year and prior years; the foreign corporation's loss exposure as 
calculated for a regulator or for a rating agency, or if those are not 
calculated, for internal pricing purposes; the percentage of gross 
receipts constituting premiums for the current and prior years; and the 
number and size of insurance contracts issued or taken on through 
reinsurance by the foreign corporation. The fact that a foreign 
corporation has been holding itself out as an insurer for a long period 
is not determinative either way.''). The proposed regulations clarify 
that each of these factors is intended to be tested based on whether 
the particular facts and circumstances of the foreign corporation are 
comparable to commercial insurance arrangements providing similar lines 
of coverage to unrelated parties in arm's length transactions.
    As noted in Part II.A.1 of this Explanation of Provisions, to 
qualify as an insurance company, more than one half of a corporation's 
business must be the issuing of insurance or annuity contracts or the 
reinsuring of risks underwritten by insurance companies. See sections 
816(a) and 831(c). Although such a corporation might otherwise be 
considered to be ``predominantly engaged'' in an insurance business 
(where predominantly means ``for the most part''), the predominantly 
engaged requirement of the alternative facts and circumstances test in 
section 1297(f) is separate from, and in addition to, the requirement 
that a corporation would be subject to tax under subchapter L if the 
foreign corporation were a domestic corporation. Therefore, in order to 
give effect to this predominantly engaged requirement, proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4(d)(2) incorporates the specific factors enumerated in the 
legislative history as a part of a foreign corporation's analysis of 
whether it is predominantly engaged in an insurance business under the 
alternative facts and circumstances test, while retaining the 
requirement that ``more than half'' of the business be of a certain 
type, because the foreign corporation must separately satisfy that 
threshold with respect to the character of its insurance business under 
section 1297(f)(1)(A).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments regarding 
whether this proposed test appropriately determines whether a foreign 
corporation is predominantly engaged in an insurance business and 
invite comments on whether the proposed test would have material 
effects upon the way in which entities engaged in the provision of 
insurance are structured.
b. Runoff-Related or Rating-Related Circumstances
    To qualify for the alternative facts and circumstances test, 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(3) and (4) clarify the circumstances under 
which a foreign corporation fails to satisfy the 25 percent test solely 
due to runoff-related or rating-related circumstances involving its 
insurance business.
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(3) provides that runoff-related 
circumstances occur when a corporation has adopted a plan of 
liquidation or termination of operations under the supervision of its 
applicable insurance regulatory body. Additionally, the corporation may 
not issue or enter into any new insurance, annuity, or reinsurance 
contracts during the taxable year (other than contractually obligated 
renewals of existing insurance contracts or reinsurance contracts 
pursuant to and consistent with the corporation's plan of liquidation 
or termination of operations) and must make payments during the annual 
reporting period covered by the applicable financial statement to 
satisfy the claims under insurance, annuity, or reinsurance contracts 
issued or entered into before the corporation ceased entering into new 
business.
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(4) provides that rating-related 
circumstances occur when a generally recognized credit rating agency 
requires a foreign corporation to maintain a surplus of capital to 
receive or maintain a minimum credit rating for the foreign corporation 
to be classified as secure to write new insurance business for the 
current year. The Treasury Department and the IRS understand that it is 
possible that the minimum credit rating required to be classified as 
secure to write new insurance business may be higher for some lines of 
insurance business than for other lines of insurance business. For this 
purpose, the proposed rule is intended to apply to the highest minimum 
credit rating required to be classified as secure to write new 
insurance business for any line of insurance business.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS understand that there may be 
certain lines of insurance business, such as financial guaranty 
insurance, where market realities require a credit rating in excess of 
the minimum credit rating for a foreign corporation to be classified as 
secure to write new insurance business in the relevant business line 
for the current year. The Treasury Department and the IRS request 
comments regarding this fact pattern and how best to address these 
lines of business in the context of the rating-related circumstances 
test.
c. Election To Apply the Alternative Facts and Circumstances Test
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(i) generally requires that the 
foreign corporation with respect to which the election is made directly 
provide the United States person a statement or make a publicly 
available statement (such as in a public filing, disclosure statement, 
or other notice provided to United States persons that are shareholders 
of the foreign corporation) that it satisfied the requirements of 
section 1297(f)(2) and Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(1) during the foreign 
corporation's taxable year and certain information relevant to that 
statement. A United States person, however, may not rely upon any 
statement by the foreign corporation to make the election under section 
1297(f)(2) if the shareholder knows or has reason to know that the 
statement made by the foreign corporation was incorrect. Because the 
foreign corporation possesses the information necessary to make an 
election under the alternative facts and circumstances test, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that it is appropriate 
to require a United States person to obtain that information from the 
foreign corporation in order to make the election. Comments are 
requested regarding the form and content of the statement provided by 
the foreign corporation to United States persons as set forth in 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-

[[Page 33134]]

4(d)(5)(i)-(ii), and whether there are alternative ways of satisfying 
the requirements of 1297(f)(2).
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii) describes the time and manner 
for making the election. To make the election before final regulations 
are published, a United States person that owns stock of a foreign 
corporation electing to treat that stock as stock of a QIC under the 
alternative facts and circumstances test must file a limited-
information Form 8621 (or successor form). For this purpose, a United 
States person must file a Form 8621 with the box checked regarding the 
QIC election and must provide the identifying information of the 
shareholder and the foreign corporation. The United States person is 
not required to complete any other part of Form 8621 if that person is 
only filing the Form 8621 to make the QIC election under the 
alternative facts and circumstances test.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on ways to 
reduce burden on small shareholders with respect to the alternative 
facts and circumstances test.
4. Limitations on the Amount of Applicable Insurance Liabilities
    When applying the 25 percent test to a foreign corporation, section 
1297(f)(3)(B) provides that the amount of the foreign corporation's 
applicable insurance liabilities cannot exceed the lesser of (i) the 
amount that the foreign corporation reported to its ``applicable 
insurance regulatory body'' (defined in section 1297(f)(4)(B) and 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(f)(3)), (ii) the amount required by applicable 
law or regulation, or (iii) the amount determined under regulations 
prescribed by the Treasury Department and the IRS.
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(e) provides additional guidance regarding 
the limitation on the amount of applicable insurance liabilities for 
purposes of the 25 percent test and the 10 percent test. Specifically, 
the proposed regulations provide that the amount of applicable 
insurance liabilities may not exceed the lesser of (1) the amount shown 
on the most recent applicable financial statement; (2) the minimum 
amount required by applicable law or regulation of the jurisdiction of 
the applicable insurance regulatory body; and (3) the amount shown on 
the most recent financial statement made on the basis of U.S. generally 
accepted accounting principles (``US GAAP'') or international financial 
reporting standards (``IFRS'') if such financial statement was not 
prepared for financial reporting purposes. The Treasury Department and 
the IRS have determined that the additional limitations are necessary 
to clarify which financial statements are used to apply the 25 percent 
test and the 10 percent test, and that it is appropriate to limit the 
amount of applicable insurance liabilities to the minimum amount of 
liabilities required to be reported by an insurance regulator, even if 
the foreign corporation's regulator would accept a higher liability 
amount for regulatory purposes. In addition, under section 1297(f)(4), 
an applicable financial statement only includes financial statements 
made on the basis of US GAAP or IFRS if such a statement has been 
prepared for financial reporting purposes. If a foreign corporation 
prepares a financial statement on the basis of US GAAP or IFRS for a 
purpose other than financial reporting, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS have determined that the amount of applicable insurance liabilities 
under this financial statement, if lower than the amount on the 
applicable financial statement, is an appropriate limit on the amount 
of applicable insurance liabilities. This limitation is appropriate 
because Congress has expressed a preference for widely used standards 
of financial accounting through its references to such standards in 
section 1297(f)(4)(A).
    Under the proposed regulations, a special rule applies with respect 
to applicable financial statements that are neither prepared under US 
GAAP nor IFRS. To the extent that such an applicable financial 
statement does not discount losses on an economically reasonable basis, 
the foreign corporation must reduce its applicable insurance 
liabilities to reflect discounting that would apply under either US 
GAAP or IFRS. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that 
a method of determining insurance liabilities that fails to provide for 
a reasonable discounting rate does not take into account a factor that 
is necessary to appropriately and accurately report the amount of 
applicable insurance liabilities. For this purpose, the question of 
whether losses are discounted on an economically reasonable basis is 
determined under the relevant facts and circumstances. However, in 
order for losses to be discounted on an economically reasonable basis, 
discounting must be based on loss and claim payment patterns for either 
the foreign corporation or insurance companies in similar lines of 
insurance business. In addition, a discount rate based on these loss 
and claim payment patterns of at least the risk free rate in U.S. 
dollars or in a foreign currency in which the foreign corporation 
conducts some or all of its insurance business must be used. A loss 
discounting methodology consistent with that used for US GAAP or IFRS 
purposes is considered reasonable for this purpose.
    Finally, a special rule applies for certain foreign corporations 
that change their method of preparing their applicable financial 
statement by ceasing to prepare this statement under either US GAAP or 
IFRS and have no non-Federal tax business purpose for preparing a 
statement that is not consistent with US GAAP or IFRS. Under the 
proposed regulations, absent a non-Federal Tax business purpose, a 
foreign corporation must continue to prepare its applicable financial 
statement under either US GAAP or IFRS. If the foreign corporation 
fails to do so, the foreign corporation will be treated as having no 
applicable insurance liabilities for purposes of the QIC test. Absent 
this proposed rule, the Treasury Department and the IRS are concerned 
that a foreign corporation may change its method for preparing its 
financial statement to benefit from certain elements of a local 
regulatory accounting regime, such as a more expansive definition of 
insurance liability or a method of calculating a larger amount of 
insurance liabilities, solely for purposes of qualifying as a QIC. 
Comments are requested on this proposed rule.

B. Insurance Business

    For purposes of the PFIC insurance exception, proposed Sec.  
1.1297-5(c)(2) defines an insurance business as the business of issuing 
insurance and annuity contracts or reinsuring risks underwritten by 
other insurance companies (or both). Under the proposed regulations, an 
insurance business also includes the investment activities and 
administrative services required to support (or that are substantially 
related to) those insurance, annuity, or reinsurance contracts issued 
or entered into by the QIC. Proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(h)(2) provides that 
investment activities are any activities that generate income from 
assets that a QIC holds to meet its obligations under insurance and 
annuity contracts issued or reinsured by the QIC.

C. Active Conduct

    To give effect to the active conduct requirement, the 2015 proposed 
regulations differentiated between activities performed by a 
corporation through its officers and employees and activities performed 
by other persons (for example, employees of other

[[Page 33135]]

entities or independent contractors) for the corporation. The 2015 
proposed regulations accomplished this separation by defining the term 
``active conduct'' in section 1297(b)(2)(B) to have the same meaning as 
in Sec.  1.367(a)-2T(b)(3) (now Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(3)), except that 
officers and employees would not have included the officers and 
employees of related entities. Hence, under the 2015 proposed 
regulations, only insurance investment business activities performed by 
a corporation's officers and employees would be included in the 
corporation's active conduct of its insurance business. Accordingly, 
under the 2015 proposed regulations, investment income would have 
qualified for the PFIC insurance exception only if the corporation's 
own officers and employees performed the insurance business activities 
that produce the income.
    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(c)(3)(i) provides that the term active 
conduct is based on all of the facts and circumstances and that, in 
general, a QIC actively conducts an insurance business only if the 
officers and employees of the QIC carry out substantial managerial and 
operational activities. For this purpose, active conduct is intended to 
be interpreted consistently with the active conduct standard in Sec.  
1.367(a)-2(d)(5). The proposed regulation further provides that a QIC's 
officers and employees are considered to include the officers and 
employees of another corporation if the QIC satisfies the control test 
set forth in proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(c)(3)(ii). Generally, to satisfy 
the control test, (i) the QIC must either own, directly or indirectly 
more than 50 percent of the vote and value (for a corporation) or 
capital and profits interest (for a partnership) of the entity whose 
officers or employees are performing services for the QIC or (ii) a 
common parent must own, directly or indirectly, more than 80 percent of 
the vote and value or capital and profits interest of both the QIC and 
the entity performing services for the QIC. In addition, the QIC must 
exercise regular oversight and supervision over the services performed 
by the other entity's officers and employees for the QIC. The QIC must 
also either (i) pay directly all the compensation of the other entity's 
officers and employees attributable to services performed for the QIC 
for the production or acquisition of premiums and investment income on 
assets held to meet obligations under insurance, annuity, or 
reinsurance contracts issued or entered into by the QIC; (ii) reimburse 
the other entity for the portion of its expenses, including 
compensation and related expenses (determined in accordance with 
section 482, taking into account all expenses that would be included in 
the total services costs under Sec.  1.482-9(j) and Sec.  1.482-
9(k)(2)) and add a profit markup, as appropriate, for these services 
performed for the QIC by the other entity's officers and employees; or 
(iii) otherwise pay arm's length compensation in accordance with 
section 482 on a fee-related basis to the other entity for the services 
provided to the QIC. For example, it is common to charge for investment 
advisory or management services via a fee calculated as a percentage of 
the underlying assets under management (AUM), and a fee calculated on 
this basis may be arm's length under section 482 principles.
    Under proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(c)(4), a QIC determines the annual 
amount of its income that is derived in the active conduct of an 
insurance business (the active conduct test) and excluded from passive 
income under section 1297(b)(2)(B) for purposes of section 1297(a). To 
make this determination, the QIC must determine its active conduct 
percentage.
    If the QIC's active conduct percentage is greater than or equal to 
50 percent, then all of the QIC's passive income (as defined in Sec.  
1.1297-1, taking into account the exceptions in section 1297(b)(2) 
other than section 1297(b)(2)(B) and Sec.  1.1297-5) is excluded from 
passive income pursuant to the exception in section 1297(b)(2)(B) for 
the active conduct of an insurance business. If the QIC's active 
conduct percentage is less than 50 percent, then none of its income is 
excluded from passive income pursuant to the exception in section 
1297(b)(2)(B) for the active conduct of an insurance business. In 
response to comments made to the 2015 proposed regulations, the active 
conduct percentage is based on the QIC's expenses to provide a bright-
line test for measuring the QIC's active conduct. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS determined that the amount of expenses for 
insurance activities performed by the QIC (or by a related party) as 
compared to the total expenses of the QIC indicates the extent to which 
the QIC conducts the business itself and therefore, actively engages in 
an insurance business.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on the 
following topics:

    1. Whether the relative amount of expenses for insurance 
activities performed by the QIC accurately assesses whether a QIC is 
engaged in the active conduct of an insurance business.
    2. The contours of the control test, which allow for a QIC to 
benefit from a higher active conduct percentage based on activities 
(paid for by the QIC) of an entity in which a common parent, but not 
the QIC itself, owns more than 80 percent of the interests. The 
Treasury Department and IRS propose this standard based on an 
understanding of common ownership structures in the insurance 
industry, and note that the attribution of activities described in 
Part I.F.5 of this Explanation of Provisions (regarding the active 
rent or royalty exception) is more limited as it provides that a 
Tested Foreign Corporation may take into account the activities 
performed only by those Look-Through Subsidiaries or partnerships 
with respect to which the Tested Foreign Corporation owns (directly 
or indirectly) more than 50 percent of the value.
    3. The active conduct percentage calculation in general, 
including whether this test should be the only test for determining 
whether income is derived in the active conduct of an insurance 
business or whether such a percentage would better serve as an 
objective safe harbor alongside a facts and circumstances test.

D. Treatment of Income and Assets of Certain Look-Through Subsidiaries 
and Look-Through Partnerships Held by a QIC

    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(f) provides that certain items of income 
and assets that are passive in the hands of a look-through subsidiary 
or look-through partnership may be treated as active by a QIC. Under 
this provision, a Tested Foreign Corporation is treated as if it 
directly holds its proportionate share of the assets and as if it 
directly receives its proportionate share of the income of the Look-
Through Subsidiary or Look-Through Partnership. Generally, if the 
income or assets are passive in the hands of the Look-Through 
Subsidiary or Look-Through Partnership, the income or assets are 
treated as passive income and passive assets of the Tested Foreign 
Corporation. However, if the Tested Foreign Corporation is a QIC, the 
income and assets are tested under section Sec.  1.1297-5(c) and (e) to 
determine if they qualify for the section 1297(b)(2)(B) insurance 
exception to passive income. However, for this rule to apply, the Look-
Through Subsidiary or Look-Through Partnership, as the case may be, 
must have its assets and liabilities included in the applicable 
financial statement of the foreign corporation for purposes of the 25 
percent test and the 10 percent test. This rule does not change the 
character of the items of income or assets as passive income or passive 
assets to the Look-Through Subsidiary or Look-Through Partnership.

[[Page 33136]]

E. Qualifying Domestic Insurance Corporations

    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(d) provides that income of a qualifying 
domestic insurance corporation is not treated as passive income. 
Similarly, proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(e)(2) provides that assets of a 
qualifying domestic insurance corporation are not treated as passive 
assets. A qualifying domestic insurance corporation is a domestic 
corporation that is subject to tax as an insurance company under 
subchapter L of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Code and is subject to 
Federal income tax on its net income. This rule is intended to address 
situations where a Tested Foreign Corporation owns a domestic insurance 
corporation through a structure to which section 1298(b)(7) does not 
apply.

F. No Double Counting Rule

    Proposed Sec.  1.1297-5(g) provides that nothing in proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4 or Sec.  1.1297-5 permits any item to be counted more than 
once (for example, for determining a reserve or an applicable insurance 
liability for purposes of the 25 percent test and the 10 percent test). 
Including this general principle is consistent with subchapter L 
provisions that do not allow double counting. For example, section 
811(c)(2) provides that the same item may not be counted more than once 
for reserve purposes, section 811(c)(3) provides that no item may be 
deducted (either directly or as an increase in reserves) more than 
once, and section 832(d) prohibits the same item from being deducted 
more than once.

Applicability Dates

    These regulations are proposed to apply to taxable years of United 
States persons that are shareholders in certain foreign corporations 
beginning on or after the date of publication of the Treasury decision 
adopting these rules as final regulations in the Federal Register. 
However, until these regulations are finalized, taxpayers may choose to 
apply these proposed regulations (other than the proposed regulations 
under Sec. Sec.  1.1297-4 and 1.1297-5) in their entirety to all open 
tax years as if they were final regulations provided that taxpayers 
consistently apply the rules of these proposed regulations. Until 
finalization, United States persons that are shareholders in certain 
foreign corporations may apply the rules of Sec. Sec.  1.1297-4 and 
1.1297-5 for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, provided 
those United States persons consistently apply the rules of Sec. Sec.  
1.1297-4 and 1.1297-5 as if they were final regulations. In addition, 
taxpayers may continue to rely on Notice 88-22 until these regulations 
are finalized.

Special Analyses

I. Regulatory Planning and Review--Economic Analysis

    Executive Orders 13771, 13563, and 12866 direct agencies to assess 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits, including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity. Executive 
Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and 
benefits, reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and promoting flexibility. 
The Executive Order 13771 designation for any final rule resulting from 
the proposed regulation will be informed by comments received. The 
preliminary Executive Order 13771 designation for this proposed rule is 
regulatory.
    The proposed regulation has been designated by the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) as significant under 
Executive Order 12866 pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA, 
April 11, 2018) between the Treasury Department and the Office of 
Management and Budget regarding review of tax regulations.

A. Background

    Various provisions of the tax code allow tax on certain sources of 
income to be deferred, which means that the income is not taxed when it 
is earned but at some later date, based on specific events or 
conditions. Tax deferral is advantageous to taxpayers because the 
taxpayer can in the meantime earn a return on the amount that would 
otherwise have been paid as tax. Prior to the Act, income earned abroad 
generally was not taxed until it was repatriated to the United States. 
After the Act, income earned abroad by a CFC is generally taxed 
immediately to the United States shareholders of the CFC, but income 
earned by foreign corporations that are not CFCs, particularly where 
the owners of the foreign corporations are individuals or other 
entities not eligible for the dividends received deduction under 
section 245A, may still be eligible for deferral. However, deferral is 
not available with respect to income of foreign corporations that earn 
primarily certain kinds of passive income, which in general includes 
dividends, interest, royalties, rents, and certain gains on the 
exchange of property, commodities, or foreign currency. Limiting 
deferral of foreign source income discourages U.S. taxpayers from 
holding mobile, passive investments, such as stock, in a foreign 
corporation in order to defer U.S. tax.
    A particular set of rules limiting deferral applies to U.S. persons 
who own interests in passive foreign investment companies (``PFICs''). 
In general, a PFIC is a foreign corporation that, in a given year, has 
income that is 75 percent or more passive income or that owns, on 
average, assets that are 50 percent or more passive-income-producing. 
Taxpayers subject to another set of rules limiting deferral, the 
subpart F rules, are not subject to the PFIC rules.
    Long-standing sections 1291 through 1298 provide rules regarding 
the tax treatment of income from PFICs. The PFIC itself is not subject 
to U.S. tax under the PFIC regime; rather, only the U.S. owner of the 
PFIC is required to determine whether he or she has invested in a PFIC, 
and if so, what tax is due as a result. The U.S. owner is responsible 
for getting the appropriate information from the foreign corporation to 
determine if the corporation is a PFIC.
    Before its amendment by the Act, the PFIC provisions provided an 
exception from passive income for any income (including investment 
income) earned in the active conduct of an insurance business by a 
foreign corporation that (i) was predominantly engaged in an insurance 
business and (ii) would be taxed as an insurance company if it were a 
domestic corporation. Congress determined that this exception enabled 
U.S. owners of some foreign insurance companies to escape the PFIC 
regime. This exception, (the ``PFIC insurance exception''), was 
established because insurance companies must hold significant amounts 
of investment assets (which generate income that would otherwise be 
classified as passive under the PFIC rules) in the normal course of 
business to fund obligations under the insurance contracts they issue. 
Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation, General Explanation of the Tax 
Reform Act of 1986, JCS-10-87, at 1025 (1987); IRS, Corporate Income 
Tax Returns Complete Report, 2013, Table 1).
    The Act modified and narrowed the PFIC insurance exception by 
requiring that the excepted income be derived in the active conduct of 
an insurance business by a ``qualifying insurance corporation'' 
(``QIC''). To be a QIC, a foreign insurance corporation must be an 
entity that would be taxed as an insurance company if it were a 
domestic corporation (consistent with prior-law

[[Page 33137]]

requirements) and, in addition, be able to show that its ``applicable 
insurance liabilities'' constitute more than 25 percent of its total 
assets. The Act specifically defines applicable insurance liabilities 
for this purpose as including a set of enumerated types of insurance-
related loss and expense items. Failing this test, the Code provides 
that U.S. owners of the foreign corporation may elect to treat their 
stock in the corporation as stock of a QIC, provided the corporation 
can satisfy an ``alternative facts and circumstances test.'' However, 
once a corporation has been identified as a QIC, only income that is 
derived in the active conduct of an insurance business qualifies as 
income eligible for the PFIC insurance exception.
    Congress modified section 1297 under the Act out of concern that 
the active insurance company exception to the PFIC rules lacked clarity 
and precision. This lack of clarity with respect to how much insurance 
business the company must do to qualify under the exception raised 
concerns that certain companies with U.S. shareholders were structuring 
themselves to take advantage of the exception but conducting a token 
insurance business while focusing primarily on investment activities. 
Such strategies erode the U.S. tax base, and reflect inefficient 
investment incentives for U.S. taxpayers. As a result, the Act adopted 
a more formulaic rule that is easier to enforce and apply, while still 
allowing a facts and circumstances approach for showing insurance 
activity. See Senate Budget Explanation of the Bill (2017-11-20) at p. 
397.

B. Need for the Proposed Regulations

    The Treasury Department and the IRS view the Act modifications 
regarding PFIC determination as generally self-executing (although 
regulatory guidance is needed in order for U.S. owners to elect QIC 
status under the facts and circumstances test), which means that the 
statute is binding on taxpayers and the IRS without further regulatory 
action. The Treasury Department and the IRS recognize, however, that 
the statute provides interpretive latitude for taxpayers and the IRS 
that could, without further guidance, prompt inefficient investment 
patterns due to divergent interpretations. Consequently, many of the 
details behind the relevant terms and necessary calculations required 
for the determination of PFIC status would benefit from greater 
specificity. The proposed regulations provide details and specifics for 
the definitions and concepts described in sections 1291, 1297, and 1298 
so that taxpayers can readily and accurately determine if their 
investment is in a PFIC, given the significant consequences of owning a 
PFIC, which may continue to be treated as such even after the foreign 
corporation ceases to satisfy the Income Test or Asset Test. See 
section 1298(b)(1). The regulations further resolve ambiguities in 
determining ownership of a PFIC and in the application of the Income 
Test and Asset Test under the statutory provisions that existed prior 
to the Act.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have also identified actions 
that foreign companies might take to qualify for QIC designation even 
though the nature of their active insurance business would not merit 
QIC designation under the intents and purposes of the statute. The 
proposed regulations are needed to avoid the inefficient economic 
decisions that would arise from those tax avoidance actions. For 
example, in the absence of the proposed regulations, taxpayers may be 
incentivized to adopt accounting methods that inappropriately inflate 
applicable insurance liabilities or exaggerate the degree to which 
income of a QIC is derived in the active conduct of an insurance 
business.

C. Overview of the Proposed Regulations

    The proposed regulations can be divided into two parts. The rules 
described in Part I of the Explanation of Provisions section of this 
preamble provide general guidance regarding PFICs (the ``General 
Rules''). See Part I.D.2 of this Special Analyses section. The rules 
described in Part II of the Explanation of Provisions section of this 
preamble relate specifically to the implementation of the PFIC 
insurance exception (the ``PFIC Insurance Exception Rules''). See Part 
I.D.3 of this Special Analyses section. Among other things, the General 
Rules (1) describe and clarify how assets are measured for the asset 
test; and (2) clarify attribution rules for determining some forms of 
active income. The PFIC Insurance Exception Rules provide guidance 
regarding qualification for the PFIC insurance exception, define 
statutory terms relevant to QIC status, and provide instructions on 
electing QIC status under the alternative facts and circumstances test.

D. Economic Analysis

1. Baseline
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have assessed the benefits and 
costs of the proposed regulations relative to a no-action baseline 
reflecting anticipated Federal income tax-related behavior in the 
absence of these proposed regulations.
2. Summary of Economic Effects
    The proposed regulations provide certainty and consistency in the 
application of sections 1291, 1297, and 1298 with respect to PFICs and 
QICs by providing definitions and clarifications regarding the 
statute's terms and rules. In the absence of such guidance, the chances 
that different U.S. owners (or potential owners) of foreign companies 
would interpret the statute differentially, either from each other or 
from the intents and purposes of the statute, would be exacerbated. 
This divergence in interpretation could cause U.S. investors to choose 
investment vehicles based on different interpretations of, for example, 
whether particular income would avoid qualifying as passive income and 
thus avoid the less favorable tax treatment applied by the PFIC regime. 
If economic investment is not guided by uniform incentives across 
otherwise similar investors and across otherwise similar investments, 
the resulting pattern of investment is generally inefficient, 
conditional on the Code's provisions governing passive income.\1\ In 
the context of U.S. investment in foreign insurance corporations, the 
proposed regulations help to ensure that similar economic activities, 
representing similar passive and non-passive attributes, are taxed 
similarly. Thus, the Treasury Department and the IRS expect that the 
definitions and guidance provided in the proposed regulation will lead 
to an improved allocation of investment among taxpayers contingent on 
the overall Code.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ General economic principles do not clearly prescribe the 
efficient relative tax treatment of passive income versus non-
passive income and therefore do not indicate whether a shift in 
investment from passive-income-producing activities to non-passive-
income-producing activities is economically beneficial. This 
economic analysis draws conclusions about the efficient tax 
treatment of different investments by evaluating incentives in light 
of the intents and purposes of the underlying statutes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Treasury Department and the IRS have not quantified the 
expected economic benefits or the costs to the U.S. economy, or the 
scope of taxpayers benefitting from or burdened by the proposed 
regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comment on 
these issues and particularly solicit comments that provide data, 
evidence, or models that would enhance the rigor by which the non-
revenue economic effects might be determined and quantified for the 
final regulations.

[[Page 33138]]

    The following sections describe the economic effects of specific 
major provisions of these proposed regulations relative to possible 
alternative provisions. The Treasury Department and IRS solicit 
comments on each of the items discussed subsequently and on any other 
provisions of the proposed regulations not discussed in this section. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS particularly solicit comments that 
provide data, other evidence, or models that could enhance the rigor of 
the process by which these or further provisions might be developed for 
the final regulations.
3. Economic Analysis of Specific Provisions of the General Rules
a. Averaging Period for the Asset Test
    A foreign corporation is considered a PFIC if it satisfies either 
of the following tests: (i) 75 percent or more of the corporation's 
gross income for a taxable year is passive (``Income Test''); or (ii) 
the average percentage of assets held by the corporation during the 
year producing passive income is at least 50 percent (``Asset Test''). 
If a foreign corporation is a PFIC, the U.S. owner of the PFIC is 
subject to tax under the PFIC regime. Regarding the Asset Test, section 
1297(e) provides rules for how to determine the value of assets using 
either the fair market value or the adjusted basis, but does not 
indicate what period should be used to determine the ``average 
percentage.'' Notice 88-22, which was issued following the enactment of 
the PFIC regime to provide guidance on a number of issues related to 
the Income and Asset Tests pending regulations, required taxpayers to 
determine value at the end of each quarter and average those numbers on 
an annual basis for the test. See Part I.D.1 of the Explanation of 
Provisions section of this preamble. Notice 88-22 announced the 
intention of the Treasury Department and IRS to issue regulations 
addressing this and other issues under the PFIC regime; however, no 
regulations addressing the Asset Test were issued until the proposed 
regulations.
    To remedy this omission and specify the period over which the 
average percentage would be calculated, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS considered three alternatives: (i) Semi-annual measurement, (ii) 
quarterly measurement, and (iii) daily measurement.\2\ The Treasury 
Department and the IRS also considered, once a default measuring period 
was set, offering flexibility to shareholders to determine their own 
measurement period as long as the period was shorter than the default 
period. In each respective case, the Asset test would be based on the 
annual average of the semi-annual, quarterly, or daily asset values.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Other units could have been considered, such as months or 
weeks, but these three options span the reasonable possibilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The first option, to require taxpayers to determine the average 
value of assets that produce passive income on a semi-annual basis, has 
lower costs than the other suggested approaches since calculations have 
to be done just twice a year and these costs (or cost-savings) are 
borne directly or indirectly by the owners of the corporation. The 
benefit of these lower costs to U.S. taxpayers must be balanced against 
the projected accuracy of semi-annual measurement. Because the period 
examined is long, semi-annual amounts are relatively easy for the 
corporation to manipulate so as to avoid having 50 percent or more 
passive-income producing assets as measured by value over the averaging 
period discussed here (the Asset Test) and therefore avoid PFIC 
treatment, even in cases where the company held significant amounts of 
passive-income-producing assets during the year.
    The third option, to require taxpayers to average daily asset 
values for the asset test, provides a more exact measure of the assets 
of the company but the costs for the company to provide such 
information to their owners can be significant and some companies might 
choose not to provide such calculations to their small U.S. owners.\3\ 
On the other hand, daily measurement would make it costly for the 
entity to avoid PFIC determination by ``removing'' assets generating 
passive income at measurement times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ It would further generally be difficult for a U.S. owner to 
calculate, on his or her own, the value of PFIC assets on a daily 
basis, especially if the owner were a minority shareholder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The proposed regulations, consistent with the second option, 
require at least quarterly measurement and further allow taxpayers to 
elect to use a shorter period, such as monthly or daily measurement of 
asset values. Shorter period alternatives (relative to a semi-annual 
period) curtail the ability of foreign corporations to avoid PFIC 
designation through asset management strategies that would be tax-
driven rather than market-driven. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
project that the increase in compliance costs of quarterly measurement 
over semi-annual measurement would be minor, because quarterly 
measurement aligns with general accounting practices, and because many 
taxpayers were likely already relying on the provision in Notice 88-22 
that provided for quarterly measurement. The election to choose monthly 
or daily measurement allows U.S. persons who own interests in foreign 
corporations to use even more precise measurement of asset holdings if, 
based on business-specific accounting practices and the availability of 
that information to the U.S. person, the U.S. person deems that any 
higher compliance costs they might incur are warranted.
    The Treasury Department and IRS solicit comments on this proposal, 
particularly comments that provide data, other evidence, or models that 
could enhance the rigor of the process by which the average percentage 
period might be developed for the final regulations.
b. Attribution of Activities
    For purposes of determining whether a corporation is a PFIC, 
section 1297(c) treats a foreign corporation (FC1) that owns 25 percent 
or more of another foreign corporation (FC2) as owning and earning the 
proportional amount of FC2's income and assets under the so called 
Look-Through Subsidiary rules.\4\ However, the statute is silent on 
whether the activities of FC2 can be attributed to FC1 for purposes of 
determining whether the income of FC1 qualifies as being treated as 
non-passive income. Under current practice, some businesses structure 
their organization for legal or commercial reasons to have all 
employees for a business in one corporation, say FC2, while the rents 
and royalties are received by FC1. Without attribution of activities, 
FC1 could not qualify for an exception that treats these rents and 
royalties as active, as opposed to passive, income. This could result 
in FC1 being treated as a PFIC even though, on the whole, its income 
and economic activities were related to active business operations and 
not comparable to the passive income generating activities generally 
undertaken by PFICs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ For purposes of the rest of this discussion, FC1 can be 
considered the parent corporation with U.S. owners that is tested as 
to whether it is a PFIC or not. FC2 is a subsidiary of FC1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To address the attribution of activities in foreign businesses in 
structures similar to those described, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS considered three alternatives: (1) Do not allow any attribution of 
activities; (2) allow attribution of activities to multiple U.S. 
owners; or (3) allow attribution only if there is greater than a 50 
percent ownership percentage; that is, if the

[[Page 33139]]

foreign corporation owns more than 50 percent of the other foreign 
corporation.
    Under the first alternative (no attribution), a foreign corporation 
that separated activities and income could satisfy the passive income 
exception only if it reorganized such that the entity being tested as a 
PFIC received both the active rents and royalties as well as had the 
employees that performed the related activities. This is potentially 
costly or even infeasible, depending on local requirements. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS determined that this alternative would 
potentially lead to costly reorganization, a cost that would either be 
passed on to U.S. investors or that, in the absence of such 
reorganization, would inhibit U.S. investment in a foreign corporation 
that was otherwise similar to corporations that were not PFICs. These 
are economically undesirable outcomes in light of the intents and 
purposes of the statute, relative to the proposed regulations.
    Under the second alternative, activities could be attributed 
similarly to how the Look-Through Rule attributes income and assets. In 
general, because the Look-Through Rule requires ownership of only 25 
percent of a foreign corporation in order to apply, the income and 
assets of a foreign corporation may be attributed to multiple owners. 
The statute specifies that this be done on a pro rata basis--for 
example, if a U.S. person owns 100 percent of foreign corporation (FC1) 
that owns 60 percent of FC2, 60 percent of the income and assets of FC2 
could be attributed to FC1 for purposes of applying the Income and 
Asset tests, and 40 percent of the income and assets could be allocated 
to another shareholder of FC2. This alternative generates significant 
difficulties, however, in the context of attribution of activities. 
While income and assets can be allocated between owners based on 
percentage ownership, activities are not measured by a numerical amount 
and thus are not easily separated between two owners. Additionally, 
allowing multiple shareholders to use the activities of a single 
corporation to treat income as non-passive could result in double 
counting of activities (i.e., attributing the same activity to multiple 
parent companies). The Treasury Department and the IRS determined that 
potential double counting of activities could result in less tax 
revenue being raised than intended by Congress.
    Under the third alternative, the activities of a foreign 
corporation could only be attributed to one shareholder. The proposed 
regulations adopt this third alternative, specifically by allowing 
attribution if there is an ownership percentage greater than 50 
percent. Thus, where FC1 owns 60 percent of FC2 and another shareholder 
owns the remaining 40 percent, only FC1 could get credit for the 
activities of FC2 for purposes of applying the active rents and 
royalties test. No other shareholder of FC2 would qualify for 
attribution. The Treasury Department and the IRS project that this 
proposed regulation would allow entities to satisfy the passive income 
exception under conditions consistent with the intents and purposes of 
the statute without requiring potentially substantial reorganization 
costs.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS solicit comments on this 
proposal and in particular solicit data, evidence, or models that could 
enhance the rigor of the process by which the ownership percentage 
might be developed for the final regulations.
c. Look-Through Partnerships
    As discussed in Part I.D.3.b of this Special Analyses, for purposes 
of determining whether a corporation is a PFIC, section 1297(c) treats 
a foreign corporation (FC1) that owns 25 percent or more of another 
foreign corporation (FC2) as owning and earning the proportional amount 
of FC2's income and assets under the so called Look-Through Subsidiary 
rules. Absent this rule, any distributions from FC2 to FC1 would 
generally be treated as passive income to FC1 for purposes of the 
Income Test, and the stock of FC2 would generally be treated as a 
passive income-producing asset for purposes of the Asset Test. The 
statute does not provide any specific rule for the treatment of a 
partnership interest owned by a foreign corporation for purposes of 
determining whether the foreign corporation is a PFIC.
    In order to provide guidance on the treatment of partnership 
interests owned by foreign corporations for purposes of the Income and 
Asset Tests, the Treasury Department and the IRS considered three 
principal alternative thresholds regarding when to treat the income and 
assets of a partnership as earned or held directly by the foreign 
corporation. These thresholds are: (1) Apply no threshold; (2) apply a 
10 percent threshold; or (3) apply the same 25 percent ownership 
threshold to partnership interests as is applied to interests in 
corporations.
    Under the first alternative, a proportionate share (based on the 
foreign corporation's capital or profits interest in the partnership) 
of the income and assets of the partnership would be considered as 
earned or held directly by the foreign corporation for purposes of 
determining whether the foreign corporation is a PFIC, no matter how 
much of the partnership was owned by the foreign corporation. A similar 
rule to this applies for purposes of the subpart F regime, and thus 
there could be benefits in applying consistent rules across the two 
regimes. However, the purpose of the Income and Asset Tests is to 
determine whether the foreign corporation has a primarily active or 
passive business. An ownership interest of less than 10 percent is 
unlikely to give the foreign corporation significant control over the 
partnership activities such that it represents an active business 
interest. Additionally, providing a lower threshold for partnership 
interests, by contrast to the threshold applicable to corporate 
interests, creates incentives for foreign corporations to hold minority 
interests in partnerships rather than corporations, and in some cases, 
because of the U.S. entity classification rules, the classification of 
the entity as a partnership may be solely for U.S. tax purposes. This 
means that the same investment that Congress determined could only be 
active if it accounted for 25 percent of the value of the entity would 
now qualify as active even though the nature of the investment has not 
substantially changed. This latter case is economically undesirable 
since it can result in differential tax treatment of corporations and 
partnerships. Moreover, this outcome is less consistent with the 
intents and purposes of the statute, than the approach taken in the 
proposed regulations. Under the second alternative, a proportionate 
amount of the income and assets of the partnership would be considered 
as earned or held directly by the foreign corporation only if the 
foreign corporation owned 10 percent or more of the partnership. 
Existing rules under section 904, which relates to the foreign tax 
credit limitation, utilize a 10 percent threshold for purposes of 
determining whether to characterize income and assets of a partnership 
as passive category income and assets. There could be benefits in 
applying an existing threshold from the foreign tax credit regime to 
PFICs since taxpayers would be familiar with this regime. However, 
similar to the no threshold option, because section 1297(c)(2) requires 
a 25 percent ownership for corporations to apply for the Look-Through 
Subsidiary rules, this alternative would still lead to differing 
treatment of minority interests in subsidiary corporations as opposed 
to partnerships. Again, this could lead to similarly situated entities 
being treated

[[Page 33140]]

differently and resultant economic distortions.
    Under the third alternative, the same 25 percent ownership 
threshold is applied to partnership interests as is applied to 
interests in corporations. The Treasury Department and IRS project this 
will maintain parity between the treatment of minority interests in 
corporations and partnership interest for purposes of the Income and 
Asset test, and it gives effect to the 25 percent limitation in section 
1297(c)(2). The Treasury Department and the IRS project that this 
proposed regulation would achieve consistent treatment across entity 
types as well as the appropriate treatment of minority interests in 
corporations and partnerships under conditions consistent with the 
intents and purposes of the statute.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS solicit comments on this 
proposal and in particular solicit data, evidence, or models that could 
enhance the rigor of the process by which the treatment of partnership 
interests might be developed for the final regulations.
4. Economic Analysis of PFIC Insurance Exception Rules
    Under the statute, the income of a qualifying insurance corporation 
(QIC) derived in the active conduct of its insurance business is not 
treated as passive income for purposes of deciding whether the 
corporation is a PFIC. The test for a QIC under section 1297(f) is 
based on the ratio of the foreign insurance company's ``applicable 
insurance liabilities'' to its total assets. The statute limits the 
applicable insurance liabilities to the smallest of: (1) The insurance 
liabilities shown on the company's most recent applicable financial 
statement (``AFS''); (2) the amount of such liabilities required by 
applicable local law or regulation, and (3) as provided under Treasury 
regulations.
    Under the statute, the AFS is the financial statement used by the 
foreign corporation for financial reporting purposes that is: (i) Made 
on the basis of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (``US 
GAAP''); (ii) made on the basis of international financial reporting 
standards (``IFRS''), if there is no statement that is made on the 
basis of US GAAP; or (iii) the annual financial statement required to 
be filed with the applicable insurance regulatory body (``local 
accounting''), if the company does not prepare a statement for 
financial reporting purposes based on US GAAP or IFRS. Thus, the 
statute has a preference for financial statements prepared on the basis 
of US GAAP or IFRS, which are rigorous and widely-respected accounting 
standards, but will permit a foreign corporation to use a local 
accounting AFS if it does not do financial reporting based on US GAAP 
or IFRS.
    The statute creates an incentive for foreign insurance companies 
(FCos) to inflate applicable insurance liabilities in order to qualify 
as QICs and avoid PFIC status. This strategy (inflating applicable 
insurance liabilities to qualify as a QIC) could make the FCo more 
attractive to U.S. investors relative to investing in a domestic 
company or a company that is a PFIC, which could potentially lead to 
investment patterns that are inefficient. Although the statutory caps 
on applicable insurance liabilities provide a check on this behavior, 
FCos (and thus their U.S. owners) might look for options under their 
financial reporting rules to increase the amount of insurance 
liabilities reported on their AFS, or even shift to a different 
financial reporting standard with more favorable rules. The proposed 
regulations address this issue in a number of ways.
a. Change in Accounting Rules Used for an AFS
    The statute may, in some circumstances, introduce an incentive for 
an FCo to change its method of preparing its AFS to benefit from 
certain elements of a local accounting regime, such as a more expansive 
definition of insurance liability or a method of calculating a larger 
amount of insurance liabilities, solely for purposes of increasing its 
applicable insurance liabilities in order to qualify as a QIC. This 
strategy, by allowing a company to avoid being characterized as a PFIC 
and thus providing an incentive for U.S. investors to route their 
investment dollars through foreign corporations that otherwise would 
fail the QIC test, yields a potential tax advantage to U.S. investors 
relative to other investments they might make, an outcome that is 
economically inefficient in light of the intents and purposes of the 
statute.
    To address this issue, the proposed regulations provide a special 
rule for FCos that change their method of preparing their AFS by 
ceasing to prepare this statement under either US GAAP or IFRS without 
a non-Federal tax business purpose for the change. Under the proposed 
regulations, an FCo must continue to prepare its AFS under either US 
GAAP or IFRS and if it fails to do so, it will be treated as having no 
applicable insurance liabilities for purposes of the QIC test.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS considered as an alternative 
not providing regulations to address a change in the method of 
preparing an AFS. The Treasury Department and the IRS do not have 
readily available data to allow estimation of the tax advantage or 
volume of investment that might be drawn to such companies (and away 
from others) in the absence of regulations to address a change in the 
method of preparing an AFS. The Treasury Department and the IRS further 
have not estimated the benefit that arises from the improved integrity 
of the tax system under the proposed regulations relative to not 
providing regulations to govern changes in the FCo's AFS method. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS solicit comments on all aspects of 
these proposed regulations, including comments on (1) the determination 
of a ``non-Federal tax business purpose,'' and (2) how an FCo that 
changes its AFS method should be treated. The Treasury Department and 
the IRS particularly solicit comments that would provide data, other 
evidence, or models that would enhance the rigor of evaluating FCos 
that change their AFS method, for purposes of developing the final 
regulations.
b. Cap on Applicable Insurance Liabilities
    Under the statute, a foreign corporation that does not prepare an 
AFS using US GAAP or IFRS may use an AFS prepared under local 
accounting rules to determine the amount of its applicable insurance 
liabilities. However, it is possible that local accounting rules in 
some foreign jurisdictions may permit reporting of insurance 
liabilities in a way that is economically unreasonable and inconsistent 
with the intent of the QIC rules. For example, US GAAP and IFRS both 
require discounting of insurance liabilities to determine the present 
value of an insurance company's liabilities. However, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS understand that local accounting rules in some 
foreign jurisdictions might not require discounting or might not 
adequately discount reserves (or other applicable insurance 
liabilities). This would make it easier for a foreign corporation that 
uses local accounting to qualify as a QIC. This could provide an 
incentive for U.S. investors to route their investment dollars through 
foreign corporations that otherwise would fail the QIC test, yielding a 
potential tax advantage to U.S. investors relative to other investments 
they might make, an outcome that is economically inefficient.

[[Page 33141]]

    To address this issue, the proposed regulations provide that, if a 
foreign insurance company prepares its AFS under a local accounting 
standard that does not require discounting of unpaid losses and other 
loss reserves on an economically reasonable basis, for purposes of the 
QIC test, the company's AFS insurance liabilities must be reduced using 
US GAAP or IFRS discounting principles. Local accounting rules will 
otherwise continue to apply for determining amounts relevant to the QIC 
test. Applicable insurance liabilities may not exceed the discounted 
amount. As a point of reference, the discounting of unpaid losses is 
required by all domestic insurance companies that are taxed on their 
underwriting income or that file US GAAP-based financial statements.
    The question of whether losses are discounted on an economically 
reasonable basis is determined under the relevant facts and 
circumstances. However, in order for losses to be discounted on an 
economically reasonable basis, discounting must be based on loss and 
claim payment patterns for either the foreign corporation or insurance 
companies in similar lines of insurance business. In addition, a 
discount rate based on these loss and claim payment patterns of at 
least the risk free rate in U.S. dollars or in a foreign currency in 
which the foreign corporation conducts some or all of its insurance 
business must be used. A loss discounting methodology consistent with 
that used for US GAAP or IFRS purposes will be considered reasonable 
for this purpose.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS considered as alternatives (i) 
issuing no regulations to govern discounting of insurance losses for 
purposes of determining whether applicable insurance liabilities exceed 
the statutory cap, and (ii) capping the amount of applicable insurance 
liabilities at the amount that would be permitted to an insurance 
company subject to the insurance reserve calculation rules under 
Subchapter L of the Code.
    Under the first approach, U.S. investors would have an incentive to 
seek out those corporations that do not file US GAAP or IFRS 
statements, an outcome that would provide an economically inefficient 
tax advantage to U.S. investors in those companies.
    The second approach would be considerably more burdensome to a 
foreign corporation because, as a practical matter, it would require 
foreign corporations to apply complex U.S. tax rules with which they 
are likely not familiar. An excessive compliance burden on foreign 
corporations not subject to U.S. taxation would make it less likely 
that they would do the work necessary to enable their minority U.S. 
owners to determine if the corporation is a PFIC. Thus, this 
alternative was rejected because it could unduly inhibit U.S. investors 
from placing their funds in profitable foreign corporations that are 
legitimate active insurance companies, an economically desirable 
activity in light of the intents and purposes of the statute, relative 
to the proposed regulations.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS do not have data available and 
models sensitive enough to estimate the additional volume of U.S. 
investment that might be drawn under this alternative approach to QICs 
that did not discount insurance losses in an economically reasonable 
manner, relative to the proposed regulations. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS also do not have data available and models sensitive enough 
to estimate the benefit that arises from the improved integrity of the 
tax system arising from the proposed regulations relative to not 
issuing such regulations. Further, the Treasury Department and the IRS 
do not have data available to estimate the additional accounting burden 
that would fall on FCos under the proposed regulations, relative to not 
issuing such regulations, a cost that would potentially be passed on to 
U.S. investors.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS also do not have data available 
to estimate the increased loss to minority U.S. shareholders if the 
second alternative approach (capping liabilities to the amount that 
would be permitted under Subchapter L) were adopted.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS solicit comments on all aspects 
of these proposed regulations and particularly solicit comments that 
would provide data, other evidence, or models that would enhance the 
rigor by which conditions on the cap on applicable insurance 
liabilities will be developed for the final regulations.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The collections of information in these proposed regulations are in 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv), 
proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(i) and (iii), and proposed Sec.  1.1298-
4(d)(2). The information in all of the collections of information 
provided will be used by the IRS for tax compliance purposes.

A. Collections of Information Under Existing Tax Forms

    The collections of information in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv) are required to be 
provided by taxpayers that make an election or revoke an election to 
use an alternative measuring period or adjusted bases to measure assets 
for purposes of the Asset Test with respect to a foreign corporation. 
These collections of information are satisfied by filing Form 8621 or 
attachments thereto. For purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (``PRA''), the reporting burden associated with the 
collection of information in the Form 8621 will be reflected in the 
Paperwork Reduction Act Submission associated with that form (OMB 
control number 1545-1002). If a Form 8621 is not required to be filed, 
the collections of information under proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv) are satisfied by 
attaching a statement to the taxpayer's return. For purposes of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, the reporting burden associated with these 
collections of information will be reflected in the Paperwork Reduction 
Act Submissions associated with Forms 990-PF and 990-T (OMB control 
number 1545-0047); Form 1040 (OMB control number 1545-0074); Form 1041 
(OMB control number 1545-0092); Form 1065 (OMB control number 1545-
0123); and Forms 1120, 1120-C, 1120-F, 1120-L, 1120-PC, 1120-REIT, 
1120-RIC, and 1120-S (OMB control number 1545-0123).
    The collection of information in proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii) 
is required to be provided by taxpayers that make an election under 
section 1297(f)(2). This collection of information is satisfied by 
filing Form 8621. For purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
reporting burden associated with the collection of information in the 
Form 8621 will be reflected in the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission 
associated with Form 8621 (OMB control number 1545-1002).
    The following table displays the number of respondents estimated to 
be required to report on Form 8621 or, in the case of individual 
filers, on attachments to Form 1040, as applicable, with respect to the 
collections of information in these regulations. Due to the absence of 
available tax data, estimates of respondents required to attach a 
statement to other types of tax returns, as applicable, are not 
available.

[[Page 33142]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Number of
                                                           respondents
                                                           (estimated)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 1040..............................................    35,000-45,000
Form 8621..............................................    50,000-55,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: RAAS:CDW.

    The numbers of respondents in the table were estimated by the 
Research, Applied Analytics and Statistics Division (``RAAS'') of the 
IRS from the Compliance Data Warehouse (``CDW'').
    Data for Form 1040 represents estimates of the total number of 
taxpayers that may attach a statement to their Form 1040 to make or 
revoke the elections in proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(ii)(B), 
(d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv). The lower bound estimate reflects the 
CDW-based estimate of unique individual taxpayers filing Form 8621 
between 2014 and 2017. The upper bound estimate reflects the CDW-based 
estimate of unique individual taxpayers that filed Form 8938 between 
2016 and 2017 indicating that they owned an interest in a foreign 
partnership or corporation.\5\ Accordingly, the difference between the 
lower bound and upper bound estimates reflects an estimate of the 
possible change in the number of respondents as a result of the changes 
made by the Act and the proposed regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ While PFICs are corporations, partnerships are included in 
our count given taxpayers may own an interest in a foreign 
corporation through a foreign partnership. More robust reporting on 
Form 8938 started in 2016 so we do not include prior years in our 
estimate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Data for Form 8621 represent estimates of the total number of 
taxpayers that may be required to file Form 8621. The lower bound 
estimate reflects the CDW-based estimate of unique taxpayers filing 
Form 8621 between 2014 and 2017. The upper bound estimate reflects an 
estimated 10 percent increase in the amount of taxpayers that may file 
to make or revoke the elections in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv) and proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii). Accordingly, the difference between the lower 
bound and upper bound estimates reflect an estimate of the possible 
change in the number of respondents as a result of the changes made by 
the Act and the proposed regulations.
    The current status of the PRA submissions related to the tax forms 
on which reporting under these regulations will be required is 
summarized in the following table. The burdens associated with the 
information collections in the forms are included in aggregated burden 
estimates for the OMB control numbers 1545-0047 (which represents a 
total estimated burden time for all forms and schedules for tax-exempt 
entities of 50.5 million hours and total estimated monetized costs of 
$3.59 billion ($2018)), 1545-0074 (which represents a total estimated 
burden time for all forms and schedules for individuals of 1.784 
billion hours and total estimated monetized costs of $31.764 billion 
($2017)), 1545-0092 (which represents a total estimated burden time for 
all forms and schedules for trusts and estates of 307.8 million hours 
and total estimated monetized costs of $9.95 billion ($2016)), and 
1545-0123 (which represents a total estimated burden time for all forms 
and schedules for corporations of 3.157 billion hours and total 
estimated monetized costs of $58.148 billion ($2017)). The burden 
estimates provided in the OMB control numbers in the following table 
are aggregate amounts that relate to the entire package of forms 
associated with the OMB control number, and will in the future include, 
but not isolate, the estimated burden of only those information 
collections associated with these proposed regulations. These numbers 
are therefore unrelated to the future calculations needed to assess the 
burden imposed by these regulations. To guard against over-counting the 
burden that international tax provisions imposed prior to the Act, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS urge readers to recognize that these 
burden estimates have also been cited by regulations (such as the 
foreign tax credit regulations, 83 FR 63200) that rely on the 
applicable OMB control numbers in order to collect information from the 
applicable types of filers.
    In 2018, the IRS released and invited comment on drafts of Forms 
990-PF (Return of Private Foundation or Section 4947(a)(1) Trust 
Treated as Private Foundation), 990-T (Exempt Organization Business 
Income Tax Return), 1040 (U.S. Individual Income Tax Return), (U.S. 
Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts), 1065 (U.S. Return of 
Partnership Income), 1120 (U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return), and 
8621 (Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Co. or 
Qualified Electing Fund). The IRS received comments only regarding 
Forms 1040, 1065, and 1120 during the comment period. After reviewing 
all such comments, the IRS made the forms available on December 21, 
2018 for use by the public.
    No burden estimates specific to the forms affected by the proposed 
regulations are currently available. The Treasury Department and the 
IRS have not estimated the burden, including that of any new 
information collections, related to the requirements under the proposed 
regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on 
all aspects of information collection burdens related to the proposed 
regulations, including estimates for how much time it would take to 
comply with the paperwork burdens described above for each relevant 
form and ways for the IRS to minimize the paperwork burden. In 
addition, drafts of IRS forms are posted for public review at https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/draftTaxForms.htm. Comments on these 
forms can be submitted at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/comment-on-tax-forms-and-publications. These forms will not be finalized until 
after they have been approved by OMB under the PRA.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Form                          Type of filer          OMB Nos.               Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forms 990-PF, 990-T....................  Tax exempt entities (NEW      1545-0047  Published 60-day Federal
                                          Model).                                  Register notice on 8/22/18.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/08/22/2018-18135/proposed-collection-comment-request-for-forms-990-990-ez-sch-b-br-br-990-ez-sch-l-lp-990-ez-990-pf.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 1040..............................  Individual (NEW Model)....    1545-0074  Limited Scope submission (1040
                                                                                   only) approved on 12/7/18.
                                                                                   Full ICR submission for all
                                                                                   forms in 3/2019. 60 Day
                                                                                   Federal Register notice not
                                                                                   published yet for full
                                                                                   collection.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201808-1545-031 031.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 33143]]

 
Form 1041..............................  Trusts and estates........    1545-0092  Submitted to OMB for review on
                                                                                   9/27/18.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201806-1545-014 014.
Form 1065..............................  Business (NEW Model)......    1545-0123  Published in the Federal
                                                                                   Register on 10/11/18. Public
                                                                                   Comment period closed on 12/
                                                                                   10/18.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/09/2018-21846/proposed-collection-comment-request-for-forms-1065-1065-b-1066-1120-1120-c-1120-f-1120-h-1120-nd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forms 1120, 1120-C, 1120-F, 1120-L,      Business (NEW Model)......    1545-0123  Published in the Federal
 1120-PC, 1120-REIT, 1120-RIC, 1120-S.                                             Register on 10/11/18. Public
                                                                                   Comment period closed on 12/
                                                                                   10/18.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/09/2018-21846/proposed-collection-comment-request-for-forms-1065-1065-b-1066-1120-1120-c-1120-f-1120-h-1120-nd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 8621..............................  Share-holders.............    1545-1001  Approved by OMB on 12/19/2018.
                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201805-1545-007 007.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Collections of Information Generally Not Included on Existing Forms

    The collection of information in proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(2) is 
required for a foreign corporation that relies on the rule in section 
1298(b)(7) and proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(b)(1). This collection of 
information is satisfied by filing a statement attached to the foreign 
corporation's return. For purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
reporting burden associated with this collection of information will be 
reflected in the Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions associated with 
Form 1120-F (OMB control number 1545-0123). The number of affected 
filers, burden estimates, and Paperwork Reduction Act status for this 
OMB control number are discussed in connection with the Form 1120 in 
Part II.A of the Special Analyses.
    Alternatively, if a foreign corporation is not required to file a 
return, the collection of information in proposed Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(2) 
is satisfied by the foreign corporation's maintaining a statement in 
its records or including it in its public filings.
    The collection of information in proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(i) 
is required for a foreign corporation for which a taxpayer makes an 
election under section 1297(f)(2). This collection of information is 
satisfied by a foreign corporation providing a statement to a 
shareholder.
    The collection of information contained in proposed Sec.  1.1298-
4(d)(2) (for foreign corporations that are not required to file Form 
1120-F) and proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(i) will be submitted to the 
Office of Management and Budget in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. Comments on the collections of information should be 
sent to the Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Treasury, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Washington, DC 20503, with copies to the Internal Revenue 
Service, Attn: IRS Reports Clearance Officer, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 
Washington, DC 20224. Comments on the collection of information should 
be received by September 9, 2019.
    Comments are specifically requested concerning:
    Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the duties of the IRS, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    The accuracy of the estimated burden associated with the proposed 
collection of information;
    How the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected may be enhanced;
    How the burden of complying with the proposed collection of 
information may be minimized, including through the application of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology; and
    Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchases of services to provide information for the 
collections discussed in Part II.B of this Special Analyses.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 200 hours.
    Estimated total annual monetized cost burden: $19,000.
    Estimated average annual burden hours per respondent: One hour.
    Estimated number of respondents: 200.
    Estimated annual frequency of responses: Once.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid 
control number assigned by the Office of Management and Budget.
    Books or records relating to a collection of information must be 
retained as long as their contents may become material in the 
administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and 
tax return information are confidential, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

III. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6), it 
is hereby certified that the proposed regulations will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
within the meaning of section 601(6) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
(``small entities'').
    The statutory provisions in sections 1291 through 1298 (the ``PFIC 
regime'') generally affect U.S. taxpayers that have ownership interests 
in foreign corporations that are not controlled foreign corporations 
(``CFCs''). The reporting burdens in proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv) and proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii) generally affect the described U.S. taxpayers that 
elect to make or revoke certain elections related to the PFIC regime. 
The reporting burdens in proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(ii) and proposed 
Sec.  1.1298-4(d)(2) affect only foreign corporations. In general, 
foreign corporations are not considered small entities. Nor are U.S. 
taxpayers considered small entities to the extent the taxpayers are 
natural persons or entities other than small entities. Data estimating 
the number of filers for the PRA section indicate that individuals 
(Form 1040 filers) make up approximately 70 percent of those who report 
PFIC income while U.S.

[[Page 33144]]

businesses of all sizes make up approximately 20 percent of Form 8621 
filers. Most of these U.S. businesses are partnerships that do not pay 
entity level taxes. Accordingly, only small entities that have 
ownership interests in foreign corporations that are not CFCs and that 
wish to make or revoke an election pursuant to proposed Sec.  1.1297-
1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and (d)(1)(iv) and proposed Sec.  
1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii) are affected by the proposed regulations.
    The data to assess the number of small entities potentially 
affected by proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and 
(d)(1)(iv) and proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii) are not readily 
available.
    Regardless of the number of small entities potentially affected by 
the proposed regulations, the Treasury Department and the IRS have 
concluded that there is no significant economic impact on such entities 
as a result of the proposed regulations.
    Data on U.S. businesses that invest in a PFIC is limited. To get a 
sense of the magnitude of the taxes currently collected by businesses 
that invest in PFICs, the ratio of PFIC regime tax to (gross) total 
income was calculated for 2012 through 2017 for C corporations that 
filed the Form 8621. Total income was determined by matching each C 
corporation filing the Form 8621 to its Form 1120. Ordinary QEF income 
was assumed to be taxed at 37 percent while QEF capital gains and mark-
to-market income was assumed to be taxed at the lower 20 percent 
capital gains rate. The section 1291 tax and interest charge tax were 
included as reported. Only those corporations where a match was found 
and that had positive total income were included in the analysis.\6\ 
While the number was small, approximately 150 to 250 C corporations per 
year, the ratio of the tax to total income was less than 0.01 percent 
even when $100 million of the additional tax estimated by the Joint 
Committee on Taxation was included each year. Looking only at the 
approximately 50 to 150 C corporations per year with $25 million or 
less of total income resulted in the tax to total income percentage 
increasing to at most 1.39 percent in 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ To be conservative, C corporations reporting more than $6 
billion of total income are excluded since we suspect these amounts 
are improperly reported.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   ($ millions)
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               2012            2013            2014            2015            2016            2017
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All C corporations
    Tax.................................................              99             108             118             126             110             121
    Total Income........................................       6,487,867       4,205,127      14,154,789      19,935,845      16,443,073      16,888,107
    Tax to Total Income.................................          0.002%          0.003%          0.001%          0.001%          0.001%          0.001%
C corporations with total income of $25 million or less
    Tax.................................................               *               *               *               3               3               5
    Total Income........................................             302             463             563             627             562             348
    Tax to Total Income.................................          0.039%          0.068%          0.008%          0.516%          0.524%          1.390%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Source: RAAS, CDW. indicates less than $1 million.

    Thus, even if the economic impact of the proposed regulations is 
interpreted broadly to include the tax liability due under the PFIC 
regime, which small entities would be required to pay even if the 
proposed regulations were not issued, the economic impact should not be 
regarded as significant under the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
    Additionally, the economic impact of the proposed regulations when 
considered alone should be minimal. Any economic impact of the final 
regulations stems from the collection of information requirements 
imposed by proposed Sec.  1.1297-1(d)(1)(ii)(B), (d)(1)(iii)(B), and 
(d)(1)(iv) and proposed Sec.  1.1297-4(d)(5)(iii). The Treasury 
Department and the IRS have determined that the average burden is 1 
hour per response. The IRS's Research, Applied Analytics, and 
Statistics division estimates that the appropriate wage rate for this 
set of taxpayers is $95 per hour. Thus, the annual burden per taxpayer 
from the collection of information requirement is $95. Furthermore, 
these requirements apply only if a taxpayer chooses to make an election 
or rely on a favorable rule.
    Accordingly, it is hereby certified that the proposed rule would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. Notwithstanding this certification, the Treasury Department 
and the IRS invite comments from the public on both the number of 
entities affected (including whether specific industries are affected) 
and the economic impact of this proposed rule on small entities.
    Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Code, this notice of proposed 
rulemaking has been submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 
Small Business Administration for comment on its impact on small 
businesses.

IV. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) 
requires that agencies assess anticipated costs and benefits and take 
certain other actions before issuing a final rule that includes any 
Federal mandate that may result in expenditures in any one year by a 
state, local, or tribal government, in the aggregate, or by the private 
sector, of $100 million in 1995 dollars, updated annually for 
inflation. In 2018, that threshold is approximately $150 million. This 
rule does not include any Federal mandate that may result in 
expenditures by state, local, or tribal governments, or by the private 
sector in excess of that threshold.

V. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

    Executive Order 13132 (entitled ``Federalism'') prohibits an agency 
from publishing any rule that has federalism implications if the rule 
either imposes substantial, direct compliance costs on state and local 
governments, and is not required by statute, or preempts state law, 
unless the agency meets the consultation and funding requirements of 
section 6 of the Executive Order. This proposed rule does not have 
federalism implications and does not impose substantial direct 
compliance costs on state and local governments or preempt state law 
within the meaning of the Executive Order.

Comments and Requests for a Public Hearing

    Before these proposed regulations are adopted as final regulations, 
consideration will be given to any

[[Page 33145]]

comments that are timely submitted to the IRS as prescribed in this 
preamble under the Addresses heading. The Treasury Department and the 
IRS specifically request comments on all aspects of the proposed rules. 
All comments will be available for public inspection and copying at 
www.regulations.gov or upon request. A public hearing will be scheduled 
if requested in writing by any person that timely submits written 
comments. If a public hearing is scheduled, notice of the date, time 
and place for the public hearing will be published in the Federal 
Register.

Statement of Availability of IRS Documents

    IRS Revenue Procedures, Revenue Rulings, notices, and other 
guidance cited in this document are published in the Internal Revenue 
Bulletin (or Cumulative Bulletin) and are available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, DC 20402, or by visiting the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

Drafting Information

    The principal drafters of these regulations are Josephine Firehock, 
Rose E. Jenkins, and Jorge M. Oben of the Office of Associate Chief 
Counsel (International). Other personnel from the Treasury Department 
and the IRS also participated in the development of these regulations.

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Withdrawal of Proposed Regulations

    Accordingly, under the authority of 26 U.S.C. 7805, the notice of 
proposed rulemaking (REG-108214-15) that was published in the Federal 
Register on April 24, 2015, (80 FR 50814) is withdrawn.

Proposed Amendments to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 1--INCOME TAXES

0
Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 is amended by adding 
entries for Sec. Sec.  1.1297-1, 1.1297-2, 1.1297-4, 1.1298-2, and 
1.1298-4 in numerical order to read in part as follows:

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *

    Section 1.1297-1 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1298(g).
    Section 1.1297-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1298(g).
* * * * *
    Section 1.1297-4 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1297(b)(2)(B) and 
1298(g).
* * * * *
    Section 1.1298-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1298(b)(3) and (g).
    Section 1.1298-4 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1298(g).
* * * * *
0
Par. 2. Section 1.1291-0 is amended by revising the heading for Sec.  
1.1291-1 and adding entries for Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(iv)(A) and (B), 
(b)(8)(iv)(B)(1) and (2), (b)(8)(iv)(C), and (b)(8)(iv)(C)(1) and (2) 
to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1291-0  Treatment of shareholders of certain passive foreign 
investment companies; table of contents.

* * * * *
Sec.  1.1291-1 Taxation of United States persons that indirectly own 
PFIC stock.
* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (8) * * *
    (iv) * * *
    (A) Example 1.
    (B) Example 2.
    (1) Facts.
    (2) Results.
    (C) Example 3.
    (1) Facts.
    (2) Results.
* * * * *
0
Par. 3. Section 1.1291-1 is amended by:
0
1. Revising the section heading.
0
2. Revising the second sentence of paragraph (b)(8)(ii)(B).
0
3. Revising paragraphs (b)(8)(iii)(A), (B), and (C).
0
4. Designating Example 1 in paragraph (b)(8)(iv) as paragraph 
(b)(8)(iv)(A).
0
5. Adding paragraphs (b)(8)(iv)(B) and (C).
0
6. Revising paragraph (j)(3).
0
7. Adding paragraph (j)(4).
    The revision and additions read as follows:


Sec.  1.1291-1  Taxation of United States persons that indirectly own 
PFIC stock.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (8) * * *
    (ii) * * *
    (B) * * * Sections 1297(d) and 1298(b)(7) and Sec.  1.1297-4(b)(2) 
and (f)(2) do not apply in determining whether a foreign corporation is 
a PFIC for purposes of this paragraph (b)(8)(ii)(B).
* * * * *
    (iii) Ownership through pass-through entities--(A) Partnerships. 
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(A), if a 
foreign or domestic partnership directly or indirectly owns stock, the 
partners of the partnership are considered to own such stock 
proportionately in accordance with their ownership interests in the 
partnership. Solely for purposes of determining whether a person 
satisfies the ownership threshold described in paragraph (b)(8)(ii)(A) 
of this section with respect to a foreign corporation that is not a 
PFIC (determined without applying sections 1297(d) and 1298(b)(7)), the 
first sentence of this paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(A) applies only in the 
case of a partner that owns 50 percent or more of the ownership 
interests in the partnership that directly or indirectly owns the stock 
of the foreign corporation.
    (B) S Corporations. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph 
(b)(8)(iii)(B), if an S corporation directly or indirectly owns stock, 
each S corporation shareholder is considered to own such stock 
proportionately in accordance with the shareholder's ownership interest 
in the S corporation. Solely for purposes of determining whether a 
person satisfies the ownership threshold described in paragraph 
(b)(8)(ii)(A) of this section with respect to a foreign corporation 
that is not a PFIC (determined without applying sections 1297(d) and 
1298(b)(7)), the first sentence of this paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(B) 
applies only in the case of a S corporation shareholder that owns 50 
percent or more of the ownership interests in the S corporation that 
directly or indirectly owns the stock of the foreign corporation.
    (C) Estates and nongrantor trusts. Except as otherwise provided in 
this paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(C), if a foreign or domestic estate or 
nongrantor trust (other than an employees' trust described in section 
401(a) that is exempt from tax under section 501(a)) directly or 
indirectly owns stock, each beneficiary of the estate or trust is 
considered to own a proportionate amount of such stock. For purposes of 
this paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(C), a nongrantor trust is any trust or 
portion of a trust that is not treated as owned by one or more persons 
under sections 671 through 679. Solely for purposes of determining 
whether a person satisfies the ownership threshold described in 
paragraph (b)(8)(ii)(A) of this section with respect to a foreign 
corporation that is not a PFIC (determined without applying sections 
1297(d) and 1298(b)(7)), the first sentence of this paragraph 
(b)(8)(iii)(C) applies only in the case of a beneficiary whose 
proportionate share of the estate or trust that directly or indirectly 
owns the stock of the foreign corporation is 50 percent or more.
* * * * *
    (iv) * * *


[[Page 33146]]


    (B) Example 2--(1) Facts. A, a United States citizen, owns 50% 
of the interests in Foreign Partnership, a foreign partnership, the 
remaining interests in which are owned by an unrelated foreign 
person. Foreign Partnership owns 100% of the stock of FC1 and 50% of 
the stock of FC2, the remainder of which is owned by an unrelated 
foreign person. Both FC1 and FC2 are foreign corporations that are 
not PFICs (determined without applying sections 1297(d) and 
1298(b)(7)). FC1 and FC2 each own 50% of the stock of FC3, a foreign 
corporation that is a PFIC.
    (2) Results. Under paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(A) of this section, for 
purposes of determining whether A is a shareholder of FC3, A is 
considered to own 50% (50%x100%), or 50% or more, of FC1, because A 
owns 50% or more of Foreign Partnership, but 25% (50%x50%) of FC2. 
Thus, under paragraph (b)(8) of this section, A is considered to own 
25% of the stock of FC3 (50%x100%x50%) indirectly through FC1, and 
thus is a shareholder of FC3 for purposes of the PFIC provisions, 
but is not considered to own any stock of FC3 indirectly through 
FC2.
    (C) Example 3--(1) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph 
(b)(8)(iv)(B)(1) of this section (the facts in Example 2), except 
that A owns 40% of the interests in Foreign Partnership.
    (2) Results. Under paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(A) of this section, for 
purposes of determining whether A is a shareholder of FC3, A is not 
considered to own 50% or more of FC1 or FC2 because it does not own 
50% or more of the interests in Foreign Partnership. Thus, under 
paragraph (b)(8) of this section, A is not considered to own any 
stock of FC3 indirectly through FC1 or FC2.
* * * * *
    (j) * * *
    (3) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (j)(4) of this 
section, paragraphs (b)(2)(ii) and (v), (b)(7) and (8), and (e)(2) of 
this section apply to taxable years of shareholders ending on or after 
December 31, 2013.
    (4) Paragraphs (b)(8)(ii)(B), (b)(8)(iii)(A), (B), and (C), and 
(b)(8)(iv)(B) and (C) of this section apply to taxable years of 
shareholders beginning on or after the date of publication of a 
Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.
0
Par. 4. Section 1.1297-0 is amended by revising the introductory text 
and adding entries for Sec. Sec.  1.1297-1, 1.1297-2, and 1.1297-4 in 
numerical order to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1297-0  Table of contents.

    This section contains a listing of the headings for Sec. Sec.  
1.1297-1, 1.1297-2, 1.1297-3, 1.1297-4, and 1.1297-5.

Sec.  1.1297-1 Definition of passive foreign investment company.

    (a) Overview.
    (b) Dividends included in gross income.
    (1) General rule.
    (2) Example.
    (i) Facts.
    (ii) Results.
    (c) Passive income.
    (1) Foreign personal holding company income.
    (i) General rule.
    (ii) Determination of gross income or gain on a net basis for 
certain items of foreign personal holding company income.
    (iii) Dividends.
    (2) Treatment of share of partnership income.
    (i) Look-through partnership.
    (ii) Less-than-25-percent-owned partnership.
    (3) Exception for certain interest, dividends, rents, and 
royalties received from a related person.
    (i) Allocation of interest.
    (ii) Allocation of dividends.
    (iii) Allocation of rents and royalties.
    (iv) Determination of whether amounts are received or accrued 
from a related person.
    (d) Asset test.
    (1) Calculation of average annual value (or adjusted bases).
    (i) General rule.
    (ii) Measuring period.
    (A) General rule.
    (B) Election to use alternative measuring period.
    (C) Short taxable year.
    (iii) Adjusted basis.
    (A) [Reserved]
    (B) Election.
    (iv) Time and manner of elections and revocations.
    (A) Elections.
    (B) Revocations and subsequent elections.
    (v) Change in method of measuring assets.
    (A) General rule.
    (B) Example.
    (1) Facts.
    (2) Results.
    (2) Dual-character assets.
    (i) General rule.
    (ii) Special rule when only part of an asset produces income.
    (iii) Special rule for stock that produced income that was 
excluded from passive income under section 1297(b)(2)(C).
    (iv) Example.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (3) Partnership interest.
    (i) Look-through partnership.
    (ii) Less-than-25-percent-owned partnership.
    (4) Dealer property.
    (e) Stapled stock.
    (f) Definitions.
    (1) Look-through partnership.
    (2) Measuring date.
    (3) Measuring period.
    (4) Non-passive asset.
    (5) Non-passive income.
    (6) Passive asset.
    (7) Passive income.
    (8) Tested foreign corporation.
    (g) Applicability date.
    (1) [Reserved]
    (2) In general.

Sec.  1.1297-2 Special rules regarding look-through subsidiaries.

    (a) Overview.
    (b) General rules.
    (1) Tested foreign corporation's ownership of a corporation.
    (2) Tested foreign corporation's proportionate share of the 
assets and income of a look-through subsidiary.
    (i) Proportionate share of assets.
    (ii) Proportionate share of income.
    (A) General rule.
    (B) Special rule.
    (iii) Coordination of section 1297(c) with section 1298(b)(7).
    (3) Examples.
    (i) Example 1.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (ii) Example 2.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (iii) Example 3.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (c) Elimination of certain intercompany assets and income.
    (1) General rule for asset test.
    (2) General rule for income test.
    (3) Partnerships.
    (4) Examples.
    (i) Example 1.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (ii) Example 2.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (iii) Example 3.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (d) Related person determination for purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(C).
    (1) General rule.
    (2) Example.
    (i) Facts.
    (ii) Results.
    (e) Treatment of activities of certain look-through subsidiaries 
and look-through partnerships for purposes of section 954(c)(2)(A) 
active rents and royalties exception.
    (1) General rule.
    (2) Examples.
    (i) Example 1.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (ii) Example 2.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (f) Gain on disposition of stock in a look-through subsidiary.
    (1) Amount of gain taken into account.
    (2) Characterization of residual gain as passive income.
    (3) Examples.
    (i) Example 1.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (ii) Example 2.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (iii) Example 3.
    (A) Facts.
    (B) Results.
    (g) Definitions.
    (1) Look-through subsidiary.
    (2) LTS debt.
    (3) LTS stock.
    (4) Residual gain.
    (5) Unremitted earnings.

[[Page 33147]]

    (h) Applicability date.
* * * * *
Sec.  1.1297-4 Qualifying insurance corporation.

    (a) Scope.
    (b) Qualifying insurance corporation.
    (c) 25 percent test.
    (d) Election to apply the alternative facts and circumstances 
test.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Predominantly engaged in an insurance business.
    (i) In general.
    (ii) Facts and circumstances.
    (iii) Examples of facts indicating a foreign corporation is not 
predominantly engaged in an insurance business.
    (3) Runoff-related circumstances.
    (4) Rating-related circumstances.
    (5) Election.
    (i) In general.
    (ii) Information provided by foreign corporation.
    (iii) Time and manner for making the election.
    (e) Rules limiting the amount of applicable insurance 
liabilities.
    (1) In general.
    (2) General limitation on applicable insurance liabilities.
    (3) Additional limitation on amount of applicable insurance 
liabilities for a foreign corporation that does not prepare a 
financial statement based on a financial reporting standard.
    (i) In general.
    (ii) Choice of accounting method.
    (4) Changes to financial statements prepared.
    (f) Definitions.
    (1) Applicable financial statement.
    (2) Applicable insurance liabilities.
    (3) Applicable insurance regulatory body.
    (4) Financial reporting standard.
    (5) Generally accepted accounting principles or GAAP.
    (6) Insurance business.
    (7) Total assets.
    (g) Applicability date.

Sec.  1.1297-5 Exception from the definition of passive income for 
active insurance income.

    (a) Scope.
    (b) Exclusion from passive income of active insurance income.
    (c) Income derived by a QIC in the active conduct of an 
insurance business.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Insurance business.
    (3) Active conduct of an insurance business.
    (i) In general.
    (ii) Control test.
    (A) Ownership.
    (1) Ownership by or of a corporation.
    (2) Ownership of a partnership.
    (B) Control and supervision.
    (C) Compensation.
    (4) Active conduct percentage.
    (i) In general.
    (ii) Related expense determination.
    (iii) Ceding commission.
    (d) Income of qualifying domestic insurance corporation.
    (e) Exclusion of assets for purposes of the passive asset test 
under section 1297(a)(2).
    (f) Treatment of income and assets of certain look-through 
subsidiaries and look-through partnerships for purposes of the 
section 1297(b)(2)(B) exception.
    (1) General rule.
    (2) Applicable statement for tested foreign corporations 
applying paragraph (g)(1) of this section.
    (g) No double counting.
    (h) Definitions.
    (1) Insurance services.
    (2) Investment activity.
    (3) Qualifying insurance corporation or QIC.
    (i) Applicability date.
0
Par. 5. Sections 1.1297-1 and 1.1297-2 are added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1297-1  Definition of passive foreign investment company.

    (a) Overview. This section provides rules concerning the income 
test set forth in section 1297(a)(1) and the asset test set forth in 
section 1297(a)(2). Paragraph (b) of this section provides a rule 
relating to the definition of gross income for purposes of section 
1297. Paragraph (c) of this section sets forth rules relating to the 
definition of passive income for purposes of section 1297. Paragraph 
(d) of this section provides rules relating to the asset test of 
section 1297. See Sec. Sec.  1.1297-2 and 1.1298-4 for additional rules 
concerning the treatment of the income and assets of a corporation 
subject to look-through treatment under section 1297(c). Paragraph (e) 
of this section sets forth rules relating to the determination of 
passive foreign investment company (PFIC) status for stapled entities. 
Paragraph (f) of this section sets forth definitions applicable for 
this section, and paragraph (g) of this section sets forth the 
applicability date of this section.
    (b) Dividends included in gross income--(1) General rule. For 
purposes of section 1297, gross income includes dividends that are 
excluded from gross income under section 1502 and Sec.  1.1502-13.

    (2) Example--(i) Facts. USP is a domestic corporation that owns 
30% of TFC, a foreign corporation. The remaining 70% of TFC is owned 
by FP, a foreign corporation that is unrelated to USP. TFC owns 25% 
of the value of USS1, a domestic corporation. USS1 owns 80% of the 
value of USS2, a domestic corporation. USS1 and USS2 are members of 
an affiliated group (as defined in section 1504(a)) filing a 
consolidated return. USS2 distributes a dividend to USS1 that is 
excluded from USS1's income pursuant to Sec.  1.1502-13 for purposes 
of determining the U.S. Federal income tax liability of the 
affiliated group of which USS1 and USS2 are members.
    (ii) Results. Although the dividend received by USS1 from USS2 
is excluded from USS1's income for purposes of determining the U.S. 
Federal income tax liability of the affiliated group of which USS1 
and USS2 are members, pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, 
for purposes of section 1297, USS1's gross income includes the USS2 
dividend. Accordingly, for purposes of section 1297, TFC's gross 
income includes 25% of the dividend received by USS1 from USS2 
pursuant to section 1297(c) and Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2)(ii). See 
section 1298(b)(7) and Sec.  1.1298-4 for rules concerning the 
characterization of the USS2 dividend.

    (c) Passive income--(1) Foreign personal holding company income--
(i) General rule. For purposes of section 1297, except as otherwise 
provided in section 1297(b)(2), this section, and Sec.  1.1297-4, the 
term passive income means income of a kind that would be foreign 
personal holding company income as defined under section 954(c)(1). For 
the purpose of this paragraph (c)(1)--
    (A) The exceptions to foreign personal holding company income in 
section 954(c)(1), 954(c)(2)(A) (relating to active rents and 
royalties), 954(c)(2)(B) (relating to export financing income), 
954(c)(2)(C) (relating to dealers), and 954(h) (relating to entities 
engaged in the active conduct of a banking, financing, or similar 
business) are taken into account;
    (B) The exceptions in section 954(c)(3) (relating to certain income 
received from related persons), 954(c)(6) (relating to certain amounts 
received from related controlled foreign corporations), and 954(i) 
(relating to entities engaged in the active conduct of an insurance 
business) are not taken into account;
    (C) The rules in section 954(c)(4) (relating to sales of certain 
partnership interests) and 954(c)(5) (relating to certain commodity 
hedging transactions) are taken into account; and
    (D) An entity is treated as a controlled foreign corporation within 
the meaning of section 957(a) for purposes of applying an exception to 
foreign personal holding company income in section 954(c) and (h) and 
for purposes of identifying whether a person is a related person with 
respect to such entity within the meaning of section 954(d)(3).
    (ii) Determination of gross income on a net basis for certain items 
of foreign personal holding company income. For purposes of section 
1297, the excess of gains over losses from property transactions 
described in section 954(c)(1)(B), the excess of gains over losses from 
transactions in commodities described in section 954(c)(1)(C), the 
excess of foreign currency gains over foreign currency losses described 
in section 954(c)(1)(D), and positive net

[[Page 33148]]

income from notional principal contracts described in section 
954(c)(1)(F) are taken into account as gross income. The excess of 
gains over losses and positive net income is calculated separately with 
respect to the tested foreign corporation and each look-through 
subsidiary (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-2(g)(1)).
    (iii) Dividends. For purposes of section 1297, the term dividend 
includes all amounts treated as dividends for purposes of this chapter, 
including amounts treated as dividends pursuant to sections 302, 304, 
356(a)(2), 964(e), and 1248.
    (2) Treatment of share of partnership income--(i) Look-through 
partnership. A tested foreign corporation is treated as if it received 
directly its share of any item of income of a look-through partnership, 
and the exceptions to passive income in section 1297(b)(2) and the 
relevant exceptions to foreign personal holding company income in 
section 954(c) and (h) that are based on whether income is derived in 
the active conduct of a business or whether a corporation is engaged in 
the active conduct of a business apply to such income only if the 
exception would have applied to exclude the income from passive income 
or foreign personal holding company in the hands of the partnership, 
determined by taking into account only the activities of the 
partnership. See Sec.  1.1297-2(e) for rules that allow the activities 
of certain other entities to be taken into account for purposes of 
determining the characterization of a tested foreign corporation's 
share of partnership income. See also Sec.  1.1297-2(d) for rules 
determining whether a person is a related person for purposes of 
applying section 1297(b)(2)(C) in the case of income received or 
accrued by a partnership that is treated as received directly by a 
tested foreign corporation pursuant to this paragraph (c)(2).
    (ii) Less-than-25-percent-owned partnership. For purposes of 
section 1297, a tested foreign corporation's share of any item of 
income of a partnership in which the corporation owns, directly or 
indirectly, less than 25 percent of the value is treated as passive 
income.
    (3) Exception for certain interest, dividends, rents, and royalties 
received from a related person--(i) Allocation of interest. For 
purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C), interest that is received or 
accrued, as applicable based on the recipient's method of accounting, 
from a related person (as defined in section 1297(b)) is allocated to 
income of the related person that is not passive income in proportion 
to the ratio of the portion of the related person's non-passive income 
for its taxable year to the total amount of the related person's income 
for the taxable year that ends with or within the taxable year of the 
recipient.
    (ii) Allocation of dividends. For purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(C), dividends that are received or accrued, as applicable 
based on the recipient's method of accounting, from a related person 
are allocated to income of the related person that is not passive 
income based on the relative portion of the related person's current 
earnings and profits for its taxable year that ends with or within the 
taxable year of the recipient that are attributable to non-passive 
income.
    (iii) Allocation of rents and royalties. For purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(C), rents and royalties that are received or accrued, as 
applicable based on the recipient's method of accounting, from a 
related person are allocated to income of the related person that is 
not passive income to the extent the related person's deduction for the 
rent or royalty is allocated to non-passive income of the related 
person under the principles of Sec. Sec.  1.861-8 through 1.861-14T.
    (iv) Determination of whether amounts are received or accrued from 
a related person. For purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C), the 
determination of whether interest, dividends, rents, and royalties were 
received or accrued from a related person is made on the date of the 
receipt or accrual, as applicable based on the recipient's method of 
accounting, of the interest, dividend, rent, or royalty.
    (d) Asset test--(1) Calculation of average annual value (or 
adjusted bases)--(i) General rule. For purposes of section 1297, the 
calculation of the average percentage of assets held by a tested 
foreign corporation during its taxable year that produce passive income 
or that are held for the production of passive income is determined 
based on the average of the fair market values (or the average of the 
adjusted bases) of the passive assets and total assets held by the 
foreign corporation on the last day of each measuring period (measuring 
date) of the foreign corporation's taxable year. The average of the 
fair market values (or the average of the adjusted bases) of the 
foreign corporation's passive assets or total assets for the taxable 
year is equal to the sum of the values (or adjusted bases) of the 
passive assets or total assets, as applicable, on each measuring date 
of the foreign corporation's taxable year, divided by the number of 
measuring dates in the taxable year.
    (ii) Measuring period--(A) General rule. Except as otherwise 
provided in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) of this section, the measuring 
periods for a tested foreign corporation are the four quarters that 
make up the foreign corporation's taxable year.
    (B) Election to use alternative measuring period. The average 
percentage of assets held by a tested foreign corporation during its 
taxable year that produce passive income or that are held for the 
production of passive income may be calculated using a period that is 
shorter than a quarter (such as a week or month). The same period must 
be used to measure the assets of the foreign corporation for the first 
year (including a short taxable year) that this alternative measuring 
period is used, and for any and all subsequent years, unless a 
revocation is made. An election to use an alternative measuring period 
or a revocation of such an election must be made in accordance with the 
rules of paragraph (d)(1)(iv) of this section.
    (C) Short taxable year. For purposes of applying section 1297 to a 
tested foreign corporation that has a taxable year of less than twelve 
months (short taxable year), the average values (or adjusted bases) are 
determined based on the measuring dates of the foreign corporation's 
taxable year (determined as if the taxable year were not a short 
taxable year), and by treating the last day of the short taxable year 
as a measuring date.
    (iii) Adjusted basis. (A) [Reserved]
    (B) Election. An election under section 1297(e)(2)(B) with respect 
to an eligible tested foreign corporation or a revocation of such an 
election must be made in accordance with the rules of paragraph 
(d)(1)(iv) of this section.
    (iv) Time and manner of elections and revocations--(A) Elections. 
An owner (as defined in this paragraph (d)(1)(iv)) of a foreign 
corporation makes an election described in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) or 
(d)(1)(iii)(B) of this section for a taxable year in the manner 
provided in the Instructions to Form 8621 (or successor form), if the 
owner is required to file a Form 8621 (or successor form) with respect 
to the foreign corporation for the taxable year of the owner in which 
or with which the taxable year of the foreign corporation for which the 
election is made ends. If the owner is not required to file Form 8621 
(or successor form) with respect to the foreign corporation for the 
taxable year, the owner makes such an election by filing a written 
statement providing for the election and attaching the statement to an 
original or amended Federal income tax return for the

[[Page 33149]]

taxable year of the owner in which or with which the taxable year of 
the foreign corporation for which the election is made ends clearly 
indicating that such election has been made. An election can be made by 
an owner only if the owner's taxable year for which the election is 
made, and all taxable years that are affected by the election, are not 
closed by the period of limitations on assessments under section 6501. 
Elections described in in paragraphs (d)(1)(ii)(B) and (d)(1)(iii)(B) 
of this section are not eligible for relief under Sec.  301.9100-3 of 
this chapter. For purposes of this paragraph (d)(1)(iv), an owner of a 
foreign corporation is a United States person that is eligible under 
Sec.  1.1295-1(d) to make a section 1295 election with respect to the 
foreign corporation, or would be eligible under Sec.  1.1295-1(d) to 
make a section 1295 election if the foreign corporation were a PFIC.
    (B) Revocations and subsequent elections. An election described in 
paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) or (d)(1)(iii)(B) of this section made pursuant 
to paragraph (d)(1)(iv)(A) of this section is effective for the taxable 
year of the foreign corporation for which it is made and all subsequent 
taxable years of such corporation unless revoked by the Commissioner or 
the owner (as defined in paragraph (d)(1)(iv)(A) of this section) of 
the foreign corporation. The owner of a foreign corporation may revoke 
such an election at any time. If an election described in paragraph 
(d)(1)(ii)(B) or (d)(1)(iii)(B) of this section has been revoked under 
this paragraph (d)(1)(iv)(B), a new election described in paragraph 
(d)(1)(ii)(B) or (d)(1)(iii)(B) of this section, as applicable, cannot 
be made until the sixth taxable year following the year for which the 
previous such election was revoked, and such subsequent election cannot 
be revoked until the sixth taxable year following the year for which 
the subsequent election was made. The owner revokes the election for a 
taxable year in the manner provided in the Instructions to Form 8621 
(or successor form), if the owner is required to file a Form 8621 (or 
successor form) with respect to the foreign corporation for the taxable 
year of the owner in which or with which the taxable year of the 
foreign corporation for which the election is revoked ends, or by 
filing a written statement providing for the revocation and attaching 
the statement to an original or amended Federal income tax return for 
the taxable year of the owner in which or with which the taxable year 
of the foreign corporation for which the election is revoked ends 
clearly indicating that such election has been revoked, if the owner is 
not required to file Form 8621 (or successor form) with respect to the 
foreign corporation for the taxable year.
    (v) Change in method of measuring assets--(A) General rule. For 
purposes of section 1297, when stock of a foreign corporation is not 
publicly traded for an entire taxable year, the assets of the foreign 
corporation must be measured for all measuring periods of the taxable 
year on the basis of value if the corporation was publicly traded on 
the majority of days during the year or section 1297(e)(2) did not 
otherwise apply to the corporation on the majority of days of the year, 
and on the basis of adjusted basis otherwise.
    (B) Example. The following example illustrates the application of 
this paragraph (d)(1)(v).

    (1) Facts. TFC is a controlled foreign corporation, 90% of the 
stock of which is wholly owned by USP at the beginning of its 
taxable year ending December 31 and throughout the year. The 
remaining 10% of its stock has historically been regularly traded on 
a national securities exchange that is registered with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission and continues to be until 
September 1 of the taxable year, when USP acquires all of it 
pursuant to a tender offer.
    (2) Results. Because TFC was publicly traded on the majority of 
days during the year, the assets of the foreign corporation must be 
measured for all measuring periods of the taxable year on the basis 
of value.

    (2) Dual-character assets--(i) General rule. Except as otherwise 
provided in paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, for purposes of 
section 1297, an asset (or portion of an asset) that produces both 
passive income and non-passive income during a taxable year (dual-
character asset) is treated as two assets for each measuring period in 
the taxable year, one of which is a passive asset and one of which is a 
non-passive asset. The value (or adjusted basis) of the dual-character 
asset is allocated between the passive asset and the non-passive asset 
in proportion to the relative amounts of passive income and non-passive 
income produced by the asset (or portion of an asset) during the 
taxable year. See paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this section for a special 
rule concerning stock that has previously produced dividends subject to 
the exception provided in section 1297(b)(2)(C).
    (ii) Special rule when only part of an asset produces income. For 
purposes of section 1297, when only a portion of an asset produces 
income during a taxable year, the asset is treated as two assets, one 
of which is characterized as a passive asset or a non-passive asset 
based on the income that it produces, and one of which is characterized 
based on the income that it is held to produce. The value (or adjusted 
basis) of the asset is allocated between the two assets pursuant to the 
method that most reasonably reflects the uses of the property. In the 
case of real property, an allocation based on the physical use of the 
property generally is the most reasonable method.
    (iii) Special rule for stock that produced income that was excluded 
from passive income under section 1297(b)(2)(C). Stock with respect to 
which no dividends are accrued or received, as applicable based on the 
recipient's method of accounting, during a taxable year but with 
respect to which dividends accrued or received, as applicable based on 
the recipient's method of accounting, during a prior taxable year were 
in whole or in part excluded from passive income under section 
1297(b)(2)(C) and paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section is treated as 
two assets, one of which is a passive asset and one of which is a non-
passive asset. The value (or adjusted basis) of the asset is allocated 
between the two assets in proportion to the average percentage of 
dividends that were characterized as passive income, and the average 
percentage of dividends characterized as non-passive income, for the 
previous two taxable years pursuant to section 1297(b)(2)(C) and 
paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section.
    (iv) Example. The following example illustrates the application of 
this paragraph (d)(2).

    (A) Facts. (1) USP is a domestic corporation that owns 30% of 
TFC, a foreign corporation. The remaining 70% of TFC is owned by FP, 
a foreign corporation that is unrelated to USP. TFC owns 20% of the 
value of FS1, a foreign corporation, and FP owns the remaining 80% 
of the value of FS1. FP, TFC, and FS1 are not controlled foreign 
corporations within the meaning of section 957(a), and each has a 
calendar year taxable year. For purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C), 
FP is a ``related person'' with respect to TFC because FP owns more 
than 50% of the vote or value of TFC, and FS1 is a ``related 
person'' with respect to TFC because FP owns more than 50% of the 
vote or value of both TFC and of FS1.
    (2) During Year 3, FP has only passive income, and FS1 has 
passive income of $200x and non-passive income of $800x. FS1 does 
not pay dividends during Year 3, but did pay $100x of dividends in 
Year 2 and $300x of dividends in Year 1. In Year 2, FS1 had current 
earnings and profits of $1000x, attributable to passive income of 
$100x and non-passive income of $900x; and, in Year 1, FS1 had 
current earnings and profits of $1000x, attributable to passive 
income of $500x and non-passive income of $500x. Throughout Year 3, 
TFC holds an obligation of FS1 with respect to which FS1 pays $100x 
of interest.

[[Page 33150]]

    (3) In addition to the stock in FS1 and the FS1 obligation, TFC 
holds an office building, 40% of which is rented to FP throughout 
Year 3 for $100x per quarter. For the first two quarters of Year 3, 
60% of the office building is used by TFC in a trade or business 
generating non-passive income. For the last two quarters of Year 3, 
60% of the office building is rented to an unrelated person for 
$300x per quarter, and TFC's own officers or staff of employees 
regularly perform active and substantial management and operational 
functions while the property is leased.
    (B) Results. (1) Under paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section, the 
dividends paid by FS1 in Year 2 were characterized as 10% passive 
income and 90% non-passive income. Under paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of 
this section, the dividends paid by FS1 in Year 1 were characterized 
as 50% passive income and 50% non-passive income. Accordingly, the 
average percentage of dividends for the previous two taxable years 
that were characterized as passive income is 40% (((10% x $100x) + 
(50% x $300x))/($100 x + $300x)), and the average percentage of 
dividends characterized as non-passive income is 60% (((90% x $100x) 
+ (50% x $300x))/($100x + $300x)). Thus, under paragraph (d)(2)(iii) 
of this section, 60% of each share of stock of FS1 is characterized 
as a non-passive asset and 40% is characterized as a passive asset 
for each quarter of Year 3 for purposes of applying section 
1297(a)(2) to determine whether TFC is a PFIC.
    (2) Under paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, the interest 
received by TFC from FS1 is characterized as 20% ($200x/
($200x+$800x)) passive income and thus 80% non-passive income for 
purposes of applying section 1297(a)(1) to determine whether TFC is 
a PFIC. Accordingly, under paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section, 20% 
of the obligation of FS1 is characterized as a passive asset and 80% 
as a non-passive asset for each quarter of Year 3 for purposes of 
applying section 1297(a)(2) to determine whether TFC is a PFIC.
    (3) Under paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section, the rent 
received from FP throughout Year 3 is characterized as 100% passive 
income. Under paragraph (c)(1)(i)(A) of this section and section 
954(c)(2)(A), the rent received from the unrelated person during the 
last two quarters is characterized as 100% non-passive income. 
Accordingly, under paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section, 40% (($100x 
x 4)/(($100x x 4) + ($300x x 2))) of the office building is a 
passive asset, and 60% (($300x x 2)/(($100x x 4) + ($300x x 2))) is 
a non-passive asset for purposes of applying section 1297(a)(2) to 
determine whether TFC is a PFIC. Paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this 
section does not apply because both portions of the office building 
generate income during Year 3.

    (3) Partnership interest--(i) Look-through partnership. A tested 
foreign corporation is treated as holding directly its proportionate 
share of the assets held by a look-through partnership. The rules and 
principles of sections 701 through 761 apply to determine the corporate 
partner's proportionate share of the value of the partnership assets, 
as well as the proportionate share of the partnership's adjusted basis 
in the partnership's assets (taking into account any adjustments to 
such basis with respect to such partner under section 743). A tested 
foreign corporation's proportionate share of a partnership asset is 
treated as producing passive income, or being held to produce passive 
income, to the extent the asset produced, or was held to produce, 
passive income in the hands of the partnership under the rules in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
    (ii) Less-than-25-percent-owned partnership. For purposes of 
section 1297, a tested foreign corporation's interest in a partnership 
in which the corporation owns, directly or indirectly, less than 25 
percent of the value is treated as a passive asset.
    (4) Dealer property. For purposes of section 1297(a)(2), an asset 
that produces, or would produce upon disposition, income or gain that 
is, or would be, excluded from passive income pursuant to section 
954(c)(2)(C) is treated as a non-passive asset.
    (e) Stapled stock. For purposes of determining whether stapled 
entities (as defined in section 269B(c)(2)) are a PFIC, all entities 
that are stapled entities with respect to each other are treated as a 
single entity that holds all of the assets of the stapled entities, 
conducts all of the activities of the stapled entities, and derives all 
of the income of the stapled entities.
    (f) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this section:
    (1) Look-through partnership. The term look-through partnership 
means, with respect to a tested foreign corporation--
    (i) For purposes of section 1297(a)(2), a partnership at least 25 
percent of the value of which is owned (as determined under Sec.  
1.1297-2(b)(1) as if the partnership were a corporation) by the tested 
foreign corporation on the measuring date; and
    (ii) For purposes of section 1297(a)(1), a partnership for which 
the value owned (as determined under Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(1) as if the 
partnership were a corporation) by the tested foreign corporation on 
the date on which income is received or accrued by the partnership is 
at least 25 percent of the value of the partnership.
    (2) Measuring date. The term measuring date has the meaning 
provided in paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section.
    (3) Measuring period. The term measuring period means a quarter or 
an alternative measuring period, as determined in accordance with 
paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section.
    (4) Non-passive asset. The term non-passive asset means an asset 
other than a passive asset.
    (5) Non-passive income. The term non-passive income means income 
other than passive income.
    (6) Passive asset. The term passive asset means an asset that 
produces passive income, or which is held for the production of passive 
income, taking into account the rules in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this 
section.
    (7) Passive income. The term passive income has the meaning 
provided in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
    (8) Tested foreign corporation. The term tested foreign corporation 
means a foreign corporation the PFIC status of which is being tested 
under section 1297(a).
    (g) Applicability date. (1) [Reserved]
    (2) In general. The rules of this section apply to taxable years of 
shareholders beginning on or after the date of publication of the 
Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.


Sec.  1.1297-2  Special rules regarding look-through subsidiaries.

    (a) Overview. This section provides rules concerning the treatment 
of income and assets of a look-through subsidiary for purposes of 
determining whether a tested foreign corporation (as defined in Sec.  
1.1297-1(f)(8)) is a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) under 
section 1297(a). Paragraph (b) of this section provides guidance for 
purposes of section 1297(c) on how to determine a tested foreign 
corporation's ownership in a corporation and how to determine a tested 
foreign corporation's proportionate share of a look-through 
subsidiary's assets and income. Paragraph (c) of this section provides 
rules that eliminate certain income and assets related to look-through 
subsidiaries and look-through partnerships (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-
1(f)(1)) for purposes of determining a tested foreign corporation's 
PFIC status. Paragraph (d) of this section sets forth a rule to 
determine whether certain income received or accrued by look-through 
subsidiaries and look-through partnerships is received or accrued from 
a related person for purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C). Paragraph (e) 
of this section sets forth rules concerning the attribution of 
activities from a look-through subsidiary or look-through partnership. 
Paragraph (f) of this section provides rules for determining the amount 
of gain from the sale or exchange of stock of a look-through subsidiary 
that is taken into account

[[Page 33151]]

under section 1297(a) and for determining the passive or non-passive 
character of the gain. Paragraph (g) of this section sets forth 
definitions applicable for this section, and paragraph (h) of this 
section sets forth the applicability date of this section.
    (b) General rules--(1) Tested foreign corporation's ownership of a 
corporation. For purposes of section 1297(c) and the regulations in 
this section, the principles of section 958(a) and the regulations in 
this chapter under that section applicable to determining direct or 
indirect ownership by value apply to determine a tested foreign 
corporation's percentage ownership (by value) in the stock of another 
corporation. These principles apply whether an intermediate entity is 
domestic or foreign.
    (2) Tested foreign corporation's proportionate share of the assets 
and income of a look-through subsidiary--(i) Proportionate share of 
assets. For each measuring period (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(3)), 
a tested foreign corporation is treated as if it held its proportionate 
share of each asset of a look-through subsidiary, determined based on 
the tested foreign corporation's percentage ownership (by value) (as 
determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section)) of the look-through 
subsidiary on the measuring date (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(2)).
    (ii) Proportionate share of income--(A) General rule. A tested 
foreign corporation is treated as if it received directly its 
proportionate share of each item of gross income of a corporation for a 
taxable year if the corporation is a look-through subsidiary with 
respect to the tested foreign corporation for the taxable year of the 
tested foreign corporation. In such case, a tested foreign 
corporation's proportionate share of a look-through subsidiary's gross 
income is determined based on the corporation's average percentage 
ownership (by value) of the look-through subsidiary.
    (B) Special rule. When a corporation is not a look-through 
subsidiary with respect to a tested foreign corporation for a taxable 
year of the tested foreign corporation, the tested foreign corporation 
may be treated as if it received directly its proportionate share of 
the gross income of the first corporation for each measuring period in 
the year for which the first corporation is a look-through subsidiary, 
provided that the gross income of the first corporation for each such 
measuring period can be established. In such case, a tested foreign 
corporation's proportionate share of a look-through subsidiary's gross 
income is determined based on the tested foreign corporation's 
percentage ownership (by value) (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) 
of this section) of the look-through subsidiary on the relevant 
measuring date.
    (iii) Coordination of section 1297(c) with section 1298(b)(7). A 
tested foreign corporation is not treated under section 1297(c) and 
this paragraph (b) as holding its proportionate share of the assets of 
a domestic corporation, or receiving directly its proportionate share 
of the gross income of such corporation, if the stock of the 
corporation is treated as an asset that is not a passive asset (as 
defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(6)) that produces income that is not 
passive income (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(7)) under section 
1298(b)(7) (concerning the treatment of certain foreign corporations 
owning stock in certain 25 percent owned domestic corporations). See 
Sec.  1.1298-4 for rules governing the application of section 
1298(b)(7).
    (3) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
paragraph (b). For purposes of the examples in this paragraph (b)(3), 
for TFC's and LTS's entire taxable years, USP is a domestic 
corporation; USP owns 30% of TFC; TFC owns the amount of stock of LTS 
provided in each example; LTS owns 25% of the only class of FS stock; 
and TFC, LTS, and FS are foreign corporations that are not controlled 
foreign corporations within the meaning of section 957(a).

    (i) Example 1--(A) Facts. TFC directly owns 80% of the only 
class of LTS stock for TFC's and LTS's entire taxable year. Pursuant 
to the principles of section 958(a), TFC owns 80% of the value of 
LTS, LTS owns 25% of the value of FS, and TFC owns 20% of the value 
of FS.
    (B) Results. Under paragraph (b) of this section, in determining 
whether LTS is a PFIC under section 1297(a), LTS is treated as if it 
held 25% of each of FS's assets on each of the measuring dates in 
its taxable year, and received directly 25% of the gross income of 
FS for the taxable year. In determining whether TFC is a PFIC under 
section 1297(a), TFC is treated as if it held an 80% interest in 
each of LTS's assets on each of the measuring dates in its taxable 
year, and received directly 80% of the income of LTS for the taxable 
year. However, TFC is treated as if it held a 20% interest in the 
stock of FS (and not the assets of FS), and received 80% of any 
dividends paid from FS to LTS (and not any income of FS).
    (ii) Example 2--(A) Facts. TFC directly owns 25% of the only 
class of LTS stock on the last day of each of the first three 
quarters of its taxable year, but disposes of its entire interest in 
LTS during the fourth quarter of its taxable year. Pursuant to the 
principles of section 958(a), on each of its first three measuring 
dates, TFC owns 25% of the value of LTS and 6.25% of the value of 
FS.
    (B) Results. Under paragraph (b) of this section, in determining 
whether TFC is a PFIC under section 1297(a), TFC is treated as if it 
held 25% of LTS's assets on each of the first three measuring dates 
in its taxable year. However, because it held an average of 18.75% 
of the value of LTS on the measuring dates in the taxable year, it 
is not treated as receiving directly the gross income of LTS for the 
taxable year. If information about the gross income for LTS for each 
of the first three quarters of its taxable year is available, TFC 
may be treated as receiving directly 25% of the income of LTS for 
each of those quarters, because it owned 25% of the value of LTS on 
the measuring dates with respect to those measuring periods. For 
each of its first three quarters, TFC is treated as if it held a 
6.25% interest in the stock of FS (and not the assets of FS) and 
may, if information about the income for LTS for each of the first 
three quarters of its taxable year is available, be treated as 
receiving 25% of any dividends paid from FS to LTS (and not any 
income of FS).
    (iii) Example 3--(A) Facts. TFC directly owns 100% of the only 
class of LTS stock for TFC's and LTS's entire taxable year. Pursuant 
to the principles of section 958(a), TFC owns 100% of the value of 
LTS, and TFC owns 25% of the value of FS. TFC earns $5x of rents 
from renting a building to LTS, a related person with respect to TFC 
within the meaning of section 954(d)(3). TFC also sells one item of 
property described in section 954(c)(1)(B)(i) for a gain of $25x and 
another for a loss of $10x, and no exception from passive income 
applies to either amount. LTS has $100x of revenues from selling 
property described in section 1221(a)(1) to unrelated persons, but 
$150x of cost of goods sold with respect to such property. None of 
LTS's deduction for the rent paid to TFC is allocated to non-passive 
income under the principles of Sec. Sec.  1.861-8 through 1.861-14T. 
During the taxable year, FS sells one item of property described in 
section 954(c)(1)(B)(i) for a gain of $50x and another for a loss of 
$100x, and no exception from passive income applies to either 
amount.
    (B) Results. Under paragraph (b) of this section, in determining 
whether TFC is a PFIC under section 1297(a), TFC is treated as if it 
held 100% of LTS's assets on each of the measuring dates in its 
taxable year, and received directly 100% of the gross income of LTS 
for the taxable year. Accordingly, TFC is treated as receiving 
directly $0x of gross income from the sale of property by LTS given 
that LTS revenues are fully offset by costs of goods sold. 
Furthermore, TFC is treated as if it held a 25% interest in FS's 
assets, and received directly 25% of the gross income of FS. 
Pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(ii), only the excess of gains over 
losses from property transactions described in section 954(c)(1)(B) 
is taken into account as gross income for purposes of section 1297. 
Accordingly, TFC is treated as receiving directly $0x of gross 
income from the sales of property by FS. TFC's rental income 
constitutes passive income pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-1(c) and section 
954(c)(1)(A), the exception in section 954(c)(2)(A) does not apply, 
and, taking into account Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(3)(iii), section 
1297(b)(2)(c) does not

[[Page 33152]]

apply to characterize any of the rental income as non-passive 
income. TFC's income from its sales of property constitutes passive 
income pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-1(c) and section 954(c)(1)(B), 
although, pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(ii), only the excess of 
gains over losses is taken into account as gross income for purposes 
of section 1297. As a result, TFC's income, all of which is passive 
income, equals $20x ($5x + ($25x-$10x)) of gross income.

    (c) Elimination of certain intercompany assets and income--(1) 
General rule for asset test. For purposes of section 1297, a tested 
foreign corporation does not take into account the value (or adjusted 
basis) of stock of a look-through subsidiary (LTS stock) or its 
proportionate share of an obligation of a look-through subsidiary (LTS 
debt) that it owns on a measuring date, including LTS stock and LTS 
debt that it is treated as owning pursuant to section 1297(c) and 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2). The tested 
foreign corporation's proportionate share of a LTS debt is the value 
(or adjusted basis) of the debt multiplied by the tested foreign 
corporation's percentage ownership (by value) in the debtor look-
through subsidiary. Furthermore, for purposes of section 1297, a tested 
foreign corporation does not take into account the value (or adjusted 
basis) of stock or obligations of the tested foreign corporation that 
it is treated as owning pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2).
    (2) General rule for income test. For purposes of section 1297, a 
tested foreign corporation does not take into account dividends derived 
with respect to LTS stock or its proportionate share of interest 
derived with respect to LTS debt, including amounts that it is treated 
as receiving pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2), other than dividends that are 
attributable to income that was not treated as received directly by the 
tested foreign corporation pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section. The tested foreign corporation's proportionate share of 
interest is the amount of interest multiplied by the tested foreign 
corporation's percentage ownership (by value) in the debtor look-
through subsidiary. Furthermore, for purposes of section 1297, a tested 
foreign corporation does not take into account dividends or interest 
with respect to stock or obligations of the tested foreign corporation 
that it is treated as receiving pursuant to section 1297(c) and 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2).
    (3) Partnerships. For purposes of section 1297, the principles of 
paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section apply with respect to 
ownership interests in and debt of a look-through partnership and with 
respect to distributions by a look-through partnership, other than 
distributions that are attributable to income that was not treated as 
received directly by the tested foreign corporation pursuant to Sec.  
1.1297-1(c)(2), and interest derived with respect to the debt of a 
look-through partnership.
    (4) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
paragraph (c). For purposes of the examples in this paragraph (c)(4), 
USP is a domestic corporation; USP owns 30% of TFC; TFC, LTS1, and LTS2 
are foreign corporations that are not controlled foreign corporations 
within the meaning of section 957(a); FPS is a foreign partnership; and 
TFC, LTS1, and LTS2 measure assets for purposes of section 1297(a)(2) 
based on value.

    (i) Example 1--(A) Facts. TFC directly owns 40% of the value of 
LTS1 stock on each of the measuring dates, and thus is treated under 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section as owning 40% of LTS1 on each of 
the measuring dates. TFC's assets include a loan to LTS1 with a 
balance of $1,000x on each of the measuring dates. During the first 
quarter of the taxable year, TFC received $20x of dividends from 
LTS1, which were attributable to income of LTS1 treated as received 
directly by TFC pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this section, and 
$30x of interest on the loan, both of which were paid in cash.
    (B) Results. Under paragraph (c) of this section, for purposes 
of applying section 1297(a), TFC's assets do not include the stock 
of LTS1, and TFC's income does not include the $20x of dividends 
received from LTS1. Similarly, TFC's assets include only $600x 
($1,000x loan-(40% x $1,000x)) of the loan to LTS1, and TFC's income 
includes only $18x ($30x interest-(40% x $30x)) of the interest from 
LTS1. However, TFC's assets include the entire $50x of cash ($20x of 
dividends and $30x of interest) received from LTS1.
    (ii) Example 2--(A) Facts. The facts are the same as in 
paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 1), 
except that TFC also directly owns 30% of the value of LTS2 stock on 
each of the measuring dates, and thus is treated under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section as owning 30% of LTS2, and LTS1's assets also 
include a loan to LTS2 with a balance of $200x on each of the 
measuring dates. During the first quarter of the taxable year, LTS1 
received $5x of interest on the loan, which was paid in cash.
    (B) Results. The results are the same as in paragraph 
(c)(4)(i)(B) of this section (the results in Example 1), except that 
TFC's assets also do not include the stock of LTS2. Similarly, 
although TFC would be treated under paragraph (b)(2) of this section 
as owning $80x (40% x $200x) of the LTS1 loan to LTS2, under 
paragraph (c) of this section, TFC does not take into account $60x 
(30% x $200x)) of the loan to LTS2, and accordingly, its assets 
include only $20x ($80-$60x) of the loan to LTS1. Furthermore, 
although TFC would be treated under paragraph (b)(2) of this section 
as receiving $2x (40% x $5x) of the interest received by LTS1 from 
LTS2, under paragraph (c) of this section, TFC does not take into 
account $1.5x (30% x $5x) of the interest received by LTS1, and 
accordingly, its income includes only $0.5x ($2x-$1.5x) of the 
interest from LTS2. Furthermore, TFC's assets include $2x (40% x 
$5x) of LTS1's cash received from LTS2.
    (iii) Example 3--(A) Facts. TFC directly owns 80% of the value 
of LTS1 stock on each of the measuring dates, and thus is treated 
under paragraph (b)(1) of this section as owning 80% of LTS1 on each 
of the measuring dates. TFC also directly owns 50% of the value in 
FPS on each of the measuring dates. LTS1's assets include the 
remaining 50% of the value in FPS and a loan to FPS with a balance 
of $500x on each of the measuring dates. FPS's assets include a loan 
to TFC with a balance of $1000x on each of the measuring dates. 
During the first measuring period of the taxable year, FPS received 
$30x of interest from TFC, and LTS1 received $15x of interest from 
FPS, both of which were paid in cash. During the last measuring 
period of the taxable year, FPS received $80x of income from an 
unrelated person in cash and distributed $60x of such income in cash 
to TFC and LTS1 in proportion to their interests in FPS.
    (B) Results. Under paragraph (c) of this section, for purposes 
of applying section 1297(a), TFC's assets do not include the stock 
of LTS1, the interests in FPS owned by TFC directly and through 
LTS1, any of the loan by FPS to TFC, or any of the loan by LTS1 to 
FPS. Similarly, TFC's income does not include any of the $30x of 
interest received by FPS from TFC, any of the $15x of interest 
received by LTS1 from FPS, or any of the $60x of distributions 
received by TFC and LTS1 from FPS. However, on each of the measuring 
dates, TFC's assets include $27x ((50% x $30x) + (80% x 50% x $30x)) 
of the $30 of cash received by FPS from TFC and $12x (80% x $15x) of 
the $15 of cash received by LTS1 from FPS. Moreover, on the last 
measuring date of the taxable year, TFC's assets include $18x ((50% 
x $20x) + (80% x 50% x $20x)) of the $20x ($80x-$60x) of cash 
received by FPS from the unrelated person and retained and $54 ((50% 
x $60x) + (80% x 50% x $60x)) of the $60x cash received by FPS from 
the unrelated person and distributed. Furthermore, TFC's income 
includes $72x ((50% x $80x) + (80% x 50% x $80x)) of the $80x of 
income received by FPS from an unrelated person.

    (d) Related person determination for purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(C)--(1) General rule. For purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C), 
interest, dividends, rents, or royalties received or accrued by a look-
through subsidiary (and treated as received directly by a tested 
foreign corporation pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of 
this section) are

[[Page 33153]]

considered received or accrued from a related person only if the payor 
of the interest, dividend, rent or royalty is a related person (within 
the meaning of section 954(d)(3)) with respect to the look-through 
subsidiary, taking into account Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(D). Similarly, 
for purposes of 1297(b)(2)(C), interest, dividends, rents, or royalties 
received or accrued by a look-through partnership (and treated as 
received directly by a tested foreign corporation pursuant to Sec.  
1.1297-1(c)(2)) are considered received or accrued from a related 
person only if the payor of the interest, dividend, rent or royalty is 
a related person (within the meaning of section 954(d)(3)) with respect 
to the look-through partnership, taking into account Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(1)(i)(D).
    (2) Example. The following example illustrates the rule of this 
paragraph (d).

    (i) Facts. USP is a domestic corporation that owns 30% of TFC. 
TFC directly owns 30% of the value of FS1 stock, and thus under 
paragraph (b) of this section is treated as owning 30% of FS1. FS1 
directly owns 60% of the vote of FS2 stock and 20% of the value of 
FS2 stock. The remaining vote and value of FS2 stock are owned by an 
unrelated foreign person. TFC, FS1, and FS2 are foreign corporations 
that are not controlled foreign corporations within the meaning of 
section 957(a). FS1 receives a $100x dividend from FS2.
    (ii) Results. Pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) 
of this section, TFC is treated as receiving directly $30x of the 
dividend income received by FS1. FS2 is a ``related person'' with 
respect to FS1 for purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C) because FS1 
owns more than 50% of the vote of FS2. FS2 is not a ``related 
person'' with respect to TFC for purposes of section 1297(b)(2)(C). 
Under paragraph (d) of this section, for purposes of determining 
whether the dividend income received by FS1 is subject to the 
exception in section 1297(b)(2)(C) for purposes of testing the PFIC 
status of TFC, the dividend is treated as received from a related 
person because FS1 and FS2 are related persons within the meaning of 
section 1297(b)(2)(C). Therefore, to the extent the dividend income 
received by FS1 would be properly allocable to income of FS2 that is 
not passive income, the dividend income that TFC is treated as 
receiving under section 1297(c) is treated as non-passive income (as 
defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(5)).

    (e) Treatment of activities of certain look-through subsidiaries 
and look-through partnerships for purposes of section 954(c)(2)(A) 
active rents and royalties exception--(1) General rule. An item of rent 
or royalty income received by a tested foreign corporation (including 
an amount treated as received or accrued pursuant to section 1297(c) 
and paragraph (b)(2) of this section or pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(2)) that would be passive income in the hands of the entity that 
actually received or accrued it is not passive income pursuant to Sec.  
1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(A) and section 954(c)(2)(A) if the item would be 
excluded from foreign personal holding company income under section 
954(c)(2)(A) and Sec.  1.954-2(b)(6), (c), and (d), determined by 
taking into account the activities performed by the officers and staff 
of employees of the tested foreign corporation as well as activities 
performed by the officers and staff of employees of any look-through 
subsidiary in which the tested foreign corporation owns more than 50 
percent by value (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section) 
and any look-through partnership in which the tested foreign 
corporation owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50 percent.
    (2) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rule of this 
paragraph (e).

    (i) Example 1--(A) Facts. USP is a domestic corporation that 
directly owns 20% of the outstanding stock of FS1. The remaining 80% 
of the outstanding stock of FS1 is directly owned by a foreign 
person that is not related to USP. FS1 directly owns 100% of the 
value of the outstanding stock of FS2 and directly owns 80% of the 
value of the outstanding stock of FS3. The remaining 20% of the 
outstanding stock of the value of the FS3 is directly owned by a 
foreign person that is not related to USP. FS2 directly owns 80% of 
the value of the outstanding stock of FS4. The remaining 20% of the 
value of the outstanding stock of FS4 is directly owned by a foreign 
person that is not related to USP. FS1, FS2, FS3 and FS4 are all 
organized in Country A and are not controlled foreign corporations 
within the meaning of section 957(a). FS4 owns real property that is 
leased to a person that is not a related person, but does not 
perform any activities. FS1 and FS2 also do not perform any 
activities. Officers and employees of FS3 in Country A perform 
activities with respect to the real property of FS4 that, if 
performed by officers or employees of FS4, would allow the rental 
income in the hands of FS4 to qualify for the exception from foreign 
personal holding company income in section 954(c)(2)(A) and Sec.  
1.954-2(b)(6) and (c)(1)(ii).
    (B) Results. Under this paragraph (e), for purposes of 
determining whether the rental income treated under section 1297(c) 
and paragraph (b)(2) of this section as received directly by FS1 
with respect to the real property owned and rented by FS4 is passive 
income for purposes of section 1297, the activities of FS3 are taken 
into account as a result of FS1's ownership of 80% by value (as 
determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section) of FS3. Thus, the 
exception in section 954(c)(2)(A) would apply, and the rental income 
treated as received by FS1 would be treated as non-passive income 
for purposes of determining whether FS1 is a PFIC. Because FS2 and 
FS4 do not own more than 50 percent by value (as determined under 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section) of FS3, the activities of FS3 are 
not taken into account for purposes of determining whether the 
rental income treated as received by FS2 and actually received by 
FS4 with respect to the real property owned and rented by FS4 is 
passive income for purposes of section 1297. Thus, the exception in 
section 954(c)(2)(A) would not apply, and the rental income treated 
as received by FS2 and actually received by FS4 would be treated as 
passive income for purposes of determining whether FS2 and FS4 are 
PFICs.
    (ii) Example 2--(A) Facts. The facts are the same as in 
paragraph (e)(2)(i)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 1), 
except that FS2 also owns real property that is leased to a person 
that is not a related person, and the officers and employees of FS2 
in Country A engage in activities that would allow rental income 
received by FS2 with respect to its real property to qualify for the 
exception in section 954(c)(2)(A) and Sec.  1.954-2(b)(6) and 
(c)(1)(iv), relying on the rule in Sec.  1.954-2(c)(2)(ii) that 
provides that an organization is substantial in relation to rents if 
active leasing expenses equal or exceed 25 percent of adjusted 
leasing profit. However, the active leasing expenses of FS1 are less 
than 25 percent of its adjusted leasing profit, which includes the 
rental income of FS4 treated as received directly by FS1 as well as 
the rental income of FS2 treated as received directly by FS1.
    (B) Results. Because FS2's rental income constitutes non-passive 
income as a result of the application of Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(1)(i)(A) 
and section 954(c)(2)(A), it is treated as non-passive income 
treated as received by FS1 for purposes of determining whether FS1 
is a PFIC, and accordingly, it is not necessary to rely on paragraph 
(e) of this section.

    (f) Gain on disposition of stock in a look-through subsidiary--(1) 
Amount of gain taken into account. The amount of gain derived from a 
tested foreign corporation's direct disposition of stock of a look-
through subsidiary, or an indirect disposition resulting from the 
disposition of stock of a look-through subsidiary by other look-through 
subsidiaries or by look-through partnerships, that is taken into 
account by the tested foreign corporation for purposes of section 
1297(a)(1), section 1298(b)(3), and Sec.  1.1298-2 is the residual 
gain. The residual gain equals the total gain recognized by the tested 
foreign corporation (including gain treated as recognized by the tested 
foreign corporation pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of 
this section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2)) from the disposition of the stock 
of the look-through subsidiary reduced (but not below zero) by 
unremitted earnings. Unremitted earnings are the excess (if any) of the 
aggregate income (if any) taken into account by the tested foreign 
corporation pursuant to section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section or Sec.  1.1297-1(c)(2) with respect to the stock of the 
disposed-of look-through subsidiary (including with respect to any 
other look-through subsidiary, to

[[Page 33154]]

the extent it is owned by the tested foreign corporation indirectly 
through the disposed-of look-through subsidiary) over the aggregate 
dividends (if any) received by the tested foreign corporation from the 
disposed-of look-through subsidiary with respect to the stock. For 
purposes of this paragraph (f)(1), the amount of gain derived from the 
disposition of stock of a look-through subsidiary and income of and 
dividends received from the look-through subsidiary is determined on a 
share-by-share basis.
    (2) Characterization of residual gain as passive income. For 
purposes of section 1297(a)(1), section 1298(b)(3), and Sec.  1.1298-2, 
the residual gain is characterized as passive income or non-passive 
income based on the relative amounts of passive assets and non-passive 
assets (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(6) and (4), respectively) of 
the disposed-of look-through subsidiary (and any other look-through 
subsidiary to the extent owned indirectly through the look-through 
subsidiary) treated as held by the tested foreign corporation on the 
date of the disposition of the look-through subsidiary. For the purpose 
of this paragraph (f)(2), the relative amounts of passive assets and 
non-passive assets held by the look-through subsidiary are measured 
under the same method (value or adjusted bases) used to measure the 
assets of the tested foreign corporation for purposes of section 
1297(a)(2).
    (3) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
paragraph (f). For purposes of the examples in this paragraph (f)(3), 
USP is a domestic corporation, TFC and FS are foreign corporations that 
are not controlled foreign corporations within the meaning of section 
957(a), and USP, TFC, and FS each has outstanding a single class of 
stock with 100 shares outstanding and a calendar taxable year.

    (i) Example 1--(A) Facts. USP owned 30% of the outstanding stock 
of TFC throughout Years 1, 2, 3, and 4. In Year 1, TFC purchased 5 
shares of FS stock, representing 5% of the stock of FS, from an 
unrelated person. On the first day of Year 3, TFC purchased 20 
shares of FS stock, representing 20% of the stock of FS, from an 
unrelated person. TFC owned 25% of the outstanding stock of FS 
throughout Years 3 and 4. Prior to Year 3, TFC did not include any 
amount in income with respect to FS under section 1297(c)(2). During 
Years 3 and 4, for purposes of section 1297(a)(1), TFC included in 
income, in the aggregate, $40x of income with respect to FS under 
section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of this section. TFC did not 
receive dividends from FS during Year 1, 2, 3, or 4. For purposes of 
section 1297(a)(2), TFC measures its assets based on their fair 
market value as provided under section 1297(e). On the last day of 
Year 4, TFC recognizes a loss with respect to the sale of 5 shares 
of FS stock, and a $110x gain with respect to the sale of 20 shares 
of FS stock. On the date of the sale, FS owns non-passive assets 
with an aggregate fair market value of $150x, and passive assets 
with an aggregate fair market value of $50x.
    (B) Results. For purposes of applying section 1297(a)(1) to TFC 
for Year 4, TFC must take into account $78x of residual gain, as 
provided by paragraph (f)(1) of this section, which equals the 
amount by which the $110x gain recognized on the sale of 20 shares 
exceeds the aggregate pro rata share of $32x income ($40x x 20/25) 
taken into account by TFC with respect to the 20 shares in FS under 
section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) of this section during Years 3 
and 4. There is zero residual gain on the sale of 5 shares of FS 
stock because they were sold at a loss. Under paragraph (f)(2) of 
this section, $58.50x of the residual gain is non-passive income 
($78x x ($150x/$200x)) and $19.50x is passive income ($78x x ($50x/
$200x)).
    (ii) Example 2--(A) Facts. The facts are the same as in 
paragraph (f)(3)(i)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 1), 
except that in Year 1, TFC purchased 15 shares of FS stock, 
representing 15% of the stock of FS, from an unrelated person, and 
on the first day of Year 3, TFC purchased an additional 15 shares of 
FS stock, representing 15% of the stock of FS, from an unrelated 
person, and on the last day of Year 4, TFC recognizes gain of $10x 
of the sale of 15 shares of FS stock purchased in Year 1, and gain 
of $60x on the sale of the other 15 shares of FS stock purchased in 
Year 3.
    (B) Results. For purposes of applying section 1297(a)(1) to TFC 
for Year 4, TFC must take into account $40x of residual gain, as 
provided by paragraph (f)(1) of this section, which equals the 
amount by which the $60x gain recognized on the sale of the 15 
shares acquired in Year 3 exceeds the pro rata aggregate share of 
$20x income ($40x x 15/30) taken into account by TFC with respect to 
the 15 shares in FS under section 1297(c)(2) during Years 3 and 4. 
There is zero residual gain on the sale of the other 15 shares of FS 
stock because the $10x of gain does not exceed the aggregate pro 
rata share of $20x income taken into account by TFC with respect to 
the other 15 shares of FS under section 1297(c) and paragraph (b)(2) 
of this section. Under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, $30x of the 
residual gain is non-passive income ($40x x ($150x/$200x)) and $10x 
is passive income ($40x x ($50x/$200x)).
    (iii) Example 3--(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in 
paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 2), 
except that TFC received, in the aggregate, $20x of dividends from 
FS during Year 2.
    (B) Results. The results are the same as in paragraph 
(f)(3)(ii)(B) of this section (the results in Example 2), except 
that the residual gain is $50x, which equals the $40x of residual 
gain attributable to the 15 shares acquired in Year 3, as computed 
in paragraph (f)(3)(ii)(B) of this section (the results in Example 
2), plus the $10x of gain recognized on the 15 shares acquired in 
Year 1 reduced by $0x, the amount by which the pro rata share of 
aggregate income ($20x) taken into account by TFC with respect to 
those 15 shares of FS stock under section 1297(c) and paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section exceeds the aggregate pro rata amount of 
dividends with respect to those 15 shares of FS stock ($20x) 
received by TFC from FS. Under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, 
$35x of the residual gain is non-passive income ($50x x ($150x/
$200x)) and $15x is passive income ($50x x ($50x/$200x)).

    (g) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this section:
    (1) Look-through subsidiary. The term look-through subsidiary 
means, with respect to a tested foreign corporation--
    (i) For purposes of section 1297(a)(2) and paragraph (b)(2)(i) of 
this section, a corporation at least 25 percent of the value of the 
stock of which is owned (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section) by the tested foreign corporation on the measuring date;
    (ii) For purposes of section 1297(a)(1)--
    (A) For the taxable year, a corporation with respect to which the 
average percentage ownership (which is equal to the percentage 
ownership (by value) (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section)) on each measuring date during the taxable year, divided by 
the number of measuring dates in the year) by the tested foreign 
corporation during the tested foreign corporation's taxable year is at 
least 25 percent; or
    (B) For a measuring period, a corporation at least 25 percent of 
the value of the stock of which is owned (as determined under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section) by the tested foreign corporation on the 
measuring date, provided all items of gross income of the corporation 
for each of the measuring periods in the taxable year for which the 
tested foreign corporation owns at least 25 percent of the value (as 
determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section) on the relevant 
measuring dates can be established; and
    (iii) For purposes of paragraph (f) of this section and Sec.  
1.1298-2, a corporation at least 25 percent of the value of the stock 
of which is owned (as determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section) by the tested foreign corporation immediately before the 
disposition of stock of the corporation.
    (2) LTS debt. The term LTS debt has the meaning provided in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
    (3) LTS stock. The term LTS stock has the meaning provided in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section.
    (4) Residual gain. The term residual gain has the meaning provided 
in paragraph (f)(1) of this section.
    (5) Unremitted earnings. The term unremitted earnings has the 
meaning

[[Page 33155]]

provided in paragraph (f)(1) of this section.
    (h) Applicability date. The rules of this section apply to taxable 
years of shareholders beginning on or after the date of publication of 
the Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.
0
Par. 6. Sections 1.1297-4 and 1.1297-5 are added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1297-4  Qualifying insurance corporation.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules for determining whether a 
foreign corporation is a qualifying insurance corporation for purposes 
of section 1297(f). Paragraph (b) of this section provides the general 
rule for determining whether a foreign corporation is a qualifying 
insurance corporation. Paragraph (c) of this section describes the 25 
percent test in section 1297(f)(1)(B). Paragraph (d) of this section 
contains rules for applying the alternative facts and circumstances 
test in section 1297(f)(2). Paragraph (e) of this section contains 
rules limiting the amount of applicable insurance liabilities for 
purposes of the 25 percent test described in paragraph (c) of this 
section and the alternative facts and circumstances test described in 
paragraph (d) of this section. Paragraph (f) of this section provides 
definitions that apply for purposes of this section. Paragraph (g) of 
this section provides the applicability date of this section.
    (b) Qualifying insurance corporation. For purposes of section 
1297(b)(2)(B), this section and Sec.  1.1297-5, a qualifying insurance 
corporation (QIC) is a foreign corporation that--
    (1) Is an insurance company as defined in section 816(a) that would 
be subject to tax under subchapter L if the corporation were a domestic 
corporation; and
    (2) Satisfies--
    (i) The 25 percent test described in paragraph (c) of this section; 
or
    (ii) The requirements for an election to apply the alternative 
facts and circumstances test as described in paragraph (d) of this 
section and a United States person has made an election as described in 
paragraph (d)(5) of this section.
    (c) 25 percent test. A foreign corporation satisfies the 25 percent 
test if the amount of its applicable insurance liabilities exceeds 25 
percent of its total assets. This determination is made on the basis of 
the liabilities and assets reported on the corporation's applicable 
financial statement for the last year ending with or within the taxable 
year.
    (d) Election to apply the alternative facts and circumstances 
test--(1) In general. A United States person that owns stock in a 
foreign corporation that fails to qualify as a QIC solely because of 
the 25 percent test may elect to treat the stock of the corporation as 
stock of a QIC if the foreign corporation--
    (i) Is predominantly engaged in an insurance business as described 
in paragraph (d)(2) of this section;
    (ii) Failed to satisfy the 25 percent test solely due to runoff-
related circumstances, as described in paragraph (d)(3) of this 
section, or rating-related circumstances, as described in paragraph 
(d)(4) of this section; and
    (iii) Reports an amount of applicable insurance liabilities that is 
at least 10 percent of the amount of the total assets on its applicable 
financial statement for the last annual reporting period ending with or 
within the corporation's taxable year (the 10 percent test).
    (2) Predominantly engaged in an insurance business--(i) In general. 
A foreign corporation is predominantly engaged in an insurance business 
in any taxable year during which more than half of the business of the 
foreign corporation is the issuing of insurance or annuity contracts or 
the reinsuring of risks underwritten by insurance companies. This 
determination is made based on whether the particular facts and 
circumstances of the foreign corporation are comparable to commercial 
insurance arrangements providing similar lines of coverage to unrelated 
parties in arm's length transactions. The fact that a foreign 
corporation has been holding itself out as an insurer for a long period 
is not determinative of whether the foreign corporation is 
predominantly engaged in an insurance business.
    (ii) Facts and circumstances. Facts and circumstances to consider 
in determining whether a foreign corporation is predominantly engaged 
in an insurance business include--
    (A) Claims payment patterns for the current year and prior years;
    (B) The foreign corporation's loss exposure as calculated for a 
regulator or for a credit rating agency, or, if those are not 
calculated, for internal pricing purposes;
    (C) The percentage of gross receipts constituting premiums for the 
current and prior years; and
    (D) The number and size of insurance contracts issued or taken on 
through reinsurance by the foreign corporation.
    (iii) Examples of facts indicating a foreign corporation is not 
predominantly engaged in an insurance business. Examples of facts that 
may indicate a foreign corporation is not predominantly engaged in an 
insurance business include--
    (A) A small overall number of insured risks with low likelihood but 
large potential costs;
    (B) Employees and agents of the foreign corporation focused to a 
greater degree on investment activities than underwriting activities; 
and
    (C) Low loss exposure.
    (3) Runoff-related circumstances. During the annual reporting 
period covered by the applicable financial statement, a foreign 
corporation fails to satisfy the 25 percent test solely due to runoff-
related circumstances only if the corporation--
    (i) Was actively engaged in the process of terminating its pre-
existing, active insurance or reinsurance underwriting operations 
pursuant to an adopted plan of liquidation or a termination of 
operations under the supervision of its applicable insurance regulatory 
body;
    (ii) Did not issue or enter into any insurance, annuity, or 
reinsurance contract, other than a contractually obligated renewal of 
an existing insurance contract or a reinsurance contract pursuant to 
and consistent with the plan of liquidation or a termination of 
operations; and
    (iii) Made payments during the annual reporting period covered by 
the applicable financial statement to satisfy the claims under 
insurance, annuity, or reinsurance contracts, and the payments cause 
the corporation to fail to satisfy the 25 percent test.
    (4) Rating-related circumstances. A foreign corporation fails to 
satisfy the 25 percent test solely due to rating-related circumstances 
only if--
    (i) The 25 percent test is not met as a result of the specific 
requirements with respect to capital and surplus that a generally 
recognized credit rating agency imposes; and
    (ii) The foreign corporation complies with the requirements of the 
credit rating agency in order to maintain the minimum credit rating 
required for the foreign corporation to be classified as secure to 
write new insurance business for the current year.
    (5) Election--(i) In general. A United States person may make the 
election under section 1297(f)(2) if the foreign corporation directly 
provides the United States person a statement, signed by a responsible 
officer of the foreign corporation or an authorized representative of 
the foreign corporation, or the foreign corporation makes a publicly 
available statement (such as in a public filing, disclosure statement, 
or other notice provided to United States persons that are

[[Page 33156]]

shareholders of the foreign corporation) that it satisfied the 
requirements of section 1297(f)(2) and paragraph (d)(1) of this section 
during the foreign corporation's the taxable year. However, a United 
States person may not rely upon any statement by the foreign 
corporation to make the election under section 1297(f)(2) if the 
shareholder knows or has reason to know that the statement made by the 
foreign corporation was incorrect.
    (ii) Information provided by foreign corporation. In addition to a 
statement that the foreign corporation satisfied the requirements of 
section 1297(f)(2) and paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the statement 
described in paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section also must include:
    (A) The ratio of applicable insurance liabilities to total assets 
for the taxable year; and
    (B) A statement indicating whether the failure to satisfy the 25 
percent test described in paragraph (c) of this section was the result 
of runoff-related or rating-related circumstances, along with a brief 
description of those circumstances.
    (iii) Time and manner for making the election. The election 
described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section must be made by a United 
States person who owns stock in the foreign corporation (directly or 
indirectly) by completing the appropriate part of Form 8621 (or 
successor form) for each year in which the election applies. A United 
States person must attach the Form 8621 (or successor form) to its 
Federal income tax return for the taxable year to which the election 
relates on or before the due date (including extensions) for the filing 
of the return. The United States person must attach to the Form 8621 
the statement provided by the foreign corporation described in 
paragraph (d)(1) of this section. If the foreign corporation makes a 
publicly available statement instead of providing a statement to the 
United States person, the United States person must attach a statement 
to the Form 8621 incorporating the information provided in the publicly 
available statement.
    (e) Rules limiting the amount of applicable insurance liabilities--
(1) In general. For purposes of determining whether a foreign 
corporation satisfies the 25 percent test described in paragraph (c) of 
this section or the 10 percent test described in paragraph (d)(1)(iii) 
of this section, the rules of this paragraph (e) apply to limit the 
amount of applicable insurance liabilities of the foreign corporation.
    (2) General limitation on applicable insurance liabilities. The 
amount of applicable insurance liabilities may not exceed the lesser 
of:
    (i) The amount of applicable insurance liabilities shown on the 
most recent applicable financial statement;
    (ii) The minimum amount of applicable insurance liabilities 
required by the applicable law or regulation of the jurisdiction of the 
applicable regulatory body; or
    (iii) For a foreign corporation that prepares a financial statement 
on the basis of a financial reporting standard for a purpose other than 
financial reporting, the amount of the applicable insurance liabilities 
on that financial statement.
    (3) Additional limitation on amount of applicable insurance 
liabilities for a foreign corporation that does not prepare a financial 
statement based on a financial reporting standard--(i) In general. If a 
foreign corporation has an applicable financial statement described in 
paragraph (f)(1)(iii) of this section and the applicable financial 
statement does not discount incurred but unpaid losses and loss 
reserves on an economically reasonable basis, the amount of applicable 
insurance liabilities may not exceed the amount of applicable insurance 
liabilities on the applicable financial statement reduced in accordance 
with the discounting principles that would have applied under a 
financial reporting standard, if the foreign corporation had prepared a 
financial statement under a financial reporting standard for the last 
year ending with or within the taxable year.
    (ii) Choice of accounting method. The foreign corporation may 
choose whether to apply generally accepted accounting principles or 
international financial reporting principles to calculate the 
discounted amount of its applicable insurance liabilities for purposes 
of paragraph (e)(3)(i)(B) of this section. If the foreign corporation 
does not choose between these financial reporting standards, generally 
accepted accounting principles will apply.
    (4) Changes to financial statements prepared. Any foreign 
corporation that has prepared a financial statement on the basis of a 
financial reporting standard for an annual reporting period that 
included December 22, 2017, or any subsequent annual reporting period, 
must continue to prepare its applicable financial statement using a 
financial reporting standard unless the foreign corporation has a non-
Federal tax business purpose for using the annual statement described 
in paragraph (f)(1)(iii) of this section. If a foreign corporation has 
no non-Federal tax business purpose for using the annual statement 
described in paragraph (f)(1)(iii) of this section and does not 
continue to prepare an applicable financial statement using a financial 
reporting standard, its applicable insurance liabilities are treated as 
$0 for purposes of this section.
    (f) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms 
have the meanings described in this paragraph (f).
    (1) Applicable financial statement. The term applicable financial 
statement means the financial statement that is used by the foreign 
corporation for financial reporting purposes and that is--
    (i) Made on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles;
    (ii) Made on the basis of international financial reporting 
standards, if there is no statement that is made on the basis of 
generally accepted accounting principles; or
    (iii) The annual statement required to be filed with the applicable 
insurance regulatory body, as defined in paragraph (f)(3) of this 
section, if there is no statement made on the basis of either general 
accounting principles or international financial reporting standards. 
The annual statement required to be filed with the applicable insurance 
regulatory body must provide complete information regarding the foreign 
corporation's operations and financial condition for the annual 
reporting period ending with or within the taxable year.
    (2) Applicable insurance liabilities. With respect to any life or 
property and casualty insurance business of a foreign corporation, the 
term applicable insurance liabilities means--
    (i) Occurred losses for which the foreign corporation has become 
liable but has not paid before the end of the last annual reporting 
period ending with or within the taxable year, including unpaid claims 
for death benefits, annuity contracts, and health insurance benefits;
    (ii) Unpaid expenses (including reasonable estimates of anticipated 
expenses) of investigating and adjusted unpaid losses described in 
paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section; and
    (iii) The aggregate amount of reserves (excluding deficiency, 
contingency, or unearned premium reserves) held for future, unaccrued 
health insurance claims and claims with respect to contracts providing 
coverage for mortality or morbidity risks, including annuity benefits 
dependent upon the life expectancy of one or more individuals.
    (3) Applicable insurance regulatory body. The term applicable 
insurance regulatory body means the entity that

[[Page 33157]]

has been established by law to license or authorize a corporation to 
engage in an insurance business, to regulate insurance company solvency 
and to which the applicable financial statement is provided.
    (4) Financial reporting standard. The term financial reporting 
standard means either GAAP or international financial reporting 
standards.
    (5) Generally accepted accounting principles or GAAP. The term 
generally accepted accounting principles or GAAP means United States 
generally accepted accounting principles.
    (6) Insurance business. Solely for purposes of this section, 
insurance business has the meaning described in Sec.  1.1297-5(c)(2).
    (7) Total assets. For purposes of section 1297(f) and this section, 
a foreign corporation's total assets are the aggregate end-of-period 
value of the real property and personal property that the foreign 
corporation reports on its applicable financial statement for the last 
annual accounting period ending with or within the taxable year.
    (g) Applicability date. This section applies to taxable years of 
United States persons that are shareholders in certain foreign 
corporations beginning on or after the date of publication of the 
Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.


Sec.  1.1297-5  Exception from the definition of passive income for 
active insurance income.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules pertaining to the exception 
from passive income under section 1297(b)(2)(B) for income derived in 
the active conduct of an insurance business and rules related to 
certain income of a qualifying domestic insurance corporation. 
Paragraph (b) of this section provides a general rule that excludes 
from passive income certain income of a qualifying insurance 
corporation (QIC) and certain income of a qualifying domestic insurance 
corporation. Paragraph (c) of this section provides rules for 
determining the amount of income derived by a QIC in the active conduct 
of an insurance business. Paragraph (d) of this section defines income 
of a qualifying domestic insurance corporation that is not treated as 
passive for purposes of section 1297. Paragraph (e) of this section 
provides rules excluding certain assets for purposes of the passive 
asset test under section 1297(a)(2). Paragraph (f) of this section 
provides rules concerning the treatment of income and assets of certain 
look-through subsidiaries and look-through partnerships of a QIC. 
Paragraph (g) of this section provides a rule prohibiting the double 
counting of any item for purposes of this section. Paragraph (h) of 
this section provides definitions applicable to the rules of this 
section. Paragraph (i) of this section provides the applicability date 
of this section.
    (b) Exclusion from passive income of active insurance income. For 
purposes of section 1297 and Sec.  1.1297-1, passive income does not 
include--
    (1) Income that a QIC derives in the active conduct of an insurance 
business as determined under paragraph (c) of this section; and
    (2) Income from a qualifying domestic insurance corporation as 
determined under paragraph (d) of this section, except that this 
exclusion does not apply to determine whether a tested foreign 
corporation (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(8)) is a PFIC for purposes 
of section 1298(a)(2) and Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii).
    (c) Income derived by a QIC in the active conduct of an insurance 
business--(1) In general. Income that a QIC derives in the active 
conduct of an insurance business is an amount equal to the QIC's 
passive income (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(c) and taking into account 
the exceptions in section 1297(b)(2) other than the exception provided 
in section 1297(b)(2)(B) and this section) earned with respect to 
assets of a QIC that are available to satisfy liabilities of the QIC 
related to its insurance business (as described in paragraph (c)(2) of 
this section), multiplied by--
    (i) 100 percent if the active conduct percentage determined under 
paragraph (c)(4) of this section equals or exceeds 50 percent; or
    (ii) Zero if the active conduct percentage determined under 
paragraph (c)(4) of this section is less than 50 percent.
    (2) Insurance business. Solely for purposes of Sec.  1.1297-4 and 
this section, an insurance business is the business of issuing 
insurance and annuity contracts and the reinsuring of risks 
underwritten by insurance companies, together with those investment 
activities and administrative services that are required to support (or 
that are substantially related to) those insurance, annuity, or 
reinsurance contracts issued or entered into by the QIC.
    (3) Active conduct of an insurance business--(i) In general. For 
purposes of determining whether a QIC engages in the active conduct of 
an insurance business, active conduct is determined based on all the 
facts and circumstances. In general, a QIC actively conducts an 
insurance business only if the officers and employees of the QIC carry 
out substantial managerial and operational activities. A QIC's officers 
and employees are considered to include the officers and employees of 
another entity only if the QIC satisfies the control test described in 
paragraph (c)(3)(ii) with respect to the officers and employees of the 
other entity. In determining whether the officers and employees of the 
QIC carry out substantial managerial and operational activities, 
however, the activities of independent contractors are disregarded.
    (ii) Control test. A QIC's officers and employees are considered to 
include the officers and employees of another entity when the 
requirements of paragraphs (c)(3)(ii)(A) through (C) of this section 
are satisfied.
    (A) Ownership--(1) Ownership by or of a corporation. If the other 
entity is a corporation--
    (i) The QIC owns, or is considered to own within the meaning of 
section 958(a), determined without regard to whether an intermediate 
entity is domestic or foreign, more than 50 percent of the total 
combined voting power of all classes of stock of the other corporation 
entitled to vote, and more than 50 percent of the total value of the 
stock of the other corporation; or
    (ii) A common parent owns, or is considered to own within the 
meaning of section 958(a), determined without regard to whether an 
intermediate entity is domestic or foreign, more than 80 percent of the 
total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote 
and more than 80 percent of the total value of the stock of each of the 
QIC and the other corporation.
    (2) Ownership of a partnership. If the other entity is a 
partnership--
    (i) The QIC owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50 percent of 
the interests in the capital and profits in the entity; or
    (ii) A common parent owns, directly or indirectly, more than 80 
percent of the interests in the capital and profits in the entity and 
owns, or is considered to own within the meaning of section 958(a), 
determined without regard to whether an intermediate entity is domestic 
or foreign, more than 80 percent of the total combined voting power of 
all classes of stock entitled to vote and more than 80 percent of the 
total value of the stock of the QIC.
    (B) Control and supervision. The QIC exercises regular oversight 
and supervision over the services performed by the other entity's 
officers and employees for the QIC.
    (C) Compensation. The QIC either--
    (1) Pays directly all the compensation of the other entity's 
officers and employees attributable to services

[[Page 33158]]

performed for the production or acquisition of premiums and investment 
income on assets held to meet its obligations under the insurance, 
annuity, or reinsurance contracts issued or entered into by the QIC 
(insurance services);
    (2) Reimburses the other entity for the portion of its expenses, 
including compensation and related expenses (determined in accordance 
with section 482 and taking into account all expenses that would be 
included in the total services costs under Sec.  1.482-9(j) and (k)(2)) 
for the insurance services performed for the QIC or by the other 
entity's officers and employees; or
    (3) Otherwise pays arm's length compensation in accordance with 
section 482 on a fee-related basis to the other entity for the 
insurance services provided.
    (4) Active conduct percentage--(i) In general. A QIC's active 
conduct percentage for a taxable year is the percentage calculated (to 
the nearest percent) by dividing--
    (A) The aggregate amount of expenses, including compensation (or 
reimbursement of compensation) and related expenses, for services of 
the officers and employees of the QIC (or another entity under an 
arrangement that satisfies the requirements of paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of 
this section) incurred by the QIC for the taxable year that are related 
to the production or acquisition of premiums and investment income on 
assets held to meet its obligations under the insurance, annuity, or 
reinsurance contracts issued or entered into by the QIC, by;
    (B) The aggregate of--
    (1) The amount described in paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) of this section; 
and
    (2) The amount of all expenses paid for the taxable year by the QIC 
to a person other than a person whose services for the QIC are covered 
by the expenses included in paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) of this section for 
the production or acquisition of premiums and investment income on 
assets held to meet obligations under the insurance, annuity, or 
reinsurance contracts issued or entered into by the QIC.
    (ii) Related expense determination. For purposes of determining the 
amount included in the numerator under paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) of this 
section, the cost of compensation and related expenses include all 
costs in cash or in kind (including stock-based compensation) that, 
based on analysis of the facts and circumstances, are directly 
identified with, or reasonably allocated in accordance with the 
principles of Sec.  1.482-9(k)(2) to, the services of the officers and 
employees of the insurance company (or related party, as appropriate). 
In general, costs for the purpose of this paragraph (c)(4)(ii) include 
all resources expended, used, or made available to achieve the specific 
objective for which the service of the officer or employee is rendered. 
For the purpose of this paragraph (c)(4)(ii), reference to generally 
accepted accounting principles or Federal income tax accounting rules 
may provide a useful starting point but will not necessarily be 
conclusive regarding inclusion of costs, and such costs do not include 
interest expense, foreign income taxes (as defined in Sec.  1.901-
2(a)), or Federal income taxes.
    (iii) Ceding commission. For purposes of paragraph (c)(4)(i) of 
this section, ceding commissions are not taken into account in either 
the numerator or denominator of the active conduct percentage.
    (d) Income of qualifying domestic insurance corporation. The income 
of a domestic corporation is income of a qualifying domestic insurance 
corporation if the domestic corporation is subject to--
    (1) Tax as an insurance company under subchapter L of chapter 1 of 
subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code; and
    (2) Federal income tax on its net income.
    (e) Exclusion of assets for purposes of the passive asset test 
under section 1297(a)(2). For purposes of section 1297 and Sec.  
1.1297-1, passive assets (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(6)), do not 
include--
    (1) Assets of a QIC available to satisfy liabilities of the QIC 
related to its insurance business (as described in paragraph (c)(2) of 
this section), if the active conduct percentage of the QIC equals or 
exceeds 50 percent; and
    (2) Assets of a qualifying domestic insurance corporation that 
meets the requirements described in paragraph (d) of this section, 
except that this exclusion does not apply to determine whether a tested 
foreign corporation (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)(8)) is a PFIC for 
purposes of section 1298(a)(2) and Sec.  1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii).
    (f) Treatment of income and assets of certain look-through 
subsidiaries and look-through partnerships for purposes of the section 
1297(b)(2)(B) exception--(1) General rule. An item of income treated as 
received or accrued or an asset treated as held by a QIC pursuant to 
section 1297(c) and Sec.  1.1297-2(b)(2) or pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(2) or (d)(3) that would be passive income or a passive asset is 
treated as an item of income or an asset of the QIC for purposes of 
paragraphs (c) and (e) of this section.
    (2) Applicable statements for tested foreign corporations applying 
paragraph (f)(1) of this section. For purposes of paragraph (f)(1) of 
this section, an item of passive income or passive asset in the hands 
of an entity other than a QIC (subsidiary entity) may only be treated 
as an item of income or an asset used in the active conduct of an 
insurance business by a foreign corporation treated as a QIC for 
purposes of paragraphs (c) and (e) of this section if the applicable 
financial statement used to test the QIC status of the foreign 
corporation includes the assets and liabilities of the subsidiary 
entity.
    (g) No double counting. Nothing in this section or Sec.  1.1297-4 
permits any item to be counted more than once.
    (h) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms 
have the meanings described in this paragraph (h).
    (1) Insurance services. The term insurance services has the meaning 
provided in paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(C)(1) of this section.
    (2) Investment activity. The term investment activity means any 
activity engaged in by a QIC to produce income of a kind that would be 
passive income (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(c)). Investment activities 
include those activities that are required to support or are 
substantially related to insurance and annuity contracts issued or 
reinsured by a QIC only to the extent that income produced by the 
activities is generated by assets available to satisfy liabilities of 
the QIC related to the insurance business, as described in paragraph 
(c)(2) of this section.
    (3) Qualifying insurance corporation or QIC. The term qualifying 
insurance corporation or QIC has the meaning described in Sec.  1.1297-
4.
    (i) Applicability date. This section applies to taxable years of 
United States persons that are shareholders in certain foreign 
corporations beginning on or after the date of publication of the 
Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.
0
Par. 7. Section 1.1298-0 is amended by:
0
1. Revising the introductory text.
0
2. Adding entries for Sec. Sec.  1.1298-2 and 1.1298-4 in numerical 
order.
    The revision and additions read as follows:

[[Page 33159]]

Sec.  1.1298-0  Passive foreign investment company--table of contents.

    This section contains a listing of the paragraph headings for 
Sec. Sec.  1.1298-1, 1.1298-2, 1.1298-3, and 1.1298-4.
* * * * *
Sec.  1.1298-2 Rules for certain corporations changing businesses.

    (a) Overview.
    (b) Change of business exception.
    (c) Special rules.
    (d) Disposition of stock in a look-through subsidiary.
    (e) Application of change of business exception.
    (f) Examples.
    (1) Example 1.
    (i) Facts
    (ii) Results.
    (2) Example 2.
    (i) Facts
    (ii) Results.
    (g) Applicability date.

* * * * *
Sec.  1.1298-4 Rules for certain foreign corporations owning stock 
in 25-percent-owned domestic corporations.

    (a) Overview.
    (b) Treatment of certain foreign corporations owning stock in a 
25-percent-owned domestic corporation.
    (1) General rule.
    (2) Qualified stock.
    (c) Indirect ownership of stock through a partnership.
    (d) Section 531 tax.
    (1) Subject to section 531 tax.
    (2) Waiver of treaty benefits.
    (i) Tested foreign corporation that files, or is required to 
file, a Federal income tax return.
    (ii) Tested foreign corporation that is not required to file a 
Federal income tax return.
    (e) Interaction of section 1298(b)(7) and section 1298(a)(2).
    (f) Anti-abuse rules.
    (1) Classification as PFIC excluding qualified stock.
    (2) Avoidance principal purposes.
    (g) Applicability date.

0
Par. 8. Section 1.1298-2 is added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1298-2  Rules for certain corporations changing businesses.

    (a) Overview. This section provides rules under section 1298(b)(3) 
and 1298(g) that apply to certain foreign corporations that dispose of 
one or more active trades or businesses for purposes of determining 
whether a foreign corporation is treated as a passive foreign 
investment company (PFIC). Paragraph (b) of this section sets forth a 
rule that applies to certain foreign corporations that dispose of one 
or more active trades or businesses. Paragraph (c) of this section 
provides special rules. Paragraph (d) of this section sets forth a rule 
for the treatment of the disposition of the stock of a look-through 
subsidiary (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-2(g)(1)). Paragraph (e) of this 
section provides guidance on the application of the rules in this 
section. Paragraph (f) provides examples illustrating the application 
of the rules in this section. Paragraph (g) sets forth the 
applicability date for this section.
    (b) Change of business exception. A corporation is not treated as a 
PFIC for a taxable year if--
    (1) Neither the corporation (nor any predecessor) was a PFIC for 
any prior taxable year;
    (2) Either--
    (i) Substantially all of the passive income of the corporation for 
the taxable year is attributable to proceeds from the disposition of 
one or more active trades or businesses; or
    (ii) Following the disposition of one or more active trades or 
businesses, substantially all of the passive assets of the corporation 
on each of the measuring dates that occur during the taxable year and 
after the disposition are attributable to proceeds from the 
disposition; and
    (3) The corporation is not a PFIC for either of the first two 
taxable years following the taxable year.
    (c) Special rules. The rules in this paragraph (c) apply for 
purposes of section 1298(b)(3) and this section.
    (1) Income is attributable to proceeds from the disposition of one 
or more active trades or businesses to the extent the income is derived 
from the investment of the proceeds from the disposition of assets used 
in the active trade or businesses.
    (2) Assets are attributable to proceeds from the disposition of one 
or more active trades or businesses only to the extent the assets are 
the proceeds of the disposition of assets used in the active trade or 
businesses, or are derived from the investment of the proceeds.
    (3) The determination of the existence of an active trade or 
business and whether assets are used in an active trade or business is 
made under Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(2), (3), and (5), except that officers 
and employees do not include the officers and employees of related 
entities as provided in Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(3). However, if activities 
performed by the officers and staff of employees of a look-through 
subsidiary of a corporation (including a look-through subsidiary with 
respect to which paragraph (d) of this section applies) or of a look-
through partnership would be taken into account by the corporation 
pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-2(e) if it applied, or if activities performed 
by a related person would be taken into account by the corporation 
pursuant to section 954(h)(3)(E), such activities are taken into 
account for purposes of the determination of the existence of an active 
trade or business and the determination of whether assets are used in 
an active trade or business.
    (4) In the case of a corporation that satisfies the condition in 
paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, the condition in paragraph (b)(3) 
of this section is deemed to be satisfied if the corporation completely 
liquidates by the end of the taxable year following the year with 
respect to which the shareholder applies the exception in paragraph (b) 
of this section.
    (d) Disposition of stock of a look-through subsidiary. For purposes 
of paragraph (b) of this section, the proceeds from a tested foreign 
corporation's disposition of the stock of a look-through subsidiary are 
treated as proceeds from the disposition of a proportionate share of 
the assets held by the look-through subsidiary on the date of the 
disposition, based on the method (value or adjusted bases) used to 
measure the assets of the tested foreign corporation for purposes of 
section 1297(a)(2). The proceeds attributable to assets used by the 
look-through subsidiary in an active trade or business are treated as 
proceeds attributable to the disposition of an active trade or 
business.
    (e) Application of change of business exception. A shareholder can 
apply the exception in paragraph (b) of this section with respect to a 
taxable year of a disposition of an active trade or business or an 
immediately succeeding taxable year, but cannot apply the exception 
with respect to more than one taxable year for a disposition.
    (f) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
section. For purposes of the examples in this paragraph (f): USP is a 
domestic corporation; TFC and FS are foreign corporations that are not 
controlled foreign corporations (within the meaning of section 957(a)); 
each corporation has outstanding a single class of stock; USP has owned 
its interest in TFC since the formation of TFC; each of USP, TFC, and 
FS have a calendar taxable year; and for purposes of section 
1297(a)(2), TFC measures the amount of its assets based on value.

    (1) Example 1--(i) Facts. (A) USP owns 15% of the outstanding 
stock of TFC. TFC owns 30% of the outstanding stock of FS. FS 
operates an active trade or business and 100% of its assets are used 
in the active trade or business. The value of FS's non-passive 
assets (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)) is $900x; the value of FS's 
passive assets (which include cash and accounts receivable) is 
$100x. TFC has not been treated as a PFIC for any taxable year prior 
to Year 1 and has no predecessor corporations. In addition to

[[Page 33160]]

holding the FS stock, TFC directly conducts its own active trade or 
business. The value of TFC's non-passive assets (other than FS 
stock) is $50x; the value of TFC's passive assets (other than FS 
stock and assets received during Year 1) is $30x. TFC earns $1x of 
non-passive income (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)) from its 
directly conducted active trade or business.
    (B) On January 1, Year 1, TFC sells all of its FS stock for 
$300x. The residual gain computed under Sec.  1.1297-2(f)(1) on the 
sale of the FS stock is $10x. Under Sec.  1.1297-2(f)(2), $9x of 
residual gain is characterized as non-passive income and $1x of 
residual gain is characterized as passive income. During the first 
quarter of Year 1 and apart from the sale of the FS stock, TFC 
earned $20x of passive income from the investment of the proceeds 
from the disposition of the FS stock, and TFC maintained such 
earnings as well as the disposition proceeds in cash for the 
remainder of the year. TFC reinvests the proceeds of the FS stock 
sale in an active trade or business during Year 2, and, thus, TFC is 
not a PFIC in Year 2 and Year 3. Less than 75% of TFC's gross income 
in Year 1 is passive income (($20x + $1x)/($10x + $20x + $1x) = 
68%). However, subject to the application of section 1298(b)(3) and 
this section, TFC would be a PFIC in Year 1 under section 1297(a)(2) 
because the proceeds from the sale of the FS stock ($300x) together 
with TFC's other passive assets ($30x + $20x) exceed 50% of TFC's 
total assets ($300x + $30x + $20x + $50x).
    (ii) Results. (A) Under paragraph (d) of this section, for 
purposes of applying section 1298(b)(3)(B)(i) in Year 1, TFC's 
proceeds from the disposition of the stock of FS that are 
attributable to assets used by FS in an active trade or business are 
considered as from the disposition of an active trade or business. 
Because 100% of FS's assets are used in its active trade or 
business, all of TFC's proceeds are considered as from the 
disposition of an active trade or business. Therefore, under 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the passive income considered 
attributable to proceeds from a disposition of one or more active 
trades or businesses is $20x (from investment of disposition 
proceeds). Because TFC reasonably does not expect to be a PFIC in 
Year 2 and Year 3, and TFC is not, in fact, a PFIC for those years, 
TFC will not be treated as a PFIC in Year 1 by reason of section 
1298(b)(3) and paragraph (b) of this section, based on the 
satisfaction of the condition in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this 
section, assuming that the 95% (($20x/($20x + $1x)) of TFC's passive 
income for Year 1 that is attributable to proceeds of the 
disposition of FS's active trade or business constitutes 
substantially all of its passive income.
    (B) TFC would also not be treated as a PFIC in Year 1 by reason 
of section 1298(b)(3) and paragraph (b) of this section, based on 
the satisfaction of the condition in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this 
section, assuming that the 91% (($320x x 4)/(($320x + $30x) x 4)) of 
TFC's passive assets on the quarterly measuring dates during Year 1 
following the disposition of the stock of FS that is attributable to 
proceeds of the disposition of FS's active trade or business 
constitutes substantially all of its passive assets.
    (C) Under paragraph (e) of this section, TFC cannot claim the 
section 1298(b)(3) exception in relation to the income attributable 
to the proceeds of the FS stock sale in Year 2.
    (2) Example 2--(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph 
(f)(1)(i) of this section (the facts in Example 1), except that 
during the first quarter of Year 1, TFC earned only $10x of passive 
income from the investment of the proceeds from the disposition of 
the FS stock and $10x of passive income from its other passive 
assets and maintained such earnings in cash for the remainder of the 
year.
    (ii) Results. The results are the same as in paragraph 
(f)(1)(ii) of this section (the facts in Example 1), except that 
under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the passive income 
considered attributable to proceeds from a disposition of one or 
more active trades or businesses is $10x. Because 48% ($10x/($10x + 
$10x + $1x)), and not substantially all, of TFC's passive income for 
Year 1 is attributable to proceeds of the disposition of FS's active 
trade or business, TFC does not qualify for the exception from 
treatment as a PFIC in section 1298(b)(3) for Year 1. However, under 
paragraphs (b)(2) and (d) of this section, $310x ($300x disposition 
proceeds + $10x from investment of disposition proceeds) of TFC's 
passive assets held on each quarterly measuring date after the 
disposition is considered attributable to the disposition of an 
active trade or business. Because TFC reasonably does not expect to 
be a PFIC in Year 2 and Year 3, and TFC is not, in fact, a PFIC for 
those years, TFC will not be treated as a PFIC in Year 1 by reason 
of paragraph (b) of this section, based on the satisfaction of the 
condition in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, assuming that the 
89% (($310x x 4)/(($310x + $10x + $30x) x 4)) of TFC's passive 
assets on the quarterly measuring dates during Year 1 following the 
disposition of the stock of FS that is attributable to proceeds of 
the disposition of FS's active trade or business constitutes 
substantially all of its passive assets.

    (g) Applicability date. The rules of this section apply to taxable 
years of shareholders beginning on or after the date of publication of 
the Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.
0
Par. 9. Section 1.1298-4 is added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1298-4  Rules for certain foreign corporations owning stock in 
25-percent-owned domestic corporations.

    (a) Overview. This section provides rules under section 1298(b)(7) 
that apply to certain foreign corporations that own stock in 25-
percent-owned domestic corporations (as defined in paragraph (b) of 
this section) for purposes of determining whether a foreign corporation 
is a passive foreign investment company (PFIC). Paragraph (b) of this 
section provides the general rule. Paragraph (c) of this section sets 
forth rules concerning ownership of 25-percent-owned domestic 
corporations or qualified stock (as defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section) through partnerships. Paragraph (d) of this section sets forth 
rules for determining whether a foreign corporation is subject to the 
tax imposed by section 531 (the section 531 tax) and for waiving treaty 
benefits that would prevent the imposition of such tax. Paragraph (e) 
of this section sets forth a rule governing the interaction of section 
1298(b)(7) and section 1298(a)(2). Paragraph (f) of this section sets 
forth anti-abuse rules for the application of section 1298(b)(7). 
Paragraph (g) sets forth the applicability date for this section.
    (b) Treatment of certain foreign corporations owning stock in a 25-
percent-owned domestic corporation--(1) General rule. Except as 
otherwise provided in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, when a 
tested foreign corporation (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)) is subject 
to the section 531 tax (or waives any benefit under any treaty that 
would otherwise prevent the imposition of the tax), and owns (directly 
or indirectly under the rules in paragraph (c) of this section) at 
least 25 percent (by value) of the stock of a domestic corporation (a 
25-percent-owned domestic corporation), for purposes of determining 
whether the foreign corporation is a PFIC, any qualified stock held 
directly or indirectly under the rules in paragraph (c) of this section 
by the 25-percent-owned domestic corporation is treated as an asset 
that does not produce passive income (and is not held for the 
production of passive income), and any amount included in gross income 
with respect to the qualified stock is not treated as passive income.
    (2) Qualified stock. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section, the term qualified stock means any stock in a C corporation 
that is a domestic corporation and that is not a regulated investment 
company or real estate investment trust.
    (c) Indirect ownership of stock through a partnership. For purposes 
of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a tested foreign corporation that 
is a partner in a partnership is considered to own its proportionate 
share of any stock of a domestic corporation held by the partnership, 
and a domestic corporation that is a partner in a partnership is 
considered to own its proportionate share of any qualified stock held 
by the partnership. The rules and principles of sections 701 through 
761 apply to determine the corporation's proportionate share of the 
stock of the domestic corporation or of the qualified stock. An upper-
tier partnership's attributable share of the stock of a

[[Page 33161]]

domestic corporation or of qualified stock held by a lower-tier 
partnership is treated as held by the upper-tier partnership for 
purposes of applying the rule in this paragraph (c).
    (d) Section 531 tax--(1) Subject to section 531 tax. For purposes 
of paragraph (b) of this section, a tested foreign corporation is 
considered subject to the section 531 tax regardless of whether the tax 
is imposed on the corporation and of whether the requirements of Sec.  
1.532-1(c) are met.
    (2) Waiver of treaty benefits--(i) Tested foreign corporation that 
files, or is required to file, a Federal income tax return. For 
purposes of paragraph (b) of this section, a tested foreign corporation 
that files, or is required to file, a Federal income tax return waives 
the benefit under a treaty that would otherwise prevent the imposition 
of the section 531 tax by attaching to its original or amended return 
for the taxable year for which section 1298(b)(7) and paragraph (b)(1) 
of this section are applied or any prior taxable year a statement that 
it irrevocably waives treaty protection against the imposition of the 
section 531 tax, effective for all prior, current, and future taxable 
years, provided the taxable year for which the return is filed and all 
subsequent taxable years are not closed by the period of limitations on 
assessments under section 6501.
    (ii) Tested foreign corporation that is not required to file a 
Federal income tax return. For purposes of paragraph (b) of this 
section, a tested foreign corporation that is not required to file a 
Federal income tax return waives the benefit under a treaty that would 
otherwise prevent the imposition of the section 531 tax by a date no 
later than nine months following the close of the taxable year for 
which section 1298(b)(7) and paragraph (b)(1) of this section are 
applied by--
    (A) Adopting a resolution or similar governance document that 
confirms that it has irrevocably waived any treaty protection against 
the imposition of the section 531 tax, effective for all prior, 
current, and future taxable years, and maintaining a copy of the 
resolution (or other governance document) in its records; or
    (B) In the case of a tested foreign corporation described in 
section 1297(e)(3), including in its public filings a statement that it 
irrevocably waives treaty protection against the imposition of the 
section 531 tax, effective for all prior, current, and future taxable 
years.
    (e) Interaction of section 1298(b)(7) and section 1298(a)(2). 
Section 1298(b)(7) does not apply to determine whether a tested foreign 
corporation is a PFIC for purposes of section 1298(a)(2) and Sec.  
1.1291-1(b)(8)(ii).
    (f) Anti-abuse rules--(1) Classification as PFIC excluding 
qualified stock. Paragraph (b) of this section does not apply when--
    (i) 75 percent or more of the gross income of the tested foreign 
corporation for the taxable year (taking into account Sec.  1.1297-2 
and excluding any amount included in gross income with respect to 
qualified stock) is passive income (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-
1(c)(1)); or
    (ii) The average percentage of assets held by the tested foreign 
corporation (taking into account Sec.  1.1297-2 and excluding qualified 
stock) that are passive assets (as defined in Sec.  1.1297-1(f)) is at 
least 50 percent.
    (2) Avoidance principal purpose. Paragraph (b) of this section does 
not apply when a principal purpose for the tested foreign corporation's 
formation or acquisition of the stock of the 25-percent-owned domestic 
corporation that holds the qualified stock is to avoid classification 
of the tested foreign corporation as a PFIC. A principal purpose to 
avoid classification of the tested foreign corporation as a PFIC is 
deemed to exist when the 25-percent-owned domestic corporation is not 
engaged in an active trade or business in the United States. The 
existence of an active trade or business is determined under Sec.  
1.367(a)-2(d)(2) and (3), except that officers and employees of the 25-
percent-owned domestic corporation do not include the officers and 
employees of related entities as provided in Sec.  1.367(a)-2(d)(3). 
However, activities performed by the officers and staff of employees of 
a look-through subsidiary of the 25-percent-owned domestic corporation 
or a partnership that would be taken into account by the corporation 
pursuant to Sec.  1.1297-2(e) if it applied are taken into account for 
purposes of the determination of the existence of an active trade or 
business.
    (g) Applicability date. The rules of this section apply to taxable 
years of shareholders beginning on or after the date of publication of 
the Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register.

Kirsten Wielobob,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2019-12030 Filed 7-10-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4830-01-P