Department of Treasury October 20, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains final regulations relating to the treatment of open account debt between S corporations and their shareholders. These final regulations provide rules regarding the definition of open account debt and the adjustments in basis of any indebtedness of an S corporation to a shareholder under section 1367(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for shareholder advances and repayments on advances of open account debt. The regulations affect shareholders of S corporations and are necessary to provide guidance needed to comply with the applicable tax law.

This interim rule, promulgated pursuant to sections 101(a)(1), 101(c)(5), and 111(b) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Division A of Public Law 110-343 (EESA), provides guidance on the executive compensation provisions applicable to participants in the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) Capital Purchase Program (CPP). Section 111(b) of EESA requires financial institutions from which the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) is purchasing troubled assets through direct purchases to meet appropriate standards for executive compensation and corporate governance. This interim final rule includes the following standards for purposes of the CPP: (a) Limits on compensation that exclude incentives for senior executive officers (SEOs) of financial institutions to take unnecessary and excessive risks that threaten the value of the financial institution; (b) required recovery of any bonus or incentive compensation paid to a SEO based on statements of earnings, gains, or other criteria that are later proven to be materially inaccurate; (c) prohibition on the financial institution from making any golden parachute payment to any SEO; and (d) agreement to limit a claim to a federal income tax deduction for certain executive remuneration. These rules generally affect financial institutions that participate in the CPP, certain employers related to those financial institutions, and their officers.

The proposed information collection request (ICR) described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. OTS is soliciting public comments on the proposal.

This document contains corrections to final regulations (TD 9424) that were published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 (73 FR 53934) under sections 358, 362(e)(2), and 1502 of the Internal Revenue Code. The final regulations apply to corporations filing consolidated returns, and corporations that enter into certain tax-free reorganizations. The final regulations provide rules for determining the tax consequences of a member's transfer (including by deconsolidation and worthlessness) of loss shares of subsidiary stock. In addition, the final regulations provide that section 362(e)(2) generally does not apply to transactions between members of a consolidated group. Finally, the final regulations conform or clarify various provisions of the consolidated return regulations, including those relating to adjustments to subsidiary stock basis.

This document contains final rules for group health plans and health insurance issuers concerning hospital lengths of stay for mothers and newborns following childbirth, pursuant to the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 and the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.