Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) Unless otherwise distinctly expressed,
the terms used in this section shall have the same meaning as when used in a
comparable context in the federal income tax regulations for consolidated
returns. The term "common parent" as used in the federal regulations shall have
the same meaning for Florida corporate tax purposes, and all references to the
"Commissioner" or "District Director" in the federal regulations shall be
construed to mean "the Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee"
for purposes of these rules.
(a)
1. An affiliated group of corporations, as
defined in these rules, which did not file a Florida consolidated return for
the immediately preceding taxable year, may file a consolidated return in lieu
of separate returns for the taxable year, provided the common parent is subject
to the Florida Income Tax Code and each corporation which has been a member
during any part of the taxable year for which the consolidated return is to be
filed consents, in the manner provided in paragraph (e) of this subsection, to
be bound by the provisions of these requirements and all applicable sections of
the federal consolidated returns regulations.
2. A subgroup of the affiliated group may not
file a consolidated return.
(b) If a group wishes to exercise its
privilege of filing a consolidated return, such consolidated return must be
filed not later than the date prescribed, including extensions of time, for the
filing of the common parent's return. Such consolidated return may not be
withdrawn after such last day but the group may change the basis of its return
at any time prior to such last day.
(c) The consolidated return shall be made on
Form F-1120 for the group by the common parent corporation. The parent
corporation of the group must attach Form F-851 (affiliations schedule) to the
consolidated return. If the Florida and federal groups are identical, a copy of
federal Form 851 may be substituted for Form F-851.
(d) If a group wishes to exercise its
privilege of filing a consolidated return, then a Form F-1122 must be executed
by each subsidiary and must be attached to the consolidated return for such
year. Form F-1122 shall not be required for a taxable year if a Florida
consolidated return was filed (or was required to be filed) by the group for
the immediately preceding taxable year.
(e) If any eligible member of the group fails
to file Form F-1122, the Executive Director or the Executive Director's
designee may, under the facts and circumstances, determine that such member has
joined in the making of a consolidated return by such group. If the Executive
Director or the Executive Director's designee determines that the member has
joined in the making of the consolidated return, such member shall be treated
as if it had filed a Form F-1122 for such year for purposes of paragraph (e) of
this subsection. The following circumstances, among others, will be taken into
account in making this determination:
1.
Whether or not the income and deductions of the members were included in the
consolidated return;
2. Whether or
not a separate return was filed by the member for that taxable year; and,
3. Whether or not the member was
included in the affiliations schedule, Form F-851 or federal Form 851, as
provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection.
(f) If any eligible member has failed to join
in the making of a consolidated return under either paragraph (e) or (f) of
this subsection, then the tax liability of each member of the group shall be
determined on the basis of separate returns unless the common parent
establishes to the satisfaction of the Executive Director or the Executive
Director's designee that the failure of such member to join in the making of
the consolidated return was due to a mistake of law or fact, or to
inadvertence. In such case, such member shall be treated as if it had filed a
Form F-1122 for such year for purposes of paragraph (e) of this subsection, and
thus joined in the making of the consolidated return for such year.
(g) The common parent, for all purposes other
than the making of the consent required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this
subsection, shall be the sole agent for each subsidiary in the group, duly
authorized to act in its own name in all matters relating to the tax liability
for the consolidated return year. No subsidiary shall have authority to act for
or to represent itself in any such matter. The provisions of this paragraph
shall apply whether or not a consolidated return is made for any subsequent
year and whether or not one or more subsidiaries have become or have ceased to
be members of the group at any time. If a subsidiary has ceased to be a member
of the group and if such subsidiary files written notice of such cessation with
the Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee, then upon request
of such subsidiary, the Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee
will furnish it with a copy of any notice of deficiency in respect of the tax
for a consolidated return year for which it was a member. The filing of such
written notification and request by a corporation shall not have the effect of
limiting the scope of the agency of the common parent.
(h) Unless the Executive Director or the
Executive Director's designee agrees to the contrary, an agreement entered into
by the common parent extending the time within which a notice of deficiency may
be issued or levy or proceeding in court begun in respect of the tax for a
consolidated return year shall be applicable to each corporation which was a
member of the group during any part of such taxable year and to each
corporation the income of which was included in the consolidated return for
such taxable year, notwithstanding that the liability of any such corporation
is subsequently computed on the basis of a separate return under these
regulations.
(i) If the common
parent corporation contemplates dissolution, or is about to be dissolved, or if
for any other reason its existence is about to terminate, it shall forthwith
notify the Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee of such fact
and designate another member to act as its agent in its place to the same
extent and subject to the same conditions and limitations as are applicable to
the common parent. If the notice thus required is not given by the common
parent, the remaining members may, subject to the approval of the Executive
Director or the Executive Director's designee, designate another member to act
as such agent, and notice of such designation shall be given to the Executive
Director or the Executive Director's designee. Until a notice in writing
designating a new agent has been approved by the Executive Director or the
Executive Director's designee, any notice of deficiency or other communications
mailed to the common parent shall be considered as having been properly mailed
to the agent of the group. If the Executive Director or the Executive
Director's designee has reason to believe that the existence of the common
parent has terminated, the Executive Director or the Executive Director's
designee may, if deemed advisable, deal directly with any member in respect of
its liability.
(2) If the
Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee establishes that
members of an affiliated group of corporations which are subject to tax have
engaged in non-arms's length transactions which cause a material distortion of
income apportioned to this state, the Executive Director or the Executive
Director's designee may require the filing of a consolidated return in order to
fairly represent the tax base attributable to this state.
(3)
(a)
1. A group which filed, or was required to
file, a consolidated return for the immediately preceding taxable year is
required to file a consolidated return for the taxable year unless it has
permission to discontinue filing consolidated returns under paragraph (b) or
(c) of this subsection; or as long as a federal consolidated return is
filed.
2. The requirement set forth
in section 220.131(1),
F.S., that the parent company of an affiliated group must be subject to the
Florida Income Tax Code is a condition that is necessary for an affiliated
group to make an election to file a Florida consolidated return. There is no
requirement in section
220.131, F.S., that the parent
be subject to the Florida Income Tax Code in each subsequent year. Therefore,
the affiliated group may not break its consolidated election because the parent
company no longer has nexus with Florida.
(b)
1.
Notwithstanding that a consolidated return is required for a taxable year, the
Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee is authorized to grant
permission to a group to discontinue filing consolidated returns. Any such
application shall be made to Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution, P.O.
Box 7443, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-7443, and shall be made not later than the
90th day before the due date for the filing of the consolidated return,
including extensions of time. Permission to revoke will be contingent upon an
agreement between the taxpayer and the Executive Director or the Executive
Director's designee to the terms, conditions, and adjustment under which the
change will be effected.
2. The
Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee is authorized to grant
permission to a group to discontinue filing consolidated returns if the net
result of all amendments to the Florida Income Tax Code or the Internal Revenue
Code or regulations with effective dates commencing within the taxable year has
a substantial adverse effect on the consolidated tax liability of the group for
such year relative to what the aggregate tax liability would be if the members
of the group filed separate returns for such year. Other factors which will be
taken into account in determining whether good cause exists for granting
permission to discontinue filing consolidated returns beginning with the
taxable year include:
a. Changes in law or
circumstances, including changes which do not affect income tax
liability;
b. Changes in law which
are first effective in the taxable year and which result in a substantial
reduction in the consolidated net operating loss for such year relative to what
the aggregate net operating losses would be if the members of the group filed
separate returns for such year; and,
c. Changes in the Florida Income Tax Code or
the Internal Revenue Code or regulations which are effective prior to the
taxable year but which first have a substantial adverse effect on the filing of
a consolidated return relative to the filing of separate returns by members of
the group in such year.
3. Permission to revoke may be contingent
upon an agreement between the taxpayer and the Executive Director or the
Executive Director's designee to the terms, conditions, and adjustment under
which the change will be effected.
(c) The Executive Director or the Executive
Director's designee may grant all groups or a particular class of groups
permission to discontinue filing consolidated returns if any provision of the
Florida Income Tax Code or the Internal Revenue Code or regulations has been
amended and such amendment is of the type which could have a substantial
adverse effect on the filing of consolidated returns by substantially all
groups or all such groups, as the case may be, relative to the filing of
separate returns. Ordinarily, the permission to discontinue shall apply to the
taxable year which includes the effective date of such amendment.
(d) If a group has permission under paragraph
(b) or (c) of this subsection to discontinue filing consolidated returns for
any taxable year and such group wishes to exercise such election, then the
common parent must file a separate return for such year on or before the last
day prescribed by law including extensions of time for the filing of the
consolidated return for such year.
(e) A group shall be considered as remaining
in existence, for the purposes of these rules, in accordance with the rules
prescribed in s. 1.1502-75(d) of the Federal Income Tax Regulations.
(f) If a consolidated return includes the
income of a corporation which was not a member of the group at any time during
the consolidated return year, the tax liability of such corporation will be
determined upon the basis of a separate return (or a consolidated return of
another group, if paragraph (1)(f) or (3)(a) of this section applies), and the
consolidated return will be considered as including only the income of the
corporations which were members of the group during that taxable year. If a
consolidated return includes the income of two or more corporations which were
not members of the group but which constitute another group, the tax liability
of such corporations will be computed in the same manner as if separate returns
had been made by such corporations unless the Executive Director or the
Executive Director's designee upon application, approves the making of a
consolidated return for the other group, or unless, under paragraph (a) of this
subsection, a consolidated return is required for the other group.
(g) In any case in which amounts have been
assessed and paid upon the basis of a consolidated return and the tax liability
of one or more of the corporations included in the consolidated return is to be
computed in the manner described in paragraph (f) of this subsection, the
amounts so paid shall be allocated between the group composed of the
corporations properly included in the consolidated return and each of the
corporations the tax liability of which is to be computed on a separate basis
(or on the basis of a consolidated return of another group) in such manner as
the corporations which were included in the consolidated return may, subject to
the approval of the Executive Director or the Executive Director's designee,
agree upon; or, in the absence of an agreement upon the method used in
allocating the tax liability of the members of the group, under s. 1552(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
(h) The
taxable year of members of the group, including rules for changing to the
parent's taxable year, income to be included in the consolidated return, income
to be included in and the time for making separate returns for periods not
included in a consolidated return for the purposes of these rules shall be in
accordance with the rules prescribed in the federal income tax
regulations.
(4)
(a) Unless otherwise provided by these rules
or manifestly inconsistent with the provisions of the Florida Income Tax Code,
the consolidated taxable income for a consolidated return year under these
rules shall be determined in the same manner and under the same procedures,
including intercompany adjustments and eliminations, as are required by the
federal income tax regulations in the case of a federal consolidated
return.
(b) If the Florida
affiliated group differs in its members from the federal affiliated group
because of an election made within 90 days of December 20, 1984, or upon filing
the taxpayer's first return after December 20, 1984, to file consolidated
returns on the same basis that consolidated returns were filed for the taxable
year immediately preceding the taxable year beginning on or after September 1,
1982, such non-qualifying members shall not be considered includible
corporations and all computations hereunder shall be made as if such members
were not members of the affiliated group.
(c) The apportionment provisions of section
220.15, F.S., shall be taken
into account by an affiliated group doing business within and without
Florida.
(5) Estimated
tax. Cross reference: rule
12C-1.034,
F.A.C.
Rulemaking Authority
213.06(1),
220.131(1),
220.51 FS. Law Implemented
220.13,
220.131,
220.15,
220.151,
220.152
FS.
New 10-20-72, Amended 10-20-73, 8-4-75, 8-23-76, 12-18-83,
Formerly 12C-1.131, Amended 12-21-88, 4-8-92, 5-17-94,
3-18-96.