[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65956-65997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27391]



[[Page 65955]]

Vol. 83

Friday,

No. 245

December 21, 2018

Part V





Department of the Treasury





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Internal Revenue Service





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26 CFR Part 1





Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax; Proposed Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 83 , No. 245 / Friday, December 21, 2018 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 65956]]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 1

REG-104259-18]
RIN 1545-BO56


Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations that provide 
guidance regarding the tax on base erosion payments of taxpayers with 
substantial gross receipts and reporting requirements thereunder. The 
proposed regulations would affect corporations with substantial gross 
receipts that make payments to foreign related parties. The proposed 
regulations under section 6038A would affect any reporting corporations 
within the meaning of section 6038A or 6038C.

DATES: Written or electronic comments and requests for a public hearing 
must be received by February 19, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-104259-18), 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-
104259-18), 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-104259-18).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning Sec. Sec.  1.59A-1 through 
1.59A-10 of the proposed regulations, Sheila Ramaswamy or Karen Walny 
at (202) 317-6938; concerning the services cost method exception, L. 
Ulysses Chatman at (202) 317-6939; concerning Sec. Sec.  1.383-1, 
1.1502-2, 1.1502-4, 1.1502-43, 1.1502-47, 1.1502-59A, 1.1502-100, and 
1.6655-5 of the proposed regulations, Julie Wang at (202) 317-6975 or 
John P. Stemwedel at (202) 317-5024; concerning Sec. Sec.  1.6038A-1, 
1.6038A-2, and 1.6038A-4 of the proposed regulations, Brad McCormack or 
Anand Desai at (202) 317-6939; concerning submissions of comments and 
requests for a public hearing, Regina Johnson at (202) 317-6901 (not 
toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    This document contains proposed amendments to 26 CFR part 1 under 
sections 59A, 383, 1502, 6038A, 6038C, and 6655 of the Internal Revenue 
Code (the ``Code''). The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Public Law 115-97 
(2017) (the ``Act''), which was enacted on December 22, 2017, added 
section 59A to the Code. Section 59A imposes on each applicable 
taxpayer a tax equal to the base erosion minimum tax amount for the 
taxable year (the ``base erosion and anti-abuse tax'' or ``BEAT'').
    The Act also added reporting obligations regarding this tax for 25-
percent foreign-owned corporations subject to section 6038A and foreign 
corporations subject to section 6038C and addressed other issues for 
which information reporting under those sections is important to tax 
administration.

Explanation of Provisions

I. Overview

    These proposed regulations provide guidance under section 59A 
regarding the determination of the tax on base erosion payments for 
certain taxpayers with substantial gross receipts. In general, the 
proposed regulations provide rules for determining whether a taxpayer 
is an applicable taxpayer on which the BEAT may be imposed and rules 
for computing the taxpayer's BEAT liability.
    Part II of this Explanation of Provisions section describes the 
rules in proposed Sec.  1.59A-2 for determining whether a taxpayer is 
an applicable taxpayer on which the BEAT may be imposed. Part III of 
this Explanation of Provisions section describes the rules in proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-3(b) for determining the amount of base erosion payments. 
Part IV of this Explanation of Provisions section describes the rules 
in proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c) for determining base erosion tax benefits 
arising from base erosion payments. Part V of this Explanation of 
Provisions section describes the rules in proposed Sec.  1.59A-4 for 
determining the amount of modified taxable income, which is computed in 
part by reference to a taxpayer's base erosion tax benefits and base 
erosion percentage of any net operating loss deduction. Part VI of this 
Explanation of Provisions section describes the rules in proposed Sec.  
1.59A-5 for computing the base erosion minimum tax amount, which is 
computed by reference to modified taxable income. Part VII of this 
Explanation of Provisions section describes general rules in proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-7 for applying the proposed regulations to partnerships. 
Part VIII of this Explanation of Provisions section describes certain 
rules in the proposed regulations that are specific to banks and 
registered securities dealers. Part IX of this Explanation of 
Provisions section describes certain rules in the proposed regulations 
that are specific to insurance companies. Part X of this Explanation of 
Provisions section describes the anti-abuse rules in proposed Sec.  
1.59A-9.
    Parts XI-XIII of this Explanation of Provisions section address 
rules in proposed Sec.  1.1502-59A regarding the general application of 
the BEAT to consolidated groups. Part XIV of this Explanation of 
Provisions section addresses proposed amendments to Sec.  1.383-1 to 
address limitations on a loss corporation's items under section 382 and 
383 in the context of the BEAT. Part XV of this Explanation of 
Provisions section describes reporting and record keeping requirements.

II. Applicable Taxpayer

    The BEAT applies only to a taxpayer that is an applicable taxpayer. 
Proposed Sec.  1.59A-2 provides rules for determining if a taxpayer is 
an applicable taxpayer.
    Generally, an applicable taxpayer is a corporation (other than (1) 
a regulated investment company (``RIC''), (2) a real estate investment 
trust (``REIT''), or (3) an S corporation) that satisfies the gross 
receipts test and the base erosion percentage test. Section 59A and the 
proposed regulations provide that the taxpayer and certain other 
corporations that are related to the taxpayer are treated as one person 
for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer satisfies these tests.
    Part II.A of this Explanation of Provisions section describes the 
proposed rules for determining the aggregate group for applying the 
gross receipts test and the base erosion percentage test. Part II.B of 
this Explanation of Provisions section describes the proposed rules for 
applying the gross receipts test. Part II.C of this Explanation of 
Provisions section describes the proposed rules for applying the base 
erosion percentage test. Part II.D of this Explanation of Provisions 
section describes the proposed rules for applying these tests on an 
aggregate group basis when members of the aggregate group have 
different taxable years. Part II.E of this Explanation of Provisions 
section describes proposed rules for computing the base erosion 
percentage for a taxpayer with deductions taken into account under a 
mark-to-market method of accounting.

[[Page 65957]]

A. Determining the Aggregate Group for Purposes of Applying the Gross 
Receipts Test and the Base Erosion Percentage Test

    Section 59A(e)(3) aggregates corporations (``aggregate group'') on 
the basis of persons treated as a single employer under section 52(a), 
which treats members of the ``same controlled group of corporations'' 
(as defined in section 1563(a) with certain modifications) as one 
person. Although a section 1563(a) controlled group can include both 
foreign and domestic corporations, the proposed regulations treat 
foreign corporations as outside of the controlled group for purposes of 
applying the aggregation rules, except to the extent that the foreign 
corporation has effectively connected income. This limitation on the 
extent to which foreign corporations are included in the aggregate 
group ensures that payments made by a domestic corporation, or a 
foreign corporation with respect to its effectively connected income, 
to a foreign related corporation are not inappropriately excluded from 
the base erosion percentage test. Accordingly, the proposed regulations 
provide that a taxpayer must apply the gross receipts test and the base 
erosion percentage test using the aggregate group consisting of members 
of the same controlled group of corporations for purposes of section 
52(a) that are (i) domestic corporations and (ii) foreign corporations, 
but only with regard to gross receipts taken into account in 
determining income which is effectively connected with the conduct of a 
trade or business in the United States and subject to tax under section 
882(a). The proposed regulations limit the aggregate group to 
corporations that benefit from deductions, and accordingly may have 
base erosion tax benefits, while excluding foreign corporations that 
are not subject to U.S. income tax (except on a gross basis under 
section 881, with respect to income that is not effectively connected 
with a trade or business in the United States) and do not benefit from 
deductions. In the case of a foreign corporation that determines its 
net taxable income under an applicable income tax treaty of the United 
States, the foreign corporation is a member of the aggregate group with 
regard to gross receipts taken into account in determining its net 
taxable income.
    The proposed regulations generally provide that payments between 
members of the aggregate group are not included in the gross receipts 
of the aggregate group, consistent with the single entity concept in 
section 59A(e)(3). Similarly, the proposed regulations generally 
provide that payments between members of the aggregate group are also 
not taken into account for purposes of the numerator or the denominator 
in the base erosion percentage calculation.
    Payments between the aggregate group and any foreign corporation 
that is not within the aggregate group with respect to the payment are 
taken into account in applying both the gross receipts test and the 
base erosion percentage test. However, because a foreign corporation is 
considered within the aggregate group to the extent it is subject to 
net income tax in the United States, payments to a foreign corporation 
from within the aggregate group that are subject to net income tax in 
the United States are eliminated and not taken into account in applying 
the gross receipts test and the base erosion percentage test. Thus, it 
may be the case that a payment by a domestic corporation to a foreign 
corporation is not taken into account in determining applicable 
taxpayer status because the payee is subject to net income tax in the 
United States on that payment, while another payment by the same 
domestic corporation to the same foreign corporation is taken into 
account in determining applicable taxpayer status because the payee is 
not subject to net income tax in the United States on that payment. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on the proposed 
regulations addressing the aggregate group for purposes of the gross 
receipts test and the base erosion percentage test.

B. Gross Receipts Test

    A taxpayer satisfies the gross receipts test if the taxpayer, or 
the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a member, has $500 million 
or more of average annual gross receipts during the three prior taxable 
years. In the case of a foreign corporation, the gross receipts test 
only takes into account gross receipts that are taken into account in 
determining income that is subject to net income tax as income 
effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within 
the United States, or taken into account in determining net taxable 
income under an applicable U.S. income tax treaty.
    In the case of an aggregate group, the proposed regulations measure 
gross receipts of a taxpayer by reference to the taxpayer's aggregate 
group determined as of the end of the taxpayer's taxable year for which 
BEAT liability is being computed, and takes into account gross receipts 
of those aggregate group members during the three-year period preceding 
that taxable year.
    The proposed regulations further clarify how a taxpayer computes 
gross receipts, including providing rules for corporations that have 
been in existence for fewer than three years or have short years. These 
proposed rules are generally consistent with rules set forth in section 
448(c). See section 59A(e)(2)(B) (providing that rules similar to the 
rules of section 448(c)(3)(B) through (D) apply in determining gross 
receipts for purposes of section 59A). The proposed regulations also 
clarify how gross receipts are determined if members of the aggregate 
group have different taxable years, as discussed in Part II.D of this 
Explanation of Provisions section.
    In addition, the proposed regulations clarify how gross receipts 
are determined for corporations subject to tax under subchapter L 
(including a foreign corporation subject to tax under section 842(a)).
    If a member of an aggregate group owns an interest in a 
partnership, the proposed regulations provide that the group includes 
its share of the gross receipts of the partnership in its gross 
receipts computation. The aggregate group's share of the gross receipts 
of the partnership is proportionate to its distributive share of items 
of gross income from the partnership. See Part VII of this Explanation 
of Provisions section for a more detailed description of the 
application of section 59A to partnerships.

C. Base Erosion Percentage Test

    The base erosion percentage test is satisfied with respect to a 
taxpayer if the taxpayer (or if the taxpayer is a member of an 
aggregate group, the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a member) 
has a base erosion percentage of three percent or more. Generally, a 
lower threshold of two percent applies if the taxpayer, or a member of 
the taxpayer's aggregate group, is a member of an affiliated group (as 
defined in section 1504(a)(1)) that includes a domestic bank or 
registered securities dealer. The proposed regulations provide that the 
lower two percent threshold does not apply, however, in the case of an 
aggregate group or consolidated group that has de minimis bank or 
registered securities dealer activities. See Part VIII of this 
Explanation of Provisions section for a more detailed description of 
these rules.
    The proposed regulations provide that the base erosion percentage 
for a taxable year is computed by dividing (1) the aggregate amount of 
base erosion tax benefits (the ``numerator'') by (2) the sum of the 
aggregate amount of

[[Page 65958]]

deductions plus certain other base erosion tax benefits (the 
``denominator''). As described in Part II.A of this Explanation of 
Provisions section, in the case of a taxpayer that is a member of an 
aggregate group, the base erosion percentage is measured by reference 
to the deductions or certain reductions in gross income of the taxpayer 
and members of the taxpayer's aggregate group as of the end of the 
taxpayer's taxable year. Base erosion tax benefits are generally the 
deductions or reductions in gross income that result from base erosion 
payments. Part III of this Explanation of Provisions section describes 
the proposed rules for determining the amount of base erosion payments, 
and Part IV of this Explanation of Provisions section describes the 
proposed rules for determining the base erosion payments that give rise 
to base erosion tax benefits.
    The numerator of the base erosion percentage excludes deductions 
for (i) amounts paid or accrued to foreign related parties for services 
qualifying for the exception in proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i) (the 
``services cost method (``SCM'') exception''), (ii) payments covered by 
the qualified derivatives payments (``QDP'') exception in proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii), and (iii) amounts excluded pursuant to the 
total loss-absorbing capacity (``TLAC'') exception in proposed Sec.  
1.59A-3(b)(3)(v). See Parts III.B.1, III.B.2, and III.B.5 of this 
Explanation of Provisions section, for discussions of the SCM 
exception, QDP exception, and TLAC exception, respectively. Generally, 
these deductions are also excluded from the denominator of the base 
erosion percentage.
    An applicable taxpayer may make a payment to a foreign related 
party that is not a member of the aggregate group, if, for example, the 
recipient of the payment is a 25-percent owner as described in proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(17) who does not own more than 50 percent of the 
applicable taxpayer, and that payment may qualify for the ECI exception 
described in proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(iii). If so, and if that 
payment also qualifies for either the SCM exception described in 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i), the QDP exception described in 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii), or the TLAC exception described in 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(v), the payment will be included in the 
denominator for purposes of the base erosion percentage. For example, 
if an applicable taxpayer makes a deductible payment to a foreign 
related person who is a 25-percent owner and that payment is both a QDP 
and subject to federal income taxation as income that is, or is treated 
as, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in 
the United States under an applicable provision of the Internal Revenue 
Code or regulations, that deductible payment is included in the 
denominator of the base erosion percentage. However, if the applicable 
taxpayer makes a deductible payment to a foreign related person and 
that payment is a QDP, but not otherwise subject to federal income 
taxation, that deductible payment is excluded from the denominator of 
the base erosion percentage.
    The proposed regulations also exclude any section 988 losses from 
the numerator and the denominator in determining the base erosion 
percentage. See Part III.B.4 of this Explanation of Provisions section, 
describing the exception for section 988 losses from the definition of 
base erosion payments.
    The numerator of the base erosion percentage only takes into 
account base erosion tax benefits, which generally are base erosion 
payments for which a deduction is allowed under the Code for a taxable 
year. See Part IV of this Explanation of Provisions section. Similarly, 
the proposed regulations ensure that the denominator of the base 
erosion percentage only takes into account deductions allowed under the 
Code by providing that the denominator of the base erosion percentage 
does not include deductions that are not allowed in determining taxable 
income for the taxable year.
    Finally, because a deduction allowed under section 965(c) to a 
United States shareholder of a deferred foreign income corporation is 
not one of the categories of deductions specifically excluded from the 
denominator under section 59A(c)(4)(B), that deduction is included in 
the denominator.
    In general, as discussed in more detail in Part IV.A of this 
Explanation of Provisions section, if tax is imposed by section 871 or 
881 and that tax has been deducted and withheld under section 1441 or 
1442 on a base erosion payment, the base erosion payment is not treated 
as a base erosion tax benefit for purposes of calculating a taxpayer's 
modified taxable income. If an income tax treaty reduces the amount of 
withholding imposed on the base erosion payment, the base erosion 
payment is treated as a base erosion tax benefit to the extent of the 
reduction in withholding under rules similar to those in section 
163(j)(5)(B) as in effect before the Act.
    The proposed regulations apply the same rule concerning withholding 
taxes for purposes of the base erosion percentage computation. 
Accordingly, a base erosion tax benefit is not included in the 
numerator when the payment was subject to tax under section 871 or 881 
and that tax has been deducted and withheld under section 1441 or 1442. 
In addition, the proposed regulations provide that for any base erosion 
payment subject to a reduced rate of withholding tax under an income 
tax treaty, the associated amount of base erosion tax benefits 
eliminated from the numerator of the base erosion percentage 
calculation is determined using rules similar to those in section 
163(j)(5)(B) as in effect before the Act.
    The base erosion percentage also takes into account the two 
categories of base erosion tax benefits that result from reductions in 
gross income rather than deductions allowed under the Code (that is, 
(1) certain premium or other consideration paid to a foreign related 
party for reinsurance, and (2) amounts paid or accrued by the taxpayer 
to certain surrogate foreign corporations that result in a reduction in 
gross receipts to the taxpayer). Section 59A(c)(4)(A)(ii)(II) provides 
that those base erosion tax benefits that result from reductions in 
gross income are included in the both the numerator and the denominator 
in the same amount. Other payments that reduce gross income but that 
are not base erosion payments are not included in the denominator of 
the base erosion percentage.

D. Taxpayers in an Aggregate Group with Different Taxable Years

    Section 59A determines the status of a corporation as an applicable 
taxpayer on the basis of the aggregate group rules by taking into 
account the gross receipts and base erosion payments of each member of 
the aggregate group. However, each member must compute the aggregate 
group amount of gross receipts and base erosion payments based on its 
own taxable year and based on those corporations that are members of 
the aggregate group at the end of such taxable year. Therefore, members 
with different taxable years may have different base erosion 
percentages.
    However, each corporation that is an applicable taxpayer computes 
its modified taxable income and base erosion minimum tax amount on a 
separate taxpayer basis. In the case of a group of affiliated 
corporations filing a consolidated tax return, the consolidated group 
is treated as a single taxpayer for purposes of section 59A, and its 
modified taxable income and base erosion minimum tax amount are 
determined on a consolidated group basis.

[[Page 65959]]

    The proposed regulations provide rules for determining whether the 
gross receipts test and base erosion percentage test are satisfied with 
respect to a specific taxpayer when other members of its aggregate 
group have different taxable years. See proposed Sec.  1.59A-
2(e)(3)(vii). In general, the proposed regulations provide that each 
taxpayer determines its gross receipts and base erosion percentage by 
reference to its own taxable year, taking into account the results of 
other members of its aggregate group during that taxable year. In other 
words, for purposes of determining the gross receipts, base erosion tax 
benefits, and deductions of the aggregate group, the taxpayer must 
include those amounts that occur during the course of the taxpayer's 
own taxable year, not another member of the aggregate group's taxable 
year, if different. The proposed regulations adopt this approach to 
provide certainty for taxpayers and avoid the complexity of a rule that 
identifies a single taxable year for an aggregate group for purposes of 
section 59A that may differ from a particular member of the aggregate 
group's taxable year. As a result of this rule, two related taxpayers 
with different taxable years will compute their applicable gross 
receipts and base erosion percentage by reference to different periods, 
even though in each case the calculations are done on an aggregate 
group basis that takes into account other members of the controlled 
group. Taxpayers may use a reasonable method to determine the gross 
receipts and base erosion percentage information for the time period of 
the member of the aggregate group with a different taxable year. For an 
illustration of this rule, see proposed Sec.  1.59A-2(f)(2) (Example 
2).
    The proposed regulations also provide that when determining the 
base erosion percentage for a taxpayer that is a member of an aggregate 
group with other members that have a different taxable year, the 
effective date in section 14401(e) of the Act, as it applies to the 
taxpayer making the return, controls whether that taxpayer takes into 
account transactions of other members of its aggregate group. (Section 
14401(e) of the Act provides that section 59A applies only to base 
erosion payments paid or accrued in taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 2017.)
    Thus, if one corporation (US1) that has a calendar year is a member 
of an aggregate group with another corporation (US2) that has a taxable 
year ending November 30, when US1 computes its base erosion percentage 
for its calendar year ending December 31, 2018, the base erosion 
payments made by US2 during the period from January 1, 2018, through 
December 31, 2018, are taken into account with respect to US1 for its 
computations even though US2's base erosion payments in its taxable 
year ending November 30, 2018, are not base erosion payments with 
respect to US2 because of section 14401(e) of the Act. Correspondingly, 
US2's taxable year beginning December 1, 2017, and ending November 30, 
2018, is not subject to section 59A because US2's base erosion payments 
occur in a year beginning before January 1, 2018, and base erosion 
payments made by US1 during the period from December 1, 2017 through 
November 30, 2018, do not change that result. For a general discussion 
of the Act's effective date for section 59A, see Part III.C of this 
Explanation of Provisions section.

E. Mark-to-Market Deductions

    As discussed in Part II.C of this Explanation of Provisions 
section, the taxpayer (or in the case of a taxpayer that is a member of 
an aggregate group, the aggregate group) must determine the amount of 
base erosion tax benefits in the numerator and the total amount of 
certain deductions, including base erosion tax benefits, in the 
denominator to determine the base erosion percentage for the year. The 
proposed regulations provide rules for determining the amount of base 
erosion tax benefits in the case of transactions that are marked to 
market. These proposed rules also apply for determining the total 
amount of the deductions that are included in the denominator of the 
base erosion percentage computation.
    Specifically, to ensure that only a single deduction is claimed 
with respect to each transaction, the proposed regulations combine all 
income, deduction, gain, or loss on each transaction for the year to 
determine the amount of the deduction that is used for purposes of the 
base erosion percentage test. This rule does not modify the net amount 
allowed as a deduction pursuant to the Code and regulations. This rule 
is intended to prevent distortions in deductions from being included in 
the denominator of the base erosion percentage, including as a result 
of the use of an accounting method that values a position more 
frequently than annually.

III. Base Erosion Payments

    The proposed regulations define a base erosion payment as a payment 
or accrual by the taxpayer to a foreign related party (as defined in 
Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(12)) that is described in one of four categories: (1) 
A payment with respect to which a deduction is allowable; (2) a payment 
made in connection with the acquisition of depreciable or amortizable 
property; (3) premiums or other consideration paid or accrued for 
reinsurance that is taken into account under section 803(a)(1)(B) or 
832(b)(4)(A); or (4) a payment resulting in a reduction of the gross 
receipts of the taxpayer that is with respect to certain surrogate 
foreign corporations or related foreign persons.
    A payment or accrual that is not within one of the categories may 
be a base erosion payment described in one of the other categories. For 
example, a deductible payment related to reinsurance that does not meet 
the requirements for the third category of base erosion payments may 
still be a base erosion payment under the first category because the 
payment is deductible. Nonetheless, to the extent all or a portion of a 
payment or accrual is described in more than one of these categories, 
the amount is only taken into account once as a base erosion payment.
    Except as otherwise provided in the proposed regulations, the 
determination of whether a payment or accrual by the taxpayer to a 
foreign related party is described in one of these four categories is 
made under general U.S. federal income tax law. For example, the 
proposed regulations do not explicitly address whether a royalty 
payment is classified as deductible under section 162 or as a cost 
includible in inventory under sections 471 and 263A resulting in a 
reduction in gross income under section 61.
    In general, the treatment of a payment as deductible, or as other 
than deductible, such as an amount that reduces gross income or is 
excluded from gross income because it is beneficially owned by another 
person, generally will have federal income tax consequences that will 
affect the application of section 59A and will also have consequences 
for other provisions of the Code. In light of existing tax law dealing 
with identifying who is the beneficial owner of income, who owns an 
asset, and the related tax consequences (including under principal-
agent principles, reimbursement doctrine, case law conduit principles, 
assignment of income or other principles of generally applicable tax 
law), the proposed regulations do not establish any specific rules for 
purposes of section 59A for determining whether a payment is treated as 
a deductible payment or, when viewed as part of a series of 
transactions, should be characterized in a different manner.
    Part III.A of this Explanation of Provisions section discusses the

[[Page 65960]]

operating rules for certain specific types of base erosion payments and 
Part III.B of this Explanation of Provisions section describes certain 
exceptions to the definition of base erosion payments.

A. Certain Specific Types of Base Erosion Payments

    This Part III.A of this Explanation of Provisions describes 
proposed operating rules for determining whether there is a payment or 
accrual that can give rise to a base erosion payment. This part also 
discusses proposed rules coordinating the definition of base erosion 
payment with rules that allocate deductions for purposes of determining 
a foreign corporation's effectively connected income.
1. Payments or Accruals That Consist of Non-Cash Consideration
    The proposed regulations clarify that a payment or accrual by a 
taxpayer to a foreign related party may be a base erosion payment 
regardless of whether the payment is in cash or in any form of non-cash 
consideration. See proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(2)(i). There may be 
situations where a taxpayer incurs a non-cash payment or accrual to a 
foreign related party in a transaction that meets one of the 
definitions of a base erosion payment, and that transaction may also 
qualify under certain nonrecognition provisions of the Code. Examples 
of these transactions include a domestic corporation's acquisition of 
depreciable assets from a foreign related party in an exchange 
described in section 351, a liquidation described in section 332, and a 
reorganization described in section 368.
    The proposed regulations do not include any specific exceptions for 
these types of transactions even though (a) the transferor of the 
assets acquired by the domestic corporation may not recognize gain or 
loss, (b) the acquiring domestic corporation may take a carryover basis 
in the depreciable or amortizable assets, and (c) the importation of 
depreciable or amortizable assets into the United States in these 
transactions may increase the regular income tax base as compared to 
the non-importation of those assets. The Treasury Department and the 
IRS have determined that neither the nonrecognition of gain or loss to 
the transferor nor the absence of a step-up in basis to the transferee 
establishes a basis to create a separate exclusion from the definition 
of a base erosion payment. The statutory definition of this type of 
base erosion payment that results from the acquisition of depreciable 
or amortizable assets in exchange for a payment or accrual to a foreign 
related party is based on the amount of imported basis in the asset. 
That amount of basis is imported regardless of whether the transaction 
is a recognition transaction or a transaction subject to rules in 
subchapter C or elsewhere in the Code.
    In contrast, for transactions in which a taxpayer that owns stock 
in a foreign related party receives depreciable property from the 
foreign related party as an in-kind distribution subject to section 
301, there is no base erosion payment because there is no consideration 
provided by the taxpayer to the foreign related party in exchange for 
the property. Thus, there is no payment or accrual.
    In addition, because section 59A(d)(1) defines the first category 
of base erosion payment as ``any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer 
to a foreign person which is a related party of the taxpayer and with 
respect to which a deduction is allowable under this chapter,'' a base 
erosion payment also includes a payment to a foreign related party 
resulting in a recognized loss; for example, a loss recognized on the 
transfer of property to a foreign related party. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS welcome comments about the treatment of payments 
or accruals that consist of non-cash consideration. See Part III.B.4 of 
this Explanation of Provisions section for a specific exception from 
the base erosion payment definition for exchange loss from a section 
988 transaction.
2. Interest Expense Allocable to a Foreign Corporation's Effectively 
Connected Income
    Section 59A applies to foreign corporations that have income that 
is subject to net income taxation as effectively connected with the 
conduct of a trade or business in the United States, taking into 
account any applicable income tax treaty of the United States. These 
proposed regulations generally provide that a foreign corporation that 
has interest expense allocable under section 882(c) to income that is 
effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within 
the United States will have a base erosion payment to the extent the 
interest expense results from a payment or accrual to a foreign related 
party. The amount of interest that will be treated as a base erosion 
payment depends on the method used under Sec.  1.882-5.
    If a foreign corporation uses the method described in Sec.  1.882-
5(b) through (d), interest on direct allocations and on U.S.-booked 
liabilities that is paid or accrued to a foreign related party will be 
a base erosion payment. If U.S.-booked liabilities exceed U.S.-
connected liabilities, a foreign corporation computing its interest 
expense under this method must apply the scaling ratio to all of its 
interest expense on a pro-rata basis to determine the amount that is a 
base erosion payment. Interest on excess U.S.-connected liabilities 
also may be a base erosion payment if the foreign corporation has 
liabilities with a foreign related party.
    If a foreign corporation determines its interest expense under the 
separate currency pools method described in Sec.  1.882-5(e), the 
amount of interest expense that is a base erosion payment is equal to 
the sum of (1) the interest expense on direct allocations paid or 
accrued to a foreign related party and (2) the interest expense in each 
currency pool multiplied by the ratio of average foreign related party 
liabilities over average total liabilities for that pool. The base 
erosion payment exceptions discussed in Part III.B of this Explanation 
of Provisions section may apply and may lower the amount of interest 
expense that is a base erosion payment.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS recognize that Sec.  1.882-5 
provides certain simplifying elections for determining the interest 
deduction of a foreign corporation. In particular, Sec.  1.882-5(c) 
generally provides that the amount of U.S.-connected liabilities equals 
the total value of U.S. assets multiplied by the taxpayer's worldwide 
leverage ratio. However, Sec.  1.882-5(c)(4) allows a taxpayer to elect 
to use a fixed ratio instead of its actual worldwide leverage ratio. 
Similarly, Sec.  1.882-5(d)(5)(ii)(A) provides a general rule that the 
deduction for interest on excess U.S.-connected liabilities is 
determined by reference to the average rate of interest on U.S.-dollar 
liabilities that are not U.S.-booked liabilities. However, Sec.  1.882-
5(d)(5)(ii)(B) allows certain taxpayers to elect to determine the 
deduction by reference to the 30-day London Interbank Offering Rate. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments about similar 
simplifying elections for determining the portion of U.S.-connected 
liabilities that are paid to a foreign related party.
3. Other Deductions Allowed With Respect to Effectively Connected 
Income
    Like excess interest expense, the proposed regulations provide that 
the amount of a foreign corporation's other deductions properly 
allocated and apportioned to effectively connected gross income under 
Sec.  1.882-4 are base erosion payments to the extent that

[[Page 65961]]

those deductions are paid or accrued to a foreign related party. 
Section 1.882-4(a)(1) generally provides that a foreign corporation 
engaged in a trade or business within the United States is allowed the 
deductions which are properly allocated and apportioned to the foreign 
corporation's gross income which is effectively connected its conduct 
of a trade or business within the United States. The proposed 
regulations follow the approach under Sec.  1.882-4. Accordingly, the 
regulations identify base erosion payments by tracing each item of 
deduction, and determining whether the deduction arises from a payment 
to a foreign related party.
    If a foreign corporation engaged in a trade or business within the 
United States acquires property of a character subject to the allowance 
for depreciation (or amortization in lieu of depreciation) from a 
foreign related party, the amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer to 
the foreign related party is a base erosion payment to the extent the 
property is used, or held for use, in the conduct of a trade or 
business within the United States.
4. Income Tax Treaties
    Certain U.S. income tax treaties provide alternative approaches for 
the allocation or attribution of business profits of an enterprise of 
one contracting state to its permanent establishment in the other 
contracting state on the basis of assets used, risks assumed, and 
functions performed by the permanent establishment. The use of a 
treaty-based expense allocation or attribution method does not, in and 
of itself, create legal obligations between the U.S. permanent 
establishment and the rest of the enterprise. These proposed 
regulations recognize that as a result of a treaty-based expense 
allocation or attribution method, amounts equivalent to deductible 
payments may be allowed in computing the business profits of an 
enterprise with respect to transactions between the permanent 
establishment and the home office or other branches of the foreign 
corporation (``internal dealings''). The deductions from internal 
dealings would not be allowed under the Code and regulations, which 
generally allow deductions only for allocable and apportioned costs 
incurred by the enterprise as a whole. The proposed regulations require 
that these deductions from internal dealings allowed in computing the 
business profits of the permanent establishment be treated in a manner 
consistent with their treatment under the treaty-based position and be 
included as base erosion payments.
    The proposed regulations include rules to recognize the distinction 
between the allocations of expenses that are addressed in Parts III.A.2 
and 3 of this Explanation of Provisions section, and internal dealings. 
In the first instance, the allocation and apportionment of expenses of 
the enterprise to the branch or permanent establishment is not itself a 
base erosion payment because the allocation represents a division of 
the expenses of the enterprise, rather than a payment between the 
branch or permanent establishment and the rest of the enterprise. In 
the second instance, internal dealings are not mere divisions of 
enterprise expenses, but rather are priced on the basis of assets used, 
risks assumed, and functions performed by the permanent establishment 
in a manner consistent with the arm's length principle. The approach in 
the proposed regulations creates parity between deductions for actual 
regarded payments between two separate corporations (which are subject 
to section 482), and internal dealings (which are generally priced in a 
manner consistent with the applicable treaty and, if applicable, the 
OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines). The rules in the proposed 
regulations applicable to foreign corporations using this approach 
apply only to deductions attributable to internal dealings, and not to 
payments to entities outside of the enterprise, which are subject to 
the general base erosion payment rules as provided in proposed Sec.  
1.59A-3(b)(4)(v)(A).
5. Certain Payments to Domestic Passthrough Entities With Foreign 
Owners or to Another Aggregate Group Member
    The proposed regulations also provide rules for certain payments to 
a domestic trust, REIT or RIC, and for certain payments to a related 
domestic corporation that is not part of a consolidated group. Proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(2)(v) provides a rule that applies when a domestic 
trust, REIT or RIC receives a payment that otherwise would be a base 
erosion payment. Proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(2)(vi) applies when a 
taxpayer transfers certain property to a member of an aggregate group 
that includes the taxpayer, to ensure that any deduction for 
depreciation (or amortization in lieu of deprecation) by the transferee 
taxpayer remains a base erosion tax benefit to the same extent as the 
amount that would have been a base erosion tax benefit in the hands of 
the transferor.

B. Exceptions From the Base Erosion Payment Definition

1. Exception for Certain Amounts With Respect to Services
    The SCM exception described in section 59A(d)(5) provides that 
section 59A(d)(1) (which sets forth the general definition of a base 
erosion payment) does not apply to any amount paid or accrued by a 
taxpayer for services if (A) the services are eligible for the services 
cost method under section 482 (determined without regard to the 
requirement that the services not contribute significantly to 
fundamental risks of business success or failure) and (B) the amount 
constitutes the total services cost with no markup component. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS interpret ``services cost method'' to 
refer to the services cost method described in Sec.  1.482-9(b), 
interpret the requirement regarding ``fundamental risks of business 
success or failure'' to refer to the test in Sec.  1.482-9(b)(5) 
commonly called the business judgment rule, and interpret ``total 
services cost'' to refer to the definition of ``total services costs'' 
in Sec.  1.482-9(j).
    Section 59A(d)(5) is ambiguous as to whether the SCM exception 
applies when an amount paid or accrued for services exceeds the total 
services cost, but the payment otherwise meets the other requirements 
for the SCM exception set forth in section 59A(d)(5). Under one 
interpretation of section 59A(d)(5), the SCM exception does not apply 
to any portion of a payment that includes any mark-up component. Under 
another interpretation of section 59A(d)(5), the SCM exception is 
available if there is a markup, but only to the extent of the total 
services costs. Under the former interpretation, any amount of markup 
would disqualify a payment, in some cases resulting in dramatically 
different tax effects based on a small difference in charged costs. In 
addition, if any markup were required, for example because of a foreign 
tax law or non-tax reason, a payment would not qualify for the SCM 
exception. Under the latter approach, the services cost would continue 
to qualify for the SCM exception provided the other requirements of the 
SCM exception are met. The latter approach to the SCM exception is more 
expansive because it does not limit qualification to payments made 
exactly at cost.
    The proposed regulations provide that the SCM exception is 
available if there is a markup (and if other requirements are 
satisfied), but that the portion of any payment that exceeds the total 
cost of services is not eligible for the SCM exception and is a base 
erosion

[[Page 65962]]

payment. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that this 
interpretation is more consistent with the text of section 59A(d)(5). 
Rather than require an all-or-nothing approach to service payments, 
section 59A(d)(5) provides an exception for ``any amount'' that meets 
the specified test. This language suggests that a service payment may 
be disaggregated into its component amounts, just as the general 
definition of base erosion payment applies to the deductible amount of 
a foreign related party payment even if the entire payment is not 
deductible. See section 59A(d)(1). The most logical interpretation is 
that a payment for a service that satisfies subparagraph (A) is 
excepted up to the qualifying amount under subparagraph (B), but 
amounts that do not qualify (i.e., the markup component) are not 
excepted. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that section 
59A(d)(5)(A) makes the SCM exception available to taxpayers that cannot 
apply the services cost method described in Sec.  1.482-9(b) (which 
permits pricing a services transaction at cost for section 482 
purposes) because the taxpayer cannot satisfy the business judgment 
rule in Sec.  1.482-9(b)(5). Because a taxpayer in that situation 
cannot ordinarily charge cost, without a mark-up, for transfer pricing 
purposes, failing to adopt this approach would render the parenthetical 
reference in section 59A(d)(5)(A) a nullity. The interpretation the 
proposed regulations adopt gives effect to the reference to the 
business judgment rule in section 59A(d)(5). The Treasury Department 
and the IRS welcome comments on whether the regulations should instead 
adopt the interpretation of section 59A(d)(5) whereby the SCM exception 
is unavailable to a payment that includes any mark-up component.
    To be eligible for the SCM exception, the proposed regulations 
require that all of the requirements of Sec.  1.482-9(b) must be 
satisfied, except as modified by the proposed regulations. Therefore, a 
taxpayer's determination that a service qualifies for the SCM exception 
is subject to review under the requirements of Sec.  1.482-9(b)(3) and 
(b)(4), and its determination of the amount of total services cost and 
allocation and apportionment of costs to a particular service is 
subject to review under the rules of Sec.  1.482-9(j) and Sec.  1.482-
9(k), respectively.
    Although the proposed regulations do not require a taxpayer to 
maintain separate accounts to bifurcate the cost and markup components 
of its services charges to qualify for the SCM exception, the proposed 
regulations do require that taxpayers maintain books and records 
adequate to permit verification of, among other things, the amount paid 
for services, the total services cost incurred by the renderer, and the 
allocation and apportionment of costs to services in accordance with 
Sec.  1.482-9(k). Because payments for certain services that are not 
eligible for the SCM due to the business judgment rule or for which 
taxpayers select another transfer pricing method may still be eligible 
for the SCM exception to the extent of total services cost, the record-
keeping requirements in the proposed regulations differ from the 
requirements in Sec.  1.482-9(b)(6). See Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i)(B)(2). 
Unlike Sec.  1.482-9(b)(6), the proposed regulations do not require 
that taxpayers ``include a statement evidencing [their] intention to 
apply the services cost method to evaluate the arm's length charge for 
such services,'' but the proposed regulations do require that taxpayers 
include a calculation of the amount of profit mark-up (if any) paid for 
the services. For purposes of qualifying for the SCM exception under 
section 59A(d)(5), taxpayers are required to comply with the books and 
records requirements under these proposed regulations but not Sec.  
1.482-9(b)(6).
    The proposed regulations also clarify that the parenthetical 
reference in section 59A(d)(5) to the business judgment rule 
prerequisite for applicability of the services cost method--
``(determined without regard to the requirement that the services not 
contribute significantly to fundamental risks of business success or 
failure)''--disregards the entire requirement set forth in Sec.  1.482-
9(b)(5) solely for purposes of section 59A(d)(5).
2. Qualified Derivative Payments
    Section 59A(h) provides that a qualified derivative payment (QDP) 
is not a base erosion payment. Proposed Sec.  1.59A-6 defines a QDP as 
any payment made by a taxpayer to a foreign related party pursuant to a 
derivative for which the taxpayer recognizes gain or loss on the 
derivative on a mark-to-market basis (treats the derivative as sold on 
the last business day of the taxable year), the gain or loss is 
ordinary, and any gain, loss, income or deduction on a payment made 
pursuant to the derivative is also treated as ordinary.
    The QDP exception applies only if the taxpayer satisfies reporting 
requirements in proposed Sec.  1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix). If a taxpayer 
satisfies the reporting requirements for some QDPs, but not all, then 
only the payments for which the taxpayer fails to satisfy the reporting 
requirements will be ineligible for the QDP exception. Section 1.6038A-
2(b)(7)(ix) will first apply to taxable years beginning after final 
regulations are published, which provides taxpayers additional time to 
meet those reporting requirements. The proposed regulations provide 
that before final regulations are published, taxpayers satisfy the 
reporting requirements for QDPs by reporting the aggregate amount of 
QDPs for the taxable year on Form 8991, Tax on Base Erosion Payments of 
Taxpayers With Substantial Gross Receipts.
    Section 59A(h)(3) provides two exceptions to the QDP exception. 
Specifically, the QDP exception does not apply (1) to a payment that 
would be treated as a base erosion payment if it were not made pursuant 
to a derivative or (2) with respect to a contract that has derivative 
and nonderivative components, to a payment that is properly allocable 
to the nonderivative component. The proposed regulations do not 
specifically address or modify these statutory provisions. For the 
avoidance of doubt, the Treasury Department and the IRS observe that 
these rules in section 59A(h)(3) are self-executing; thus, taxpayers 
must apply these two rules to determine whether any of their payments 
pursuant to derivatives fail to qualify for the QDP exception. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on whether regulations 
should further clarify the statutory provisions in section 59A(h)(3).
    Proposed Sec.  1.59A-6(d) defines a derivative as any contract, the 
value of which, or any payment with respect to which, is determined by 
reference to any stock, evidence of indebtedness, actively traded 
commodity, currency, or any rate, price, amount, index, formula or 
algorithm. However, direct ownership of any of these items is not 
ownership of a derivative. The proposed regulations clarify that for 
purposes of section 59A(h)(4), a derivative does not include an 
insurance contract, a securities lending transaction, a sale-repurchase 
transaction, or any substantially similar transaction.
    For federal tax purposes, a sale-repurchase transaction satisfying 
certain conditions is treated as a secured loan. Sections 59A(h)(3) and 
59A(h)(4) explicitly exclude from qualified derivatives payment status 
any payment that would be treated as a base erosion payment if it were 
not made pursuant to a derivative, such as a payment of interest on a 
debt instrument. Accordingly, for purposes of section 59A(h), the 
proposed regulations

[[Page 65963]]

provide that sale-repurchase transactions are not treated as 
derivatives. Because sale-repurchase transactions and securities 
lending transactions are economically similar to each other, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that these transactions 
should be treated similarly for purposes of section 59A(h)(4), and 
therefore payments on those transactions are not treated as QDPs. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on whether securities 
lending transactions and sale-repurchase transactions have been 
properly excluded from the definition of a derivative, including 
whether certain transactions lack a significant financing component 
such that those transactions should be treated as derivatives for 
purposes of section 59A(h). The Treasury Department and the IRS also 
request comments regarding whether any additional transactions or 
financial instruments should be explicitly excluded from the definition 
of a derivative.
3. Exception to Base Erosion Payment Status for Payments the Recipient 
of Which is Subject to U.S. Tax
    In general, for a payment or accrual to be treated as a base 
erosion payment, the recipient must be a foreign person (within the 
meaning of section 6038A(c)(3)) that is a related party with respect to 
the taxpayer, and a deduction must be allowable with respect to the 
payment or accrual. See section 59A(f). Section 6038A(c)(3) defines 
``foreign person'' as any person that is not a United States person 
within the meaning of section 7701(a)(30), but for this purpose the 
term ``United States person'' does not include any individual who is a 
citizen of any U.S. territory (but not otherwise a citizen of the 
United States) and who is not a resident of the United States. See 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(10). The Treasury Department and the IRS have 
determined that it is appropriate in defining a base erosion payment to 
consider the U.S. tax treatment of the foreign recipient. In 
particular, the Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that a 
payment to a foreign person should not be taxed as a base erosion 
payment to the extent that payments to the foreign related party are 
effectively connected income. Those amounts are subject to tax under 
sections 871(b) and 882(a) on a net basis in substantially the same 
manner as amounts paid to a United States citizen or resident or a 
domestic corporation. Accordingly, the proposed regulations include an 
exception from the definition of base erosion payment for amounts that 
are subject to tax as income effectively connected with the conduct of 
a U.S. trade or business. In the case of a foreign recipient that 
determines its net taxable income under an applicable income tax 
treaty, the exception from the definition of base erosion payment 
applies to payments taken into account in determining net taxable 
income under the treaty.
4. Exchange Loss From a Section 988 Transaction
    Proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(iv) provides that exchange losses from 
section 988 transactions described in Sec.  1.988-1(a)(1) are not base 
erosion payments. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined 
that these losses do not present the same base erosion concerns as 
other types of losses that arise in connection with payments to a 
foreign related party. Accordingly, under these proposed regulations, 
section 988 losses are excluded from the numerator.
    The proposed regulations also provide that section 988 losses are 
excluded from the denominator of the base erosion percentage. 
Specifically, proposed Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(ii)(D) provides that an 
exchange loss from a section 988 transaction (including with respect to 
persons other than foreign related parties) is not included in the 
denominator when calculating the base erosion percentage. Exchange gain 
from a section 988 transaction, however, is included as a gross receipt 
for purposes of the gross receipts test under proposed Sec.  1.59A-
2(d).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on the 
treatment of section 988 losses in the context of section 59A, 
including whether the rule relating to section 988 losses in the 
denominator of the base erosion percentage calculation should be 
limited to transactions with a foreign related party.
5. Exception for Interest on Certain Instruments Issued by Globally 
Systemically Important Banking Organizations
    The Federal Reserve requires that certain global systemically 
important banking organizations (GSIBs) issue TLAC securities as part 
of a global framework for bank capital that has sought to minimize the 
risk of insolvency. In particular, the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve (the Board) has issued regulations that prescribe the 
amount and form of external TLAC securities that domestic GSIBs must 
issue and internal TLAC securities that certain foreign GSIBs must 
issue. In the case of internal TLAC securities, the Board regulations 
require the domestic intermediate holding company of a foreign GSIB to 
issue a specified minimum amount of TLAC to its foreign parent. Section 
59A(i) provides that the Secretary shall prescribe such regulations or 
other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the 
provisions of section 59A, including regulations addressing 
specifically enumerated situations. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
have determined that because of the special status of TLAC as part of a 
global system to address bank solvency and the precise limits that 
Board regulations place on the terms of TLAC securities and structure 
of intragroup TLAC funding, it is necessary and appropriate to include 
an exception to base erosion payment status for interest paid or 
accrued on TLAC securities required by the Federal Reserve.
    Specifically, the proposed regulations include a TLAC exception 
that applies only to the extent of the amount of TLAC securities 
required by the Federal Reserve under subpart P of 12 CFR part 252. As 
a result, the exception is scaled back if the adjusted issue price of 
the average amount of TLAC securities issued and outstanding exceeds 
the average amount of TLAC long-term debt required by the Federal 
Reserve for the taxable year. The TLAC exception applies only to 
securities required by the Federal Reserve, and as a result generally 
does not apply to securities issued by a foreign corporation engaged in 
a U.S. trade or business because the applicable Federal Reserve 
requirement applies only to domestic institutions. However, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS acknowledge that foreign regulators may 
impose similar requirements on the financial institutions they 
regulate. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments 
regarding a similar exception for foreign corporations that are 
required by law to issue a similar type of loss-absorbing instrument, 
including the appropriate scope of an exception that would provide 
parity between the treatment of domestic corporations and foreign 
corporations engaged in a U.S. trade or business.

C. Base Erosion Payments Occurring Before the Effective Date and Pre-
2018 Disallowed Business Interest

    Section 14401(e) of the Act provides that section 59A applies only 
to base erosion payments paid or accrued in taxable years beginning 
after December 31, 2017. The statutory definition of a base erosion tax 
benefit is based upon the definition of a base erosion payment. 
Accordingly, the proposed

[[Page 65964]]

regulations confirm the exclusion of a deduction described in section 
59A(c)(2)(A)(i) (deduction allowed under Chapter 1 for the taxable year 
with respect to any base erosion payment) or section 59A(c)(2)(A)(ii) 
(deduction allowed under Chapter 1 for the taxable year for 
depreciation or amortization with respect to any property acquired with 
such payment) that is allowed in a taxable year beginning after 
December 31, 2017, if it relates to a base erosion payment that 
occurred in a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2018.
    For example, if in 2015, a calendar year taxpayer makes a payment 
or accrual to a foreign related party to acquire depreciable property, 
the 2015 payment is excluded from the definition of a base erosion 
payment because of section 14401(e) of the Act. As a result, the 
taxpayer's depreciation deduction allowed in 2018 with respect to this 
property is not a base erosion tax benefit.
    Similarly, if in 2016, a taxpayer with a calendar year had paid or 
accrued interest on an obligation to a foreign related party, but the 
interest was not deductible in 2016 due to the application of section 
267(a), the 2016 accrual of the interest amount is excluded from the 
definition of a base erosion payment because of section 14401(e) of the 
Act. As a result, if the interest amount becomes deductible in 2018, 
the taxpayer's deduction allowed in 2018 with respect to this item is 
not a base erosion tax benefit.
    In the case of business interest expense that is not allowed as a 
deduction under section 163(j)(1), the proposed regulations provide a 
rule that clarifies that the effective date rules apply in a similar 
manner as with other base erosion payments that initially arose before 
the effective date in section 14401(e) of the Act. Section 163(j), as 
modified by the Act, provides that the deduction for business interest 
expense is limited to the sum of business interest income, 30 percent 
of adjusted taxable income (``ATI''), and the amount of any floor plan 
financing interest. Section 163(j)(2) further provides that any 
disallowed business interest is carried forward to the succeeding year, 
and that the carryforward amount is treated as ``paid or accrued'' in 
the succeeding taxable year.
    In Notice 2018-28, 2018-16 I.R.B. 492, Section 3, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS stated that business interest carried forward 
from a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2018, will be treated 
in the same manner as interest paid or accrued in a taxable year 
beginning after December 31, 2017, for purposes of section 59A. Under 
this approach, business interest expense that was initially paid or 
accrued in a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2018, could 
nonetheless be a base erosion payment in a taxable year beginning after 
December 31, 2017, because section 163(j)(2) deems a recurring 
``payment or accrual'' for such item in each carryforward year. 
Comments requested that the Treasury Department and the IRS reconsider 
the position taken in Notice 2018-28, on the basis that the 
determination of whether a payment is a base erosion payment should be 
made as of the date of the actual payment of interest rather than the 
date that a deduction is allowed under section 163(j).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS agree and have determined that 
the approach described in Notice 2018-28 is not consistent with the 
general effective date provision in Section 14401(e) of the Act because 
the language in section 163(j)(2) deeming a recurring ``payment or 
accrual'' is primarily to implement the carryforward mechanism in 
section 163(j), rather than to treat interest that is carried forward 
to a subsequent taxable year as paid or accrued for all tax purposes in 
that subsequent taxable year. Accordingly, the proposed regulations do 
not follow the approach described in Notice 2018-28. Instead, the 
proposed regulations provide that any disallowed disqualified interest 
under section 163(j) that resulted from a payment or accrual to a 
foreign related party and that is carried forward from a taxable year 
beginning before January 1, 2018, is not a base erosion payment. The 
proposed regulations also clarify that any disallowed business interest 
carryforward under section 163(j) that resulted from a payment or 
accrual to a foreign related party is treated as a base erosion payment 
in the year that the interest was paid or accrued even though the 
interest may be deemed to be paid or accrued again in the year in which 
it is actually deducted. The rule in the proposed regulations generally 
is consistent with excluding interest paid or accrued before January 1, 
2018 (generally under financing arranged prior to the Act) from 
treatment as a base erosion payment. The Treasury Department and the 
IRS welcome comments with respect to the treatment of disallowed 
disqualified interest under section 163(j) from a taxable year 
beginning before January 1, 2018. See Part IV.B of this Explanation of 
Provisions section for proposed rules determining the amount of 
business interest expense for which a deduction is allowed when section 
163(j) applies to limit interest deductions.

IV. Base Erosion Tax Benefits

    The amount of base erosion tax benefits is an input in (i) the 
computation of the base erosion percentage test (discussed in Part II.C 
of this Explanation of Provisions section) and (ii) the determination 
of modified taxable income (discussed in Part V of this Explanation of 
Provisions section). Generally, a base erosion tax benefit is the 
amount of any deduction relating to a base erosion payment that is 
allowed under the Code for the taxable year. Base erosion tax benefits 
are defined in proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c).

A. Withholding Tax on Payments

    As discussed in Part II.C of this Explanation of Provisions 
section, if tax is imposed by section 871 or 881 and the tax is 
deducted and withheld under section 1441 or 1442 without reduction by 
an applicable income tax treaty on a base erosion payment, the base 
erosion payment is treated as having a base erosion tax benefit of zero 
for purposes of calculating a taxpayer's modified taxable income. If an 
income tax treaty reduces the amount of withholding imposed on the base 
erosion payment, the base erosion payment is treated as a base erosion 
tax benefit to the extent of the reduction in withholding under rules 
similar to those in section 163(j)(5)(B) as in effect before the Act.

B. Rules for Classifying Interest for Which a Deduction Is Allowed When 
Section 163(j) Limits Deductions

    Section 59A(c)(3) provides a stacking rule in cases in which 
section 163(j) applies to a taxpayer, under which the reduction in the 
amount of deductible interest is treated as allocable first to interest 
paid or accrued to persons who are not related parties with respect to 
the taxpayer and then to related parties. The statute does not provide 
a rule for determining which portion of the interest treated as paid to 
related parties (and thus potentially treated as a base erosion 
payment) is treated as paid to a foreign related person as opposed to a 
domestic related person. Proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) provides rules 
coordinating section 163(j) with the determination of the amount of 
base erosion tax benefits. This rule provides, consistent with section 
59A(c)(3), that where section 163(j) applies to limit the amount of a 
taxpayer's business interest expense that is deductible in the taxable 
year, a taxpayer is required to treat all disallowed business interest 
first as interest paid or accrued to persons who are not related 
parties, and then as

[[Page 65965]]

interest paid or accrued to related parties for purposes of section 
59A. More specifically, the proposed regulations provide that when a 
corporation has business interest expense paid or accrued to both 
unrelated parties and related parties, the amount of allowed business 
interest expense is treated first as the business interest expense paid 
to related parties, proportionately between foreign and domestic 
related parties, and then as business interest expense paid to 
unrelated parties. Conversely, the amount of a disallowed business 
interest expense carryforward is treated first as business interest 
expense paid to unrelated parties, and then as business interest 
expense paid to related parties, proportionately between foreign and 
domestic related party business interest expense.
    Because section 163(j) and the proposed regulations thereunder 
provide an ordering rule that allocates business interest expense 
deductions first to business interest expense incurred in the current 
year and then to business interest expense carryforwards from prior 
years (starting with the earliest year) in order to separately track 
the attributes on a year-by-year layered approach for subchapter C 
purposes, these proposed regulations follow that convention. 
Accordingly, the proposed regulations also follow a year-by-year 
convention in the allocation of business interest expense and 
carryovers among the related and unrelated party classifications. See 
also the discussion of singular tax attributes in Part V.A of this 
Explanation of Provisions section. The proposed regulations adopt a 
similar approach for business interest expense and excess business 
interest of a partnership that is allocated to a corporate partner by 
separately tracking and ordering items allocated from a partnership.

V. Modified Taxable Income

    For any taxable year, section 59A imposes a tax on each applicable 
taxpayer equal to the base erosion minimum tax amount for that year. 
Section 59A(b)(1) provides that the base erosion minimum tax amount is 
determined based on an applicable taxpayer's modified taxable income 
for the taxable year. Part V.A of this Explanation of Provisions 
section discusses how an applicable taxpayer computes its modified 
taxable income. Part V.B of this Explanation of Provisions section 
describes how modified taxable income is calculated if an applicable 
taxpayer has an overall taxable loss for a taxable year. Finally, Part 
V.C of this Explanation of Provisions section describes the base 
erosion percentage that is used when the base erosion percentage of a 
net operating loss deduction (``NOL deduction'') is added back to 
taxable income for purposes of the modified taxable income calculation.

A. Method of Computation

    Section 59A(c)(1) provides that the term modified taxable income 
means the taxable income of the taxpayer computed under Chapter 1 for 
the taxable year, determined without regard to base erosion tax 
benefits and the base erosion percentage of any NOL deduction under 
section 172 for the taxable year. The proposed regulations clarify that 
the computation of modified taxable income and the computation of the 
base erosion minimum tax amount (which is discussed in Part VI of this 
Explanation of Provisions section) are made on a taxpayer-by-taxpayer 
basis. That is, under the proposed regulations, the aggregate group 
concept is used solely for determining whether a taxpayer is an 
applicable taxpayer and the base erosion percentage of any NOL 
deduction. This approach is consistent with section 59A(a)'s imposition 
of a tax equal to the base erosion minimum tax amount, which is in 
addition to the regular tax liability of a taxpayer.
    The proposed regulations also provide that the computation of 
modified taxable income is done on an add-back basis. The computation 
starts with taxable income (or taxable loss) of the taxpayer as 
computed for regular tax purposes, and adds to that amount (a) the 
gross amount of base erosion tax benefits for the taxable year and (b) 
the base erosion percentage of any NOL deduction under section 172 for 
the taxable year.
    The proposed regulations do not provide for the recomputation of 
income under an approach similar to the alternative minimum tax, which 
the Act repealed for corporations. See section 12001(a) of the Act. 
Under a recomputation approach, attributes that are limited based on 
taxable income would be subject to different annual limitations, and 
those attributes would have to be re-computed for purposes of section 
59A. Applying this approach in a manner that reflects the results of 
the BEAT-basis recomputation to subsequent years would lead to parallel 
attributes that are maintained separately in a manner similar to the 
pre-Act corporate alternative minimum tax. For example, the amount of 
the net operating loss used to reduce modified taxable income would 
differ from the amount used in computing regular tax liability, and the 
carryforward of unused net operating loss that is used to compute 
regular tax liability would not reflect the net operating loss amount 
used to reduce modified taxable income (absent a separate BEAT-basis 
carryover). The annual limitation under section 163(j)(1), which 
generally limits a corporation's annual deduction for business interest 
expense, would present similar issues under a recomputation approach. 
Consequently, the add-back approach also provides simplification 
relative to the recomputation approach because the add-back approach 
eliminates the need to engage in the more complex tracking of separate 
attributes on a BEAT basis in a manner similar to the repealed 
corporate AMT. The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on 
the add-back approach provided in the proposed regulations, and the 
practical effects of an alternative recomputation-based approach.

B. Conventions for Computing Modified Taxable Income--Current Year 
Losses and Excess Net Operating Loss Carryovers

    If a taxpayer has an excess of deductions allowed by Chapter 1 over 
gross income, computed without regard to the NOL deduction, the 
taxpayer has negative taxable income for the taxable year. Generally, 
the proposed regulations provide that a negative amount is the starting 
point for computing modified taxable income when there is no NOL 
deduction from net operating loss carryovers and carrybacks.
    The proposed regulations further provide a rule applicable to 
situations in which there is a NOL deduction from a net operating loss 
carryover or carryback to the taxable year and that NOL deduction 
exceeds the amount of positive taxable income before that deduction 
(because, for example, the loss arose in a year beginning before 
January 1, 2018). The proposed regulations provide that the excess 
amount of NOL deduction does not reduce taxable income below zero for 
determining the starting point for computing modified taxable income. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that this rule is 
necessary because section 172(a) could be read to provide that, for 
example, if a taxpayer has a net operating loss of $100x that arose in 
a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2018, that is carried 
forward, and in a subsequent year the taxpayer has taxable income of 
$5x before taking into account the $100x net operating loss carryover 
deduction, the taxpayer may nonetheless have a $100x NOL deduction in 
that year or a

[[Page 65966]]

$95x taxable loss (even though $95x of the net operating loss would 
remain as a carryforward to future years, as well). Because the 
proposed regulations recognize the notion of a taxable loss when 
deductions other than the NOL deduction exceed gross income (as 
discussed earlier in this Part V), this rule clarifies that the 
taxpayer's starting point for computing modified taxable income in this 
situation is zero, rather than negative $95x.
    The proposed regulations further clarify that the NOL deduction 
taken into account for purposes of adding the base erosion percentage 
of the NOL deduction to taxable income under section 59A(c)(1)(B) is 
determined in the same manner. Accordingly, in the example above, the 
base erosion percentage of the NOL deduction added to taxable income is 
computed based on the $5x NOL deduction that reduces regular taxable 
income to zero, rather than the entire $100x of net operating loss 
carryforward, $95x of which is not absorbed in the current taxable 
year.
    Finally, the proposed regulations provide that an applicable 
taxpayer's taxable income is determined according to section 63(a) 
without regard to the rule in section 860E(a)(1). That rule generally 
provides that a holder of a residual interest in a real estate mortgage 
investment conduit (``REMIC'') may not have taxable income less than 
its excess inclusion amount. As a result of section 860E(a)(1), a 
holder of a REMIC residual interest may have taxable income for 
purposes of computing its regular tax liability even though it has a 
current year loss. The proposed regulations provide that the limitation 
in section 860E(a)(1) is disregarded for purposes of calculating 
modified taxable income under section 59A. The rule described in this 
paragraph is relevant, for example, in situations when the taxpayer 
would have negative taxable income attributable to a current year loss, 
as described in this Part V.B, or no taxable income as a result of a 
net operating loss. Because section 860E(a)(1) ensures that the excess 
inclusion is subject to tax under section 11, the Treasury Department 
and the IRS have determined that it is not appropriate to apply the 
rule in section 860E(a)(1) for the purpose of calculating modified 
taxable income under section 59A.

C. Conventions for Computing Modified Taxable Income--Determining the 
Base Erosion Percentage of NOL Deductions

    Section 59A(c)(1)(B) provides that modified taxable income includes 
the base erosion percentage of any NOL deduction allowed under section 
172 for the taxable year. In this context, the relevant base erosion 
percentage could be either the base erosion percentage in the year that 
the net operating loss arose, or alternatively, the base erosion 
percentage in the year in which the taxpayer takes the NOL deduction. 
Proposed Sec.  1.59A-4(b)(2)(ii) applies the base erosion percentage of 
the year in which the loss arose, or vintage year, because the base 
erosion percentage of the vintage year reflects the portion of base 
eroding payments that are reflected in the net operating loss 
carryover. In addition, because the vintage-year base erosion 
percentage is a fixed percentage, taxpayers will have greater certainty 
as to the amount of the future add-back to modified taxable income (as 
compared to using the utilization-year base erosion percentage).
    Based on this approach, the proposed regulations also provide that 
in the case of net operating losses that arose in taxable years 
beginning before January 1, 2018, and that are deducted as carryovers 
in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the base erosion 
percentage is zero because section 59A applies only to base erosion 
payments that are paid or accrued in taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 2017. See section 14401(e) of the Act. As a result, there 
is no add-back to modified taxable income for the use of those net 
operating loss carryovers. The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome 
comments on the vintage-year approach as well as the alternative 
utilization-year approach.
    The proposed regulations also clarify that in computing the add-
back for NOL deductions for purposes of the modified taxable income 
calculation, the relevant base erosion percentage is the base erosion 
percentage for the aggregate group that is used to determine whether 
the taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer, rather than a separate 
computation of base erosion percentage computed solely by reference to 
the single taxpayer.

VI. Base Erosion Minimum Tax Amount

    An applicable taxpayer computes its base erosion minimum tax amount 
(``BEMTA'') for the taxable year to determine its liability under 
section 59A(a). Proposed Sec.  1.59A-5 describes the calculation of the 
BEMTA. Generally, the taxpayer's BEMTA equals the excess of (1) the 
applicable tax rate for the taxable year (``BEAT rate'') multiplied by 
the taxpayer's modified taxable income for the taxable year over (2) 
the taxpayer's adjusted regular tax liability for that year. See Part 
VIII of this Explanation of Provisions section for a discussion of the 
higher BEAT rate for certain banks and registered securities dealers.
    In determining the taxpayer's adjusted regular tax liability for 
the taxable year, credits (including the foreign tax credit) are 
generally subtracted from the regular tax liability amount. To prevent 
an inappropriate understatement of a taxpayer's adjusted regular tax 
liability, the proposed regulations provide that credits for 
overpayment of taxes and for taxes withheld at source are not 
subtracted from the taxpayer's regular tax liability because these 
credits relate to federal income tax paid for the current or previous 
year.
    For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, under section 
59A(b)(1)(B), the credits allowed against regular tax liability (which 
reduce the amount of regular tax liability for purposes of calculating 
BEMTA) are not reduced by the research credit determined under section 
41(a) or by a portion of applicable section 38 credits. For taxable 
years beginning after December 31, 2025, this special treatment of the 
research credit and applicable section 38 credits no longer applies. As 
a result, an applicable taxpayer may have a greater BEMTA than would be 
the case in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026. In general, 
foreign tax credits are taken into account in computing a taxpayer's 
regular tax liability before other credits. See section 26(a). As a 
result, a taxpayer with foreign tax credits that reduce its regular tax 
liability to, or close to, zero may not use its section 41(a) credits 
or its applicable section 38 credits in computing its regular tax 
liability. In these situations, those credits will not be taken into 
account in computing the taxpayer's BEMTA even in a pre-2026 year. 
Instead, those credits will reduce (or, put differently, will prevent 
an increase in) the BEMTA in the year when those credits are used for 
regular tax purposes (provided that the taxable year begins before 
January 1, 2026).

VII. Application of Section 59A to Partnerships

    A partnership is not an ``applicable taxpayer'' as defined in 
Section 59A; only corporations can be applicable taxpayers. In general, 
however, a partnership also is not subject to the income tax imposed by 
Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Code. Instead, partners are liable for 
income tax only in their separate capacities. Each taxpayer that is a 
partner in a partnership takes into account separately the partner's 
distributive share of the partner's income or loss in determining its 
taxable income. Accordingly, an item of income is subject to federal 
income

[[Page 65967]]

taxation based on the status of the partners, and not the partnership 
as an entity. Similarly, a partnership does not itself benefit from a 
deduction. Instead, the tax benefit from a deduction is taken by the 
taxpayer that is allocated the deduction under section 704. Section 
702(b) provides that the character of any item be taken into account as 
if such item were realized directly from the source from which realized 
by the partnership, or incurred in the same manner as incurred by the 
partnership. Section 702(b) acknowledges that differences in partner 
tax characteristics (for example, whether the partner is a corporation 
or an individual, or domestic or foreign) may result in differences in 
the tax consequences of items the partnership allocates to its 
partners.
    The proposed regulations generally apply an aggregate approach in 
conjunction with the gross receipts test for evaluating whether a 
corporation is an applicable taxpayer and in addressing the treatment 
of payments made by a partnership or received by a partnership for 
purposes of section 59A. The proposed regulations generally provide 
that partnerships are treated as an aggregate of the partners in 
determining whether payments to or payments from a partnership are base 
erosion payments consistent with the approach described in subchapter K 
as well as the authority provided in section 59A(i)(1) to prescribe 
such regulations that are necessary or appropriate to carry out the 
provisions of section 59A, including through the use of intermediaries 
or by characterizing payments otherwise subject to section 59A as 
payments not subject to 59A. Thus, when determining whether a corporate 
partner that is an applicable taxpayer has made a base erosion payment, 
amounts paid or accrued by a partnership are treated as paid by each 
partner to the extent an item of expense is allocated to the partner 
under section 704. Similarly, any amounts received by or accrued to a 
partnership are treated as received by each partner to the extent the 
item of income or gain is allocated to each partner under section 704. 
The rules and exceptions for base erosion payments and base erosion tax 
benefits then apply accordingly on an aggregate basis.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that a rule 
that applies the aggregate principle consistently is necessary to align 
the treatment of economically similar transactions. The proposed rule 
prevents an applicable taxpayer from (a) paying a domestic partnership 
that is owned by foreign related parties, rather than paying those 
foreign partners directly, to circumvent the BEAT and (b) causing a 
partnership in which an applicable taxpayer is a partner to make a 
payment to a foreign related party, rather than paying that foreign 
related party directly. The rule applies consistently when a payment is 
to a foreign partnership that is owned, for example, by domestic 
corporations. This rule also addresses situations in which a 
partnership with an applicable taxpayer partner makes a payment to a 
foreign related party. Partners with certain small ownership interests 
are excluded from this aggregate approach for purposes of determining 
base erosion tax benefits from the partnership. This small ownership 
interests exclusion generally applies to partnership interests that 
represent less than ten percent of the capital and profits of the 
partnership and less than ten percent of each item of income, gain, 
loss, deduction, and credit; and that have a fair market value of less 
than $25 million. See proposed Sec.  1.59A-7(b)(4). The Treasury 
Department and the IRS determined that a threshold of ten percent 
appropriately balanced the administrative burdens of determining 
whether deductions allocated to a partner with a small ownership 
interest in a partnership are base erosion payments with the Treasury 
Department and IRS's interest in maintaining a consistent aggregate 
approach to partnerships in applying to the BEAT. In determining the 
appropriate threshold for a small ownership interest, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS considered the treatment of small ownership 
interests in partnerships in analogous situations in other Treasury 
regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on 
the aggregate approach to partnerships as well as the exception for 
small ownership interests, including the specific thresholds for the 
exception.
    The proposed regulations do not provide for special treatment of 
base erosion tax benefits attributable to a partnership or to 
partnership nonrecognition transactions. Instead, the aggregate 
principle generally applies to these situations. For example, if a 
partnership acquires property from a foreign related party of a 
taxpayer that is a partner in the partnership, deductions for 
depreciation of the property allocated to the taxpayer generally are 
base erosion tax benefits. Similarly, if a foreign related party and a 
taxpayer form a partnership, and the foreign related party contributes 
depreciable property, deductions for depreciation of the property 
generally are base erosion tax benefits, in part, because the 
partnership is treated as acquiring the property in exchange for an 
interest in the partnership under section 721. This approach is 
consistent with the approach taken with respect to subchapter C 
transactions, as described in Part III.A.1 of this Explanation of 
Provisions section.
    The proposed regulations provide that with respect to any person 
that owns an interest in a partnership, the related party determination 
under section 59A(g) applies at the partner level.

VIII. Rules Relating to Banks and Dealers for Purposes of Computing the 
Base Erosion Percentage and Determining the BEAT Rate for Computing 
BEMTA

    Section 59A modifies two general rules in the case of certain banks 
or registered securities dealers. First, section 59A(e)(1)(C) lowers 
the base erosion percentage threshold for certain banks and registered 
securities dealers from three percent or more to two percent or more. 
See Part II.C of this Explanation of Provisions section for additional 
discussion of this rule. Second, section 59A(b)(3) provides that the 
BEAT rate is one percentage point higher for those banks or registered 
securities dealers.
    The proposed regulations do not modify the statutory definition of 
the term ``bank'' for these purposes from its reference to section 581, 
which defines a bank by reference to a bank or trust company 
incorporated and doing business under the laws of United States 
(including laws related to the District of Columbia) or of any state. 
Thus, a foreign corporation licensed to conduct a banking business in 
the United States and subject to taxation with respect to income that 
is, or is treated as, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade 
or business in the United States is not included in this definition.
    The proposed regulations clarify that the term ``registered 
securities dealer'' is limited to a dealer as defined in section 
3(a)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is registered, or 
required to be registered, under section 15 of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934.
    The proposed regulations also confirm that the operative rules that 
lower the base erosion percentage threshold and that increase the BEAT 
rate apply only to a taxpayer that is a member of an affiliated group 
as defined in section 1504(a)(1), and thus do not apply, for example, 
if the taxpayer is not affiliated with another includible corporation 
(within the meaning of section 1504(b)(1)), or if the taxpayer is not 
itself an includible corporation (for

[[Page 65968]]

example, a foreign corporation that is an applicable taxpayer).
    For purposes of applying the lower base erosion percentage 
threshold to banks and registered securities dealers, the proposed 
regulations clarify that because the base erosion percentage is 
determined on an aggregate group basis, the lower threshold applies if 
any member of the aggregate group is a member of an affiliated group 
that includes a bank or registered securities dealer. The proposed 
regulations provide a limited exception for members of an affiliated 
group that includes a bank or registered securities dealer where the 
bank or registered securities dealer activities are de minimis. This de 
minimis rule provides that a consolidated group, or a member of the 
aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a member, is not subject to 
the lower base erosion percentage threshold if its gross receipts 
attributable to the bank or the registered securities dealer are less 
than two percent of the aggregate group's total gross revenue. This de 
minimis rule uses the same threshold measurement for exclusion from the 
special rule for banks and registered securities dealers (two percent) 
that is used as the base erosion percentage threshold for banks or 
registered securities dealers to determine whether such taxpayers are 
applicable taxpayers that are subject to the BEAT, with the latter test 
functioning in a manner similar to a de minimis threshold for the 
application of the BEAT. See Part II.C of this Explanation of 
Provisions section. The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome 
comments on the scope of the de minimis rule for banks and registered 
securities dealers. See also Part III.B.5 of this Explanation of 
Provisions section for a discussion of an exception to base erosion 
payment status for interest on TLAC securities.

IX. Rules Relating to Insurance Companies

    The definition of a base erosion payment in section 59A(d) includes 
any premiums or other consideration paid or accrued by a taxpayer to a 
foreign related party for any reinsurance payments taken into account 
under section 803(a)(1)(B) or 832(b)(4)(A). Generally, section 
803(a)(1) defines gross income for a life insurance company to include 
the gross amount of premiums and other consideration on insurance and 
annuity contracts less return premiums and premiums and other 
consideration arising out of indemnity reinsurance. For an insurance 
company other than a life insurance company, under section 832(b), 
gross income generally includes underwriting income, which is comprised 
of premiums earned during the taxable year less losses incurred and 
expenses incurred. Section 832(b)(4)(A) provides that the amount of 
premiums earned on insurance contracts is the amount of gross premiums 
written on insurance contracts during the taxable year less return 
premiums and premiums paid for reinsurance.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS are aware that certain 
reinsurance agreements provide that amounts paid to and from a 
reinsurer are settled on a net basis or netted under the terms of the 
agreement. The Treasury Department and the IRS are also aware that 
other commercial agreements with reciprocal payments may be settled on 
a net basis or netted under the terms of those agreements. The proposed 
regulations do not provide a rule permitting netting in any of these 
circumstances because the BEAT statutory framework is based on 
including the gross amount of deductible and certain other payments 
(base erosion payments) in the BEAT's expanded modified taxable income 
base without regard to reciprocal obligations or payments that are 
taken into account in the regular income tax base, but not the BEAT's 
modified taxable income base. Generally, the amounts of income and 
deduction are determined on a gross basis under the Code; however, as 
discussed in Part III of this Explanation of Provisions section, if 
there are situations where an application of otherwise generally 
applicable tax law would provide that a deduction is computed on a net 
basis (because an item received reduces the item of deduction rather 
than increasing gross income), the proposed regulations do not change 
that result. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments 
addressing whether a distinction should be made between reinsurance 
contracts entered into by an applicable taxpayer and a foreign related 
party that provide for settlement of amounts owed on a net basis and 
other commercial contracts entered into by an applicable taxpayer and a 
foreign related party that provide for netting of items payable by one 
party against items payable by the other party in determining that net 
amount to be paid between the parties.
    The proposed regulations also do not provide any specific rules for 
payments by a domestic reinsurance company to a foreign related 
insurance company. In the case of a domestic reinsurance company, 
claims payments for losses incurred and other payments are deductible 
and are thus potentially within the scope of section 59A(d)(1). See 
sections 803(c) and 832(c). In the case of an insurance company other 
than a life insurance company (non-life insurance company) that 
reinsures foreign risk, certain of these payments may also be treated 
as reductions in gross income under section 832(b)(3), which are not 
deductions and also not the type of reductions in gross income 
described in sections 59A(d)(3). The Treasury Department and the IRS 
request comments on the appropriate treatment of these items under 
subchapter L. The Treasury Department and the IRS also recognize that 
to the extent that the items are not treated as deductions for non-life 
insurance companies this may lead to asymmetric treatment for life 
insurance companies that reinsure foreign risk because part I of 
subchapter L (the rules for life insurance companies) refers to these 
costs only as deductions (that is, does not also refer to the costs as 
reductions in gross income in a manner similar to section 832(b)(3)). 
The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on whether the 
regulations should provide that a life insurance company that reinsures 
foreign risk is treated in the same manner as a non-life insurance 
company that reinsures foreign risk.
    The proposed regulations do not address a foreign insurance company 
that has in effect an election to be treated as a domestic corporation 
for purposes of the Code. Amounts paid or accrued to such a company are 
not base erosion payments because the corporation is treated as a 
domestic corporation for purposes of the Code.

X. Anti-Abuse and Recharacterization Rules

    Proposed Sec.  1.59A-9(b) provides that certain transactions that 
have a principal purpose of avoiding section 59A will be disregarded or 
deemed to result in a base erosion payment. This proposed anti-abuse 
rule addresses the following types of transactions: (a) Transactions 
involving intermediaries acting as a conduit to avoid a base erosion 
payment; (b) transactions entered into to increase the deductions taken 
into account in the denominator of the base erosion percentage; and (c) 
transactions among related parties entered into to avoid the 
application of rules applicable to banks and registered securities 
dealers (for example, causing a bank or registered securities dealer to 
disaffiliate from an affiliated group so as to avoid the requirement 
that it be a member of such a group).

[[Page 65969]]

XI. Consolidated Groups as Taxpayers

    Affiliated groups of domestic corporations that elect to file a 
consolidated income tax return generally compute their income tax 
liability on a ``single-entity'' basis. Because the regular tax 
liability is computed on a single entity basis, the additional tax 
imposed by section 59A must also be imposed on the same basis (because 
it is an addition to that regular tax liability). Accordingly, the 
proposed regulations provide that for affiliated corporations electing 
to file a consolidated income tax return, the tax under section 59A is 
determined at the consolidated group level, rather than determined 
separately for each member of the group. The BEAT is an addition to the 
regular corporate income tax under section 11, and the regular 
corporate income tax is applied to a consolidated group on a 
consolidated basis. Further, application of the BEAT on a group level 
eliminates the differences in the aggregate amount of taxation to a 
consolidated group that would otherwise occur, based on the location of 
deductions, including, for example, the location of related party 
interest payments within the group. Accordingly, the BEAT is also 
applied on a consolidated basis. This single taxpayer treatment for 
members of a consolidated group applies separately from the aggregate 
group concept in proposed Sec.  1.59A-2(c), which also treats all 
members of the aggregate group as a single entity, but in that case, 
only for purposes of applying the gross receipts test and base erosion 
percentage test for determining whether a particular taxpayer is an 
applicable taxpayer. See generally, Part II of this Explanation of 
Provisions section.
    To properly reflect the taxable income of the group, consolidated 
return regulations generally determine the tax treatment of items 
resulting from intercompany transactions (as defined in Sec.  1.1502-
13(b)(1)(i)) by treating members of the consolidated group as divisions 
of a single corporation (single entity treatment). In general, the 
existence of an intercompany transaction should not change the 
consolidated taxable income or consolidated tax liability of a 
consolidated group. Consistent with single entity treatment, items from 
intercompany transactions are not taken into account for purposes of 
making the computations under section 59A. For example, any increase in 
depreciation deductions resulting from intercompany sales of property 
are disregarded for purposes of determining the taxpayer's base erosion 
percentage. Similarly, interest payments on intercompany obligations 
(as defined in Sec.  1.1502-13(g)(2)(ii)) are not taken into account in 
making the computations under section 59A.

XII. Coordinating Consolidated Group Rules for Sections 59A(c)(3) and 
163(j)

    Section 59A(c)(3) and proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) coordinate the 
application of section 163(j) with the determination of the amount of 
base erosion tax benefits when a taxpayer has business interest expense 
paid to both unrelated parties and related parties. Those rules provide 
that, where section 163(j) applies to limit the amount of a taxpayer's 
business interest that is deductible in a taxable year, the taxpayer is 
required to treat all disallowed business interest as allocable first 
to interest paid or accrued to persons who are not related parties, and 
then to related parties. See Part IV.B of this Explanation of 
Provisions section.
    Proposed Sec.  1.1502-59A provides rules regarding application of 
section 59A(c)(3) to consolidated groups. These rules are required for 
the allocation of the BEMTA among members of the group under section 
1552. In addition, apportionment of the domestic related party status 
and foreign related party status (defined later in this Part XII) of 
section 163(j) carryforwards among members of the group is necessary 
when a member deconsolidates from the group.
    The proposed regulations implement the classification approach of 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) on a consolidated basis (the 
``classification rule''), to identify which interest deductions are 
allocable to domestic related party payments, foreign related party 
payments, and unrelated party payments. Slightly different rules apply 
to the deduction of current year business interest expense than to the 
deduction of section 163(j) carryforwards. A consolidated group applies 
these rules to the amount of business interest expense (either from 
current year business interest expense or from carryforward amounts) 
that is actually deducted pursuant to section 163(j) and proposed 
Sec. Sec.  1.163(j)-4(d) and 1.163(j)-5(b)(3). If the group deducts 
business interest expense paid or accrued in different taxable years 
(for example, both current year business interest expense and section 
163(j) carryforwards), the classification rule applies separately to 
business interest expense incurred in each taxable year. For purposes 
of the proposed regulations, a member's current year business interest 
expense is the member's business interest expense that would be 
deductible in the current taxable year without regard to section 163(j) 
and that is not a disallowed business interest expense carryforward 
from a prior taxable year.
    The classification rule applies on a single-entity basis to 
deductions of current year business interest expense. The consolidated 
group classifies its aggregate business interest deduction from current 
year business interest expense based on the aggregate current year 
business interest expense of all types (related or unrelated) paid by 
members of the group to nonmembers. Business interest deductions are 
treated as from payments or accruals to related parties first, and then 
from payments or accruals to unrelated parties. If there are payments 
to both foreign related parties and domestic related parties, the 
deductions are classified as to the related parties on a pro-rata 
basis.
    Recognizing the flexibility of related-party financing, these 
proposed regulations provide that, if the group has aggregate business 
interest deductions classified as payments or accruals to a domestic 
related party (domestic related party status) or foreign related party 
(foreign related party status), the status of such payments or accruals 
is spread among members of the group (the allocation rule). 
Specifically, the domestic related party status and foreign related 
party status of the deduction is allocated among members of the group 
in proportion to the amount of each member's deduction of its current 
year business interest expense. Similarly, if any part of a section 
163(j) carryforward is from a payment or accrual to a domestic related 
party or a foreign related party, the related party status of the 
section 163(j) carryforwards for the year will be allocated among 
members of the group. The allocation is in proportion to the relative 
amount of each member's section 163(j) carryforward from that year. 
Members' additional section 163(j) carryforward amounts are treated as 
payments or accruals to unrelated parties. The allocation rule applies 
separately to each carryforward year.
    With regard to the deduction of any member's section 163(j) 
carryforward, the classification rule applies on an entity-by-entity 
basis. As discussed, before a member's section 163(j) carryforward 
moves forward into subsequent years, it is allocated a domestic related 
party status, foreign related party status, or unrelated party status. 
This allocation ensures that business interest deductions drawn from 
any carryforward originating in the same consolidated return year bear 
the same ratio of domestic related, foreign related, and unrelated 
statuses. When a

[[Page 65970]]

member deducts any portion of its section 163(j) carryforward, the 
member applies section 59A(c)(3) and proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) to 
determine the status of the deducted carryforward, based on the status 
previously allocated to the member's section 163(j) carryforward for 
the relevant tax year. The tax liability imposed under section 59A on 
the consolidated group is allocated among the members of the 
consolidated group pursuant to the consolidated group's tax allocation 
method, taking into account these allocations. See section 1552.
    If a member that is allocated a foreign related party status or 
domestic related party status to its section 163(j) carryforward 
deconsolidates from the group, the departing member's carryforward 
retains the allocated status. The departing member (and not the 
original consolidated group) takes into account the status of that 
carryforward for purposes of computing the BEAT in future years.

XIII. Consolidated Tax Liability

    In Sec.  1.1502-2, a reference is added to the base erosion anti-
abuse tax as a tax included in the computation of consolidated tax 
liability. Additionally, the proposed regulations make the following 
changes: (1) Remove paragraph (j) of this regulation section because 
section 1333, relating to war loss recoveries, was repealed by section 
1901(a)(145)(A) of the Tax Reform Act of 1976, Public Law 94-455, (2) 
remove paragraph (h) of this regulation section because section 1201, 
relating to the alternative tax for corporations, was repealed by 
section 13001(b)(2)(A) of the Act, and (3) update the cross reference 
to life insurance taxable income to section 801, following the revision 
of subchapter L of chapter 1 of the code in section 211 of the Deficit 
Reduction Act of 1984, Public Law 98-369.
    In addition, the proposed regulations also make nonsubstantive 
changes to reorganize the structure of current Sec.  1.1502-2. 
Specifically, the proposed regulations reorganize the current Sec.  
1.1502-2 to properly designate the unnumbered paragraphs. The proposed 
regulations also update other regulation sections that reference Sec.  
1.1502-2.
    Finally, the proposed regulations correct an error in Sec.  1.6655-
5(e) Example 10. The proposed regulations replace the reference to 
``Sec.  1.1502-2(h)'' with a reference to ``1.1502-1(h)'' because the 
context of Example 10 demonstrates that the intended reference was to 
the definition of a consolidated group.

XIV. Sections 382 and 383

    Section 1.383-1 provides that only otherwise currently allowable 
pre-change losses and pre-change credits will result in the absorption 
of the section 382 limitation and the section 383 credit limitation. 
The limitations under sections 382 and 383 are applied after the 
application of all other limitations contained in subtitle A of the 
Code. If the pre-change losses or pre-change credits cannot be deducted 
or otherwise used, they are carried forward to the next taxable year. 
The BEAT is not a modification to the normal computation of income tax 
under Subtitle A of the Code but an addition to that income tax. 
Therefore, these proposed regulations clarify that additions to tax 
under section 59A do not affect whether a loss, deduction, or credit is 
absorbed under section 382 or section 383.

XV. Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Pursuant to Section 6038A

    Section 6038A imposes reporting and recordkeeping requirements on 
domestic corporations that are 25-percent foreign-owned. Section 6038C 
imposes the same reporting and recordkeeping requirements on certain 
foreign corporations engaged in a U.S. trade or business. These 
corporations are collectively known as ``reporting corporations.''
    Reporting corporations are required to file an annual return on 
Form 5472, Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation 
or a Foreign Corporation Engaged in a U.S. Trade or Business (Under 
Sections 6038A and 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code), with respect to 
each related party with which the reporting corporation has had any 
``reportable transactions.'' See Sec.  1.6038A-2. Reporting 
corporations are also subject to specific requirements under sections 
6038A and 6038C to maintain and make available the permanent books of 
account or records as required by section 6001 that are sufficient to 
establish the accuracy of the federal income tax return of the 
corporation, including information, documents, or records to the extent 
they may be relevant to determine the correct U.S. tax treatment of 
transactions with related parties. See Sec.  1.6038A-3.
    The Act amended section 6038A by adding paragraph (b)(2), which 
authorizes regulations requiring information from a reporting 
corporation that is also a section 59A ``applicable taxpayer'' for 
purposes of administering section 59A. Section 6038A(b)(2) applies to 
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. These proposed 
regulations identify certain types of information that will be required 
to be reported on Form 5472 and Form 8991, Tax on Base Erosion Payments 
of Taxpayers With Substantial Gross Receipts, and also provide the time 
and manner for reporting. While an applicable taxpayer that is not a 
reporting corporation would not be subject to monetary penalties and 
collateral provisions specific to sections 6038A and 6038C, the 
taxpayer remains subject to BEAT-related reporting obligations, 
including Form 8991, and applicable consequences for noncompliance.
    Under section 59A(d)(4), the status of a foreign shareholder as a 
surrogate foreign corporation as defined in section 7874(a)(2)(B) or as 
a member of the same expanded affiliated group, as defined in section 
7874(c)(1), as the surrogate foreign corporation can affect the 
treatment of payments from a taxpayer to that corporation under section 
59A(d). If the reporting corporation is an expatriated entity as 
defined in section 7874(a)(2), the taxation of certain transactions 
between it and its foreign related persons as defined in section 
7874(d)(3) may be affected. Consequently, the proposed regulations 
require all reporting corporations to state whether a foreign 
shareholder required to be listed on Form 5472 is a surrogate foreign 
corporation. The form may provide for reporting of whether the 
shareholder is a member of an expanded affiliated group including the 
surrogate foreign corporation.
    In addition, to facilitate screening for important tax compliance 
concerns under section 59A as well as other provisions at the return 
filing stage, these proposed regulations clarify that the IRS may 
require by form or by form instructions the following information: (1) 
Reporting of particular details of the reporting corporation's 
relationships with related parties in regard to which it is required to 
file a Form 5472, (2) reporting of transactions within certain 
categories on a more detailed basis, (3) reporting of the manner (such 
as type of transfer pricing method used) in which the reporting 
corporation determined the amount of particular reportable transactions 
and items, and (4) summarization of a reporting corporation's 
reportable transactions and items with all foreign related parties on a 
schedule to its annual Form 5472 filing.

XVI. Partial Withdrawal of Proposed Regulations

    The proposed regulations also withdraw, in part, a notice of 
proposed

[[Page 65971]]

rulemaking. Because of statutory changes in section 12001 of the Act, 
the proposed regulations would not incorporate the substance of Sec.  
1.1502-2, relating to the computation of a consolidated group's 
alternative minimum tax, of the notice of proposed rulemaking (IA-57-
89) published in the Federal Register on December 30, 1992 (57 FR 
62251). Accordingly, the Partial Withdrawal of Proposed Regulations 
section in this document withdraws that section of the notice of 
proposed rulemaking.

Proposed Applicability Date

    Under section 7805(b)(2), and consistent with the applicability 
date of section 59A, these regulations (other than the proposed 
reporting requirements for QDPs in proposed Sec.  1.6038A-2(b)(7)) are 
proposed to apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. 
Until finalization, a taxpayer may rely on these proposed regulations 
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, provided the 
taxpayer and all related parties of the taxpayer (as defined in 
proposed Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(17)) consistently apply the proposed 
regulations for all those taxable years that end before the 
finalization date.
    With respect to the reporting requirements for QDPs, proposed Sec.  
1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) applies to taxable years beginning one year after 
final regulations are published in the Federal Register, although 
simplified QDP reporting requirements provided in Sec.  1.6038A-2(g) 
are also proposed to apply to taxable years beginning after December 
31, 2017.
    If any provision is finalized after June 22, 2019, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS generally expect that such provision will apply 
only to taxable years ending on or after December 17, 2018. See section 
7805(b)(1)(B).

Special Analyses

Regulatory Planning and Review--Economic Analysis

    Executive Orders 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, of 
reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. The 
preliminary Executive Order 13771 designation for this proposed rule is 
regulatory.
    The proposed regulations have been designated by the Office of 
Management and Budget's (``OMB'') Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs (``OIRA'') as subject to review under Executive Order 12866 
pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement (April 11, 2018) between the 
Treasury Department and OMB regarding review of tax regulations. OIRA 
has determined that the proposed rulemaking is economically significant 
under section 1(c) of the Memorandum of Agreement and thereby subject 
to review. Accordingly, the proposed regulations have been reviewed by 
OMB.

A. Overview

    The proposed regulations provide guidance under section 59A 
regarding the determination of the tax on base erosion payments for 
certain taxpayers with substantial gross receipts. They provide 
guidance for applicable taxpayers to determine the amount of BEAT 
liability and how to compute the components of the tax calculation. 
Among other benefits, this clarity helps ensure that all taxpayers 
apply section 59A in a similar manner, which promotes efficiency and 
equity with respect to the provisions of the overall Code.
    The proposed regulations under sections 59A (proposed Sec. Sec.  
1.59A-1 through 1.59A-10) provide details for taxpayers regarding 
whether a taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer and the computation of 
certain components of the base erosion minimum tax, including the 
amount of base erosion payments, the amount of base erosion tax 
benefits arising from base erosion payments, and modified taxable 
income. The proposed regulations also provide guidance for banks, 
registered securities dealers, and insurance companies and provide 
guidance attributing partnership income and deductions involving 
partnerships to the owners of the partnerships (amounts paid by and to 
partnerships). These proposed regulations also establish anti-abuse 
rules to prevent taxpayers from taking measures to inappropriately 
avoid section 59A.
    The proposed regulations under sections 383, 1502 and 6038A 
(proposed Sec. Sec.  1.383-1, 1.502-2, 1.502-59A, 1.6038A-1, 1.6038A-2, 
and 1.6038-4) provide rules for the application of section 59A with 
respect to limitations on certain capital losses and excess credits, 
consolidated groups and their members, and reporting requirements, 
which include submitting, in certain cases, new Form 8991, Tax on Base 
Erosion Payments of Taxpayers With Substantial Gross Receipts. This 
economic analysis describes the economic benefits and costs of the 
proposed regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS anticipate 
that any final rule will contain the analysis prescribed by the 
Memorandum of Agreement (April 11, 2018) between the Treasury 
Department and OMB.

B. Economic Analysis of the Proposed Regulations

1. Background
    Congress was concerned, in part, that foreign-owned U.S. 
subsidiaries are able to reduce their U.S. tax liability by making 
deductible payments to a foreign parent or foreign affiliates, eroding 
the U.S tax base if the payments are subject to little or no U.S. 
withholding tax. This result may favor foreign-headquartered companies 
over U.S. headquartered companies, creating a tax-driven incentive for 
foreign takeovers of U.S. firms and enhancing the pressure for U.S 
headquartered companies to re-domicile abroad and shift income to low-
tax jurisdictions. Senate Committee on Finance, Explanation of the 
Bill, S. Rpt. 115-20, at 391. Section 59A was introduced, in part, as a 
minimum tax to prevent excessive reduction in corporate tax liability 
using deductible and certain other payments to foreign related parties.
    The Treasury Department views section 59A as largely self-
executing, which means that it is binding on taxpayers and the IRS 
without any regulatory action. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
recognize, however, that section 59A, while self-executing, provides 
interpretive latitude for taxpayers and the IRS that could, without 
further implementation guidance, prompt a variety of responses. 
Consequently, many of the details behind the relevant terms and 
necessary calculations required for the computation of an applicable 
taxpayer's BEAT liability would benefit from greater specificity. As is 
expected after the passage of major tax reform legislation, the 
proposed regulations answer unresolved questions and provide detail and 
specificity for the definitions and concepts described in section 59A, 
so that taxpayers can readily and accurately determine if they are 
applicable taxpayers and, if so, compute their BEMTA. For example, the 
proposed regulations define the scope of crucial terms such as 
applicable taxpayer, base erosion payments, base erosion tax benefits, 
de minimis exemptions, and modified taxable

[[Page 65972]]

income. Specific examples of where these proposed regulations provide 
clarification of the statute are discussed in this Part B of the 
Special Analyses section.
    As explained in Part VI of the Explanation of Provisions section, 
an applicable taxpayer computes its BEMTA for the taxable year to 
determine its liability under section 59A(a). In general, the 
taxpayer's BEMTA is equal to the excess of (1) the applicable tax rate 
for the year at issue multiplied by the taxpayer's modified taxable 
income over (2) the taxpayer's adjusted regular tax liability for that 
year. Modified taxable income is a taxpayer's taxable income for the 
year calculated without regard to any base erosion tax benefit or the 
base erosion percentage of any allowable net operating loss deductions.
    In general, the proposed regulations interpret the statute by 
answering two important questions: (1) To which taxpayers does the BEAT 
apply, and (2) how do the rules apply to those taxpayers?
a. Applicable Taxpayer
    In order for the BEAT to apply, a taxpayer must be an applicable 
taxpayer, as described in Part II of the Explanation of Provisions 
section. In general, an applicable taxpayer is a corporation, other 
than a RIC, REIT, or an S corporation, that satisfies the gross 
receipts test and the base erosion percentage test. For purposes of 
these tests, members of a group of corporations related by stock 
ownership are aggregated. Section 59A(e)(3) refers to aggregation on 
the basis of persons treated as a single taxpayer under section 52(a) 
(controlled group of corporations), which includes both domestic and 
foreign persons. As discussed in Part II.A of the Explanation of 
Provisions section, the Treasury Department and the IRS determined that 
to implement the provisions of section 59A, it was necessary to treat 
foreign corporations as outside of the controlled group for purposes of 
applying the aggregation rules, except to the extent that the foreign 
corporation is subject to net income tax under section 882(a) (tax on 
income of foreign corporations connected with U.S. business). Upon 
aggregation of domestic and foreign controlled groups of corporations, 
intra-aggregate group transactions are eliminated. If aggregation were 
defined to include both domestic and all foreign persons (i.e., a 
``single employer'' under section 52(a)), this elimination would 
include most base erosion payments, which are defined by section 
59A(d)(1) as ``any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer to a foreign 
person which is a related party of the taxpayer and with respect to 
which a deduction is allowed under this chapter.'' Without these base 
erosion payments, virtually no taxpayer or aggregated group would 
satisfy the base erosion percentage test; thus substantially all 
taxpayers (or the aggregate group of which the taxpayer was a member) 
would be excluded from the requirement to pay a tax equal to the BEMTA.
    A taxpayer, or the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a 
member, satisfies the gross receipts test if it has average annual 
gross receipts of at least $500 million for the three taxable years 
ending with the preceding taxable year.
    The base erosion percentage test is satisfied if the taxpayer (or 
aggregated group) has a base erosion percentage of three percent or 
more. A lower two percent base erosion percentage applies for banks and 
registered securities dealers. As explained in proposed Sec.  1.52A-
2(e), the base erosion percentage is computed by dividing (1) the 
aggregate amount of base erosion tax benefits by (2) the sum of the 
aggregate amount of deductions plus certain other base erosion tax 
benefits.
    The statute is ambiguous or silent on certain details for 
determining whether a taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer, including the 
aggregation rule described in Part II.A. of the Explanation of 
Provisions section. Absent these proposed regulations, there would be 
uncertainty among taxpayers as to whether the tax equal to the BEMTA 
would apply to them. Without guidance, different taxpayers would likely 
take different positions regarding the determination of their status as 
an applicable taxpayer, which would result in inefficient decision-
making and inconsistent application of the statute as taxpayers engage 
in corporate restructurings, or adjust investment and spending policies 
based on tax planning strategies to manage BEAT liability (as discussed 
in this Part B.2.b. of the Special Analyses section). The proposed 
regulations provide clarity by (1) defining the aggregate group to 
which the gross receipts and base erosion percentage tests apply, and 
(2) providing guidance on the definitions and computations necessary to 
apply those tests.
b. BEAT Calculation
    Part III of the Explanation of Provisions section discusses the 
rules regarding the types of payments that are base erosion payments 
(as defined in proposed Sec.  1.52A-3(b)). Section 59A(d)(5) provides 
an exception from the definition of a base erosion payment for an 
amount paid or accrued by a taxpayer for services if the services are 
eligible for the services cost method under section 482 (without regard 
to certain requirements under the section 482 regulations) and the 
amount constitutes the total services cost with no markup component. 
The statute is ambiguous as to whether the SCM exception (1) does not 
apply to a payment or accrual that includes a markup component, or (2) 
does apply to such a payment or accrual that includes a markup 
component, but only to the extent of the total services costs. The 
proposed regulations follow the latter approach as discussed in Part 
B.2.b. of this Special Analyses section.
    As discussed in Part III.B.3 of the Explanation of Provisions 
section, the proposed regulations provide an exception from the 
definition of base erosion payment for payments to the U.S. branch of a 
foreign person to the extent that payments to the foreign related party 
are treated as effectively connected income. In general, whether a 
payment is a base erosion payment is determined based on whether the 
recipient is a foreign person (as defined in section 6038A(c)(3)) and a 
related party, and whether the payment is deductible to the payor. See 
section 59A(f). A foreign person means any person who is not a United 
States person. However, as discussed in Part III.B.3. of the 
Explanation of Provisions section, the Treasury Department and the IRS 
determined that establishing whether a payment is a base erosion 
payment based solely on the status of the recipient as a foreign person 
is inconsistent with the statute's intent of eliminating base erosion. 
Deductible payments to a foreign person that are treated as effectively 
connected income are subject to tax under section 871(b) and 882(a) in 
substantially the same manner as payments to a U.S. citizen or 
resident, or a domestic corporation, and, thus, such payments do not 
result in base erosion. Proposed Sec.  1.52A-3(b)(3)(iii) adopts an 
exception for such amounts.
    As described in this Part B.1. of the Special Analyses section, 
modified taxable income is a taxpayer's taxable income for the year 
calculated without regard to any base erosion tax benefit or the base 
erosion percentage of any allowable net operating loss deductions under 
section 172 (net operating loss deduction). As discussed in Part V.A. 
of the Explanation of Provisions section, modified taxable income is 
not calculated by recomputing the tax base without base erosion tax 
benefits under an approach similar to the alternative minimum tax, 
which the Act repealed

[[Page 65973]]

for corporations. To do so would require taxpayers to maintain records 
for separate carryforward balances for attributes, such as net 
operating loss deductions and business interest expense carryovers. 
These items are limited based on taxable income, so under the 
recomputation or alternative minimum tax-approach, there would most 
likely be different annual limitations and other computational 
differences for regular tax purposes and section 59A purposes.
    As discussed in Part VII of the Explanation of Provisions section, 
the proposed regulations apply the aggregate approach to base erosion 
payments involving partnerships because partnerships are pass-through 
entities that are not themselves subject to U.S. income tax, but rather 
the income of the partnership is taxed to the partners in the 
partnership. Accordingly, the proposed regulations provide that 
payments by a corporation to a partnership, and payments by a 
partnership to a corporation, are treated in the first instance as 
payments to the partners in the partnership and in second instance as 
payments by the partners in the partnership. For example, in the 
absence of this aggregate approach rule, a payment by an applicable 
taxpayer (corporation) to a related foreign partnership could be a base 
erosion payment even if all of the partners in the partnership are 
domestic persons. Under this rule, which applies an aggregate approach 
to partnerships, the payment by the applicable taxpayer (corporation) 
to a related foreign partnership is only treated as a base erosion 
payment to the extent that the partners in the foreign partnership are 
themselves foreign related parties. Conversely, also in the absence of 
this aggregate approach rule, a payment by an applicable taxpayer 
(corporation) to a related domestic partnership could not be a base 
erosion payment even if some or all of the partners in the partnership 
are foreign related parties. Under the aggregate approach, the payment 
by an applicable taxpayer (corporation) to a related domestic 
partnership is treated as a base erosion payment to the extent that the 
partners in the domestic partnership are foreign related parties. This 
approach is thus neutral in both preventing potential abuse and 
preventing potential over breadth. The regulations thus eliminate a 
distortion that would otherwise be present if the status of base 
erosion payments is made by reference to the partnership, rather than 
by reference to the partners. For example, in the absence of the 
proposed regulations, taxpayers might be incentivized to route payments 
through a domestic partnership that is formed by foreign persons as an 
intermediary to avoid the BEAT. Conversely, in the absence of the 
proposed regulations, taxpayers would be incentivized to restructure to 
avoid making any payments to a foreign partnership that has partners 
that are solely domestic because such payment could be inappropriately 
classified as a base erosion payment. The Treasury Department requests 
comments on the approach to partnerships in the proposed regulations.
c. Anti-Abuse and Reporting Requirements
    Section 59A(i) provides the Secretary authority to issue 
regulations and other guidance to prevent the avoidance of the purposes 
of section 59A. As such, proposed Sec.  1.59A-9 provides rules 
recharacterizing certain specified transactions as necessary to prevent 
the avoidance of section 59A, and provides examples.
    The proposed regulations also provide reporting requirements 
necessary to properly administer and enforce section 59A. In 
particular, the Treasury Department and the IRS have identified certain 
types of information from taxpayers who are applicable taxpayers for 
purposes of section 59A that will be required to be reported on Form 
5472, Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or a 
Foreign Corporation Engaged in a U.S. Trade or Business (Under Sections 
6038A and 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code), and a new Form 8991, Tax 
on Base Erosion Payments of Taxpayers With Substantial Gross Receipts. 
Further detail regarding anticipated paperwork burdens can be found in 
Part C (Paperwork Reduction Act) of this Special Analyses section, 
which includes a link to draft forms and guidance for providing comment 
on the proposed forms.
2. Anticipated Benefits and Costs of the Proposed Regulations
a. Baseline
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have assessed the impacts, 
benefits, and costs of the proposed regulations against a ``no action'' 
baseline that reflects projected tax-related and other behavior in the 
absence of the proposed regulations.
    The Treasury Department projects that the proposed regulations will 
have a non-revenue effect on the economy of at least $100 million per 
year ($2018) measured against this baseline. The Treasury Department 
requests comments on this conclusion.
b. Anticipated Benefits
    The Treasury Department and IRS expect that the certainty and 
clarity provided by these proposed regulations, relative to the 
baseline, will enhance U.S. economic performance under the statute. 
Because a tax has not previously been imposed on base-eroding payments 
in this manner and the statute is silent on certain aspects of 
definitions and calculations, taxpayers can particularly benefit from 
enhanced specificity regarding the relevant terms and necessary 
calculations they are required to apply under the statute. In the 
absence of this enhanced specificity, similarly situated taxpayers 
might interpret the statutory rules of section 59A differently. For 
example, different taxpayers might pursue intercompany investment and 
payment policies based on different assumptions about whether such 
investments and payments are base eroding payments subject to section 
59A, and some taxpayers may forego specific investments and payments 
that other taxpayers deem worthwhile based on different interpretations 
of the tax consequences alone. The guidance provided in these proposed 
regulations helps to ensure that taxpayers face more uniform incentives 
when making economic decisions, a tenet of economic efficiency. 
Consistent reporting across taxpayers also increases the IRS's ability 
to consistently enforce the tax rules, thus increasing equity and 
decreasing opportunities for tax evasion.
    For example, as described in Part III.B.3 of the Explanation of 
Provisions section, the proposed regulations exclude from base erosion 
payments those payments made to a foreign related party that are 
treated as effectively connected income of the foreign payee. Such 
payments are treated as income to the recipient and subject to U.S. 
tax, substantially similar to any payment between related U.S. 
corporations. The payments are not base eroding because their receipt 
is taxable by the United States. Further, treatment of effectively 
connected income payments to a foreign related party would produce 
different tax results for two similarly situated U.S. taxpayers. That 
is, if the taxpayer were to make a payment to a related U.S. 
corporation, the payment generally would not be subject to the BEAT, 
but if a taxpayer were to make a payment to a foreign person with 
respect to its effectively connected income, it would give rise to BEAT 
liability, despite the fact that in both cases the recipients include 
the payment in U.S. taxable income.

[[Page 65974]]

    The Treasury Department and the IRS also considered the benefits 
and costs of providing the specific proposed terms, calculations, and 
other details regarding the BEAT. In developing these proposed 
regulations, the Treasury Department and the IRS have generally aimed 
to apply the principle that an economically efficient tax system would 
treat income derived from similar economic decisions similarly, to the 
extent consistent with the statute and considerations of 
administrability of the tax system. For example, as noted in Part 
B.1.b. of this Special Analyses section, section 59A(d)(5) provides an 
exception to the definition of a base erosion payment for certain 
payments made to foreign related parties for services that meet the 
eligibility requirements for use of the SCM (under section 482). The 
proposed regulations adopt an approach that allows an SCM exception for 
the total cost of services even if there is a profit markup so long as 
a transaction meets certain other requirements for using the SCM (under 
section 482). The proposed regulations provide that the portion of any 
payment that exceeds the total cost of services is not eligible for the 
SCM exception and is a base eroding payment.
    Alternatives would have been to disallow the SCM exception for the 
entire amount of any payment that includes a markup component, or to 
not provide any guidance at all regarding the SCM exception. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS rejected the former approach. The 
section 482 regulations mandate intercompany pricing under an ``arm's 
length standard.'' Under specific circumstances, the section 482 
regulations provide that intercompany payments for services can be set 
by a taxpayer at the cost of providing the service with no profit 
markup. However, the section 482 regulations prohibit use of this cost-
only SCM approach for services ``that contribute significantly to 
fundamental risks of business success or failure'' (the ``business 
judgment rule''). See Sec.  1.482-9(b)(5). At arm's length, such 
services would generally be priced to include a profit element to 
satisfy the market's demand for, and supply of, services among 
recipients and providers. Section 59A(d)(5)(A) explicitly allows an 
exception from the BEAT for services that would be eligible for the 
SCM, ``determined without regard to [the business judgment rule].'' By 
allowing an exception from the BEAT for intercompany service payments 
that do not include a profit markup (i.e., under the SCM transfer 
pricing method), but also for intercompany service payments that must 
apply a different transfer pricing method, and therefore generally 
would include a profit markup at arm's length (i.e., those subject to 
the business judgment rule), the statute creates ambiguity about the 
SCM exception's application with respect to the portion of intercompany 
prices paid for services reflecting the cost of providing the services 
when there is also a mark-up component.
    To promote the consistent application by taxpayers of a SCM 
exception to the BEAT, and to provide greater clarity, the proposed 
regulations provide that the SCM exception is available if there is a 
profit markup (provided that other requirements are satisfied), but the 
portion of any payment exceeding cost is not eligible for the SCM 
exception. The Treasury Department and the IRS also rejected the option 
of not providing any guidance at all regarding the SCM exception 
because if taxpayers relied on statutory language alone, taxpayers 
would adopt different approaches due to ambiguity in the statute, 
leaving it open to differing statutory interpretations and an 
inconsistent application of the statute. The Treasury Department and 
IRS expect that approximately one-half of taxpayers filing Form 8991 
would avail themselves of the SCM exception. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS request comments about application of the SCM exception.
    As discussed in Part V.A of the Explanation of Provisions section, 
the Treasury Department and the IRS also considered alternatives 
regarding the method by which modified taxable income could be 
calculated for purposes of the BEAT. The proposed regulations could 
have followed an add-back approach or an approach more similar to that 
used for the alternative minimum tax. As noted in Part B.1.b. of this 
Special Analyses section, the proposed regulations adopt the former 
approach, which is expected to be less costly for taxpayers to apply 
since taxpayers will not have to recompute their entire tax return on a 
different basis, or maintain separate sets of records to track annual 
limitations on attributes such as net operating loss carryforwards or 
business interest expense carryforwards.
    In addition, the proposed regulations clarify that the computations 
of modified taxable income and BEMTA are done on a taxpayer-by-taxpayer 
basis. That is, the aggregate group concept is used solely for 
determining whether a taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer, and does not 
apply to the computations of modified taxable income and the BEMTA. In 
the absence of these clarifying definitions, taxpayers could calculate 
the BEMTA differently depending on their differing views of the base on 
which the BEAT should be calculated (i.e., aggregated group, 
consolidated group, individual company), leading to inequitable results 
across otherwise similar taxpayers. Under the proposed regulations' 
approach for the calculation of modified taxable income and BEMTA, it 
is also expected to be less costly for taxpayers to calculate BEMTA 
since the statutory framework of section 59A applies in addition to the 
regular tax liability of a taxpayer. Calculation of BEAT liability at 
an aggregate level, for example, would require taxpayers to first 
aggregate regular taxable liabilities of the different taxpayers, 
calculate the BEMTA on an aggregated basis, and then reallocate any 
BEAT liability among the separate taxpayers. The approach of the 
proposed regulations, which clarify that the tax should be calculated 
on a separate taxpayer basis, simplifies these calculations.
    The proposed regulations also include de minimis thresholds for 
partnerships and for registered securities dealers. In general, such 
thresholds reduce compliance costs for the large number of small 
taxpayers that would fall below such threshold without substantially 
affecting the BEAT base. For the de minimis exception for banks and 
registered securities dealers, in the absence of an exception, 
affiliated groups that are not principally engaged in banking or 
securities dealing would be incentivized to alter their business 
structure to eliminate minimal banks or registered securities dealers 
from their aggregate groups. These changes would give rise to tax-
motivated, inefficient restructuring costs. A de minimis threshold 
reduces this potential inefficiency again without substantially 
affecting the BEAT base. In both cases, the thresholds were chosen to 
balance these competing concerns and to adhere to generally similar 
standards elsewhere in the Code. The Treasury Department and IRS 
request comment on the impact of this approach.
3. Anticipated Impacts on Administrative and Compliance Costs
    Because the statute requires payment of tax regardless of the 
issuance of regulations or instructions, the new forms, revisions to 
existing forms, and other proposed regulations can lower the burden on 
taxpayers of determining their tax liability. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS expect that the proposed regulations will reduce the costs 
for taxpayers to comply with the

[[Page 65975]]

Act, on balance, relative to the baseline of no promulgated 
regulations.
    Certain record-keeping requirements added by the proposed 
regulations derive directly from statutory changes that require 
information from a reporting corporation that is also a section 59A 
applicable taxpayer. Proposed Sec.  1.6038A-2 increases record-keeping 
requirements for taxpayers because additional information is to be 
reported on Form 5472 and Form 8991.
    Proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3) also increases record-keeping 
requirements for taxpayers because additional information is required 
for taxpayers to satisfy a regulatory requirement of the SCM exception. 
The requirement added by these proposed regulations is consistent with 
the requirements for eligibility for the services cost method under 
section 482, including the existing requirements of Sec.  1.482-9(b).

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

1. Collections of Information--Forms 8991, 5471, 5472, and 8858
    The collections of information in these proposed regulations with 
respect to section 59A are in proposed Sec. Sec.  1.59-3(b)(3) and 
1.6038A-2. The information collection requirements pursuant to proposed 
Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i)(C) are discussed further below. The IRS intends 
that the collections of information pursuant to section 59A, except 
with respect to information collected under proposed Sec.  1.59A-
3(b)(3), will be conducted by way of the following:
    <bullet> Form 8991, Tax on Base Erosion Payments of Taxpayers With 
Substantial Gross Receipts;
    <bullet> Schedule G to the Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. 
Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations;
    <bullet> Part VIII of the updated Form 5472, Information Return of 
a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or a Foreign Corporation Engaged 
in a U.S. Trade or Business;
    <bullet> Revised Form 8858, Information Return of U.S. Persons With 
Respect to Foreign Disregarded Entities.
    For purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the reporting burden 
associated with the collections of information with respect to section 
59A, other than with respect to proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3), will be 
reflected in the IRS Forms 14029 Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, 
associated with Forms 5471 (OMB control numbers 1545-0123, and 1545-
0074), 5472 (OMB control number 1545-0123), 8858 (OMB control numbers 
1545-0123, 1545-0074, and 1545-1910), and 8991 (OMB control number 
1545-0123).
    The current status of the Paperwork Reduction Act submissions 
related to BEAT is provided in the following table. The BEAT provisions 
are included in aggregated burden estimates for the OMB control numbers 
listed below which, in the case of 1545-0123, represents a total 
estimated burden time, including all other related forms and schedules 
for corporations, of 3.157 billion hours and total estimated monetized 
costs of $58.148 billion ($2017) and, in the case of 1545-0074, a total 
estimated burden time, including all other related forms and schedules 
for individuals, of 1.784 billion hours and total estimated monetized 
costs of $31.764 billion ($2017). The burden estimates provided in the 
OMB control numbers below 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 
the BEAT requirements. These numbers are therefore unrelated to the 
future calculations needed to assess the burden imposed by the proposed 
regulations. The Treasury Department and IRS urge readers to recognize 
that these numbers are duplicates and to guard against overcounting the 
burden that international tax provisions imposed prior to TCJA. No 
burden estimates specific to the proposed regulations are currently 
available. The Treasury Department has not estimated the burden, 
including that of any new information collections, related to the 
requirements under the proposed regulations. Those estimates would 
capture both changes made by the Act and those that arise out of 
discretionary authority exercised in the proposed regulations. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS request comment on all aspects of 
information collection burdens related to the proposed regulations. In 
addition, when available, drafts of IRS forms are posted for comment at 
https://apps.irs.gov/app/picklist/list/draftTaxForms.htm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Form                         Type of filer          OMB No.(s)                Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 5471 (including Schedule G)......  Business (NEW Model).....       1545-0123  Published in the FRN on 10/8/
                                                                                    18. Public Comment period
                                                                                    closes 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.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Individual (NEW Model)...       1545-0074  Limited Scope submission
                                                                                    (1040 only) on 10/11/18 at
                                                                                    OIRA for review. Full ICR
                                                                                    submission for all forms in
                                                                                    3/2019. 60 Day FRN not
                                                                                    published yet for full
                                                                                    collection.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201808-1545-031 031.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 5472 (including Part VIII).......  Business (NEW Model).....       1545-0123  Published in the FRN on 10/11/
                                                                                    18. Public Comment period
                                                                                    closes 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 8858.............................  All other Filers (mainly        1545-1910  Published in the FRN on 10/30/
                                         trusts and estates)                        18. Public Comment period
                                         (Legacy system).                           closes on11/30/18. ICR in
                                                                                    process by the Treasury
                                                                                    Department as of 9/6/18.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/30/2018-23644/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-omb-review-comment-request-multiple-irs.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Business (NEW Model).....       1545-0123  Published in the FRN on 10/8/
                                                                                    18. Public Comment period
                                                                                    closes on 12/10/18.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 65976]]

 
                                         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.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Individual (NEW Model)...       1545-0074  Limited Scope submission
                                                                                    (1040 only) on 10/11/18 at
                                                                                    OIRA for review. Full ICR
                                                                                    submission for all forms in
                                                                                    3-2019. 60 Day FRN not
                                                                                    published yet for full
                                                                                    collection.
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201808-1545-031 031.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 8991.............................  Business (NEW Model).....       1545-0123  Published in the FRN on 10/11/
                                                                                    18. Public Comment period
                                                                                    closes 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                        Related New or Revised Tax Forms
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Number of
                                                                  New          Revision of    respondents (2018,
                                                                              existing form       estimated)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form 8991.................................................               Y   ...............         3,500-4,500
Form 5471, Schedule G.....................................  ...............               Y        15,000-25,000
Form 5472, Part VIII......................................               Y   ...............      80,000-100,000
Form 8858.................................................  ...............               Y        15,000-25,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The numbers of respondents in the Related New or Revised Tax Forms 
table were estimated by Treasury's Office of Tax Analysis based on data 
from IRS Compliance Planning and Analytics using tax return data for 
tax years 2015 and 2016. Data for Form 8991 represent preliminary 
estimates of the total number of taxpayers which may be required to 
file the new Form 8991. Only certain large corporate taxpayers with 
gross receipts of at least $500 million are expected to file this form. 
Data for each of the Forms 5471, 5472, and 8858 represent preliminary 
estimates of the total number of taxpayers that are expected to file 
these information returns regardless of whether that taxpayer must also 
file Form 8991.
2. Collection of Information--Proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)
    In contrast to the collections of information pursuant to other 
provisions of section 59A (as discussed above), the IRS intends that 
the information collection requirements pursuant to proposed Sec.  
1.59A-3(b)(3)(i)(C) will be satisfied by the taxpayer maintaining 
permanent books and records that are adequate to verify the amount 
charged for the services and the total services costs incurred by the 
renderer, including a description of the services in question, 
identification of the renderer and the recipient of the services, 
calculation of the amount of profit mark-up (if any) paid for the 
services, and sufficient documentation to allow verification of the 
methods used to allocate and apportion the costs to the services.
    The collection of information contained in proposed Sec.  1.59A-
3(b)(3) has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for 
review in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1994 (44 
U.S.C. 3507(d)). Comments on the collection 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 February 19, 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 (including underlying assumptions and 
methodology);
    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.
    The collection of information in proposed Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3) is 
mandatory for taxpayers seeking to exclude certain amounts paid or 
accrued to a foreign related party for services from treatment as base 
erosion payments for purposes of section 59A (the ``SCM exception to 
the BEAT'', as discussed this Part B.2.b. of the Special Analyses 
section). Taxpayers seeking to rely on the SCM exception to the BEAT 
are aggregate groups of corporations with average annual gross receipts 
of at least $500 million and that make payments to foreign related 
parties. The information required to be maintained will be used by the 
IRS for tax compliance purposes.
    Estimated total annual reporting burden: 5,000 hours.
    Estimated average annual burden hours per respondent: 2.5 hours.
    Estimated average cost per respondent ($2017): $238.00.
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,000. This estimate is based on 
the assumption that only a portion of taxpayers will qualify for the 
SCM exception, multiplied by the number of respondents shown above.
    Estimated annual frequency of responses: Once.
    Based on these estimates, the annual three-year reporting burden 
for those electing the SCM exemption is $0.16 mn/yr ($2017) ($238 x 
2000/3, converted to millions).

[[Page 65977]]

    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.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    It is hereby certified that these 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 
(5 U.S.C. chapter 6). Accordingly, a regulatory flexibility analysis is 
not required. This certification is based on the fact that these 
regulations will primarily affect aggregate groups of corporations with 
average annual gross receipts of at least $500 million and that make 
payments to foreign related parties. Generally only large businesses 
both have substantial gross receipts and make payments to foreign 
related parties.
    Notwithstanding this certification, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS invite comments from the public about the impact of this proposed 
rule on small entities.
    Pursuant to section 7805(f), these regulations will be submitted to 
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for 
comment on their impact on small business.

E. 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.

F. 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 Request for Public Hearing

    Before these proposed regulations are adopted as final regulations, 
consideration will be given to any comments that are submitted timely 
to the IRS as prescribed in this preamble under the ``Addresses'' 
heading. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on all 
aspects of the proposed rules.
    All comments will be available 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 preamble are published in the Internal Revenue 
Bulletin and are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC 20402, or by visiting the 
IRS website at http://www.irs.gov.

Drafting Information

    The principal authors of the proposed regulations are Sheila 
Ramaswamy and Karen Walny of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel 
(International) and Julie Wang and John P. Stemwedel of the Office of 
Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate). However, other personnel from the 
Treasury Department and the IRS participated in their development.

Partial Withdrawal of Proposed Regulations

    Accordingly, under the authority of 26 U.S.C. 7805 and 26 U.S.C. 
1502, Sec.  1.1502-2 of the notice of proposed rulemaking (IA-57-89) 
published in the Federal Register on December 30, 1992 (57 FR 62251) is 
withdrawn.

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

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 revising 
the entry for Sec.  1.6038A-2 and adding entries for Sec. Sec.  1.59A-
1, 1.59A-2, 1.59A-3, 1.59A-4, 1.59A-5, 1.59A-6, 1.59A-7, 1.59A-8, 
1.59A-9, 1.59A-10, 1.1502-59A, 1.1502-100, 1.6038A-2, and 1.6038A-
2(a)(3) and (b)(7) to read in part as follows:

    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
* * * * *
    Sec.  1.59A-1 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-3 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-4 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-5 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-6 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-7 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-8 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-9 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
    Sec.  1.59A-10 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 59A(i).
* * * * *
    Sec.  1.1502-59A also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1502.
* * * * *
    Sec.  1.1502-100 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 1502.
* * * * *
    Sec.  1.6038A-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 6001, 6038A, and 
6038C.
    Sec. Sec.  1.6038A-2(a)(3) and (b)(7) also issued under 26 
U.S.C. 6038A(b)(2).
* * * * *
0
Par. 2. Sections 1.59A-1 through 1.59A-10 are added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.59A-1   Base erosion and anti-abuse tax.

    (a) Purpose. This section and Sec. Sec.  1.59A-2 through 1.59A-10 
(collectively, the ``section 59A regulations'') provide rules under 
section 59A to determine the amount of the base erosion and anti-abuse 
tax. Paragraph (b) of this section provides definitions applicable to 
the section 59A regulations. Section 1.59A-2 provides rules regarding 
how to determine whether a taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer. Section 
1.59A-3 provides rules regarding base erosion payments and base erosion 
tax benefits. Section 1.59A-4 provides rules for calculating

[[Page 65978]]

modified taxable income. Section 1.59A-5 provides rules for calculating 
the base erosion minimum tax amount. Section 1.59A-6 provides rules 
relating to qualified derivative payments. Section 1.59A-7 provides 
rules regarding application of section 59A to partnerships. Section 
1.59A-8 is reserved for rules regarding the application of section 59A 
to certain expatriated entities. Section 1.59A-9 provides an anti-abuse 
rule to prevent avoidance of section 59A. Finally, Sec.  1.59A-10 
provides the applicability date for the section 59A regulations.
    (b) Definitions. For purposes of this section and Sec. Sec.  1.59A-
2 through 1.59A-10, the following terms have the meanings described in 
this paragraph (b).
    (1) Aggregate group. The term aggregate group means the group of 
corporations determined by--
    (i) Identifying a controlled group of corporations as defined in 
section 1563(a), except that the phrase ``more than 50 percent'' is 
substituted for ``at least 80 percent'' each place it appears in 
section 1563(a)(1) and the determination is made without regard to 
sections 1563(a)(4) and (e)(3)(C), and
    (ii) Once the controlled group of corporations is determined, 
excluding foreign corporations except with regard to income that is, or 
is treated as, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or 
business in the United States under an applicable provision of the 
Internal Revenue Code or regulations published under 26 CFR chapter I. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a foreign corporation determines its 
net taxable income under an applicable income tax treaty of the United 
States, it is excluded from the controlled group of corporations except 
with regard to income taken into account in determining its net taxable 
income.
    (2) Applicable section 38 credits. The term applicable section 38 
credits means the credits allowed under section 38 for the taxable year 
that are properly allocable to--
    (i) The low-income housing credit determined under section 42(a),
    (ii) The renewable electricity production credit determined under 
section 45(a), and
    (iii) The investment credit determined under section 46, but only 
to the extent properly allocable to the energy credit determined under 
section 48.
    (3) Applicable taxpayer. The term applicable taxpayer means a 
taxpayer that meets the requirements set forth in Sec.  1.59A-2(b).
    (4) Bank. The term bank means an entity defined in section 581.
    (5) Base erosion and anti-abuse tax rate. The term base erosion and 
anti-abuse tax rate means the percentage that the taxpayer applies to 
its modified taxable income for the taxable year to calculate its base 
erosion minimum tax amount. See Sec.  1.59A-5(c) for the base erosion 
and anti-abuse tax rate applicable to the relevant taxable year.
    (6) Business interest expense. The term business interest expense, 
with respect to a taxpayer and a taxable year, has the meaning provided 
in Sec.  1.163(j)-1(b)(2).
    (7) Deduction. The term deduction means any deduction allowable 
under chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code.
    (8) Disallowed business interest expense carryforward. The term 
disallowed business interest expense carryforward has the meaning 
provided in Sec.  1.163(j)-1(b)(9).
    (9) Domestic related business interest expense. The term domestic 
related business interest expense for any taxable year is the 
taxpayer's business interest expense paid or accrued to a related party 
that is not a foreign related party.
    (10) Foreign person. The term foreign person means any person who 
is not a United States person. For purposes of the preceding sentence, 
a United States person has the meaning provided in section 7701(a)(30), 
except that any individual who is a citizen of any possession of the 
United States (but not otherwise a citizen of the United States) and 
who is not a resident of the United States is not a United States 
person. See Sec.  1.59A-7(b) for rules applicable to partnerships.
    (11) Foreign related business interest expense. The term foreign 
related business interest expense for any taxable year is the 
taxpayer's business interest expense paid or accrued to a foreign 
related party.
    (12) Foreign related party. The term foreign related party means a 
foreign person, as defined in paragraph (b)(10) of this section, that 
is a related party, as defined in paragraph (b)(17) of this section, 
with respect to the taxpayer. In addition, for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-
3(b)(4)(v)(B), a foreign related party also includes the foreign 
corporation's home office or a foreign branch of the foreign 
corporation. See Sec.  1.59A-7(c) for rules applicable to partnerships.
    (13) Gross receipts. The term gross receipts has the meaning 
provided in Sec.  1.448-1T(f)(2)(iv).
    (14) Member of an aggregate group. The term member of an aggregate 
group means a corporation that is included in an aggregate group, as 
defined in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (15) Registered securities dealer. The term registered securities 
dealer means any dealer as defined in section 3(a)(5) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 that is registered, or required to be registered, 
under section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
    (16) Regular tax liability. The term regular tax liability has the 
meaning provided in section 26(b).
    (17) Related party--(i) In general. A related party, with respect 
to an applicable taxpayer, is--
    (A) Any 25-percent owner of the taxpayer;
    (B) Any person who is related (within the meaning of section 267(b) 
or 707(b)(1)) to the taxpayer or any 25-percent owner of the taxpayer; 
or
    (C) A controlled taxpayer within the meaning of Sec.  1.482-1(i)(5) 
together with, or with respect to, the taxpayer.
    (ii) 25-percent owner. With respect to any corporation, a 25-
percent owner means any person who owns at least 25 percent of--
    (A) The total voting power of all classes of stock of the 
corporation entitled to vote; or
    (B) The total value of all classes of stock of the corporation.
    (iii) Application of section 318. Section 318 applies for purposes 
of paragraphs (b)(17)(i) and (ii) of this section, except that--
    (A) ``10 percent'' is substituted for ``50 percent'' in section 
318(a)(2)(C); and
    (B) Section 318(a)(3)(A) through (C) are not applied so as to 
consider a United States person as owning stock that is owned by a 
person who is not a United States person.
    (18) TLAC long-term debt required amount. The term TLAC long-term 
debt required amount means the specified minimum amount of debt that is 
required pursuant to 12 CFR 252.162(a).
    (19) TLAC securities amount. The term TLAC securities amount is the 
sum of the adjusted issue prices (as determined for purposes of Sec.  
1.1275-1(b)) of all TLAC securities issued and outstanding by the 
taxpayer.
    (20) TLAC security. The term TLAC security means an eligible 
internal debt security, as defined in 12 CFR 252.161.
    (21) Unrelated business interest expense. The term unrelated 
business interest expense for any taxable year is the taxpayer's 
business interest expense paid or accrued to a party that is not a 
related party.


Sec.  1.59A-2   Applicable taxpayer.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules for determining whether a 
taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer. Paragraph (b) of this section 
defines an applicable taxpayer. Paragraph (c) of this section

[[Page 65979]]

provides rules for determining whether a taxpayer is an applicable 
taxpayer by reference to the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a 
member. Paragraph (d) of this section provides rules regarding the 
gross receipts test. Paragraph (e) of this section provides rules 
regarding the base erosion percentage calculation. Paragraph (f) of 
this section provides examples illustrating the rules of this section.
    (b) Applicable taxpayer. For purposes of section 59A, a taxpayer is 
an applicable taxpayer with respect to any taxable year if the 
taxpayer--
    (1) Is a corporation, but not a regulated investment company, a 
real estate investment trust, or an S corporation;
    (2) Satisfies the gross receipts test of paragraph (d) of this 
section; and
    (3) Satisfies the base erosion percentage test of paragraph (e) of 
this section.
    (c) Aggregation rules. A taxpayer that is a member of an aggregate 
group determines its gross receipts and its base erosion percentage on 
the basis of the aggregate group as of the end of the taxpayer's 
taxable year. For these purposes, transactions that occur between 
members of the taxpayer's aggregate group that were members of the 
aggregate group as of the time of the transaction are not taken into 
account. In the case of a foreign corporation that is a member of an 
aggregate group, only transactions that relate to income effectively 
connected with, or treated as effectively connected with, the conduct 
of a trade or business in the United States are disregarded for this 
purpose. In the case of a foreign corporation that is a member of an 
aggregate group and that determines its net taxable income under an 
applicable income tax treaty of the United States, only transactions 
that are taken into account in determining its net taxable income are 
disregarded for this purpose.
    (d) Gross receipts test--(1) Amount of gross receipts. A taxpayer, 
or the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a member, satisfies the 
gross receipts test if it has average annual gross receipts of at least 
$500,000,000 for the three-taxable-year period ending with the 
preceding taxable year.
    (2) Period for measuring gross receipts for an aggregate group--(i) 
Calendar year taxpayers that are members of an aggregate group. In the 
case of a corporation that has a calendar year and that is a member of 
an aggregate group, the corporation applies the gross receipts test in 
paragraph (d)(1) of this section on the basis of the gross receipts of 
the aggregate group for the three-calendar-year period ending with the 
preceding calendar year, without regard to the taxable year of any 
other member of the aggregate group.
    (ii) Fiscal year taxpayers that are members of an aggregate group. 
In the case of a corporation that has a fiscal year and that is a 
member of an aggregate group, the corporation applies the gross 
receipts test in paragraph (d)(1) of this section on the basis of the 
gross receipts of the aggregate group for the three-fiscal-year period 
ending with the preceding fiscal year of the corporation, without 
regard to the taxable year of any other member of the aggregate group.
    (3) Gross receipts of foreign corporations. With respect to any 
foreign corporation, only gross receipts that are taken into account in 
determining income that is effectively connected with the conduct of a 
trade or business within the United States are taken into account for 
purposes of paragraph (d)(1) of this section. In the case of a foreign 
corporation that is a member of an aggregate group and that determines 
its net taxable income under an applicable income tax treaty of the 
United States, the foreign corporation includes only gross receipts 
that are attributable to transactions taken into account in determining 
its net taxable income.
    (4) Gross receipts of an insurance company. For any corporation 
that is subject to tax under subchapter L or any corporation that would 
be subject to tax under subchapter L if that corporation were a 
domestic corporation, gross receipts are reduced by return premiums, 
but are not reduced by any reinsurance premiums paid or accrued.
    (5) Gross receipts from partnerships. See Sec.  1.59A-7(b)(5)(ii).
    (6) Taxpayer not in existence for entire three-year period. If a 
taxpayer was not in existence for the entire three-year period referred 
to in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the taxpayer determines a gross 
receipts average for the period that it was in existence, taking into 
account paragraph (d)(7) of this section.
    (7) Treatment of short taxable year. If a taxpayer has a taxable 
year of fewer than 12 months (a short period), gross receipts are 
annualized by multiplying the gross receipts for the short period by 
365 and dividing the result by the number of days in the short period.
    (8) Treatment of predecessors. For purposes of determining gross 
receipts under this paragraph (d), any reference to a taxpayer includes 
a reference to any predecessor of the taxpayer. For this purpose, a 
predecessor includes the distributor or transferor corporation in a 
transaction described in section 381(a) in which the taxpayer is the 
acquiring corporation.
    (9) Reductions in gross receipts. Gross receipts for any taxable 
year are reduced by returns and allowances made during that taxable 
year.
    (10) Gross receipts of consolidated groups. For purposes of section 
59A, the gross receipts of a consolidated group are determined by 
aggregating the gross receipts of all of the members of the 
consolidated group. See Sec.  1.1502-59A(b).
    (e) Base erosion percentage test--(1) In general. A taxpayer, or 
the aggregate group of which the taxpayer is a member, satisfies the 
base erosion percentage test if its base erosion percentage is three 
percent or higher.
    (2) Base erosion percentage test for banks and registered 
securities dealers--(i) In general. A taxpayer that is a member of an 
affiliated group (as defined in section 1504(a)(1)) that includes a 
bank (as defined in Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(4)) or a registered securities 
dealer (as defined in section Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(15)) satisfies the base 
erosion percentage test if its base erosion percentage is two percent 
or higher.
    (ii) Aggregate groups. An aggregate group of which a taxpayer is a 
member and that includes a bank or a registered securities dealer that 
is a member of an affiliated group (as defined in section 1504(a)(1)) 
will be subject to the base erosion percentage threshold described in 
paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section.
    (iii) De minimis exception for banking and registered securities 
dealer activities. An aggregate group that includes a bank or a 
registered securities dealer that is a member of an affiliated group 
(as defined in section 1504(a)(1)) is not treated as including a bank 
or registered securities dealer for purposes of paragraph (e)(2)(i) of 
this section for a taxable year, if, in that taxable year, the total 
gross receipts of the aggregate group attributable to the bank or the 
registered securities dealer represent less than two percent of the 
total gross receipts of the aggregate group, as determined under 
paragraph (d) of this section. When there is no aggregate group, a 
consolidated group that includes a bank or a registered securities 
dealer is not treated as including a bank or registered securities 
dealer for purposes of paragraph (e)(2)(i) of this section for a 
taxable year, if, in that taxable year, the total gross receipts of the 
consolidated group attributable to the bank or the registered 
securities dealer represent less than two percent of the total gross 
receipts of the consolidated group, as determined under paragraph (d) 
of this section.

[[Page 65980]]

    (3) Computation of base erosion percentage--(i) In general. The 
taxpayer's base erosion percentage for any taxable year is determined 
by dividing--
    (A) The aggregate amount of the taxpayer's (or in the case of a 
taxpayer that is a member of an aggregate group, the aggregate group's) 
base erosion tax benefits (as defined in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1)) for the 
taxable year, by
    (B) The sum of--
    (1) The aggregate amount of the deductions (including deductions 
for base erosion tax benefits described in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1)(i) and 
base erosion tax benefits described in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1)(ii)) 
allowable to the taxpayer (or in the case of a taxpayer that is a 
member of an aggregate group, any member of the aggregate group) under 
chapter 1 of Subtitle A for the taxable year;
    (2) The base erosion tax benefits described in Sec.  1.59A-
3(c)(1)(iii) with respect to any premiums or other consideration paid 
or accrued by the taxpayer (or in the case of a taxpayer that is a 
member of an aggregate group, any member of the aggregate group) to a 
foreign related party for any reinsurance payment taken into account 
under sections 803(a)(1)(B) or 832(b)(4)(A) for the taxable year; and
    (3) Any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer (or in the case of a 
taxpayer that is a member of an aggregate group, any member of the 
aggregate group) resulting in a reduction of gross receipts described 
in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1)(iv) for the taxable year.
    (ii) Certain items not taken into account in denominator. Except as 
provided in paragraph (e)(3)(viii) of this section, the amount under 
paragraph (e)(3)(i)(B) of this section is determined by not taking into 
account--
    (A) Any deduction allowed under section 172, 245A, or 250 for the 
taxable year;
    (B) Any deduction for amounts paid or accrued for services to which 
the exception described in Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i) applies;
    (C) Any deduction for qualified derivative payments that are not 
treated as base erosion payments by reason of Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii);
    (D) Any exchange loss within the meaning of Sec.  1.988-2 from a 
section 988 transaction as described in Sec.  1.988-1(a)(1);
    (E) Any deduction for amounts paid or accrued to foreign related 
parties with respect to TLAC securities that are not treated as base 
erosion payments by reason of Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(v); and
    (F) Any deduction not allowed in determining taxable income from 
the taxable year.
    (iii) Effect of treaties on base erosion percentage determination. 
In computing the base erosion percentage, the amount of the base 
erosion tax benefit with respect to a base erosion payment on which tax 
is imposed by section 871 or 881 and with respect to which tax has been 
deducted and withheld under section 1441 or 1442 is equal to the gross 
amount of the base erosion tax benefit before the application of the 
applicable treaty multiplied by a fraction equal to--
    (A) The rate of tax imposed without regard to the treaty, reduced 
by the rate of tax imposed under the treaty; over
    (B) The rate of tax imposed without regard to the treaty.
    (iv) Amounts paid or accrued between members of a consolidated 
group. See Sec.  1.1502-59A(b).
    (v) Deductions and base erosion tax benefits from partnerships. See 
Sec.  1.59A-7(b).
    (vi) Mark-to-market positions. For any position with respect to 
which the taxpayer (or in the case of a taxpayer that is a member of an 
aggregate group, a member of the aggregate group) applies a mark-to-
market method of accounting for federal income tax purposes, the 
taxpayer must determine its gain or loss with respect to that position 
for any taxable year by combining all items of income, gain, loss, or 
deduction arising with respect to the position during the taxable year, 
regardless of how each item arises (including from a payment, accrual, 
or mark) for purposes of paragraph (e)(3) of this section. See 
paragraph (f)(1) of this section (Example 1) for an illustration of 
this rule. For purposes of section 59A, a taxpayer computes its losses 
resulting from positions subject to a mark-to-market regime under the 
Internal Revenue Code based on a single mark for the taxable year on 
the earlier of the last business day of the taxpayer's taxable year and 
the disposition (whether by sale, offset, exercise, termination, 
expiration, maturity, or other means) of the position, regardless of 
how frequently a taxpayer marks to market for other purposes. See Sec.  
1.59A-3(b)(2)(iii) for the application of this rule for purposes of 
determining the amount of base erosion payments.
    (vii) Computing the base erosion percentage when members of an 
aggregate group have different taxable years--(A) Calendar year 
taxpayers that are members of an aggregate group. In the case of a 
taxpayer that has a calendar year and that is a member of an aggregate 
group, the taxpayer applies the base erosion percentage in paragraph 
(e)(1) or (2) of this section (and determines the base erosion 
percentage used in Sec.  1.59A-4(b)(2)(ii)) on the basis of the base 
erosion percentage for the calendar year in the manner set forth in 
paragraph (e)(3) of this section, without regard to the taxable year of 
any other member of the aggregate group. See paragraph (f)(2) of this 
section (Example 2) for an illustration of this rule. For purposes of 
applying paragraph (e)(3)(vi) of this section, all members of the 
aggregate group are treated as having a calendar year.
    (B) Fiscal year taxpayers that are members of an aggregate group. 
In the case of a taxpayer that has a fiscal year and that is a member 
of an aggregate group, the taxpayer applies the base erosion percentage 
test in paragraph (e)(1) or (2) of this section (and determines the 
base erosion percentage used in Sec.  1.59A-4(b)(2)(ii)) on the basis 
of the base erosion percentage for its fiscal year in the manner set 
forth in paragraph (e)(3) of this section, without regard to the 
taxable year of any other member of the aggregate group. See paragraph 
(f)(2) of this section (Example 2) for an illustration of this rule. 
For purposes of applying paragraph (e)(3)(vi) of this section, all 
members of the aggregate group are treated as having the taxpayer's 
fiscal year.
    (C) Transition rule for aggregate group members with different 
taxable years. For purposes of this paragraph (e)(3)(vii), if the 
taxpayer has a different taxable year than another member of the 
taxpayer's aggregate group, each taxpayer that is a member of the 
aggregate group determines the availability of the exception in Sec.  
1.59A-3(b)(3)(vi) (amounts paid or accrued in taxable years beginning 
before January 1, 2018) by using the taxpayer's taxable year for all 
members of the taxpayer's aggregate group.
    (viii) Certain payments that qualify for the effectively connected 
income exception and another base erosion payment exception. Subject to 
paragraph (c) of this section (transactions that occur between members 
of the taxpayer's aggregate group), a payment that qualifies for the 
effectively connected income exception described in Sec.  1.59A-
3(b)(3)(iii) and either the service cost method exception described in 
Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(i), the qualified derivative payment exception 
described in Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii), or the TLAC exception described 
in Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(v) is not subject to paragraph (e)(3)(ii)(B), 
(C), or (E) of this section and those amounts are included in the 
denominator of the base erosion percentage if the foreign related party 
who received the payment is not a member of the aggregate group.

[[Page 65981]]

    (f) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
section.

    (1) Example 1: Mark-to-market. (i) Facts. (A) Foreign Parent 
(FP) is a foreign corporation that owns all of the stock of domestic 
corporation (DC) and foreign corporation (FC). FP and FC are foreign 
related parties of DC under Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(12) but not members of 
the aggregate group. DC is a registered securities dealer that does 
not hold any securities for investment. On January 1 of year 1, DC 
enters into two interest rate swaps for a term of two years, one 
with unrelated Customer A as the counterparty (position A) and one 
with unrelated Customer B as the counterparty (position B). Each of 
the swaps provides for semiannual periodic payments to be made or 
received on June 30 and December 31. No party makes any payment to 
any other party upon initiation of either of the swaps (that is, 
they are entered into at-the-money). DC is required to mark-to-
market positions A and B for federal income tax purposes. DC is a 
calendar year taxpayer.
    (B) For position A in year 1, DC makes a payment of $150 on June 
30, and receives a payment of $50 on December 31. There are no other 
payments in year 1. On December 31, position A has a value to DC of 
$110 (that is, position A is in-the-money by $110).
    (C) For position B in year 1, DC receives a payment of $120 on 
June 30, and makes a payment of $30 on December 31. There are no 
other payments in year 1. On December 31, position B has a value to 
DC of ($130) (that is, position B is out-of-the-money by $130).
    (ii) Analysis. (A) With respect to position A, based on the 
total amount of payments made and received in year 1, DC has a net 
deduction of $100. In addition, DC has a mark-to-market gain of 
$110. As described in paragraph (e)(3)(vi) of this section, the 
mark-to-market gain of $110 is combined with the net deduction of 
$100 resulting from the payments. Therefore, with respect to 
position A, DC has a gain of $10, and thus has no deduction in year 
1 for purposes of section 59A.
    (B) With respect to position B, based on the total amount of 
payments made and received in year 1, DC has net income of $90. In 
addition, DC has a mark-to-market loss of $130. As described in 
paragraph (e)(3)(vi) of this section, the mark-to-market loss of 
$130 is combined with the net income of $90 resulting from the 
payments. Therefore, with respect to position B, DC has a loss of 
$40, and thus has a $40 deduction in year 1 for purposes of section 
59A.
    (2) Example 2: Determining gross receipts test and base erosion 
percentage when aggregate group members have different taxable 
years. (i) Facts. Foreign Parent (FP) is a foreign corporation that 
owns all of the stock of a domestic corporation that uses a calendar 
year (DC1) and a domestic corporation that uses a fiscal year ending 
on January 31 (DC2). FP does not have income effectively connected 
with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States. 
DC2 is a member of DC1's aggregate group, and DC1 is a member of 
DC2's aggregate group.
    (ii) Analysis. (A) For DC1's tax return filed for the calendar 
year ending December 31, 2026, DC1 determines its gross receipts 
based on gross receipts of DC1 and DC2 for the calendar years ending 
December 31, 2023, December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2025. 
Further, DC1 determines its base erosion percentage for the calendar 
year ending December 31, 2026, on the basis of transactions of DC1 
and DC2 for the calendar year ending December 31, 2026.
    (B) For DC2's tax return filed for the fiscal year ending 
January 31, 2027, DC2 determines its gross receipts based on gross 
receipts of DC2 and DC1 for the fiscal years ending January 31, 
2024, January 31, 2025, and January 31, 2026. Further, DC2 
determines its base erosion percentage for the fiscal year ending 
January 31, 2027, on the basis of transactions of DC2 and DC1 for 
the fiscal year ending January 31, 2027.


Sec.  1.59A-3   Base erosion payments and base erosion tax benefits.

    (a) Scope. This section provides definitions and related rules 
regarding base erosion payments and base erosion tax benefits. 
Paragraph (b) of this section provides definitions and rules regarding 
base erosion payments. Paragraph (c) of this section provides rules for 
determining the amount of base erosion tax benefits. Paragraph (d) of 
this section provides examples illustrating the rules described in this 
section.
    (b) Base erosion payments--(1) In general. Except as provided in 
paragraph (b)(3) of this section, a base erosion payment means--
    (i) Any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer to a foreign related 
party of the taxpayer and with respect to which a deduction is 
allowable under chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code;
    (ii) Any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer to a foreign 
related party of the taxpayer in connection with the acquisition of 
property by the taxpayer from the foreign related party if the 
character of the property is subject to the allowance for depreciation 
(or amortization in lieu of depreciation);
    (iii) Any premium or other consideration paid or accrued by the 
taxpayer to a foreign related party of the taxpayer for any reinsurance 
payments that are taken into account under section 803(a)(1)(B) or 
832(b)(4)(A); or
    (iv) Any amount paid or accrued by the taxpayer that results in a 
reduction of the gross receipts of the taxpayer if the amount paid or 
accrued is with respect to--
    (A) A surrogate foreign corporation, as defined in section 
59A(d)(4)(C)(i), that is a related party of the taxpayer (but only if 
the corporation first became a surrogate foreign corporation after 
November 9, 2017); or
    (B) A foreign person that is a member of the same expanded 
affiliated group, as defined in section 59A(d)(4)(C)(ii), as the 
surrogate foreign corporation.
    (2) Operating rules--(i) Amounts paid or accrued in cash and other 
consideration. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, an 
amount paid or accrued includes an amount paid or accrued using any 
form of consideration, including cash, property, stock, or the 
assumption of a liability.
    (ii) Transactions providing for net payments. Except as otherwise 
provided in paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section or as permitted by 
the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations, the amount of any base 
erosion payment is determined on a gross basis, regardless of any 
contractual or legal right to make or receive payments on a net basis. 
For this purpose, a right to make or receive payments on a net basis 
permits the parties to a transaction or series of transactions to 
settle obligations by offsetting any amounts to be paid by one party 
against amounts owed by that party to the other party. For example, any 
premium or other consideration paid or accrued by a taxpayer to a 
foreign related party for any reinsurance payments is not reduced by or 
netted against other amounts owed to the taxpayer from the foreign 
related party or by reserve adjustments or other returns.
    (iii) Amounts paid or accrued with respect to mark-to-market 
position. For any transaction with respect to which the taxpayer 
applies the mark-to-market method of accounting for federal income tax 
purposes, the rules set forth in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(vi) apply to 
determine the amount of base erosion payment.
    (iv) Coordination among categories of base erosion payments. A 
payment that does not satisfy the criteria of one category of base 
erosion payment may be a base erosion payment described in one of the 
other categories.
    (v) Certain domestic passthrough entities--(A) In general. If an 
applicable taxpayer pays or accrues an amount that would be a base 
erosion payment except for the fact that the payment is made to a 
specified domestic passthrough, then the applicable taxpayer will be 
treated as making a base erosion payment to each specified foreign 
related party for purposes of section 59A and Sec. Sec.  1.59A-2 
through 1.59A-10. This rule has no effect on the taxation of the 
specified domestic passthrough under subchapter J or subchapter M of 
the Code (as applicable).
    (B) Amount of base erosion payment. The amount of the base erosion 
payment is equal to the lesser of the amount paid or accrued by the 
applicable taxpayer to or for the benefit of the specified

[[Page 65982]]

domestic passthrough and the amount of the deduction allowed under 
section 561, 651 or 661 to the specified domestic passthrough with 
respect to amounts paid, credited, distributed, deemed distributed or 
required to be distributed to a specified foreign related party.
    (C) Specified domestic passthrough. For purposes of this paragraph 
(b)(2)(v), specified domestic passthrough means:
    (1) A domestic trust that is not a grantor trust under subpart E of 
subchapter J of Chapter 1 of the Code (``domestic trust'') and which 
domestic trust is allowed a deduction under section 651 or section 661 
with respect to amounts paid, credited, or required to be distributed 
to a specified foreign related party;
    (2) A real estate investment trust (as defined in Sec.  1.856-1(a)) 
that pays, or is deemed to pay, a dividend to a specified foreign 
related party for which a deduction is allowed under section 561; or
    (3) A regulated investment company (as defined in Sec.  1.851-1(a)) 
that pays, or is deemed to pay, a dividend to a specified foreign 
related party for which a deduction is allowed under section 561.
    (D) Specified foreign related party. For purposes of this paragraph 
(b)(2)(v), specified foreign related party means, with respect to a 
specified domestic passthrough, any foreign related party of an 
applicable taxpayer that is a direct or indirect beneficiary or 
shareholder of the specified domestic passthrough.
    (vi) Transfers of property to related taxpayers. If a taxpayer owns 
property of a character subject to the allowance for depreciation (or 
amortization in lieu of depreciation) with respect to which paragraph 
(c)(1)(ii) of this section applies, and the taxpayer sells, exchanges, 
or otherwise transfers the property to another taxpayer that is a 
member of an aggregate group that includes the taxpayer, any deduction 
for depreciation (or amortization in lieu of deprecation) by the 
transferee taxpayer remains subject to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this 
section to the same extent the amounts would have been so subject in 
the hands of the transferor. See paragraph (d)(7) of this section 
(Example 7) for an illustration of this rule.
    (3) Exceptions to base erosion payment. Paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section does not apply to the types of payments or accruals described 
in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) through (vii) of this section.
    (i) Certain services cost method amounts--(A) In general. Amounts 
paid or accrued by a taxpayer to a foreign related party for services 
that meet the requirements in paragraph (b)(3)(i)(B) of this section, 
but only to the extent of the total services cost of those services. 
Thus, any amount paid or accrued to a foreign related party in excess 
of the total services cost of services eligible for the services cost 
method exception (the mark-up component) remains a base erosion 
payment. For this purpose, services are an activity as defined in Sec.  
1.482-9(l)(2) performed by a foreign related party (the renderer) that 
provides a benefit as defined in Sec.  1.482-9(l)(3) to the taxpayer 
(the recipient).
    (B) Eligibility for the services cost method exception. To be 
eligible for the services cost method exception, all of the 
requirements of Sec.  1.482-9(b) must be satisfied, except that:
    (1) The requirements of Sec.  1.482-9(b)(5) do not apply for 
purposes of determining eligibility for the service cost method 
exception in this section; and
    (2) Adequate books and records must be maintained as described in 
paragraph (b)(3)(i)(C) of this section, instead of as described in 
Sec.  1.482-9(b)(6).
    (C) Adequate books and records. Permanent books of account and 
records must be maintained for as long as the costs with respect to the 
services are incurred by the renderer. The books and records must be 
adequate to permit verification by the Commissioner of the amount 
charged for the services and the total services costs incurred by the 
renderer, including a description of the services in question, 
identification of the renderer and the recipient of the services, 
calculation of the amount of profit mark-up (if any) paid for the 
services, and sufficient documentation to allow verification of the 
methods used to allocate and apportion the costs to the services in 
question in accordance with Sec.  1.482-9(k).
    (D) Total services cost. For purposes of this section, total 
services cost has the same meaning as total services costs in Sec.  
1.482-9(j).
    (ii) Qualified derivative payments. Any qualified derivative 
payment as described in Sec.  1.59A-6.
    (iii) Effectively connected income--(A) In general. Amounts paid or 
accrued to a foreign related party that are subject to federal income 
taxation as income that is, or is treated as, effectively connected 
with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States under an 
applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code or regulations. This 
paragraph (b)(3)(iii) applies only if the taxpayer receives a 
withholding certificate on which the foreign related party claims an 
exemption from withholding under section 1441 or 1442 because the 
amounts are effectively connected income.
    (B) Application to certain treaty residents. Notwithstanding 
paragraph (b)(3)(iii)(A) of this section, if a foreign related party 
determines its net taxable income under an applicable income tax 
treaty, amounts paid or accrued to the foreign related party taken into 
account in determining its net taxable income.
    (iv) Exchange loss on a section 988 transaction. Any exchange loss 
within the meaning of Sec.  1.988-2 from a section 988 transaction 
described in Sec.  1.988-1(a)(1) that is an allowable deduction and 
that results from a payment or accrual by the taxpayer to a foreign 
related party of the taxpayer.
    (v) Amounts paid or accrued with respect to TLAC securities--(A) In 
general. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(v)(B) of this section, 
amounts paid or accrued to foreign related parties with respect to TLAC 
securities.
    (B) Limitation on exclusion for TLAC securities. The amount 
excluded under paragraph (b)(3)(v)(A) of this section is no greater 
than the product of the scaling ratio and amounts paid or accrued to 
foreign related parties with respect to TLAC securities for which a 
deduction is allowed.
    (C) Scaling ratio. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(3)(v), the 
scaling ratio for a taxable year of a taxpayer is a fraction the 
numerator of which is the average TLAC long-term debt required amount 
and the denominator of which is the average TLAC securities amount. The 
scaling ratio may in no event be greater than one.
    (D) Average TLAC securities amount. The average TLAC securities 
amount for a taxable year is the average of the TLAC securities amounts 
for the year, computed at regular time intervals in accordance with 
this paragraph. The TLAC securities amounts used in calculating the 
average TLAC securities amount is computed on a monthly basis.
    (E) Average TLAC long-term debt required amount. The average TLAC 
long-term debt required amount for a taxable year is the average of the 
TLAC long-term debt required amounts, computed on a monthly basis.
    (vi) Amounts paid or accrued in taxable years beginning before 
January 1, 2018. Any amount paid or accrued in taxable years beginning 
before January 1, 2018.
    (vii) Business interest carried forward from taxable years 
beginning before January 1, 2018. Any disallowed business interest 
described in section 163(j)(2) that is carried forward from a taxable 
year beginning before January 1, 2018.

[[Page 65983]]

    (4) Rules for determining the amount of certain base erosion 
payments. The following rules apply in determining the deductible 
amount that is a base erosion payment.
    (i) Interest expense allocable to a foreign corporation's 
effectively connected income--(A) Method described in Sec.  1.882-5(b) 
through (d). A foreign corporation that has interest expense allocable 
under section 882(c) to income that is, or is treated as, effectively 
connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United 
States applying the method described in Sec.  1.882-5(b) through (d) 
has base erosion payments under paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section for 
the taxable year equal to the sum of--
    (1) The interest expense on a liability described in Sec.  1.882-
5(a)(1)(ii)(A) or (B) (direct allocations) or interest expense on U.S.-
booked liabilities, as described in Sec.  1.882-5(d)(2), that is paid 
or accrued by the foreign corporation to a foreign related party; and
    (2) The interest expense on U.S.-connected liabilities in excess of 
U.S.-booked liabilities (hereafter, excess U.S.-connected liabilities), 
as described in Sec.  1.882-5(d)(5), multiplied by a fraction, the 
numerator of which is the foreign corporation's average worldwide 
liabilities due to a foreign related party, and the denominator of 
which is the foreign corporation's average total worldwide liabilities. 
For purposes of this fraction, any liability that is a U.S.-booked 
liability or is subject to a direct allocation is excluded from both 
the numerator and the denominator of the fraction.
    (B) Separate currency pools method. A foreign corporation that has 
interest expense allocable under section 882(c) to income that is, or 
is treated as, effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or 
business within the United States applying the separate currency pools 
method described in Sec.  1.882-5(e) has a base erosion payment under 
paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section for the taxable year equal to the 
sum of--
    (1) The interest expense on a liability described in Sec.  1.882-
5(a)(1)(ii)(A) or (B) (direct allocations) that is paid or accrued by 
the foreign corporation to a foreign related party; and
    (2) The interest expense attributable to each currency pool, as 
described in Sec.  1.882-5(e)(1)(iii), multiplied by a fraction equal 
to the foreign corporation's average worldwide liabilities denominated 
in that currency and that is due to a foreign related party over the 
foreign corporation's average total worldwide liabilities denominated 
in that currency. For purposes of this fraction, any liability that has 
a direct allocation is excluded from both the numerator and the 
denominator.
    (C) U.S.-booked liabilities in excess of U.S.-connected 
liabilities. A foreign corporation that is computing its interest 
expense under the method described in Sec.  1.882-5(b) through (d) and 
that has U.S.-booked liabilities in excess of U.S.-connected 
liabilities must apply the scaling ratio pro-rata to all interest 
expense consistent with Sec.  1.882-5(d)(4) for purposes of determining 
the amount of allocable interest expense that is a base erosion 
payment.
    (D) Liability reduction election. A foreign corporation that elects 
to reduce its liabilities under Sec.  1.884-1(e)(3) must reduce its 
liabilities on a pro-rata basis, consistent with the requirements under 
Sec.  1.884-1(e)(3)(iii), for purposes of determining the amount of 
allocable interest expense that is a base erosion payment.
    (ii) Other deductions allowed with respect to effectively connected 
income. A deduction allowed under Sec.  1.882-4 for an amount paid or 
accrued by the foreign corporation to a foreign related party 
(including a deduction for an amount apportioned in part to effectively 
connected income and in part to income that is not effectively 
connected income) is treated as a base erosion payment under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section.
    (iii) Depreciable property. Any amount paid or accrued by the 
foreign corporation to a foreign related party of the taxpayer in 
connection with the acquisition of property by the foreign corporation 
from the foreign related party if the character of the property is 
subject to the allowance for depreciation (or amortization in lieu of 
depreciation) is a base erosion payment to the extent the property so 
acquired is used, or held for use, in the conduct of a trade or 
business within the United States.
    (iv) Coordination with ECI exception. For purposes of this 
paragraph (b)(4), amounts paid or accrued to a foreign related party 
treated as effectively connected income (or, in the case of foreign 
related party that determines net taxable income under an applicable 
income tax treaty, such amounts that are taken into account in 
determining net taxable income) are not treated as paid to a foreign 
related party. Additionally, for purposes of paragraph (b)(4)(i)(A)(2) 
or (b)(4)(i)(B)(2) of this section, a liability with interest paid or 
accrued to a foreign related party that is treated as effectively 
connected income (or, in the case of foreign related party that 
determines net taxable income under an applicable income tax treaty, 
interest taken into account in determining net taxable income) is 
treated as a liability not due to a foreign related party.
    (v) Coordination with certain tax treaties--(A) Allocable expenses. 
If a foreign corporation elects to determine its taxable income 
pursuant to business profits provisions of an income tax treaty rather 
than provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, or the regulations 
published under 26 CFR chapter I, for determining effectively connected 
income, and the foreign corporation does not apply Sec. Sec.  1.882-5 
and 1.861-8 to allocate interest and other deductions, then in applying 
paragraphs (b)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section, the foreign corporation 
must determine whether each allowable deduction attributed to the 
permanent establishment in its determination of business profits is a 
base erosion payment under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (B) Internal dealings under certain income tax treaties. If, 
pursuant to the terms of an applicable income tax treaty, a foreign 
corporation determines the profits attributable to a permanent 
establishment based on the assets used, risks assumed, and functions 
performed by the permanent establishment, then any deduction 
attributable to any amount paid or accrued (or treated as paid or 
accrued) by the permanent establishment to the foreign corporation's 
home office or to another branch of the foreign corporation (an 
``internal dealing'') is a base erosion payment to the extent such 
payment or accrual is described under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (vi) Business interest expense arising in taxable years beginning 
after December 31, 2017. Any disallowed business interest expense 
described in section 163(j)(2) that resulted from a payment or accrual 
to a foreign related party that first arose in a taxable year beginning 
after December 31, 2017, is treated as a base erosion payment under 
paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section in the year that the business 
interest expense initially arose. See paragraph (c)(4) of this section 
for rules that apply when business interest expense is limited under 
section 163(j)(1) in order to determine whether the disallowed business 
interest is attributed to business interest expense paid to a person 
that is not a related party, a foreign related party, or a domestic 
related party.
    (c) Base erosion tax benefit--(1) In general. Except as provided in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section, a base erosion tax benefit means:
    (i) In the case of a base erosion payment described in paragraph 
(b)(1)(i) of this section, any deduction that is

[[Page 65984]]

allowed under chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code for 
the taxable year with respect to that base erosion payment;
    (ii) In the case of a base erosion payment described in paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii) of this section, any deduction allowed under chapter 1 of 
subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code for the taxable year for 
depreciation (or amortization in lieu of depreciation) with respect to 
the property acquired with that payment;
    (iii) In the case of a base erosion payment described in paragraph 
(b)(1)(iii) of this section, any reduction under section 803(a)(1)(B) 
in the gross amount of premiums and other consideration on insurance 
and annuity contracts for premiums and other consideration arising out 
of indemnity insurance, or any deduction under section 832(b)(4)(A) 
from the amount of gross premiums written on insurance contracts during 
the taxable year for premiums paid for reinsurance; or
    (iv) In the case of a base erosion payment described in paragraph 
(b)(1)(iv) of this section, any reduction in gross receipts with 
respect to the payment in computing gross income of the taxpayer for 
the taxable year for purposes of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the 
Internal Revenue Code.
    (2) Withholding tax exception to base erosion tax benefit. Except 
as provided in paragraph (c)(3) of this section, any base erosion tax 
benefit attributable to any base erosion payment is not taken into 
account as a base erosion tax benefit if tax is imposed on that payment 
under section 871 or 881, and the tax has been deducted and withheld 
under section 1441 or 1442.
    (3) Effect of treaty on base erosion tax benefit. If any treaty 
between the United States and any foreign country reduces the rate of 
tax imposed by section 871 or 881, the amount of base erosion tax 
benefit that is not taken into account under paragraph (c)(2) of this 
section is equal to the amount of the base erosion tax benefit before 
the application of paragraph (c)(2) of this section multiplied by a 
fraction of--
    (i) The rate of tax imposed without regard to the treaty, reduced 
by the rate of tax imposed under the treaty; over
    (ii) The rate of tax imposed without regard to the treaty.
    (4) Application of section 163(j) to base erosion payments--(i) 
Classification of payments or accruals of business interest expense 
based on the payee. The following rules apply for corporations and 
partnerships:
    (A) Classification of payments or accruals of business interest 
expense of a corporation. For purposes of this section, in the year 
that business interest expense of a corporation is paid or accrued the 
business interest expense is classified as foreign related business 
interest expense, domestic related business interest expense, or 
unrelated business interest expense.
    (B) Classification of payments or accruals of business interest 
expense by a partnership. For purposes of this section, in the year 
that business interest expense of a partnership is paid or accrued, the 
business interest expense that is allocated to a partner is classified 
separately with respect to each partner in the partnership as foreign 
related business interest expense, domestic related business interest 
expense, or unrelated business interest expense.
    (C) Classification of payments or accruals of business interest 
expense that is subject to the exception for effectively connected 
income. For purposes of paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) and (B) of this section, 
business interest expense paid or accrued to a foreign related party to 
which the exception in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section 
(effectively connected income) applies is classified as domestic 
related business interest expense.
    (ii) Ordering rules for business interest expense that is limited 
under section 163(j)(1) to determine which classifications of business 
interest expense are deducted and which classifications of business 
interest expense are carried forward--(A) In general. Section 163(j) 
and the regulations published under 26 CFR chapter I provide a 
limitation on the amount of business interest expense allowed as a 
deduction in a taxable year by a corporation or a partner in a 
partnership. In the case of a corporation with a disallowed business 
interest expense carryforward, the regulations under section 163(j) 
determine the ordering of the business interest expense deduction that 
is allowed on a year-by-year basis by reference first to business 
interest expense incurred in the current taxable year and then to 
disallowed business interest expense carryforwards from prior years. To 
determine the amount of base erosion tax benefit under paragraph (c)(1) 
of this section, this paragraph (c)(4)(ii) sets forth ordering rules 
that determine the amount of the deduction of business interest expense 
allowed under section 163(j) that is classified as paid or accrued to a 
foreign related party for purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this 
section. This paragraph (c)(4)(ii) also sets forth similar ordering 
rules that apply to disallowed business interest expense carryforwards 
for which a deduction is permitted under section 163(j) in a later 
year.
    (B) Ordering rules for treating business interest expense deduction 
and disallowed business interest expense carryforwards as foreign 
related business interest expense, domestic related business interest 
expense, and unrelated business interest expense--(1) General ordering 
rule for allocating business interest expense deduction between 
classifications. For purposes of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, if a 
deduction for business interest expense is not subject to the 
limitation under section 163(j)(1) in a taxable year, the deduction is 
treated first as foreign related business interest expense and domestic 
related business interest expense (on a pro-rata basis), and second as 
unrelated business interest expense. The same principle applies to 
business interest expense of a partnership that is deductible at the 
partner level under Sec.  1.163(j)-6(f).
    (2) Ordering of business interest expense incurred by a 
corporation. If a corporation's business interest expense deduction 
allowed for any taxable year is attributable to business interest 
expense paid or accrued in that taxable year and to disallowed business 
interest expense carryforwards from prior taxable years, the ordering 
of business interest expense deduction provided in paragraph 
(c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) of this section among the classifications described 
therein applies separately for the carryforward amount from each 
taxable year, following the ordering set forth in Sec.  1.163(j)-
5(b)(2). Corresponding adjustments to the classification of disallowed 
business interest expense carryforwards are made consistent with this 
year-by-year approach. For purposes of section 59A and this section, an 
acquiring corporation in a transaction described in section 381(a) will 
succeed to and take into account the classification of any disallowed 
business interest expense carryforward. See Sec.  1.381(c)(20)-1.
    (3) Ordering of business interest expense incurred by a partnership 
and allocated to a corporate partner. For a corporate partner in a 
partnership that is allocated a business interest expense deduction 
under Sec.  1.163(j)-6(f), the ordering rule provided in paragraph 
(c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) of this section applies separately to the corporate 
partner's allocated business interest expense deduction from the 
partnership; that deduction is not comingled with the business interest 
expense deduction addressed in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) or (2) of 
this section or the corporate partner's items from any other 
partnership. Similarly, when a corporate

[[Page 65985]]

partner in a partnership is allocated excess business interest expense 
from a partnership under the rules set forth in Sec.  1.163(j)-6(f) and 
the excess interest expense becomes deductible to the corporate 
partner, that partner applies the ordering rule provided in paragraph 
(c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) of this section separately to that excess interest 
expense on a year-by-year basis. Corresponding adjustments to the 
classification of disallowed business interest expense carryforwards 
are made consistent with this year-by-year and partnership-by-
partnership approach.
    (d) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of 
this section. For purposes of all the examples, assume that the 
taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer and all payments apply to a taxable 
year beginning after December 31, 2017.

    (1) Example 1: Determining a base erosion payment. (i) Facts. FP 
is a foreign corporation that owns all of the stock of FC, a foreign 
corporation, and DC, a domestic corporation. FP has a trade or 
business in the United States with effectively connected income 
(USTB). DC owns FDE, a foreign disregarded entity. DC pays interest 
to FDE and FC. FDE pays interest to USTB. All interest paid by DC to 
FC and by FDE to USTB is deductible by DC in the current year for 
regular income tax purposes. FDE also acquires depreciable property 
from FP during the taxable year. FP's income from the sale of the 
depreciable property is not effectively connected with the conduct 
of FP's trade or business in the United States. DC and FP (based 
only on the activities of USTB) are applicable taxpayers under Sec.  
1.59A-2(b).
    (ii) Analysis. The payment of interest by DC to FC is a base 
erosion payment under paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section because 
the payment is made to a foreign related party and the interest 
payment is deductible. The payment of interest by DC to FDE is not a 
base erosion payment because the transaction is not a payment to a 
foreign person and the transaction is not a deductible payment. With 
respect to the payment of interest by FDE to USTB, if FP's USTB 
treats the payment of interest by FDE to USTB as income that is 
effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the 
United States pursuant to section 864 or as profits attributable to 
a U.S. permanent establishment of a tax treaty resident, and if DC 
receives a withholding certificate from FP with respect to the 
payment, then the exception in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section 
applies. Accordingly, the payment from DC, through FDE, to USTB is 
not a base erosion payment even though the payment is to the USTB of 
FP, a foreign related party. The acquisition of depreciable property 
by DC, through FDE, is a base erosion payment under paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii) of this section because there is a payment to a foreign 
related party in connection with the acquisition by the taxpayer of 
property of a character subject to the allowance for depreciation 
and the exception in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section does not 
apply because FP's income from the sale of the depreciable property 
is not effectively connected with the conduct of FP's trade or 
business in the United States. See Sec.  1.59A-2 for the application 
of the aggregation rule with respect to DC and FP's USTB.
    (2) Example 2: Interest allocable under Sec.  1.882-5. (i) 
Facts. FC, a foreign corporation, has income that is effectively 
connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United 
States. FC determines its interest expense under the three-step 
process described in Sec. Sec.  1.882-5(b) through (d) with a total 
interest expense of $125x. The total interest expense is comprised 
of interest expense of $100x on U.S.-booked liabilities ($60x paid 
to a foreign related party and $40x paid to unrelated persons) and 
$25x of interest on excess U.S.-connected liabilities. FC has 
average total liabilities (that are not U.S.-booked liabilities) of 
$10,000x and of that number $2000x are liabilities held by a foreign 
related party. FC is an applicable taxpayer with respect to its 
effectively connected income. Assume all of the interest expense is 
deductible in the current taxable year and that none of the interest 
is subject to the effectively connected income exception in 
paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section.
    (ii) Analysis. Under paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section, the 
total amount of interest expense determined under Sec.  1.882-5 that 
is a base erosion payment is $65x ($60x + 5x). FC has $60x of 
interest on U.S.-booked liabilities that is paid to a foreign 
related party and that is treated as a base erosion payment under 
paragraph (b)(4)(i)(A)(1) of this section. Additionally, $5x of the 
$25x of interest on excess U.S.-connected liabilities is treated as 
a base erosion payment under paragraph (b)(4)(i)(A)(2) of this 
section ($25x * ($2000x/$10,000x)).
    (3) Example 3: Interaction with section 163(j). (i) Facts. 
Foreign Parent (FP) is a foreign corporation that owns all of the 
stock of DC, a domestic corporation that is an applicable taxpayer. 
In Year 1, DC has adjusted taxable income, as defined in section 
163(j)(8), of $1000x and pays the following amounts of business 
interest expense: $420x that is paid to unrelated Bank, and $360x 
that is paid to FP. DC does not earn any business interest income or 
incur any floor plan financing interest expense in Year 1. None of 
the exceptions in paragraph (b)(3) of this section apply, and the 
interest is not subject to withholding.
    (ii) Analysis--(A) Classification of business interest. In Year 
1, DC is only permitted to deduct $300x of business interest expense 
under section 163(j)(1) ($1000x x 30%). Paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of 
this section provides that for purposes of paragraph (c)(1) of this 
section the deduction is treated first as foreign related business 
interest expense and domestic related business interest expense 
(here, only FP); and second as unrelated business interest expense 
(Bank). As a result, the $300x of business interest expense that is 
permitted under section 163(j)(1) is treated entirely as the 
business interest paid to the related foreign party, FP. All of DC's 
$300x deductible interest is treated as an add-back to modified 
taxable income in the Year 1 taxable year for purposes of Sec.  
1.59A-4(b)(2)(i).
    (B) Ordering rules for business interest expense carryforward. 
Under section 163(j)(2), the $480x of disallowed business interest 
($420x + $360x-$300x) is carried forward to the subsequent year. 
Under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) and (2) of this section, the 
interest carryforward is correspondingly treated first as unrelated 
business interest expense, and second pro-rata as foreign related 
business interest expense and domestic related business interest 
expense. As a result, $420x of the $480x business interest expense 
carryforward is treated first as business interest expense paid to 
Bank and the remaining $60x of the $480x business interest expense 
carryforward is treated as interest paid to FP and as an add-back to 
modified taxable income.
    (4) Example 4: Interaction with section 163(j); carryforward. 
(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (d)(3) of this 
section (the facts in Example 3), except that in addition, in Year 
2, DC has adjusted taxable income of $250x, and pays the following 
amounts of business interest expense: $50x that is paid to unrelated 
Bank, and $45x that is paid to FP. DC does not earn any business 
interest income or incur any floor plan financing interest expense 
in Year 2. None of the exceptions in paragraph (b)(3) of this 
section apply.
    (ii) Analysis--(A) Classification of business interest. In Year 
2, for purposes of section 163(j)(1), DC is treated as having paid 
or accrued total business interest of $575x, consisting of $95x 
business interest expense actually paid in Year 2 and $480x of 
business interest expense that is carried forward from Year 1. DC is 
permitted to deduct $75x of business interest expense in Year 2 
under the limitation in section 163(j)(1) ($250x x 30%). Section 
1.163(j)-5(b)(2) provides that, for purposes of section 163(j), the 
allowable business interest expense is first attributed to amounts 
paid or accrued in the current year, and then attributed to amounts 
carried over from earlier years on a first-in-first-out basis from 
the earliest year. Accordingly, the $75x of deductible business 
interest expense is deducted entirely from the $95x business 
interest expense incurred in Year 2 for section 163(j) purposes. 
Because DC's business interest expense deduction is limited under 
section 163(j)(1) and because DC's total business interest expense 
is attributable to more than one taxable year, paragraph 
(c)(4)(ii)(B)(2) of this section provides that the ordering rule in 
paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B)(1) of this section is applied separately to 
each annual amount of section 163(j) disallowed business interest 
expense carryforward. With respect to the Year 2 layer, which is 
deducted first, paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section provides 
that, for purposes of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the Year 2 
$75x deduction is treated first as foreign related business interest 
expense and domestic related business interest expense (here, only 
FP, $45x); and second as unrelated business interest expense (Bank, 
$30x). Consequentially, all of the $45x deduction of business 
interest expense that was paid to FP in Year 2 is treated as a base 
erosion tax benefit and an add-back to

[[Page 65986]]

modified taxable income for the Year 2 taxable year for purposes of 
Sec.  1.59A-4(b)(2)(i).
    (B) Ordering rules for business interest expense carryforward. 
The disallowed business interest expense carryforward of $20x from 
Year 2 is correspondingly treated first as interest paid to Bank 
under paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section. The disallowed business 
interest expense carryforward of $480x from the Year 1 layer that is 
also not allowed as a deduction in Year 2 remains treated as $420x 
paid to Bank and $60 paid to FP.
    (5) Example 5: Interaction with section 163(j); carryforward. 
(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (d)(4) of this 
section (the facts in Example 4), except that in addition, in Year 
3, DC has adjusted taxable income of $4000x and pays no business 
interest expense. DC does not earn any business interest income or 
incur any floor plan financing interest expense in Year 3.
    (ii) Analysis. In Year 3, DC is treated as having paid or 
accrued total business interest expense of $500x, consisting of 
$480x of business interest expense that is carried forward from Year 
1 and $20x of business interest expense that is carried forward from 
Year 2 for purposes of section 163(j)(1). DC is permitted to deduct 
$1200x of business interest expense in Year 3 under the limitation 
in section 163(j)(1) ($4000x x 30%). For purposes of section 163(j), 
DC is treated as first deducting the business interest expense from 
Year 1 then the business interest expense from Year 2. See Sec.  
1.163(j)-5(b)(2). Because none of DC's $500x business interest 
expense is limited under section 163(j), the stacking rule in 
paragraph (c)(4)(ii) of this section for allowed and disallowed 
business interest expense does not apply. For purposes of Sec.  
1.59A-4(b)(2)(i), DC's add-back to modified taxable income is $60x 
determined by the classifications in paragraph (c)(4)(i)(A) of this 
section ($60x treated as paid to FP from Year 1).
    (6) Example 6: Interaction with section 163(j); partnership. (i) 
Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (d)(4) of this section 
(the facts in Example 4), except that in addition, in Year 2, DC 
forms a domestic partnership (PRS) with Y, a domestic corporation 
that is not related to DC within the meaning of Sec.  1.59A-
1(b)(17). DC and Y are equal partners in partnership PRS. In Year 2, 
PRS has ATI of $100x and $48x of business interest expense. $12x of 
PRS's business interest expense is paid to Bank, and $36x of PRS's 
business interest expense is paid to FP. PRS allocates the items 
comprising its $100x of ATI $50x to DC and $50x to Y. PRS allocates 
its $48x of business interest expense $24x to DC and $24x to Y. DC 
classifies its $24x of business interest expense as $6x unrelated 
business interest expense (Bank) and $18x as foreign related 
business interest expense (FP) under paragraph (c)(4)(i)(B) of this 
section. Y classifies its $24x of business interest expense as 
entirely unrelated business interest expense of Y (Bank and FP) 
under paragraph (c)(4)(i)(B) of this section. None of the exceptions 
in paragraph (b)(3) of this section apply.
    (ii) Partnership level analysis. In Year 2, PRS's section 163(j) 
limit is 30 percent of its ATI, or $30x ($100x x 30 percent). Thus, 
PRS has $30x of deductible business interest expense and $18x of 
excess business interest expense ($48x-$30x). The $30x of deductible 
business interest expense is includible in PRS's non-separately 
stated income or loss, and is not subject to further limitation 
under section 163(j) at the partners' level.
    (iii) Partner level allocations analysis. Pursuant to Sec.  
1.163(j)-6(f)(2), DC and Y are each allocated $15x of deductible 
business interest expense and $9x of excess business interest 
expense. At the end of Year 2, DC and Y each have $9x of excess 
business interest expense from PRS, which under Sec.  1.163(j)-6 is 
not treated as paid or accrued by the partner until such partner is 
allocated excess taxable income or excess business interest income 
from PRS in a succeeding year. Pursuant to Sec.  1.163(j)-6(e), DC 
and Y, in computing their limit under section 163(j), do not 
increase any of their section 163(j) items by any of PRS's section 
163(j) items.
    (iv) Partner level allocations for determining base erosion tax 
benefits. The $15x of deductible business interest expense allocated 
to DC is treated first as foreign related business interest expense 
(FP) under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section. DC's excess 
business interest expense from PRS of $9x is classified first as the 
unrelated business interest expense with respect to Bank ($6x) and 
then as the remaining portion of the business interest expense paid 
to FP ($3x, or $18x-$15x). Under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B)(3) of this 
section, these classifications of the PRS items apply irrespective 
of the classifications of DC's own interest expense as set forth in 
paragraph (d)(4) of this section (Example 4).
    (v) Computation of modified taxable income. For Year 2, DC is 
treated as having incurred base erosion tax benefits of $60x, 
consisting of the $15x base erosion tax benefit with respect to its 
interest in PRS that is computed in paragraph (d)(6)(iii) of this 
section (Example 6) and $45x that is computed in paragraph (d)(4) of 
this section (Example 4).
    (7) Example 7: Transfers of property to related taxpayers. (i) 
Facts. FP is a foreign corporation that owns all of the stock of DC1 
and DC2, both domestic corporations. DC1 and DC2 are both members of 
the same aggregate group but are not members of the same 
consolidated tax group under section 1502. In Year 1, FP sells 
depreciable property to DC1. On the first day of the Year 2 tax 
year, DC1 sells the depreciable property to DC2.
    (ii) Analysis--(A) Year 1. The acquisition of depreciable 
property by DC1 from FP is a base erosion payment under paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii) of this section because there is a payment to a foreign 
related party in connection with the acquisition by the taxpayer of 
property of a character subject to the allowance for depreciation.
    (B) Year 2. The acquisition of the depreciable property in Year 
2 by DC2 is not itself a base erosion payment because DC2 did not 
acquire the property from a foreign related party. However, under 
paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section any depreciation expense taken 
by DC2 on the property acquired from DC1 is a base erosion payment 
and a base erosion tax benefit under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this 
section because the acquisition of the depreciable property was a 
base erosion payment by DC1 and the property was sold to a member of 
the aggregate group; therefore, the depreciation expense continues 
as a base erosion tax benefit to DC2 as it would have been to DC1 if 
it continued to own the property.


Sec.  1.59A-4   Modified taxable income.

    (a) Scope. Paragraph (b)(1) of this section provides rules for 
computing modified taxable income. Paragraph (b)(2) of this section 
provides rules addressing how base erosion tax benefits and net 
operating losses affect modified taxable income. Paragraph (b)(3) of 
this section provides a rule for a holder of a residual interest in a 
REMIC. Paragraph (c) of this section provides examples illustrating the 
rules described in this section.
    (b) Computation of modified taxable income--(1) In general. The 
term modified taxable income means a taxpayer's taxable income, as 
defined in section 63(a), determined with the additions described in 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the 
taxpayer's taxable income may not be reduced to an amount less than 
zero as a result of a net operating loss deduction allowed under 
section 172. See paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section (Examples 1 
and 2).
    (2) Modifications to taxable income. The amounts described in this 
paragraph (b)(2) are added back to a taxpayer's taxable income to 
determine its modified taxable income.
    (i) Base erosion tax benefits. The amount of any base erosion tax 
benefit as defined in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1).
    (ii) Certain net operating loss deductions. The base erosion 
percentage, as described in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3), of any net operating 
loss deduction allowed to the taxpayer under section 172 for the 
taxable year. For purposes of determining modified taxable income, the 
net operating loss deduction allowed does not exceed taxable income 
before taking into account the net operating loss deduction. See 
paragraph (c)(1) and (2) of this section (Examples 1 and 2). The base 
erosion percentage for the taxable year that the net operating loss 
arose is used to determine the addition under this paragraph 
(b)(2)(ii). For a net operating loss that arose in a taxable year 
beginning before January 1, 2018, the base erosion percentage for the 
taxable year is zero.
    (3) Rule for holders of a residual interest in a REMIC. For 
purposes of

[[Page 65987]]

paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the limitation in section 860E(a)(1) 
is not taken into account for determining the taxable income amount 
that is used to compute modified taxable income for the taxable year.
    (c) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of 
paragraph (b) of this section.

    (1) Example 1: Current year loss. (i) Facts. A domestic 
corporation (DC) is an applicable taxpayer that has a calendar 
taxable year. In 2020, DC has gross income of $100x, a deduction of 
$80x that is not a base erosion tax benefit, and a deduction of $70x 
that is a base erosion tax benefit. In addition, DC has a net 
operating loss carryforward to 2020 of $400x that arose in 2016.
    (ii) Analysis. DC's starting point for computing modified 
taxable income is $(50x), computed as gross income of $100x, less a 
deduction of $80x (non-base erosion tax benefit) and a deduction of 
$70x (base erosion tax benefit). Under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this 
section, DC's starting point for computing modified taxable income 
does not take into account the $400x net operating loss carryforward 
because the allowable deductions for 2020, not counting the NOL 
deduction, exceed the gross income for 2020. DC's modified taxable 
income for 2020 is $20x, computed as $(50x) + $70x base erosion tax 
benefit.
    (2) Example 2: Net operating loss deduction. (i) Facts. The 
facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section (the 
facts in Example 1), except that DC's gross income in 2020 is $500x.
    (ii) Analysis. DC's starting point for computing modified 
taxable income is $0x, computed as gross income of $500x, less: A 
deduction of $80x (non-base erosion tax benefit), a deduction of 
$70x (base erosion tax benefit), and a net operating loss deduction 
of $350x (which is the amount of taxable income before taking into 
account the net operating loss deduction, as provided in paragraph 
(b)(2)(ii) of this section ($500x-$150x)). DC's modified taxable 
income for 2020 is $70x, computed as $0x + $70x base erosion tax 
benefit. DC's modified taxable income is not increased as a result 
of the $350x net operating loss deduction in 2020 because the base 
erosion percentage of the net operating loss that arose in 2016 is 
zero under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.


Sec.  1.59A-5   Base erosion minimum tax amount.

    (a) Scope. Paragraph (b) of this section provides rules regarding 
the calculation of the base erosion minimum tax amount. Paragraph (c) 
of this section describes the base erosion and anti-abuse tax rate 
applicable to the taxable year.
    (b) In general. With respect to any applicable taxpayer, the base 
erosion minimum tax amount for any taxable year is, the excess (if any) 
of--
    (1) An amount equal to the base erosion and anti-abuse tax rate 
multiplied by the modified taxable income of the taxpayer for the 
taxable year, over
    (2) An amount equal to the regular tax liability as defined in 
Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(16) of the taxpayer for the taxable year, reduced (but 
not below zero) by the excess (if any) of--
    (i) The credits allowed under chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Code 
against regular tax liability over
    (ii) The sum of the credits described in paragraph (b)(3) of this 
section.
    (3) Credits that do not reduce regular tax liability. The sum of 
the following credits are used in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section 
to limit the amount by which the credits allowed under chapter 1 of 
subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code reduce regular tax liability--
    (i) Taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2025. For any 
taxable year beginning on or before December 31, 2025--
    (A) The credit allowed under section 38 for the taxable year that 
is properly allocable to the research credit determined under section 
41(a);
    (B) The portion of the applicable section 38 credits not in excess 
of 80 percent of the lesser of the amount of those applicable section 
38 credits or the base erosion minimum tax amount (determined without 
regard to this paragraph (b)(3)(i)(B)); and
    (C) Any credits allowed under sections 33 and 37.
    (ii) Taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. For any 
taxable year beginning after December 31, 2025, any credits allowed 
under sections 33 and 37.
    (c) Base erosion and anti-abuse tax rate--(1) In general. For 
purposes of calculating the base erosion minimum tax amount, the base 
erosion and anti-abuse tax rate is--
    (i) Calendar year 2018. For taxable years beginning in calendar 
year 2018, five percent.
    (ii) Calendar years 2019 through 2025. For taxable years beginning 
after December 31, 2018, through taxable years beginning before January 
1, 2026, 10 percent.
    (iii) Calendar years after 2025. For taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 2025, 12.5 percent.
    (2) Increased rate for banks and registered securities dealers. In 
the case of a taxpayer that is a member of an affiliated group (as 
defined in section 1504(a)(1)) that includes a bank or a registered 
securities dealer, the percentage otherwise in effect under paragraph 
(c)(1) of this section is increased by one percentage point.
    (3) Application of section 15. Section 15 does not apply to any 
taxable year that includes January 1, 2018. See Sec.  1.15-1(d). For a 
taxpayer using a taxable year other than the calendar year, section 15 
applies to any taxable year beginning after January 1, 2018.


Sec.  1.59A-6   Qualified derivative payment.

    (a) Scope. This section provides additional guidance regarding 
qualified derivative payments. Paragraph (b) of this section defines 
the term qualified derivative payment. Paragraph (c) of this section 
provides guidance on certain payments that are not treated as qualified 
derivative payments. Paragraph (d) defines the term derivative for 
purposes of section 59A. Paragraph (e) of this section provides an 
example illustrating the rules of this section.
    (b) Qualified derivative payment--(1) In general. A qualified 
derivative payment means any payment made by a taxpayer to a foreign 
related party pursuant to a derivative with respect to which the 
taxpayer--
    (i) Recognizes gain or loss as if the derivative were sold for its 
fair market value on the last business day of the taxable year (and any 
additional times as required by the Internal Revenue Code or the 
taxpayer's method of accounting);
    (ii) Treats any gain or loss so recognized as ordinary; and
    (iii) Treats the character of all items of income, deduction, gain, 
or loss with respect to a payment pursuant to the derivative as 
ordinary.
    (2) Reporting requirements--(i) In general. No payment is a 
qualified derivative payment under paragraph (b)(1) of this section for 
any taxable year unless the taxpayer reports the information required 
in Sec.  1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) for the taxable year.
    (ii) Failure to satisfy the reporting requirement. If a taxpayer 
fails to satisfy the reporting requirement described in paragraph 
(b)(2)(i) of this section with respect to any payments, those payments 
will not be eligible for the qualified derivative payment exception 
described in Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii). A taxpayer's failure to report a 
payment as a qualified derivative payment does not impact the 
eligibility of any other payment which the taxpayer properly reported 
under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section from being a qualified 
derivative payment.
    (3) Amount of any qualified derivative payment. The amount of any 
qualified derivative payment excluded from the denominator of the base 
erosion percentage as provided in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(ii)(C) is 
determined as provided in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(vi).
    (c) Exceptions for payments otherwise treated as base erosion 
payments. A

[[Page 65988]]

payment does not constitute a qualified derivative payment if--
    (1) The payment would be treated as a base erosion payment if it 
were not made pursuant to a derivative, including any interest, 
royalty, or service payment; or
    (2) In the case of a contract that has derivative and nonderivative 
components, the payment is properly allocable to the nonderivative 
component.
    (d) Derivative defined--(1) In general. For purposes of this 
section, the term derivative means any contract (including any option, 
forward contract, futures contract, short position, swap, or similar 
contract) the value of which, or any payment or other transfer with 
respect to which, is (directly or indirectly) determined by reference 
to one or more of the following:
    (i) Any share of stock in a corporation;
    (ii) Any evidence of indebtedness;
    (iii) Any commodity that is actively traded;
    (iv) Any currency; or
    (v) Any rate, price, amount, index, formula, or algorithm.
    (2) Exceptions. The following contracts are not treated as 
derivatives for purposes of section 59A.
    (i) Direct interest. A derivative contract does not include a 
direct interest in any item described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) through 
(v) of this section.
    (ii) Insurance contracts. A derivative contract does not include 
any insurance, annuity, or endowment contract issued by an insurance 
company to which subchapter L applies (or issued by any foreign 
corporation to which the subchapter would apply if the foreign 
corporation were a domestic corporation).
    (iii) Securities lending and sale-repurchase transactions. A 
derivative contract does not include any securities lending 
transaction, sale-repurchase transaction, or substantially similar 
transaction. Securities lending transaction and sale-repurchase 
transaction have the same meaning as provided in Sec.  1.861-2(a)(7).
    (3) American depository receipts. For purposes of section 59A, 
American depository receipts (or any similar instruments) with respect 
to shares of stock in a foreign corporation are treated as shares of 
stock in that foreign corporation.
    (e) Example. The following example illustrates the rules of this 
section.

    (1) Facts. Domestic Corporation (DC) is a dealer in securities 
within the meaning of section 475. On February 1, 2019, DC enters 
into a contract (Interest Rate Swap) with Foreign Parent (FP), a 
foreign related party, for a term of five years. Under the Interest 
Rate Swap, DC is obligated to make a payment to FP each month, 
beginning March 1, 2019, in an amount equal to a variable rate 
determined by reference to the prime rate, as determined on the 
first business day of the immediately preceding month, multiplied by 
a notional principal amount of $50 million. Under the Interest Rate 
Swap, FP is obligated to make a payment to DC each month, beginning 
March 1, 2019, in an amount equal to 5% multiplied by the same 
notional principal amount. The Interest Rate Swap satisfies the 
definition of a notional principal contract under Sec.  1.446-3(c). 
DC recognizes gain or loss on the Interest Rate Swap pursuant to 
section 475. DC reports the information required to be reported for 
the taxable year under Sec.  1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix).
    (2) Analysis. The Interest Rate Swap is a derivative as 
described in paragraph (d) of this section because it is a contract 
that references the prime rate and a fixed rate for determining the 
amount of payments. The exceptions described in paragraph (c) of 
this section do not apply to the Interest Rate Swap. Because DC 
recognizes ordinary gain or loss on the Interest Rate Swap pursuant 
to section 475(d)(3), it satisfies the condition in paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii) of this section. Because DC satisfies the requirement 
relating to the information required to be reported under paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section, any payment to FP with respect to the 
Interest Rate Swap will be a qualified derivative payment. 
Therefore, under Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(3)(ii), the payments to FP are not 
base erosion payments.


Sec.  1.59A-7   Application of base erosion and anti-abuse tax to 
partnerships.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules regarding how partnerships 
and their partners are treated for purposes of section 59A. Paragraph 
(b) of this section provides the general application of an aggregate 
approach to partnerships for purposes of section 59A, including 
specific rules addressing the application of section 59A to amounts 
paid or accrued by a partnership to a related party, rules addressing 
the application of section 59A to amounts paid or accrued to a 
partnership from a related party, and other operating rules. Paragraph 
(c) of this section provides rules for determining whether a party is a 
foreign related party.
    (b) Application of section 59A to a partnership--(1) In general. 
Except as otherwise provided in this section, section 59A is applied at 
the partner level in the manner described in this section. The 
provisions of section 59A must be interpreted in a manner consistent 
with this approach.
    (2) Payment made by a partnership. Except as provided in paragraph 
(b)(4) of this section, for purposes of determining whether a payment 
or accrual by a partnership is a base erosion payment, any amount paid 
or accrued by a partnership is treated as paid or accrued by each 
partner based on the partner's distributive share of items of deduction 
(or other amounts that could be base erosion tax benefits) with respect 
to that amount (as determined under section 704).
    (3) Payment received by a partnership. For purposes of determining 
whether a payment or accrual to a partnership is a base erosion payment 
of the payor, any amount paid or accrued to a partnership is treated as 
paid or accrued to each partner based on the partner's distributive 
share of the income or gain with respect to that amount (as determined 
under section 704).
    (4) Exception for base erosion tax benefits of certain partners--
(i) In general. For purposes of determining a partner's amount of base 
erosion tax benefits, a partner does not take into account its 
distributive share of any partnership amount of base erosion tax 
benefits for the taxable year if--
    (A) The partner's interest in the partnership represents less than 
ten percent of the capital and profits of the partnership at all times 
during the taxable year;
    (B) The partner is allocated less than ten percent of each 
partnership item of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit for the 
taxable year; and
    (C) The partner's interest in the partnership has a fair market 
value of less than $25 million on the last day of the partner's taxable 
year, determined using a reasonable method.
    (ii) Attribution. For purposes of paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this 
section, a partner's interest in a partnership or partnership item is 
determined by adding the interests of the partner and any related party 
of the partner (as determined under section 59A), taking into account 
any interest owned directly, indirectly, or through constructive 
ownership (applying the section 318 rules as modified by section 59A 
(except section 318(a)(3)(A) through (C) will also apply so as to 
consider a United States person as owning stock that is owned by a 
person who is not a United States person), but excluding any interest 
to the extent already taken into account).
    (5) Other relevant items--(i) In general. For purposes of section 
59A, subject to paragraph (b)(4) of this section, each partner is 
treated as owning its share of the partnership items determined under 
section 704, including the assets of the partnership, using a 
reasonable method with respect to the assets. For items that are 
allocated to the partners, the partner is treated as owning its 
distributive share (including of deductions and base erosion tax

[[Page 65989]]

benefits). For items that are not allocated to the partners, the 
partner is treated as owning an interest proportionate with the 
partner's distributive share of partnership income.
    (ii) Gross receipts--(A) In general. For purposes of section 59A, 
each partner in the partnership includes a share of partnership gross 
receipts in proportion to the partner's distributive share (as 
determined under section 704) of items of gross income that were taken 
into account by the partnership under section 703.
    (B) Foreign corporation. A foreign corporation takes into account a 
share of gross receipts only with regard to receipts that produce 
income that is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or 
business within the United States. In the case of a foreign corporation 
that determines its net taxable income under an applicable income tax 
treaty, the foreign corporation takes into account its share of gross 
receipts only with regard to such gross receipts that are taken into 
account in determining its net taxable income.
    (iii) Registered securities dealers. If a partnership, or a branch 
of the partnership, is a registered securities dealer, each partner is 
treated as a registered securities dealer unless the partner's interest 
in the registered securities dealer would satisfy the criteria for the 
exception in paragraph (b)(4) of this section. For purposes of applying 
the de minimis exception in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(2)(iii), the partner takes 
into account its distributive share of the relevant partnership items.
    (iv) Application of sections 163(j) and 59A(c)(3) to partners of 
partnerships. See Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4).
    (6) Tiered partnerships. If the partner of a partnership is a 
partnership, then paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section are applied 
again at the level of the partner, applying this paragraph successively 
until the partner is not a partnership. Paragraph (b)(4) of this 
section is only applied at the level where the partner is not itself a 
partnership.
    (c) Foreign related party. With respect to any person that owns an 
interest in a partnership, the related party determination in section 
59A(g) applies at the partner level.


Sec.  1.59A-8   Application of base erosion and anti-abuse tax to 
certain expatriated entities. [Reserved]


Sec.  1.59A-9  Anti-abuse and recharacterization rules.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules for recharacterizing certain 
transactions according to their substance for purposes of applying 
section 59A and the section 59A regulations. Paragraph (b) of this 
section provides specific anti-abuse rules. Paragraph (c) of this 
section provides examples illustrating the rules of paragraph (b) of 
this section.
    (b) Anti-abuse rules--(1) Transactions involving unrelated persons, 
conduits, or intermediaries. If a taxpayer pays or accrues an amount to 
one or more intermediaries (including an intermediary unrelated to the 
taxpayer) that would have been a base erosion payment if paid or 
accrued to a foreign related party, and one or more of the 
intermediaries makes (directly or indirectly) corresponding payments to 
or for the benefit of a foreign related party as part of a transaction 
(or series of transactions), plan or arrangement that has as a 
principal purpose avoiding a base erosion payment (or reducing the 
amount of a base erosion payment), the role of the intermediary or 
intermediaries is disregarded as a conduit, or the amount paid or 
accrued to the intermediary is treated as a base erosion payment, as 
appropriate.
    (2) Transactions to increase the amount of deductions taken into 
account in the denominator of the base erosion percentage computation. 
A transaction (or component of a transaction or series of 
transactions), plan or arrangement that has a principal purpose of 
increasing the deductions taken into account for purposes of Sec.  
1.59A-2(e)(3)(i)(B) (the denominator of the base erosion percentage 
computation) is disregarded for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3).
    (3) Transactions to avoid the application of rules applicable to 
banks and registered securities dealers. A transaction (or series of 
transactions), plan or arrangement that occurs among related parties 
that has a principal purpose of avoiding the rules applicable to 
certain banks and registered securities dealers in Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(2) 
(base erosion percentage test for banks and registered securities 
dealers) or Sec.  1.59A-5(c)(2) (increased base erosion and anti-abuse 
tax rate for banks and registered securities dealers) is not taken into 
account for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(2) or Sec.  1.59A-5(c)(2).
    (c) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of 
paragraph (b) of this section. For purposes of all of the examples, 
assume that FP, a foreign corporation, owns all the stock of DC, a 
domestic corporation and an applicable taxpayer and that none of the 
foreign corporations are subject to federal income taxation with 
respect to income that is, or is treated as, effectively connected with 
the conduct of a trade or business in the United States under an 
applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code or regulations 
thereunder. Also assume that all payments occur in a taxable year 
beginning after December 31, 2017.

    (1) Example 1: Substitution of payments that are not base 
erosion payments for payments that otherwise would be base erosion 
payments through a conduit or intermediary. (i) Facts. FP owns 
Property 1 with a fair market value of $95x, which FP intends to 
transfer to DC. A payment from DC to FP for Property 1 would be a 
base erosion payment. Corp A is a domestic corporation that is not a 
related party with respect to DC. As part of a plan with a principal 
purpose of avoiding a base erosion payment, FP enters into an 
arrangement with Corp A to transfer Property 1 to Corp A in exchange 
for $95x. Pursuant to the same plan, Corp A transfers Property 1 to 
DC in exchange for $100x. Property 1 is subject to the allowance for 
depreciation (or amortization in lieu of depreciation) in the hands 
of DC.
    (ii) Analysis. The arrangement between FP, DC, and Corp A is 
deemed to result in a $95x base erosion payment under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section because DC's payment to Corp A would have 
been a base erosion payment if paid to a foreign related person, and 
Corp A makes a corresponding payment to FP as part of the series of 
transactions that has as a principal purpose avoiding a base erosion 
payment.
    (2) Example 2: Alternative transaction to base erosion payment. 
(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this 
section (the facts in Example 1), except that DC does not purchase 
Property 1 from FP or Corp A. Instead, DC purchases Property 2 from 
Corp B, a domestic corporation that is not a related party with 
respect to DC and that originally produced or acquired Property 2 
for Corp B's own account. Property 2 is substantially similar to 
Property 1, and DC uses Property 2 in substantially the same manner 
that DC would have used Property 1.
    (ii) Analysis. Paragraph (b)(1) of this section does not apply 
to the transaction between DC and Corp B because Corp B does not 
make a corresponding payment to or for the benefit of FP as part of 
a transaction, plan or arrangement.
    (3) Example 3: Alternative financing source. (i) Facts. On Date 
1, FP loaned $200x to DC in exchange for Note A. DC pays or accrues 
interest annually on Note A, and the payment or accrual is a base 
erosion payment within the meaning of Sec.  1.59A-3(b)(1)(i). On 
Date 2, DC borrows $200x from Bank, a corporation that is not a 
related party with respect to DC, in exchange for Note B. The terms 
of Note B are substantially similar to the terms of Note A. DC uses 
the proceeds from Note B to repay Note A.
    (ii) Analysis. Paragraph (b)(1) of this section does not apply 
to the transaction between DC and Bank because Bank does not make a 
corresponding payment to or for the benefit of FP as part of the 
series of transactions.
    (4) Example 4: Alternative financing source that is a conduit. 
(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this 
section (the facts in Example 3) except that in

[[Page 65990]]

addition, with a principal purpose of avoiding a base erosion 
payment, and as part of the same plan or arrangement as the Note B 
transaction, FP deposits $250x with Bank. The difference between the 
interest rate paid by Bank to FP on FP's deposit and the interest 
rate paid by DC to Bank is less than one percentage point. The 
interest rate charged by Bank to DC would have differed absent the 
deposit by FP.
    (ii) Analysis. The transactions between FP, DC, and Bank are 
deemed to result in a base erosion payment under paragraph (b)(1) of 
this section because DC's payment to Bank would have been a base 
erosion payment if paid to a foreign related person, and Bank makes 
a corresponding payment to FP as part of the series of transactions 
that has as a principal purpose avoiding a base erosion payment. See 
Rev. Rul. 87-89, 1987-2 C.B. 195, Situation 3.
    (5) Example 5: Transactions to increase the amount of deductions 
taken into account in the denominator of the base erosion percentage 
computation. (i) Facts. With a principal purpose of increasing the 
deductions taken into account by DC for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-
2(e)(3)(i)(B), DC enters into a long position with respect to Asset 
with Financial Institution 1 and simultaneously enters into a short 
position with respect to Asset with Financial Institution 2. 
Financial Institution 1 and Financial Institution 2 are not related 
to DC and are not related to each other.
    (ii) Analysis. Paragraph (b)(2) of this section applies and the 
transactions between DC and Financial Institution 1 and DC and 
Financial Institution 2. These transactions are not taken into 
account for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(i)(B) because the 
transactions have a principal purpose of increasing the deductions 
taken into account for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3)(i)(B).


Sec.  1.59A-10   Applicability date.

    Sections 1.59A-1 through 1.59A-9 apply to taxable years beginning 
after December 31, 2017.
0
Par. 3. Section 1.383-1 is amended by adding two sentences at the end 
of paragraph (d)(3)(i) to read as follows:


Sec.  1.383-1  Special limitations on certain capital losses and excess 
credits.

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (3) * * *
    (i) * * * The application of section 59A is not a limitation 
contained in subtitle A for purposes of this paragraph (d)(3)(i). 
Therefore, the treatment of pre-change losses and pre-change credits in 
the computation of the base erosion minimum tax amount will not affect 
whether such losses or credits result in absorption of the section 382 
limitation and the section 383 credit limitation.
* * * * *
0
Par. 4. Section 1.1502-2 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1502-2  Computation of tax liability.

    (a) Taxes imposed. The tax liability of a group for a consolidated 
return year is determined by adding together--
    (1) The tax imposed by section 11(a) in the amount described in 
section 11(b) on the consolidated taxable income for the year (reduced 
by the taxable income of a member described in paragraphs (a)(5) 
through (8) of this section);
    (2) The tax imposed by section 541 on the consolidated 
undistributed personal holding company income;
    (3) If paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply, the 
aggregate of the taxes imposed by section 541 on the separate 
undistributed personal holding company income of the members which are 
personal holding companies;
    (4) If neither paragraph (a)(2) nor (3) of this section apply, the 
tax imposed by section 531 on the consolidated accumulated taxable 
income (see Sec.  1.1502-43);
    (5) The tax imposed by section 594(a) in lieu of the taxes imposed 
by section 11 on the taxable income of a life insurance department of 
the common parent of a group which is a mutual savings bank;
    (6) The tax imposed by section 801 on consolidated life insurance 
company taxable income;
    (7) The tax imposed by section 831(a) on consolidated insurance 
company taxable income of the members which are subject to such tax;
    (8) Any increase in tax described in section 1351(d)(1) (relating 
to recoveries of foreign expropriation losses); and
    (9) The tax imposed by section 59A on base erosion payments of 
taxpayers with substantial gross receipts.
    (b) Credits. A group is allowed as a credit against the taxes 
described in paragraph (a) (except for paragraph (a)(9) of this 
section) of this section: the general business credit under section 38 
(see Sec.  1.1502-3), the foreign tax credit under section 27 (see 
Sec.  1.1502-4), and any other applicable credits provided under the 
Internal Revenue Code. Any increase in tax due to the recapture of a 
tax credit will be taken into account. See section 59A and the 
regulations thereunder for credits allowed against the tax described in 
paragraph (a)(9) of this section.
    (c) Allocation of dollar amounts. For purposes of this section, if 
a member or members of the consolidated group are also members of a 
controlled group that includes corporations that are not members of the 
consolidated group, any dollar amount described in any section of the 
Internal Revenue Code is apportioned among all members of the 
controlled group in accordance with the provisions of the applicable 
section and the regulations thereunder.
    (d) Applicability date--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) 
of this section, this section applies to any consolidated return year 
for which the due date of the income tax return (without regard to 
extensions) is on or after the date of publication of the Treasury 
Decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the Federal 
Register.
    (2) Paragraph (a)(9) of this section applies to consolidated return 
years beginning after December 31, 2017.
0
Par.5. Section 1.1502-4 is amended by revising paragraph (d)(3) to read 
as follows:


Sec.  1.1502-4  Consolidated foreign tax credit.

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (3) Computation of tax against which credit is taken. The tax 
against which the limiting fraction under section 904(a) is applied 
will be the consolidated tax liability of the group determined under 
Sec.  1.1502-2, but without regard to paragraphs (a)(2), (3), (4), (8), 
and (9) of that section, and without regard to any credit against such 
liability.
* * * * *
0
Par.6. Section 1.1502-43 is amended by revising paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) 
to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1502-43  Consolidated accumulated earnings tax.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (2) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (A) The consolidated liability for tax determined without Sec.  
1.1502-2(a)(2) through (a)(4), and without the foreign tax credit 
provided by section 27, over
* * * * *
0
Par.7. Section 1.1502-47 is amended by revising paragraph (f)(7)(iii) 
to read as follows.


Sec.  1.1502-47  Consolidated returns by life-nonlife groups.

* * * * *
    (f) * * *
    (7) * * *
    (iii) Any taxes described in Sec.  1.1502-2 (other than by 
paragraphs (a)(1) and (d)(6) of that section).
* * * * *
0
Par.8. Section 1.1502-59A is added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.1502-59A  Application of section 59A to consolidated groups.

    (a) Scope. This section provides rules for the application of 
section 59A and the regulations thereunder (the section

[[Page 65991]]

59A regulations, see Sec. Sec.  1.59A-1 through 1.59A-10) to 
consolidated groups and their members (as defined in Sec.  1.1502-1(h) 
and (b), respectively). Rules in the section 59A regulations apply to 
consolidated groups except as modified in this section. Paragraph (b) 
of this section provides rules treating a consolidated group (rather 
than each member of the group) as a single taxpayer, and a single 
applicable taxpayer, as relevant, for certain purposes. Paragraph (c) 
of this section coordinates the application of the business interest 
stacking rule under Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) to consolidated groups. 
Paragraph (d) of this section addresses how the base erosion minimum 
tax amount is allocated among members of the consolidated group. 
Paragraph (e) of this section sets forth definitions. Paragraph (f) of 
this section provides examples. Paragraph (g) of this section provides 
the applicability date and a transition rule.
    (b) Consolidated group as the applicable taxpayer--(1) In general. 
For purposes of determining whether the consolidated group is an 
applicable taxpayer (within the meaning of Sec.  1.59A-2(b)) and the 
amount of tax due pursuant to section 59A(a), all members of a 
consolidated group are treated as a single taxpayer. Thus, for example, 
members' deductions are aggregated in making the required computations 
under section 59A. In addition, items resulting from intercompany 
transactions (as defined in Sec.  1.1502-13(b)(1)(i)) are disregarded 
for purposes of making the required computations. For example, 
additional depreciation deductions resulting from intercompany asset 
sales are not taken into account for purposes of applying the base 
erosion percentage test under Sec.  1.59A-2(e).
    (2) Consolidated group as member of the aggregate group. The 
consolidated group is treated as a single member of an aggregate group 
for purposes of Sec.  1.59A-2(c).
    (3) Related party determination. For purposes of section 59A and 
the section 59A regulations, if a person is a related party with 
respect to any member of a consolidated group, that person is a related 
party of the group and of each of its members.
    (c) Coordination of section 59A(c)(3) and section 163(j) in a 
consolidated group--(1) Overview. This paragraph (c) provides rules 
regarding the application of Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4) to a consolidated 
group's section 163(j) interest deduction. The classification rule in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section addresses how to determine if, and to 
what extent, the group's section 163(j) interest deduction is a base 
erosion tax benefit. These regulations contain a single-entity 
classification rule with regard to the deduction of the consolidated 
group's aggregate current year business interest expense (``BIE''), but 
a separate-entity classification rule for the deduction of the 
consolidated group's disallowed BIE carryforwards. Paragraph (c)(3) of 
this section classifies the group's aggregate current year BIE 
deduction, in conformity with Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4), as constituting 
domestic related current year BIE deduction, foreign related current 
year BIE deduction, or unrelated current year BIE deduction. The 
allocation rules in paragraph (c)(4) of this section then allocate to 
specific members of the group the domestic related current year BIE 
deduction, foreign related current year BIE deduction, and unrelated 
current year BIE deduction taken in the taxable year. Any member's 
current year BIE that is carried forward to the succeeding taxable year 
as a disallowed BIE carryforward is allocated a status as domestic 
related BIE carryforward, foreign related BIE carryforward, or 
unrelated BIE carryforward under paragraph (c)(5) of this section. The 
status of any disallowed BIE carryforward deducted by a member in a 
later year is classified on a separate-entity basis by the deducting 
member under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, based on the status 
allocated to the member's disallowed BIE carryforward under paragraph 
(c)(5) of this section. This paragraph (c) also provides rules 
regarding the consequences of the deconsolidation of a corporation that 
has been allocated a domestic related BIE carryforward status, a 
foreign related BIE carryforward status, or an unrelated BIE 
carryforward status; and the consolidation of a corporation with a 
disallowed BIE carryforward classified as from payments to a domestic 
related party, foreign related party, or unrelated party.
    (2) Absorption rule for the group's business interest expense. To 
determine the amount of the group's section 163(j) interest deduction, 
and to determine the year in which the member's business interest 
expense giving rise to the deduction was incurred or accrued, see 
Sec. Sec.  1.163(j)-4(d) and 1.163(j)-5(b)(3).
    (3) Classification of the group's section 163(j) interest 
deduction--(i) In general. Consistent with Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(4)(i) and 
paragraph (b) of this section, the classification rule of this 
paragraph (c)(3) determines whether the consolidated group's section 
163(j) interest deduction is a base erosion tax benefit. To the extent 
the consolidated group's business interest expense is permitted as a 
deduction under section 163(j)(1) in a taxable year, the deduction is 
classified first as from business interest expense paid or accrued to a 
foreign related party and business interest expense paid or accrued to 
a domestic related party (on a pro-rata basis); any remaining deduction 
is treated as from business interest expense paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party.
    (ii) Year-by-year application of the classification rule. If the 
consolidated group's section 163(j) interest deduction in any taxable 
year is attributable to business interest expense paid or accrued in 
more than one taxable year (for example, the group deducts the group's 
aggregate current year BIE, the group's disallowed BIE carryforward 
from year 1, and the group's disallowed BIE carryforward from year 2), 
the classification rule in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section applies 
separately to each of those years, pursuant to paragraphs (c)(3)(iii) 
and (iv) of this section.
    (iii) Classification of current year BIE deductions. Current year 
BIE deductions are classified under the section 59A regulations and 
this paragraph (c) as if the consolidated group were a single taxpayer 
that had paid or accrued the group's aggregate current year BIE to 
domestic related parties, foreign related parties, and unrelated 
parties. The rules of paragraph (c)(4) of this section apply for 
allocating current year BIE deductions among members of the 
consolidated group. To the extent the consolidated group's aggregate 
current year BIE exceeds its section 163(j) limitation, the rules of 
paragraph (c)(5) of this section apply.
    (iv) Classification of deductions of disallowed BIE carryforwards. 
Each member of the group applies the classification rule in this 
paragraph (c)(3) to its deduction of any part of a disallowed BIE 
carryforward from a year, after the group applies paragraph (c)(5) of 
this section to the consolidated group's disallowed BIE carryforward 
from that year. Therefore, disallowed BIE carryforward that is actually 
deducted by a member is classified based on the status of the 
components of that carryforward, assigned pursuant to paragraph (c)(5) 
of this section.
    (4) Allocation of domestic related current year BIE deduction 
status and foreign related current year BIE deduction status among 
members of the consolidated group--(i) In general. This paragraph 
(c)(4) applies if the group has domestic related current year BIE 
deductions, foreign related current year BIE deductions, or both, as a 
result of the application of the classification rule in paragraph 
(c)(3) of this section. Under this paragraph (c)(4), the domestic

[[Page 65992]]

related current year BIE, foreign related current year BIE, or both, 
that is treated as deducted in the current year are deemed to have been 
incurred pro-rata by all members that have current year BIE deduction 
in that year, regardless of which member or members actually incurred 
the current year BIE to a domestic related party or a foreign related 
party.
    (ii) Domestic related current year BIE deduction--(A) Amount of 
domestic related current year BIE deduction status allocable to a 
member. The amount of domestic related current year BIE deduction 
status that is allocated to a member is determined by multiplying the 
group's domestic related current year BIE deduction (determined 
pursuant to paragraph (c)(3) of this section) by the percentage of 
current year BIE deduction allocable to such member in that year.
    (B) Percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable to a member. 
The percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable to a member is 
equal to the amount of the member's current year BIE deduction divided 
by the amount of the group's aggregate current year BIE deduction.
    (iii) Amount of foreign related current year BIE deduction status 
allocable to a member. The amount of foreign related current year BIE 
deduction status that is allocated to a member is determined by 
multiplying the group's foreign related current year BIE deduction 
(determined pursuant to paragraph (c)(3) of this section) by the 
percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable to such member 
(defined in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section).
    (iv) Treatment of amounts as having unrelated current year BIE 
deduction status. To the extent the amount of a member's current year 
BIE that is absorbed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section exceeds the 
domestic related current year BIE deduction status and foreign related 
current year BIE deduction status allocated to the member under 
paragraph (c)(4)(ii) and (iii) of this section, such excess amount is 
treated as from payments or accruals to an unrelated party.
    (5) Allocation of domestic related BIE carryforward status and 
foreign related BIE carryforward status to members of the group--(i) In 
general. This paragraph (c)(5) applies in any year the consolidated 
group's aggregate current year BIE exceeds its section 163(j) 
limitation. After the application of paragraph (c)(4) of this section, 
any remaining domestic related current year BIE, foreign related 
current year BIE, and unrelated current year BIE is deemed to have been 
incurred pro-rata by members of the group pursuant to the rules in 
paragraph (c)(5)(ii), (iii), and (iv) of this section, regardless of 
which member or members actually incurred the business interest expense 
to a domestic related party, foreign related party, or unrelated party.
    (ii) Domestic related BIE carryforward--(A) Amount of domestic 
related BIE carryforward status allocable to a member. The amount of 
domestic related BIE carryforward status that is allocated to a member 
equals the group's domestic related BIE carryforward from that year 
multiplied by the percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward allocable 
to the member.
    (B) Percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward allocable to a 
member. The percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward allocable to a 
member for a taxable year equals the member's disallowed BIE 
carryforward from that year divided by the consolidated group's 
disallowed BIE carryforwards from that year.
    (iii) Amount of foreign related BIE carryforward status allocable 
to a member. The amount of foreign related BIE carryforward status that 
is allocated to a member equals the group's foreign related BIE 
carryforward from that year multiplied by the percentage of disallowed 
BIE carryforward allocable to the member (as defined in paragraph 
(c)(5)(ii)(B) of this section).
    (iv) Treatment of amounts as having unrelated BIE carryforward 
status. If a member's disallowed BIE carryforward for a year exceeds 
the amount of domestic related BIE carryforward status and foreign 
related BIE carryforward status that is allocated to the member 
pursuant to paragraphs (c)(5)(ii) and (iii) of this section, 
respectively, the excess carryforward amount is treated as from 
payments or accruals to an unrelated party.
    (v) Coordination with section 381. If a disallowed BIE carryforward 
is allocated a status as a domestic related BIE carryforward, foreign 
related BIE carryforward, or unrelated BIE carryforward under the 
allocation rule of paragraph (c)(5) of this section, the acquiring 
corporation in a transaction described in section 381(a) will succeed 
to and take into account the allocated status of the carryforward for 
purposes of section 59A. See Sec.  1.381(c)(20)-1.
    (6) Member deconsolidates from a consolidated group. When a member 
deconsolidates from a group (the original group), the member's 
disallowed BIE carryforwards retain their allocated status, pursuant to 
paragraph (c)(5) of this section, as a domestic related BIE 
carryforward, foreign related BIE carryforward, or unrelated BIE 
carryforward (as applicable). Following the member's deconsolidation, 
no other member of the original group is treated as possessing the 
domestic related BIE carryforward status, foreign related BIE 
carryforward status, or unrelated BIE carryforward status that is 
carried forward by the departing member.
    (7) Corporation joins a consolidated group. If a corporation joins 
a consolidated group (the acquiring group), and that corporation was 
allocated a domestic related BIE carryforward status, foreign related 
BIE carryforward status, or unrelated BIE carryforward status pursuant 
to paragraph (c)(5) of this section from another consolidated group 
(the original group), or separately has a disallowed BIE carryforward 
that is classified as from payments or accruals to a domestic related 
party, foreign related party, or unrelated party, the status of the 
carryforward is taken into account in determining the acquiring group's 
base erosion tax benefit when the corporation's disallowed BIE 
carryforward is absorbed.
    (d) Allocation of the base erosion minimum tax amount to members of 
the consolidated group. For rules regarding the allocation of the base 
erosion minimum tax amount, see section 1552. Allocations under section 
1552 take into account the classification and allocation provisions of 
paragraphs (c)(3) through (5) of this section.
    (e) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this section--
    (1) Aggregate current year BIE. The consolidated group's aggregate 
current year BIE is the aggregate of all members' current year BIE.
    (2) Aggregate current year BIE deduction. The consolidated group's 
aggregate current year BIE deduction is the aggregate of all members' 
current year BIE deductions.
    (3) Applicable taxpayer. The term applicable taxpayer has the 
meaning provided in Sec.  1.59A-2(b).
    (4) Base erosion minimum tax amount. The consolidated group's base 
erosion minimum tax amount is the tax imposed under section 59A.
    (5) Base erosion tax benefit. The term base erosion tax benefit has 
the meaning provided in Sec.  1.59A-3(c)(1).
    (6) Business interest expense. The term business interest expense, 
with respect to a member and a taxable year, has the meaning provided 
in Sec.  1.163(j)-1(b)(2), and with respect to a consolidated group and 
a taxable year, has the meaning provided in Sec.  1.163(j)-
4(d)(2)(iii).

[[Page 65993]]

    (7) Consolidated group's disallowed BIE carryforwards. The term 
consolidated group's disallowed BIE carryforwards has the meaning 
provided in Sec.  1.163(j)-5(b)(3)(i).
    (8) Current year BIE. A member's current year BIE is the member's 
business interest expense that would be deductible in the current 
taxable year without regard to section 163(j) and that is not a 
disallowed business interest expense carryforward from a prior taxable 
year.
    (9) Current year BIE deduction. A member's current year BIE 
deduction is the member's current year BIE that is permitted as a 
deduction in the taxable year.
    (10) Domestic related BIE carryforward. The consolidated group's 
domestic related BIE carryforward for any taxable year is the excess of 
the group's domestic related current year BIE over the group's domestic 
related current year BIE deduction (if any).
    (11) Domestic related current year BIE. The consolidated group's 
domestic related current year BIE for any taxable year is the 
consolidated group's aggregate current year BIE paid or accrued to a 
domestic related party.
    (12) Domestic related current year BIE deduction. The consolidated 
group's domestic related current year BIE deduction for any taxable 
year is the portion of the group's aggregate current year BIE deduction 
classified as from interest paid or accrued to a domestic related party 
under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.
    (13) Domestic related party. A domestic related party is a related 
party that is not a foreign related party and is not a member of the 
same consolidated group.
    (14) Disallowed BIE carryforward. The term disallowed BIE 
carryforward has the meaning provided in Sec.  1.163(j)-1(b)(9).
    (15) Foreign related BIE carryforward. The consolidated group's 
foreign related BIE carryforward for any taxable year, is the excess of 
the group's foreign related current year BIE over the group's foreign 
related current year BIE deduction (if any).
    (16) Foreign related current year BIE. The consolidated group's 
foreign related current year BIE for any taxable year is the 
consolidated group's aggregate current year BIE paid or accrued to a 
foreign related party.
    (17) Foreign related current year BIE deduction. The consolidated 
group's foreign related current year BIE deduction for any taxable year 
is the portion of the consolidated group's aggregate current year BIE 
deduction classified as from interest paid or accrued to a foreign 
related party under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.
    (18) Foreign related party. A foreign related party has the meaning 
provided in Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(12).
    (19) Related party. The term related party has the meaning provided 
in Sec.  1.59A-1(b)(17), but excludes members of the same consolidated 
group.
    (20) Section 163(j) interest deduction. The term section 163(j) 
interest deduction means, with respect to a taxable year, the amount of 
the consolidated group's business interest expense permitted as a 
deduction pursuant to Sec.  1.163(j)-5(b)(3) in the taxable year.
    (21) Section 163(j) limitation. The term section 163(j) limitation 
has the meaning provided in Sec.  1.163(j)-1(b)(31).
    (22) Unrelated BIE carryforward. The consolidated group's unrelated 
BIE carryforward for any taxable year is the excess of the group's 
unrelated current year BIE over the group's unrelated current year BIE 
deduction.
    (23) Unrelated current year BIE. The consolidated group's unrelated 
current year BIE for any taxable year is the consolidated group's 
aggregate current year BIE paid or accrued to an unrelated party.
    (24) Unrelated current year BIE deduction. The consolidated group's 
unrelated current year BIE deduction for any taxable year is the 
portion of the group's aggregate current year BIE deduction classified 
as from interest paid or accrued to an unrelated party under paragraph 
(c)(3) of this section.
    (25) Unrelated party. An unrelated party is a party that is not a 
related party.
    (f) Examples. The following examples illustrate the general 
application of this section. For purposes of the examples, a foreign 
corporation (FP) wholly owns domestic corporation (P), which in turn 
wholly owns S1 and S2. P, S1, and S2 are members of a consolidated 
group. The consolidated group is a calendar year taxpayer.

    (1) Example 1: Computation of the consolidated group's base 
erosion minimum tax amount. (i) The consolidated group is the 
applicable taxpayer. (A) Facts. The members have never engaged in 
intercompany transactions. For the 2019 taxable year, P, S1, and S2 
were permitted the following amounts of deductions (within the 
meaning of section 59A(c)(4)), $2,400x, $1,000x, and $2,600x; those 
deductions include base erosion tax benefits of $180x, $370x, and 
$230x. The group's consolidated taxable income for the year is 
$150x. In addition, the group satisfies the gross receipts test in 
Sec.  1.59A-2(d).
    (B) Analysis. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, the 
receipts and deductions of P, S1, and S2 are aggregated for purposes 
of making the computations under section 59A. The group's base 
erosion percentage is 13% (($180x + $370x + $230x)/($2,400x + 
$1,000x + $2,600x)). The consolidated group is an applicable 
taxpayer under Sec.  1.59A-2(b) because the group satisfies the 
gross receipts test and the group's base erosion percentage (13%) is 
higher than 3%. The consolidated group's modified taxable income is 
computed by adding back the members' base erosion tax benefits (and, 
when the consolidated group has consolidated net operating loss 
available for deduction, the consolidated net operating loss allowed 
times base erosion percentage) to the consolidated taxable income, 
$930x ($150x + $180x + $370x + $230x). The group's base erosion 
minimum tax amount is then computed as 10 percent of the modified 
taxable income less the regular tax liability, $61.5x ($930x x 10%-
$150x x 21%).
    (ii) The consolidated group engages in intercompany 
transactions. (A) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph 
(f)(1)(i)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 1(i)), except 
that S1 sold various inventory items to S2 during 2019. Such items 
are depreciable in the hands of S2 (but would not have been 
depreciable in the hands of S1) and continued to be owned by S2 
during 2019.
    (B) Analysis. The result is the same as paragraph (f)(1)(i)(A) 
of this section (the facts in Example 1(i)). Pursuant to paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section, items resulting from the intercompany sale 
(for example, gross receipts, depreciation deductions) are not taken 
into account in computing the group's gross receipts under Sec.  
1.59A-2(d) and base erosion percentage under Sec.  1.59A-2(e)(3).

    (2) Example 2: Business interest expense subject to section 
163(j) and the group's domestic related current year BIE and foreign 
related current year BIE for the year equals its section 163(j) 
limitation. (i) Facts. During the current year (Year 1), P incurred 
$150x of business interest expense to domestic related parties; S1 
incurred $150x of business interest expense to foreign related 
parties; and S2 incurred $150x of business interest expense to 
unrelated parties. The group's section 163(j) limitation for the 
year is $300x. After applying the rules in Sec.  1.163(j)-5(b)(3), 
the group deducts $150x of P's Year 1 business interest expense, and 
$75x each of S1 and S2's Year 1 business interest expense. Assume 
the group is an applicable taxpayer for purposes of section 59A.
    (ii) Analysis--(A) Application of the absorption rule in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Following the rules in section 
163(j), the group's section 163(j) interest deduction for Year 1 is 
$300x, and the entire amount is from members' Year 1 business 
interest expense.
    (B) Application of the classification rule in paragraph (c)(3) 
of this section. Under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the group's 
aggregate current year BIE deduction of $300x is first classified as 
payments or accruals to related parties (pro-rata among domestic 
related parties and foreign related parties), and second as payments 
or accruals to unrelated parties. For Year 1, the group has $150x of 
domestic related current year BIE and $150x of foreign related 
current year BIE, and the group's aggregate current year

[[Page 65994]]

BIE deduction will be classified equally among the related party 
expenses. Therefore, $150x of the group's deduction is classified as 
domestic related current year BIE deduction and $150x is classified 
as a foreign related current year BIE deduction.
    (C) Application of the allocation rule in paragraph (c)(4) of 
this section. After the application of the classification rule in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the group has $150x each of 
domestic related current year BIE deduction and foreign related 
current year BIE deduction from the group's aggregate current year 
BIE in Year 1. The domestic related current year BIE deduction and 
foreign related current year BIE deduction will be allocated to P, 
S1, and S2 based on each member's deduction of its Year 1 business 
interest expense.
    (1) Allocations to P. The percentage of current year BIE 
deduction attributable to P is 50% (P's deduction of its Year 1 
current year BIE, $150x, divided by the group's aggregate current 
year BIE deduction for Year 1, $300x). Thus, the amount of domestic 
related current year BIE deduction status allocated to P is $75x 
(the group's domestic related current year BIE deduction, $150x, 
multiplied by the percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable 
to P, 50%); and the amount of foreign related current year BIE 
deduction status allocated to P is $75x (the group's foreign related 
current year BIE deduction, $150x, multiplied by the percentage of 
current year BIE deduction allocable to P, 50%).
    (2) Allocations to S1 and S2. The percentage of current year BIE 
deduction attributable to S1 is 25% (S1's deduction of its Year 1 
current year BIE, $75x, divided by the group's aggregate current 
year BIE deduction for Year 1, $300x). Thus, the amount of domestic 
related current year BIE deduction status allocated to S1 is $37.5x 
(the group's domestic related current year BIE deduction, $150x, 
multiplied by the percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable 
to S1, 25%); and the amount of foreign related current year BIE 
deduction status allocated to S1 is $37.5x (the group's foreign 
related current year BIE deduction, $150x, multiplied by the 
percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable to S1, 25%). 
Because S2 also deducted $75 of its Year 1 current year BIE, S2's 
deductions are allocated the same pro-rata status as those of S1 
under this paragraph (f)(2)(ii)(C)(2).
    (D) Application of the allocation rule in paragraph (c)(5) of 
this section. Although the group will have disallowed BIE 
carryforwards after Year 1 (the group's aggregate current year BIE 
of $450x ($150x + $150x + $150x) exceeds the section 163(j) 
limitation of $300x), all of the domestic related current year BIE 
and foreign related current year BIE in Year 1 has been taken into 
account pursuant to the classification rule in paragraph (c)(3) of 
this section. Thus, under paragraph (c)(5)(iv) of this section, each 
member's disallowed BIE carryforward is treated as from payments or 
accruals to unrelated parties.
    (3) Example 3: Business interest expense subject to section 
163(j). (i) The group's domestic related current year BIE and 
foreign related current year BIE for the year exceeds its section 
163(j) limitation. (A) Facts. During the current year (Year 1), P 
incurred $60x of business interest expense to domestic related 
parties; S1 incurred $40x of business interest expense to foreign 
related parties; and S2 incurred $80x of business interest expense 
to unrelated parties. The group's section 163(j) limitation for the 
year is $60x. After applying the rules in Sec.  1.163(j)-5(b)(3), 
the group deducts $20x each of P, S1, and S2's current year business 
interest expense. Assume the group is an applicable taxpayer for 
purposes of section 59A.
    (B) Analysis--(1) Application of the absorption rule in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Following the rules in section 
163(j), the group's section 163(j) interest deduction is $60x, and 
the entire amount is from members' Year 1 business interest expense.
    (2) Application of the classification rule in paragraph (c)(3) 
of this section. Under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the group's 
$60x of aggregate current year BIE deduction is first classified as 
payments or accruals to related parties (pro-rata among domestic 
related parties and foreign related parties), and second as payments 
or accruals from unrelated parties. The group's total related party 
interest expense in Year 1, $100x (sum of the group's Year 1 
domestic related current year BIE, $60x, and the group's Year 1 
foreign related current year BIE, $40x), exceeds the group's 
aggregate current year BIE deduction of $60x. Thus, the group's 
aggregate current year BIE deduction will be classified, pro-rata, 
as from payments or accruals to domestic related parties and foreign 
related parties. Of the group's aggregate current year BIE deduction 
in Year 1, $36x is classified as a domestic related current year BIE 
deduction (the group's aggregate current year BIE deduction, $60x, 
multiplied by the ratio of domestic related current year BIE over 
the group's total Year 1 related party interest expense ($60x/($60x 
+ $40x))); and $24x of the group's aggregate current year BIE 
deduction is classified as a foreign related current year BIE 
deduction (the group's section 163(j) interest deduction, $60x, 
multiplied by the ratio of foreign related current year BIE over the 
group's total Year 1 related party interest expense ($40x/($60x + 
$40x))).
    (3) Application of the allocation rule in paragraph (c)(4) of 
this section. After the application of the classification rule in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the group has $36x of domestic 
related current year BIE deduction and $24x of foreign related 
current year BIE deduction from the group's aggregate current year 
BIE in Year 1. The domestic related current year BIE deduction and 
foreign related current year BIE deduction will be allocated to P, 
S1, and S2 based on each member's current year BIE deduction in Year 
1.
    (i) Allocation of the group's domestic related current year BIE 
deduction status. Because each member is deducting $20x of its Year 
1 business interest expense, all three members have the same 
percentage of current year BIE deduction attributable to them. The 
percentage of current year BIE deduction attributable to each of P, 
S1, and S2 is 33.33% (each member's current year BIE deduction in 
Year 1, $20x, divided by the group's aggregate current year BIE 
deduction for Year 1, $60x). Thus, the amount of domestic related 
current year BIE deduction status allocable to each member is $12x 
(the group's domestic related current year BIE deduction, $36x, 
multiplied by the percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable 
to each member, 33.33%).
    (ii) Allocations of the group's foreign related current year BIE 
deduction status. The amount of foreign related current year BIE 
deduction status allocable to each member is $8x (the group's 
foreign related current year BIE deduction, $24x, multiplied by the 
percentage of current year BIE deduction allocable to each member, 
33.33%, as computed earlier in paragraph (f)(3) of this section 
(Example 3).
    (4) Application of the allocation rule in paragraph (c)(5) of 
this section. In Year 1 the group has $60x of domestic related 
current year BIE, of which $36x is deducted in the year (by 
operation of the classification rule). Therefore, the group has $24x 
of domestic related BIE carryforward. Similarly, the group has $40x 
of foreign related current year BIE in Year 1, of which $24x is 
deducted in the year. Therefore, the group has $16x of foreign 
related BIE carryforward. The $24x domestic related BIE carryforward 
status and $16x foreign related BIE carryforward status will be 
allocated to P, S1, and S2 in proportion to the amount of each 
member's disallowed BIE carryforward.
    (i) Allocation to P. The percentage of disallowed BIE 
carryforward allocable to P is 33.33% (P's Year 1 disallowed BIE 
carryforward, $40x ($60x - $20x), divided by the group's Year 1 
disallowed BIE carryforward, $120x ($60x + $40x + 80x - $60x)). 
Thus, the amount of domestic related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to P is $8x (the group's domestic related BIE 
carryforward, $24x, multiplied by the percentage of disallowed BIE 
carryforward allocable to P, 33.33%); and the amount of foreign 
related BIE carryforward status allocated to P is $5.33x (the 
group's foreign related BIE carryforward, $16x, multiplied by the 
percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward allocable to P, 33.33%). 
Under paragraph (c)(5)(iv) of this section, P's disallowed BIE 
carryforward that has not been allocated a status as either a 
domestic related BIE carryforward or a foreign related BIE 
carryforward will be treated as interest paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party. Therefore, $26.67x ($40x P's disallowed BIE 
carryforward - $8x domestic related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to P - $5.33x foreign related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to P) is treated as interest paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party.
    (ii) Allocation to S1. The percentage of disallowed BIE 
carryforward allocable to S1 is 16.67% (S1's Year 1 disallowed BIE 
carryforward, $20x ($40x - $20x), divided by the group's Year 1 
disallowed BIE carryforward, $120x ($60x + $40x + 80x - $60x). Thus, 
the amount of domestic related BIE carryforward status allocated to 
S1 is $4x (the group's domestic related BIE carryforward, $24x, 
multiplied by the percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward 
allocable to S1, 16.67%); and the amount of foreign related BIE 
carryforward status

[[Page 65995]]

allocated to S1 is $2.67x (the group's foreign related BIE 
carryforward, $16x, multiplied by the percentage of disallowed BIE 
carryforward allocable to S1, 16.67%). Under paragraph (c)(5)(iv) of 
this section, S1's disallowed BIE that has not been allocated a 
status as either a domestic related BIE carryforward or a foreign 
related BIE carryforward will be treated as interest paid or accrued 
to an unrelated party. Therefore, $13.33x ($20x S1's disallowed BIE 
carryforward - $4x domestic related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to S1 - $2.67x foreign related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to S1) is treated as interest paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party.
    (iii) Allocation to S2. The percentage of disallowed BIE 
carryforward allocable to S2 is 50% (S2's Year 1 disallowed BIE 
carryforward, $60x ($80x - $20x), divided by the group's Year 1 
disallowed BIE carryforward, $120x ($60x + $40x + 80x - $60x). Thus, 
the amount of domestic related BIE carryforward status allocated to 
S2 is $12x (the group's domestic related BIE carryforward, $24x, 
multiplied by the percentage of disallowed BIE carryforward 
allocable to S2, 50%); and the amount of foreign related BIE 
carryforward status allocated to S2 is $8x (the group's foreign 
related BIE carryforward, $16x, multiplied by the percentage of 
disallowed BIE carryforward allocable to S2, 50%). Under paragraph 
(c)(5)(iv) of this section, S2's disallowed BIE that has not been 
allocated a status as either a domestic related BIE carryforward or 
a foreign related BIE carryforward will be treated as interest paid 
or accrued to an unrelated party. Therefore, $40x ($60x S2's 
disallowed BIE carryforward - $12x domestic related BIE carryforward 
status allocated to S2 - $8x foreign related BIE carryforward status 
allocated to S2) is treated as interest paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party.
    (ii) The group deducting its disallowed BIE carryforwards. (A) 
Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (f)(3)(i)(A) of this 
section (the facts in Example 3(i)), and in addition, none of the 
members incurs any business interest expense in Year 2. The group's 
section 163(j) limitation for Year 2 is $30x.
    (B) Analysis--(1) Application of the absorption rule in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Following the rules in section 
163(j), each member of the group is deducting $10x of its disallowed 
BIE carryforward from Year 1. Therefore, the group's section 163(j) 
deduction for Year 2 is $30x.
    (2) Application of the classification rule in paragraph (c)(3) 
of this section. Under paragraph (c)(3)(iv) of this section, to the 
extent members are deducting their Year 1 disallowed BIE 
carryforward in Year 2, the classification rule will apply to the 
deduction in Year 2 after the allocation rule in paragraph (c)(5) of 
this section has allocated the related and unrelated party status to 
the member's disallowed BIE carryforward in Year 1. The allocation 
required under paragraph (c)(5) of this section is described in 
paragraph (f)(3)(i)(B)(4) of this section.
    (i) Use of P's allocated domestic related BIE carryforward 
status and foreign related BIE carryforward status. P has $40x of 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward, and P was allocated $8x of 
domestic related BIE carryforward status and $5.33x of foreign 
related BIE carryforward status. In Year 2, P deducts $10x of its 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward. Under the classification rule of 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, P is treated as deducting pro-rata 
from its allocated status of domestic related BIE carryforward and 
foreign related BIE carryforward. Therefore, P is treated as 
deducting $6x of its allocated domestic related BIE carryforward 
($10x x $8x/($8x + $5.33x)), and $4x of its allocated foreign 
related BIE carryforward ($10x x $5.33x/$8x + $5.33x)). After Year 
2, P has remaining $30x of Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward, of 
which $2x has a status of domestic related BIE carryforward, $1.33x 
has the status of foreign related BIE carryforward, and $26.67x of 
interest treated as paid or accrued to unrelated parties.
    (ii) Use of S1's allocated domestic related BIE carryforward 
status and foreign related BIE carryforward status. S1 has $20x of 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward, and S1 was allocated $4x of 
domestic related BIE carryforward status and $2.67x of foreign 
related BIE carryforward status. In Year 2, S2 deducts $10x of its 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward. Because S2's deduction of its 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward, $10x, exceeds its allocated 
domestic related BIE carryforward status ($4x) and foreign related 
BIE carryforward status ($2.67x), all of the allocated related party 
status are used up. After Year 2, all of S1's Year 1 disallowed BIE 
carryforward, $10x, is treated as interest paid or accrued to an 
unrelated party.
    (iii) Use of S2's allocated domestic related BIE carryforward 
status and foreign related BIE carryforward status. S2 has $60x of 
Year 1 disallowed BIE carryforward, and S2 was allocated $12x of 
domestic related BIE carryforward status and $8x of foreign related 
BIE carryforward status. In Year 2, S2 deducts $10x of its Year 1 
disallowed BIE carryforward. Under the classification rule of 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section, S2 is treated as deducting $6x of 
its allocated domestic related BIE carryforward ($10x x $12x/($12x + 
$8x)), and $4x of its allocated foreign related BIE carryforward 
($10x x $8x/$8x + $12x)). After Year 2, P has remaining $50x of Year 
1 disallowed BIE carryforward, of which $6x has a status of domestic 
related BIE carryforward, $4x has the status of foreign related BIE 
carryforward, and $40x of interest treated as paid or accrued to 
unrelated parties.

    (g) Applicability date--(1) In general. Except as provided in this 
paragraph (g), this section applies to taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 2017.
    (2) Application of section 59A if S joins a consolidated group with 
a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2018. If during calendar 
year 2018 a corporation (S) joins a consolidated group during a 
consolidated return year beginning before January 1, 2018, then section 
59A will not apply to S's short taxable year that is included in the 
group's consolidated return year, even though S's short taxable year 
begins after December 31, 2017.
0
Par. 9. Section 1.1502-100 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read 
as follows:


Sec.  1.1502-100   Corporations exempt from tax.

* * * * *
    (b) The tax liability for a consolidated return year of an exempt 
group is the tax imposed by section 511(a) on the consolidated 
unrelated taxable income for the year (determined under paragraph (c) 
of this section), and by allowing the credits provided in Sec.  1.1502-
2(b).
* * * * *
0
Par. 10. Section 1.6038A-1 is amended by adding a sentence to the end 
of paragraph (n)(2) and revising the last sentence of paragraph (n)(3) 
to read as follows:


Sec.  1.6038A-1   General requirements and definitions.

* * * * *
    (n) * * *
    (2) * * * Section 1.6038A-2(a)(3), (b)(6), and (b)(7) apply for 
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
    (3) * * * For taxable years ending on or before December 31, 2017, 
see Sec.  1.6038A-4 as contained in 26 CFR part 1 revised as of April 
1, 2018.
* * * * *
0
Par. 11. Section 1.6038A-2 is amended by
0
1. Revising the headings for paragraphs (a) and (a)(1).
0
2. Revising paragraph (a)(2).
0
3. Adding paragraph (a)(3).
0
4. Revising paragraphs (b)(1)(ii), (b)(2)(iv), and the second sentence 
of paragraph (b)(3).
0
5. Redesignating paragraphs (b)(6) through (b)(9) as paragraphs (b)(8) 
through (b)(11).
0
6. Adding new paragraphs (b)(6) and (7).
0
7. Revising paragraph (c) and the first sentence of paragraph (d).
0
8. Removing the language ``Paragraph (b)(8)'' from the second sentence 
of paragraph (g) and adding the language ``Paragraph (b)(10)'' in its 
place.
0
9. Adding two sentences to the end of paragraph (g).
    The revisions and additions read as follows:


Sec.  1.6038A-2   Requirement of return.

    (a) Forms required. (1) Form 5472. * * *
    (2) Reportable transaction. A reportable transaction is any 
transaction of the types listed in paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this 
section, and, in the case of a reporting corporation that is an 
applicable taxpayer, as defined under Sec.  1.59A-2(b), any other 
arrangement

[[Page 65996]]

that, to prevent avoidance of the purposes of section 59A, is 
identified on Form 5472 as a reportable transaction. However, except as 
the Secretary may prescribe otherwise for an applicable taxpayer, the 
transaction is not a reportable transaction if neither party to the 
transaction is a United States person as defined in section 7701(a)(30) 
(which, for purposes of section 6038A, includes an entity that is a 
reporting corporation as a result of being treated as a corporation 
under Sec.  301.7701-2(c)(2)(vi) of this chapter) and the transaction--
    (i) Will not generate in any taxable year gross income from sources 
within the United States or income effectively connected, or treated as 
effectively connected, with the conduct of a trade or business within 
the United States, and
    (ii) Will not generate in any taxable year any expense, loss, or 
other deduction that is allocable or apportionable to such income.
    (3) Form 8991. Each reporting corporation that is an applicable 
taxpayer, as defined under Sec.  1.59A-2(b), must make an annual 
information return on Form 8991. The obligation of an applicable 
taxpayer to report on Form 8991 does not depend on applicability of tax 
under section 59A or obligation to file Form 5472.
    (b) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) The name, address, and U.S. taxpayer identification number, if 
applicable, of all its direct and indirect foreign shareholders (for an 
indirect 25-percent foreign shareholder, explain the attribution of 
ownership); whether any 25-percent foreign shareholder is a surrogate 
foreign corporation under section 7874(a)(2)(B) or a member of an 
expanded affiliated group as defined in section 7874(c)(1); each 
country in which each 25-percent foreign shareholder files an income 
tax return as a resident under the tax laws of that country; the places 
where each 25-percent shareholder conducts its business; and the 
country or countries of organization, citizenship, and incorporation of 
each 25-percent foreign shareholder.
* * * * *
    (2) * * *
    (iv) The relationship of the reporting corporation to the related 
party (including, to the extent the form may prescribe, any 
intermediate relationships).
    (3) * * * The total amount of such transactions, as well as the 
separate amounts for each type of transaction described below, and, to 
the extent the form may prescribe, any further description, 
categorization, or listing of transactions within these types, must be 
reported on Form 5472, in the manner the form prescribes. * * *
* * * * *
    (6) Compilation of reportable transactions across multiple related 
parties. A reporting corporation must, to the extent and in the manner 
Form 5472 may prescribe, include a schedule tabulating information with 
respect to related parties for which the reporting corporation is 
required to file Forms 5472. The schedule will not require information 
(beyond totaling) that is not required for the individual Forms 5472. 
The schedule may include the following:
    (i) The identity and status of the related parties;
    (ii) The reporting corporation's relationship to the related 
parties;
    (iii) The reporting corporation's reportable transactions with the 
related parties; and
    (iv) Other items required to be reported on Form 5472.
    (7) Information on Form 5472 and Form 8991 regarding base erosion 
payments. If any reporting corporation is an applicable taxpayer, as 
defined under Sec.  1.59A-2(b), it must report the information required 
by Form 8991 and by any Form 5472 it is required to file, regarding:
    (i) Determination of whether a taxpayer is an applicable taxpayer;
    (ii) Computation of base erosion minimum tax amount, including 
computation of regular tax liability as adjusted for purposes of 
computing base erosion minimum tax amount;
    (iii) Computation of modified taxable income;
    (iv) Base erosion tax benefits;
    (v) Base erosion percentage calculation;
    (vi) Base erosion payments;
    (vii) Amounts with respect to services as described in Sec.  1.59A-
3(b)(3)(i), including a breakdown of the amount of the total services 
cost and any mark-up component;
    (viii) Arrangements or transactions described in Sec.  1.59A-9;
    (ix) Any qualified derivative payment, including:
    (A) The aggregate amount of qualified derivative payments for the 
taxable year, including as determined by type of derivative contract;
    (B) The identity of each counterparty and the aggregate amount of 
qualified derivative payments made to that counterparty; and
    (C) A representation that all payments satisfy the requirements of 
Sec.  1.59A-6(b)(2), and
    (x) Any other information necessary to carry out section 59A.
* * * * *
    (c) Method of reporting. All statements required on or with the 
Form 5472 or Form 8991 under this section and Sec.  1.6038A-5 must be 
in the English language. All amounts required to be reported under 
paragraph (b) of this section must be expressed in United States 
currency, with a statement of the exchange rates used, and, to the 
extent the forms may require, must indicate the method by which the 
amount of a reportable transaction or item was determined.
    (d) * * * A Form 5472 and Form 8991 required under this section 
must be filed with the reporting corporation's income tax return for 
the taxable year by the due date (including extensions) of that return. 
* * *
* * * * *
    (g) * * * Paragraph (b)(7)(ix) of this section applies to taxable 
years beginning one year after final regulations are published in the 
Federal Register. Before these regulations are applicable, a taxpayer 
will be treated as satisfying the reporting requirement described in 
Sec.  1.59A-6(b)(2) only to the extent that it reports the aggregate 
amount of qualified derivative payments on Form 8991.


Sec.  1.6038A-4   [Amended]

0
Par. 12. For each paragraph listed in the table, remove the language in 
the ``Remove'' column from wherever it appears and add in its place the 
language in the ``Add'' column as set forth below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Section                      Remove            Add
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 1.6038A-4(a)(1).................         $10,000         $25,000
Section 1.6038A-4(a)(3).................          10,000          25,000
Section 1.6038A-4(d)(1).................          10,000          25,000
Section 1.6038A-4(d)(4).................          10,000          25,000
Section 1.6038A-4(f)....................          10,000          25,000
Section 1.6038A-4(f)....................          30,000          75,000

[[Page 65997]]

 
Section 1.6038A-4(f)....................          90,000         225,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sec.  1.6655-5   [Amended]

0
Par. 13. Section 1.6655-5 is amended by removing the language ``Sec.  
1.1502-2(h)'' in paragraph (e) Example 10 and adding the 
language``Sec.  1.1502-1(h)'' in its place.

Kirsten Wielobob,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2018-27391 Filed 12-17-18; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-P