§ 1.1411-9 Exception for self-employment income. ( a ) *General rule.* Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, net investment income does not include any item taken into account in determining self-employment income that is subject to tax under section 1401(b) for such taxable year. For purposes of section 1411(c)(6) and this section, *taken into account* means income included and deductions allowed in determining net earnings from self-employment. However, amounts excepted in determining net earnings from self-employment under section 1402(a)(1)-(17), and thus excluded from self-employment income under section 1402(b), are not taken into account in determining self-employment income and thus may be included in net investment income if such amounts are described in § 1.1411-4. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if net earnings from self-employment consist of income or loss from more than one trade or business, all items taken into account in determining the net earnings from self-employment with respect to these trades or businesses (see § 1.1402(a)-2(c)) are considered taken into account in determining the amount of self-employment income that is subject to tax under section 1401(b) and therefore not included in net investment income.
( b ) *Special rule for traders.* In the case of gross income described in §§ 1.1411-4(a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) derived from a trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities (as described in § 1.1411-5(a)(2)), the deductions described in § 1.1411-4(f)(2)(ii) properly allocable to the taxpayer's trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities are taken into account in determining the taxpayer's self-employment income only to the extent that such deductions reduce the taxpayer's net earnings from self-employment (after aggregating under § 1.1402(a)-2(c) the net earnings from self-employment from any trade or business carried on by the taxpayer as an individual or as a member of a partnership). Any deductions described in § 1.1411-4(f)(2)(ii) that exceed the amount of net earnings from self-employment, in the aggregate (if applicable), are allowed in determining the taxpayer's net investment income under section 1411 and the regulations thereunder.
( c ) *Examples.* The following examples illustrate the provisions of this section. For purposes of these examples, assume the taxpayer is a United States citizen, uses a calendar taxable year, and Year 1 and all subsequent years are taxable years in which section 1411 is in effect: Example 1. Exclusion from self-employment income. A is a general partner in PRS, a partnership carrying on a trade or business that is not a trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities (within the meaning of § 1.1411-5(a)(2)). During Year 1, A's distributive share from PRS is $1 million, $300,000 of which is attributable to the gain on the sale of PRS's capital assets. Section 1402(a)(3)(A) provides an exclusion from net earnings from self-employment for any gain or loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. For Year 1, A has $700,000 self-employment income subject to self-employment tax. This $700,000 subject to self-employment tax is not included as part of net investment income under paragraph (a) of this section. However, the $300,000 attributable to the gain on PRS's sale of a capital asset is excluded from net earnings from self-employment, and from self-employment income, and thus is not covered by the exception in section 1411(c)(6). Therefore, the $300,000 attributable to the gain on PRS's sale of a capital asset is included as net investment income if the other requirements of section 1411 are satisfied.
Example 2. Two trades or businesses. B is an individual engaged in two trades or businesses, Business X and Business Y, neither of which is the trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities (as described in § 1.1411-5(a)(2)). B carries on Business X as a sole proprietor and B is also a general partner in a partnership that carries on Business Y. Business Y is a nonpassive activity of B. During Year 1, B had net earnings from self-employment consisting of the aggregate of a $50,000 loss (that is, after application of the exclusions under section 1402(a)(1)-(17)) from Business X, and $70,000 in income (after application of the exclusions under section 1402(a)(1)-(17)) from B's distributive share from the partnership from carrying on Business Y. Thus, B's net earnings from self-employment in Year 1 are $20,000. For Year 1, all of B's income, deductions, gains, and losses from Business X and distributive share from the partnership carrying on Business Y, other than those amounts excluded due to application of section 1402(a)(1)-(17), are taken into account in determining B's net earnings from self-employment and self-employment income for such taxable year. Accordingly, in calculating B's net investment income (as defined in § 1.1411-4) for Year 1, B will not take into account the items of income, loss, gain, and deduction that comprise B's $50,000 loss attributable to Business X (after application of the exclusions under section 1402(a)(1)-(17)), and the items of income, loss, gain, and deduction that comprise B's $70,000 distributable share attributable to B's general partnership interest (after application of the exclusions under section 1402(a)(1)-(17)). Rather, only items of income, loss, gain, and deduction from the two separate businesses that were excluded from the calculation of B's net earnings from self-employment income due to the application of the exclusions under section 1402(a)(1)-(17), such as any capital gains and losses excluded under section 1402(a)(3), are considered for purposes of calculating B's net investment income for Year 1 in connection with these two trades or businesses.
Example 3. Special rule for trader with single trade or business. D is an individual engaged in the trade or business of trading in commodities (as described in § 1.1411-5(a)(2)). D made a valid and timely election under section 475(f)(2). D derives $400,000 of trading gains, which are gross income described in § 1.1411-4(a)(1) and $15,000 of expenses described in § 1.1411-4(f)(2)(ii) from carrying on the trade or business. Pursuant to sections 475(f)(1)(D) and 1402(a)(3)(A), none of the gross income is taken into account in determining D's net earnings from self-employment and self-employment income. Therefore, under paragraph (a) of this section, the $400,000 of gross income is not covered by the exception in section 1411(c)(6). Because D had $0 net earnings from self-employment, the $15,000 of deductions did not reduce D's net earnings from self-employment under paragraph (b) of this section and § 1.1411-(4)(f)(2)(ii). Therefore, the $15,000 of deductions may reduce D's gross income of $400,000 for purposes of section 1411.
Example 4. Special rule for trader with multiple trades or businesses. E is an individual engaged in two trades or businesses, Business X (which is not a trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities) and Business Y (which is a trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities (as described in § 1.1411-5(a)(2)). E made a valid and timely election under section 475(f) with respect to Business Y. During Year 1, E had net earnings from self-employment from Business X of $35,000. During Year 1, E also had $300,000 of trading gains, which are gross income described in § 1.1411-4(a)(1) and $40,000 of expenses described in § 1.1411-4(f)(2)(ii) from Business Y. E's $300,000 of gross income from Business Y is excluded from net earnings from self-employment and self-employment income pursuant to sections 475(f)(1)(D) and 1402(a)(3)(A). E's $40,000 of deductions from Business Y reduce E's $35,000 of net earnings from self-employment from Business X to $0. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section and § 1.1411-4(f)(2)(ii), the remaining $5,000 of deductions from Business Y are taken into account in determining E's net investment income (by reducing E's gross income of $300,000 from Business Y to $295,000) for purposes of section 1411.
( d ) *Effective/applicability date.* This section applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013. However, taxpayers may apply this section to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, in accordance with § 1.1411-1(f).
[T.D. 9644, 78 FR 72424, Dec. 2, 2013]