§ 1.1061-3 Exceptions to the definition of an API. ( a ) *A partnership interest held by an employee of another entity not conducting an ATB.* An API does not include any interest transferred to a person in connection with the performance of substantial services by that person as an employee of another entity that is conducting a trade or business (other than an ATB) and the person provides services only to such other entity.
( b ) *Partnership interest held by a corporation* — ( 1 ) *In general.* An API does not include any interest directly or indirectly held by a corporation.
( 2 ) *Treatment of interests held by an S corporation or a qualified electing fund.* For purposes of this section, a corporation does not include an entity for which an election was made to treat the entity as a Passthrough Entity. Thus, the following entities are not treated as corporations for purposes of section 1061— ( i ) An S corporation for which an election under section 1362(a) is in effect; and
( ii ) A passive foreign investment company (PFIC) with respect to which the shareholder has a qualified electing fund (QEF) election under section 1295 in effect.
( c ) *Capital Interest Gains and Losses* — ( 1 ) *In general.* Capital Interest Gains and Losses are not subject to section 1061 and, therefore, are not included in calculating an Owner Taxpayer's Recharacterization Amount.
( 2 ) *Capital Interest Gains and Losses defined.* For purposes of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, Capital Interest Gains and Losses are Capital Interest Allocations that meet the requirements of paragraph (c)(3) of this section and Capital Interest Disposition Amounts that meet the requirements of paragraph (c)(4) of this section.
( 3 ) *General rules for determining Capital Interest Allocations* — ( i ) *Commensurate with capital contributed.* An allocation will be considered a Capital Interest Allocation if the allocation to the API Holder with respect to its capital interest is determined and calculated in a similar manner as the allocations with respect to capital interests held by similarly situated Unrelated Non-Service Partners who have made significant aggregate capital contributions as described in paragraph (c)(3)(iv) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph (c)(3), a capital interest is an interest that would give the holder a share of the proceeds if the partnership's assets were sold at fair market value at the time the interest was received and the proceeds were then distributed in a complete liquidation of the partnership.
( ii ) *In a similar manner.* For purposes of paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, a Capital Interest Allocation to an API Holder will be treated as made in a similar manner if allocations and distribution rights with respect to the capital contributed by an API Holder to which the API Holder's Capital Interest Allocation relates are reasonably consistent with allocation and distribution rights with respect to capital contributed by Unrelated Non-Service Partners where the Unrelated Non-Service Partner requirement is met. For purposes of this paragraph (c)(3)(ii), allocation and distribution rights for an API Holder that are limited to a particular class of partnership capital interests or that are determined with respect to capital contributions invested in a particular partnership investment will be considered as made in a similar manner to allocations and distribution rights of Unrelated Non-Service Partners where the Unrelated Non-Service Partner requirement is met for the applicable interest class or partnership investment. ( A ) *Relevant factors.* For purposes of this paragraph (c)(3)(ii), the following factors are not exclusive, but are relevant factors in determining whether allocation and distribution rights with respect to capital contributed by an API Holder are reasonably consistent with allocation and distribution rights of persons meeting the Unrelated Non-Service Partner requirement: The amount and timing of capital contributed, the rate of return on capital contributed, the terms, priority, type and level of risk associated with capital contributed, and the rights to cash or property distributions during the partnership's operations and on liquidation. Accordingly, an allocation to an API Holder will not fail to qualify solely because the allocation is subordinated to allocations made to Unrelated Non-Service Partners, because an allocation to an API Holder is not reduced by the cost of services provided by the API Holder or a Related Person to the partnership, where the cost of services provided includes management fees or API allocations, or because an API Holder has a right to receive tax distributions while Unrelated Non-Service Partners do not, where such distributions are treated as advances against future distributions.
( B ) *Clear identification requirement.* For purposes of this paragraph (c)(3)(ii), allocations will be considered made in a similar manner only if the allocations to the API Holder and the Unrelated Non-Service Partners are allocations with respect to, and corresponding to, such partners' contributed capital that are separate and apart from allocations made to the API Holder with respect to its API and where both the partnership agreement and the partnership's contemporaneous books and records clearly demonstrate that the requirements of paragraph (c)(3) of this section have been met.
( iii ) *Reinvestment of API Gain.* If an API Holder is allocated API Gain by a Passthrough Entity, to the extent that an amount equal to the API Gain is reinvested in the Passthrough Entity by the API Holder (either as the result of an actual distribution and recontribution of the API Gain amount or the retention of the API Gain amount by the Passthrough Entity), the amount will be treated as a contribution to the Passthrough Entity for a capital interest that may produce Capital Interest Allocations for the API Holder, provided such allocations meet the requirements of this paragraph (c)(3).
( iv ) *Unrelated Non-Service Partner requirement.* For purposes of paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the Unrelated Non-Service Partner requirement means that Unrelated Non-Service Partners must have made significant aggregate capital contributions in relation to total capital contributions of all partners. Unrelated Non-Service Partners will be treated as having made significant aggregate capital contributions provided such partners possess five percent or more of the aggregate capital contributed to the partnership at the time the allocations are made. With respect to an API Holder with allocation and distribution rights that are attributable to a particular interest class or partnership investment, the Unrelated Non-Service requirement must be met with respect to that particular interest class or partnership investment.
( v ) *Proceeds of certain loans not taken into account for Capital Interest Allocation purposes* — ( A ) *General rule.* For purposes of the Section 1061 Regulations, an allocation is not a Capital Interest Allocation to the extent the allocation is attributable to the contribution of an amount of capital to a partnership that, directly or indirectly, results from, or is attributable to, any loan or other advance made or guaranteed, directly or indirectly, by the partnership or another partner in the partnership (or any Related Person with respect to such persons), except to the extent a loan or advance is described in paragraph (c)(3)(v)(B) of this section. However, the repayments on a loan described in the preceding sentence are taken into account as capital contributed (and may therefore generate Capital Interest Allocations) as those amounts are paid by the partner, provided that the loan is not repaid with the proceeds of another loan described in the preceding sentence.
( B ) *Recourse liability.* Paragraph (c)(3)(v)(A) of this section does not apply with respect to an allocation attributable to a contribution made by an individual service provider that, directly or indirectly, results from, or is attributable to, a loan or advance from another partner in the partnership (or any Related Person with respect to such other partner, other than the partnership) to such individual service provider if the individual service provider is personally liable for the repayment of such loan or advance. A contribution made by an individual service provider includes a contribution made by an entity that is wholly owned by, and disregarded as separate from, the individual service provider as described in § 1.1061-2(a)(1)(v), including a contribution attributable to a loan or advance made to the disregarded entity by another partner in the partnership (or any Related Person with respect to such other partner, other than the partnership) if the individual service provider is personally liable for the repayment of any and all borrowed amounts that are not repaid by the disregarded entity. For purposes of this paragraph (c)(3)(v)(B), an individual service provider is personally liable for the repayment of a loan or advance made by another partner (or any Related Person with respect to such other partner, other than the partnership) if— ( 1 ) The loan or advance is fully recourse to the individual service provider;
( 2 ) The individual service provider has no right to reimbursement from any other person; and
( 3 ) The loan or advance is not guaranteed by any other person.
( vi ) *Items that are not included in Capital Interest Allocations.* Capital Interest Allocations do not include— ( A ) Amounts that are treated as API Gains and Losses and Unrealized API Gains and Losses; or
( B ) Items that are not taken into account for purposes of section 1061 under § 1.1061-4(b)(7).
( 4 ) *Capital Interest Disposition Amounts* — ( i ) *In general.* The term *Capital Interest Disposition Amount* means the amount of long-term capital gain or loss recognized on the sale or disposition of all or a portion of a Passthrough Interest that is treated as Capital Interest Gain or Loss. In general, long-term capital gain or loss recognized on the sale or disposition of a Passthrough Interest is deemed to be API Gain or Loss unless it is determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii) of this section to be a Capital Interest Disposition Amount.
( ii ) *Determination of the Capital Interest Disposition Amount.* If a Passthrough Interest that includes a right to allocations of Capital Interest Gains and Losses is disposed of, the amount of long-term capital gain or loss that is treated as a Capital Interest Disposition Amount is determined under the rules provided in this paragraph (c)(4)(ii). ( A ) First, determine the amount of long-term capital gain or loss that would be allocated to the Passthrough Interest (or the portion of the Passthrough Interest sold) if all the assets of the Passthrough Entity (including gain or loss with respect to assets described in § 1.1061-4(b)(7)) were sold for their fair market value in a fully taxable transaction immediately before the disposition of the Passthrough Interest (hypothetical asset sale). For purposes of this paragraph (c)(4)(ii), the assets of the Passthrough Entity include any assets held by a lower-tier Passthrough Entity in which the Passthrough Entity has a direct or indirect interest.
( B ) Second, determine the amount from the hypothetical asset sale that would be allocated to the Passthrough Interest (or the portion of the Passthrough Interest sold) as Capital Interest Allocations under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.
( C ) Third, if the transferor recognized long-term capital gain upon disposition of the Passthrough Interest and only net short-term capital losses, net long-term capital losses, or both, are allocated to the Passthrough Interest under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section from the hypothetical asset sale, all of the long-term capital gain is API Gain. If the transferor recognized long-term capital loss on the disposition of the Passthrough Interest and only net short-term capital gains, net long-term capital gains, or both, are allocated to the Passthrough Interest under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section, then all the long-term capital loss is API Loss.
( D ) If paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(C) of this section does not apply and long-term capital gain is recognized on the disposition of the Passthrough Interest, the amount of long-term capital gain that the transferor of the Passthrough Interest recognizes that is treated as a Capital Interest Disposition Amount is determined by multiplying long-term capital gain recognized on the disposition of the Passthrough Interest by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of long-term capital gain determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section, and the denominator of which is the amount of long-term capital gain determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, with the percentage represented by the fraction limited to 100 percent. Alternatively, if paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(C) of this section does not apply and long-term capital loss is recognized on the disposition of the Passthrough Interest, the amount of long-term capital loss treated as a Capital Interest Disposition Amount is determined by multiplying the transferor's capital loss by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of long-term capital loss determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section, and the denominator of which is the amount of long-term capital loss determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, with the percentage represented by the fraction limited to 100 percent.
( E ) In applying this paragraph (c)(4)(ii), allocations of amounts that are not included in determining the amount of long-term capital gain or loss recognized on the sale or disposition of the Passthrough Interest are not included. See, for example, section 751(a).
( 5 ) *Capital Interest Allocations made by a Passthrough Entity that is an API Holder.* An allocation made to a Passthrough Entity that holds an API in a lower-tier Passthrough Entity will be considered a Capital Interest Allocation if it meets the principles set forth in paragraphs (c)(3) and (4) of this section (other than paragraph (c)(3)(iv) of this section). For purposes of applying the Capital Interest Allocation rules in this paragraph (c)(5) to a tiered partnership structure, to the extent that a Capital Interest Allocation that is made by a lower-tier partnership to an upper-tier partnership is properly allocated to the upper-tier partnership's partners with respect to their capital interests in the upper-tier partnership in a manner that is respected under 704(b) (taking into account the principles of section 704(c)), such allocation is a Capital Interest Allocation.
( 6 ) *Examples.* The rules of this paragraph (c) are illustrated by the following examples. ( i ) *Example 1: Capital Interest Allocations* — ( A ) *Facts.* Each of A, B, and C contributes $100 to GP and is an equal partner in GP, a partnership that is the general partner of PRS, a partnership. The contributions are not attributable to loans or advances described in paragraph (c)(3)(v)(A) of this section. PRS's other partners are Unrelated Non-Service Partners. Each of GP and PRS makes allocations to its partners in accordance with its partners' interests in that partnership, as described in § 1.704-1(b)(3). GP holds a 20% profits interest in PRS that is an API that GP received in exchange for providing substantial services to PRS in an ATB. GP's API is an Indirect API to each of A, B, and C. GP contributes the $300 of capital contributed by A, B and C to PRS. GP's $300 contribution equals 2% of the contributed capital made by all of PRS's partners ($15,000). PRS's partnership agreement describes its partners' economic distribution rights with respect to its liquidating proceeds as follows: First, liquidating proceeds are proportionately distributed to each of GP and the Unrelated Non-Service Partners equal to the amount necessary to return each of those partners' unreturned capital; second, liquidating proceeds are distributed to GP with respect to its API in PRS; and, finally, any residual liquidating proceeds are distributed, proportionately, 98% to the Unrelated Non-Service Partners and 2% to GP. During its initial taxable year, PRS has $10,000 of net capital gain, causing an increase in PRS's distributable proceeds of $10,000. In accordance with the partners' economic rights as described in PRS's partnership agreement, PRS allocates $2,160 of net capital gain to GP (a $2,000 API allocation plus $160 ($8,000 ($10,000−$2,000) × 2%), with respect to GP's contributed capital) and $7,840 of net capital gain to the Unrelated Non-Service Partners with respect to their contributed capital. GP allocates $720 ($2,160/3) of this net capital gain to each of A, B, and C in accordance with their interests in GP.
( B ) *PRS's Capital Interest Allocation Analysis.* Because PRS's partnership agreement provides for no differences as to the amount and timing of capital contributed, the rate of return on capital contributed, the type and level of risk associated with capital contributed, or the rights to cash or property distributions during the PRS's operations and on liquidation, the allocations and distribution rights with respect the capital contributed by GP are reasonably consistent with the allocation and distribution rights with respect to capital contributed by Unrelated Non-Service Partners. Accordingly, GP's allocation of $160 is a Capital Interest Allocation that is treated as made in a similar manner as the allocations made to the Unrelated Non-Service Partners.
( C ) *GP's Capital Interest Allocation Analysis.* GP is allocated $2,160 from PRS, consisting of a $2,000 API allocation and a $160 Capital Interest Allocation. The $160 Capital Interest Allocation is allocated equally to A, B, and C based on their capital contributions to GP. Therefore, they qualify as Capital Interest Allocations by GP. See paragraph (c)(5) of this section. The $2,000 of gain allocated by PRS to GP with respect to GP's API cannot be treated as a Capital Interest Allocation by GP and therefore is subject to section 1061. In summary, A, B, and C are each allocated $720 of capital gain from PRS ($2,160/3). Of this amount, $667 is API Gain ($2,000/3) and $53 is a Capital Interest Allocation ($160/3).
( ii ) *Example 2: Sale of a Passthrough Interest* — ( A ) *Facts.* In Year 1, A, B, and C form GP, a partnership. Each of A, B, and C contributes $100 to GP and is an equal partner in GP. The contributions are not attributable to loans or advances described in paragraph (c)(3)(v)(A) of this section. GP invests the $300 in Asset X in Year 1. GP is also the general partner of PRS, a partnership. PRS's other partners are Unrelated Non-Service Partners. GP holds a 20% profits interest in PRS that is an API that GP received in exchange for providing substantial services to PRS in an ATB. GP's API is an Indirect API to each of A, B, and C. Each of GP and PRS makes allocations to its partners in accordance with its partners' interests in that partnership, as described in § 1.704-1(b)(3). In Year 3, A sells A's interest in GP to an unrelated third party for $800 and recognizes $700 of capital gain on the sale. If PRS had sold its assets in a hypothetical asset sale as required by paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section and liquidated immediately before A sold its interest in GP, GP would have been allocated $1,800 of long-term capital gain with respect to GP's API in PRS, and GP would have allocated $600 of this $1,800 to A. If GP sold Asset X for its fair market value and liquidated immediately before A sold its interest in GP, A would have been allocated $100 of long-term capital gain.
( B ) *Analysis.* GP does not have a capital interest in PRS. Therefore, its allocations from PRS are allocations with respect to its API which are subject to section 1061. The total gain allocable to A as a result of the hypothetical liquidations would be $700. Under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(D) of this section, $100 of the $700 of A's interest sale gain is A's Capital Interest Disposition Amount, and is not subject to section 1061.
( iii ) *Example 3: Reinvestment of Realized API Gain.* A, B, and C are partners in PRS, a partnership. At the beginning of Year 1, A is issued an API in PRS in exchange for providing substantial services to PRS in an ATB. A has no capital interest in PRS. During Year 1, PRS's assets appreciate by $100. At the end of Year 1, under the terms of its partnership agreement, if PRS were to sell all of its assets at their fair market value and distribute the proceeds in a complete liquidation, A would receive $20 with respect to its API. Thus, at the end of Year 1, A has $20 of Unrealized API Gain. In Year 2, PRS sells Asset X, an asset that PRS owned in Year 1, and allocates $8 of the long-term capital gain to A as API Gain. As a result, $8 of A's $20 of Unrealized API Gain becomes API Gain that is subject to section 1061. A reinvests A's share of the proceeds from the Asset X sale in PRS. As a result, under paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section, A has an $8 capital interest in PRS and, provided the requirements of paragraph (c)(3) of this section are met, A may receive future Capital Interest Allocations with respect to the capital interest.
( d ) *Partnership interest acquired by purchase by an unrelated person.* If a person (acquirer) acquires an interest in a partnership (target partnership) by taxable purchase for fair market value that, but for the exception set forth in this paragraph (d), would be an API, the transferor of the interest will be treated as selling an API but the acquirer will not be treated as acquiring an API if— ( 1 ) *Acquirer not a Related Person.* Immediately before the purchase, the acquirer is not a Related Person with respect to— ( i ) Any person who provides services in the Relevant ATB; or
( ii ) Any service providers who provide services to, or for the benefit of, the target partnership or a lower-tier partnership in which the target partnership holds an interest, directly or indirectly.
( 2 ) *Section 1061(d) not applicable.* Section 1061(d) does not apply to the transaction (as provided in § 1.1061-5).
( 3 ) *Acquirer not a service provider.* At the time of the purchase, the acquirer has not provided, does not provide, and does not anticipate providing services to, or for the benefit of, the target partnership, directly or indirectly, or any lower-tier partnership in which the target partnership directly or indirectly holds an interest.
( e ) [Reserved]
( f ) *Applicability date* — ( 1 ) *General rule.* Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(2) and (3) of this section, the provisions of this section apply to taxable years of Owner Taxpayers and Passthrough Entities beginning on or after January 19, 2021. An Owner Taxpayer or Passthrough Entity may choose to apply this section to a taxable year beginning after December 31, 2017, provided that they apply the Section 1061 Regulations in their entirety to that year and all subsequent years.
( 2 ) *Partnership interest held by an S corporation.* Paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, which provides that the exception under section 1061(c)(1) to the definition of an API does not apply to a partnership interest held by an S corporation with an election under section 1362(a) in effect, applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
( 3 ) *Partnership interest held by a PFIC with respect to which the shareholder has a QEF election in effect.* Paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, which provides that the exception under section 1061(c)(1) to the definition of an API does not apply to a partnership interest held by a PFIC with respect to which the shareholder has a QEF election in effect under section 1295, applies to taxable years of an Owner Taxpayer and Passthrough Entity beginning after August 14, 2020.
[T.D. 9945, 86 FR 5480, Jan. 19, 2021, as amended by T.D. 9945, 89 FR 50525, June 14, 2024]