§ 1.846-1 Application of discount factors. ( a ) *In general* — ( 1 ) *Rules.* A separate series of discount factors are computed for, and applied, to undiscounted unpaid losses attributable to each accident year of each line of business shown on the annual statement (as defined by section 846(e)(3)) filed by that taxpayer for the calendar year ending with or within the taxable year of the taxpayer. See § 1.832-4(b) relating to the determination of unpaid losses. Paragraph (b) of this section provides rules relating to applicable discount factors. Once a taxpayer applies a series of discount factors to unpaid losses attributable to an accident year of a line of business, that series of discount factors must be applied to discount the unpaid losses for that accident year for that line of business for all future taxable years. The discount factors cannot be changed to reflect a change in the taxpayer's loss payment pattern during a subsequent year or to reflect a different interest rate assumption.
( 2 ) *Increase in discounted unpaid losses shown on the annual statement.* If the amount of unpaid losses shown on the annual statement is determined on a discounted basis, and the extent to which the unpaid losses were discounted can be determined on the basis of information disclosed on or with the annual statement, the amount of the unpaid losses to which the discount factors are applied shall be determined without regard to any reduction attributable to the discounting reflected on the annual statement.
( 3 ) *Increase in unpaid losses which take into account estimated salvage recoverable.* If the amount of unpaid losses shown on the annual statement reflects a reduction for estimated salvage recoverable and the extent to which the unpaid losses were reduced by estimated salvage recoverable is appropriately disclosed as required by § 1.832-4(d)(2), the amount of unpaid losses shall be determined without regard to the reduction for salvage recoverable.
( b ) *Applicable discount factors* — ( 1 ) *In general.* Except as otherwise provided in section 846(e)(6) (relating to certain accident and health lines of business), in this paragraph (b), or in other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin, the following factors must be used— ( i ) *Discount factors published by the Service.* If the Service has published discount factors for a line of business, a taxpayer must discount unpaid losses attributable to that line by applying those discount factors; and
( ii ) *Composite discount factors.* If the Service has not published discount factors for a line of business, a taxpayer must discount unpaid losses attributable to that line by applying composite discount factors.
( iii ) *Annual statement changes.* If the groupings of individual lines of business on the annual statement changes, taxpayers must discount the unpaid losses on the resulting lines of business with the discounting patterns that would have applied to those unpaid losses based on their annual statement classification prior to the change.
( 2 ) *Title insurance company reserves.* A title insurance company may only take into account case reserves (relating to claims which have been reported to the insurance company). Unless the Service publishes other guidance, the reserves must be discounted using the “Miscellaneous Casualty” discount factors published by the Service. Section 832(b)(8) provides rules for determining the discounted unearned premiums of a title insurance company.
( 3 ) *Reinsurance business* — ( i ) *Proportional reinsurance.* For the 1988 accident year and subsequent accident years, unpaid losses for proportional reinsurance must be discounted using discount factors applicable to the line of business to which those unpaid losses are allocated as required on the annual statement.
( ii ) *Non-proportional reinsurance* For the 1992 accident year and subsequent accident years, unpaid losses for non-proportional reinsurance must be discounted using the applicable discount factors published by the Service for the appropriate reinsurance line of business.
( 4 ) *Composite discount factors.* For purposes of the regulations under section 846, “composite discount factors” means the series of discount factors published annually by the Service determined on the basis of the appropriate composite loss payment pattern.
( c ) *Determination of annual rate.* The applicable interest rate is the annual rate determined by the Secretary for any calendar year on the basis of the corporate bond yield curve (as defined in section 430(h)(2)(D)(i), determined by substituting “60-month period” for “24-month period” therein). The annual rate for any calendar year is determined on the basis of a yield curve that reflects the average, for the most recent 60-month period ending before the beginning of the calendar year, of monthly yields on corporate bonds described in section 430(h)(2)(D)(i). The annual rate is the average of that yield curve's monthly spot rates with times to maturity from four and one-half years to ten years.
( d ) *Determination of loss payment pattern* — ( 1 ) *In general.* Under section 846(d)(1), the loss payment pattern determined by the Secretary for each line of business is determined by reference to the historical loss payment pattern applicable to such line of business determined in accordance with the method of determination set forth in section 846(d)(2) and the computational rules prescribed in section 846(d)(3) on the basis of the annual statement data from annual statements described in section 846(d)(2)(A) and (B). However, the Secretary may adjust the loss payment pattern for any line of business as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.
( 2 ) *Smoothing adjustments.* The Secretary may adjust the loss payment pattern for any line of business using a methodology described by the Secretary in other published guidance if necessary to avoid negative payment amounts and otherwise produce a stable pattern of positive discount factors less than one.
( e ) *Applicability dates.* ( 1 ) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, this section applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1986.
( 2 ) Paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
[T.D. 8433, 57 FR 40844, Sept. 8, 1992, as amended by T.D. 9863, 84 FR 27952, June 17, 2019]