I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 960

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify certain provisions

relating to the treatment of forestry activities.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 18, 1993

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. KOPETSKI, Mr. SUNQUIST, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. ROWLAND, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. SWIFT, Mr. WILSON, Ms.

FURSE, Mr. EMERSON, Mr. BAKER of Louisiana, Mr. LAFALCE, Mrs.

UNSOELD, Mr. MONTGOMERY, Mr. HERGER, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. LIVINGSTON, and Mr. BEVILL) introduced the following bill; which was referred

to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify

certain provisions relating to the treatment of forestry

activities.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reforestation Tax Act

5 of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. PARTIAL INFLATION ADJUSTMENT FOR TIMBER.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of subchapter P of chapter

8 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to treat-
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1 ment of capital gains) is amended by adding at the end

2 the following new section:

3 ‘‘SEC. 1202. PARTIAL INFLATION ADJUSTMENT FOR TIM4 BER.

5 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—At the election of any taxpayer

6 who has qualified timber gain for any taxable year, there

7 shall be allowed as a deduction from gross income an

8 amount equal to the qualified percentage of such gain.

9 ‘‘(b) QUALIFIED TIMBER GAIN.—For purposes of

10 this section, the term ‘qualified timber gain’ means the

11 lesser of—

12 ‘‘(1) the net capital gain for the taxable year,

13 or

14 ‘‘(2) the net capital gain for the taxable year

15 determined by taking into account only gains and

16 losses from timber.

17 ‘‘(c) QUALIFIED PERCENTAGE.—For purposes of this

18 section, the term ‘qualified percentage’ means the percent19 age (not exceeding 50 percent) determined by multiply20 ing—

21 ‘‘(1) 3 percent, by

22 ‘‘(2) the number of years in the holding period

23 of the taxpayer with respect to the timber.

24 ‘‘(d) ESTATES AND TRUSTS.—In the case of an es25 tate or trust, the deduction under subsection (a) shall be
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1 computed by excluding the portion (if any) of the gains

2 for the taxable year from sales or exchanges of capital as3 sets which, under sections 652 and 662 (relating to inclu4 sions of amounts in gross income of beneficiaries of

5 trusts), is includible by the income beneficiaries as gain

6 derived from the sale or exchange of capital assets.’’

7 (b) COORDINATION WITH EXISTING LIMITATIONS.—

8 (1) Subsection (h) of section 1 of such Code

9 (relating to maximum capital gains rate) is amended

10 by inserting after ‘‘net capital gain’’ each place it

11 appears the following; ‘‘(other than qualified timber

12 gain with respect to which an election is made under

13 section 1202)’’.

14 (2) Subsection (a) of section 1201 of such Code

15 (relating to alternative tax for corporations) is

16 amended by inserting after ‘‘net capital gain’’ each

17 place it appears the following: ‘‘(other than qualified

18 timber gain with respect to which an election is

19 made under section 1202)’’.

20 (c) ALLOWANCE OF DEDUCTION IN COMPUTING AD21 JUSTED GROSS INCOME.—Subsection (a) of section 62 of

22 such Code (relating to definition of adjusted gross income)

23 is amended by adding at the end the following new para24 graph:
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1 ‘‘(15) PARTIAL INFLATION ADJUSTMENT FOR

2 TIMBER.—The deduction allowed by section 1202.’’

3 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec4 tions for part I of subchapter P of chapter 1 of such Code

5 is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 1202. Partial inflation adjustment for timber.’’

6 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

7 this section shall apply to sales or exchanges after Decem8 ber 31, 1993.

9 SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF PASSIVE LOSS LIMITATIONS TO

10 TIMBER ACTIVITIES.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Treasury regulations sections

12 1.469–5T(b)(2) (ii) and (iii) shall not apply to any closely

13 held timber activity if the nature of such activity is such

14 that the aggregate hours devoted to management of the

15 activity for any year is generally less than 100 hours.

16 (b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of subsection (a)—

17 (1) CLOSELY HELD ACTIVITY.—An activity

18 shall be treated as closely held if at least 80 percent

19 of the ownership interests in the activity is held—

20 (A) by 5 or fewer individuals, or

21 (B) by individuals who are members of the

22 same family (within the meaning of section

23 2032A(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of

24 1986).
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1 An interest in a limited partnership shall in no event

2 be treated as a closely held activity for purposes of

3 this section.

4 (2) TIMBER ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘timber ac5 tivity’’ means the planting, cultivating, caring, cut6 ting, or preparation (other than milling) for market,

7 of trees.

8 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply to

9 taxable years beginning after December 31, 1993.

10 SEC. 4. AMORTIZATION OF REFORESTATION EXPENDI11 TURES AND REFORESTATION TAX CREDIT.

12 (a) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM AMORTIZABLE

13 AMOUNT.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section

15 194(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relat16 ing to maximum dollar amount) is amended by strik17 ing ‘‘$10,000 ($5,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000

18 ($10,000’’.

19 (2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Subsection (b)

20 of section 194 of such Code (relating to limitations)

21 is amended by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3),

22 and (4) as paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively,

23 and by inserting after paragraph (1) the following

24 new paragraph:

25 ‘‘(2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—
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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any

2 taxable year beginning in a calendar year after

3 1994, each dollar amount contained in para4 graph (1) shall be increased by an amount

5 equal to—

6 ‘‘(i) such dollar amount, multiplied by

7 ‘‘(ii) the cost-of-living adjustment

8 under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year

9 in which the taxable year begins, deter10 mined by substituting ‘calendar year 1993’

11 for ‘calendar year 1989’ in subparagraph

12 (B) of such section.

13 ‘‘(B) ROUNDING.—If any increase deter14 mined under subparagraph (A) is not a multiple

15 of $50, such amount shall be rounded to the

16 next lowest multiple of $50.’’

17 (3) APPLICABILITY TO REFORESTATION CRED18 IT.—Paragraph (1) of section 48(b) of such Code

19 (relating to reforestation credit) is amended by strik20 ing ‘‘section 194(b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs

21 (1) and (2) of section 194(b)’’.

22 (b) AMORTIZATION PERIOD SHORTENED TO 60

23 MONTHS.—Subsection (a) of section 194 of such Code is

24 amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘84 months’’ and inserting ‘‘60

2 months’’, and

3 (2) by striking ‘‘84-month’’ and inserting ‘‘80-

4 month’’.

5 (c) AVAILABILITY OF DEDUCTION AND CREDIT TO

6 TRUSTS.—Subsection (b) of section 194 of such Code (as

7 amended by subsection (a)(2) of this section) is amend8 ed—

9 (1) by striking paragraph (4),

10 (2) in paragraph (5)—

11 (A) by inserting ‘‘AND TRUSTS’’ after ‘‘ES12 TATES’’, and

13 (B) by inserting ‘‘and trusts’’ after ‘‘es14 tates’’, and

15 (3) by redesignating paragraph (5) as para16 graph (4).

17 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—

18 (1) AMORTIZATION PROVISIONS.—Except as

19 provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by

20 this section shall apply to additions to capital ac21 count made after December 31, 1993.

22 (2) TAX CREDIT PROVISIONS.—In the case of

23 the reforestation credit under section 48(b) of the

24 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the amendments
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1 made by this section shall apply to property acquired

2 after December 31, 1993.

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