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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1635 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1635

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for 
          investments lost in a fraudulent Ponzi-type scheme.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2011

Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Boustany, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Garrett, Mrs. 
 Maloney, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Rothman of New Jersey, Mr. Rooney, 
     Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Weiner, and Mr. Sessions) 
 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 provide special rules for 
          investments lost in a fraudulent Ponzi-type scheme.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ponzi Scheme Victims' Tax Relief Act 
of 2011''.

SEC. 2. LOSS TREATMENT OF INVESTMENT LOSSES IN FRAUDULENT PONZI-TYPE 
              SCHEME.

    (a) In General.--Section 165 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
is amended by redesignating subsection (m) as subsection (n) and by 
inserting after subsection (l) the following new subsection:
    ``(m) Special Rules for Qualified Fraudulent Investment Losses in 
Individual Retirement Accounts.--
            ``(1) In general.--If--
                    ``(A) a taxpayer has qualified fraudulent 
                investment loss, and
                    ``(B) the amount of such loss (without taking into 
                account any potential recoveries) can reasonably be 
                estimated as of the close of the taxable year,
        then the taxpayer may elect to treat the amount so estimated as 
        a theft loss described in subsection (c)(2) incurred during the 
        taxable year.
            ``(2) Special rule for individual retirement plans.--In the 
        case of any qualified fraudulent investment loss in connection 
        with assets held in an individual retirement plan, the 
        beneficiary of such plan shall be allowed a deduction with 
        respect to such loss in an amount equal to the lesser of--
                    ``(A) the greater of--
                            ``(i) the sum of the amount of 
                        contributions to such individual retirement 
                        plan by such beneficiary plus the amount of 
                        contributions to such individual retirement 
                        plan by such beneficiary's employer on behalf 
                        of such beneficiary, or
                            ``(ii) 60 percent of the excess of--
                                    ``(I) the value of the assets held 
                                by such beneficiary in such individual 
                                retirement plan, as reported 
                                immediately before such loss was 
                                discovered, over
                                    ``(II) the sum of value of the 
                                assets held by such beneficiary in such 
                                individual retirement plan immediately 
                                after such loss was discovered, or
                    ``(B) $2,000,000.
            ``(3) Qualified fraudulent investment loss.--For purposes 
        of this subsection--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified fraudulent 
                investment loss' means a loss discovered in 2008 or 
                2009 resulting from a specified fraudulent arrangement 
                in which, as a result of the conduct that caused the 
                loss--
                            ``(i) a person described in subparagraph 
                        (B) was charged under State or Federal law with 
                        the commission of fraud, embezzlement, or 
                        similar crime which, if proven, would 
                        constitute a theft (within the meaning of 
                        subsection (c)(3)), or
                            ``(ii) a person described in subparagraph 
                        (B) was the subject of a State or Federal 
                        criminal complaint (not withdrawn or dismissed) 
                        alleging the commission of fraud, embezzlement, 
                        or similar crime which, if proven, would 
                        constitute a theft (within the meaning of 
                        subsection (c)(3)), and either--
                                    ``(I) the complaint alleged an 
                                admission by such person or the 
                                execution of an affidavit by such 
                                person admitting the crime, or
                                    ``(II) a receiver or trustee was 
                                appointed with respect to the 
                                arrangement or assets of the 
                                arrangement were frozen.
                    ``(B) Specified fraudulent arrangement.--The term 
                `specified fraudulent arrangement' means an arrangement 
                in which a person--
                            ``(i) receives cash or property from 
                        investors,
                            ``(ii) purports to earn income for 
                        investors,
                            ``(iii) reports income amounts to the 
                        investors that are partially or wholly 
                        fictitious,
                            ``(iv) makes payments, if any, of purposed 
                        income or principal to some investors from 
                        amounts that other investors invested in the 
                        fraudulent arrangement, and
                            ``(v) appropriates some or all of the 
                        investors' cash or property.
            ``(4) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue such 
        regulations or other guidance as may be necessary or 
        appropriate to carry out this subsection, including to prevent 
        fraud and abuse under this subsection.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF NET OPERATING LOSS CARRYBACK PERIOD.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 172(b) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(K) Losses attributable to investments in 
                fraudulent schemes.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In the case of the 
                        portion of a net operating loss which is a 
                        qualified fraudulent investment loss (as 
                        defined in section 165(m)(3)) with respect to 
                        which the taxpayer has elected the application 
                        of this subparagraph--
                                    ``(I) subparagraph (A)(i) shall be 
                                applied by substituting `the applicable 
                                number of taxable years' for `2 taxable 
                                years' with respect to the portion of 
                                the net operating loss for the taxable 
                                year which is a qualified fraudulent 
                                investment loss, and
                                    ``(II) subparagraphs (F) and (H) 
                                shall not apply with respect to any 
                                qualified fraudulent investment loss.
                            ``(ii) Applicable number of taxable 
                        years.--For purposes of clause (i), the 
                        applicable number of taxable years is any whole 
                        number elected by the taxpayer which is more 
                        than 2 but not more than 10 years.
                            ``(iii) Special rule for deceased 
                        spouses.--If an individual was included on a 
                        joint return of a taxpayer for a taxable year 
                        to which a qualified fraudulent investment loss 
                        (as so defined) is carried back under this 
                        subparagraph and such individual has died 
                        before the beginning of the taxable year in 
                        which such qualified fraudulent investment loss 
                        arises, then such qualified fraudulent 
                        investment loss shall be treated as a loss with 
                        respect to both the taxpayer and such 
                        individual with respect to the taxable year to 
                        which such loss carried.
                            ``(iv) Coordination with paragraph (2).--
                        For purposes of applying paragraph (2), a loss 
                        to which an election under section 165(m) 
                        applies for any taxable year shall be treated 
                        in a manner similar to the manner in which a 
                        specified liability loss is treated.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by this section shall apply to net operating 
        losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 
        2007.
            (2) Transition rule.--In the case of a net operating loss 
        for a taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act--
                    (A) any election made under subsection 
                (b)(1)(H)(iii) or (b)(3) of section 172 of such Code 
                with respect to such loss may (notwithstanding such 
                section) be revoked before the due date (including 
                extension of time) for filing the return for the 
                taxpayer's last taxable year beginning during 2011, and
                    (B) any application under section 6411(a) of such 
                Code with respect to such loss shall be treated as 
                timely filed if filed before such due date.

SEC. 4. HARDSHIP WITHDRAWALS.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 72(t) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(H) Distributions to replace qualified fraudulent 
                investment losses.--Any distribution which was made 
                during the 10-year period beginning on the date on 
                which a qualified fraudulent investment loss (as 
                defined in section 165(m)(3)) was discovered to the 
                extent the aggregate of such distributions do not 
                exceed such qualified fraudulent investment loss.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.

SEC. 5. CATCH-UP CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 219(b)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 is amended by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as 
subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively, and by inserting after 
subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Catchup contributions relating to qualified 
                fraudulent investment losses.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In the case of any 
                        applicable individual who elects to make a 
                        qualified retirement contribution in addition 
                        to the amount determined under subparagraph 
                        (A), the deductible amount for any taxable year 
                        shall be increased by an amount equal to the 
                        lesser of--
                                    ``(I) 100 percent of the amount 
                                determined under subparagraph (A) for 
                                such taxable year, or
                                    ``(II) the excess of the qualified 
                                fraudulent investment loss described in 
                                clause (ii) over the amount of 
                                contributions allowed as a deduction by 
                                reason of this subparagraph for all 
                                preceding taxable years.
                            ``(ii) Applicable individual.--For purposes 
                        of this subparagraph, the term `applicable 
                        individual' means, with respect to any taxable 
                        year, any individual with a qualified 
                        fraudulent investment loss (as defined in 
                        section 165(m)(3)) in an individual retirement 
                        plan in any of the 10 immediately preceding 
                        taxable years if the amount of such loss 
                        exceeded 50 percent of the value of such 
                        individual retirement plan on the day 
                        immediately preceding the discovery of the 
                        qualified fraudulent investment loss.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF LIMITATION FOR CREDITS AND REFUNDS FOR GIFTS AND 
              BEQUESTS OF ASSETS WITH QUALIFIED FRAUDULENT INVESTMENT 
              LOSSES.

    (a) In General.--Section 6511 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
is amended by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j) and by 
inserting after subsection (h) the following new subsection:
    ``(i) Special Rules Applicable to Estate and Gift Taxes With 
Respect to Assets With Qualified Fraudulent Investment Losses.--
            ``(1) In general.--If a claim for a credit or refund 
        relates to an overpayment of taxes imposed under subtitle B in 
        connection with a gift or bequest of an interest in an 
        investment with respect to which there is a qualified 
        fraudulent investment loss (as defined in section 165(m)(3)) 
        and the taxpayer did not know, and reasonably should not have 
        known, about the criminal behavior in connection with such 
        loss, such credit or refund may be allowed or made if claim 
        therefor is filed on or before the date that is 6 years after 
        the return to which the credit or overpayment relates was 
        filed.
            ``(2) Determination of value.--
                    ``(A) Gift taxes.--In determining the amount of any 
                credit or refund described in paragraph (1) relating to 
                a gift, the value of such gift shall be not more than 
                the greater of the value of such gift on the last day 
                of the taxable year in which the qualified fraudulent 
                investment loss was discovered or the amount realized 
                from the disposition of such gift (if any) by the 
                donee.
                    ``(B) Estate taxes.--In determining the amount of 
                any credit or refund described in paragraph (1) 
                relating to a bequest, the value of such bequest shall 
                be not more than the greater of the value of such 
                bequest on the last day of the calendar year in which 
                the qualified fraudulent investment loss was discovered 
                or the amount realized from the disposition of such 
                bequest (if any) by the donee.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to gifts or bequests made after December 31, 2007.

SEC. 7. WAIVER OF LIMITATION FOR CREDITS AND REFUNDS ATTRIBUTABLE TO 
              THIS ACT.

    If the credit or refund of any overpayment of tax resulting from 
the application of the amendments made by sections 1 through 5 of this 
Act to a period before the date of enactment of this Act is prevented 
as of such date by the operation of any law or rule of law (including 
res judicata), such credit or refund may nevertheless be allowed or 
made if the claim therefor is filed before the close of the 1-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>
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