I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3650
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to curtail the use of tax 
shelters, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 25, 2003
Mr. EMANUEL 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 curtail 
the use of tax shelters, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; ETC. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Tax Shelter Transparency and Enforcement Act’’. 
(b) AMENDMENT OF 1986 CODE.—Except as other-
wise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amend-
ment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment 
to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provi-
sion of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 
(c) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; amendment of 1986 Code; table of contents. 
TITLE I—PROVISIONS DESIGNED TO CURTAIL TAX SHELTERS 
Sec. 101. Clarification of economic substance doctrine. 
Sec. 102. Penalty for failing to disclose reportable transaction. 
Sec. 103. Accuracy-related penalty for listed transactions and other reportable 
transactions having a significant tax avoidance purpose. 
Sec. 104. Penalty for understatements attributable to transactions lacking eco-
nomic substance, etc. 
Sec. 105. Modifications of substantial understatement penalty for nonreportable 
transactions. 
Sec. 106. Tax shelter exception to confidentiality privileges relating to taxpayer 
communications. 
Sec. 107. Disclosure of reportable transactions. 
Sec. 108. Modifications to penalty for failure to register tax shelters. 
Sec. 109. Modification of penalty for failure to maintain lists of investors. 
Sec. 110. Modification of actions to enjoin certain conduct related to tax shel-
ters and reportable transactions. 
Sec. 111. Understatement of taxpayer’s liability by income tax return preparer. 
Sec. 112. Penalty on failure to report interests in foreign financial accounts. 
Sec. 113. Frivolous tax submissions. 
Sec. 114. Regulation of individuals practicing before the Department of Treas-
ury. 
Sec. 115. Penalty on promoters of tax shelters. 
Sec. 116. Statute of limitations for taxable years for which required listed 
transactions not reported. 
Sec. 117. Denial of deduction for interest on underpayments attributable to 
nondisclosed reportable and noneconomic substance trans-
actions. 
Sec. 118. Authorization of appropriations for tax law enforcement. 
TITLE II—OTHER CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PROVISIONS 
Sec. 201. Affirmation of consolidated return regulation authority. 
Sec. 202. Signing of corporate tax returns by chief executive officer. 
Sec. 203. Denial of deduction for certain fines, penalties, and other amounts. 
Sec. 204. Disallowance of deduction for punitive damages. 
Sec. 205. Increase in criminal monetary penalty limitation for the under-
payment or overpayment of tax due to fraud. 
TITLE III—ENRON-RELATED TAX SHELTER PROVISIONS 
Sec. 301. Limitation on transfer or importation of built-in losses. 
Sec. 302. No reduction of basis under section 734 in stock held by partnership 
in corporate partner. 
Sec. 303. Repeal of special rules for FASITs. 
Sec. 304. Expanded disallowance of deduction for interest on convertible debt.
Sec. 305. Expanded authority to disallow tax benefits under section 269. 
Sec. 306. Modification of interaction between subpart F and passive foreign in-
vestment company rules.
TITLE I—PROVISIONS DESIGNED 
TO CURTAIL TAX SHELTERS 
SEC. 101. CLARIFICATION OF ECONOMIC SUBSTANCE DOC-
TRINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7701 is amended by re-
designating subsection (n) as subsection (o) and by insert-
ing after subsection (m) the following new subsection: 
‘‘(n) CLARIFICATION
OF
ECONOMIC
SUBSTANCE 
DOCTRINE; ETC.—
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In any case in which 
a court determines that the economic substance 
doctrine is relevant for purposes of this title to 
a transaction (or series of transactions), such 
transaction (or series of transactions) shall have 
economic substance only if the requirements of 
this paragraph are met. 
‘‘(B) DEFINITION
OF
ECONOMIC
SUB-
STANCE.—For purposes of subparagraph (A)—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A transaction has 
economic substance only if—
‘‘(I) the transaction changes in a 
meaningful way (apart from Federal
tax effects) the taxpayer’s economic 
position, and 
‘‘(II) the taxpayer has a substan-
tial nontax purpose for entering into 
such transaction and the transaction 
is a reasonable means of accom-
plishing such purpose. 
In applying subclause (II), a purpose of 
achieving a financial accounting benefit 
shall not be taken into account in deter-
mining whether a transaction has a sub-
stantial nontax purpose if the origin of 
such financial accounting benefit is a re-
duction of income tax. 
‘‘(ii) SPECIAL
RULE
WHERE
TAX-
PAYER RELIES ON PROFIT POTENTIAL.—A 
transaction shall not be treated as having 
economic substance by reason of having a 
potential for profit unless—
‘‘(I) the present value of the rea-
sonably expected pre-tax profit from 
the transaction is substantial in rela-
tion to the present value of the ex-
pected net tax benefits that would be
allowed if the transaction were re-
spected, and 
‘‘(II) the reasonably expected 
pre-tax profit from the transaction ex-
ceeds a risk-free rate of return.
‘‘(C) TREATMENT OF FEES AND FOREIGN 
TAXES.—Fees and other transaction expenses 
and foreign taxes shall be taken into account as 
expenses in determining pre-tax profit under 
subparagraph (B)(ii). 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULES FOR TRANSACTIONS WITH 
TAX-INDIFFERENT PARTIES.—
‘‘(A) SPECIAL
RULES
FOR
FINANCING 
TRANSACTIONS.—The form of a transaction 
which is in substance the borrowing of money 
or the acquisition of financial capital directly or 
indirectly from a tax-indifferent party shall not 
be respected if the present value of the deduc-
tions to be claimed with respect to the trans-
action is substantially in excess of the present 
value of the anticipated economic returns of the 
person lending the money or providing the fi-
nancial capital. A public offering shall be treat-
ed as a borrowing, or an acquisition of financial 
capital, from a tax-indifferent party if it is rea-
sonably expected that at least 50 percent of the 
offering will be placed with tax-indifferent par-
ties. 
‘‘(B) ARTIFICIAL INCOME SHIFTING AND 
BASIS
ADJUSTMENTS.—The form of a trans-
action with a tax-indifferent party shall not be 
respected if—
‘‘(i) it results in an allocation of in-
come or gain to the tax-indifferent party in 
excess of such party’s economic income or 
gain, or 
‘‘(ii) it results in a basis adjustment 
or shifting of basis on account of over-
stating the income or gain of the tax-indif-
ferent party. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.—For 
purposes of this subsection—
‘‘(A) ECONOMIC SUBSTANCE DOCTRINE.—
The term ‘economic substance doctrine’ means 
the common law doctrine under which tax bene-
fits under subtitle A with respect to a trans-
action are not allowable if the transaction does 
not have economic substance or lacks a business 
purpose.
‘‘(B) 
TAX-INDIFFERENT
PARTY.—The 
term ‘tax-indifferent party’ means any person 
or entity not subject to tax imposed by subtitle 
A. A person shall be treated as a tax-indifferent 
party with respect to a transaction if the items 
taken into account with respect to the trans-
action have no substantial impact on such per-
son’s liability under subtitle A. 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION FOR PERSONAL TRANS-
ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS.—In the case of an 
individual, this subsection shall apply only to 
transactions entered into in connection with a 
trade or business or an activity engaged in for 
the production of income. 
‘‘(D) TREATMENT OF LESSORS.—In apply-
ing paragraph (1)(B)(ii) to the lessor of tan-
gible property subject to a lease—
‘‘(i) the expected net tax benefits with 
respect to the leased property shall not in-
clude the benefits of—
‘‘(I) depreciation, 
‘‘(II) any tax credit, or 
‘‘(III) any other deduction as 
provided in guidance by the Secretary, 
and
‘‘(ii) subclause (II) of paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii) shall be disregarded in deter-
mining whether any of such benefits are al-
lowable.
‘‘(4) OTHER COMMON LAW DOCTRINES NOT AF-
FECTED.—Except as specifically provided in this 
subsection, the provisions of this subsection shall not 
be construed as altering or supplanting any other 
rule of law, and the requirements of this subsection 
shall be construed as being in addition to any such 
other rule of law. 
‘‘(5) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pre-
scribe such regulations as may be necessary or ap-
propriate to carry out the purposes of this sub-
section. Such regulations may include exemptions 
from the application of this subsection.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to transactions entered into after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 102. PENALTY FOR FAILING TO DISCLOSE REPORT-
ABLE TRANSACTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of subchapter B of chapter 
68 (relating to assessable penalties) is amended by insert-
ing after section 6707 the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 6707A. PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO INCLUDE REPORT-
ABLE TRANSACTION INFORMATION WITH RE-
TURN OR STATEMENT. 
‘‘(a) IMPOSITION
OF PENALTY.—Any person who 
fails to include on any return or statement any informa-
tion with respect to a reportable transaction which is re-
quired under section 6011 to be included with such return 
or statement shall pay a penalty in the amount determined 
under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT OF PENALTY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graphs (2) and (3), the amount of the penalty under 
subsection (a) shall be $50,000. 
‘‘(2) LISTED
TRANSACTION.—The amount of 
the penalty under subsection (a) with respect to a 
listed transaction shall be $100,000. 
‘‘(3) INCREASE IN PENALTY FOR LARGE ENTI-
TIES AND HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a fail-
ure under subsection (a) by—
‘‘(i) a large entity, or 
‘‘(ii) a high net worth individual, 
the penalty under paragraph (1) or (2) shall be 
twice the amount determined without regard to 
this paragraph.
‘‘(B) LARGE
ENTITY.—For purposes of 
subparagraph (A), the term ‘large entity’ 
means, with respect to any taxable year, a per-
son (other than a natural person) with gross re-
ceipts in excess of $10,000,000 for the taxable 
year in which the reportable transaction occurs 
or the preceding taxable year. Rules similar to 
the rules of paragraph (2) and subparagraphs 
(B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (3) of section 
448(c) shall apply for purposes of this subpara-
graph. 
‘‘(C) HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUAL.—For 
purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ‘high 
net worth individual’ means, with respect to a 
reportable transaction, a natural person whose 
net worth exceeds $2,000,000 immediately be-
fore the transaction. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(1) REPORTABLE
TRANSACTION.—The term 
‘reportable transaction’ means any transaction with 
respect to which information is required to be in-
cluded with a return or statement because, as deter-
mined under regulations prescribed under section 
6011, such transaction is of a type which the Sec-
retary determines as having a potential for tax 
avoidance or evasion. 
‘‘(2) LISTED
TRANSACTION.—Except as pro-
vided in regulations, the term ‘listed transaction’ 
means a reportable transaction which is the same as, 
or substantially similar to, a transaction specifically 
identified by the Secretary as a tax avoidance trans-
action for purposes of section 6011. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORITY TO RESCIND PENALTY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of In-
ternal Revenue may rescind all or any portion of any 
penalty imposed by this section with respect to any 
violation if—
‘‘(A) the violation is with respect to a re-
portable transaction other than a listed trans-
action, 
‘‘(B) the person on whom the penalty is 
imposed has a history of complying with the re-
quirements of this title, 
‘‘(C) it is shown that the violation is due 
to an unintentional mistake of fact; 
‘‘(D) imposing the penalty would be 
against equity and good conscience, and
‘‘(E) rescinding the penalty would promote 
compliance with the requirements of this title 
and effective tax administration. 
‘‘(2) DISCRETION.—The exercise of authority 
under paragraph (1) shall be at the sole discretion 
of the Commissioner and may be delegated only to 
the head of the Office of Tax Shelter Analysis. The 
Commissioner, in the Commissioner’s sole discretion, 
may establish a procedure to determine if a penalty 
should be referred to the Commissioner or the head 
of such Office for a determination under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(3) NO APPEAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, any determination under this sub-
section may not be reviewed in any administrative or 
judicial proceeding. 
‘‘(4) RECORDS.—If a penalty is rescinded under 
paragraph (1), the Commissioner shall place in the 
file in the Office of the Commissioner the opinion of 
the Commissioner or the head of the Office of Tax 
Shelter Analysis with respect to the determination, 
including—
‘‘(A) the facts and circumstances of the 
transaction, 
‘‘(B) the reasons for the rescission, and
‘‘(C) the amount of the penalty rescinded. 
‘‘(5) REPORT.—The Commissioner shall each 
year report to the Committee on Ways and Means 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Finance of the Senate—
‘‘(A) a summary of the total number and 
aggregate amount of penalties imposed, and re-
scinded, under this section, and 
‘‘(B) a description of each penalty re-
scinded under this subsection and the reasons 
therefor. 
‘‘(e) PENALTY REPORTED TO SEC.—In the case of 
a person—
‘‘(1) which is required to file periodic reports 
under section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Ex-
change Act of 1934 or is required to be consolidated 
with another person for purposes of such reports, 
and 
‘‘(2) which— 
‘‘(A) is required to pay a penalty under 
this section with respect to a listed transaction, 
‘‘(B) is required to pay a penalty under 
section 6662A with respect to any reportable 
transaction at a rate prescribed under section 
6662A(c), or
‘‘(C) is required to pay a penalty under 
section 6662B with respect to any noneconomic 
substance transaction, 
the requirement to pay such penalty shall be disclosed in 
such reports filed by such person for such periods as the 
Secretary shall specify. Failure to make a disclosure in 
accordance with the preceding sentence shall be treated 
as a failure to which the penalty under subsection (b)(2) 
applies. 
‘‘(f) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PENALTIES.—The 
penalty imposed by this section is in addition to any pen-
alty imposed under this title.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for part I of subchapter B of chapter 68 is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 6707 the 
following:
‘‘Sec. 6707A. Penalty for failure to include reportable transaction 
information with return or statement.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to returns and statements the due 
date for which is after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
SEC. 103. ACCURACY-RELATED PENALTY FOR LISTED 
TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER REPORTABLE 
TRANSACTIONS HAVING A SIGNIFICANT TAX 
AVOIDANCE PURPOSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 68 is 
amended by inserting after section 6662 the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 6662A. IMPOSITION OF ACCURACY-RELATED PEN-
ALTY ON UNDERSTATEMENTS WITH RESPECT 
TO REPORTABLE TRANSACTIONS. 
‘‘(a) IMPOSITION OF PENALTY.—If a taxpayer has a 
reportable transaction understatement for any taxable 
year, there shall be added to the tax an amount equal to 
20 percent of the amount of such understatement. 
‘‘(b) REPORTABLE
TRANSACTION
UNDERSTATE-
MENT.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘reportable trans-
action understatement’ means the sum of—
‘‘(A) the product of—
‘‘(i) the amount of the increase (if 
any) in taxable income which results from 
a difference between the proper tax treat-
ment of an item to which this section ap-
plies and the taxpayer’s treatment of such 
item (as shown on the taxpayer’s return of 
tax), and
‘‘(ii) the highest rate of tax imposed 
by section 1 (section 11 in the case of a 
taxpayer which is a corporation), and 
‘‘(B) the amount of the decrease (if any) 
in the aggregate amount of credits determined 
under subtitle A which results from a difference 
between the taxpayer’s treatment of an item to 
which this section applies (as shown on the tax-
payer’s return of tax) and the proper tax treat-
ment of such item. 
For purposes of subparagraph (A), any reduction of 
the excess of deductions allowed for the taxable year 
over gross income for such year, and any reduction 
in the amount of capital losses which would (without 
regard to section 1211) be allowed for such year, 
shall be treated as an increase in taxable income. 
‘‘(2) ITEMS TO WHICH SECTION APPLIES.—This 
section shall apply to any item which is attributable 
to—
‘‘(A) any listed transaction, and 
‘‘(B) any reportable transaction (other 
than a listed transaction) if a significant pur-
pose of such transaction is the avoidance or 
evasion of Federal income tax.
‘‘(c) HIGHER PENALTY FOR NONDISCLOSED LISTED 
AND OTHER AVOIDANCE TRANSACTIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) shall be ap-
plied by substituting ‘30 percent’ for ‘20 percent’ 
with respect to the portion of any reportable trans-
action understatement with respect to which the re-
quirement of section 6664(d)(2)(A) is not met. 
‘‘(2) RULES APPLICABLE TO ASSERTION AND 
COMPROMISE OF PENALTY.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Only upon the ap-
proval by the Chief Counsel for the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Chief Counsel’s delegate 
at the national office of the Internal Revenue 
Service may a penalty to which paragraph (1) 
applies be included in a 1st letter of proposed 
deficiency which allows the taxpayer an oppor-
tunity for administrative review in the Internal 
Revenue Service Office of Appeals. If such a 
letter is provided to the taxpayer, only the Com-
missioner of Internal Revenue may compromise 
all or any portion of such penalty. 
‘‘(B) APPLICABLE
RULES.—The rules of 
paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) of section 
6707A(d) shall apply for purposes of subpara-
graph (A).