Source: https://larsco.com/irs-extends-micro-captive-transaction-disclosure-deadlines/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 16:41:52+00:00

Document:
In a Notice, IRS has extended the deadline by which participants in, and material advisors with respect to, “micro-captive transactions” must make disclosures under Code Sec. 6111 and Code Sec. 6112, until May 1, 2017. A micro-captive transaction is a transaction in which a taxpayer attempts to evade taxation by entering into contracts with a related company that is treated as a captive insurance company, using inflated premiums, and taking advantage of Code Sec. 831(b)’s election to have small insurance companies be taxed only on their investment income.
Background election by nonlife insurance companies. Nonlife insurance companies with net written premiums, or direct written premiums if greater, not in excess of $1,200,000 in the tax year may elect to be taxed, at regular corporate rates, only on taxable investment income, instead of being taxed on both investment and underwriting income. For tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2016, the $1,200,000 maximum amount of annual premiums will be increased to $2,200,000 and adjusted for inflation ($2,250,000 for 2017).
Background tax shelter reporting requirements. Under Code Sec. 6011 and its regs, taxpayers must disclose their participation in reportable, tax-shelter-type transactions by attaching an information statement to their income tax returns. Under Code Sec. 6111, material advisors must disclose reportable transactions (e.g., identify and describe them and the claimed tax benefits), and, under Code Sec. 6112, material advisors must prepare and maintain lists for reportable transactions (e.g., identifying each person with respect to whom the advisor acted as a material advisor for the transactions). Regs provide that reportable transactions include several categories of transactions including listed transactions and transactions of interest.
A listed transaction is a transaction that is the same as or substantially similar to one of the types of transactions that IRS has determined to be a tax avoidance transaction and identified by notice, reg, or other form of published guidance as a listed transaction. Several of the disclosure rules described above have stricter provisions for listed transactions than for other reportable transactions.
A transaction of interest is a transaction that is the same as or substantially similar to one of the types of transactions that IRS has determined to be a transaction of interest and identified by notice, reg, or other form of published guidance as a transaction of interest.
Background micro-captive transactions. Broadly speaking, a micro-captive transaction is a transaction in which a taxpayer attempts to reduce the aggregate taxable income of the taxpayer, related persons, or both, using contracts that the parties treat as insurance contracts and a related company that the parties treat as a captive insurance company. Each entity that the parties treat as an insured entity under the contracts claims deductions for premiums for insurance coverage. The related company that the parties treat as a captive insurance company elects under Code Sec. 831(b) to be taxed only on investment income and therefore excludes the payments directly or indirectly received under the contracts from its taxable income.
Background Notice 2016-66. Notice 2016-66, 2016-47 IRB, which was issued in November, 2016, provides that micro-captive transactions and substantially similar transactions are transactions of interest for purposes of Reg. § 1.6011-4(b)(6), Code Sec. 6111 and Code Sec. 6112.
Captive has at any time during the Computation Period directly or indirectly made available as financing or otherwise conveyed or agreed to make available or convey to A, Insured, or a person related (within the meaning of Code Sec. 267(b) or Code Sec. 707(b)) to A or Insured (collectively, the “Recipient”), in a transaction that did not result in taxable income or gain to Recipient, any portion of the payments under the Contract, such as through a guarantee, a loan, or other transfer of Captive’s capital.
If Captive has been in existence for less than five tax years, the entire period of Captive’s existence.
For purposes of the preceding sentence, if Captive has been in existence for less than five tax years and Captive is a successor to one or more Captives created or availed of in connection with a transaction described in the Notice, tax years of such predecessor entities are treated as tax years of Captive. A short tax year is treated as a tax year.
Transactions that are the same as, or substantially similar to, the transaction described under “The following transaction…” above are identified as transactions of interest for purposes of Reg. § 1.6011-4(b)(6), Code Sec. 6111 and Code Sec. 6112 effective Nov. 1, 2016. Persons entering into these transactions on or after Nov. 2, 2006 must disclose the transaction as described in Reg. § 1.6011-4. Material advisors who make a tax statement on or after Nov. 2, 2006, with respect to transactions entered into on or after Nov. 2, 2006, have disclosure and list maintenance obligations under Code Sec. 6111 and Code Sec. 6112.
Reg. § 1.6011-4(e) and Reg. Â§ 301.6111-3(e) (which provide timing requirements for reporting of tax shelter transactions by participants and advisers, respectively) provide the general rules regarding the time for providing disclosure of a transaction described under “The following transaction…”, above. However, Notice 2016-66 provided that, if, under Reg. § 1.6011-4(e), a taxpayer is required to file a disclosure statement with respect to a transaction described under “The following transaction…” after Nov. 1, 2016 and before Jan. 30, 2017, that disclosure statement will be considered to be timely filed if the taxpayer files the disclosure with the Office of Tax Shelter Analysis by Jan. 30, 2017.
IRS grants extension. IRS has now granted an extension to participants in micro-captive transactions by changing Jan. 30, 2017 in both places that it appears in the above rule, to May 1, 2017.
And, IRS has provided that, if under Reg. § 301.6111-3(e), a material advisor is required to file a disclosure statement with respect to a transaction as described above by Jan. 31, 2017, that disclosure statement will be considered to be timely filed if the material advisor files the disclosure with the Office of Tax Shelter Analysis by May 1, 2017.
For more information about micro-captive tax laws, contact Scott Rogers today.

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