80_FR_43793 80 FR 43652 - Disguised Payments for Services

80 FR 43652 - Disguised Payments for Services

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 141 (July 23, 2015)

Page Range43652-43661
FR Document2015-17828

This document contains proposed regulations relating to disguised payments for services under section 707(a)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code. The proposed regulations provide guidance to partnerships and their partners regarding when an arrangement will be treated as a disguised payment for services. This document also proposes conforming modifications to the regulations governing guaranteed payments under section 707(c). Additionally, this document provides notice of proposed modifications to Rev. Procs. 93-27 and 2001-43 relating to the issuance of interests in partnership profits to service providers.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 141 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 141 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43652-43661]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17828]



[[Page 43652]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 1

[REG-115452-14]
RIN 1545-BM12


Disguised Payments for Services

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations relating to 
disguised payments for services under section 707(a)(2)(A) of the 
Internal Revenue Code. The proposed regulations provide guidance to 
partnerships and their partners regarding when an arrangement will be 
treated as a disguised payment for services. This document also 
proposes conforming modifications to the regulations governing 
guaranteed payments under section 707(c). Additionally, this document 
provides notice of proposed modifications to Rev. Procs. 93-27 and 
2001-43 relating to the issuance of interests in partnership profits to 
service providers.

DATES: Written and electronic comments and requests for a public 
hearing must be received by October 21, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-115452-14), Room 5203, 
Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, 
Washington, DC 20044. Submissions may be hand-delivered Monday through 
Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-
115452-14), Courier's Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC, or sent electronically, via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov (indicate IRS and REG-
115452-14).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning submissions of comments, 
Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Taylor (202) 517-6901; concerning the proposed 
regulations, Jaclyn M. Goldberg (202) 317-6850 (not toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Generally, under the statutory framework of Subchapter K of the 
Code, an allocation or distribution between a partnership and a partner 
for the provision of services can be treated in one of three ways: (1) 
A distributive share under section 704(b); (2) a guaranteed payment 
under section 707(c); or (3) as a transaction in which a partner has 
rendered services to the partnership in its capacity as other than a 
partner under section 707(a).

Distributive Share Treatment

    Partnership allocations that are determined with regard to 
partnership income and that are made to a partner for services rendered 
by the partner in its capacity as a partner are generally treated as 
distributive shares of partnership income, taxable under the general 
rules of sections 702, 703, and 704. In some cases, the right to a 
distributive share may qualify as a profits interest defined in Rev. 
Proc. 93-27, 1993-2 C.B. 343. Rev. Proc. 93-27, clarified by Rev. Proc. 
2001-43, 2001-2 C.B. 191, provides guidance on the treatment of the 
receipt of a profits interest for services provided to or for the 
benefit of the partnership.

Arrangements Subject to Sections 707(c) or 707(a)(1).

    In 1954, Congress added section 707 to the Code to clarify 
transactions between a partner and a partnership. Section 707(a) 
addresses arrangements in which a partner engages with the partnership 
other than in its capacity as a partner. The legislative history to 
section 707(a) provides the general rule that a partner who engages in 
a transaction with the partnership, other than in its capacity as a 
partner is treated as though it were not a partner. The provision was 
intended to apply to the sale of property by the partner to the 
partnership, the purchase of property by the partner from the 
partnership, and the rendering of services by the partner to the 
partnership or by the partnership to the partner. H.R. Rep. No. 1337, 
83d Cong., 2d Sess. 227 (1954) (House Report); S. Rep. No. 1622, 83d 
Cong., 2d Sess. 387 (1954) (Senate Report).
    Congress simultaneously added section 707(c) to address payments to 
partners of the partnership acting in their partner capacity. Section 
707(c) provides that to the extent determined without regard to the 
income of the partnership, payment to a partner for services shall be 
considered as made to a person who is not a partner, but only for 
purposes of sections 61(a) and 162(a). The Senate Report and the House 
Report provide that a fixed salary, payable without regard to 
partnership income, to a partner who renders services to the 
partnership is a guaranteed payment. The amount of the payment shall be 
included in the partner's gross income, and shall not be considered a 
distributive share of income or gain. A partner who is guaranteed a 
minimum annual amount for its services shall be treated as receiving a 
fixed payment in that amount. House Report at 227; Senate Report at 
387.
    In 1956, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued additional 
guidance under Sec.  1.707-1 relating to a partner not acting in its 
capacity as a partner under section 707(a) and to guaranteed payments 
under section 707(c). See TD 6175. However, it remained unclear when a 
partner's services to the partnership were rendered in a non-partner 
capacity under section 707(a) rather than in a partner capacity under 
section 707(c).
    In 1975, the Tax Court distinguished sections 707(a) and 707(c) 
payments in Pratt v. Commissioner, 64 T.C. 204 (1975), aff'd in part, 
rev'd in part, 550 F.2d 1023 (5th Cir. 1977). In Pratt, the general 
partners in two limited partnerships formed to purchase, develop, and 
operate two shopping centers received a fixed percentage of gross 
rentals in exchange for the performance of managerial services. The Tax 
Court held that these payments were not guaranteed payments under 
section 707(c) because they were computed based on a percentage of 
gross rental income and therefore were not paid without regard to 
partnership income. The Tax Court further held that section 707(a) did 
not apply because the general partners performed managerial duties in 
their partner capacities in accordance with their basic duties under 
the partnership agreement. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the 
Tax Court's decision. The Fifth Circuit reasoned that Congress enacted 
section 707(a) to apply to partners who perform services for the 
partnership that are outside the scope of the partnership's activities. 
The Court indicated that if the partner performs services that the 
partnership itself provides, then the compensation to the service 
provider is merely a rearrangement among the partners of their 
distributive shares in the partnership income.
    In response to the decision in Pratt, the Treasury Department and 
the IRS issued Rev. Rul. 81-300, 1981-2 C.B. 143 and Rev. Rul. 81-301, 
1981-2 C.B. 144 to clarify the treatment of transactions under sections 
707(a) and 707(c). As in the Pratt case, Rev. Rul. 81-300 considers a 
partnership formed to purchase, develop, and operate a shopping center. 
The partnership agreement required the general partners to contribute 
their time, managerial abilities, and best efforts to the partnership. 
In return for these services, the general partners received a fee equal 
to five percent of the partnership's gross rental income. The ruling 
concluded that the taxpayers performed managerial services in their 
capacities as general

[[Page 43653]]

partners, and characterized the management fees as guaranteed payments 
under section 707(c). The ruling provides that, although guaranteed 
payments under section 707(c) frequently involve a fixed amount, they 
are not limited to fixed amounts. Thus, the ruling concluded that a 
payment for services determined by reference to an item of gross income 
will be a guaranteed payment if, on the basis of all facts and 
circumstances, the payment is compensation rather than a share of 
profits.
    Rev. Rul. 81-301 describes a limited partnership which has two 
classes of general partners. The first class of general partner 
(director general partners) had complete control over the management, 
conduct, and operation of partnership activities. The second class of 
general partner (adviser general partner) rendered to the partnership 
services that were substantially the same as those that the adviser 
general partner rendered to other persons as an independent contractor. 
The adviser general partner received 10 percent of daily gross income 
in exchange for the management services it provided to the partnership. 
Rev. Rul. 81-301 held that the adviser general partner received its 
gross income allocation in a nonpartner capacity under section 707(a) 
because the adviser general partner provided similar services to other 
parties, was subject to removal by the director general partners, was 
not personally liable to the other partners for any losses, and its 
management was supervised by the director general partners.

Enactment of Section 707(a)(2)(A)

    Congress revisited the scope of section 707(a) in 1984, in part to 
prevent partners from circumventing the capitalization requirements of 
sections 263 and 709 by structuring payments for services as 
allocations of partnership income under section 704. H.R. Rep. No. 432 
(Pt. 2), 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 1216-21 (1984) (H.R. Rep.); S. Prt. No. 
169 (Vol. 1), 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 223-32 (1984) (S. Prt.). Congress 
specifically addressed the holdings in Rev. Rul. 81-300 and Rev. Rul. 
81-301, affirming Rev. Rul. 81-301 and concluding that the payment in 
Rev. Rul. 81-300 should be recharacterized as a section 707(a) payment. 
S. Prt. at 230. Accordingly, the Treasury Department and the IRS are 
obsoleting Rev. Rul. 81-300 and request comments on whether it should 
be reissued with modified facts.
    Congress also added an anti-abuse rule to section 707(a) relating 
to payments to partner service providers. Section 707(a)(2)(A) provides 
that if a partner performs services for a partnership and receives a 
related direct or indirect allocation and distribution, and the 
performance of services and allocation and distribution, when viewed 
together, are properly characterized as a transaction occurring between 
the partnership and a partner acting other than in its capacity as a 
partner, the transaction will be treated as occurring between the 
partnership and one who is not a partner under section 707(a)(1). See 
section 73 of the Tax Reform Act of 1984 (the 1984 Act). The Treasury 
Department and the IRS have concluded that section 707(a)(2) applies to 
arrangements in which distributions to the service provider depend on 
an allocation of an item of income, and section 707(c) applies to 
amounts whose payments are unrelated to partnership income.
    Section 707(a)(2) grants the Secretary broad regulatory authority 
to identify transactions involving disguised payments for services 
under section 707(a)(2)(A). This grant of regulatory authority stems 
from Congress's concern that partnerships and service providers were 
inappropriately treating payments as allocations and distributions to a 
partner even when the service provider acted in a capacity other than 
as a partner. S. Prt. at 225. Congress determined that allocations and 
distributions that were, in substance, direct payments for services 
should be treated as a payment of fees rather than as an arrangement 
for the allocation and distribution of partnership income. H.R. Rep. at 
1218; S. Prt. at 225. Congress differentiated these arrangements from 
situations in which a partner receives an allocation (or increased 
allocation) for an extended period to reflect its contribution of 
property or services to the partnership, such that the partner receives 
the allocation in its capacity as a partner. In balancing these 
potentially conflicting concerns, Congress anticipated that the 
regulations would take five factors into account in determining whether 
a service provider would receive its putative allocation and 
distribution in its capacity as a partner. H.R. Rep. at 1219-20; S. 
Prt. at 227.
    Congress identified as its first and most important factor whether 
the payment is subject to significant entrepreneurial risk as to both 
the amount and fact of payment. In explaining why entrepreneurial risk 
is the most important factor, Congress provides that ``[p]artners 
extract the profits of the partnership with reference to the business 
success of the venture, while third parties generally receive payments 
which are not subject to this risk.'' S. Prt. at 227. An arrangement 
for an allocation and distribution to a service provider which involves 
limited risk as to amount and payment is treated as a fee under section 
707(a)(2)(A). Congress specified examples of allocations that 
presumptively limit a partner's risk, including (i) capped allocations 
of income, (ii) allocations for a fixed number of years under which the 
income that will go to the partner is reasonably certain, (iii) 
continuing arrangements in which purported allocations and 
distributions are fixed in amount or reasonably determinable under all 
facts and circumstances, and (iv) allocations of gross income items.
    An arrangement in which an allocation and distribution to a service 
provider are subject to significant entrepreneurial risk as to amount 
will generally be recognized as a distributive share, although other 
factors are also relevant. The legislative history to section 
707(a)(2)(A) includes the following examples of factors that could bear 
on this determination: (i) Whether the partner status of the recipient 
is transitory; (ii) whether the allocation and distribution that are 
made to the partner are close in time to the partner's performance of 
services; (iii) whether the facts and circumstances indicate that the 
recipient became a partner primarily to obtain tax benefits for itself 
or the partnership that would not otherwise have been available; and 
(iv) whether the value of the recipient's interest in general and in 
continuing partnership profits is small in relation to the allocation 
in question.

Explanation of Provisions

    Section 1.707-1 sets forth general rules on the operation of 
section 707. Section 1.707-2 is titled ``Disguised payments for 
services'' and is currently reserved. Sections 1.707-3 through 1.707-7 
provide guidance regarding transactions involving disguised sales under 
section 707(a)(2)(B). These proposed regulations are issued under Sec.  
1.707-2 and provide guidance regarding transactions involving disguised 
payments for services under section 707(a)(2)(A). The effective date of 
the proposed regulations is provided under Sec.  1.707-9.

I. General Rules Regarding Disguised Payments for Services

A. Scope
    Consistent with the language of section 707(a)(2)(A), Sec.  1.707-
2(b) of the proposed regulations provides that an arrangement will be 
treated as a disguised payment for services if (i) a person (service 
provider), either in a

[[Page 43654]]

partner capacity or in anticipation of being a partner, performs 
services (directly or through its delegate) to or for the benefit of 
the partnership; (ii) there is a related direct or indirect allocation 
and distribution to the service provider; and (iii) the performance of 
the services and the allocation and distribution when viewed together, 
are properly characterized as a transaction occurring between the 
partnership and a person acting other than in that person's capacity as 
a partner.
    The proposed regulations provide a mechanism for determining 
whether or not an arrangement is treated as a disguised payment for 
services under section 707(a)(2)(A). An arrangement that is treated as 
a disguised payment for services under these proposed regulations will 
be treated as a payment for services for all purposes of the Code. 
Thus, the partnership must treat the payments as payments to a non-
partner in determining the remaining partners' shares of taxable income 
or loss. Where appropriate, the partnership must capitalize the 
payments or otherwise treat them in a manner consistent with the 
recharacterization.
    The consequence of characterizing an arrangement as a payment for 
services is otherwise beyond the scope of these regulations. For 
example, the proposed regulations do not address the timing of 
inclusion by the service provider or the timing of a deduction by the 
partnership other than to provide that each is taken into account as 
provided for under applicable law by applying all relevant sections of 
the Code and all relevant judicial doctrines. Further, if an 
arrangement is subject to section 707(a), taxpayers should look to 
relevant authorities to determine the status of the service provider as 
an independent contractor or employee. See, generally, Rev. Rul. 69-
184, 1969-1 C.B. 256. The Treasury Department and the IRS believe that 
section 707(a)(2)(A) generally should not apply to arrangements that 
the partnership has reasonably characterized as a guaranteed payment 
under section 707(c).
    Allocations pursuant to an arrangement between a partnership and a 
service provider to which sections 707(a) and 707(c) do not apply will 
be treated as a distributive share under section 704(b). Rev. Proc. 93-
27 and Rev. Proc. 2001-43 may apply to such an arrangement if the 
specific requirements of those Revenue Procedures are also satisfied. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS intend to modify the exceptions set 
forth in those revenue procedures to include an additional exception 
for profits interests issued in conjunction with a partner forgoing 
payment of a substantially fixed amount. This exception is discussed in 
part IV of the Explanation of Provisions section of this preamble.
B. Application and Timing
    These proposed regulations apply to a service provider who purports 
to be a partner even if applying the regulations causes the service 
provider to be treated as a person who is not a partner. S. Prt. at 
227. Further, the proposed regulations may apply even if their 
application results in a determination that no partnership exists. The 
regulations also apply to a special allocation and distribution 
received in exchange for services by a service provider who receives 
other allocations and distributions in a partner capacity under section 
704(b).
    The proposed regulations characterize the nature of an arrangement 
at the time at which the parties enter into or modify the arrangement. 
Although section 707(a)(2)(A)(ii) requires both an allocation and a 
distribution to the service provider, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS believe that a premise of section 704(b) is that an income 
allocation correlates with an increased distribution right, justifying 
the assumption that an arrangement that provides for an income 
allocation should be treated as also providing for an associated 
distribution for purposes of applying section 707(a)(2)(A). The 
Treasury Department and the IRS considered that some arrangements 
provide for distributions in a later year, and that those later 
distributions may be subject to independent risk. However, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS believe that recharacterizing an arrangement 
retroactively is administratively difficult. Thus, the proposed 
regulations characterize the nature of an arrangement when the 
arrangement is entered into (or modified) regardless of when income is 
allocated and when money or property is distributed. The proposed 
regulations apply to both one-time transactions and continuing 
arrangements. S. Prt. at 226.

II. Factors Considered

    Whether an arrangement constitutes a payment for services (in whole 
or in part) depends on all of the facts and circumstances. The proposed 
regulations include six non-exclusive factors that may indicate that an 
arrangement constitutes a disguised payment for services. Of these 
factors, the first five factors generally track the facts and 
circumstances identified as relevant in the legislative history for 
purposes of applying section 707(a)(2)(A). The proposed regulations 
also add a sixth factor not specifically identified by Congress. The 
first of these six factors, the existence of significant 
entrepreneurial risk, is accorded more weight than the other factors, 
and arrangements that lack significant entrepreneurial risk are treated 
as disguised payments for services. The weight given to each of the 
other five factors depends on the particular case, and the absence of a 
particular factor (other than significant entrepreneurial risk) is not 
necessarily determinative of whether an arrangement is treated as a 
payment for services.
A. Significant Entrepreneurial Risk
    As described in the Background section of this preamble, Congress 
indicated that the most important factor in determining whether or not 
an arrangement constitutes a payment for services is that the 
allocation and distribution is subject to significant entrepreneurial 
risk. S. Prt. at 227. Congress noted that partners extract the profits 
of the partnership based on the business success of the venture, while 
third parties generally receive payments that are not subject to this 
risk. Id.
    The proposed regulations reflect Congress's view that this factor 
is most important. Under the proposed regulations, an arrangement that 
lacks significant entrepreneurial risk constitutes a disguised payment 
for services. An arrangement in which allocations and distributions to 
the service provider are subject to significant entrepreneurial risk 
will generally be recognized as a distributive share but the ultimate 
determination depends on the totality of the facts and circumstances. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on whether 
allocations to service providers that lack significant entrepreneurial 
risk could be characterized as distributive shares under section 704(b) 
in any circumstances.
    Whether an arrangement lacks significant entrepreneurial risk is 
based on the service provider's entrepreneurial risk relative to the 
overall entrepreneurial risk of the partnership. For example, a service 
provider who receives a percentage of net profits in each of a 
partnership that invests in high-quality debt instruments and a 
partnership that invests in volatile or unproven businesses may have 
significant entrepreneurial risk with respect to both interests.
    Section 1.707-2(c)(1)(i) through (v) of the proposed regulations 
set forth arrangements that presumptively lack significant 
entrepreneurial risk. These

[[Page 43655]]

arrangements are presumed to result in an absence of significant 
entrepreneurial risk (and therefore, a disguised payment for services) 
unless other facts and circumstances can establish the presence of 
significant entrepreneurial risk by clear and convincing evidence. 
These examples generally describe facts and circumstances in which 
there is a high likelihood that the service provider will receive an 
allocation regardless of the overall success of the business operation, 
including (i) capped allocations of partnership income if the cap would 
reasonably be expected to apply in most years, (ii) allocations for a 
fixed number of years under which the service provider's distributive 
share of income is reasonably certain, (iii) allocations of gross 
income items, (iv) an allocation (under a formula or otherwise) that is 
predominantly fixed in amount, is reasonably determinable under all the 
facts and circumstances, or is designed to assure that sufficient net 
profits are highly likely to be available to make the allocation to the 
service provider (for example, if the partnership agreement provides 
for an allocation of net profits from specific transactions or 
accounting periods and this allocation does not depend on the overall 
success of the enterprise), and (v) arrangements in which a service 
provider either waives its right to receive payment for the future 
performance of services in a manner that is non-binding or fails to 
timely notify the partnership and its partners of the waiver and its 
terms.
    With respect to the fourth example, the presence of certain facts, 
when coupled with a priority allocation to the service provider that is 
measured over any accounting period of the partnership of 12 months or 
less, may create opportunities that will lead to a higher likelihood 
that sufficient net profits will be available to make the allocation. 
One fact is that the value of partnership assets is not easily 
ascertainable and the partnership agreement allows the service provider 
or a related party in connection with a revaluation to control the 
determination of asset values, including by controlling events that may 
affect those values (such as timing of announcements that affect the 
value of the assets). (See Example 3(iv).) Another fact is that the 
service provider or a related party controls the entities in which the 
partnership invests, including controlling the timing and amount of 
distributions by those controlled entities. (These two facts by 
themselves do not, however, necessarily establish the absence of 
significant entrepreneurial risk.) By contrast, certain priority 
allocations that are intended to equalize a service provider's return 
with priority allocations already allocated to investing partners over 
the life of the partnership (commonly known as ``catch-up 
allocations'') typically will not fall within the types of allocations 
covered by the fourth example and will not lack significant 
entrepreneurial risk, although all of the facts and circumstances are 
considered in making that determination.
    With respect to the fifth example, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS request suggestions regarding fee waiver requirements that 
sufficiently bind the waiving service provider and that are 
administrable by the partnership and its partners.
    Congress's emphasis on entrepreneurial risk requires changes to 
existing regulations under section 707(c). Specifically, Example 2 of 
Sec.  1.707-1(c) provides that if a partner is entitled to an 
allocation of the greater of 30 percent of partnership income or a 
minimum guaranteed amount, and the income allocation exceeds the 
minimum guaranteed amount, then the entire income allocation is treated 
as a distributive share under section 704(b). Example 2 also provides 
that if the income allocation is less than the guaranteed amount, then 
the partner is treated as receiving a distributive share to the extent 
of the income allocation and a guaranteed payment to the extent that 
the minimum guaranteed payment exceeds the income allocation. The 
treatment of the arrangements in Example 2 is inconsistent with the 
concept that an allocation must be subject to significant 
entrepreneurial risk to be treated as a distributive share under 
section 704(b). Accordingly, the proposed regulations modify Example 2 
to provide that the entire minimum amount is treated as a guaranteed 
payment under section 707(c) regardless of the amount of the income 
allocation. Rev. Rul. 66-95, 1966-1 C.B. 169, and Rev. Rul. 69-180, 
1969-1 C.B. 183, are also inconsistent with these proposed regulations. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS intend to obsolete Rev. Rul. 66-95 
and revise Rev. Rul. 69-180, when these regulations are published in 
final form.
B. Secondary Factors
    Section 1.707-2(c)(2) through (6) describes additional factors of 
secondary importance in determining whether or not an arrangement that 
gives the appearance of significant entrepreneurial risk constitutes a 
payment for services. The weight given to each of the other factors 
depends on the particular case, and the absence of a particular factor 
is not necessarily determinative of whether an arrangement is treated 
as a payment for services. Four of these factors, described by Congress 
in the legislative history to section 707(a)(2)(A), are (i) that the 
service provider holds, or is expected to hold, a transitory 
partnership interest or a partnership interest for only a short 
duration, (ii) that the service provider receives an allocation and 
distribution in a time frame comparable to the time frame that a non-
partner service provider would typically receive payment, (iii) that 
the service provider became a partner primarily to obtain tax benefits 
which would not have been available if the services were rendered to 
the partnership in a third party capacity, and (iv) that the value of 
the service provider's interest in general and continuing partnership 
profits is small in relation to the allocation and distribution.
    To these four factors, the proposed regulations add a fifth factor. 
The fifth factor is present if the arrangement provides for different 
allocations or distributions with respect to different services 
received, where the services are provided either by a single person or 
by persons that are related under sections 707(b) or 267(b), and the 
terms of the differing allocations or distributions are subject to 
levels of entrepreneurial risk that vary significantly. For example, 
assume that a partnership receives services from both its general 
partner and from a management company that is related to the general 
partner under section 707(b). Both the general partner and the 
management company receive a share in future partnership net profits in 
exchange for their services. The general partner is entitled to an 
allocation of 20 percent of net profits and undertakes an enforceable 
obligation to repay any amounts distributed pursuant to its interest 
(reduced by reasonable allowance for tax payments made on the general 
partner's allocable shares of partnership income and gain) that exceed 
20 percent of the overall net amount of partnership profits computed 
over the partnership's life and it is reasonable to anticipate that the 
general partner can and will comply fully with this obligation. The 
proposed regulations refer to this type of obligation and similar 
obligations, as a ``clawback obligation.'' In contrast, the management 
company is entitled to a preferred amount of net income that, once 
paid, is not subject to a clawback obligation. Because the general 
partner and the management company are service providers that are 
related parties under section 707(b), and because the

[[Page 43656]]

terms of the allocations and distributions to the management company 
create a significantly lower level of economic risk than the terms for 
the general partner, the management company's arrangement might 
properly be treated as a disguised payment for services (depending on 
all other facts and circumstances, including amount of entrepreneurial 
risk).

III. Examples

    Section 1.707-2(d) of the proposed regulations contains a number of 
examples illustrating the application of the factors described in Sec.  
1.707-2(c). The examples illustrate the application of these 
regulations to arrangements that contain certain facts and 
circumstances that the Treasury Department and the IRS believe 
demonstrate the existence or absence of significant entrepreneurial 
risk.
    Several of the examples consider arrangements in which a partner 
agrees to forgo fees for services and also receives a share of future 
partnership income and gains. The examples consider the application of 
section 707(a)(2)(A) based on the manner in which the service provider 
(i) forgoes its right to receive fees, and (ii) is entitled to share in 
future partnership income and gains. In Examples 5 and 6, the service 
provider forgoes the right to receive fees in a manner that supports 
the existence of significant entrepreneurial risk by forgoing its right 
to receive fees before the period begins and by executing a waiver that 
is binding, irrevocable, and clearly communicated to the other 
partners. Similarly, the service provider's arrangement in these 
examples include the following facts and circumstances that taken 
together support the existence of significant entrepreneurial risk: The 
allocation to the service provider is determined out of net profits and 
is neither highly likely to be available nor reasonably determinable 
based on all facts and circumstances available at the time of the 
arrangement, and the service provider undertakes a clawback obligation 
and is reasonably expected to be able to comply with that obligation. 
The presence of each fact described in these examples is not 
necessarily required to determine that section 707(a)(2)(A) does not 
apply to an arrangement. However, the absence of certain facts, such as 
a failure to measure future profits over at least a 12-month period, 
may suggest that an arrangement constitutes a fee for services.
    The proposed regulations also contain examples that consider 
arrangements to which section 707(a)(2)(A) applies. Example 1 concludes 
that an arrangement in which a service provider receives a capped 
amount of partnership allocations and distributions and the cap is 
likely to apply provides for a disguised payment for services under 
section 707(a)(2)(A). In Example 3(iii), a service provider is entitled 
to a share of future partnership net profits, the partnership can 
allocate net profits from specific transactions or accounting periods, 
those allocations do not depend on the long-term future success of the 
enterprise, and a party that is related to the service provider 
controls the timing of purchases, sales, and distributions. The example 
concludes that under these facts, the arrangement lacks significant 
entrepreneurial risk and provides for a disguised payment for services. 
Example 4 considers similar facts, but assumes that the partnership's 
assets are publicly traded and are marked-to-market under section 
475(f)(1). Under these facts, the example concludes that the 
arrangement has significant entrepreneurial risk, and thus that section 
707(a)(2)(A) does not apply.

IV. Safe Harbor Revenue Procedures

    Rev. Proc. 93-27 provides that in certain circumstances if a person 
receives a profits interest for the provision of services to or for the 
benefit of a partnership in a partner capacity or in anticipation of 
becoming a partner, the IRS will not treat the receipt of such interest 
as a taxable event for the partner or the partnership. The revenue 
procedure does not apply if (1) the profits interest relates to a 
substantially certain and predictable stream of income from partnership 
assets, such as income from high-quality debt securities or a high-
quality net lease; (2) within two years of receipt, the partner 
disposes of the profits interest; or (3) the profits interest is a 
limited partnership interest in a ``publicly traded partnership'' 
within the meaning of section 7704(b).
    Rev. Proc. 2001-43 provides that, for purposes of Rev. Proc. 93-27, 
if a partnership grants a substantially nonvested profits interest in 
the partnership to a service provider, the service provider will be 
treated as receiving the interest on the date of its grant, provided 
that: (i) The partnership and the service provider treat the service 
provider as the owner of the partnership interest from the date of its 
grant, and the service provider takes into account the distributive 
share of partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and credit 
associated with that interest in computing the service provider's 
income tax liability for the entire period during which the service 
provider has the interest; (ii) upon the grant of the interest or at 
the time that the interest becomes substantially vested, neither the 
partnership nor any of the partners deducts any amount (as wages, 
compensation, or otherwise) for the fair market value of the interest; 
and (iii) all other conditions of Rev. Proc. 93-27 are satisfied.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS are aware of transactions in 
which one party provides services and another party receives a 
seemingly associated allocation and distribution of partnership income 
or gain. For example, a management company that provides services to a 
fund in exchange for a fee may waive that fee, while a party related to 
the management company receives an interest in future partnership 
profits the value of which approximates the amount of the waived fee. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that Rev. Proc. 93-
27 does not apply to such transactions because they would not satisfy 
the requirement that receipt of an interest in partnership profits be 
for the provision of services to or for the benefit of the partnership 
in a partner capacity or in anticipation of being a partner, and 
because the service provider would effectively have disposed of the 
partnership interest (through a constructive transfer to the related 
party) within two years of receipt.
    Further, the Treasury Department and the IRS plan to issue a 
revenue procedure providing an additional exception to the safe harbor 
in Rev. Proc. 93-27 in conjunction with the publication of these 
regulations in final form. The additional exception will apply to a 
profits interest issued in conjunction with a partner forgoing payment 
of an amount that is substantially fixed (including a substantially 
fixed amount determined by formula, such as a fee based on a percentage 
of partner capital commitments) for the performance of services, 
including a guaranteed payment under section 707(c) or a payment in a 
non-partner capacity under section 707(a).
    In conjunction with the issuance of proposed regulations (REG-
105346-03; 70 FR 29675-01; 2005-1 C.B. 1244) relating to the tax 
treatment of certain transfers of partnership equity in connection with 
the performance of services, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued 
Notice 2005-43, 2005-24 I.R.B. 1221. Notice 2005-43 includes a proposed 
revenue procedure regarding partnership interests transferred in 
connection with the performance of services. In the event that the 
proposed revenue procedure provided for in

[[Page 43657]]

Notice 2005-43 is finalized, it will include the additional exception 
referenced.

Effective Dates

    The proposed regulations would be effective on the date the final 
regulations are published in the Federal Register and would apply to 
any arrangement entered into or modified on or after the date of 
publication of the final regulations. In the case of any arrangement 
entered into or modified before the final regulations are published in 
the Federal Register, the determination of whether an arrangement is a 
disguised payment for services under section 707(a)(2)(A) is made on 
the basis of the statute and the guidance provided regarding that 
provision in the legislative history of section 707(a)(2)(A). Pending 
the publication of final regulations, the position of the Treasury 
Department and the IRS is that the proposed regulations generally 
reflect Congressional intent as to which arrangements are appropriately 
treated as disguised payments for services.

Effect on Other Documents

    The following publication is obsolete as of July 23, 2015:
    Rev. Rul. 81-300 (1981-2 C.B. 143).
    The following publications will be obsolete as of the date of a 
Treasury decision adopting these rules as final regulations in the 
Federal Register:
    Rev. Rul. 66-95 (1966-1 C.B. 169); and
    Rev. Rul. 69-180 (1969-1 C.B. 183).

Special Analyses

    It has been determined that this notice of proposed rulemaking is 
not a significant regulatory action as defined in Executive Order 
12866, as supplemented by Executive Order 13563. Therefore, a 
regulatory assessment is not required. It has also been determined that 
section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) 
does not apply to these regulations, and because the regulation does 
not impose a collection of information on small entities, the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) does not apply. 
Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Code, this notice of proposed 
rulemaking will be submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 
Small Business Administration for comment on its impact on small 
business.

Comments and Requests for Public Hearing

    The Treasury Department and the IRS invite public comment on these 
proposed regulations. The legislative history supporting section 
707(a)(2)(A) indicates that an arrangement that lacks significant 
entrepreneurial risk is generally treated as a disguised payment for 
services. The Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded that the 
presence of significant entrepreneurial risk in an arrangement is 
necessary for the arrangement to be treated as occurring between a 
partnership and a partner acting in a partner capacity. Nonetheless, 
the Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on, and examples 
of, whether arrangements could exist that should be treated as a 
distributive share under section 704(b) despite the absence of 
significant entrepreneurial risk. In addition, the Treasury Department 
and the IRS request comments on sufficient notification requirements to 
effectively render a fee waiver binding upon the service provider and 
the partnership.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have become aware that some 
partnerships that assert reliance on Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(i) (the 
economic effect equivalence rule) have expressed uncertainty on the 
proper treatment of partners who receive an increased right to share in 
partnership property upon a partnership liquidation without respect to 
the partnership's net income. These partnerships typically set forth 
each partner's distribution rights upon a liquidation of the 
partnership and require the partnership to allocate net income annually 
in a manner that causes partners' capital accounts to match partnership 
distribution rights to the extent possible. Such agreements are 
commonly referred to as ``targeted capital account agreements.'' Some 
taxpayers have expressed uncertainty whether a partnership with a 
targeted capital account agreement must allocate income or a guaranteed 
payment to a partner who has an increased right to partnership assets 
determined as if the partnership liquidated at the end of the year even 
in the event that the partnership recognizes no, or insufficient, net 
income. The Treasury Department and the IRS generally believe that 
existing rules under Sec. Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii) and 1.707-1(c) 
address this circumstance by requiring partner capital accounts to 
reflect the partner's distribution rights as if the partnership 
liquidated at the end of the taxable year, but request comments on 
specific issues and examples with respect to which further guidance 
would be helpful. No inference is intended as to whether and when 
targeted capital account agreements could satisfy the economic effect 
equivalence rule.
    Before these proposed regulations are adopted as final regulations, 
consideration will be given to any written (a signed original and eight 
(8) copies) or electronic comments that are submitted timely to the 
IRS. The Treasury Department and the IRS request comments on all 
aspects of the proposed regulations. All comments will be available for 
public inspection and copying upon request. A public hearing will be 
scheduled if requested in writing by any person that timely submits 
written or electronic comments. If a public hearing is scheduled, 
notice of the date, time, and place for the public hearing will be 
published in the Federal Register.

Drafting Information

    The principal author of these proposed regulations is Jaclyn M. 
Goldberg of the Office of Assistant Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and 
Special Industries). However, other personnel from the Internal Revenue 
Service and the Treasury Department participated in their development.

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Proposed Amendment to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 1--INCOME TAXES

0
Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 is amended by adding 
entries in numerical order to read in part as follows:

    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
    Section 1.707-0 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 707(a).
    Section 1.707-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 707(a).
    Section 1.707-9 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 707(a). * * *
    Section 1.736-1 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 736(a). * * *
0
Par. 2. Section 1.707-0 is amended by revising Sec.  1.707-2 to read as 
follows:


Sec.  1.707-0.  Table of contents.

* * * * *


Sec.  1.707-2.  Disguised payments for services.

    (a) In general.
    (b) Elements necessary to characterize arrangements as disguised 
payments for services.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Application and timing.
    (i) Timing and effect of the determination.

[[Page 43658]]

    (ii) Timing of inclusion.
    (3) Application of disguised payment rules.
    (c) Factors considered.
    (d) Examples.
* * * * *
0
Par. 3. Section 1.707-1 is amended by adding a sentence at the end of 
paragraph (a) and revising paragraph (c) Example 2 to read as follows.


Sec.  1.707-1.  Transactions between partner and partnership.

    (a) * * * For arrangements pursuant to which a purported partner 
performs services for a partnership and the partner receives a related 
direct or indirect allocation and distribution from the partnership, 
see Sec.  1.707-2 to determine whether the arrangement should be 
treated as a disguised payment for services.
    (c) * * *

    Example 2. Partner C in the CD partnership is to receive 30 
percent of partnership income, but not less than $10,000. The income 
of the partnership is $60,000, and C is entitled to $18,000 (30 
percent of $60,000). Of this amount, $10,000 is a guaranteed payment 
to C. The $10,000 guaranteed payment reduces the partnership's net 
income to $50,000 of which C receives $8,000 as C's distributive 
share.

* * * * *
0
Par. 4. Section 1.707-2 is added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.707-2  Disguised payments for services.

    (a) In general. This section prescribes rules for characterizing 
arrangements as disguised payments for services. Paragraph (b) of this 
section outlines the elements necessary to characterize an arrangement 
as a payment for services, and it provides operational rules regarding 
application and timing of this section. Paragraph (c) of this section 
identifies the factors that weigh in the determination of whether an 
arrangement includes the elements described in paragraph (b) of this 
section that make it appropriate to characterize the arrangement as a 
payment for services. Paragraph (d) of this section provides examples 
applying these rules to determine whether an arrangement is a payment 
for services.
    (b) Elements necessary to characterize arrangements as disguised 
payments for services--(1) In general. An arrangement will be treated 
as a disguised payment for services if--
    (i) A person (service provider), either in a partner capacity or in 
anticipation of becoming a partner, performs services (directly or 
through its delegate) to or for the benefit of a partnership;
    (ii) There is a related direct or indirect allocation and 
distribution to such service provider; and
    (iii) The performance of such services and the allocation and 
distribution, when viewed together, are properly characterized as a 
transaction occurring between the partnership and a person acting other 
than in that person's capacity as a partner.
    (2) Application and timing.--(i) Timing and effect of the 
determination. Whether an arrangement is properly characterized as a 
payment for services is determined at the time the arrangement is 
entered into or modified and without regard to whether the terms of the 
arrangement require the allocation and distribution to occur in the 
same taxable year. An arrangement that is treated as a payment for 
services under this paragraph (b) is treated as a payment for services 
for all purposes of the Internal Revenue Code, including for example, 
sections 61, 409A, and 457A (as applicable). The amount paid to a 
person in consideration for services under this section is treated as a 
payment for services provided to the partnership, and, when 
appropriate, the partnership must capitalize these amounts (or 
otherwise treat such amounts in a manner consistent with their 
recharacterization). The partnership must also treat the arrangement as 
a payment to a non-partner in determining the remaining partners' 
shares of taxable income or loss.
    (ii) Timing of inclusion. The inclusion of income by the service 
provider and deduction (if applicable) by the partnership of amounts 
paid pursuant to an arrangement that is characterized as a payment for 
services under paragraph (b)(1) of this section is taken into account 
in the taxable year as required under applicable law by applying all 
relevant sections of the Internal Revenue Code, including for example, 
sections 409A and 457A (as applicable), to the allocation and 
distribution when they occur (or are deemed to occur under all other 
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code).
    (3) Application of disguised payment rules. If a person purports to 
provide services to a partnership in a capacity as a partner or in 
anticipation of becoming a partner, the rules of this section apply for 
purposes of determining whether the services were provided in exchange 
for a disguised payment, even if it is determined after applying the 
rules of this section that the service provider is not a partner. If 
after applying the rules of this section, no partnership exists as a 
result of the service provider failing to become a partner under the 
arrangement, then the service provider is treated as having provided 
services directly to the other purported partner.
    (c) Factors considered. Whether an arrangement constitutes a 
payment for services (in whole or in part) depends on all of the facts 
and circumstances. Paragraphs (c)(1) through (6) of this section 
provide a non-exclusive list of factors that may indicate that an 
arrangement constitutes in whole or in part a payment for services. The 
presence or absence of a factor is based on all of the facts and 
circumstances at the time the parties enter into the arrangement (or if 
the parties modify the arrangement, at the time of the modification). 
The most important factor is significant entrepreneurial risk as set 
forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this section. An arrangement that lacks 
significant entrepreneurial risk constitutes a payment for services. An 
arrangement that has significant entrepreneurial risk will generally 
not constitute a payment for services unless other factors establish 
otherwise. For purposes of making determinations under this paragraph 
(c), the weight to be given to any particular factor, other than 
entrepreneurial risk, depends on the particular case and the absence of 
a factor is not necessarily indicative of whether or not an arrangement 
is treated as a payment for services.
    (1) The arrangement lacks significant entrepreneurial risk. Whether 
an arrangement lacks significant entrepreneurial risk is based on the 
service provider's entrepreneurial risk relative to the overall 
entrepreneurial risk of the partnership. Paragraphs (c)(1)(i) through 
(v) of this section provide facts and circumstances that create a 
presumption that an arrangement lacks significant entrepreneurial risk 
and will be treated as a disguised payment for services unless other 
facts and circumstances establish the presence of significant 
entrepreneurial risk by clear and convincing evidence:
    (i) Capped allocations of partnership income if the cap is 
reasonably expected to apply in most years;
    (ii) An allocation for one or more years under which the service 
provider's share of income is reasonably certain;
    (iii) An allocation of gross income;
    (iv) An allocation (under a formula or otherwise) that is 
predominantly fixed in amount, is reasonably determinable under all the 
facts and circumstances, or is designed to assure that sufficient net 
profits are highly likely to be available to make the allocation to the 
service provider (e.g. if the partnership agreement provides for an 
allocation of

[[Page 43659]]

net profits from specific transactions or accounting periods and this 
allocation does not depend on the long-term future success of the 
enterprise); or
    (v) An arrangement in which a service provider waives its right to 
receive payment for the future performance of services in a manner that 
is non-binding or fails to timely notify the partnership and its 
partners of the waiver and its terms.
    (2) The service provider holds, or is expected to hold, a 
transitory partnership interest or a partnership interest for only a 
short duration.
    (3) The service provider receives an allocation and distribution in 
a time frame comparable to the time frame that a non-partner service 
provider would typically receive payment.
    (4) The service provider became a partner primarily to obtain tax 
benefits that would not have been available if the services were 
rendered to the partnership in a third party capacity.
    (5) The value of the service provider's interest in general and 
continuing partnership profits is small in relation to the allocation 
and distribution.
    (6) The arrangement provides for different allocations or 
distributions with respect to different services received, the services 
are provided either by one person or by persons that are related under 
sections 707(b) or 267(b), and the terms of the differing allocations 
or distributions are subject to levels of entrepreneurial risk that 
vary significantly.
    (d) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of 
this section:

    Example 1. Partnership ABC constructed a building that is 
projected to generate $100,000 of gross income annually. A, an 
architect, performs services for partnership ABC for which A's 
normal fee would be $40,000 and contributes cash in an amount equal 
to the value of a 25 percent interest in the partnership. In 
exchange, A will receive a 25 percent distributive share for the 
life of the partnership and a special allocation of $20,000 of 
partnership gross income for the first two years of partnership's 
operations. The ABC partnership agreement satisfies the requirements 
for economic effect contained in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii), including 
requiring that liquidating distributions are made in accordance with 
the partners' positive capital account balances. Under paragraph (c) 
of this section, whether the arrangement is treated as a payment for 
services depends on the facts and circumstances. The special 
allocation to A is a capped amount and the cap is reasonably 
expected to apply. The special allocation is also made out of gross 
income. Under paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (iii) of this section, the 
capped allocations of income and gross income allocations described 
are presumed to lack significant entrepreneurial risk. No additional 
facts and circumstances establish otherwise by clear and convincing 
evidence. Thus, the allocation lacks significant entrepreneurial 
risk. Accordingly, the arrangement provides for a disguised payment 
for services as of the date that A and ABC enter into the 
arrangement and, pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, 
should be included in income by A in the time and manner required 
under applicable law as determined by applying all relevant sections 
of the Internal Revenue Code to the arrangement.
    Example 2. A, a stock broker, agrees to effect trades for 
Partnership ABC without the normal brokerage commission. A 
contributes 51 percent of partnership capital and in exchange, 
receives a 51 percent interest in residual partnership profits and 
losses. In addition, A receives a special allocation of gross income 
that is computed in a manner which approximates its foregone 
commissions. The special allocation to A is computed by means of a 
formula similar to a normal brokerage fee and varies with the value 
and amount of services rendered rather than with the income of the 
partnership. It is reasonably expected that Partnership ABC will 
have sufficient gross income to make this allocation. The ABC 
partnership agreement satisfies the requirements for economic effect 
contained in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that 
liquidating distributions are made in accordance with the partners' 
positive capital account balances. Under paragraph (c) of this 
section, whether the arrangement is treated as a payment for 
services depends on the facts and circumstances. Under paragraphs 
(c)(1)(iii) and (iv) of this section, because the allocation is an 
allocation of gross income and is reasonably determinable under the 
facts and circumstances, it is presumed to lack significant 
entrepreneurial risk. No additional facts and circumstances 
establish otherwise by clear and convincing evidence. Thus, the 
allocation lacks significant entrepreneurial risk. Accordingly, the 
arrangement provides for a disguised payment for services as of the 
date that A and ABC enter into the arrangement and, pursuant to 
paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, should be included in income 
by A in the time and manner required under applicable law as 
determined by applying all relevant sections of the Internal Revenue 
Code to the arrangement.
    Example 3. (i) M performs services for which a fee would 
normally be charged to new partnership ABC, an investment 
partnership that will acquire a portfolio of investment assets that 
are not readily tradable on an established securities market. M will 
also contribute $500,000 in exchange for a one percent interest in 
ABC's capital and profits. In addition to M's one percent interest, 
M is entitled to receive a priority allocation and distribution of 
net gain from the sale of any one or more assets during any 12-month 
accounting period in which the partnership has overall net gain in 
an amount intended to approximate the fee that would normally be 
charged for the services M performs. A, a company that controls M, 
is the general partner of ABC and directs all operations of the 
partnership consistent with the partnership agreement, including 
causing ABC to purchase or sell an asset during any accounting 
period. A also controls the timing of distributions to M including 
distributions arising from M's priority allocation. Given the nature 
of the assets in which ABC will invest and A's ability to control 
the timing of asset dispositions, the amount of partnership net 
income or gains that will be allocable to M under the ABC 
partnership agreement is highly likely to be available and 
reasonably determinable based on all facts and circumstances 
available upon formation of the partnership. A will be allocated 10 
percent of any net profits or net losses of ABC earned over the life 
of the partnership. A undertakes an enforceable obligation to repay 
any amounts allocated and distributed pursuant to this interest 
(reduced by reasonable allowances for tax payments made on A's 
allocable shares of partnership income and gain) that exceed 10 
percent of the overall net amount of partnership profits computed 
over the life of the partnership (a ``clawback obligation''). It is 
reasonable to anticipate that A could and would comply fully with 
any repayment responsibilities that arise pursuant to this 
obligation. The ABC partnership agreement satisfies the requirements 
for economic effect contained in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii), including 
requiring that liquidating distributions are made in accordance with 
the partners' positive capital account balances.
    (ii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, whether A's 
arrangement is treated as a payment for services in directing ABC's 
operations depends on the facts and circumstances. The most 
important factor in this facts and circumstances determination is 
the presence or absence of significant entrepreneurial risk. The 
arrangement with respect to A creates significant entrepreneurial 
risk under paragraph (c)(1) of this section because the allocation 
to A is of net profits earned over the life of the partnership, the 
allocation is subject to a clawback obligation and it is reasonable 
to anticipate that A could and would comply with this obligation, 
and the allocation is neither reasonably determinable nor highly 
likely to be available. Additionally, other relevant factors do not 
establish that the arrangement should be treated as a payment for 
services. Thus, the arrangement with respect to A does not 
constitute a payment for services for purposes of paragraph (b)(1) 
of this section.
    (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, whether M's 
arrangement is treated as a payment for services depends on the 
facts and circumstances. The most important factor in this facts and 
circumstances determination is the presence or absence of 
entrepreneurial risk. The priority allocation to M is an allocation 
of net profit from any 12-month accounting period in which the 
partnership has net gain, and thus it does not depend on the overall 
success of the enterprise. Moreover, the sale of the assets by ABC, 
and hence the timing of recognition of gains and losses, is 
controlled by A, a company related to M. Taken in combination, the 
facts indicate that the allocation is reasonably determinable under 
all the facts and circumstances and that sufficient net profits are 
highly likely to be available to make the priority allocation to the 
service

[[Page 43660]]

provider. As a result, the allocation presumptively lacks 
significant entrepreneurial risk. No additional facts and 
circumstances establish otherwise by clear and convincing evidence. 
Accordingly, the arrangement provides for a disguised payment for 
services as of the date M and ABC enter into the arrangement and, 
pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, should be included 
in income by M in the time and manner required under applicable law 
as determined by applying all relevant sections of the Internal 
Revenue Code to the arrangement.
    (iv) Assume the facts are the same as paragraph (i) of this 
example, except that the partnership can also fund M's priority 
allocation and distribution of net gain from the revaluation of any 
partnership assets pursuant to Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f). As the 
general partner of ABC, A controls the timing of events that permit 
revaluation of partnership assets and assigns values to those assets 
for purposes of the revaluation. Under paragraph (c) of this 
section, whether M's arrangement is treated as a payment for 
services depends on the facts and circumstances. The most important 
factor in this facts and circumstances determination is the presence 
or absence of entrepreneurial risk. Under this arrangement, the 
valuation of the assets is controlled by A, a company related to M, 
and the assets of the company are difficult to value. This fact, 
taken in combination with the partnership's determination of M's 
profits by reference to a specified accounting period, causes the 
allocation to be reasonably determinable under all the facts and 
circumstances or to ensure that net profits are highly likely to be 
available to make the priority allocation to the service provider. 
No additional facts and circumstances establish otherwise by clear 
and convincing evidence. Accordingly, the arrangement provides for a 
disguised payment for services as of the date M and ABC enter into 
the arrangement and, pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this 
section, should be included in income by M in time and manner 
required under applicable law as determined by applying all relevant 
sections of the Internal Revenue Code to the arrangement.
    Example 4. (i) The facts are the same as in Example 3, except 
that ABC's investment assets are securities that are readily 
tradable on an established securities market, and ABC is in the 
trade or business of trading in securities and has validly elected 
to mark-to-market under section 475(f)(1). In addition, M is 
entitled to receive a special allocation and distribution of 
partnership net gain attributable to a specified future 12-month 
taxable year. Although it is expected that one or more of the 
partnership's assets will be sold for a gain, it cannot reasonably 
be predicted whether the partnership will have net profits with 
respect to its entire portfolio in that 12-month taxable year.
    (ii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, whether the 
arrangement is treated as a payment for services depends on the 
facts and circumstances. The most important factor in this facts and 
circumstances determination is the presence or absence of 
entrepreneurial risk. The special allocation to M is allocable out 
of net profits, the partnership assets have a readily ascertainable 
market value that is determined at the close of each taxable year, 
and it cannot reasonably be predicted whether the partnership will 
have net profits with respect to its entire portfolio for the year 
to which the special allocation would relate. Accordingly, the 
special allocation is neither reasonably determinable nor highly 
likely to be available because the partnership assets have a readily 
ascertainable fair market value that is determined at the beginning 
of the year and at the end of the year. Thus, the arrangement does 
not lack significant entrepreneurial risk under paragraph (c)(1) of 
this section. Additionally, the facts and circumstances do not 
establish the presence of other factors that would suggest that the 
arrangement is properly characterized as a payment for services. 
Accordingly, the arrangement does not constitute a payment for 
services under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    Example 5. (i) A is a general partner in newly-formed 
partnership ABC, an investment fund. A is responsible for providing 
management services to ABC, but has delegated that management 
function to M, a company controlled by A. Funds that are comparable 
to ABC commonly require the general partner to contribute capital in 
an amount equal to one percent of the capital contributed by the 
limited partners, provide the general partner with an interest in 20 
percent of future partnership net income and gains as measured over 
the life of the fund, and pay the fund manager annually an amount 
equal to two percent of capital committed by the partners.
    (ii) Upon formation of ABC, the partners of ABC execute a 
partnership agreement with terms that differ from those commonly 
agreed upon by other comparable funds. The ABC partnership agreement 
provides that A will contribute nominal capital to ABC, that ABC 
will annually pay M an amount equal to one percent of capital 
committed by the partners, and that A will receive an interest in 20 
percent of future partnership net income and gains as measured over 
the life of the fund. A will also receive an additional interest in 
future partnership net income and gains determined by a formula (the 
``Additional Interest''). The parties intend that the estimated 
present value of the Additional Interest approximately equals the 
present value of one percent of capital committed by the partners 
determined annually over the life of the fund. However, the amount 
of net profits that will be allocable to A under the Additional 
Interest is neither highly likely to be available nor reasonably 
determinable based on all facts and circumstances available upon 
formation of the partnership. A undertakes a clawback obligation, 
and it is reasonable to anticipate that A could and would comply 
fully with any repayment responsibilities that arise pursuant to 
this obligation. The ABC partnership agreement satisfies the 
requirements for economic effect contained in Sec.  1.704-
1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that liquidating distributions are 
made in accordance with the partners' positive capital account 
balances.
    (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, whether the 
arrangement relating to the Additional Interest is treated as a 
payment for services depends on the facts and circumstances. The 
most important factor in this facts and circumstances determination 
is the presence or absence of significant entrepreneurial risk. The 
arrangement with respect to A creates significant entrepreneurial 
risk under paragraph (c)(1) of this section because the allocation 
to A is of net profits, the allocation is subject to a clawback 
obligation over the life of the fund and it is reasonable to 
anticipate that A could and would comply with this obligation, and 
the allocation is neither reasonably determinable nor highly likely 
to be available. Additionally, the facts and circumstances do not 
establish the presence of other factors that would suggest that the 
arrangement is properly characterized as a payment for services. 
Accordingly, the arrangement does not constitute a payment for 
services under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    Example 6. (i) A is a general partner in limited partnership 
ABC, an investment fund. A is responsible for providing management 
services to ABC, but has delegated that management function to M, a 
company controlled by A. The ABC partnership agreement provides that 
A must contribute capital in an amount equal to one percent of the 
capital contributed by the limited partners, that A is entitled to 
an interest in 20 percent of future partnership net income and gains 
as measured over the life of the fund, and that M is entitled to 
receive an annual fee in an amount equal to two percent of capital 
committed by the partners. The amount of partnership net income or 
gains that will be allocable to A under the ABC partnership 
agreement is neither highly likely to be available nor reasonably 
determinable based on all facts and circumstances available upon 
formation of the partnership. A also undertakes a clawback 
obligation, and it is reasonable to anticipate that A could and 
would comply fully with any repayment responsibilities that arise 
pursuant to this obligation.
    (ii) ABC's partnership agreement also permits M (as A's 
appointed delegate) to waive all or a portion of its fee for any 
year if it provides written notice to the limited partners of ABC at 
least 60 days prior to the commencement of the partnership taxable 
year for which the fee is payable. If M elects to waive irrevocably 
its fee pursuant to this provision, the partnership will, 
immediately following the commencement of the partnership taxable 
year for which the fee would have been payable, issue to M an 
interest determined by a formula in subsequent partnership net 
income and gains (the ``Additional Interest''). The parties intend 
that the estimated present value of the Additional Interest 
approximately equals the estimated present value of the fee that was 
waived. However, the amount of net income or gains that will be 
allocable to M is neither highly likely to be available nor 
reasonably determinable based on all facts and circumstances 
available at the time of the waiver of the partnership. The ABC 
partnership agreement satisfies the requirements for economic effect 
contained in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that

[[Page 43661]]

liquidating distributions are made in accordance with the partners' 
positive capital account balances. The partnership agreement also 
requires ABC to maintain capital accounts pursuant to Sec.  1.704-
1(b)(2)(iv) and to revalue partner capital accounts under Sec.  
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f) immediately prior to the issuance of the 
partnership interest to M. M undertakes a clawback obligation, and 
it is reasonable to anticipate that M could and would comply fully 
with any repayment responsibilities that arise pursuant to this 
obligation.
    (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, whether the 
arrangements relating to A's 20 percent interest in future 
partnership net income and gains and M's Additional Interest are 
treated as payment for services depends on the facts and 
circumstances. The most important factor in this facts and 
circumstances determination is the presence or absence of 
significant entrepreneurial risk. The allocations to A and M do not 
presumptively lack significant entrepreneurial risk under paragraph 
(c)(1) of this section because the allocations are based on net 
profits, the allocations are subject to a clawback obligation over 
the life of the fund and it is reasonable to anticipate that A and M 
could and would comply with this obligation, and the allocations are 
neither reasonably determinable nor highly likely to be available. 
Additionally, the facts and circumstances do not establish the 
presence of other factors that would suggest that the arrangement is 
properly characterized as a payment for services. Accordingly, the 
arrangements do not constitute payment for services under paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section.

0
Par. 5. Section 1.707-9 is amended by:
    a. Redesignating paragraph (b) as paragraph (c);
    b. Redesignating paragraph (a) as paragraph (b); and
    c. Adding new paragraph (a).
    The addition reads as follows:


Sec.  1.707-9.  Effective dates and transitional rules.

    (a) Section 1.707-2--(1) In general. Section 1.707-2 applies to all 
arrangements entered into or modified after the date of publication of 
the Treasury decision adopting that section as final regulations in the 
Federal Register. To the extent that an arrangement permits a service 
provider to waive all or a portion of its fee for any period subsequent 
to the date the arrangement is created, then the arrangement is 
modified for purposes of this paragraph on the date or dates that the 
fee is waived.
    (2) Arrangements entered into or modified before final regulations 
are published in the Federal Register. In the case of any arrangement 
entered into or modified that occurs on or before final regulations are 
published in the Federal Register, the determination of whether the 
arrangement is a disguised fee for services under section 707(a)(2)(A) 
is to be made on the basis of the statute and the guidance provided 
regarding that provision in the legislative history of section 73 of 
the Tax Reform Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-369, 98 Stat. 494). See H.R. 
Rep. No. 861, 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 859-2 (1984); S. Prt. No. 169 (Vol. 
I), 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 223-32 (1984); H.R. Rep. No. 432 (Pt. 2), 98th 
Cong., 2d Sess. 1216-21 (1984).
* * * * *
0
Par. 6. Section 1.736-1 is amended by adding a sentence at the end of 
paragraph (a)(1)(i) to read as follows:


Sec.  1.736-1.  Payments to a retiring partner or a deceased partner's 
successor in interest.

    (a) * * *
    (1)(i) * * * Section 736 does not apply to arrangements treated as 
disguised payments for services under Sec.  1.707-2.
* * * * *

John Dalrymple,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2015-17828 Filed 7-22-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4830-01-P



                                                    43652                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules

                                                    DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY                               partnership in its capacity as other than             amount. House Report at 227; Senate
                                                                                                             a partner under section 707(a).                       Report at 387.
                                                    Internal Revenue Service                                                                                          In 1956, the Treasury Department and
                                                                                                             Distributive Share Treatment                          the IRS issued additional guidance
                                                    26 CFR Part 1                                               Partnership allocations that are                   under § 1.707–1 relating to a partner not
                                                                                                             determined with regard to partnership                 acting in its capacity as a partner under
                                                    [REG–115452–14]
                                                                                                             income and that are made to a partner                 section 707(a) and to guaranteed
                                                    RIN 1545–BM12                                            for services rendered by the partner in               payments under section 707(c). See TD
                                                                                                             its capacity as a partner are generally               6175. However, it remained unclear
                                                    Disguised Payments for Services                          treated as distributive shares of                     when a partner’s services to the
                                                    AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),                  partnership income, taxable under the                 partnership were rendered in a non-
                                                    Treasury                                                 general rules of sections 702, 703, and               partner capacity under section 707(a)
                                                                                                             704. In some cases, the right to a                    rather than in a partner capacity under
                                                    ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
                                                                                                             distributive share may qualify as a                   section 707(c).
                                                    SUMMARY:    This document contains                       profits interest defined in Rev. Proc. 93–               In 1975, the Tax Court distinguished
                                                    proposed regulations relating to                         27, 1993–2 C.B. 343. Rev. Proc. 93–27,                sections 707(a) and 707(c) payments in
                                                    disguised payments for services under                    clarified by Rev. Proc. 2001–43, 2001–                Pratt v. Commissioner, 64 T.C. 204
                                                    section 707(a)(2)(A) of the Internal                     2 C.B. 191, provides guidance on the                  (1975), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, 550
                                                    Revenue Code. The proposed                               treatment of the receipt of a profits                 F.2d 1023 (5th Cir. 1977). In Pratt, the
                                                    regulations provide guidance to                          interest for services provided to or for              general partners in two limited
                                                    partnerships and their partners                          the benefit of the partnership.                       partnerships formed to purchase,
                                                    regarding when an arrangement will be                                                                          develop, and operate two shopping
                                                                                                             Arrangements Subject to Sections 707(c)
                                                    treated as a disguised payment for                                                                             centers received a fixed percentage of
                                                                                                             or 707(a)(1).
                                                    services. This document also proposes                                                                          gross rentals in exchange for the
                                                    conforming modifications to the                             In 1954, Congress added section 707                performance of managerial services. The
                                                                                                             to the Code to clarify transactions                   Tax Court held that these payments
                                                    regulations governing guaranteed
                                                                                                             between a partner and a partnership.                  were not guaranteed payments under
                                                    payments under section 707(c).
                                                                                                             Section 707(a) addresses arrangements                 section 707(c) because they were
                                                    Additionally, this document provides
                                                                                                             in which a partner engages with the                   computed based on a percentage of
                                                    notice of proposed modifications to Rev.
                                                                                                             partnership other than in its capacity as             gross rental income and therefore were
                                                    Procs. 93–27 and 2001–43 relating to the
                                                                                                             a partner. The legislative history to                 not paid without regard to partnership
                                                    issuance of interests in partnership
                                                                                                             section 707(a) provides the general rule              income. The Tax Court further held that
                                                    profits to service providers.
                                                                                                             that a partner who engages in a                       section 707(a) did not apply because the
                                                    DATES: Written and electronic comments                   transaction with the partnership, other               general partners performed managerial
                                                    and requests for a public hearing must                   than in its capacity as a partner is                  duties in their partner capacities in
                                                    be received by October 21, 2015.                         treated as though it were not a partner.              accordance with their basic duties
                                                    ADDRESSES: Send submissions to                           The provision was intended to apply to                under the partnership agreement. On
                                                    CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–115452–14), Room                       the sale of property by the partner to the            appeal, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the
                                                    5203, Internal Revenue Service, P.O.                     partnership, the purchase of property by              Tax Court’s decision. The Fifth Circuit
                                                    Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station,                          the partner from the partnership, and                 reasoned that Congress enacted section
                                                    Washington, DC 20044. Submissions                        the rendering of services by the partner              707(a) to apply to partners who perform
                                                    may be hand-delivered Monday through                     to the partnership or by the partnership              services for the partnership that are
                                                    Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and                   to the partner. H.R. Rep. No. 1337, 83d               outside the scope of the partnership’s
                                                    4 p.m. to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–115452–                      Cong., 2d Sess. 227 (1954) (House                     activities. The Court indicated that if the
                                                    14), Courier’s Desk, Internal Revenue                    Report); S. Rep. No. 1622, 83d Cong., 2d              partner performs services that the
                                                    Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW.,                   Sess. 387 (1954) (Senate Report).                     partnership itself provides, then the
                                                    Washington, DC, or sent electronically,                     Congress simultaneously added                      compensation to the service provider is
                                                    via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at                    section 707(c) to address payments to                 merely a rearrangement among the
                                                    http://www.regulations.gov (indicate                     partners of the partnership acting in                 partners of their distributive shares in
                                                    IRS and REG–115452–14).                                  their partner capacity. Section 707(c)                the partnership income.
                                                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                         provides that to the extent determined                   In response to the decision in Pratt,
                                                    Concerning submissions of comments,                      without regard to the income of the                   the Treasury Department and the IRS
                                                    Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Taylor (202)                      partnership, payment to a partner for                 issued Rev. Rul. 81–300, 1981–2 C.B.
                                                    517–6901; concerning the proposed                        services shall be considered as made to               143 and Rev. Rul. 81–301, 1981–2 C.B.
                                                    regulations, Jaclyn M. Goldberg (202)                    a person who is not a partner, but only               144 to clarify the treatment of
                                                    317–6850 (not toll-free numbers).                        for purposes of sections 61(a) and                    transactions under sections 707(a) and
                                                    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                               162(a). The Senate Report and the                     707(c). As in the Pratt case, Rev. Rul.
                                                                                                             House Report provide that a fixed                     81–300 considers a partnership formed
                                                    Background                                               salary, payable without regard to                     to purchase, develop, and operate a
                                                       Generally, under the statutory                        partnership income, to a partner who                  shopping center. The partnership
                                                    framework of Subchapter K of the Code,                   renders services to the partnership is a              agreement required the general partners
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                                                    an allocation or distribution between a                  guaranteed payment. The amount of the                 to contribute their time, managerial
                                                    partnership and a partner for the                        payment shall be included in the                      abilities, and best efforts to the
                                                    provision of services can be treated in                  partner’s gross income, and shall not be              partnership. In return for these services,
                                                    one of three ways: (1) A distributive                    considered a distributive share of                    the general partners received a fee equal
                                                    share under section 704(b); (2) a                        income or gain. A partner who is                      to five percent of the partnership’s gross
                                                    guaranteed payment under section                         guaranteed a minimum annual amount                    rental income. The ruling concluded
                                                    707(c); or (3) as a transaction in which                 for its services shall be treated as                  that the taxpayers performed managerial
                                                    a partner has rendered services to the                   receiving a fixed payment in that                     services in their capacities as general


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules                                           43653

                                                    partners, and characterized the                          partner performs services for a                       risk.’’ S. Prt. at 227. An arrangement for
                                                    management fees as guaranteed                            partnership and receives a related direct             an allocation and distribution to a
                                                    payments under section 707(c). The                       or indirect allocation and distribution,              service provider which involves limited
                                                    ruling provides that, although                           and the performance of services and                   risk as to amount and payment is treated
                                                    guaranteed payments under section                        allocation and distribution, when                     as a fee under section 707(a)(2)(A).
                                                    707(c) frequently involve a fixed                        viewed together, are properly                         Congress specified examples of
                                                    amount, they are not limited to fixed                    characterized as a transaction occurring              allocations that presumptively limit a
                                                    amounts. Thus, the ruling concluded                      between the partnership and a partner                 partner’s risk, including (i) capped
                                                    that a payment for services determined                   acting other than in its capacity as a                allocations of income, (ii) allocations for
                                                    by reference to an item of gross income                  partner, the transaction will be treated              a fixed number of years under which the
                                                    will be a guaranteed payment if, on the                  as occurring between the partnership                  income that will go to the partner is
                                                    basis of all facts and circumstances, the                and one who is not a partner under                    reasonably certain, (iii) continuing
                                                    payment is compensation rather than a                    section 707(a)(1). See section 73 of the              arrangements in which purported
                                                    share of profits.                                        Tax Reform Act of 1984 (the 1984 Act).                allocations and distributions are fixed in
                                                       Rev. Rul. 81–301 describes a limited                  The Treasury Department and the IRS                   amount or reasonably determinable
                                                    partnership which has two classes of                     have concluded that section 707(a)(2)                 under all facts and circumstances, and
                                                    general partners. The first class of                     applies to arrangements in which                      (iv) allocations of gross income items.
                                                    general partner (director general                        distributions to the service provider                    An arrangement in which an
                                                    partners) had complete control over the                  depend on an allocation of an item of                 allocation and distribution to a service
                                                    management, conduct, and operation of                    income, and section 707(c) applies to                 provider are subject to significant
                                                    partnership activities. The second class                 amounts whose payments are unrelated                  entrepreneurial risk as to amount will
                                                    of general partner (adviser general                      to partnership income.                                generally be recognized as a distributive
                                                    partner) rendered to the partnership                        Section 707(a)(2) grants the Secretary             share, although other factors are also
                                                    services that were substantially the                     broad regulatory authority to identify                relevant. The legislative history to
                                                    same as those that the adviser general                   transactions involving disguised                      section 707(a)(2)(A) includes the
                                                    partner rendered to other persons as an                  payments for services under section                   following examples of factors that could
                                                    independent contractor. The adviser                      707(a)(2)(A). This grant of regulatory                bear on this determination: (i) Whether
                                                    general partner received 10 percent of                   authority stems from Congress’s concern               the partner status of the recipient is
                                                    daily gross income in exchange for the                   that partnerships and service providers               transitory; (ii) whether the allocation
                                                    management services it provided to the                   were inappropriately treating payments                and distribution that are made to the
                                                    partnership. Rev. Rul. 81–301 held that                  as allocations and distributions to a                 partner are close in time to the partner’s
                                                    the adviser general partner received its                 partner even when the service provider                performance of services; (iii) whether
                                                    gross income allocation in a nonpartner                  acted in a capacity other than as a                   the facts and circumstances indicate
                                                    capacity under section 707(a) because                    partner. S. Prt. at 225. Congress                     that the recipient became a partner
                                                    the adviser general partner provided                     determined that allocations and                       primarily to obtain tax benefits for itself
                                                    similar services to other parties, was                   distributions that were, in substance,                or the partnership that would not
                                                    subject to removal by the director                       direct payments for services should be                otherwise have been available; and (iv)
                                                    general partners, was not personally                     treated as a payment of fees rather than              whether the value of the recipient’s
                                                    liable to the other partners for any                     as an arrangement for the allocation and              interest in general and in continuing
                                                    losses, and its management was                           distribution of partnership income. H.R.              partnership profits is small in relation to
                                                    supervised by the director general                       Rep. at 1218; S. Prt. at 225. Congress                the allocation in question.
                                                    partners.                                                differentiated these arrangements from
                                                                                                             situations in which a partner receives an             Explanation of Provisions
                                                    Enactment of Section 707(a)(2)(A)
                                                                                                             allocation (or increased allocation) for                 Section 1.707–1 sets forth general
                                                      Congress revisited the scope of                        an extended period to reflect its                     rules on the operation of section 707.
                                                    section 707(a) in 1984, in part to prevent               contribution of property or services to               Section 1.707–2 is titled ‘‘Disguised
                                                    partners from circumventing the                          the partnership, such that the partner                payments for services’’ and is currently
                                                    capitalization requirements of sections                  receives the allocation in its capacity as            reserved. Sections 1.707–3 through
                                                    263 and 709 by structuring payments for                  a partner. In balancing these potentially             1.707–7 provide guidance regarding
                                                    services as allocations of partnership                   conflicting concerns, Congress                        transactions involving disguised sales
                                                    income under section 704. H.R. Rep. No.                  anticipated that the regulations would                under section 707(a)(2)(B). These
                                                    432 (Pt. 2), 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 1216–                  take five factors into account in                     proposed regulations are issued under
                                                    21 (1984) (H.R. Rep.); S. Prt. No. 169                   determining whether a service provider                § 1.707–2 and provide guidance
                                                    (Vol. 1), 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 223–32                    would receive its putative allocation                 regarding transactions involving
                                                    (1984) (S. Prt.). Congress specifically                  and distribution in its capacity as a                 disguised payments for services under
                                                    addressed the holdings in Rev. Rul. 81–                  partner. H.R. Rep. at 1219–20; S. Prt. at             section 707(a)(2)(A). The effective date
                                                    300 and Rev. Rul. 81–301, affirming                      227.
                                                                                                                                                                   of the proposed regulations is provided
                                                    Rev. Rul. 81–301 and concluding that                        Congress identified as its first and
                                                                                                                                                                   under § 1.707–9.
                                                    the payment in Rev. Rul. 81–300 should                   most important factor whether the
                                                    be recharacterized as a section 707(a)                   payment is subject to significant                     I. General Rules Regarding Disguised
                                                    payment. S. Prt. at 230. Accordingly, the                entrepreneurial risk as to both the
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                                                                                                                                                                   Payments for Services
                                                    Treasury Department and the IRS are                      amount and fact of payment. In
                                                                                                             explaining why entrepreneurial risk is                A. Scope
                                                    obsoleting Rev. Rul. 81–300 and request
                                                    comments on whether it should be                         the most important factor, Congress                     Consistent with the language of
                                                    reissued with modified facts.                            provides that ‘‘[p]artners extract the                section 707(a)(2)(A), § 1.707–2(b) of the
                                                      Congress also added an anti-abuse                      profits of the partnership with reference             proposed regulations provides that an
                                                    rule to section 707(a) relating to                       to the business success of the venture,               arrangement will be treated as a
                                                    payments to partner service providers.                   while third parties generally receive                 disguised payment for services if (i) a
                                                    Section 707(a)(2)(A) provides that if a                  payments which are not subject to this                person (service provider), either in a


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                                                    43654                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules

                                                    partner capacity or in anticipation of                   issued in conjunction with a partner                  707(a)(2)(A). The proposed regulations
                                                    being a partner, performs services                       forgoing payment of a substantially                   also add a sixth factor not specifically
                                                    (directly or through its delegate) to or                 fixed amount. This exception is                       identified by Congress. The first of these
                                                    for the benefit of the partnership; (ii)                 discussed in part IV of the Explanation               six factors, the existence of significant
                                                    there is a related direct or indirect                    of Provisions section of this preamble.               entrepreneurial risk, is accorded more
                                                    allocation and distribution to the service                                                                     weight than the other factors, and
                                                                                                             B. Application and Timing
                                                    provider; and (iii) the performance of                                                                         arrangements that lack significant
                                                    the services and the allocation and                         These proposed regulations apply to a              entrepreneurial risk are treated as
                                                    distribution when viewed together, are                   service provider who purports to be a                 disguised payments for services. The
                                                    properly characterized as a transaction                  partner even if applying the regulations              weight given to each of the other five
                                                    occurring between the partnership and                    causes the service provider to be treated             factors depends on the particular case,
                                                    a person acting other than in that                       as a person who is not a partner. S. Prt.             and the absence of a particular factor
                                                    person’s capacity as a partner.                          at 227. Further, the proposed                         (other than significant entrepreneurial
                                                       The proposed regulations provide a                    regulations may apply even if their                   risk) is not necessarily determinative of
                                                    mechanism for determining whether or                     application results in a determination                whether an arrangement is treated as a
                                                    not an arrangement is treated as a                       that no partnership exists. The                       payment for services.
                                                    disguised payment for services under                     regulations also apply to a special
                                                    section 707(a)(2)(A). An arrangement                     allocation and distribution received in               A. Significant Entrepreneurial Risk
                                                    that is treated as a disguised payment                   exchange for services by a service                       As described in the Background
                                                    for services under these proposed                        provider who receives other allocations               section of this preamble, Congress
                                                    regulations will be treated as a payment                 and distributions in a partner capacity               indicated that the most important factor
                                                    for services for all purposes of the Code.               under section 704(b).                                 in determining whether or not an
                                                    Thus, the partnership must treat the                        The proposed regulations characterize              arrangement constitutes a payment for
                                                    payments as payments to a non-partner                    the nature of an arrangement at the time              services is that the allocation and
                                                    in determining the remaining partners’                   at which the parties enter into or modify             distribution is subject to significant
                                                    shares of taxable income or loss. Where                  the arrangement. Although section                     entrepreneurial risk. S. Prt. at 227.
                                                    appropriate, the partnership must                        707(a)(2)(A)(ii) requires both an                     Congress noted that partners extract the
                                                    capitalize the payments or otherwise                     allocation and a distribution to the                  profits of the partnership based on the
                                                    treat them in a manner consistent with                   service provider, the Treasury                        business success of the venture, while
                                                    the recharacterization.                                  Department and the IRS believe that a                 third parties generally receive payments
                                                       The consequence of characterizing an                  premise of section 704(b) is that an                  that are not subject to this risk. Id.
                                                    arrangement as a payment for services is                 income allocation correlates with an                     The proposed regulations reflect
                                                    otherwise beyond the scope of these                      increased distribution right, justifying              Congress’s view that this factor is most
                                                    regulations. For example, the proposed                   the assumption that an arrangement that               important. Under the proposed
                                                    regulations do not address the timing of                 provides for an income allocation                     regulations, an arrangement that lacks
                                                    inclusion by the service provider or the                 should be treated as also providing for               significant entrepreneurial risk
                                                    timing of a deduction by the partnership                 an associated distribution for purposes               constitutes a disguised payment for
                                                    other than to provide that each is taken                 of applying section 707(a)(2)(A). The                 services. An arrangement in which
                                                    into account as provided for under                       Treasury Department and the IRS                       allocations and distributions to the
                                                    applicable law by applying all relevant                  considered that some arrangements                     service provider are subject to
                                                    sections of the Code and all relevant                    provide for distributions in a later year,            significant entrepreneurial risk will
                                                    judicial doctrines. Further, if an                       and that those later distributions may be             generally be recognized as a distributive
                                                    arrangement is subject to section 707(a),                subject to independent risk. However,                 share but the ultimate determination
                                                    taxpayers should look to relevant                        the Treasury Department and the IRS                   depends on the totality of the facts and
                                                    authorities to determine the status of the               believe that recharacterizing an                      circumstances. The Treasury
                                                    service provider as an independent                       arrangement retroactively is                          Department and the IRS request
                                                    contractor or employee. See, generally,                  administratively difficult. Thus, the                 comments on whether allocations to
                                                    Rev. Rul. 69–184, 1969–1 C.B. 256. The                   proposed regulations characterize the                 service providers that lack significant
                                                    Treasury Department and the IRS                          nature of an arrangement when the                     entrepreneurial risk could be
                                                    believe that section 707(a)(2)(A)                        arrangement is entered into (or                       characterized as distributive shares
                                                    generally should not apply to                            modified) regardless of when income is                under section 704(b) in any
                                                    arrangements that the partnership has                    allocated and when money or property                  circumstances.
                                                    reasonably characterized as a                            is distributed. The proposed regulations                 Whether an arrangement lacks
                                                    guaranteed payment under section                         apply to both one-time transactions and               significant entrepreneurial risk is based
                                                    707(c).                                                  continuing arrangements. S. Prt. at 226.              on the service provider’s
                                                       Allocations pursuant to an                                                                                  entrepreneurial risk relative to the
                                                    arrangement between a partnership and                    II. Factors Considered                                overall entrepreneurial risk of the
                                                    a service provider to which sections                        Whether an arrangement constitutes a               partnership. For example, a service
                                                    707(a) and 707(c) do not apply will be                   payment for services (in whole or in                  provider who receives a percentage of
                                                    treated as a distributive share under                    part) depends on all of the facts and                 net profits in each of a partnership that
                                                    section 704(b). Rev. Proc. 93–27 and                     circumstances. The proposed                           invests in high-quality debt instruments
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                                                    Rev. Proc. 2001–43 may apply to such                     regulations include six non-exclusive                 and a partnership that invests in volatile
                                                    an arrangement if the specific                           factors that may indicate that an                     or unproven businesses may have
                                                    requirements of those Revenue                            arrangement constitutes a disguised                   significant entrepreneurial risk with
                                                    Procedures are also satisfied. The                       payment for services. Of these factors,               respect to both interests.
                                                    Treasury Department and the IRS intend                   the first five factors generally track the               Section 1.707–2(c)(1)(i) through (v) of
                                                    to modify the exceptions set forth in                    facts and circumstances identified as                 the proposed regulations set forth
                                                    those revenue procedures to include an                   relevant in the legislative history for               arrangements that presumptively lack
                                                    additional exception for profits interests               purposes of applying section                          significant entrepreneurial risk. These


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules                                          43655

                                                    arrangements are presumed to result in                   certain priority allocations that are                 a particular factor is not necessarily
                                                    an absence of significant entrepreneurial                intended to equalize a service provider’s             determinative of whether an
                                                    risk (and therefore, a disguised payment                 return with priority allocations already              arrangement is treated as a payment for
                                                    for services) unless other facts and                     allocated to investing partners over the              services. Four of these factors, described
                                                    circumstances can establish the                          life of the partnership (commonly                     by Congress in the legislative history to
                                                    presence of significant entrepreneurial                  known as ‘‘catch-up allocations’’)                    section 707(a)(2)(A), are (i) that the
                                                    risk by clear and convincing evidence.                   typically will not fall within the types              service provider holds, or is expected to
                                                    These examples generally describe facts                  of allocations covered by the fourth                  hold, a transitory partnership interest or
                                                    and circumstances in which there is a                    example and will not lack significant                 a partnership interest for only a short
                                                    high likelihood that the service provider                entrepreneurial risk, although all of the             duration, (ii) that the service provider
                                                    will receive an allocation regardless of                 facts and circumstances are considered                receives an allocation and distribution
                                                    the overall success of the business                      in making that determination.                         in a time frame comparable to the time
                                                    operation, including (i) capped                             With respect to the fifth example, the             frame that a non-partner service
                                                    allocations of partnership income if the                 Treasury Department and the IRS                       provider would typically receive
                                                    cap would reasonably be expected to                      request suggestions regarding fee waiver              payment, (iii) that the service provider
                                                    apply in most years, (ii) allocations for                requirements that sufficiently bind the               became a partner primarily to obtain tax
                                                    a fixed number of years under which the                  waiving service provider and that are                 benefits which would not have been
                                                    service provider’s distributive share of                 administrable by the partnership and its              available if the services were rendered
                                                    income is reasonably certain, (iii)                      partners.                                             to the partnership in a third party
                                                    allocations of gross income items, (iv)                     Congress’s emphasis on                             capacity, and (iv) that the value of the
                                                    an allocation (under a formula or                        entrepreneurial risk requires changes to              service provider’s interest in general
                                                    otherwise) that is predominantly fixed                   existing regulations under section                    and continuing partnership profits is
                                                    in amount, is reasonably determinable                    707(c). Specifically, Example 2 of                    small in relation to the allocation and
                                                    under all the facts and circumstances, or                § 1.707–1(c) provides that if a partner is            distribution.
                                                    is designed to assure that sufficient net                entitled to an allocation of the greater of
                                                                                                             30 percent of partnership income or a                    To these four factors, the proposed
                                                    profits are highly likely to be available                                                                      regulations add a fifth factor. The fifth
                                                    to make the allocation to the service                    minimum guaranteed amount, and the
                                                                                                             income allocation exceeds the minimum                 factor is present if the arrangement
                                                    provider (for example, if the partnership                                                                      provides for different allocations or
                                                    agreement provides for an allocation of                  guaranteed amount, then the entire
                                                                                                             income allocation is treated as a                     distributions with respect to different
                                                    net profits from specific transactions or                                                                      services received, where the services are
                                                    accounting periods and this allocation                   distributive share under section 704(b).
                                                                                                             Example 2 also provides that if the                   provided either by a single person or by
                                                    does not depend on the overall success                                                                         persons that are related under sections
                                                                                                             income allocation is less than the
                                                    of the enterprise), and (v) arrangements                                                                       707(b) or 267(b), and the terms of the
                                                                                                             guaranteed amount, then the partner is
                                                    in which a service provider either                                                                             differing allocations or distributions are
                                                                                                             treated as receiving a distributive share
                                                    waives its right to receive payment for                                                                        subject to levels of entrepreneurial risk
                                                                                                             to the extent of the income allocation
                                                    the future performance of services in a                                                                        that vary significantly. For example,
                                                                                                             and a guaranteed payment to the extent
                                                    manner that is non-binding or fails to                                                                         assume that a partnership receives
                                                                                                             that the minimum guaranteed payment
                                                    timely notify the partnership and its                                                                          services from both its general partner
                                                                                                             exceeds the income allocation. The
                                                    partners of the waiver and its terms.                                                                          and from a management company that
                                                                                                             treatment of the arrangements in
                                                       With respect to the fourth example,                   Example 2 is inconsistent with the                    is related to the general partner under
                                                    the presence of certain facts, when                      concept that an allocation must be                    section 707(b). Both the general partner
                                                    coupled with a priority allocation to the                subject to significant entrepreneurial                and the management company receive a
                                                    service provider that is measured over                   risk to be treated as a distributive share            share in future partnership net profits in
                                                    any accounting period of the                             under section 704(b). Accordingly, the                exchange for their services. The general
                                                    partnership of 12 months or less, may                    proposed regulations modify Example 2                 partner is entitled to an allocation of 20
                                                    create opportunities that will lead to a                 to provide that the entire minimum                    percent of net profits and undertakes an
                                                    higher likelihood that sufficient net                    amount is treated as a guaranteed                     enforceable obligation to repay any
                                                    profits will be available to make the                    payment under section 707(c) regardless               amounts distributed pursuant to its
                                                    allocation. One fact is that the value of                of the amount of the income allocation.               interest (reduced by reasonable
                                                    partnership assets is not easily                         Rev. Rul. 66–95, 1966–1 C.B. 169, and                 allowance for tax payments made on the
                                                    ascertainable and the partnership                        Rev. Rul. 69–180, 1969–1 C.B. 183, are                general partner’s allocable shares of
                                                    agreement allows the service provider or                 also inconsistent with these proposed                 partnership income and gain) that
                                                    a related party in connection with a                     regulations. The Treasury Department                  exceed 20 percent of the overall net
                                                    revaluation to control the determination                 and the IRS intend to obsolete Rev. Rul.              amount of partnership profits computed
                                                    of asset values, including by controlling                66–95 and revise Rev. Rul. 69–180,                    over the partnership’s life and it is
                                                    events that may affect those values                      when these regulations are published in               reasonable to anticipate that the general
                                                    (such as timing of announcements that                    final form.                                           partner can and will comply fully with
                                                    affect the value of the assets). (See                                                                          this obligation. The proposed
                                                    Example 3(iv).) Another fact is that the                 B. Secondary Factors                                  regulations refer to this type of
                                                    service provider or a related party                        Section 1.707–2(c)(2) through (6)                   obligation and similar obligations, as a
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                                                    controls the entities in which the                       describes additional factors of                       ‘‘clawback obligation.’’ In contrast, the
                                                    partnership invests, including                           secondary importance in determining                   management company is entitled to a
                                                    controlling the timing and amount of                     whether or not an arrangement that                    preferred amount of net income that,
                                                    distributions by those controlled                        gives the appearance of significant                   once paid, is not subject to a clawback
                                                    entities. (These two facts by themselves                 entrepreneurial risk constitutes a                    obligation. Because the general partner
                                                    do not, however, necessarily establish                   payment for services. The weight given                and the management company are
                                                    the absence of significant                               to each of the other factors depends on               service providers that are related parties
                                                    entrepreneurial risk.) By contrast,                      the particular case, and the absence of               under section 707(b), and because the


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                                                    43656                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules

                                                    terms of the allocations and                             Example 1 concludes that an                           provider has the interest; (ii) upon the
                                                    distributions to the management                          arrangement in which a service provider               grant of the interest or at the time that
                                                    company create a significantly lower                     receives a capped amount of partnership               the interest becomes substantially
                                                    level of economic risk than the terms for                allocations and distributions and the                 vested, neither the partnership nor any
                                                    the general partner, the management                      cap is likely to apply provides for a                 of the partners deducts any amount (as
                                                    company’s arrangement might properly                     disguised payment for services under                  wages, compensation, or otherwise) for
                                                    be treated as a disguised payment for                    section 707(a)(2)(A). In Example 3(iii), a            the fair market value of the interest; and
                                                    services (depending on all other facts                   service provider is entitled to a share of            (iii) all other conditions of Rev. Proc.
                                                    and circumstances, including amount of                   future partnership net profits, the                   93–27 are satisfied.
                                                    entrepreneurial risk).                                   partnership can allocate net profits from                The Treasury Department and the IRS
                                                                                                             specific transactions or accounting                   are aware of transactions in which one
                                                    III. Examples                                                                                                  party provides services and another
                                                                                                             periods, those allocations do not depend
                                                       Section 1.707–2(d) of the proposed                    on the long-term future success of the                party receives a seemingly associated
                                                    regulations contains a number of                         enterprise, and a party that is related to            allocation and distribution of
                                                    examples illustrating the application of                 the service provider controls the timing              partnership income or gain. For
                                                    the factors described in § 1.707–2(c).                   of purchases, sales, and distributions.               example, a management company that
                                                    The examples illustrate the application                  The example concludes that under these                provides services to a fund in exchange
                                                    of these regulations to arrangements that                facts, the arrangement lacks significant              for a fee may waive that fee, while a
                                                    contain certain facts and circumstances                  entrepreneurial risk and provides for a               party related to the management
                                                    that the Treasury Department and the                     disguised payment for services.                       company receives an interest in future
                                                    IRS believe demonstrate the existence or                 Example 4 considers similar facts, but                partnership profits the value of which
                                                    absence of significant entrepreneurial                   assumes that the partnership’s assets are             approximates the amount of the waived
                                                    risk.                                                    publicly traded and are marked-to-                    fee. The Treasury Department and the
                                                       Several of the examples consider                      market under section 475(f)(1). Under                 IRS have determined that Rev. Proc. 93–
                                                    arrangements in which a partner agrees                   these facts, the example concludes that               27 does not apply to such transactions
                                                    to forgo fees for services and also                      the arrangement has significant                       because they would not satisfy the
                                                    receives a share of future partnership                   entrepreneurial risk, and thus that                   requirement that receipt of an interest in
                                                    income and gains. The examples                           section 707(a)(2)(A) does not apply.                  partnership profits be for the provision
                                                    consider the application of section                                                                            of services to or for the benefit of the
                                                    707(a)(2)(A) based on the manner in                      IV. Safe Harbor Revenue Procedures                    partnership in a partner capacity or in
                                                    which the service provider (i) forgoes its                 Rev. Proc. 93–27 provides that in                   anticipation of being a partner, and
                                                    right to receive fees, and (ii) is entitled              certain circumstances if a person                     because the service provider would
                                                    to share in future partnership income                    receives a profits interest for the                   effectively have disposed of the
                                                    and gains. In Examples 5 and 6, the                      provision of services to or for the benefit           partnership interest (through a
                                                    service provider forgoes the right to                    of a partnership in a partner capacity or             constructive transfer to the related
                                                    receive fees in a manner that supports                   in anticipation of becoming a partner,                party) within two years of receipt.
                                                    the existence of significant                             the IRS will not treat the receipt of such               Further, the Treasury Department and
                                                    entrepreneurial risk by forgoing its right               interest as a taxable event for the partner           the IRS plan to issue a revenue
                                                    to receive fees before the period begins                 or the partnership. The revenue                       procedure providing an additional
                                                    and by executing a waiver that is                        procedure does not apply if (1) the                   exception to the safe harbor in Rev.
                                                    binding, irrevocable, and clearly                        profits interest relates to a substantially           Proc. 93–27 in conjunction with the
                                                    communicated to the other partners.                      certain and predictable stream of                     publication of these regulations in final
                                                    Similarly, the service provider’s                        income from partnership assets, such as               form. The additional exception will
                                                    arrangement in these examples include                    income from high-quality debt securities              apply to a profits interest issued in
                                                    the following facts and circumstances                    or a high-quality net lease; (2) within               conjunction with a partner forgoing
                                                    that taken together support the existence                two years of receipt, the partner                     payment of an amount that is
                                                    of significant entrepreneurial risk: The                 disposes of the profits interest; or (3) the          substantially fixed (including a
                                                    allocation to the service provider is                    profits interest is a limited partnership             substantially fixed amount determined
                                                    determined out of net profits and is                     interest in a ‘‘publicly traded                       by formula, such as a fee based on a
                                                    neither highly likely to be available nor                partnership’’ within the meaning of                   percentage of partner capital
                                                    reasonably determinable based on all                     section 7704(b).                                      commitments) for the performance of
                                                    facts and circumstances available at the                   Rev. Proc. 2001–43 provides that, for               services, including a guaranteed
                                                    time of the arrangement, and the service                 purposes of Rev. Proc. 93–27, if a                    payment under section 707(c) or a
                                                    provider undertakes a clawback                           partnership grants a substantially                    payment in a non-partner capacity
                                                    obligation and is reasonably expected to                 nonvested profits interest in the                     under section 707(a).
                                                    be able to comply with that obligation.                  partnership to a service provider, the                   In conjunction with the issuance of
                                                    The presence of each fact described in                   service provider will be treated as                   proposed regulations (REG–105346–03;
                                                    these examples is not necessarily                        receiving the interest on the date of its             70 FR 29675–01; 2005–1 C.B. 1244)
                                                    required to determine that section                       grant, provided that: (i) The partnership             relating to the tax treatment of certain
                                                    707(a)(2)(A) does not apply to an                        and the service provider treat the                    transfers of partnership equity in
                                                    arrangement. However, the absence of                     service provider as the owner of the                  connection with the performance of
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                                                    certain facts, such as a failure to                      partnership interest from the date of its             services, the Treasury Department and
                                                    measure future profits over at least a 12-               grant, and the service provider takes                 the IRS issued Notice 2005–43, 2005–24
                                                    month period, may suggest that an                        into account the distributive share of                I.R.B. 1221. Notice 2005–43 includes a
                                                    arrangement constitutes a fee for                        partnership income, gain, loss,                       proposed revenue procedure regarding
                                                    services.                                                deduction and credit associated with                  partnership interests transferred in
                                                       The proposed regulations also contain                 that interest in computing the service                connection with the performance of
                                                    examples that consider arrangements to                   provider’s income tax liability for the               services. In the event that the proposed
                                                    which section 707(a)(2)(A) applies.                      entire period during which the service                revenue procedure provided for in


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules                                              43657

                                                    Notice 2005–43 is finalized, it will                     proposed regulations. The legislative                 could satisfy the economic effect
                                                    include the additional exception                         history supporting section 707(a)(2)(A)               equivalence rule.
                                                    referenced.                                              indicates that an arrangement that lacks                 Before these proposed regulations are
                                                                                                             significant entrepreneurial risk is                   adopted as final regulations,
                                                    Effective Dates                                                                                                consideration will be given to any
                                                                                                             generally treated as a disguised payment
                                                       The proposed regulations would be                     for services. The Treasury Department                 written (a signed original and eight (8)
                                                    effective on the date the final                          and the IRS have concluded that the                   copies) or electronic comments that are
                                                    regulations are published in the Federal                 presence of significant entrepreneurial               submitted timely to the IRS. The
                                                    Register and would apply to any                          risk in an arrangement is necessary for               Treasury Department and the IRS
                                                    arrangement entered into or modified on                  the arrangement to be treated as                      request comments on all aspects of the
                                                    or after the date of publication of the                  occurring between a partnership and a                 proposed regulations. All comments
                                                    final regulations. In the case of any                    partner acting in a partner capacity.                 will be available for public inspection
                                                    arrangement entered into or modified                     Nonetheless, the Treasury Department                  and copying upon request. A public
                                                    before the final regulations are                         and the IRS request comments on, and                  hearing will be scheduled if requested
                                                    published in the Federal Register, the                   examples of, whether arrangements                     in writing by any person that timely
                                                    determination of whether an                              could exist that should be treated as a               submits written or electronic comments.
                                                    arrangement is a disguised payment for                                                                         If a public hearing is scheduled, notice
                                                                                                             distributive share under section 704(b)
                                                    services under section 707(a)(2)(A) is                                                                         of the date, time, and place for the
                                                                                                             despite the absence of significant
                                                    made on the basis of the statute and the                                                                       public hearing will be published in the
                                                                                                             entrepreneurial risk. In addition, the
                                                    guidance provided regarding that                                                                               Federal Register.
                                                                                                             Treasury Department and the IRS
                                                    provision in the legislative history of
                                                                                                             request comments on sufficient                        Drafting Information
                                                    section 707(a)(2)(A). Pending the
                                                    publication of final regulations, the                    notification requirements to effectively                 The principal author of these
                                                    position of the Treasury Department and                  render a fee waiver binding upon the                  proposed regulations is Jaclyn M.
                                                    the IRS is that the proposed regulations                 service provider and the partnership.                 Goldberg of the Office of Assistant Chief
                                                    generally reflect Congressional intent as                   The Treasury Department and the IRS                Counsel (Passthroughs and Special
                                                    to which arrangements are appropriately                  have become aware that some                           Industries). However, other personnel
                                                    treated as disguised payments for                        partnerships that assert reliance on                  from the Internal Revenue Service and
                                                    services.                                                § 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii)(i) (the economic effect           the Treasury Department participated in
                                                                                                             equivalence rule) have expressed                      their development.
                                                    Effect on Other Documents
                                                                                                             uncertainty on the proper treatment of                List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1
                                                      The following publication is obsolete                  partners who receive an increased right
                                                    as of July 23, 2015:                                     to share in partnership property upon a                 Income taxes, Reporting and
                                                      Rev. Rul. 81–300 (1981–2 C.B. 143).                    partnership liquidation without respect               recordkeeping requirements.
                                                      The following publications will be                     to the partnership’s net income. These                Proposed Amendment to the
                                                    obsolete as of the date of a Treasury                    partnerships typically set forth each                 Regulations
                                                    decision adopting these rules as final                   partner’s distribution rights upon a
                                                    regulations in the Federal Register:                                                                             Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is
                                                                                                             liquidation of the partnership and                    proposed to be amended as follows:
                                                      Rev. Rul. 66–95 (1966–1 C.B. 169);                     require the partnership to allocate net
                                                    and                                                      income annually in a manner that
                                                      Rev. Rul. 69–180 (1969–1 C.B. 183).                                                                          PART 1—INCOME TAXES
                                                                                                             causes partners’ capital accounts to
                                                    Special Analyses                                         match partnership distribution rights to              ■ Paragraph 1. The authority citation
                                                                                                             the extent possible. Such agreements are              for part 1 is amended by adding entries
                                                      It has been determined that this notice
                                                                                                             commonly referred to as ‘‘targeted                    in numerical order to read in part as
                                                    of proposed rulemaking is not a
                                                                                                             capital account agreements.’’ Some                    follows:
                                                    significant regulatory action as defined
                                                    in Executive Order 12866, as                             taxpayers have expressed uncertainty                    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
                                                    supplemented by Executive Order                          whether a partnership with a targeted                   Section 1.707–0 also issued under 26
                                                                                                             capital account agreement must allocate               U.S.C. 707(a).
                                                    13563. Therefore, a regulatory                                                                                   Section 1.707–2 also issued under 26
                                                    assessment is not required. It has also                  income or a guaranteed payment to a
                                                                                                             partner who has an increased right to                 U.S.C. 707(a).
                                                    been determined that section 553(b) of                                                                           Section 1.707–9 also issued under 26
                                                    the Administrative Procedure Act (5                      partnership assets determined as if the               U.S.C. 707(a). * * *
                                                    U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these                partnership liquidated at the end of the                Section 1.736–1 also issued under 26
                                                    regulations, and because the regulation                  year even in the event that the                       U.S.C. 736(a). * * *
                                                    does not impose a collection of                          partnership recognizes no, or                         ■ Par. 2. Section 1.707–0 is amended by
                                                    information on small entities, the                       insufficient, net income. The Treasury                revising § 1.707–2 to read as follows:
                                                    Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.                     Department and the IRS generally
                                                                                                             believe that existing rules under                     § 1.707–0.   Table of contents.
                                                    chapter 6) does not apply. Pursuant to
                                                    section 7805(f) of the Code, this notice                 §§ 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii) and 1.707–1(c)                   *       *        *   *   *
                                                    of proposed rulemaking will be                           address this circumstance by requiring                § 1.707–2.   Disguised payments for
                                                                                                             partner capital accounts to reflect the
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                                                    submitted to the Chief Counsel for                                                                             services.
                                                    Advocacy of the Small Business                           partner’s distribution rights as if the                 (a) In general.
                                                    Administration for comment on its                        partnership liquidated at the end of the                (b) Elements necessary to characterize
                                                    impact on small business.                                taxable year, but request comments on                 arrangements as disguised payments for
                                                                                                             specific issues and examples with                     services.
                                                    Comments and Requests for Public                         respect to which further guidance                       (1) In general.
                                                    Hearing                                                  would be helpful. No inference is                       (2) Application and timing.
                                                      The Treasury Department and the IRS                    intended as to whether and when                         (i) Timing and effect of the
                                                    invite public comment on these                           targeted capital account agreements                   determination.


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                                                    43658                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules

                                                      (ii) Timing of inclusion.                                 (ii) There is a related direct or indirect         arrangement, then the service provider
                                                      (3) Application of disguised payment                   allocation and distribution to such                   is treated as having provided services
                                                    rules.                                                   service provider; and                                 directly to the other purported partner.
                                                      (c) Factors considered.                                   (iii) The performance of such services                (c) Factors considered. Whether an
                                                      (d) Examples.                                          and the allocation and distribution,                  arrangement constitutes a payment for
                                                                                                             when viewed together, are properly                    services (in whole or in part) depends
                                                    *      *    *     *    *                                 characterized as a transaction occurring              on all of the facts and circumstances.
                                                    ■ Par. 3. Section 1.707–1 is amended by                  between the partnership and a person                  Paragraphs (c)(1) through (6) of this
                                                    adding a sentence at the end of                          acting other than in that person’s                    section provide a non-exclusive list of
                                                    paragraph (a) and revising paragraph (c)                 capacity as a partner.                                factors that may indicate that an
                                                    Example 2 to read as follows.                               (2) Application and timing.—(i)                    arrangement constitutes in whole or in
                                                                                                             Timing and effect of the determination.               part a payment for services. The
                                                    § 1.707–1. Transactions between partner
                                                    and partnership.                                         Whether an arrangement is properly                    presence or absence of a factor is based
                                                                                                             characterized as a payment for services               on all of the facts and circumstances at
                                                      (a) * * * For arrangements pursuant                    is determined at the time the                         the time the parties enter into the
                                                    to which a purported partner performs                    arrangement is entered into or modified               arrangement (or if the parties modify the
                                                    services for a partnership and the                       and without regard to whether the terms               arrangement, at the time of the
                                                    partner receives a related direct or                     of the arrangement require the                        modification). The most important
                                                    indirect allocation and distribution from                allocation and distribution to occur in               factor is significant entrepreneurial risk
                                                    the partnership, see § 1.707–2 to                        the same taxable year. An arrangement                 as set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this
                                                    determine whether the arrangement                        that is treated as a payment for services             section. An arrangement that lacks
                                                    should be treated as a disguised                         under this paragraph (b) is treated as a              significant entrepreneurial risk
                                                    payment for services.                                    payment for services for all purposes of              constitutes a payment for services. An
                                                      (c) * * *                                              the Internal Revenue Code, including                  arrangement that has significant
                                                       Example 2. Partner C in the CD partnership            for example, sections 61, 409A, and                   entrepreneurial risk will generally not
                                                    is to receive 30 percent of partnership                  457A (as applicable). The amount paid                 constitute a payment for services unless
                                                    income, but not less than $10,000. The                   to a person in consideration for services             other factors establish otherwise. For
                                                    income of the partnership is $60,000, and C              under this section is treated as a                    purposes of making determinations
                                                    is entitled to $18,000 (30 percent of $60,000).          payment for services provided to the                  under this paragraph (c), the weight to
                                                    Of this amount, $10,000 is a guaranteed
                                                    payment to C. The $10,000 guaranteed
                                                                                                             partnership, and, when appropriate, the               be given to any particular factor, other
                                                    payment reduces the partnership’s net                    partnership must capitalize these                     than entrepreneurial risk, depends on
                                                    income to $50,000 of which C receives                    amounts (or otherwise treat such                      the particular case and the absence of a
                                                    $8,000 as C’s distributive share.                        amounts in a manner consistent with                   factor is not necessarily indicative of
                                                                                                             their recharacterization). The                        whether or not an arrangement is treated
                                                    *     *     *    *     *                                 partnership must also treat the                       as a payment for services.
                                                    ■ Par. 4. Section 1.707–2 is added to                    arrangement as a payment to a non-                       (1) The arrangement lacks significant
                                                    read as follows:                                         partner in determining the remaining                  entrepreneurial risk. Whether an
                                                    § 1.707–2   Disguised payments for                       partners’ shares of taxable income or                 arrangement lacks significant
                                                    services.                                                loss.                                                 entrepreneurial risk is based on the
                                                                                                                (ii) Timing of inclusion. The inclusion            service provider’s entrepreneurial risk
                                                      (a) In general. This section prescribes                of income by the service provider and                 relative to the overall entrepreneurial
                                                    rules for characterizing arrangements as                 deduction (if applicable) by the                      risk of the partnership. Paragraphs
                                                    disguised payments for services.                         partnership of amounts paid pursuant to               (c)(1)(i) through (v) of this section
                                                    Paragraph (b) of this section outlines the               an arrangement that is characterized as               provide facts and circumstances that
                                                    elements necessary to characterize an                    a payment for services under paragraph                create a presumption that an
                                                    arrangement as a payment for services,                   (b)(1) of this section is taken into                  arrangement lacks significant
                                                    and it provides operational rules                        account in the taxable year as required               entrepreneurial risk and will be treated
                                                    regarding application and timing of this                 under applicable law by applying all                  as a disguised payment for services
                                                    section. Paragraph (c) of this section                   relevant sections of the Internal                     unless other facts and circumstances
                                                    identifies the factors that weigh in the                 Revenue Code, including for example,                  establish the presence of significant
                                                    determination of whether an                              sections 409A and 457A (as applicable),               entrepreneurial risk by clear and
                                                    arrangement includes the elements                        to the allocation and distribution when               convincing evidence:
                                                    described in paragraph (b) of this                       they occur (or are deemed to occur                       (i) Capped allocations of partnership
                                                    section that make it appropriate to                      under all other provisions of the                     income if the cap is reasonably expected
                                                    characterize the arrangement as a                        Internal Revenue Code).                               to apply in most years;
                                                    payment for services. Paragraph (d) of                      (3) Application of disguised payment                  (ii) An allocation for one or more
                                                    this section provides examples applying                  rules. If a person purports to provide                years under which the service
                                                    these rules to determine whether an                      services to a partnership in a capacity as            provider’s share of income is reasonably
                                                    arrangement is a payment for services.                   a partner or in anticipation of becoming              certain;
                                                      (b) Elements necessary to characterize                 a partner, the rules of this section apply               (iii) An allocation of gross income;
                                                    arrangements as disguised payments for                   for purposes of determining whether the                  (iv) An allocation (under a formula or
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                                                    services—(1) In general. An arrangement                  services were provided in exchange for                otherwise) that is predominantly fixed
                                                    will be treated as a disguised payment                   a disguised payment, even if it is                    in amount, is reasonably determinable
                                                    for services if—                                         determined after applying the rules of                under all the facts and circumstances, or
                                                      (i) A person (service provider), either                this section that the service provider is             is designed to assure that sufficient net
                                                    in a partner capacity or in anticipation                 not a partner. If after applying the rules            profits are highly likely to be available
                                                    of becoming a partner, performs services                 of this section, no partnership exists as             to make the allocation to the service
                                                    (directly or through its delegate) to or                 a result of the service provider failing to           provider (e.g. if the partnership
                                                    for the benefit of a partnership;                        become a partner under the                            agreement provides for an allocation of


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules                                               43659

                                                    net profits from specific transactions or                evidence. Thus, the allocation lacks                  accounting period. A also controls the timing
                                                    accounting periods and this allocation                   significant entrepreneurial risk. Accordingly,        of distributions to M including distributions
                                                    does not depend on the long-term future                  the arrangement provides for a disguised              arising from M’s priority allocation. Given
                                                                                                             payment for services as of the date that A and        the nature of the assets in which ABC will
                                                    success of the enterprise); or
                                                                                                             ABC enter into the arrangement and,                   invest and A’s ability to control the timing
                                                       (v) An arrangement in which a service                 pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this              of asset dispositions, the amount of
                                                    provider waives its right to receive                     section, should be included in income by A            partnership net income or gains that will be
                                                    payment for the future performance of                    in the time and manner required under                 allocable to M under the ABC partnership
                                                    services in a manner that is non-binding                 applicable law as determined by applying all          agreement is highly likely to be available and
                                                    or fails to timely notify the partnership                relevant sections of the Internal Revenue             reasonably determinable based on all facts
                                                    and its partners of the waiver and its                   Code to the arrangement.                              and circumstances available upon formation
                                                    terms.                                                      Example 2. A, a stock broker, agrees to            of the partnership. A will be allocated 10
                                                       (2) The service provider holds, or is                 effect trades for Partnership ABC without the         percent of any net profits or net losses of
                                                                                                             normal brokerage commission. A contributes            ABC earned over the life of the partnership.
                                                    expected to hold, a transitory                           51 percent of partnership capital and in              A undertakes an enforceable obligation to
                                                    partnership interest or a partnership                    exchange, receives a 51 percent interest in           repay any amounts allocated and distributed
                                                    interest for only a short duration.                      residual partnership profits and losses. In           pursuant to this interest (reduced by
                                                       (3) The service provider receives an                  addition, A receives a special allocation of          reasonable allowances for tax payments made
                                                    allocation and distribution in a time                    gross income that is computed in a manner             on A’s allocable shares of partnership income
                                                    frame comparable to the time frame that                  which approximates its foregone                       and gain) that exceed 10 percent of the
                                                    a non-partner service provider would                     commissions. The special allocation to A is           overall net amount of partnership profits
                                                    typically receive payment.                               computed by means of a formula similar to             computed over the life of the partnership (a
                                                       (4) The service provider became a                     a normal brokerage fee and varies with the            ‘‘clawback obligation’’). It is reasonable to
                                                                                                             value and amount of services rendered rather          anticipate that A could and would comply
                                                    partner primarily to obtain tax benefits                 than with the income of the partnership. It           fully with any repayment responsibilities
                                                    that would not have been available if                    is reasonably expected that Partnership ABC           that arise pursuant to this obligation. The
                                                    the services were rendered to the                        will have sufficient gross income to make             ABC partnership agreement satisfies the
                                                    partnership in a third party capacity.                   this allocation. The ABC partnership                  requirements for economic effect contained
                                                       (5) The value of the service provider’s               agreement satisfies the requirements for              in § 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that
                                                    interest in general and continuing                       economic effect contained in § 1.704–                 liquidating distributions are made in
                                                    partnership profits is small in relation to              1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that                 accordance with the partners’ positive capital
                                                    the allocation and distribution.                         liquidating distributions are made in                 account balances.
                                                       (6) The arrangement provides for                      accordance with the partners’ positive capital           (ii) Under paragraph (c) of this section,
                                                                                                             account balances. Under paragraph (c) of this         whether A’s arrangement is treated as a
                                                    different allocations or distributions
                                                                                                             section, whether the arrangement is treated           payment for services in directing ABC’s
                                                    with respect to different services                       as a payment for services depends on the              operations depends on the facts and
                                                    received, the services are provided                      facts and circumstances. Under paragraphs             circumstances. The most important factor in
                                                    either by one person or by persons that                  (c)(1)(iii) and (iv) of this section, because the     this facts and circumstances determination is
                                                    are related under sections 707(b) or                     allocation is an allocation of gross income           the presence or absence of significant
                                                    267(b), and the terms of the differing                   and is reasonably determinable under the              entrepreneurial risk. The arrangement with
                                                    allocations or distributions are subject                 facts and circumstances, it is presumed to            respect to A creates significant
                                                    to levels of entrepreneurial risk that                   lack significant entrepreneurial risk. No             entrepreneurial risk under paragraph (c)(1) of
                                                    vary significantly.                                      additional facts and circumstances establish          this section because the allocation to A is of
                                                                                                             otherwise by clear and convincing evidence.           net profits earned over the life of the
                                                       (d) Examples. The following examples
                                                                                                             Thus, the allocation lacks significant                partnership, the allocation is subject to a
                                                    illustrate the application of this section:              entrepreneurial risk. Accordingly, the                clawback obligation and it is reasonable to
                                                       Example 1. Partnership ABC constructed a              arrangement provides for a disguised                  anticipate that A could and would comply
                                                    building that is projected to generate                   payment for services as of the date that A and        with this obligation, and the allocation is
                                                    $100,000 of gross income annually. A, an                 ABC enter into the arrangement and,                   neither reasonably determinable nor highly
                                                    architect, performs services for partnership             pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this              likely to be available. Additionally, other
                                                    ABC for which A’s normal fee would be                    section, should be included in income by A            relevant factors do not establish that the
                                                    $40,000 and contributes cash in an amount                in the time and manner required under                 arrangement should be treated as a payment
                                                    equal to the value of a 25 percent interest in           applicable law as determined by applying all          for services. Thus, the arrangement with
                                                    the partnership. In exchange, A will receive             relevant sections of the Internal Revenue             respect to A does not constitute a payment
                                                    a 25 percent distributive share for the life of          Code to the arrangement.                              for services for purposes of paragraph (b)(1)
                                                    the partnership and a special allocation of                 Example 3. (i) M performs services for             of this section.
                                                    $20,000 of partnership gross income for the              which a fee would normally be charged to                 (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section,
                                                    first two years of partnership’s operations.             new partnership ABC, an investment                    whether M’s arrangement is treated as a
                                                    The ABC partnership agreement satisfies the              partnership that will acquire a portfolio of          payment for services depends on the facts
                                                    requirements for economic effect contained               investment assets that are not readily                and circumstances. The most important
                                                    in § 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that         tradable on an established securities market.         factor in this facts and circumstances
                                                    liquidating distributions are made in                    M will also contribute $500,000 in exchange           determination is the presence or absence of
                                                    accordance with the partners’ positive capital           for a one percent interest in ABC’s capital           entrepreneurial risk. The priority allocation
                                                    account balances. Under paragraph (c) of this            and profits. In addition to M’s one percent           to M is an allocation of net profit from any
                                                    section, whether the arrangement is treated              interest, M is entitled to receive a priority         12-month accounting period in which the
                                                    as a payment for services depends on the                 allocation and distribution of net gain from          partnership has net gain, and thus it does not
                                                    facts and circumstances. The special                     the sale of any one or more assets during any         depend on the overall success of the
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                                                    allocation to A is a capped amount and the               12-month accounting period in which the               enterprise. Moreover, the sale of the assets by
                                                    cap is reasonably expected to apply. The                 partnership has overall net gain in an amount         ABC, and hence the timing of recognition of
                                                    special allocation is also made out of gross             intended to approximate the fee that would            gains and losses, is controlled by A, a
                                                    income. Under paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (iii) of          normally be charged for the services M                company related to M. Taken in combination,
                                                    this section, the capped allocations of income           performs. A, a company that controls M, is            the facts indicate that the allocation is
                                                    and gross income allocations described are               the general partner of ABC and directs all            reasonably determinable under all the facts
                                                    presumed to lack significant entrepreneurial             operations of the partnership consistent with         and circumstances and that sufficient net
                                                    risk. No additional facts and circumstances              the partnership agreement, including causing          profits are highly likely to be available to
                                                    establish otherwise by clear and convincing              ABC to purchase or sell an asset during any           make the priority allocation to the service



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                                                    43660                    Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules

                                                    provider. As a result, the allocation                    M is allocable out of net profits, the                Additional Interest is treated as a payment
                                                    presumptively lacks significant                          partnership assets have a readily                     for services depends on the facts and
                                                    entrepreneurial risk. No additional facts and            ascertainable market value that is determined         circumstances. The most important factor in
                                                    circumstances establish otherwise by clear               at the close of each taxable year, and it             this facts and circumstances determination is
                                                    and convincing evidence. Accordingly, the                cannot reasonably be predicted whether the            the presence or absence of significant
                                                    arrangement provides for a disguised                     partnership will have net profits with respect        entrepreneurial risk. The arrangement with
                                                    payment for services as of the date M and                to its entire portfolio for the year to which         respect to A creates significant
                                                    ABC enter into the arrangement and,                      the special allocation would relate.                  entrepreneurial risk under paragraph (c)(1) of
                                                    pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this                 Accordingly, the special allocation is neither        this section because the allocation to A is of
                                                    section, should be included in income by M               reasonably determinable nor highly likely to          net profits, the allocation is subject to a
                                                    in the time and manner required under                    be available because the partnership assets           clawback obligation over the life of the fund
                                                    applicable law as determined by applying all             have a readily ascertainable fair market value        and it is reasonable to anticipate that A could
                                                    relevant sections of the Internal Revenue                that is determined at the beginning of the            and would comply with this obligation, and
                                                    Code to the arrangement.                                 year and at the end of the year. Thus, the            the allocation is neither reasonably
                                                       (iv) Assume the facts are the same as                 arrangement does not lack significant                 determinable nor highly likely to be
                                                    paragraph (i) of this example, except that the           entrepreneurial risk under paragraph (c)(1) of        available. Additionally, the facts and
                                                    partnership can also fund M’s priority                   this section. Additionally, the facts and             circumstances do not establish the presence
                                                    allocation and distribution of net gain from             circumstances do not establish the presence           of other factors that would suggest that the
                                                    the revaluation of any partnership assets                of other factors that would suggest that the          arrangement is properly characterized as a
                                                    pursuant to § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f). As the               arrangement is properly characterized as a            payment for services. Accordingly, the
                                                    general partner of ABC, A controls the timing            payment for services. Accordingly, the                arrangement does not constitute a payment
                                                    of events that permit revaluation of                     arrangement does not constitute a payment             for services under paragraph (b)(1) of this
                                                    partnership assets and assigns values to those           for services under paragraph (b)(1) of this           section.
                                                    assets for purposes of the revaluation. Under            section.                                                 Example 6. (i) A is a general partner in
                                                    paragraph (c) of this section, whether M’s                  Example 5. (i) A is a general partner in           limited partnership ABC, an investment
                                                    arrangement is treated as a payment for                  newly-formed partnership ABC, an                      fund. A is responsible for providing
                                                    services depends on the facts and                        investment fund. A is responsible for                 management services to ABC, but has
                                                    circumstances. The most important factor in              providing management services to ABC, but             delegated that management function to M, a
                                                    this facts and circumstances determination is            has delegated that management function to             company controlled by A. The ABC
                                                    the presence or absence of entrepreneurial               M, a company controlled by A. Funds that              partnership agreement provides that A must
                                                    risk. Under this arrangement, the valuation of           are comparable to ABC commonly require the            contribute capital in an amount equal to one
                                                                                                             general partner to contribute capital in an           percent of the capital contributed by the
                                                    the assets is controlled by A, a company
                                                                                                             amount equal to one percent of the capital
                                                    related to M, and the assets of the company                                                                    limited partners, that A is entitled to an
                                                                                                             contributed by the limited partners, provide
                                                    are difficult to value. This fact, taken in                                                                    interest in 20 percent of future partnership
                                                                                                             the general partner with an interest in 20
                                                    combination with the partnership’s                                                                             net income and gains as measured over the
                                                                                                             percent of future partnership net income and
                                                    determination of M’s profits by reference to                                                                   life of the fund, and that M is entitled to
                                                                                                             gains as measured over the life of the fund,
                                                    a specified accounting period, causes the                                                                      receive an annual fee in an amount equal to
                                                                                                             and pay the fund manager annually an
                                                    allocation to be reasonably determinable                                                                       two percent of capital committed by the
                                                                                                             amount equal to two percent of capital
                                                    under all the facts and circumstances or to              committed by the partners.                            partners. The amount of partnership net
                                                    ensure that net profits are highly likely to be             (ii) Upon formation of ABC, the partners of        income or gains that will be allocable to A
                                                    available to make the priority allocation to             ABC execute a partnership agreement with              under the ABC partnership agreement is
                                                    the service provider. No additional facts and            terms that differ from those commonly agreed          neither highly likely to be available nor
                                                    circumstances establish otherwise by clear               upon by other comparable funds. The ABC               reasonably determinable based on all facts
                                                    and convincing evidence. Accordingly, the                partnership agreement provides that A will            and circumstances available upon formation
                                                    arrangement provides for a disguised                     contribute nominal capital to ABC, that ABC           of the partnership. A also undertakes a
                                                    payment for services as of the date M and                will annually pay M an amount equal to one            clawback obligation, and it is reasonable to
                                                    ABC enter into the arrangement and,                      percent of capital committed by the partners,         anticipate that A could and would comply
                                                    pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this                 and that A will receive an interest in 20             fully with any repayment responsibilities
                                                    section, should be included in income by M               percent of future partnership net income and          that arise pursuant to this obligation.
                                                    in time and manner required under                        gains as measured over the life of the fund.             (ii) ABC’s partnership agreement also
                                                    applicable law as determined by applying all             A will also receive an additional interest in         permits M (as A’s appointed delegate) to
                                                    relevant sections of the Internal Revenue                future partnership net income and gains               waive all or a portion of its fee for any year
                                                    Code to the arrangement.                                 determined by a formula (the ‘‘Additional             if it provides written notice to the limited
                                                       Example 4. (i) The facts are the same as in           Interest’’). The parties intend that the              partners of ABC at least 60 days prior to the
                                                    Example 3, except that ABC’s investment                  estimated present value of the Additional             commencement of the partnership taxable
                                                    assets are securities that are readily tradable          Interest approximately equals the present             year for which the fee is payable. If M elects
                                                    on an established securities market, and ABC             value of one percent of capital committed by          to waive irrevocably its fee pursuant to this
                                                    is in the trade or business of trading in                the partners determined annually over the             provision, the partnership will, immediately
                                                    securities and has validly elected to mark-to-           life of the fund. However, the amount of net          following the commencement of the
                                                    market under section 475(f)(1). In addition,             profits that will be allocable to A under the         partnership taxable year for which the fee
                                                    M is entitled to receive a special allocation            Additional Interest is neither highly likely to       would have been payable, issue to M an
                                                    and distribution of partnership net gain                 be available nor reasonably determinable              interest determined by a formula in
                                                    attributable to a specified future 12-month              based on all facts and circumstances                  subsequent partnership net income and gains
                                                    taxable year. Although it is expected that one           available upon formation of the partnership.          (the ‘‘Additional Interest’’). The parties
                                                    or more of the partnership’s assets will be              A undertakes a clawback obligation, and it is         intend that the estimated present value of the
                                                    sold for a gain, it cannot reasonably be                 reasonable to anticipate that A could and             Additional Interest approximately equals the
                                                    predicted whether the partnership will have              would comply fully with any repayment                 estimated present value of the fee that was
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                                                    net profits with respect to its entire portfolio         responsibilities that arise pursuant to this          waived. However, the amount of net income
                                                    in that 12-month taxable year.                           obligation. The ABC partnership agreement             or gains that will be allocable to M is neither
                                                       (ii) Under paragraph (c) of this section,             satisfies the requirements for economic effect        highly likely to be available nor reasonably
                                                    whether the arrangement is treated as a                  contained in § 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii), including           determinable based on all facts and
                                                    payment for services depends on the facts                requiring that liquidating distributions are          circumstances available at the time of the
                                                    and circumstances. The most important                    made in accordance with the partners’                 waiver of the partnership. The ABC
                                                    factor in this facts and circumstances                   positive capital account balances.                    partnership agreement satisfies the
                                                    determination is the presence or absence of                 (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section,         requirements for economic effect contained
                                                    entrepreneurial risk. The special allocation to          whether the arrangement relating to the               in § 1.704–1(b)(2)(ii), including requiring that



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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 141 / Thursday, July 23, 2015 / Proposed Rules                                          43661

                                                    liquidating distributions are made in                    fee for services under section                        1, 2015 (80 FR 24872), is reopened.
                                                    accordance with the partners’ positive capital           707(a)(2)(A) is to be made on the basis               Written comments must be received on
                                                    account balances. The partnership agreement              of the statute and the guidance provided              or before August 7, 2015.
                                                    also requires ABC to maintain capital
                                                                                                             regarding that provision in the                       ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
                                                    accounts pursuant to § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv) and
                                                    to revalue partner capital accounts under                legislative history of section 73 of the              identified by Docket No. EPA–R06–
                                                    § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f) immediately prior to the          Tax Reform Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98–369,               OAR–2015–0189, by one of the
                                                    issuance of the partnership interest to M. M             98 Stat. 494). See H.R. Rep. No. 861,                 following methods:
                                                    undertakes a clawback obligation, and it is              98th Cong., 2d Sess. 859–2 (1984); S.                    • Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
                                                    reasonable to anticipate that M could and                Prt. No. 169 (Vol. I), 98th Cong., 2d Sess.           http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
                                                    would comply fully with any repayment                    223–32 (1984); H.R. Rep. No. 432 (Pt. 2),             online instructions for submitting
                                                    responsibilities that arise pursuant to this             98th Cong., 2d Sess. 1216–21 (1984).
                                                    obligation.                                                                                                    comments.
                                                       (iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section,            *     *     *     *     *                                • Email: R6AIR_ARHaze@epa.gov.
                                                    whether the arrangements relating to A’s 20              ■ Par. 6. Section 1.736–1 is amended by                  • Mail: Guy Donaldson, Chief, Air
                                                    percent interest in future partnership net               adding a sentence at the end of                       Planning Section (6PD–L),
                                                    income and gains and M’s Additional Interest             paragraph (a)(1)(i) to read as follows:               Environmental Protection Agency, 1445
                                                    are treated as payment for services depends                                                                    Ross Avenue, Suite 1200, Dallas, Texas
                                                    on the facts and circumstances. The most                 § 1.736–1. Payments to a retiring partner
                                                                                                             or a deceased partner’s successor in
                                                                                                                                                                   75202–2733.
                                                    important factor in this facts and                                                                                • Hand or Courier Delivery: Guy
                                                    circumstances determination is the presence              interest.
                                                    or absence of significant entrepreneurial risk.                                                                Donaldson at the address above. Such
                                                                                                               (a) * * *
                                                    The allocations to A and M do not                          (1)(i) * * * Section 736 does not                   deliveries are accepted only between the
                                                    presumptively lack significant                           apply to arrangements treated as                      hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays,
                                                    entrepreneurial risk under paragraph (c)(1) of           disguised payments for services under                 and not on legal holidays. Special
                                                    this section because the allocations are based
                                                                                                             § 1.707–2.                                            arrangements should be made for
                                                    on net profits, the allocations are subject to                                                                 deliveries of boxed information.
                                                    a clawback obligation over the life of the               *     *     *    *     *                                 • Fax: Guy Donaldson at (214) 665–
                                                    fund and it is reasonable to anticipate that A                                                                 7263.
                                                                                                             John Dalrymple,
                                                    and M could and would comply with this
                                                    obligation, and the allocations are neither              Deputy Commissioner for Services and                     Instructions: Direct your comments to
                                                    reasonably determinable nor highly likely to             Enforcement.                                          Docket No. EPA–R06–OAR–2015–0189.
                                                    be available. Additionally, the facts and                [FR Doc. 2015–17828 Filed 7–22–15; 8:45 am]           Our policy is that all comments received
                                                    circumstances do not establish the presence              BILLING CODE 4830–01–P                                will be included in the public docket
                                                    of other factors that would suggest that the                                                                   without change and may be made
                                                    arrangement is properly characterized as a                                                                     available online at www.regulations.gov,
                                                    payment for services. Accordingly, the                                                                         including any personal information
                                                    arrangements do not constitute payment for               ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
                                                                                                             AGENCY                                                provided, unless the comment includes
                                                    services under paragraph (b)(1) of this
                                                    section.
                                                                                                                                                                   information claimed to be Confidential
                                                                                                             40 CFR Part 52                                        Business Information (CBI) or other
                                                    ■ Par. 5. Section 1.707–9 is amended                                                                           information whose disclosure is
                                                    by:                                                      [EPA–R06–OAR–2015–0189; FRL–9931–02–                  restricted by statute. Do not submit
                                                      a. Redesignating paragraph (b) as                      Region 6]
                                                                                                                                                                   information that you consider to be CBI
                                                    paragraph (c);                                                                                                 or otherwise protected through
                                                      b. Redesignating paragraph (a) as                      Approval and Promulgation of
                                                                                                             Implementation Plans; Arkansas;                       www.regulations.gov or email. The
                                                    paragraph (b); and                                                                                             www.regulations.gov Web site is an
                                                      c. Adding new paragraph (a).                           Regional Haze and Interstate Visibility
                                                                                                             Transport Federal Implementation                      ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
                                                      The addition reads as follows:
                                                                                                             Plan; Reopening of Comment Period                     means we will not know your identity
                                                    § 1.707–9.   Effective dates and transitional                                                                  or contact information unless you
                                                    rules.                                                   AGENCY:  Environmental Protection                     provide it in the body of your comment.
                                                       (a) Section 1.707–2—(1) In general.                   Agency (EPA).                                         If you send an email comment directly
                                                    Section 1.707–2 applies to all                           ACTION: Proposed rule, reopening of                   to us without going through
                                                    arrangements entered into or modified                    comment period.                                       www.regulations.gov your email address
                                                    after the date of publication of the                                                                           will be automatically captured and
                                                    Treasury decision adopting that section                  SUMMARY:   The Environmental Protection               included as part of the comment that is
                                                    as final regulations in the Federal                      Agency (EPA) is reopening the comment                 placed in the public docket and made
                                                    Register. To the extent that an                          period for a proposed rule to establish               available on the Internet. If you submit
                                                    arrangement permits a service provider                   a Clean Air Act (CAA) Federal                         an electronic comment, we recommend
                                                    to waive all or a portion of its fee for any             Implementation Plan (FIP) to address                  that you include your name and other
                                                    period subsequent to the date the                        regional haze and visibility transport                contact information in the body of your
                                                    arrangement is created, then the                         requirements for the State of Arkansas.               comment and with any disk or CD–ROM
                                                    arrangement is modified for purposes of                  The EPA is reopening the public                       you submit. If we cannot read your
                                                    this paragraph on the date or dates that                 comment period for the proposed rule                  comment due to technical difficulties
                                                    the fee is waived.                                       for an additional 15 days from the date               and cannot contact you for clarification,
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                                                       (2) Arrangements entered into or                      of today’s publication. The reopening of              we may not be able to consider your
                                                    modified before final regulations are                    the comment period is in response to a                comment. Electronic files should avoid
                                                    published in the Federal Register. In                    request submitted by the Domtar                       the use of special characters, any form
                                                    the case of any arrangement entered into                 Ashdown Mill to extend the comment                    of encryption, and be free of any defects
                                                    or modified that occurs on or before                     period.                                               or viruses.
                                                    final regulations are published in the                   DATES: The comment period for the                        Docket: The index to the docket for
                                                    Federal Register, the determination of                   proposed rule published on April 8,                   this action is available electronically at
                                                    whether the arrangement is a disguised                   2015 (80 FR 18944), extended on May                   www.regulations.gov and in hard copy


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Document Created: 2015-12-15 12:53:39
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 12:53:39
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionNotice of proposed rulemaking.
DatesWritten and electronic comments and requests for a public hearing must be received by October 21, 2015.
ContactConcerning submissions of comments, Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Taylor (202) 517-6901; concerning the proposed regulations, Jaclyn M. Goldberg (202) 317-6850 (not toll-free numbers).
FR Citation80 FR 43652 
RIN Number1545-BM12
CFR AssociatedIncome Taxes and Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

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