81_FR_51563 81 FR 51413 - Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes; Restrictions on Liquidation of an Interest

81 FR 51413 - Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes; Restrictions on Liquidation of an Interest

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 150 (August 4, 2016)

Page Range51413-51425
FR Document2016-18370

This document contains proposed regulations concerning the valuation of interests in corporations and partnerships for estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax purposes. Specifically, these proposed regulations concern the treatment of certain lapsing rights and restrictions on liquidation in determining the value of the transferred interests. These proposed regulations affect certain transferors of interests in corporations and partnerships and are necessary to prevent the undervaluation of such transferred interests.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 150 (Thursday, August 4, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 150 (Thursday, August 4, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51413-51425]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18370]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 25

[REG-163113-02]
RIN 1545-BB71


Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes; 
Restrictions on Liquidation of an Interest

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations concerning the 
valuation of interests in corporations and partnerships for estate, 
gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax purposes. 
Specifically, these proposed regulations concern the treatment of 
certain lapsing rights and restrictions on liquidation in determining 
the value of the transferred interests. These proposed regulations 
affect certain transferors of interests in corporations and 
partnerships and are necessary to prevent the undervaluation of such 
transferred interests.

DATES: Written and electronic comments must be received by November 2, 
2016. Outlines of topics to be discussed at the public hearing 
scheduled for December 1, 2016, must be received by November 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to: CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG-163113-02), Room 
5203, Internal Revenue Service, POB 7604, Ben Franklin Station, 
Washington, DC 20044. Submissions also may be hand delivered Monday 
through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to: CC:PA:LPD:PR 
(REG-163113-02), Courier's Desk, Internal Revenue

[[Page 51414]]

Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224, or sent 
electronically via the Federal eRulemaking portal at 
www.regulations.gov (IRS REG-163113-02). The public hearing will be 
held in the Auditorium, Internal Revenue Service Building, 1111 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the proposed regulations, 
John D. MacEachen, (202) 317-6859; concerning submissions of comments, 
the hearing, and/or to be placed on the building access list to attend 
the hearing, Regina L. Johnson at (202) 317-6901 (not toll-free 
numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 2704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides special 
valuation rules for purposes of subtitle B (relating to estate, gift, 
and GST taxes) for valuing intra-family transfers of interests in 
corporations and partnerships subject to lapsing voting or liquidation 
rights and restrictions on liquidation. Lapses of voting or liquidation 
rights are treated as a transfer of the excess of the fair market value 
of all interests held by the transferor, determined as if the voting or 
liquidation rights were nonlapsing, over the fair market value of such 
interests after the lapse. Certain restrictions on liquidation are 
disregarded in determining the fair market value of the transferred 
interest. The legislative history of section 2704 states that the 
provision is intended, in part, to prevent results similar to that in 
Estate of Harrison v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1987-8. Informal S. Rep. 
on S. 3209, 136 Cong. Rec. S15629-4 (October 18, 1990); H.R. Conf. Rep. 
No. 101-964, 2374, 2842 (October 27, 1990).
    In Harrison, the decedent and two of his children each held a 
general partner interest in a partnership immediately before the 
decedent's death. The decedent also held all of the limited partner 
interests in the partnership. Because any general partner could 
liquidate the partnership during life, each general partner could cause 
all partners to obtain the full value of such partner's partnership 
interests. A general partner's right to liquidate the partnership 
lapsed on the death of that partner. In determining the estate tax 
value of the decedent's limited partner interest, the court concluded 
that the right of the decedent to liquidate the partnership (and thus 
readily obtain the full value of the limited partner interest) could 
not be taken into account because that right lapsed at death. As a 
result, the Court determined the value for transfer tax purposes of the 
limited partner interest to be less than its value either in the hands 
of the decedent immediately before death or in the hands of his family 
(the other general partners) immediately after death.
    Section 2704(a)(1) provides generally that, if there is a lapse of 
any voting or liquidation right in a corporation or a partnership and 
the individual holding such right immediately before the lapse and 
members of such individual's family hold, both before and after the 
lapse, control of the entity, such lapse shall be treated as a transfer 
by such individual by gift, or a transfer which is includible in the 
gross estate, whichever is applicable. The amount of the transfer is 
the fair market value of all interests held by the individual 
immediately before the lapse (determined as if the voting and 
liquidation rights were nonlapsing) over the fair market value of such 
interests after the lapse.
    Section 25.2704-1(a)(2)(v) of the current Gift Tax Regulations 
defines a liquidation right as the right or ability, including by 
reason of aggregate voting power, to compel the entity to acquire all 
or a portion of the holder's equity interest in the entity, whether or 
not its exercise would result in the complete liquidation of the 
entity.
    Section 25.2704-1(c)(1) provides a rule that a lapse of a 
liquidation right occurs at the time a presently exercisable 
liquidation right is restricted or eliminated. However, under Sec.  
25.2704-1(c)(1), a transfer of an interest that results in the lapse of 
a liquidation right generally is not subject to this rule if the rights 
with respect to the transferred interest are not restricted or 
eliminated. The effect of this exception is that the inter vivos 
transfer of a minority interest by the holder of an interest with the 
aggregate voting power to compel the entity to acquire the holder's 
interest is not treated as a lapse even though the transfer results in 
the loss of the transferor's presently exercisable liquidation right.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS, however, believe that this 
exception should not apply when the inter vivos transfer that results 
in the loss of the power to liquidate occurs on the decedent's 
deathbed. Cf. Estate of Murphy v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1990-472 
(rejecting ``attempts to avoid taxation of the control value of stock 
holdings through bifurcation of the blocks''). Such transfers generally 
have minimal economic effects, but result in a transfer tax value that 
is less than the value of the interest either in the hands of the 
decedent prior to death or in the hands of the decedent's family 
immediately after death. See Harrison, supra. The enactment of section 
2704 was intended to prevent this result. See Informal S. Rep. on S. 
3209, supra; H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 101-964, supra. See also section 
2704(a)(3) (conferring on the Secretary broad regulatory authority to 
apply section 2704(a) to the lapse of rights similar to voting and 
liquidation rights). The Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded 
that the regulatory exception created in Sec.  25.2704-1(c)(1) should 
apply only to transfers occurring more than three years before death, 
where the loss of control over liquidation is likely to have a more 
substantive effect. A bright-line test will avoid the fact-intensive 
inquiry underlying a determination of a donor's subjective motive which 
is administratively burdensome for both taxpayers and the IRS. Cf. 
section 2035(a) (replacing the contemplation of death presumption of 
prior law with a bright-line, three-year test). Accordingly, the 
proposed regulations treat transfers occurring within three years of 
death that result in the lapse of a liquidation right as transfers 
occurring at death for purposes of section 2704(a).
    Section 2704(b)(1) provides generally that, if a transferor 
transfers an interest in a corporation or partnership to (or for the 
benefit of) a member of the transferor's family, and the transferor and 
members of the transferor's family hold, immediately before the 
transfer, control of the entity, any ``applicable restriction'' is 
disregarded in valuing the transferred interest. Under section 
2704(b)(2), an applicable restriction is defined as a restriction that 
effectively limits the ability of the entity to liquidate, but which, 
after the transfer, either in whole or in part, will lapse or may be 
removed by the transferor or the transferor's family, either alone or 
collectively. Section 2704(b)(3)(B) excepts from the definition of an 
applicable restriction any restriction ``imposed, or required to be 
imposed, by any Federal or State law.''
    Section 2704(b)(4) provides that the Secretary may by regulations 
provide that other restrictions shall be disregarded in determining the 
value of any interest in a corporation or a partnership transferred to 
a member of the transferor's family if the restriction has the effect 
of reducing the value of the transferred interest for transfer tax 
purposes but does not ultimately reduce the value of the interest to 
the transferee.
    Section 25.2704-2(b) provides, in part, that an applicable 
restriction ``is a limitation on the ability to liquidate the entity 
(in whole or in part) that is more restrictive than the limitations 
that would apply under the State law

[[Page 51415]]

generally applicable to the entity in the absence of the restriction.''
    The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that the 
current regulations have been rendered substantially ineffective in 
implementing the purpose and intent of the statute by changes in state 
laws and by other subsequent developments. First, courts have concluded 
that, under the current regulations, section 2704(b) applies only to 
restrictions on the ability to liquidate an entire entity, and not to 
restrictions on the ability to liquidate a transferred interest in that 
entity. Kerr v. Commissioner, 113 T.C. 449, 473 (1999), aff'd, 292 
F.3rd 490 (5th Cir. 2002). Thus, a restriction on the ability to 
liquidate an individual interest is not an applicable restriction under 
the current regulations.
    Second, as noted above, the current regulations except from the 
definition of an applicable restriction a restriction on liquidation 
that is no more restrictive than that of the state law that would apply 
in the absence of the restriction. The Tax Court viewed this as a 
regulatory expansion of the statutory exception to the application of 
section 2704(b) contained in section 2704(b)(3)(B) that excepts ``any 
restriction imposed, or required to be imposed, by any Federal or State 
law.'' Kerr, 113 T.C. at 472. Since the promulgation of the current 
regulations, many state statutes governing limited partnerships have 
been revised to allow liquidation of the entity only on the unanimous 
vote of all owners (unless provided otherwise in the partnership 
agreement), and to eliminate the statutory default provision that had 
allowed a limited partner to liquidate his or her limited partner 
interest. Instead, statutes in these jurisdictions typically now 
provide that a limited partner may not withdraw from the partnership 
unless the partnership agreement provides otherwise. See, e.g., Tex. 
Bus. Orgs. Ann. Sec.  153.110 (West 2016) (limited partner may withdraw 
as specified in the partnership agreement); Uniform Limited Partnership 
Act (2001) Sec.  601(a), 6A U.L.A. 348, 448 (Supp. 2015) (limited 
partner has no right to withdraw before completion of the winding up of 
the partnership). Further, other state statutes have been revised to 
create elective restrictions on liquidation. See, e.g., Nev. Rev. Stat. 
Sec.  87A.427 (2016) (limited partnership electing to be restricted 
limited partnership may not make any distributions for a 10-year 
period). Each of these statutes is designed to be at least as 
restrictive as the maximum restriction on liquidation that could be 
imposed in a partnership agreement. The result is that the provisions 
of a partnership agreement restricting liquidation generally fall 
within the regulatory exception for restrictions that are no more 
restrictive than those under state law, and thus do not constitute 
applicable restrictions under the current regulations.
    Third, taxpayers have attempted to avoid the application of section 
2704(b) through the transfer of a partnership interest to an assignee 
rather than to a partner. Again relying on the regulatory exception for 
restrictions that are no more restrictive than those under state law, 
and the fact that an assignee is allocated partnership income, gain, 
loss, etc., but does not have (and thus may not exercise) the rights or 
powers of a partner, taxpayers argue that an assignee's inability to 
cause the partnership to liquidate his or her partnership interest is 
no greater a restriction than that imposed upon assignees under state 
law. Kerr, 113 T.C. at 463-64; Estate of Jones v. Commissioner, 116 
T.C. 121, 129-30 (2001). Taxpayers thus argue that the assignee status 
of the transferred interest is not an applicable restriction.
    Finally, taxpayers have avoided the application of section 2704(b) 
through the transfer of a nominal partnership interest to a nonfamily 
member, such as a charity or an employee, to ensure that the family 
alone does not have the power to remove a restriction. Kerr, 292 F.3rd 
at 494.
    As the Tax Court noted in Kerr, Congress granted the Secretary 
broad discretion in section 2704(b)(4) to promulgate regulations 
identifying restrictions not covered by section 2704(b) that 
nevertheless should be disregarded for transfer tax valuation purposes. 
113 T.C. at 474. The Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded 
that, as was recognized by Congress when enacting section 2704(b), 
there are additional restrictions that may affect adversely the 
transfer tax value of an interest but that do not reduce the value of 
the interest to the family-member transferee, and thus should be 
disregarded for transfer tax valuation purposes. H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 
101-964, supra, at 1138. The Treasury Department and the IRS have 
determined that such restrictions include: (a) A restriction on the 
ability to liquidate the transferred interest; and (b) any restrictions 
attendant upon the nature or extent of the property to be received in 
exchange for the liquidated interest, or the timing of the payment of 
that property.
    Further, the Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded that 
the grant of an insubstantial interest in the entity to a nonfamily 
member should not preclude the application of section 2704(b) because, 
in reality, such nonfamily member interest generally does not constrain 
the family's ability to remove a restriction on the liquidation of an 
individual interest. Cf. Kerr, 292 F.3rd at 494 (noting that a charity 
receiving a partnership interest would ``convert its interests into 
cash as soon as possible, so long as it believed the transaction to be 
in its best interest and that it would receive fair market value for 
its interest''). The interest of such nonfamily members does not affect 
the family's control of the entity, but rather, when combined with a 
requirement that all holders approve liquidation, is designed to reduce 
the transfer tax value of the family-held interests while not 
ultimately reducing the value of those interests to the family member 
transferees. The enactment of section 2704 was intended to prevent this 
result. See section 2704(b)(4) (conferring on the Secretary broad 
regulatory authority to apply section 2704(b) to other restrictions if 
the restriction has the effect of reducing the value of the transferred 
interest for transfer tax purposes but does not ultimately reduce the 
value of the interest to the transferee). The Treasury Department and 
the IRS have concluded that the presence of a nonfamily-member interest 
should be recognized only where the interest is an economically 
substantial and longstanding one that is likely to have a more 
substantive effect. A bright-line test will avoid the fact-intensive 
inquiry underlying a determination of whether the interest of the 
nonfamily member effectively constrains the family's ability to 
liquidate the entity. Accordingly, the proposed regulations disregard 
the interest held by a nonfamily member that has been held less than 
three years before the date of the transfer, that constitutes less than 
10 percent of the value of all of the equity interests, that when 
combined with the interests of other nonfamily members constitutes less 
than 20 percent of the value of all of the equity interests, or that 
lacks a right to put the interest to the entity and receive a minimum 
value.
    Finally, since the promulgation of Sec. Sec.  301.7701-1 through 
301.7701-3 of the Procedure and Administration Regulations (the check-
the-box regulations), an entity's classification for federal tax 
purposes may differ substantially from the entity's structure or form 
under local law. In addition, many taxpayers now utilize a limited 
liability company (LLC) as the preferred entity to hold family assets 
or business

[[Page 51416]]

interests. The Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded that the 
regulations under section 2704 should be updated to reflect these 
significant developments.

Explanation of Provisions

    The proposed regulations would amend Sec.  25.2701-2 to address 
what constitutes control of an LLC or other entity or arrangement that 
is not a corporation, partnership, or limited partnership. The proposed 
regulations would amend Sec.  25.2704-1 to address deathbed transfers 
that result in the lapse of a liquidation right and to clarify the 
treatment of a transfer that results in the creation of an assignee 
interest. The proposed regulations would amend Sec.  25.2704-2 to 
refine the definition of the term ``applicable restriction'' by 
eliminating the comparison to the liquidation limitations of state law. 
Further, the proposed regulations would add a new section, Sec.  
25.2704-3, to address restrictions on the liquidation of an individual 
interest in an entity and the effect of insubstantial interests held by 
persons who are not members of the family.

Covered Entities

    The proposed regulations would clarify, in Sec. Sec.  25.2704-1 
through 25.2704-3, that section 2704 applies to corporations, 
partnerships, LLC's, and other entities and arrangements that are 
business entities within the meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a), regardless 
of whether the entity or arrangement is domestic or foreign, regardless 
of how the entity or arrangement is classified for other federal tax 
purposes, and regardless of whether the entity or arrangement is 
disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for other federal tax 
purposes.

Classification of the Entity

    Section 2704 speaks in terms of corporations and partnerships. 
Under the proposed regulations, a corporation is any business entity 
described in Sec.  301.7701-2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8), 
an S corporation within the meaning of section 1361(a)(1), and a 
qualified subchapter S subsidiary within the meaning of section 
1361(b)(3)(B). For this purpose, a qualified subchapter S subsidiary is 
treated as a corporation that is separate from its parent owner. For 
most purposes under the proposed regulations, a partnership would be 
any other business entity within the meaning of Sec.  301.7701-1(a), 
regardless of how the entity is classified for federal tax purposes.
    However, these proposed regulations address two situations in which 
it is necessary to go beyond this division of entities into only the 
two categories of corporation and partnership. These situations 
(specifically, the test to determine control of an entity, and the test 
to determine whether a restriction is imposed under state law) require 
consideration of the differences among various types of business 
entities under the local law under which those entities are created and 
governed. As a result, for purposes of the test to determine control of 
an entity and to determine whether a restriction is imposed under state 
law, the proposed regulations would provide that in the case of any 
business entity or arrangement that is not a corporation, the form of 
the entity or arrangement would be determined under local law, 
regardless of how it is classified for other federal tax purposes, and 
regardless of whether it is disregarded as an entity separate from its 
owner for other federal tax purposes. For this purpose, local law is 
the law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, under which 
the entity or arrangement is created or organized. Thus, in applying 
these two tests, there would be three types of entities: Corporations, 
partnerships (including limited partnerships), and other business 
entities (which would include LLCs that are not S corporations) as 
determined under local law.

Control of the Entity

    Section 2704(c)(1) incorporates the definition of control found in 
section 2701(b)(2). Control of a corporation, partnership, or limited 
partnership is defined in sections 2701(b)(2)(A) and (B). The proposed 
regulations would clarify, in Sec.  25.2701-2, that control of an LLC 
or of any other entity or arrangement that is not a corporation, 
partnership, or limited partnership would constitute the holding of at 
least 50 percent of either the capital or profits interests of the 
entity or arrangement, or the holding of any equity interest with the 
ability to cause the full or partial liquidation of the entity or 
arrangement. Cf. section 2701(b)(2)(B)(ii) (defining control of a 
limited partnership as including the holding of any interest as a 
general partner). Further, for purposes of determining control, under 
the attribution rules of existing Sec.  25.2701-6, an individual, the 
individual's estate, and members of the individual's family are treated 
as holding interests held indirectly through a corporation, 
partnership, trust, or other entity.

Lapses Under Section 2704(a)

    The proposed regulations would amend Sec.  25.2704-1(a) to confirm 
that a transfer that results in the restriction or elimination of any 
of the rights or powers associated with the transferred interest (an 
assignee interest) is treated as a lapse within the meaning of section 
2704(a). This is the case regardless of whether the right or power is 
exercisable by the transferor after the transfer because the statute is 
concerned with the lapse of rights associated with the transferred 
interest. Whether the lapse is of a voting or liquidation right is 
determined under the general rules of section 25.2704-1.
    The proposed regulations also would amend Sec.  25.2704-1(c)(1) to 
narrow the exception in the definition of a lapse of a liquidation 
right to transfers occurring three years or more before the 
transferor's death that do not restrict or eliminate the rights 
associated with the ownership of the transferred interest. In addition, 
the proposed regulations would amend Sec.  25.2704-1(c)(2)(i)(B) to 
conform the existing provision for testing the family's ability to 
liquidate an interest with the proposed elimination of the comparison 
with local law, to clarify that the manner in which liquidation may be 
achieved is irrelevant, and to conform with the proposed provision for 
disregarding certain nonfamily-member interests in testing the family's 
ability to remove a restriction in proposed Sec.  25.2704-3 regarding 
disregarded restrictions.

Applicable Restrictions Under Section 2704(b)

    The proposed regulations would remove the exception in Sec.  
25.2704-2(b) that limits the definition of applicable restriction to 
limitations that are more restrictive than the limitations that would 
apply in the absence of the restriction under the local law generally 
applicable to the entity. As noted above, this exception is not 
consistent with section 2704(b) to the extent that the transferor and 
family members have the power to avoid any statutory rule. The proposed 
regulations also would revise Sec.  25.2704-2(b) to provide that an 
applicable restriction does include a restriction that is imposed under 
the terms of the governing documents, as well as a restriction that is 
imposed under a local law regardless of whether that restriction may be 
superseded by or pursuant to the governing documents or otherwise. In 
applying this particular exception to the definition of an applicable 
restriction, this proposed rule is intended to ensure that a 
restriction that is not imposed or required to be imposed by federal or 
state law is disregarded without regard to its source.
    Further, with regard to the exception for restrictions ``imposed, 
or required to

[[Page 51417]]

be imposed, by any Federal or State law,'' in section 2704(b)(3)(B), 
the proposed regulations would clarify that the terms ``federal'' and 
``state'' refer only to the United States or any state (including the 
District of Columbia (see section 7701(a)(10)), but do not include any 
other jurisdiction.
    A restriction is imposed or required to be imposed by law if the 
restriction cannot be removed or overridden and it is mandated by the 
applicable law, is required to be included in the governing documents, 
or otherwise is made mandatory. In addition, a restriction imposed by a 
state law, even if that restriction may not be removed or overridden 
directly or indirectly, nevertheless would constitute an applicable 
restriction in two situations. In each situation, although the statute 
itself is mandatory and cannot be overridden, another statute is 
available to be used for the entity's governing law that does not 
require the mandatory restriction, thus in effect making the 
purportedly mandatory provision elective. The first situation is that 
in which the state law is limited in its application to certain narrow 
classes of entities, particularly those types of entities most likely 
to be subject to transfers described in section 2704, that is, family-
controlled entities. The second situation is that in which, although 
the state law under which the entity was created imposed a mandatory 
restriction that could not be removed or overridden, either at the time 
the entity was organized or at some subsequent time, that state's law 
also provided an optional provision or an alternative statute for the 
creation and governance of that same type of entity that did not 
mandate the restriction. Thus, an optional provision is one for the 
same category of entity that did not include the restriction or that 
allowed it to be removed or overridden, or that made the restriction 
optional, or permitted the restriction to be superseded, whether by the 
entity's governing documents or otherwise. For purposes of determining 
whether a restriction is imposed on an entity under state law, there 
would be only three types of entities, specifically, the three 
categories of entities described in Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5) of the 
proposed regulations: Corporations; partnerships (including limited 
partnerships); and other business entities. A similar proposed rule 
applies to the additional restrictions discussed later in this 
preamble.
    If an applicable restriction is disregarded, the fair market value 
of the transferred interest is determined under generally applicable 
valuation principles as if the restriction does not exist (that is, as 
if the governing documents and the local law are silent on the 
question), and thus, there is deemed to be no such restriction on 
liquidation of the entity.

Disregarded Restrictions

    A new class of restrictions is described in the proposed 
regulations that would be disregarded, described as ``disregarded 
restrictions.'' This class of restrictions is identified pursuant to 
the authority contained in section 2704(b)(4). Note that, although it 
may appear that sections 2703 and 2704(b) overlap, they do not. While 
section 2703 and the corresponding regulations currently address 
restrictions on the sale or use of individual interests in family-
controlled entities, the proposed regulations would address 
restrictions on the liquidation or redemption of such interests.
    Under Sec.  25.2704-3 of the proposed regulations, in the case of a 
family-controlled entity, any restriction described below on a 
shareholder's, partner's, member's, or other owner's right to liquidate 
his or her interest in the entity will be disregarded if the 
restriction will lapse at any time after the transfer, or if the 
transferor, or the transferor and family members, without regard to 
certain interests held by nonfamily members, may remove or override the 
restriction. Under the proposed regulations, such a disregarded 
restriction includes one that: (a) Limits the ability of the holder of 
the interest to liquidate the interest; (b) limits the liquidation 
proceeds to an amount that is less than a minimum value; (c) defers the 
payment of the liquidation proceeds for more than six months; or (d) 
permits the payment of the liquidation proceeds in any manner other 
than in cash or other property, other than certain notes.
    ``Minimum value'' is the interest's share of the net value of the 
entity on the date of liquidation or redemption. The net value of the 
entity is the fair market value, as determined under section 2031 or 
2512 and the applicable regulations, of the property held by the 
entity, reduced by the outstanding obligations of the entity. Solely 
for purposes of determining minimum value, the only outstanding 
obligations of the entity that may be taken into account are those that 
would be allowable (if paid) as deductions under section 2053 if those 
obligations instead were claims against an estate. For example, and 
subject to the foregoing limitation on outstanding obligations, if the 
entity holds an operating business, the rules of Sec.  20.2031-2(f)(2) 
or 20.2031-3 apply in the case of a testamentary transfer and the rules 
of Sec.  25.2512-2(f)(2) or 25.2512-3 apply in the case of an inter 
vivos transfer. The minimum value of the interest is the net value of 
the entity multiplied by the interest's share of the entity. For this 
purpose, the interest's share is determined by taking into account any 
capital, profits, and other rights inherent in the interest in the 
entity.
    A disregarded restriction includes limitations on the time and 
manner of payment of the liquidation proceeds. Such limitations include 
provisions permitting deferral of full payment beyond six months or 
permitting payment in any manner other than in cash or property. For 
this purpose, the term ``property'' does not include a note or other 
obligation issued directly or indirectly by the entity, other holders 
of an interest in the entity, or persons related to either. An 
exception is made for the note of an entity engaged in an active trade 
or business to the extent that (a) the liquidation proceeds are not 
attributable to passive assets within the meaning of section 
6166(b)(9)(B), and (b) the note is adequately secured, requires 
periodic payments on a non-deferred basis, is issued at market interest 
rates, and has a fair market value (when discounted to present value) 
equal to the liquidation proceeds. A fair market value determination 
assumes a cash sale. See Section 2 of Rev. Rul. 59-60, 1959-1 C.B. 237 
(defining fair market value and stating that ``[c]ourt decisions 
frequently state in addition that the hypothetical buyer and seller are 
assumed to be able, as well as willing to trade . . .''). Thus, in the 
absence of immediate payment of the liquidation proceeds, the fair 
market value of any note falling within this exception must equal the 
fair market value of the liquidation proceeds on the date of 
liquidation or redemption.
    Exceptions that apply to applicable restrictions under the current 
and these proposed regulations also apply to this new class of 
disregarded restrictions. One of the exceptions applicable to the 
definition of a disregarded restriction applies if (a) each holder of 
an interest in the entity has an enforceable ``put'' right to receive, 
on liquidation or redemption of the holder's interest, cash and/or 
other property with a value that is at least equal to the minimum value 
previously described, (b) the full amount of such cash and other 
property must be paid within six months after the holder gives notice 
to the entity of the holder's intent to liquidate any part or all of 
the holder's interest and/or withdraw from the entity, and (c) such 
other property does not include a note or other obligation issued 
directly or

[[Page 51418]]

indirectly by the entity, by one or more holders of interests in the 
entity, or by a person related either to the entity or to any holder of 
an interest in the entity. However, in the case of an entity engaged in 
an active trade or business, at least 60 percent of whose value 
consists of the non-passive assets of that trade or business, and to 
the extent that the liquidation proceeds are not attributable to 
passive assets within the meaning of section 6166(b)(9)(B), such 
proceeds may include a note or other obligation if such note is 
adequately secured, requires periodic payments on a non-deferred basis, 
is issued at market interest rates, and has a fair market value on the 
date of the liquidation or redemption equal to the liquidation 
proceeds. A similar exception is made to the definition of an 
applicable restriction in proposed Sec.  25.2704-2(b)(4).
    In determining whether the transferor and/or the transferor's 
family has the ability to remove a restriction included in this new 
class of disregarded restrictions, any interest in the entity held by a 
person who is not a member of the transferor's family is disregarded 
if, at the time of the transfer, the interest: (a) Has been held by 
such person for less than three years; (b) constitutes less than 10 
percent of the value of all of the equity interests in a corporation, 
or constitutes less than 10 percent of the capital and profits 
interests in a business entity described in Sec.  301.7701-2(a) other 
than a corporation (for example, less than a 10-percent interest in the 
capital and profits of a partnership); (c) when combined with the 
interests of all other persons who are not members of the transferor's 
family, constitutes less than 20 percent of the value of all of the 
equity interests in a corporation, or constitutes less than 20 percent 
of the capital and profits interests in a business entity other than a 
corporation (for example, less than a 20-percent interest in the 
capital and profits of a partnership); or (d) any such person, as the 
owner of an interest, does not have an enforceable right to receive in 
exchange for such interest, on no more than six months' prior notice, 
the minimum value referred to in the definition of a disregarded 
restriction. If an interest is disregarded, the determination of 
whether the family has the ability to remove the restriction will be 
made assuming that the remaining interests are the sole interests in 
the entity.
    Finally, if a restriction is disregarded under proposed Sec.  
25.2704-3, the fair market value of the interest in the entity is 
determined assuming that the disregarded restriction did not exist, 
either in the governing documents or applicable law. Fair market value 
is determined under generally accepted valuation principles, including 
any appropriate discounts or premiums, subject to the assumptions 
described in this paragraph.

Coordination With Marital and Charitable Deductions

    Section 2704(b) applies to intra-family transfers for all purposes 
of subtitle B relating to estate, gift and GST taxes. Therefore, to the 
extent that an interest qualifies for the gift or estate tax marital 
deduction and must be valued by taking into account the special 
valuation assumptions of section 2704(b), the same value generally will 
apply in computing the marital deduction attributable to that interest. 
The value of the estate tax marital deduction may be further affected, 
however, by other factors justifying a different value, such as the 
application of a control premium. See, e.g., Estate of Chenoweth v. 
Commissioner, 88 T.C. 1577 (1987).
    Section 2704(b) does not apply to transfers to nonfamily members 
and thus has no application in valuing an interest passing to charity 
or to a person other than a family member. If part of an entity 
interest includible in the gross estate passes to family members and 
part of that interest passes to nonfamily members, and if (taking into 
account the proposed rules regarding the treatment of certain interests 
held by nonfamily members) the part passing to the decedent's family 
members is valued under section 2704(b), then the proposed regulations 
provide that the part passing to the family members is treated as a 
property interest separate from the part passing to nonfamily members. 
The fair market value of the part passing to the family members is 
determined taking into account the special valuation assumptions of 
section 2704(b), as well as any other relevant factors, such as those 
supporting a control premium. The fair market value of the part passing 
to the nonfamily member(s) is determined in a similar manner, but 
without the special valuation assumptions of section 2704(b). Thus, if 
the sole nonfamily member receiving an interest is a charity, the 
interest generally will have the same value for both estate tax 
inclusion and deduction purposes. If the interest passing to nonfamily 
members, however, is divided between charities and other nonfamily 
members, additional considerations (not prescribed by section 2704) may 
apply, resulting in a different value for charitable deduction 
purposes. See, e.g., Ahmanson Foundation v. United States, 674 F.2d 761 
(9th Cir. 1981).
Effective Dates
    The amendments to Sec.  25.2701-2 are proposed to be effective on 
and after the date of publication of a Treasury decision adopting these 
rules as final regulations in the Federal Register. The amendments to 
Sec.  25.2704-1 are proposed to apply to lapses of rights created after 
October 8, 1990, occurring on or after the date these regulations are 
published as final regulations in the Federal Register. The amendments 
to Sec.  25.2704-2 are proposed to apply to transfers of property 
subject to restrictions created after October 8, 1990, occurring on or 
after the date these regulations are published as final regulations in 
the Federal Register. Section 25.2704-3 is proposed to apply to 
transfers of property subject to restrictions created after October 8, 
1990, occurring 30 or more days after the date these regulations are 
published as final regulations in the Federal Register.

Special Analyses

    Certain IRS regulations, including this one, are exempt from the 
requirements of Executive Order 12866, as supplemented and reaffirmed 
by Executive Order 13563. Therefore, a regulatory impact assessment is 
not required. Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 
chapter 6), it is hereby certified that this regulation will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The proposed regulations affect the transfer tax liability of 
individuals who transfer an interest in certain closely held entities 
and not the entities themselves. The proposed regulations do not affect 
the structure of such entities, but only the assumptions under which 
they are valued for federal transfer tax purposes. In addition, any 
economic impact on entities affected by section 2704, large or small, 
is derived from the operation of the statute, or its intended 
application, and not from the proposed regulations in this notice of 
proposed rulemaking. Accordingly, a regulatory flexibility analysis is 
not required. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, 
this regulation has been submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration for comment on its impact on small 
business.

Comments and Public Hearing

    Before these proposed regulations are adopted as final regulations, 
consideration will be given to any written (a signed original and eight 
(8)

[[Page 51419]]

copies) or electronic comments that are submitted timely (in the manner 
described in ADDRESSES) to the IRS. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
request comments on all aspects of the proposed regulations. All 
comments will be available at www.regulations.gov, or upon request.
    A public hearing on these proposed regulations has been scheduled 
for December 1, 2016, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Auditorium, Internal 
Revenue Building, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224. 
Due to building security procedures, visitors must enter at the 
Constitution Avenue entrance. In addition, all visitors must present 
photo identification to enter the building. Because of access 
restrictions, visitors will not be admitted beyond the immediate 
entrance area more than 30 minutes before the hearing starts. For 
information about having your name placed on the building access list 
to attend the hearing, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this preamble.
    The rules of 26 CFR 601.601(a)(3) apply to the hearing. Persons who 
wish to present oral comments at the hearing must submit comments by 
November 2, 2016, and submit an outline of the topics to be discussed 
and the time to be devoted to each topic (signed original and eight (8) 
copies) by November 2, 2016.
    A period of 10 minutes will be allotted to each person for making 
comments. Copies of the agenda will be available free of charge at the 
hearing.

Drafting Information

    The principal author of these proposed regulations is John D. 
MacEachen, Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and 
Special Industries). Other personnel from the Treasury Department and 
the IRS participated in their development.

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 25

    Gift taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Proposed Amendments to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR part 25 is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 25--GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954

0
Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 25 is amended by adding 
entries in numerical order to read in part as follows:

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805. * * *
    Section 25.2701-2 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 2701(e).
    Section 25.2704-1 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 2704(a).
    Sections 25.2704-2 and 25.2704-3 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 
2704(b).
* * * * *

0
Par. 2. Section 25.2701-2 is amended as follows:
0
1. In paragraph (b)(5)(i), the first sentence is revised and five 
sentences are added before the last sentence.
0
2. Paragraph (b)(5)(iv) is added.
    The revision and additions read as follows:


Sec.  25.2701-2  Special valuation rules for applicable retained 
interests.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (5) * * *
    (i) * * * For purposes of section 2701, a controlled entity is a 
corporation, partnership, or any other entity or arrangement that is a 
business entity within the meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a) of this 
chapter controlled, immediately before a transfer, by the transferor, 
applicable family members, and/or any lineal descendants of the parents 
of the transferor or the transferor's spouse. The form of the entity 
determines the applicable test for control. For purposes of determining 
the form of the entity, any business entity described in Sec.  
301.7701-2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this chapter, an S 
corporation within the meaning of section 1361(a)(1), and a qualified 
subchapter S subsidiary within the meaning of section 1361(b)(3)(B) is 
a corporation. For this purpose, a qualified subchapter S subsidiary is 
treated as a corporation separate from its parent corporation. In the 
case of any business entity that is not a corporation under these 
provisions, the form of the entity is determined under local law, 
regardless of how the entity is classified for federal tax purposes or 
whether it is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for 
federal tax purposes. For this purpose, local law is the law of the 
jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, under whose laws the entity 
is created or organized. * * *
* * * * *
    (iv) Other business entities. In the case of any entity or 
arrangement that is not a corporation, partnership, or limited 
partnership, control means the holding of at least 50 percent of either 
the capital interests or the profits interests in the entity or 
arrangement. In addition, control means the holding of any equity 
interest with the ability to cause the liquidation of the entity or 
arrangement in whole or in part.
* * * * *
0
 Par. 3. Section 25.2701-8 is amended as follows:
0
1. The existing text is designated as paragraph (a).
0
2. The first sentence of newly designated paragraph (a) is revised and 
paragraph (b) is added.
    The revision and addition reads as follows:


Sec.  25.2701-8  Effective dates.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, Sec. Sec.  
25.2701-1 through 25.2701-4 and Sec. Sec.  25.2701-6 and 25.2701-7 are 
effective as of January 28, 1992. * * *
    (b) The first six sentences of Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5)(i) and (iv) 
are effective on the date these regulations are published as final 
regulations in the Federal Register.
0
Par. 4. Section 25.2704-1 is amended as follows:
0
1. In paragraph (a)(1), the first two sentences are revised and four 
sentences are added before the third sentence.
0
2. In paragraph (a)(2)(i), a sentence is added at the end.
0
3. Paragraph (a)(2)(iii) is removed.
0
4. Paragraphs (a)(2)(iv) through (vi) are redesignated as paragraphs 
(a)(2)(iii) through (v), respectively.
0
5. In newly designated paragraph (a)(2)(iii), a sentence is added 
before the third sentence.
0
6. Paragraph (a)(4) is revised.
0
7. Paragraph (a)(5) is added.
0
8. In paragraph (c)(1), the second sentence is revised and a sentence 
is added at the end.
0
9. Paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B) is revised.
0
10. In paragraph (f) Example 4, the third and fourth sentences are 
revised and a sentence is added at the end.
0
11. In paragraph (f) Example 6, the third sentence is removed.
0
12. In paragraph (f) Example 7, the third and fourth sentences are 
revised and a sentence is added at the end.
    The revisions and additions read as follows:


Sec.  25.2704-1   Lapse of certain rights.

    (a) * * *
    (1) * * * For purposes of subtitle B (relating to estate, gift, and 
generation-skipping transfer taxes), the lapse of a voting or a 
liquidation right in a corporation or a partnership (an entity), 
whether domestic or foreign, is a transfer by the individual directly 
or indirectly holding the right immediately prior to its lapse (the 
holder) to the extent provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this 
section. This section applies only if the entity is controlled by the 
holder and/or members of the holder's family immediately before and 
after the lapse. For purposes of this section, a

[[Page 51420]]

corporation is any business entity described in Sec.  301.7701-2(b)(1), 
(3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this chapter, an S corporation 
within the meaning of section 1361(a)(1), and a qualified subchapter S 
subsidiary within the meaning of section 1361(b)(3)(B). For this 
purpose, a qualified subchapter S subsidiary is treated as a 
corporation separate from its parent corporation. A partnership is any 
other business entity within the meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a) of this 
chapter regardless of how that entity is classified for federal tax 
purposes. Thus, for example, the term partnership includes a limited 
liability company that is not an S corporation, whether or not it is 
disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for federal tax 
purposes. * * *
    (2) * * *
    (i) * * * For purposes of determining whether the group consisting 
of the holder, the holder's estate and members of the holder's family 
control the entity, a member of the group is also treated as holding 
any interest held indirectly by such member through a corporation, 
partnership, trust, or other entity under the rules contained in Sec.  
25.2701-6.
* * * * *
    (iii) * * * In the case of a limited liability company, the right 
of a member to participate in company management is a voting right. * * 
*
* * * * *
    (4) Source of right or lapse. A voting right or a liquidation right 
may be conferred by or lapse by reason of local law, the governing 
documents, an agreement, or otherwise. For this purpose, local law is 
the law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, that governs 
voting or liquidation rights.
    (5) Assignee interests. A transfer that results in the restriction 
or elimination of the transferee's ability to exercise the voting or 
liquidation rights that were associated with the interest while held by 
the transferor is a lapse of those rights. For example, the transfer of 
a partnership interest to an assignee that neither has nor may exercise 
the voting or liquidation rights of a partner is a lapse of the voting 
and liquidation rights associated with the transferred interest.
    (c) * * *
    (1) * * * Except as otherwise provided, a transfer of an interest 
occurring more than three years before the transferor's death that 
results in the lapse of a voting or liquidation right is not subject to 
this section if the rights with respect to the transferred interest are 
not restricted or eliminated. * * * The lapse of a voting or 
liquidation right as a result of the transfer of an interest within 
three years of the transferor's death is treated as a lapse occurring 
on the transferor's date of death, includible in the gross estate 
pursuant to section 2704(a).
    (2) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (B) Ability to liquidate. Whether an interest can be liquidated 
immediately after the lapse is determined under the local law generally 
applicable to the entity, as modified by the governing documents of the 
entity, but without regard to any restriction (in the governing 
documents, applicable local law, or otherwise) described in section 
2704(b) and the regulations thereunder. The manner in which the 
interest may be liquidated is irrelevant for this purpose, whether by 
voting, taking other action authorized by the governing documents or 
applicable local law, revising the governing documents, merging the 
entity with an entity whose governing documents permit liquidation of 
the interest, terminating the entity, or otherwise. For purposes of 
making this determination, an interest held by a person other than a 
member of the holder's family (a nonfamily-member interest) may be 
disregarded. Whether a nonfamily-member interest is disregarded is 
determined under Sec.  25.2704-3(b)(4), applying that section as if, by 
its terms, it also applies to the question of whether the holder (or 
the holder's estate) and members of the holder's family may liquidate 
an interest immediately after the lapse.
* * * * *
    (f) * * *

    Example 4.  * * * More than three years before D's death, D 
transfers one-half of D's stock in equal shares to D's three 
children (14 percent each). Section 2704(a) does not apply to the 
loss of D's ability to liquidate Y because the voting rights with 
respect to the transferred shares are not restricted or eliminated 
by reason of the transfer, and the transfer occurs more than three 
years before D's death. However, had the transfers occurred within 
three years of D's death, the transfers would have been treated as 
the lapse of D's liquidation right occurring at D's death.
* * * * *
    Example 7.  * * * More than three years before D's death, D 
transfers 30 shares of common stock to D's child. The transfer is 
not a lapse of a liquidation right with respect to the common stock 
because the voting rights that enabled D to liquidate prior to the 
transfer are not restricted or eliminated, and the transfer occurs 
more than three years before D's death. * * * However, had the 
transfer occurred within three years of D's death, the transfer 
would have been treated as the lapse of D's liquidation right with 
respect to the common stock occurring at D's death.

0
Par. 5. Section 25.2704-2 is amended as follows:
0
1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) are revised.
0
2. Paragraphs (c) and (d) are designated as paragraphs (e) and (g), 
respectively.
0
3. New paragraphs (c), (d), and (f) are added.
0
4. The first sentence of newly designated paragraph (e) is revised.
0
5. The third sentences of newly designated paragraph (g) Example 1. and 
Example 3. are removed.
0
6. The third sentence of newly designated paragraph (g) Example 5. is 
revised.
    The revisions and additions read as follows:


Sec.  25.2704-2   Transfers subject to applicable restrictions.

    (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle B (relating to estate, 
gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes), if an interest in a 
corporation or a partnership (an entity), whether domestic or foreign, 
is transferred to or for the benefit of a member of the transferor's 
family, and the transferor and/or members of the transferor's family 
control the entity immediately before the transfer, any applicable 
restriction is disregarded in valuing the transferred interest. For 
purposes of this section, a corporation is any business entity 
described in Sec.  301.7701-2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of 
this chapter, an S corporation within the meaning of section 
1361(a)(1), and a qualified subchapter S subsidiary within the meaning 
of section 1361(b)(3)(B). For this purpose, a qualified subchapter S 
subsidiary is treated as a corporation separate from its parent 
corporation. A partnership is any other business entity within the 
meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a) of this chapter, regardless of how that 
entity is classified for federal tax purposes. Thus, for example, the 
term partnership includes a limited liability company that is not an S 
corporation, whether or not it is disregarded as an entity separate 
from its owner for federal tax purposes.
    (b) Applicable restriction defined--(1) In general. The term 
applicable restriction means a limitation on the ability to liquidate 
the entity, in whole or in part (as opposed to a particular holder's 
interest in the entity), if, after the transfer, that limitation either 
lapses or may be removed by the transferor, the transferor's estate, 
and/or any member of the transferor's family, either alone or 
collectively. See Sec.  25.2704-3 for restrictions on the ability to 
liquidate a particular holder's interest in the entity.
    (2) Source of limitation. An applicable restriction includes a 
restriction that is

[[Page 51421]]

imposed under the terms of the governing documents (for example, the 
corporation's by-laws, the partnership agreement, or other governing 
documents), a buy-sell agreement, a redemption agreement, or an 
assignment or deed of gift, or any other document, agreement, or 
arrangement; and a restriction imposed under local law regardless of 
whether that restriction may be superseded by or pursuant to the 
governing documents or otherwise. For this purpose, local law is the 
law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, that governs the 
applicability of the restriction. For an exception for restrictions 
imposed or required to be imposed by federal or state law, see 
paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section.
    (3) Lapse or removal of limitation. A restriction is an applicable 
restriction only to the extent that either the restriction by its terms 
will lapse at any time after the transfer, or the restriction may be 
removed after the transfer by any one or more members, either alone or 
collectively, of the group consisting of the transferor, the 
transferor's estate, and members of the transferor's family. For 
purposes of determining whether the ability to remove the restriction 
is held by any member(s) of this group, members are treated as holding 
the interests attributed to them under the rules contained in Sec.  
25.2701-6, in addition to interests held directly. The manner in which 
the restriction may be removed is irrelevant for this purpose, whether 
by voting, taking other action authorized by the governing documents or 
applicable local law, removing the restriction from the governing 
documents, revising the governing documents to override the restriction 
prescribed under local law in the absence of a contrary provision in 
the governing documents, merging the entity with an entity whose 
governing documents do not contain the restriction, terminating the 
entity, or otherwise.
    (4) Exceptions. A restriction described in this paragraph (b)(4) is 
not an applicable restriction.
    (i) Commercially reasonable restriction. An applicable restriction 
does not include a commercially reasonable restriction on liquidation 
imposed by an unrelated person providing capital to the entity for the 
entity's trade or business operations, whether in the form of debt or 
equity. An unrelated person is any person whose relationship to the 
transferor, the transferee, or any member of the family of either is 
not described in section 267(b), provided that for purposes of this 
section the term fiduciary of a trust as used in section 267(b) does 
not include a bank as defined in section 581 that is publicly held.
    (ii) Imposed by federal or state law. An applicable restriction 
does not include a restriction imposed or required to be imposed by 
federal or state law. For this purpose, federal or state law means the 
laws of the United States, of any state thereof, or of the District of 
Columbia, but does not include the laws of any other jurisdiction. A 
provision of law that applies only in the absence of a contrary 
provision in the governing documents or that may be superseded with 
regard to a particular entity (whether by the shareholders, partners, 
members and/or managers of the entity or otherwise) is not a 
restriction that is imposed or required to be imposed by federal or 
state law. A law that is limited in its application to certain narrow 
classes of entities, particularly those types of entities (such as 
family-controlled entities) most likely to be subject to transfers 
described in section 2704, is not a restriction that is imposed or 
required to be imposed by federal or state law. For example, a law 
requiring a restriction that may not be removed or superseded and that 
applies only to family-controlled entities that otherwise would be 
subject to the rules of section 2704 is an applicable restriction. In 
addition, a restriction is not imposed or required to be imposed by 
federal or state law if that law also provides (either at the time the 
entity was organized or at some subsequent time) an optional provision 
that does not include the restriction or that allows it to be removed 
or overridden, or that provides a different statute for the creation 
and governance of that same type of entity that does not mandate the 
restriction, makes the restriction optional, or permits the restriction 
to be superseded, whether by the entity's governing documents or 
otherwise. For purposes of determining the type of entity, there are 
only three types of entities, specifically, the three categories of 
entities described in Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5): Corporations; partnerships 
(including limited partnerships); and other business entities.
    (iii) Certain rights under section 2703. An option, right to use 
property, or agreement that is subject to section 2703 is not an 
applicable restriction.
    (iv) Put right of each holder. Any restriction that otherwise would 
constitute an applicable restriction under this section will not be 
considered an applicable restriction if each holder of an interest in 
the entity has a put right as described in Sec.  25.2704-3(b)(6).
    (c) Other definitions. For the definition of the term controlled 
entity, see Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5). For the definition of the term 
member of the family, see Sec.  25.2702-2(a)(1).
    (d) Attribution. An individual, the individual's estate, and 
members of the individual's family are treated as also holding any 
interest held indirectly by such person through a corporation, 
partnership, trust, or other entity under the rules contained in Sec.  
25.2701-6.
    (e) * * * If an applicable restriction is disregarded under this 
section, the fair market value of the transferred interest is 
determined under generally applicable valuation principles as if the 
restriction (whether in the governing documents, applicable law, or 
both) does not exist. * * *
    (f) Certain transfers at death to multiple persons. Solely for 
purposes of section 2704(b), if part of a decedent's interest in an 
entity includible in the gross estate passes by reason of death to one 
or more members of the decedent's family and part of that includible 
interest passes to one or more persons who are not members of the 
decedent's family, and if the part passing to the members of the 
decedent's family is to be valued pursuant to paragraph (e) of this 
section, then that part is treated as a single, separate property 
interest. In that case, the part passing to one or more persons who are 
not members of the decedent's family is also treated as a single, 
separate property interest. See paragraph (g) Ex. 4 of Sec.  25.2704-3.
    (g) * * *

    Example 5.  * * * The preferred stock carries a right to 
liquidate X that cannot be exercised until 1999. * * *
* * * * *


Sec.  25.2704-3  [Redesignated as Sec.  25.2704-4]

0
Par. 6. Section 25.2704-3 is redesignated as Sec.  25.2704-4.
0
Par. 7. New Sec.  25.2704-3 is added to read as follows.


Sec.  25.2704-3  Transfers subject to disregarded restrictions.

    (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle B (relating to estate, 
gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes), and notwithstanding any 
provision of Sec.  25.2704-2, if an interest in a corporation or a 
partnership (an entity), whether domestic or foreign, is transferred to 
or for the benefit of a member of the transferor's family, and the 
transferor and/or members of the transferor's family control the entity 
immediately before the transfer, any restriction described in paragraph 
(b) of this section is disregarded, and the transferred interest is 
valued as provided in paragraph (f) of this section.

[[Page 51422]]

For purposes of this section, a corporation is any business entity 
described in Sec.  301.7701-2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of 
this chapter, an S corporation within the meaning of section 
1361(a)(1), and a qualified subchapter S subsidiary within the meaning 
of section 1361(b)(3)(B). For this purpose, a qualified subchapter S 
subsidiary is treated as a corporation separate from its parent 
corporation. A partnership is any other business entity within the 
meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a) of this chapter, regardless of how that 
entity is classified for federal tax purposes. Thus, for example, the 
term partnership includes a limited liability company that is not an S 
corporation, whether or not it is disregarded as an entity separate 
from its owner for federal tax purposes.
    (b) Disregarded restrictions defined--(1) In general. The term 
disregarded restriction means a restriction that is a limitation on the 
ability to redeem or liquidate an interest in an entity that is 
described in any one or more of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of 
this section, if the restriction, in whole or in part, either lapses 
after the transfer or can be removed by the transferor or any member of 
the transferor's family (subject to paragraph (b)(4) of this section), 
either alone or collectively.
    (i) The provision limits or permits the limitation of the ability 
of the holder of the interest to compel liquidation or redemption of 
the interest.
    (ii) The provision limits or permits the limitation of the amount 
that may be received by the holder of the interest on liquidation or 
redemption of the interest to an amount that is less than a minimum 
value. The term minimum value means the interest's share of the net 
value of the entity determined on the date of liquidation or 
redemption. The net value of the entity is the fair market value, as 
determined under section 2031 or 2512 and the applicable regulations, 
of the property held by the entity, reduced by the outstanding 
obligations of the entity. Solely for purposes of determining minimum 
value, the only outstanding obligations of the entity that may be taken 
into account are those that would be allowable (if paid) as deductions 
under section 2053 if those obligations instead were claims against an 
estate. For example, and subject to the foregoing limitation on 
outstanding obligations, if the entity holds an operating business, the 
rules of Sec.  20.2031-2(f)(2) or Sec.  20.2031-3 of this chapter apply 
in the case of a testamentary transfer and the rules of Sec.  25.2512-
2(f)(2) or Sec.  25.2512-3 apply in the case of an inter vivos 
transfer. The minimum value of the interest is the net value of the 
entity multiplied by the interest's share of the entity. For this 
purpose, the interest's share is determined by taking into account any 
capital, profits, and other rights inherent in the interest in the 
entity. If the property held by the entity directly or indirectly 
includes an interest in another entity, and if a transfer of an 
interest in that other entity by the same transferor (had that 
transferor owned the interest directly) would be subject to section 
2704(b), then the entity will be treated as owning a share of the 
property held by the other entity, determined and valued in accordance 
with the provisions of section 2704(b) and the regulations thereunder.
    (iii) The provision defers or permits the deferral of the payment 
of the full amount of the liquidation or redemption proceeds for more 
than six months after the date the holder gives notice to the entity of 
the holder's intent to have the holder's interest liquidated or 
redeemed.
    (iv) The provision authorizes or permits the payment of any portion 
of the full amount of the liquidation or redemption proceeds in any 
manner other than in cash or property. Solely for this purpose, except 
as provided in the following sentence, a note or other obligation 
issued directly or indirectly by the entity, by one or more holders of 
interests in the entity, or by a person related to either the entity or 
any holder of an interest in the entity, is deemed not to be property. 
In the case of an entity engaged in an active trade or business, at 
least 60 percent of whose value consists of the non-passive assets of 
that trade or business, and to the extent that the liquidation proceeds 
are not attributable to passive assets within the meaning of section 
6166(b)(9)(B), such proceeds may include such a note or other 
obligation if such note or other obligation is adequately secured, 
requires periodic payments on a non-deferred basis, is issued at market 
interest rates, and has a fair market value on the date of liquidation 
or redemption equal to the liquidation proceeds. See Sec.  25.2512-8. 
For purposes of this paragraph (b)(1)(iv), a related person is any 
person whose relationship to the entity or to any holder of an interest 
in the entity is described in section 267(b), provided that for this 
purpose the term fiduciary of a trust as used in section 267(b) does 
not include a bank as defined in section 581 that is publicly held.
    (2) Source of limitation. A disregarded restriction includes a 
restriction that is imposed under the terms of the governing documents 
(for example, the corporation's by-laws, the partnership agreement, or 
other governing documents), a buy-sell agreement, a redemption 
agreement, or an assignment or deed of gift, or any other document, 
agreement, or arrangement; and a restriction imposed under local law 
regardless of whether that restriction may be superseded by or pursuant 
to the governing documents or otherwise. For this purpose, local law is 
the law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, which governs 
the applicability of the restriction. For an exception for restrictions 
imposed or required to be imposed by federal or state law, see 
paragraph (b)(5)(iii) of this section.
    (3) Lapse or removal of limitation. A restriction is a disregarded 
restriction only to the extent that the restriction either will lapse 
by its terms at any time after the transfer or may be removed after the 
transfer by any one or more members, either alone or collectively, of 
the group consisting of the transferor, the transferor's estate, and 
members of the transferor's family. For purposes of determining whether 
the ability to remove the restriction is held by any one or more 
members of this group, members are treated as holding interests 
attributed to them under the rules contained in Sec.  25.2701-6, in 
addition to interests held directly. See also paragraph (b)(4) of this 
section. The manner in which the restriction may be removed is 
irrelevant for this purpose, whether by voting, taking other action 
authorized by the governing documents or applicable local law, removing 
the restriction from the governing documents, revising the governing 
documents to override the restriction prescribed under local law in the 
absence of a contrary provision in the governing documents, merging the 
entity with an entity whose governing documents do not contain the 
restriction, terminating the entity, or otherwise.
    (4) Certain interests held by nonfamily members disregarded--(i) In 
general. In the case of a transfer to or for the benefit of a member of 
the transferor's family, for purposes of determining whether the 
transferor (or the transferor's estate) or any member of the 
transferor's family, either alone or collectively, may remove a 
restriction within the meaning of this paragraph (b), an interest held 
by a person other than a member of the transferor's family (a 
nonfamily-member interest) is disregarded unless all of the following 
are satisfied:
    (A) The interest has been held by the nonfamily member for at least 
three years immediately before the transfer;
    (B) On the date of the transfer, in the case of a corporation, the 
interest

[[Page 51423]]

constitutes at least 10 percent of the value of all of the equity 
interests in the corporation, and, in the case of a business entity 
within the meaning of Sec.  301.7701-2(a) of this chapter other than a 
corporation, the interest constitutes at least a 10-percent interest in 
the business entity, for example, a 10-percent interest in the capital 
and profits of a partnership;
    (C) On the date of the transfer, in the case of a corporation, the 
total of the equity interests in the corporation held by shareholders 
who are not members of the transferor's family constitutes at least 20 
percent of the value of all of the equity interests in the corporation, 
and, in the case of a business entity within the meaning of Sec.  
301.7701-2(a) of this chapter other than a corporation, the total 
interests in the entity held by owners who are not members of the 
transferor's family is at least 20 percent of all the interests in the 
entity, for example, a 20-percent interest in the capital and profits 
of a partnership; and
    (D) Each nonfamily member, as owner, has a put right as described 
in paragraph (b)(6) of this section.
    (ii) Effect of disregarding a nonfamily-member interest. If a 
nonfamily-member interest is disregarded under this section, the rules 
of this section are applied as if all interests other than disregarded 
nonfamily-member interests constitute all of the interests in the 
entity.
    (iii) Attribution. In applying the 10-percent and 20-percent tests 
when the property held by the corporation or other business entity is, 
in whole or in part, an interest in another entity, the attribution 
rules of paragraph (d) of this section apply both in determining the 
interest held by a nonfamily member, and in measuring the interests 
owned through other entities.
    (5) Exceptions. A restriction described in this paragraph (b)(5) is 
not a disregarded restriction.
    (i) Applicable restriction. A disregarded restriction does not 
include an applicable restriction on the liquidation of the entity as 
defined in and governed by Sec.  25.2704-2.
    (ii) Commercially reasonable restriction. A disregarded restriction 
does not include a commercially reasonable restriction on liquidation 
imposed by an unrelated person providing capital to the entity for the 
entity's trade or business operations whether in the form of debt or 
equity. An unrelated person is any person whose relationship to the 
transferor, the transferee, or any member of the family of either is 
not described in section 267(b), provided that for purposes of this 
section the term fiduciary of a trust as used in section 267(b) does 
not include a bank as defined in section 581 that is publicly held.
    (iii) Requirement of federal or state law. A disregarded 
restriction does not include a restriction imposed or required to be 
imposed by federal or state law. For this purpose, federal or state law 
means the laws of the United States, of any state thereof, or of the 
District of Columbia, but does not include the laws of any other 
jurisdiction. A provision of law that applies only in the absence of a 
contrary provision in the governing documents or that may be superseded 
with regard to a particular entity (whether by the shareholders, 
partners, members and/or managers of the entity or otherwise) is not a 
restriction that is imposed or required to be imposed by federal or 
state law. A law that is limited in its application to certain narrow 
classes of entities, particularly those types of entities (such as 
family-controlled entities) most likely to be subject to transfers 
described in section 2704, is not a restriction that is imposed or 
required to be imposed by federal or state law. For example, a law 
requiring a restriction that may not be removed or superseded and that 
applies only to family-controlled entities that otherwise would be 
subject to the rules of section 2704 is a disregarded restriction. In 
addition, a restriction is not imposed or required to be imposed by 
federal or state law if that law also provides (either at the time the 
entity was organized or at some subsequent time) an optional provision 
that does not include the restriction or that allows it to be removed 
or overridden, or that provides a different statute for the creation 
and governance of that same type of entity that does not mandate the 
restriction, makes the restriction optional, or permits the restriction 
to be superseded, whether by the entity's governing documents or 
otherwise. For purposes of determining the type of entity, there are 
only three types of entities, specifically, the three categories of 
entities described in Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5): Corporations; partnerships 
(including limited partnerships); and other business entities.
    (iv) Certain rights described in section 2703. An option, right to 
use property, or agreement that is subject to section 2703 is not a 
restriction for purposes of this paragraph (b).
    (v) Right to put interest to entity. Any restriction that otherwise 
would constitute a disregarded restriction under this section will not 
be considered a disregarded restriction if each holder of an interest 
in the entity has a put right as described in paragraph (b)(6) of this 
section.
    (6) Put right. The term put right means a right, enforceable under 
applicable local law, to receive from the entity or from one or more 
other holders, on liquidation or redemption of the holder's interest, 
within six months after the date the holder gives notice of the 
holder's intent to withdraw, cash and/or other property with a value 
that is at least equal to the minimum value of the interest determined 
as of the date of the liquidation or redemption. For this purpose, 
local law is the law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, 
that governs liquidation or redemption rights with regard to interests 
in the entity. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(6), the term other 
property does not include a note or other obligation issued directly or 
indirectly by the entity, by one or more holders of interests in the 
entity, or by one or more persons related either to the entity or to 
any holder of an interest in the entity. However, in the case of an 
entity engaged in an active trade or business, at least 60 percent of 
whose value consists of the non-passive assets of that trade or 
business, and to the extent that the liquidation proceeds are not 
attributable to passive assets within the meaning of section 
6166(b)(9)(B), the term other property does include a note or other 
obligation if such note or other obligation is adequately secured, 
requires periodic payments on a non-deferred basis, is issued at market 
interest rates, and has a fair market value on the date of liquidation 
or redemption equal to the liquidation proceeds. See Sec.  25.2512-8. 
The minimum value of the interest is the interest's share of the net 
value of the entity, as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this 
section.
    (c) Other definitions. For the definition of the term controlled 
entity, see Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5). For the definition of the term 
member of the family, see Sec.  25.2702-2(a)(1).
    (d) Attribution. An individual, the individual's estate, and 
members of the individual's family, as well as any other person, also 
are treated as holding any interest held indirectly by such person 
through a corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity under the 
rules contained in Sec.  25.2701-6.
    (e) Certain transfers at death to multiple persons. Solely for 
purposes of section 2704(b), if part of a decedent's interest in an 
entity includible in the gross estate passes by reason of death to one 
or more members of the decedent's family and part of that includible 
interest passes to one or more persons who are nonfamily members of the

[[Page 51424]]

decedent, and if the part passing to the members of the decedent's 
family is to be valued pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section, then 
that part is treated as a single, separate property interest. In that 
case, the part passing to one or more persons who are not members of 
the decedent's family is also treated as a single, separate property 
interest. See paragraph (g) Example 4 of this section.
    (f) Effect of disregarding a restriction. If a restriction is 
disregarded under this section, the fair market value of the 
transferred interest is determined under generally applicable valuation 
principles as if the disregarded restriction does not exist in the 
governing documents, local law, or otherwise. For this purpose, local 
law is the law of the jurisdiction, whether domestic or foreign, under 
which the entity is created or organized.
    (g) Examples. The following examples illustrate the provisions of 
this section.

    Example 1.  (i) D and D's children, A and B, are partners in 
Limited Partnership X that was created on July 1, 2016. D owns a 98 
percent limited partner interest, and A and B each own a 1 percent 
general partner interest. The partnership agreement provides that 
the partnership will dissolve and liquidate on June 30, 2066, or by 
the earlier agreement of all the partners, but otherwise prohibits 
the withdrawal of a limited partner. Under applicable local law, a 
limited partner may withdraw from a limited partnership at the time, 
or on the occurrence of events, specified in the partnership 
agreement. Under the partnership agreement, the approval of all 
partners is required to amend the agreement. None of these 
provisions is mandated by local law. D transfers a 33 percent 
limited partner interest to A and a 33 percent limited partner 
interest to B.
    (ii) By prohibiting the withdrawal of a limited partner, the 
partnership agreement imposes a restriction on the ability of a 
partner to liquidate the partner's interest in the partnership that 
is not required to be imposed by law and that may be removed by the 
transferor and members of the transferor's family, acting 
collectively, by agreeing to amend the partnership agreement. 
Therefore, under section 2704(b) and paragraph (a) of this section, 
the restriction on a limited partner's ability to liquidate that 
partner's interest is disregarded in determining the value of each 
transferred interest. Accordingly, the amount of each transfer is 
the fair market value of the 33 percent limited partner interest 
determined under generally applicable valuation principles taking 
into account all relevant factors affecting value including the 
rights determined under the governing documents and local law and 
assuming that the disregarded restriction does not exist in the 
governing documents, local law, or otherwise. See paragraphs 
(b)(1)(i) and (f) of this section.
    Example 2. The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that, 
both before and after the transfer, A's partnership interests are 
held in an irrevocable trust of which A is the sole income 
beneficiary. The trustee is a publicly-held bank. A is treated as 
holding the interests held by the trust under the rules contained in 
Sec.  25.2701-6. The result is the same as in Example 1.
    Example 3.  The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that, 
on D's subsequent death, D's remaining 32 percent limited partner 
interest passes outright to D's surviving spouse, S, who is a U.S. 
citizen. In valuing the 32 percent interest for purposes of 
determining both the amount includible in the gross estate and the 
amount allowable as a marital deduction, the analysis and result are 
as described in Example 1.
    Example 4.  (i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except 
that D made no gifts and, on D's subsequent death pursuant to D's 
will, a 53 percent limited partner interest passes to D's surviving 
spouse who is a U.S. citizen, a 25 percent limited partner interest 
passes to C, an unrelated individual, and a 20 percent limited 
partner interest passes to E, a charity. The restriction on a 
limited partner's ability to liquidate that partner's interest is a 
disregarded restriction. In determining whether D's estate and/or 
D's family may remove the disregarded restriction after the transfer 
occurring on D's death, the interests of C and E are disregarded 
because these interests were not held by C and E for at least three 
years prior to D's death, nor do C and E have the right to withdraw 
on six months' notice and receive their respective interest's share 
of the minimum value of X. Thus, the 53 percent interest passing to 
D's surviving spouse is subject to section 2704(b). D's gross estate 
will be deemed to include two separate assets: A 53 percent limited 
partner interest subject to section 2704(b), and a 45 percent 
limited partner interest not subject to section 2704.
    (ii) The fair market value of the 53 percent interest is 
determined for both inclusion and deduction purposes under generally 
applicable valuation principles taking into account all relevant 
factors affecting value, including the rights determined under the 
governing documents and local law, and assuming that the disregarded 
restriction does not exist in the governing documents, local law, or 
otherwise. The 45 percent interest passing to nonfamily members is 
not subject to section 2704(b), and will be valued as a single 
interest for inclusion purposes under generally applicable valuation 
principles, taking into account all relevant factors affecting value 
including the rights determined under the governing documents and 
local law as well as the restriction on a limited partner's ability 
to liquidate that partner's interest. The 20 percent passing to 
charity will be valued in a similar manner for purposes of 
determining the allowable charitable deduction. Assuming that, under 
the facts and circumstances, the 45 percent interest and the 20 
percent interest are subject to the same discount factor, the 
charitable deduction will equal four-ninths of the value of the 45 
percent interest.
    Example 5.  (i) D and D's children, A and B, are partners in 
Limited Partnership Y. D owns a 98 percent limited partner interest, 
and A and B each own a 1 percent general partner interest. The 
partnership agreement provides that a limited partner may withdraw 
from the partnership at any time by giving six months' notice to the 
general partner. On withdrawal, the partner is entitled to receive 
the fair market value of his or her partnership interest payable 
over a five-year period. Under the partnership agreement, the 
approval of all partners is required to amend the agreement. None of 
these provisions are mandated by local law. D transfers a 33 percent 
limited partner interest to A and a 33 percent limited partner 
interest to B. Under paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, the 
provision requiring that a withdrawing partner give at least six 
months' notice before withdrawing provides a reasonable waiting 
period and does not cause the restriction to be disregarded in 
valuing the transferred interests. However, the provision limiting 
the amount the partner may receive on withdrawal to the fair market 
value of the partnership interest, and permitting that amount to be 
paid over a five-year period, may limit the amount the partner may 
receive on withdrawal to less than the minimum value described in 
paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and allows the delay of payment 
beyond the period described in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this 
section. The partnership agreement imposes a restriction on the 
ability of a partner to liquidate the partner's interest in the 
partnership that is not required to be imposed by law and that may 
be removed by the transferor and members of the transferor's family, 
acting collectively, by agreeing to amend the partnership agreement.
    (ii) Under section 2704(b) and paragraph (a) of this section, 
the restriction on a limited partner's ability to liquidate that 
partner's interest is disregarded in determining the value of the 
transferred interests. Accordingly, the amount of each transfer is 
the fair market value of the 33 percent limited partner interest, 
determined under generally applicable valuation principles taking 
into account all relevant factors affecting value, including the 
rights determined under the governing documents and local law, and 
assuming that the disregarded restriction does not exist in the 
governing documents, local law, or otherwise. See paragraph (f) of 
this section.
    Example 6.  The facts are the same as in Example 5, except that 
D sells a 33 percent limited partner interest to A and a 33 percent 
limited partner interest to B for fair market value (but without 
taking into account the special valuation assumptions of section 
2704(b)). Because section 2704(b) also is relevant in determining 
whether a gift has been made, D has made a gift to each child of the 
excess of the value of the transfer to each child as determined in 
Example 5 over the consideration received by D from that child.
    Example 7.  The facts are the same as in Example 5, except, in a 
transaction unrelated to D's prior transfers to A and B, D withdraws 
from the partnership and immediately receives the fair market value 
(but without taking into account the special valuation assumptions 
of section 2704(b)) of D's remaining 32 percent limited partner 
interest. Because a gift to a partnership is deemed to

[[Page 51425]]

be a gift to the other partners, D has made a gift to each child of 
one-half of the excess of the value of the 32 percent limited 
partner interest as determined in Example 5 over the consideration 
received by D from the partnership.
    Example 8.  D and D's children, A and B, organize Limited 
Liability Company X under the laws of State Y. D, A, and B each 
contribute cash to X. Under the operating agreement, X maintains a 
capital account for each member. The capital accounts are adjusted 
to reflect each member's contributions to and distributions from X 
and each member's share of profits and losses of X. On liquidation, 
capital account balances control distributions. Profits and losses 
are allocated on the basis of units issued to each member, which are 
not in proportion to capital. D holds 98 units, A and B each hold 1 
unit. D is designated in the operating agreement as the manager of X 
with the ability to cause the liquidation of X. X is not a 
corporation. Under the laws of State Y, X is neither a partnership 
nor a limited partnership. D and D's family have control of X 
because they hold at least 50 percent of the profits interests (or 
capital interests) of X. Further, D and D's family have control of X 
because D holds an interest with the ability to cause the 
liquidation of X.
    Example 9.  The facts are the same as in Example 8, except that, 
under the operating agreement, all distributions are made to members 
based on the units held, which in turn is based on contributions to 
capital. Further, X elects to be treated as a corporation for 
federal tax purposes. Under Sec.  25.2701-2(b)(5), D and D's family 
have control of X (which is not a corporation and, under local law, 
is not a partnership or limited partnership) because they hold at 
least 50 percent of the capital interests in X. Further, D and D's 
family have control of X because D holds an interest with the 
ability to cause the liquidation of X.
    Example 10.  D owns a 1 percent general partner interest and a 
74 percent limited partner interest in Limited Partnership X, which 
in turn holds a 50 percent limited partner interest in Limited 
Partnership Y and a 50 percent limited partner interest in Limited 
Partnership Z. D owns the remaining interests in partnerships Y and 
Z. A, an unrelated individual, has owned a 25 percent limited 
partner interest in partnership X for more than 3 years. The 
governing documents of all three partnerships permit liquidation of 
the entity on the agreement of the owners of 90 percent of the 
interests but, with the exception of A's interest, prohibit the 
withdrawal of a limited partner. A may withdraw on 6-months' notice 
and receive A's interest's share of the minimum value of partnership 
X as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, which share 
includes a share of the minimum value of partnership Y and of 
partnership Z. Under the governing documents of all three 
partnerships, the approval of all partners is required to amend the 
documents. D transfers a 40 percent limited partner interest in 
partnership Y to D's children. For purposes of determining whether D 
and/or D's family members have the ability to remove a restriction 
after the transfer, A is treated as owning a 12.5 percent (.25 x.50) 
interest in partnership Y, thus more than a 10 percent interest, but 
less than a 20 percent interest, in partnership Y. Accordingly, 
under paragraph (b)(4)(i)(C) of this section, A's interest is 
disregarded for purposes of determining whether D and D's family 
hold the right to remove a restriction after the transfer (resulting 
in D and D's children being deemed to own 100 percent of Y for this 
purpose). However, if D instead had transferred a 40 percent limited 
partner interest in partnership X to D's children, A's ownership of 
a 25 percent interest in partnership X would not have been 
disregarded, with the result that D and D's family would not have 
had the ability to remove a restriction after the transfer.
    Example 11.  (i) D owns 85 of the outstanding shares of X, a 
corporation, and A, an unrelated individual, owns the remaining 15 
shares. Under X's governing documents, the approval of the 
shareholders holding 75 percent of the outstanding stock is required 
to liquidate X. With the exception of nonfamily members, a 
shareholder may not withdraw from X. Nonfamily members may withdraw 
on six months' notice and receive their interest's share of the 
minimum value of X as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this 
section. D transfers 10 shares to C, a charity. Four years later, D 
dies. D bequeaths 10 shares to B, an unrelated individual, and the 
remaining 65 shares to trusts for the benefit of D's family.
    (ii) The prohibition on withdrawal is a restriction described in 
paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section. In determining whether D's 
estate and/or D's family may remove the restriction after the 
transfer occurring on D's death, the interest of B is disregarded 
because it was not held by B for at least three years prior to D's 
death. The interests of A and C, however, are not disregarded, 
because each held an interest of at least 10 percent for at least 
three years prior to D's death, the total of those interests 
represents at least 20 percent of X, and each had the right to 
withdraw on six months' notice and receive their interest's share of 
the minimum value of X. As a result, D and D's family hold 65 of the 
deemed total of 90 shares in X, or 72 percent, which is less than 
the 75 percent needed to liquidate X. Thus, D and D's family do not 
have the ability to remove the restriction after the transfer, and 
section 2704(b) does not apply in valuing D's interest in X for 
federal estate tax purposes.

0
Par. 8. Newly designated Sec.  25.2704-4 is amended as follows:
0
1. The undesignated text is designated as paragraph (a).
0
2. In the first and second sentences of newly designated paragraph (a), 
the language ``Section'' is removed and the language ``Except as 
provided in paragraph (b) of this section, Sec.  '' is added in its 
place.
0
3. Paragraph (b) is added.
    The addition reads as follows:


Sec.  25.2704-4  Effective date.

* * * * *
    (b)(1) With respect to Sec.  25.2704-1, the first six sentences of 
paragraph (a)(1), the last sentence of paragraph (a)(2)(i), the third 
sentence of paragraph (a)(2)(iii), the first and last sentences of 
paragraph (a)(4), paragraph (a)(5), the second and last sentences of 
paragraph (c)(1), paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B), and Examples 4, 6 and 7 of 
paragraph (f), apply to lapses of rights created after October 8, 1990, 
occurring on or after the date these regulations are published as final 
regulations in the Federal Register.
    (2) With respect to Sec.  25.2704-2, paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), 
and (f), the first sentence of paragraph (e), and Examples 1, 3 and 5 
of paragraph (g) apply to transfers of property subject to restrictions 
created after October 8, 1990, occurring on or after the date these 
regulations are published as final regulations in the Federal Register.
    (3) Section 25.2704-3 applies to transfers of property subject to 
restrictions created after October 8, 1990, occurring 30 or more days 
after the date these regulations are published as final regulations in 
the Federal Register.

John Dalrymple,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2016-18370 Filed 8-2-16; 11:15 am]
 BILLING CODE P



                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                                51413

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                                                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        (202) 927–9639, concerning submissions
                                                 Maren Weight, Office of Appellate                       or comments and/or requests for a                     DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
                                                 Operations, Social Security                             public hearing, Regina Johnson 202–
                                                 Administration, 5107 Leesburg Pike,                     317–6901 (not toll-free numbers).                     Internal Revenue Service
                                                 Falls Church, VA 22041, (703) 605–                      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                 7100. For information on eligibility or                                                                       26 CFR Part 25
                                                 filing for benefits, call our national toll-            Background
                                                 free number, 1–800–772–1213 or TTY                                                                            [REG–163113–02]
                                                                                                           The partial withdrawal of notice of
                                                 1–800–325–0778, or visit our Internet                   proposed rulemaking; notice of                        RIN 1545–BB71
                                                 site, Social Security Online, at http://                proposed rulemaking (REG–123854–12)
                                                 www.socialsecurity.gov.                                 that is the subject of this correction is             Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping
                                                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:    This                      under 409A of the Internal Revenue                    Transfer Taxes; Restrictions on
                                                 document extends to August 26, 2016,                    Code.                                                 Liquidation of an Interest
                                                 the comment period for the NPRM that                    Need for Correction                                   AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
                                                 we published on July 12, 2016. We are                                                                         Treasury.
                                                 extending the comment period in                           As published, the partial withdrawal
                                                                                                         of notice of proposed rulemaking; notice              ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking
                                                 response to comments we received
                                                 requesting additional time to review and                of proposed rulemaking (REG–123854–                   and notice of public hearing.
                                                 comment on the proposed rules. If you                   12) contains errors that may prove to be
                                                                                                                                                               SUMMARY:   This document contains
                                                 have already provided comments on the                   misleading and are in need of
                                                                                                                                                               proposed regulations concerning the
                                                 proposed rules, we will consider your                   clarification.
                                                                                                                                                               valuation of interests in corporations
                                                 comments and you do not need to                         Correction of Publication                             and partnerships for estate, gift, and
                                                 resubmit them.                                                                                                generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax
                                                                                                           Accordingly, the partial withdrawal of
                                                 Carolyn W. Colvin,                                      notice of proposed rulemaking; notice of              purposes. Specifically, these proposed
                                                 Acting Commissioner of Social Security.                 proposed rulemaking (REG–123854–12)                   regulations concern the treatment of
                                                 [FR Doc. 2016–18367 Filed 8–3–16; 8:45 am]              that was the subject of FR Doc. 2016–                 certain lapsing rights and restrictions on
                                                                                                         14331 is corrected as follows:                        liquidation in determining the value of
                                                 BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
                                                                                                                                                               the transferred interests. These
                                                                                                         § 1.409A–3    [Corrected]                             proposed regulations affect certain
                                                                                                         ■  1. On page 40582, first column,                    transferors of interests in corporations
                                                 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY                                                                                    and partnerships and are necessary to
                                                                                                         seventeenth line of paragraph (i)(5)(iv),
                                                 Internal Revenue Service                                the language ‘‘described in § 1.409A–                 prevent the undervaluation of such
                                                                                                         (1)(b)(ii) held’’ is corrected to read                transferred interests.
                                                 26 CFR Part 1                                           ‘‘described in § 1.409A–1(b)(5)(ii) held’’.           DATES: Written and electronic comments
                                                                                                         ■ 2. On page 40582, second column, in                 must be received by November 2, 2016.
                                                 [REG–123854–12]                                                                                               Outlines of topics to be discussed at the
                                                                                                         paragraph (i)(5)(iv) twenty-first line
                                                 RIN 1545–BL25                                           from the top of the page, the language                public hearing scheduled for December
                                                                                                         ‘‘§ 1.409A–(1)(b)(5)(i)(A) or (B) or a                1, 2016, must be received by November
                                                 Application of Section 409A to                          statutory stock’’ is corrected to read                2, 2016.
                                                 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation                      ‘‘§ 1.409A–1(b)(5)(i)(A) or (B) or a                  ADDRESSES: Send submissions to:
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                                                 Plans; Correction                                       statutory stock’’.                                    CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–163113–02), Room
                                                 AGENCY:  Internal Revenue Service (IRS),                ■ 3. On page 40582, second column, in                 5203, Internal Revenue Service, POB
                                                 Treasury.                                               paragraph (i)(5)(iv) twenty-third line                7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington,
                                                                                                         from the top of the page, the language                DC 20044. Submissions also may be
                                                 ACTION: Correction to a partial
                                                                                                         ‘‘§ 1.409A–(1)(b)(5)(ii) also will not                hand delivered Monday through Friday
                                                 withdrawal of notice of proposed
                                                                                                         cause the stock’’ is corrected to read                between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
                                                 rulemaking; notice of proposed
                                                                                                         ‘‘§ 1.409A–1(b)(5)(ii) also will not cause            to: CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–163113–02),
                                                 rulemaking.
                                                                                                         the stock’’.                                          Courier’s Desk, Internal Revenue


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                                                 51414                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW.,                  transfer tax purposes of the limited                  supra. The enactment of section 2704
                                                 Washington, DC 20224, or sent                           partner interest to be less than its value            was intended to prevent this result. See
                                                 electronically via the Federal                          either in the hands of the decedent                   Informal S. Rep. on S. 3209, supra; H.R.
                                                 eRulemaking portal at                                   immediately before death or in the                    Conf. Rep. No. 101–964, supra. See also
                                                 www.regulations.gov (IRS REG–163113–                    hands of his family (the other general                section 2704(a)(3) (conferring on the
                                                 02). The public hearing will be held in                 partners) immediately after death.                    Secretary broad regulatory authority to
                                                 the Auditorium, Internal Revenue                           Section 2704(a)(1) provides generally              apply section 2704(a) to the lapse of
                                                 Service Building, 1111 Constitution                     that, if there is a lapse of any voting or            rights similar to voting and liquidation
                                                 Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.                       liquidation right in a corporation or a               rights). The Treasury Department and
                                                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        partnership and the individual holding                the IRS have concluded that the
                                                 Concerning the proposed regulations,                    such right immediately before the lapse               regulatory exception created in
                                                 John D. MacEachen, (202) 317–6859;                      and members of such individual’s                      § 25.2704–1(c)(1) should apply only to
                                                 concerning submissions of comments,                     family hold, both before and after the                transfers occurring more than three
                                                 the hearing, and/or to be placed on the                 lapse, control of the entity, such lapse              years before death, where the loss of
                                                 building access list to attend the                      shall be treated as a transfer by such                control over liquidation is likely to have
                                                 hearing, Regina L. Johnson at (202) 317–                individual by gift, or a transfer which is            a more substantive effect. A bright-line
                                                 6901 (not toll-free numbers).                           includible in the gross estate, whichever             test will avoid the fact-intensive inquiry
                                                                                                         is applicable. The amount of the transfer             underlying a determination of a donor’s
                                                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                                                                         is the fair market value of all interests             subjective motive which is
                                                 Background                                              held by the individual immediately                    administratively burdensome for both
                                                                                                         before the lapse (determined as if the                taxpayers and the IRS. Cf. section
                                                    Section 2704 of the Internal Revenue
                                                                                                         voting and liquidation rights were                    2035(a) (replacing the contemplation of
                                                 Code provides special valuation rules
                                                                                                         nonlapsing) over the fair market value of             death presumption of prior law with a
                                                 for purposes of subtitle B (relating to
                                                                                                         such interests after the lapse.                       bright-line, three-year test).
                                                 estate, gift, and GST taxes) for valuing                   Section 25.2704–1(a)(2)(v) of the                  Accordingly, the proposed regulations
                                                 intra-family transfers of interests in                  current Gift Tax Regulations defines a                treat transfers occurring within three
                                                 corporations and partnerships subject to                liquidation right as the right or ability,            years of death that result in the lapse of
                                                 lapsing voting or liquidation rights and                including by reason of aggregate voting               a liquidation right as transfers occurring
                                                 restrictions on liquidation. Lapses of                  power, to compel the entity to acquire                at death for purposes of section 2704(a).
                                                 voting or liquidation rights are treated                all or a portion of the holder’s equity                  Section 2704(b)(1) provides generally
                                                 as a transfer of the excess of the fair                 interest in the entity, whether or not its            that, if a transferor transfers an interest
                                                 market value of all interests held by the               exercise would result in the complete                 in a corporation or partnership to (or for
                                                 transferor, determined as if the voting or              liquidation of the entity.                            the benefit of) a member of the
                                                 liquidation rights were nonlapsing, over                   Section 25.2704–1(c)(1) provides a                 transferor’s family, and the transferor
                                                 the fair market value of such interests                 rule that a lapse of a liquidation right              and members of the transferor’s family
                                                 after the lapse. Certain restrictions on                occurs at the time a presently                        hold, immediately before the transfer,
                                                 liquidation are disregarded in                          exercisable liquidation right is restricted           control of the entity, any ‘‘applicable
                                                 determining the fair market value of the                or eliminated. However, under                         restriction’’ is disregarded in valuing the
                                                 transferred interest. The legislative                   § 25.2704–1(c)(1), a transfer of an                   transferred interest. Under section
                                                 history of section 2704 states that the                 interest that results in the lapse of a               2704(b)(2), an applicable restriction is
                                                 provision is intended, in part, to prevent              liquidation right generally is not subject            defined as a restriction that effectively
                                                 results similar to that in Estate of                    to this rule if the rights with respect to            limits the ability of the entity to
                                                 Harrison v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.                    the transferred interest are not restricted           liquidate, but which, after the transfer,
                                                 1987–8. Informal S. Rep. on S. 3209, 136                or eliminated. The effect of this                     either in whole or in part, will lapse or
                                                 Cong. Rec. S15629–4 (October 18, 1990);                 exception is that the inter vivos transfer            may be removed by the transferor or the
                                                 H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 101–964, 2374, 2842                 of a minority interest by the holder of               transferor’s family, either alone or
                                                 (October 27, 1990).                                     an interest with the aggregate voting                 collectively. Section 2704(b)(3)(B)
                                                    In Harrison, the decedent and two of                 power to compel the entity to acquire                 excepts from the definition of an
                                                 his children each held a general partner                the holder’s interest is not treated as a             applicable restriction any restriction
                                                 interest in a partnership immediately                   lapse even though the transfer results in             ‘‘imposed, or required to be imposed, by
                                                 before the decedent’s death. The                        the loss of the transferor’s presently                any Federal or State law.’’
                                                 decedent also held all of the limited                   exercisable liquidation right.                           Section 2704(b)(4) provides that the
                                                 partner interests in the partnership.                      The Treasury Department and the IRS,               Secretary may by regulations provide
                                                 Because any general partner could                       however, believe that this exception                  that other restrictions shall be
                                                 liquidate the partnership during life,                  should not apply when the inter vivos                 disregarded in determining the value of
                                                 each general partner could cause all                    transfer that results in the loss of the              any interest in a corporation or a
                                                 partners to obtain the full value of such               power to liquidate occurs on the                      partnership transferred to a member of
                                                 partner’s partnership interests. A                      decedent’s deathbed. Cf. Estate of                    the transferor’s family if the restriction
                                                 general partner’s right to liquidate the                Murphy v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.                    has the effect of reducing the value of
                                                 partnership lapsed on the death of that                 1990–472 (rejecting ‘‘attempts to avoid               the transferred interest for transfer tax
                                                 partner. In determining the estate tax                  taxation of the control value of stock                purposes but does not ultimately reduce
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                                                 value of the decedent’s limited partner                 holdings through bifurcation of the                   the value of the interest to the
                                                 interest, the court concluded that the                  blocks’’). Such transfers generally have              transferee.
                                                 right of the decedent to liquidate the                  minimal economic effects, but result in                  Section 25.2704–2(b) provides, in
                                                 partnership (and thus readily obtain the                a transfer tax value that is less than the            part, that an applicable restriction ‘‘is a
                                                 full value of the limited partner interest)             value of the interest either in the hands             limitation on the ability to liquidate the
                                                 could not be taken into account because                 of the decedent prior to death or in the              entity (in whole or in part) that is more
                                                 that right lapsed at death. As a result,                hands of the decedent’s family                        restrictive than the limitations that
                                                 the Court determined the value for                      immediately after death. See Harrison,                would apply under the State law


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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                            51415

                                                 generally applicable to the entity in the               The result is that the provisions of a                a nonfamily member should not
                                                 absence of the restriction.’’                           partnership agreement restricting                     preclude the application of section
                                                    The Treasury Department and the IRS                  liquidation generally fall within the                 2704(b) because, in reality, such
                                                 have determined that the current                        regulatory exception for restrictions that            nonfamily member interest generally
                                                 regulations have been rendered                          are no more restrictive than those under              does not constrain the family’s ability to
                                                 substantially ineffective in                            state law, and thus do not constitute                 remove a restriction on the liquidation
                                                 implementing the purpose and intent of                  applicable restrictions under the current             of an individual interest. Cf. Kerr, 292
                                                 the statute by changes in state laws and                regulations.                                          F.3rd at 494 (noting that a charity
                                                 by other subsequent developments.                          Third, taxpayers have attempted to                 receiving a partnership interest would
                                                 First, courts have concluded that, under                avoid the application of section 2704(b)              ‘‘convert its interests into cash as soon
                                                 the current regulations, section 2704(b)                through the transfer of a partnership                 as possible, so long as it believed the
                                                 applies only to restrictions on the ability             interest to an assignee rather than to a              transaction to be in its best interest and
                                                 to liquidate an entire entity, and not to               partner. Again relying on the regulatory              that it would receive fair market value
                                                 restrictions on the ability to liquidate a              exception for restrictions that are no                for its interest’’). The interest of such
                                                 transferred interest in that entity. Kerr v.            more restrictive than those under state               nonfamily members does not affect the
                                                 Commissioner, 113 T.C. 449, 473 (1999),                 law, and the fact that an assignee is                 family’s control of the entity, but rather,
                                                 aff’d, 292 F.3rd 490 (5th Cir. 2002).                   allocated partnership income, gain, loss,             when combined with a requirement that
                                                 Thus, a restriction on the ability to                   etc., but does not have (and thus may                 all holders approve liquidation, is
                                                 liquidate an individual interest is not an              not exercise) the rights or powers of a               designed to reduce the transfer tax value
                                                 applicable restriction under the current                partner, taxpayers argue that an                      of the family-held interests while not
                                                 regulations.                                            assignee’s inability to cause the                     ultimately reducing the value of those
                                                    Second, as noted above, the current                  partnership to liquidate his or her                   interests to the family member
                                                 regulations except from the definition of               partnership interest is no greater a                  transferees. The enactment of section
                                                 an applicable restriction a restriction on              restriction than that imposed upon                    2704 was intended to prevent this
                                                 liquidation that is no more restrictive                 assignees under state law. Kerr, 113 T.C.             result. See section 2704(b)(4) (conferring
                                                 than that of the state law that would                   at 463–64; Estate of Jones v.                         on the Secretary broad regulatory
                                                 apply in the absence of the restriction.                Commissioner, 116 T.C. 121, 129–30                    authority to apply section 2704(b) to
                                                 The Tax Court viewed this as a                          (2001). Taxpayers thus argue that the                 other restrictions if the restriction has
                                                 regulatory expansion of the statutory                   assignee status of the transferred interest           the effect of reducing the value of the
                                                 exception to the application of section                 is not an applicable restriction.                     transferred interest for transfer tax
                                                 2704(b) contained in section                               Finally, taxpayers have avoided the                purposes but does not ultimately reduce
                                                 2704(b)(3)(B) that excepts ‘‘any                        application of section 2704(b) through                the value of the interest to the
                                                 restriction imposed, or required to be                  the transfer of a nominal partnership
                                                                                                                                                               transferee). The Treasury Department
                                                 imposed, by any Federal or State law.’’                 interest to a nonfamily member, such as
                                                                                                                                                               and the IRS have concluded that the
                                                 Kerr, 113 T.C. at 472. Since the                        a charity or an employee, to ensure that
                                                                                                                                                               presence of a nonfamily-member
                                                 promulgation of the current regulations,                the family alone does not have the
                                                                                                                                                               interest should be recognized only
                                                 many state statutes governing limited                   power to remove a restriction. Kerr, 292
                                                                                                                                                               where the interest is an economically
                                                 partnerships have been revised to allow                 F.3rd at 494.
                                                                                                            As the Tax Court noted in Kerr,                    substantial and longstanding one that is
                                                 liquidation of the entity only on the
                                                                                                         Congress granted the Secretary broad                  likely to have a more substantive effect.
                                                 unanimous vote of all owners (unless
                                                                                                         discretion in section 2704(b)(4) to                   A bright-line test will avoid the fact-
                                                 provided otherwise in the partnership
                                                                                                         promulgate regulations identifying                    intensive inquiry underlying a
                                                 agreement), and to eliminate the
                                                 statutory default provision that had                    restrictions not covered by section                   determination of whether the interest of
                                                 allowed a limited partner to liquidate                  2704(b) that nevertheless should be                   the nonfamily member effectively
                                                 his or her limited partner interest.                    disregarded for transfer tax valuation                constrains the family’s ability to
                                                 Instead, statutes in these jurisdictions                purposes. 113 T.C. at 474. The Treasury               liquidate the entity. Accordingly, the
                                                 typically now provide that a limited                    Department and the IRS have concluded                 proposed regulations disregard the
                                                 partner may not withdraw from the                       that, as was recognized by Congress                   interest held by a nonfamily member
                                                 partnership unless the partnership                      when enacting section 2704(b), there are              that has been held less than three years
                                                 agreement provides otherwise. See, e.g.,                additional restrictions that may affect               before the date of the transfer, that
                                                 Tex. Bus. Orgs. Ann. § 153.110 (West                    adversely the transfer tax value of an                constitutes less than 10 percent of the
                                                 2016) (limited partner may withdraw as                  interest but that do not reduce the value             value of all of the equity interests, that
                                                 specified in the partnership agreement);                of the interest to the family-member                  when combined with the interests of
                                                 Uniform Limited Partnership Act (2001)                  transferee, and thus should be                        other nonfamily members constitutes
                                                 § 601(a), 6A U.L.A. 348, 448 (Supp.                     disregarded for transfer tax valuation                less than 20 percent of the value of all
                                                 2015) (limited partner has no right to                  purposes. H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 101–964,                of the equity interests, or that lacks a
                                                 withdraw before completion of the                       supra, at 1138. The Treasury                          right to put the interest to the entity and
                                                 winding up of the partnership). Further,                Department and the IRS have                           receive a minimum value.
                                                 other state statutes have been revised to               determined that such restrictions                        Finally, since the promulgation of
                                                 create elective restrictions on                         include: (a) A restriction on the ability             §§ 301.7701–1 through 301.7701–3 of
                                                 liquidation. See, e.g., Nev. Rev. Stat.                 to liquidate the transferred interest; and            the Procedure and Administration
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                                                 § 87A.427 (2016) (limited partnership                   (b) any restrictions attendant upon the               Regulations (the check-the-box
                                                 electing to be restricted limited                       nature or extent of the property to be                regulations), an entity’s classification for
                                                 partnership may not make any                            received in exchange for the liquidated               federal tax purposes may differ
                                                 distributions for a 10-year period). Each               interest, or the timing of the payment of             substantially from the entity’s structure
                                                 of these statutes is designed to be at                  that property.                                        or form under local law. In addition,
                                                 least as restrictive as the maximum                        Further, the Treasury Department and               many taxpayers now utilize a limited
                                                 restriction on liquidation that could be                the IRS have concluded that the grant of              liability company (LLC) as the preferred
                                                 imposed in a partnership agreement.                     an insubstantial interest in the entity to            entity to hold family assets or business


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                                                 51416                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 interests. The Treasury Department and                  necessary to go beyond this division of               elimination of any of the rights or
                                                 the IRS have concluded that the                         entities into only the two categories of              powers associated with the transferred
                                                 regulations under section 2704 should                   corporation and partnership. These                    interest (an assignee interest) is treated
                                                 be updated to reflect these significant                 situations (specifically, the test to                 as a lapse within the meaning of section
                                                 developments.                                           determine control of an entity, and the               2704(a). This is the case regardless of
                                                                                                         test to determine whether a restriction is            whether the right or power is
                                                 Explanation of Provisions
                                                                                                         imposed under state law) require                      exercisable by the transferor after the
                                                    The proposed regulations would                       consideration of the differences among                transfer because the statute is concerned
                                                 amend § 25.2701–2 to address what                       various types of business entities under              with the lapse of rights associated with
                                                 constitutes control of an LLC or other                  the local law under which those entities              the transferred interest. Whether the
                                                 entity or arrangement that is not a                     are created and governed. As a result,                lapse is of a voting or liquidation right
                                                 corporation, partnership, or limited                    for purposes of the test to determine                 is determined under the general rules of
                                                 partnership. The proposed regulations                   control of an entity and to determine                 section 25.2704–1.
                                                 would amend § 25.2704–1 to address                      whether a restriction is imposed under                   The proposed regulations also would
                                                 deathbed transfers that result in the                   state law, the proposed regulations                   amend § 25.2704–1(c)(1) to narrow the
                                                 lapse of a liquidation right and to clarify             would provide that in the case of any                 exception in the definition of a lapse of
                                                 the treatment of a transfer that results in             business entity or arrangement that is                a liquidation right to transfers occurring
                                                 the creation of an assignee interest. The               not a corporation, the form of the entity             three years or more before the
                                                 proposed regulations would amend                        or arrangement would be determined                    transferor’s death that do not restrict or
                                                 § 25.2704–2 to refine the definition of                 under local law, regardless of how it is              eliminate the rights associated with the
                                                 the term ‘‘applicable restriction’’ by                  classified for other federal tax purposes,            ownership of the transferred interest. In
                                                 eliminating the comparison to the                       and regardless of whether it is                       addition, the proposed regulations
                                                 liquidation limitations of state law.                   disregarded as an entity separate from                would amend § 25.2704–1(c)(2)(i)(B) to
                                                 Further, the proposed regulations would                 its owner for other federal tax purposes.             conform the existing provision for
                                                 add a new section, § 25.2704–3, to                      For this purpose, local law is the law of             testing the family’s ability to liquidate
                                                 address restrictions on the liquidation of              the jurisdiction, whether domestic or                 an interest with the proposed
                                                 an individual interest in an entity and                 foreign, under which the entity or                    elimination of the comparison with
                                                 the effect of insubstantial interests held              arrangement is created or organized.                  local law, to clarify that the manner in
                                                 by persons who are not members of the                   Thus, in applying these two tests, there              which liquidation may be achieved is
                                                 family.                                                 would be three types of entities:                     irrelevant, and to conform with the
                                                                                                         Corporations, partnerships (including                 proposed provision for disregarding
                                                 Covered Entities
                                                                                                         limited partnerships), and other                      certain nonfamily-member interests in
                                                    The proposed regulations would                       business entities (which would include                testing the family’s ability to remove a
                                                 clarify, in §§ 25.2704–1 through                        LLCs that are not S corporations) as                  restriction in proposed § 25.2704–3
                                                 25.2704–3, that section 2704 applies to                 determined under local law.                           regarding disregarded restrictions.
                                                 corporations, partnerships, LLC’s, and
                                                 other entities and arrangements that are                Control of the Entity                                 Applicable Restrictions Under Section
                                                 business entities within the meaning of                    Section 2704(c)(1) incorporates the                2704(b)
                                                 § 301.7701–2(a), regardless of whether                  definition of control found in section                   The proposed regulations would
                                                 the entity or arrangement is domestic or                2701(b)(2). Control of a corporation,                 remove the exception in § 25.2704–2(b)
                                                 foreign, regardless of how the entity or                partnership, or limited partnership is                that limits the definition of applicable
                                                 arrangement is classified for other                     defined in sections 2701(b)(2)(A) and                 restriction to limitations that are more
                                                 federal tax purposes, and regardless of                 (B). The proposed regulations would                   restrictive than the limitations that
                                                 whether the entity or arrangement is                    clarify, in § 25.2701–2, that control of an           would apply in the absence of the
                                                 disregarded as an entity separate from                  LLC or of any other entity or                         restriction under the local law generally
                                                 its owner for other federal tax purposes.               arrangement that is not a corporation,                applicable to the entity. As noted above,
                                                                                                         partnership, or limited partnership                   this exception is not consistent with
                                                 Classification of the Entity                            would constitute the holding of at least              section 2704(b) to the extent that the
                                                    Section 2704 speaks in terms of                      50 percent of either the capital or profits           transferor and family members have the
                                                 corporations and partnerships. Under                    interests of the entity or arrangement, or            power to avoid any statutory rule. The
                                                 the proposed regulations, a corporation                 the holding of any equity interest with               proposed regulations also would revise
                                                 is any business entity described in                     the ability to cause the full or partial              § 25.2704–2(b) to provide that an
                                                 § 301.7701–2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7),            liquidation of the entity or arrangement.             applicable restriction does include a
                                                 or (8), an S corporation within the                     Cf. section 2701(b)(2)(B)(ii) (defining               restriction that is imposed under the
                                                 meaning of section 1361(a)(1), and a                    control of a limited partnership as                   terms of the governing documents, as
                                                 qualified subchapter S subsidiary                       including the holding of any interest as              well as a restriction that is imposed
                                                 within the meaning of section                           a general partner). Further, for purposes             under a local law regardless of whether
                                                 1361(b)(3)(B). For this purpose, a                      of determining control, under the                     that restriction may be superseded by or
                                                 qualified subchapter S subsidiary is                    attribution rules of existing § 25.2701–6,            pursuant to the governing documents or
                                                 treated as a corporation that is separate               an individual, the individual’s estate,               otherwise. In applying this particular
                                                 from its parent owner. For most                         and members of the individual’s family                exception to the definition of an
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                                                 purposes under the proposed                             are treated as holding interests held                 applicable restriction, this proposed
                                                 regulations, a partnership would be any                 indirectly through a corporation,                     rule is intended to ensure that a
                                                 other business entity within the                        partnership, trust, or other entity.                  restriction that is not imposed or
                                                 meaning of § 301.7701–1(a), regardless                                                                        required to be imposed by federal or
                                                 of how the entity is classified for federal             Lapses Under Section 2704(a)                          state law is disregarded without regard
                                                 tax purposes.                                              The proposed regulations would                     to its source.
                                                    However, these proposed regulations                  amend § 25.2704–1(a) to confirm that a                   Further, with regard to the exception
                                                 address two situations in which it is                   transfer that results in the restriction or           for restrictions ‘‘imposed, or required to


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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                           51417

                                                 be imposed, by any Federal or State                     exist (that is, as if the governing                   testamentary transfer and the rules of
                                                 law,’’ in section 2704(b)(3)(B), the                    documents and the local law are silent                § 25.2512–2(f)(2) or 25.2512–3 apply in
                                                 proposed regulations would clarify that                 on the question), and thus, there is                  the case of an inter vivos transfer. The
                                                 the terms ‘‘federal’’ and ‘‘state’’ refer               deemed to be no such restriction on                   minimum value of the interest is the net
                                                 only to the United States or any state                  liquidation of the entity.                            value of the entity multiplied by the
                                                 (including the District of Columbia (see                                                                      interest’s share of the entity. For this
                                                                                                         Disregarded Restrictions
                                                 section 7701(a)(10)), but do not include                                                                      purpose, the interest’s share is
                                                 any other jurisdiction.                                    A new class of restrictions is                     determined by taking into account any
                                                    A restriction is imposed or required to              described in the proposed regulations                 capital, profits, and other rights inherent
                                                 be imposed by law if the restriction                    that would be disregarded, described as               in the interest in the entity.
                                                 cannot be removed or overridden and it                  ‘‘disregarded restrictions.’’ This class of              A disregarded restriction includes
                                                 is mandated by the applicable law, is                   restrictions is identified pursuant to the            limitations on the time and manner of
                                                 required to be included in the governing                authority contained in section                        payment of the liquidation proceeds.
                                                 documents, or otherwise is made                         2704(b)(4). Note that, although it may                Such limitations include provisions
                                                 mandatory. In addition, a restriction                   appear that sections 2703 and 2704(b)                 permitting deferral of full payment
                                                 imposed by a state law, even if that                    overlap, they do not. While section 2703              beyond six months or permitting
                                                 restriction may not be removed or                       and the corresponding regulations                     payment in any manner other than in
                                                 overridden directly or indirectly,                      currently address restrictions on the sale            cash or property. For this purpose, the
                                                 nevertheless would constitute an                        or use of individual interests in family-             term ‘‘property’’ does not include a note
                                                 applicable restriction in two situations.               controlled entities, the proposed                     or other obligation issued directly or
                                                 In each situation, although the statute                 regulations would address restrictions                indirectly by the entity, other holders of
                                                 itself is mandatory and cannot be                       on the liquidation or redemption of                   an interest in the entity, or persons
                                                 overridden, another statute is available                such interests.                                       related to either. An exception is made
                                                 to be used for the entity’s governing law                  Under § 25.2704–3 of the proposed                  for the note of an entity engaged in an
                                                 that does not require the mandatory                     regulations, in the case of a family-                 active trade or business to the extent
                                                 restriction, thus in effect making the                  controlled entity, any restriction                    that (a) the liquidation proceeds are not
                                                 purportedly mandatory provision                         described below on a shareholder’s,                   attributable to passive assets within the
                                                 elective. The first situation is that in                partner’s, member’s, or other owner’s                 meaning of section 6166(b)(9)(B), and
                                                 which the state law is limited in its                   right to liquidate his or her interest in             (b) the note is adequately secured,
                                                 application to certain narrow classes of                the entity will be disregarded if the                 requires periodic payments on a non-
                                                 entities, particularly those types of                   restriction will lapse at any time after              deferred basis, is issued at market
                                                 entities most likely to be subject to                   the transfer, or if the transferor, or the            interest rates, and has a fair market
                                                 transfers described in section 2704, that               transferor and family members, without                value (when discounted to present
                                                 is, family-controlled entities. The                     regard to certain interests held by                   value) equal to the liquidation proceeds.
                                                 second situation is that in which,                      nonfamily members, may remove or                      A fair market value determination
                                                 although the state law under which the                  override the restriction. Under the                   assumes a cash sale. See Section 2 of
                                                 entity was created imposed a mandatory                  proposed regulations, such a                          Rev. Rul. 59–60, 1959–1 C.B. 237
                                                 restriction that could not be removed or                disregarded restriction includes one                  (defining fair market value and stating
                                                 overridden, either at the time the entity               that: (a) Limits the ability of the holder            that ‘‘[c]ourt decisions frequently state
                                                 was organized or at some subsequent                     of the interest to liquidate the interest;            in addition that the hypothetical buyer
                                                 time, that state’s law also provided an                 (b) limits the liquidation proceeds to an             and seller are assumed to be able, as
                                                 optional provision or an alternative                    amount that is less than a minimum                    well as willing to trade . . .’’). Thus, in
                                                 statute for the creation and governance                 value; (c) defers the payment of the                  the absence of immediate payment of
                                                 of that same type of entity that did not                liquidation proceeds for more than six                the liquidation proceeds, the fair market
                                                 mandate the restriction. Thus, an                       months; or (d) permits the payment of                 value of any note falling within this
                                                 optional provision is one for the same                  the liquidation proceeds in any manner                exception must equal the fair market
                                                 category of entity that did not include                 other than in cash or other property,                 value of the liquidation proceeds on the
                                                 the restriction or that allowed it to be                other than certain notes.                             date of liquidation or redemption.
                                                 removed or overridden, or that made the                    ‘‘Minimum value’’ is the interest’s                   Exceptions that apply to applicable
                                                 restriction optional, or permitted the                  share of the net value of the entity on               restrictions under the current and these
                                                 restriction to be superseded, whether by                the date of liquidation or redemption.                proposed regulations also apply to this
                                                 the entity’s governing documents or                     The net value of the entity is the fair               new class of disregarded restrictions.
                                                 otherwise. For purposes of determining                  market value, as determined under                     One of the exceptions applicable to the
                                                 whether a restriction is imposed on an                  section 2031 or 2512 and the applicable               definition of a disregarded restriction
                                                 entity under state law, there would be                  regulations, of the property held by the              applies if (a) each holder of an interest
                                                 only three types of entities, specifically,             entity, reduced by the outstanding                    in the entity has an enforceable ‘‘put’’
                                                 the three categories of entities described              obligations of the entity. Solely for                 right to receive, on liquidation or
                                                 in § 25.2701–2(b)(5) of the proposed                    purposes of determining minimum                       redemption of the holder’s interest, cash
                                                 regulations: Corporations; partnerships                 value, the only outstanding obligations               and/or other property with a value that
                                                 (including limited partnerships); and                   of the entity that may be taken into                  is at least equal to the minimum value
                                                 other business entities. A similar                      account are those that would be                       previously described, (b) the full
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                                                 proposed rule applies to the additional                 allowable (if paid) as deductions under               amount of such cash and other property
                                                 restrictions discussed later in this                    section 2053 if those obligations instead             must be paid within six months after the
                                                 preamble.                                               were claims against an estate. For                    holder gives notice to the entity of the
                                                    If an applicable restriction is                      example, and subject to the foregoing                 holder’s intent to liquidate any part or
                                                 disregarded, the fair market value of the               limitation on outstanding obligations, if             all of the holder’s interest and/or
                                                 transferred interest is determined under                the entity holds an operating business,               withdraw from the entity, and (c) such
                                                 generally applicable valuation                          the rules of § 20.2031–2(f)(2) or                     other property does not include a note
                                                 principles as if the restriction does not               20.2031–3 apply in the case of a                      or other obligation issued directly or


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                                                 51418                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 indirectly by the entity, by one or more                disregarded restriction did not exist,                Ahmanson Foundation v. United States,
                                                 holders of interests in the entity, or by               either in the governing documents or                  674 F.2d 761 (9th Cir. 1981).
                                                 a person related either to the entity or                applicable law. Fair market value is
                                                                                                                                                               Effective Dates
                                                 to any holder of an interest in the entity.             determined under generally accepted
                                                 However, in the case of an entity                       valuation principles, including any                      The amendments to § 25.2701–2 are
                                                 engaged in an active trade or business,                 appropriate discounts or premiums,                    proposed to be effective on and after the
                                                 at least 60 percent of whose value                      subject to the assumptions described in               date of publication of a Treasury
                                                 consists of the non-passive assets of that              this paragraph.                                       decision adopting these rules as final
                                                 trade or business, and to the extent that                                                                     regulations in the Federal Register. The
                                                                                                         Coordination With Marital and                         amendments to § 25.2704–1 are
                                                 the liquidation proceeds are not
                                                                                                         Charitable Deductions                                 proposed to apply to lapses of rights
                                                 attributable to passive assets within the
                                                 meaning of section 6166(b)(9)(B), such                     Section 2704(b) applies to intra-family            created after October 8, 1990, occurring
                                                 proceeds may include a note or other                    transfers for all purposes of subtitle B              on or after the date these regulations are
                                                 obligation if such note is adequately                   relating to estate, gift and GST taxes.               published as final regulations in the
                                                 secured, requires periodic payments on                  Therefore, to the extent that an interest             Federal Register. The amendments to
                                                 a non-deferred basis, is issued at market               qualifies for the gift or estate tax marital          § 25.2704–2 are proposed to apply to
                                                 interest rates, and has a fair market                   deduction and must be valued by taking                transfers of property subject to
                                                 value on the date of the liquidation or                 into account the special valuation                    restrictions created after October 8,
                                                 redemption equal to the liquidation                     assumptions of section 2704(b), the                   1990, occurring on or after the date
                                                 proceeds. A similar exception is made                   same value generally will apply in                    these regulations are published as final
                                                 to the definition of an applicable                      computing the marital deduction                       regulations in the Federal Register.
                                                 restriction in proposed § 25.2704–                      attributable to that interest. The value of           Section 25.2704–3 is proposed to apply
                                                 2(b)(4).                                                the estate tax marital deduction may be               to transfers of property subject to
                                                    In determining whether the transferor                further affected, however, by other                   restrictions created after October 8,
                                                 and/or the transferor’s family has the                  factors justifying a different value, such            1990, occurring 30 or more days after
                                                 ability to remove a restriction included                as the application of a control premium.              the date these regulations are published
                                                 in this new class of disregarded                        See, e.g., Estate of Chenoweth v.                     as final regulations in the Federal
                                                 restrictions, any interest in the entity                Commissioner, 88 T.C. 1577 (1987).                    Register.
                                                 held by a person who is not a member                       Section 2704(b) does not apply to
                                                                                                         transfers to nonfamily members and                    Special Analyses
                                                 of the transferor’s family is disregarded
                                                 if, at the time of the transfer, the                    thus has no application in valuing an                    Certain IRS regulations, including this
                                                 interest: (a) Has been held by such                     interest passing to charity or to a person            one, are exempt from the requirements
                                                 person for less than three years; (b)                   other than a family member. If part of                of Executive Order 12866, as
                                                 constitutes less than 10 percent of the                 an entity interest includible in the gross            supplemented and reaffirmed by
                                                 value of all of the equity interests in a               estate passes to family members and                   Executive Order 13563. Therefore, a
                                                 corporation, or constitutes less than 10                part of that interest passes to nonfamily             regulatory impact assessment is not
                                                 percent of the capital and profits                      members, and if (taking into account the              required. Pursuant to the Regulatory
                                                 interests in a business entity described                proposed rules regarding the treatment                Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6), it is
                                                 in § 301.7701–2(a) other than a                         of certain interests held by nonfamily                hereby certified that this regulation will
                                                 corporation (for example, less than a 10-               members) the part passing to the                      not have a significant economic impact
                                                 percent interest in the capital and                     decedent’s family members is valued                   on a substantial number of small
                                                 profits of a partnership); (c) when                     under section 2704(b), then the                       entities. The proposed regulations affect
                                                 combined with the interests of all other                proposed regulations provide that the                 the transfer tax liability of individuals
                                                 persons who are not members of the                      part passing to the family members is                 who transfer an interest in certain
                                                 transferor’s family, constitutes less than              treated as a property interest separate               closely held entities and not the entities
                                                 20 percent of the value of all of the                   from the part passing to nonfamily                    themselves. The proposed regulations
                                                 equity interests in a corporation, or                   members. The fair market value of the                 do not affect the structure of such
                                                 constitutes less than 20 percent of the                 part passing to the family members is                 entities, but only the assumptions under
                                                 capital and profits interests in a                      determined taking into account the                    which they are valued for federal
                                                 business entity other than a corporation                special valuation assumptions of section              transfer tax purposes. In addition, any
                                                 (for example, less than a 20-percent                    2704(b), as well as any other relevant                economic impact on entities affected by
                                                 interest in the capital and profits of a                factors, such as those supporting a                   section 2704, large or small, is derived
                                                 partnership); or (d) any such person, as                control premium. The fair market value                from the operation of the statute, or its
                                                 the owner of an interest, does not have                 of the part passing to the nonfamily                  intended application, and not from the
                                                 an enforceable right to receive in                      member(s) is determined in a similar                  proposed regulations in this notice of
                                                 exchange for such interest, on no more                  manner, but without the special                       proposed rulemaking. Accordingly, a
                                                 than six months’ prior notice, the                      valuation assumptions of section                      regulatory flexibility analysis is not
                                                 minimum value referred to in the                        2704(b). Thus, if the sole nonfamily                  required. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of
                                                 definition of a disregarded restriction. If             member receiving an interest is a                     the Internal Revenue Code, this
                                                 an interest is disregarded, the                         charity, the interest generally will have             regulation has been submitted to the
                                                 determination of whether the family has                 the same value for both estate tax                    Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
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                                                 the ability to remove the restriction will              inclusion and deduction purposes. If the              Business Administration for comment
                                                 be made assuming that the remaining                     interest passing to nonfamily members,                on its impact on small business.
                                                 interests are the sole interests in the                 however, is divided between charities
                                                 entity.                                                 and other nonfamily members,                          Comments and Public Hearing
                                                    Finally, if a restriction is disregarded             additional considerations (not                          Before these proposed regulations are
                                                 under proposed § 25.2704–3, the fair                    prescribed by section 2704) may apply,                adopted as final regulations,
                                                 market value of the interest in the entity              resulting in a different value for                    consideration will be given to any
                                                 is determined assuming that the                         charitable deduction purposes. See, e.g.,             written (a signed original and eight (8)


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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                                 51419

                                                 copies) or electronic comments that are                    Section 25.2704–1 also issued under 26             ■ Par. 3. Section 25.2701–8 is amended
                                                 submitted timely (in the manner                         U.S.C. 2704(a).                                       as follows:
                                                 described in ADDRESSES) to the IRS. The                    Sections 25.2704–2 and 25.2704–3 also              ■ 1. The existing text is designated as
                                                 Treasury Department and the IRS                         issued under 26 U.S.C. 2704(b).                       paragraph (a).
                                                 request comments on all aspects of the                  *      *      *      *       *                        ■ 2. The first sentence of newly
                                                 proposed regulations. All comments                      ■ Par. 2. Section 25.2701–2 is amended                designated paragraph (a) is revised and
                                                 will be available at                                    as follows:                                           paragraph (b) is added.
                                                 www.regulations.gov, or upon request.                   ■ 1. In paragraph (b)(5)(i), the first                  The revision and addition reads as
                                                    A public hearing on these proposed                   sentence is revised and five sentences                follows:
                                                 regulations has been scheduled for                      are added before the last sentence.                   § 25.2701–8       Effective dates.
                                                 December 1, 2016, beginning at 10 a.m.                  ■ 2. Paragraph (b)(5)(iv) is added.
                                                 in the Auditorium, Internal Revenue                       The revision and additions read as                     (a) Except as provided in paragraph
                                                 Building, 1111 Constitution Avenue                      follows:                                              (b) of this section, §§ 25.2701–1 through
                                                 NW., Washington, DC 20224. Due to                                                                             25.2701–4 and §§ 25.2701–6 and
                                                 building security procedures, visitors                  § 25.2701–2 Special valuation rules for               25.2701–7 are effective as of January 28,
                                                 must enter at the Constitution Avenue                   applicable retained interests.                        1992. * * *
                                                 entrance. In addition, all visitors must                *      *     *    *      *                               (b) The first six sentences of
                                                 present photo identification to enter the                  (b) * * *                                          § 25.2701–2(b)(5)(i) and (iv) are effective
                                                 building. Because of access restrictions,                  (5) * * *                                          on the date these regulations are
                                                 visitors will not be admitted beyond the                   (i) * * * For purposes of section                  published as final regulations in the
                                                 immediate entrance area more than 30                    2701, a controlled entity is a                        Federal Register.
                                                 minutes before the hearing starts. For                  corporation, partnership, or any other                ■ Par. 4. Section 25.2704–1 is amended
                                                 information about having your name                      entity or arrangement that is a business              as follows:
                                                 placed on the building access list to                   entity within the meaning of                          ■ 1. In paragraph (a)(1), the first two
                                                 attend the hearing, see the FOR FURTHER                 § 301.7701–2(a) of this chapter                       sentences are revised and four sentences
                                                 INFORMATION CONTACT section of this                     controlled, immediately before a                      are added before the third sentence.
                                                 preamble.                                               transfer, by the transferor, applicable               ■ 2. In paragraph (a)(2)(i), a sentence is
                                                    The rules of 26 CFR 601.601(a)(3)                    family members, and/or any lineal                     added at the end.
                                                 apply to the hearing. Persons who wish                  descendants of the parents of the                     ■ 3. Paragraph (a)(2)(iii) is removed.
                                                 to present oral comments at the hearing                 transferor or the transferor’s spouse. The            ■ 4. Paragraphs (a)(2)(iv) through (vi)
                                                 must submit comments by November 2,                     form of the entity determines the                     are redesignated as paragraphs (a)(2)(iii)
                                                 2016, and submit an outline of the                      applicable test for control. For purposes             through (v), respectively.
                                                                                                         of determining the form of the entity,                ■ 5. In newly designated paragraph
                                                 topics to be discussed and the time to
                                                 be devoted to each topic (signed original               any business entity described in                      (a)(2)(iii), a sentence is added before the
                                                 and eight (8) copies) by November 2,                    § 301.7701–2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7),          third sentence.
                                                                                                         or (8) of this chapter, an S corporation              ■ 6. Paragraph (a)(4) is revised.
                                                 2016.
                                                                                                         within the meaning of section                         ■ 7. Paragraph (a)(5) is added.
                                                    A period of 10 minutes will be
                                                                                                         1361(a)(1), and a qualified subchapter S              ■ 8. In paragraph (c)(1), the second
                                                 allotted to each person for making
                                                 comments. Copies of the agenda will be                  subsidiary within the meaning of                      sentence is revised and a sentence is
                                                 available free of charge at the hearing.                section 1361(b)(3)(B) is a corporation.               added at the end.
                                                                                                         For this purpose, a qualified subchapter              ■ 9. Paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B) is revised.
                                                 Drafting Information                                    S subsidiary is treated as a corporation              ■ 10. In paragraph (f) Example 4, the
                                                    The principal author of these                        separate from its parent corporation. In              third and fourth sentences are revised
                                                 proposed regulations is John D.                         the case of any business entity that is               and a sentence is added at the end.
                                                 MacEachen, Office of the Associate                      not a corporation under these                         ■ 11. In paragraph (f) Example 6, the
                                                 Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and                         provisions, the form of the entity is                 third sentence is removed.
                                                 Special Industries). Other personnel                                                                          ■ 12. In paragraph (f) Example 7, the
                                                                                                         determined under local law, regardless
                                                 from the Treasury Department and the                    of how the entity is classified for federal           third and fourth sentences are revised
                                                 IRS participated in their development.                  tax purposes or whether it is                         and a sentence is added at the end.
                                                                                                         disregarded as an entity separate from                   The revisions and additions read as
                                                 List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 25                                                                            follows:
                                                                                                         its owner for federal tax purposes. For
                                                   Gift taxes, Reporting and                             this purpose, local law is the law of the             § 25.2704–1       Lapse of certain rights.
                                                 recordkeeping requirements.                             jurisdiction, whether domestic or                        (a) * * *
                                                 Proposed Amendments to the                              foreign, under whose laws the entity is                  (1) * * * For purposes of subtitle B
                                                 Regulations                                             created or organized. * * *                           (relating to estate, gift, and generation-
                                                                                                         *      *     *    *      *                            skipping transfer taxes), the lapse of a
                                                   Accordingly, 26 CFR part 25 is
                                                                                                            (iv) Other business entities. In the               voting or a liquidation right in a
                                                 proposed to be amended as follows:
                                                                                                         case of any entity or arrangement that is             corporation or a partnership (an entity),
                                                 PART 25—GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE                            not a corporation, partnership, or                    whether domestic or foreign, is a
                                                 AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954                                 limited partnership, control means the                transfer by the individual directly or
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                                                                                                         holding of at least 50 percent of either              indirectly holding the right immediately
                                                 ■ Paragraph 1. The authority citation                   the capital interests or the profits                  prior to its lapse (the holder) to the
                                                 for part 25 is amended by adding entries                interests in the entity or arrangement. In            extent provided in paragraphs (b) and
                                                 in numerical order to read in part as                   addition, control means the holding of                (c) of this section. This section applies
                                                 follows:                                                any equity interest with the ability to               only if the entity is controlled by the
                                                   Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805. * * *
                                                                                                         cause the liquidation of the entity or                holder and/or members of the holder’s
                                                   Section 25.2701–2 also issued under 26                arrangement in whole or in part.                      family immediately before and after the
                                                 U.S.C. 2701(e).                                         *      *     *    *      *                            lapse. For purposes of this section, a


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                                                 51420                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 corporation is any business entity                      as a result of the transfer of an interest            ■ Par. 5. Section 25.2704–2 is amended
                                                 described in § 301.7701–2(b)(1), (3), (4),              within three years of the transferor’s                as follows:
                                                 (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this chapter, an S             death is treated as a lapse occurring on              ■ 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) are revised.
                                                 corporation within the meaning of                       the transferor’s date of death, includible            ■ 2. Paragraphs (c) and (d) are
                                                 section 1361(a)(1), and a qualified                     in the gross estate pursuant to section               designated as paragraphs (e) and (g),
                                                 subchapter S subsidiary within the                      2704(a).                                              respectively.
                                                 meaning of section 1361(b)(3)(B). For                      (2) * * *                                          ■ 3. New paragraphs (c), (d), and (f) are
                                                 this purpose, a qualified subchapter S                     (i) * * *                                          added.
                                                 subsidiary is treated as a corporation                     (B) Ability to liquidate. Whether an               ■ 4. The first sentence of newly
                                                 separate from its parent corporation. A                 interest can be liquidated immediately                designated paragraph (e) is revised.
                                                 partnership is any other business entity                after the lapse is determined under the               ■ 5. The third sentences of newly
                                                 within the meaning of § 301.7701–2(a)                   local law generally applicable to the                 designated paragraph (g) Example 1.
                                                 of this chapter regardless of how that                  entity, as modified by the governing                  and Example 3. are removed.
                                                 entity is classified for federal tax                    documents of the entity, but without                  ■ 6. The third sentence of newly
                                                 purposes. Thus, for example, the term                   regard to any restriction (in the                     designated paragraph (g) Example 5. is
                                                 partnership includes a limited liability                governing documents, applicable local                 revised.
                                                 company that is not an S corporation,                   law, or otherwise) described in section                 The revisions and additions read as
                                                 whether or not it is disregarded as an                  2704(b) and the regulations thereunder.               follows:
                                                 entity separate from its owner for                      The manner in which the interest may
                                                                                                                                                               § 25.2704–2 Transfers subject to
                                                 federal tax purposes. * * *                             be liquidated is irrelevant for this                  applicable restrictions.
                                                    (2) * * *                                            purpose, whether by voting, taking other
                                                                                                                                                                  (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle
                                                    (i) * * * For purposes of determining                action authorized by the governing
                                                                                                                                                               B (relating to estate, gift, and generation-
                                                 whether the group consisting of the                     documents or applicable local law,
                                                                                                                                                               skipping transfer taxes), if an interest in
                                                 holder, the holder’s estate and members                 revising the governing documents,
                                                                                                                                                               a corporation or a partnership (an
                                                 of the holder’s family control the entity,              merging the entity with an entity whose
                                                                                                                                                               entity), whether domestic or foreign, is
                                                 a member of the group is also treated as                governing documents permit liquidation
                                                                                                                                                               transferred to or for the benefit of a
                                                 holding any interest held indirectly by                 of the interest, terminating the entity, or
                                                                                                                                                               member of the transferor’s family, and
                                                 such member through a corporation,                      otherwise. For purposes of making this
                                                                                                                                                               the transferor and/or members of the
                                                 partnership, trust, or other entity under               determination, an interest held by a
                                                                                                                                                               transferor’s family control the entity
                                                 the rules contained in § 25.2701–6.                     person other than a member of the
                                                                                                                                                               immediately before the transfer, any
                                                 *       *     *      *     *                            holder’s family (a nonfamily-member
                                                                                                                                                               applicable restriction is disregarded in
                                                    (iii) * * * In the case of a limited                 interest) may be disregarded. Whether a
                                                                                                                                                               valuing the transferred interest. For
                                                 liability company, the right of a member                nonfamily-member interest is
                                                                                                                                                               purposes of this section, a corporation is
                                                 to participate in company management                    disregarded is determined under
                                                                                                                                                               any business entity described in
                                                 is a voting right. * * *                                § 25.2704–3(b)(4), applying that section
                                                                                                                                                               § 301.7701–2(b)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7),
                                                                                                         as if, by its terms, it also applies to the
                                                 *       *     *      *     *                                                                                  or (8) of this chapter, an S corporation
                                                                                                         question of whether the holder (or the
                                                    (4) Source of right or lapse. A voting                                                                     within the meaning of section
                                                                                                         holder’s estate) and members of the
                                                 right or a liquidation right may be                                                                           1361(a)(1), and a qualified subchapter S
                                                                                                         holder’s family may liquidate an interest
                                                 conferred by or lapse by reason of local                                                                      subsidiary within the meaning of
                                                                                                         immediately after the lapse.
                                                 law, the governing documents, an                                                                              section 1361(b)(3)(B). For this purpose,
                                                 agreement, or otherwise. For this                       *      *      *    *      *                           a qualified subchapter S subsidiary is
                                                 purpose, local law is the law of the                       (f) * * *                                          treated as a corporation separate from its
                                                 jurisdiction, whether domestic or                          Example 4. * * * More than three years             parent corporation. A partnership is any
                                                 foreign, that governs voting or                         before D’s death, D transfers one-half of D’s         other business entity within the
                                                 liquidation rights.                                     stock in equal shares to D’s three children (14       meaning of § 301.7701–2(a) of this
                                                                                                         percent each). Section 2704(a) does not apply
                                                    (5) Assignee interests. A transfer that              to the loss of D’s ability to liquidate Y             chapter, regardless of how that entity is
                                                 results in the restriction or elimination               because the voting rights with respect to the         classified for federal tax purposes. Thus,
                                                 of the transferee’s ability to exercise the             transferred shares are not restricted or              for example, the term partnership
                                                 voting or liquidation rights that were                  eliminated by reason of the transfer, and the         includes a limited liability company
                                                 associated with the interest while held                 transfer occurs more than three years before          that is not an S corporation, whether or
                                                 by the transferor is a lapse of those                   D’s death. However, had the transfers                 not it is disregarded as an entity
                                                 rights. For example, the transfer of a                  occurred within three years of D’s death, the         separate from its owner for federal tax
                                                                                                         transfers would have been treated as the
                                                 partnership interest to an assignee that                                                                      purposes.
                                                                                                         lapse of D’s liquidation right occurring at D’s
                                                 neither has nor may exercise the voting                 death.                                                   (b) Applicable restriction defined—(1)
                                                 or liquidation rights of a partner is a                                                                       In general. The term applicable
                                                                                                         *      *      *      *       *
                                                 lapse of the voting and liquidation                        Example 7. * * * More than three years             restriction means a limitation on the
                                                 rights associated with the transferred                  before D’s death, D transfers 30 shares of            ability to liquidate the entity, in whole
                                                 interest.                                               common stock to D’s child. The transfer is            or in part (as opposed to a particular
                                                    (c) * * *                                            not a lapse of a liquidation right with respect       holder’s interest in the entity), if, after
                                                    (1) * * * Except as otherwise                        to the common stock because the voting                the transfer, that limitation either lapses
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                                                 provided, a transfer of an interest                     rights that enabled D to liquidate prior to the       or may be removed by the transferor, the
                                                 occurring more than three years before                  transfer are not restricted or eliminated, and        transferor’s estate, and/or any member
                                                 the transferor’s death that results in the              the transfer occurs more than three years             of the transferor’s family, either alone or
                                                                                                         before D’s death. * * * However, had the
                                                 lapse of a voting or liquidation right is               transfer occurred within three years of D’s           collectively. See § 25.2704–3 for
                                                 not subject to this section if the rights               death, the transfer would have been treated           restrictions on the ability to liquidate a
                                                 with respect to the transferred interest                as the lapse of D’s liquidation right with            particular holder’s interest in the entity.
                                                 are not restricted or eliminated. * * *                 respect to the common stock occurring at D’s             (2) Source of limitation. An applicable
                                                 The lapse of a voting or liquidation right              death.                                                restriction includes a restriction that is


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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                               51421

                                                 imposed under the terms of the                          include a bank as defined in section 581                 (c) Other definitions. For the
                                                 governing documents (for example, the                   that is publicly held.                                definition of the term controlled entity,
                                                 corporation’s by-laws, the partnership                     (ii) Imposed by federal or state law.              see § 25.2701–2(b)(5). For the definition
                                                 agreement, or other governing                           An applicable restriction does not                    of the term member of the family, see
                                                 documents), a buy-sell agreement, a                     include a restriction imposed or                      § 25.2702–2(a)(1).
                                                 redemption agreement, or an assignment                  required to be imposed by federal or                     (d) Attribution. An individual, the
                                                 or deed of gift, or any other document,                 state law. For this purpose, federal or               individual’s estate, and members of the
                                                 agreement, or arrangement; and a                        state law means the laws of the United                individual’s family are treated as also
                                                 restriction imposed under local law                     States, of any state thereof, or of the               holding any interest held indirectly by
                                                 regardless of whether that restriction                  District of Columbia, but does not                    such person through a corporation,
                                                 may be superseded by or pursuant to the                 include the laws of any other                         partnership, trust, or other entity under
                                                 governing documents or otherwise. For                   jurisdiction. A provision of law that                 the rules contained in § 25.2701–6.
                                                 this purpose, local law is the law of the               applies only in the absence of a contrary                (e) * * * If an applicable restriction
                                                 jurisdiction, whether domestic or                       provision in the governing documents                  is disregarded under this section, the
                                                 foreign, that governs the applicability of              or that may be superseded with regard                 fair market value of the transferred
                                                 the restriction. For an exception for                   to a particular entity (whether by the                interest is determined under generally
                                                 restrictions imposed or required to be                  shareholders, partners, members and/or                applicable valuation principles as if the
                                                 imposed by federal or state law, see                    managers of the entity or otherwise) is               restriction (whether in the governing
                                                 paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section.                   not a restriction that is imposed or                  documents, applicable law, or both)
                                                    (3) Lapse or removal of limitation. A                required to be imposed by federal or                  does not exist. * * *
                                                 restriction is an applicable restriction                state law. A law that is limited in its                  (f) Certain transfers at death to
                                                 only to the extent that either the                      application to certain narrow classes of              multiple persons. Solely for purposes of
                                                 restriction by its terms will lapse at any              entities, particularly those types of                 section 2704(b), if part of a decedent’s
                                                 time after the transfer, or the restriction             entities (such as family-controlled                   interest in an entity includible in the
                                                 may be removed after the transfer by                    entities) most likely to be subject to                gross estate passes by reason of death to
                                                 any one or more members, either alone                   transfers described in section 2704, is               one or more members of the decedent’s
                                                 or collectively, of the group consisting                not a restriction that is imposed or                  family and part of that includible
                                                 of the transferor, the transferor’s estate,             required to be imposed by federal or                  interest passes to one or more persons
                                                 and members of the transferor’s family.                 state law. For example, a law requiring               who are not members of the decedent’s
                                                 For purposes of determining whether                     a restriction that may not be removed or              family, and if the part passing to the
                                                 the ability to remove the restriction is                superseded and that applies only to                   members of the decedent’s family is to
                                                 held by any member(s) of this group,                    family-controlled entities that otherwise             be valued pursuant to paragraph (e) of
                                                 members are treated as holding the                                                                            this section, then that part is treated as
                                                                                                         would be subject to the rules of section
                                                 interests attributed to them under the                                                                        a single, separate property interest. In
                                                                                                         2704 is an applicable restriction. In
                                                 rules contained in § 25.2701–6, in                                                                            that case, the part passing to one or
                                                                                                         addition, a restriction is not imposed or
                                                 addition to interests held directly. The                                                                      more persons who are not members of
                                                                                                         required to be imposed by federal or
                                                 manner in which the restriction may be                                                                        the decedent’s family is also treated as
                                                                                                         state law if that law also provides (either
                                                 removed is irrelevant for this purpose,                                                                       a single, separate property interest. See
                                                                                                         at the time the entity was organized or
                                                 whether by voting, taking other action                                                                        paragraph (g) Ex. 4 of § 25.2704–3.
                                                                                                         at some subsequent time) an optional
                                                 authorized by the governing documents                                                                            (g) * * *
                                                                                                         provision that does not include the
                                                 or applicable local law, removing the                                                                           Example 5. * * * The preferred stock
                                                                                                         restriction or that allows it to be
                                                 restriction from the governing                                                                                carries a right to liquidate X that cannot be
                                                 documents, revising the governing                       removed or overridden, or that provides
                                                                                                         a different statute for the creation and              exercised until 1999. * * *
                                                 documents to override the restriction                                                                         *        *    *       *     *
                                                 prescribed under local law in the                       governance of that same type of entity
                                                 absence of a contrary provision in the                  that does not mandate the restriction,
                                                                                                                                                               § 25.2704–3       [Redesignated as § 25.2704–4]
                                                 governing documents, merging the                        makes the restriction optional, or
                                                                                                         permits the restriction to be superseded,             ■ Par. 6. Section 25.2704–3 is
                                                 entity with an entity whose governing                                                                         redesignated as § 25.2704–4.
                                                 documents do not contain the                            whether by the entity’s governing
                                                                                                                                                               ■ Par. 7. New § 25.2704–3 is added to
                                                 restriction, terminating the entity, or                 documents or otherwise. For purposes
                                                                                                                                                               read as follows.
                                                 otherwise.                                              of determining the type of entity, there
                                                    (4) Exceptions. A restriction described              are only three types of entities,                     § 25.2704–3 Transfers subject to
                                                 in this paragraph (b)(4) is not an                      specifically, the three categories of                 disregarded restrictions.
                                                 applicable restriction.                                 entities described in § 25.2701–2(b)(5):                 (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle
                                                    (i) Commercially reasonable                          Corporations; partnerships (including                 B (relating to estate, gift and generation-
                                                 restriction. An applicable restriction                  limited partnerships); and other                      skipping transfer taxes), and
                                                 does not include a commercially                         business entities.                                    notwithstanding any provision of
                                                 reasonable restriction on liquidation                      (iii) Certain rights under section 2703.           § 25.2704–2, if an interest in a
                                                 imposed by an unrelated person                          An option, right to use property, or                  corporation or a partnership (an entity),
                                                 providing capital to the entity for the                 agreement that is subject to section 2703             whether domestic or foreign, is
                                                 entity’s trade or business operations,                  is not an applicable restriction.                     transferred to or for the benefit of a
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                                                 whether in the form of debt or equity.                     (iv) Put right of each holder. Any                 member of the transferor’s family, and
                                                 An unrelated person is any person                       restriction that otherwise would                      the transferor and/or members of the
                                                 whose relationship to the transferor, the               constitute an applicable restriction                  transferor’s family control the entity
                                                 transferee, or any member of the family                 under this section will not be                        immediately before the transfer, any
                                                 of either is not described in section                   considered an applicable restriction if               restriction described in paragraph (b) of
                                                 267(b), provided that for purposes of                   each holder of an interest in the entity              this section is disregarded, and the
                                                 this section the term fiduciary of a trust              has a put right as described in                       transferred interest is valued as
                                                 as used in section 267(b) does not                      § 25.2704–3(b)(6).                                    provided in paragraph (f) of this section.


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                                                 51422                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 For purposes of this section, a                         interest is the net value of the entity               corporation’s by-laws, the partnership
                                                 corporation is any business entity                      multiplied by the interest’s share of the             agreement, or other governing
                                                 described in § 301.7701–2(b)(1), (3), (4),              entity. For this purpose, the interest’s              documents), a buy-sell agreement, a
                                                 (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this chapter, an S             share is determined by taking into                    redemption agreement, or an assignment
                                                 corporation within the meaning of                       account any capital, profits, and other               or deed of gift, or any other document,
                                                 section 1361(a)(1), and a qualified                     rights inherent in the interest in the                agreement, or arrangement; and a
                                                 subchapter S subsidiary within the                      entity. If the property held by the entity            restriction imposed under local law
                                                 meaning of section 1361(b)(3)(B). For                   directly or indirectly includes an                    regardless of whether that restriction
                                                 this purpose, a qualified subchapter S                  interest in another entity, and if a                  may be superseded by or pursuant to the
                                                 subsidiary is treated as a corporation                  transfer of an interest in that other entity          governing documents or otherwise. For
                                                 separate from its parent corporation. A                 by the same transferor (had that                      this purpose, local law is the law of the
                                                 partnership is any other business entity                transferor owned the interest directly)               jurisdiction, whether domestic or
                                                 within the meaning of § 301.7701–2(a)                   would be subject to section 2704(b),                  foreign, which governs the applicability
                                                 of this chapter, regardless of how that                 then the entity will be treated as owning             of the restriction. For an exception for
                                                 entity is classified for federal tax                    a share of the property held by the other             restrictions imposed or required to be
                                                 purposes. Thus, for example, the term                   entity, determined and valued in                      imposed by federal or state law, see
                                                 partnership includes a limited liability                accordance with the provisions of                     paragraph (b)(5)(iii) of this section.
                                                 company that is not an S corporation,                   section 2704(b) and the regulations                      (3) Lapse or removal of limitation. A
                                                 whether or not it is disregarded as an                  thereunder.                                           restriction is a disregarded restriction
                                                 entity separate from its owner for                         (iii) The provision defers or permits              only to the extent that the restriction
                                                 federal tax purposes.                                   the deferral of the payment of the full               either will lapse by its terms at any time
                                                    (b) Disregarded restrictions defined—                amount of the liquidation or redemption               after the transfer or may be removed
                                                 (1) In general. The term disregarded                    proceeds for more than six months after               after the transfer by any one or more
                                                 restriction means a restriction that is a               the date the holder gives notice to the               members, either alone or collectively, of
                                                 limitation on the ability to redeem or                  entity of the holder’s intent to have the             the group consisting of the transferor,
                                                 liquidate an interest in an entity that is              holder’s interest liquidated or                       the transferor’s estate, and members of
                                                 described in any one or more of                         redeemed.                                             the transferor’s family. For purposes of
                                                 paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this                  (iv) The provision authorizes or                   determining whether the ability to
                                                 section, if the restriction, in whole or in             permits the payment of any portion of                 remove the restriction is held by any
                                                 part, either lapses after the transfer or               the full amount of the liquidation or                 one or more members of this group,
                                                 can be removed by the transferor or any                 redemption proceeds in any manner                     members are treated as holding interests
                                                 member of the transferor’s family                       other than in cash or property. Solely                attributed to them under the rules
                                                 (subject to paragraph (b)(4) of this                    for this purpose, except as provided in               contained in § 25.2701–6, in addition to
                                                 section), either alone or collectively.                 the following sentence, a note or other               interests held directly. See also
                                                    (i) The provision limits or permits the              obligation issued directly or indirectly              paragraph (b)(4) of this section. The
                                                 limitation of the ability of the holder of              by the entity, by one or more holders of              manner in which the restriction may be
                                                 the interest to compel liquidation or                   interests in the entity, or by a person               removed is irrelevant for this purpose,
                                                 redemption of the interest.                             related to either the entity or any holder            whether by voting, taking other action
                                                    (ii) The provision limits or permits                 of an interest in the entity, is deemed               authorized by the governing documents
                                                 the limitation of the amount that may be                not to be property. In the case of an                 or applicable local law, removing the
                                                 received by the holder of the interest on               entity engaged in an active trade or                  restriction from the governing
                                                 liquidation or redemption of the interest               business, at least 60 percent of whose                documents, revising the governing
                                                 to an amount that is less than a                        value consists of the non-passive assets              documents to override the restriction
                                                 minimum value. The term minimum                         of that trade or business, and to the                 prescribed under local law in the
                                                 value means the interest’s share of the                 extent that the liquidation proceeds are              absence of a contrary provision in the
                                                 net value of the entity determined on                   not attributable to passive assets within             governing documents, merging the
                                                 the date of liquidation or redemption.                  the meaning of section 6166(b)(9)(B),                 entity with an entity whose governing
                                                 The net value of the entity is the fair                 such proceeds may include such a note                 documents do not contain the
                                                 market value, as determined under                       or other obligation if such note or other             restriction, terminating the entity, or
                                                 section 2031 or 2512 and the applicable                 obligation is adequately secured,                     otherwise.
                                                 regulations, of the property held by the                requires periodic payments on a non-                     (4) Certain interests held by nonfamily
                                                 entity, reduced by the outstanding                      deferred basis, is issued at market                   members disregarded—(i) In general. In
                                                 obligations of the entity. Solely for                   interest rates, and has a fair market                 the case of a transfer to or for the benefit
                                                 purposes of determining minimum                         value on the date of liquidation or                   of a member of the transferor’s family,
                                                 value, the only outstanding obligations                 redemption equal to the liquidation                   for purposes of determining whether the
                                                 of the entity that may be taken into                    proceeds. See § 25.2512–8. For purposes               transferor (or the transferor’s estate) or
                                                 account are those that would be                         of this paragraph (b)(1)(iv), a related               any member of the transferor’s family,
                                                 allowable (if paid) as deductions under                 person is any person whose relationship               either alone or collectively, may remove
                                                 section 2053 if those obligations instead               to the entity or to any holder of an                  a restriction within the meaning of this
                                                 were claims against an estate. For                      interest in the entity is described in                paragraph (b), an interest held by a
                                                 example, and subject to the foregoing                   section 267(b), provided that for this                person other than a member of the
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                                                 limitation on outstanding obligations, if               purpose the term fiduciary of a trust as              transferor’s family (a nonfamily-member
                                                 the entity holds an operating business,                 used in section 267(b) does not include               interest) is disregarded unless all of the
                                                 the rules of § 20.2031–2(f)(2) or                       a bank as defined in section 581 that is              following are satisfied:
                                                 § 20.2031–3 of this chapter apply in the                publicly held.                                           (A) The interest has been held by the
                                                 case of a testamentary transfer and the                    (2) Source of limitation. A disregarded            nonfamily member for at least three
                                                 rules of § 25.2512–2(f)(2) or § 25.2512–3               restriction includes a restriction that is            years immediately before the transfer;
                                                 apply in the case of an inter vivos                     imposed under the terms of the                           (B) On the date of the transfer, in the
                                                 transfer. The minimum value of the                      governing documents (for example, the                 case of a corporation, the interest


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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                          51423

                                                 constitutes at least 10 percent of the                  as used in section 267(b) does not                    has a put right as described in paragraph
                                                 value of all of the equity interests in the             include a bank as defined in section 581              (b)(6) of this section.
                                                 corporation, and, in the case of a                      that is publicly held.                                   (6) Put right. The term put right means
                                                 business entity within the meaning of                      (iii) Requirement of federal or state              a right, enforceable under applicable
                                                 § 301.7701–2(a) of this chapter other                   law. A disregarded restriction does not               local law, to receive from the entity or
                                                 than a corporation, the interest                        include a restriction imposed or                      from one or more other holders, on
                                                 constitutes at least a 10-percent interest              required to be imposed by federal or                  liquidation or redemption of the
                                                 in the business entity, for example, a 10-              state law. For this purpose, federal or               holder’s interest, within six months
                                                 percent interest in the capital and                     state law means the laws of the United                after the date the holder gives notice of
                                                 profits of a partnership;                               States, of any state thereof, or of the               the holder’s intent to withdraw, cash
                                                    (C) On the date of the transfer, in the              District of Columbia, but does not                    and/or other property with a value that
                                                 case of a corporation, the total of the                 include the laws of any other                         is at least equal to the minimum value
                                                 equity interests in the corporation held                jurisdiction. A provision of law that                 of the interest determined as of the date
                                                 by shareholders who are not members of                  applies only in the absence of a contrary             of the liquidation or redemption. For
                                                 the transferor’s family constitutes at                  provision in the governing documents                  this purpose, local law is the law of the
                                                 least 20 percent of the value of all of the             or that may be superseded with regard                 jurisdiction, whether domestic or
                                                 equity interests in the corporation, and,               to a particular entity (whether by the                foreign, that governs liquidation or
                                                 in the case of a business entity within                 shareholders, partners, members and/or                redemption rights with regard to
                                                 the meaning of § 301.7701–2(a) of this                  managers of the entity or otherwise) is               interests in the entity. For purposes of
                                                 chapter other than a corporation, the                   not a restriction that is imposed or                  this paragraph (b)(6), the term other
                                                 total interests in the entity held by                   required to be imposed by federal or                  property does not include a note or
                                                 owners who are not members of the                       state law. A law that is limited in its               other obligation issued directly or
                                                 transferor’s family is at least 20 percent              application to certain narrow classes of              indirectly by the entity, by one or more
                                                 of all the interests in the entity, for                 entities, particularly those types of                 holders of interests in the entity, or by
                                                 example, a 20-percent interest in the                   entities (such as family-controlled                   one or more persons related either to the
                                                 capital and profits of a partnership; and               entities) most likely to be subject to                entity or to any holder of an interest in
                                                    (D) Each nonfamily member, as                                                                              the entity. However, in the case of an
                                                                                                         transfers described in section 2704, is
                                                 owner, has a put right as described in                                                                        entity engaged in an active trade or
                                                                                                         not a restriction that is imposed or
                                                 paragraph (b)(6) of this section.                                                                             business, at least 60 percent of whose
                                                                                                         required to be imposed by federal or
                                                    (ii) Effect of disregarding a nonfamily-                                                                   value consists of the non-passive assets
                                                                                                         state law. For example, a law requiring
                                                 member interest. If a nonfamily-member                                                                        of that trade or business, and to the
                                                                                                         a restriction that may not be removed or
                                                 interest is disregarded under this                                                                            extent that the liquidation proceeds are
                                                                                                         superseded and that applies only to
                                                 section, the rules of this section are                                                                        not attributable to passive assets within
                                                                                                         family-controlled entities that otherwise
                                                 applied as if all interests other than                                                                        the meaning of section 6166(b)(9)(B), the
                                                                                                         would be subject to the rules of section
                                                 disregarded nonfamily-member interests                                                                        term other property does include a note
                                                                                                         2704 is a disregarded restriction. In
                                                 constitute all of the interests in the                                                                        or other obligation if such note or other
                                                                                                         addition, a restriction is not imposed or
                                                 entity.                                                                                                       obligation is adequately secured,
                                                    (iii) Attribution. In applying the 10-               required to be imposed by federal or
                                                                                                                                                               requires periodic payments on a non-
                                                 percent and 20-percent tests when the                   state law if that law also provides (either
                                                                                                                                                               deferred basis, is issued at market
                                                 property held by the corporation or                     at the time the entity was organized or
                                                                                                                                                               interest rates, and has a fair market
                                                 other business entity is, in whole or in                at some subsequent time) an optional
                                                                                                                                                               value on the date of liquidation or
                                                 part, an interest in another entity, the                provision that does not include the                   redemption equal to the liquidation
                                                 attribution rules of paragraph (d) of this              restriction or that allows it to be                   proceeds. See § 25.2512–8. The
                                                 section apply both in determining the                   removed or overridden, or that provides               minimum value of the interest is the
                                                 interest held by a nonfamily member,                    a different statute for the creation and              interest’s share of the net value of the
                                                 and in measuring the interests owned                    governance of that same type of entity                entity, as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)
                                                 through other entities.                                 that does not mandate the restriction,                of this section.
                                                    (5) Exceptions. A restriction described              makes the restriction optional, or                       (c) Other definitions. For the
                                                 in this paragraph (b)(5) is not a                       permits the restriction to be superseded,             definition of the term controlled entity,
                                                 disregarded restriction.                                whether by the entity’s governing                     see § 25.2701–2(b)(5). For the definition
                                                    (i) Applicable restriction. A                        documents or otherwise. For purposes                  of the term member of the family, see
                                                 disregarded restriction does not include                of determining the type of entity, there              § 25.2702–2(a)(1).
                                                 an applicable restriction on the                        are only three types of entities,                        (d) Attribution. An individual, the
                                                 liquidation of the entity as defined in                 specifically, the three categories of                 individual’s estate, and members of the
                                                 and governed by § 25.2704–2.                            entities described in § 25.2701–2(b)(5):              individual’s family, as well as any other
                                                    (ii) Commercially reasonable                         Corporations; partnerships (including                 person, also are treated as holding any
                                                 restriction. A disregarded restriction                  limited partnerships); and other                      interest held indirectly by such person
                                                 does not include a commercially                         business entities.                                    through a corporation, partnership,
                                                 reasonable restriction on liquidation                      (iv) Certain rights described in section           trust, or other entity under the rules
                                                 imposed by an unrelated person                          2703. An option, right to use property,               contained in § 25.2701–6.
                                                 providing capital to the entity for the                 or agreement that is subject to section                  (e) Certain transfers at death to
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                                                 entity’s trade or business operations                   2703 is not a restriction for purposes of             multiple persons. Solely for purposes of
                                                 whether in the form of debt or equity.                  this paragraph (b).                                   section 2704(b), if part of a decedent’s
                                                 An unrelated person is any person                          (v) Right to put interest to entity. Any           interest in an entity includible in the
                                                 whose relationship to the transferor, the               restriction that otherwise would                      gross estate passes by reason of death to
                                                 transferee, or any member of the family                 constitute a disregarded restriction                  one or more members of the decedent’s
                                                 of either is not described in section                   under this section will not be                        family and part of that includible
                                                 267(b), provided that for purposes of                   considered a disregarded restriction if               interest passes to one or more persons
                                                 this section the term fiduciary of a trust              each holder of an interest in the entity              who are nonfamily members of the


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                                                 51424                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules

                                                 decedent, and if the part passing to the                held in an irrevocable trust of which A is the        partner interest. The partnership agreement
                                                 members of the decedent’s family is to                  sole income beneficiary. The trustee is a             provides that a limited partner may withdraw
                                                 be valued pursuant to paragraph (f) of                  publicly-held bank. A is treated as holding           from the partnership at any time by giving six
                                                                                                         the interests held by the trust under the rules       months’ notice to the general partner. On
                                                 this section, then that part is treated as                                                                    withdrawal, the partner is entitled to receive
                                                                                                         contained in § 25.2701–6. The result is the
                                                 a single, separate property interest. In                same as in Example 1.                                 the fair market value of his or her partnership
                                                 that case, the part passing to one or                      Example 3. The facts are the same as in            interest payable over a five-year period.
                                                 more persons who are not members of                     Example 1, except that, on D’s subsequent             Under the partnership agreement, the
                                                 the decedent’s family is also treated as                death, D’s remaining 32 percent limited               approval of all partners is required to amend
                                                 a single, separate property interest. See               partner interest passes outright to D’s               the agreement. None of these provisions are
                                                 paragraph (g) Example 4 of this section.                surviving spouse, S, who is a U.S. citizen. In        mandated by local law. D transfers a 33
                                                    (f) Effect of disregarding a restriction.            valuing the 32 percent interest for purposes          percent limited partner interest to A and a 33
                                                 If a restriction is disregarded under this              of determining both the amount includible in          percent limited partner interest to B. Under
                                                                                                         the gross estate and the amount allowable as          paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, the
                                                 section, the fair market value of the                   a marital deduction, the analysis and result          provision requiring that a withdrawing
                                                 transferred interest is determined under                are as described in Example 1.                        partner give at least six months’ notice before
                                                 generally applicable valuation                             Example 4. (i) The facts are the same as           withdrawing provides a reasonable waiting
                                                 principles as if the disregarded                        in Example 1, except that D made no gifts             period and does not cause the restriction to
                                                 restriction does not exist in the                       and, on D’s subsequent death pursuant to D’s          be disregarded in valuing the transferred
                                                 governing documents, local law, or                      will, a 53 percent limited partner interest           interests. However, the provision limiting the
                                                 otherwise. For this purpose, local law is               passes to D’s surviving spouse who is a U.S.          amount the partner may receive on
                                                 the law of the jurisdiction, whether                    citizen, a 25 percent limited partner interest        withdrawal to the fair market value of the
                                                                                                         passes to C, an unrelated individual, and a           partnership interest, and permitting that
                                                 domestic or foreign, under which the
                                                                                                         20 percent limited partner interest passes to         amount to be paid over a five-year period,
                                                 entity is created or organized.                         E, a charity. The restriction on a limited            may limit the amount the partner may
                                                    (g) Examples. The following examples                 partner’s ability to liquidate that partner’s         receive on withdrawal to less than the
                                                 illustrate the provisions of this section.              interest is a disregarded restriction. In             minimum value described in paragraph
                                                    Example 1. (i) D and D’s children, A and             determining whether D’s estate and/or D’s             (b)(1)(ii) of this section and allows the delay
                                                 B, are partners in Limited Partnership X that           family may remove the disregarded                     of payment beyond the period described in
                                                 was created on July 1, 2016. D owns a 98                restriction after the transfer occurring on D’s       paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section. The
                                                 percent limited partner interest, and A and             death, the interests of C and E are                   partnership agreement imposes a restriction
                                                 B each own a 1 percent general partner                  disregarded because these interests were not          on the ability of a partner to liquidate the
                                                 interest. The partnership agreement provides            held by C and E for at least three years prior        partner’s interest in the partnership that is
                                                 that the partnership will dissolve and                  to D’s death, nor do C and E have the right           not required to be imposed by law and that
                                                 liquidate on June 30, 2066, or by the earlier           to withdraw on six months’ notice and                 may be removed by the transferor and
                                                 agreement of all the partners, but otherwise            receive their respective interest’s share of the      members of the transferor’s family, acting
                                                 prohibits the withdrawal of a limited partner.          minimum value of X. Thus, the 53 percent              collectively, by agreeing to amend the
                                                 Under applicable local law, a limited partner           interest passing to D’s surviving spouse is           partnership agreement.
                                                 may withdraw from a limited partnership at              subject to section 2704(b). D’s gross estate             (ii) Under section 2704(b) and paragraph
                                                 the time, or on the occurrence of events,               will be deemed to include two separate                (a) of this section, the restriction on a limited
                                                 specified in the partnership agreement.                 assets: A 53 percent limited partner interest         partner’s ability to liquidate that partner’s
                                                 Under the partnership agreement, the                    subject to section 2704(b), and a 45 percent          interest is disregarded in determining the
                                                 approval of all partners is required to amend           limited partner interest not subject to section       value of the transferred interests.
                                                 the agreement. None of these provisions is              2704.                                                 Accordingly, the amount of each transfer is
                                                 mandated by local law. D transfers a 33                    (ii) The fair market value of the 53 percent       the fair market value of the 33 percent
                                                 percent limited partner interest to A and a 33          interest is determined for both inclusion and         limited partner interest, determined under
                                                 percent limited partner interest to B.                  deduction purposes under generally                    generally applicable valuation principles
                                                    (ii) By prohibiting the withdrawal of a              applicable valuation principles taking into           taking into account all relevant factors
                                                 limited partner, the partnership agreement              account all relevant factors affecting value,         affecting value, including the rights
                                                 imposes a restriction on the ability of a               including the rights determined under the             determined under the governing documents
                                                 partner to liquidate the partner’s interest in          governing documents and local law, and                and local law, and assuming that the
                                                 the partnership that is not required to be              assuming that the disregarded restriction             disregarded restriction does not exist in the
                                                 imposed by law and that may be removed by               does not exist in the governing documents,            governing documents, local law, or
                                                 the transferor and members of the transferor’s          local law, or otherwise. The 45 percent               otherwise. See paragraph (f) of this section.
                                                 family, acting collectively, by agreeing to             interest passing to nonfamily members is not             Example 6. The facts are the same as in
                                                 amend the partnership agreement. Therefore,             subject to section 2704(b), and will be valued        Example 5, except that D sells a 33 percent
                                                 under section 2704(b) and paragraph (a) of              as a single interest for inclusion purposes           limited partner interest to A and a 33 percent
                                                 this section, the restriction on a limited              under generally applicable valuation                  limited partner interest to B for fair market
                                                 partner’s ability to liquidate that partner’s           principles, taking into account all relevant          value (but without taking into account the
                                                 interest is disregarded in determining the              factors affecting value including the rights          special valuation assumptions of section
                                                 value of each transferred interest.                     determined under the governing documents              2704(b)). Because section 2704(b) also is
                                                 Accordingly, the amount of each transfer is             and local law as well as the restriction on a         relevant in determining whether a gift has
                                                 the fair market value of the 33 percent                 limited partner’s ability to liquidate that           been made, D has made a gift to each child
                                                 limited partner interest determined under               partner’s interest. The 20 percent passing to         of the excess of the value of the transfer to
                                                 generally applicable valuation principles               charity will be valued in a similar manner for        each child as determined in Example 5 over
                                                 taking into account all relevant factors                purposes of determining the allowable                 the consideration received by D from that
                                                 affecting value including the rights                    charitable deduction. Assuming that, under            child.
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                                                 determined under the governing documents                the facts and circumstances, the 45 percent              Example 7. The facts are the same as in
                                                 and local law and assuming that the                     interest and the 20 percent interest are              Example 5, except, in a transaction unrelated
                                                 disregarded restriction does not exist in the           subject to the same discount factor, the              to D’s prior transfers to A and B, D withdraws
                                                 governing documents, local law, or                      charitable deduction will equal four-ninths of        from the partnership and immediately
                                                 otherwise. See paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (f) of          the value of the 45 percent interest.                 receives the fair market value (but without
                                                 this section.                                              Example 5. (i) D and D’s children, A and           taking into account the special valuation
                                                    Example 2. The facts are the same as in              B, are partners in Limited Partnership Y. D           assumptions of section 2704(b)) of D’s
                                                 Example 1, except that, both before and after           owns a 98 percent limited partner interest,           remaining 32 percent limited partner interest.
                                                 the transfer, A’s partnership interests are             and A and B each own a 1 percent general              Because a gift to a partnership is deemed to



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                                                                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 150 / Thursday, August 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules                                                 51425

                                                 be a gift to the other partners, D has made             (.25 x.50) interest in partnership Y, thus more        the last sentence of paragraph (a)(2)(i),
                                                 a gift to each child of one-half of the excess          than a 10 percent interest, but less than a 20         the third sentence of paragraph
                                                 of the value of the 32 percent limited partner          percent interest, in partnership Y.                    (a)(2)(iii), the first and last sentences of
                                                 interest as determined in Example 5 over the            Accordingly, under paragraph (b)(4)(i)(C) of
                                                                                                                                                                paragraph (a)(4), paragraph (a)(5), the
                                                 consideration received by D from the                    this section, A’s interest is disregarded for
                                                 partnership.                                            purposes of determining whether D and D’s              second and last sentences of paragraph
                                                    Example 8. D and D’s children, A and B,              family hold the right to remove a restriction          (c)(1), paragraph (c)(2)(i)(B), and
                                                 organize Limited Liability Company X under              after the transfer (resulting in D and D’s             Examples 4, 6 and 7 of paragraph (f),
                                                 the laws of State Y. D, A, and B each                   children being deemed to own 100 percent of            apply to lapses of rights created after
                                                 contribute cash to X. Under the operating               Y for this purpose). However, if D instead             October 8, 1990, occurring on or after
                                                 agreement, X maintains a capital account for            had transferred a 40 percent limited partner           the date these regulations are published
                                                 each member. The capital accounts are                   interest in partnership X to D’s children, A’s         as final regulations in the Federal
                                                 adjusted to reflect each member’s                       ownership of a 25 percent interest in                  Register.
                                                 contributions to and distributions from X and           partnership X would not have been
                                                 each member’s share of profits and losses of                                                                      (2) With respect to § 25.2704–2,
                                                                                                         disregarded, with the result that D and D’s
                                                 X. On liquidation, capital account balances             family would not have had the ability to               paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f), the
                                                 control distributions. Profits and losses are           remove a restriction after the transfer.               first sentence of paragraph (e), and
                                                 allocated on the basis of units issued to each             Example 11. (i) D owns 85 of the                    Examples 1, 3 and 5 of paragraph (g)
                                                 member, which are not in proportion to                  outstanding shares of X, a corporation, and            apply to transfers of property subject to
                                                 capital. D holds 98 units, A and B each hold            A, an unrelated individual, owns the                   restrictions created after October 8,
                                                 1 unit. D is designated in the operating                remaining 15 shares. Under X’s governing               1990, occurring on or after the date
                                                 agreement as the manager of X with the                  documents, the approval of the shareholders            these regulations are published as final
                                                 ability to cause the liquidation of X. X is not         holding 75 percent of the outstanding stock
                                                 a corporation. Under the laws of State Y, X                                                                    regulations in the Federal Register.
                                                                                                         is required to liquidate X. With the exception
                                                 is neither a partnership nor a limited                                                                            (3) Section 25.2704–3 applies to
                                                                                                         of nonfamily members, a shareholder may
                                                 partnership. D and D’s family have control of           not withdraw from X. Nonfamily members                 transfers of property subject to
                                                 X because they hold at least 50 percent of the          may withdraw on six months’ notice and                 restrictions created after October 8,
                                                 profits interests (or capital interests) of X.          receive their interest’s share of the minimum          1990, occurring 30 or more days after
                                                 Further, D and D’s family have control of X             value of X as defined in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)          the date these regulations are published
                                                 because D holds an interest with the ability            of this section. D transfers 10 shares to C, a         as final regulations in the Federal
                                                 to cause the liquidation of X.                          charity. Four years later, D dies. D bequeaths         Register.
                                                    Example 9. The facts are the same as in              10 shares to B, an unrelated individual, and
                                                 Example 8, except that, under the operating             the remaining 65 shares to trusts for the              John Dalrymple,
                                                 agreement, all distributions are made to                benefit of D’s family.                                 Deputy Commissioner for Services and
                                                 members based on the units held, which in                  (ii) The prohibition on withdrawal is a             Enforcement.
                                                 turn is based on contributions to capital.              restriction described in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of        [FR Doc. 2016–18370 Filed 8–2–16; 11:15 am]
                                                 Further, X elects to be treated as a                    this section. In determining whether D’s
                                                 corporation for federal tax purposes. Under                                                                    BILLING CODE P
                                                                                                         estate and/or D’s family may remove the
                                                 § 25.2701–2(b)(5), D and D’s family have                restriction after the transfer occurring on D’s
                                                 control of X (which is not a corporation and,           death, the interest of B is disregarded because
                                                 under local law, is not a partnership or                it was not held by B for at least three years          ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
                                                 limited partnership) because they hold at               prior to D’s death. The interests of A and C,          AGENCY
                                                 least 50 percent of the capital interests in X.         however, are not disregarded, because each
                                                 Further, D and D’s family have control of X             held an interest of at least 10 percent for at         40 CFR Parts 152, 162, and 166
                                                 because D holds an interest with the ability            least three years prior to D’s death, the total
                                                 to cause the liquidation of X.                          of those interests represents at least 20              [EPA–HQ–OPP–2016–0103; FRL–9943–09]
                                                    Example 10. D owns a 1 percent general               percent of X, and each had the right to
                                                 partner interest and a 74 percent limited                                                                      RIN 2070–AK06
                                                                                                         withdraw on six months’ notice and receive
                                                 partner interest in Limited Partnership X,              their interest’s share of the minimum value
                                                 which in turn holds a 50 percent limited                                                                       Notification of Submission to the
                                                                                                         of X. As a result, D and D’s family hold 65
                                                 partner interest in Limited Partnership Y and           of the deemed total of 90 shares in X, or 72
                                                                                                                                                                Secretary of Agriculture; Procedural
                                                 a 50 percent limited partner interest in                percent, which is less than the 75 percent             Rule Amendment; Required Use of
                                                 Limited Partnership Z. D owns the remaining             needed to liquidate X. Thus, D and D’s family          Federal Register Notices
                                                 interests in partnerships Y and Z. A, an                do not have the ability to remove the
                                                 unrelated individual, has owned a 25 percent            restriction after the transfer, and section
                                                                                                                                                                AGENCY:  Environmental Protection
                                                 limited partner interest in partnership X for           2704(b) does not apply in valuing D’s interest         Agency (EPA).
                                                 more than 3 years. The governing documents              in X for federal estate tax purposes.                  ACTION: Notification of submission to
                                                 of all three partnerships permit liquidation of                                                                the Secretary of Agriculture.
                                                 the entity on the agreement of the owners of            ■  Par. 8. Newly designated § 25.2704–4
                                                 90 percent of the interests but, with the               is amended as follows:                                 SUMMARY:   This document notifies the
                                                 exception of A’s interest, prohibit the                 ■ 1. The undesignated text is designated
                                                                                                                                                                public as required by the Federal
                                                 withdrawal of a limited partner. A may                  as paragraph (a).                                      Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
                                                 withdraw on 6-months’ notice and receive                ■ 2. In the first and second sentences of
                                                 A’s interest’s share of the minimum value of                                                                   Act (FIFRA) that the EPA Administrator
                                                                                                         newly designated paragraph (a), the                    has forwarded to the Secretary of the
                                                 partnership X as defined in paragraph                   language ‘‘Section’’ is removed and the
                                                 (b)(1)(ii) of this section, which share includes                                                               United States Department of Agriculture
                                                                                                         language ‘‘Except as provided in                       (USDA) a draft regulatory document
                                                 a share of the minimum value of partnership
                                                                                                         paragraph (b) of this section, § ’’ is
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                                                 Y and of partnership Z. Under the governing                                                                    concerning a Procedural Rule
                                                 documents of all three partnerships, the                added in its place.                                    Amendment; Required Use of FR
                                                 approval of all partners is required to amend           ■ 3. Paragraph (b) is added.
                                                                                                                                                                Notices. The draft regulatory document
                                                 the documents. D transfers a 40 percent                    The addition reads as follows:
                                                                                                                                                                is not available to the public until after
                                                 limited partner interest in partnership Y to
                                                                                                         § 25.2704–4       Effective date.                      it has been signed and made available
                                                 D’s children. For purposes of determining
                                                 whether D and/or D’s family members have                *      *     *    *     *                              by EPA.
                                                 the ability to remove a restriction after the              (b)(1) With respect to § 25.2704–1, the             DATES: See Unit I. under SUPPLEMENTARY
                                                 transfer, A is treated as owning a 12.5 percent         first six sentences of paragraph (a)(1),               INFORMATION.



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Document Created: 2016-08-04 02:53:29
Document Modified: 2016-08-04 02:53:29
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 and notice of public hearing.
DatesWritten and electronic comments must be received by November 2, 2016. Outlines of topics to be discussed at the public hearing scheduled for December 1, 2016, must be received by November 2, 2016.
ContactConcerning the proposed regulations, John D. MacEachen, (202) 317-6859; concerning submissions of comments, the hearing, and/or to be placed on the building access list to attend the hearing, Regina L. Johnson at (202) 317-6901 (not toll-free numbers).
FR Citation81 FR 51413 
RIN Number1545-BB71
CFR AssociatedGift Taxes and Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

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