81_FR_55293 81 FR 55133 - Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement

81 FR 55133 - Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 160 (August 18, 2016)

Page Range55133-55146
FR Document2016-19452

This document contains final regulations under section 5000C of the Internal Revenue Code relating to the 2 percent tax on payments made by the U.S. government to foreign persons pursuant to certain contracts. The regulations affect U.S. government acquiring agencies and foreign persons providing certain goods or services to the U.S. government pursuant to a contract. This document also contains final regulations under section 6114, with respect to foreign persons claiming an exemption from the 2 percent tax under an income tax treaty.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 55133-55146]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19452]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Parts 1, 301, and 602

[TD 9782]
RIN 1545-BK06


Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Final regulations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations under section 5000C 
of the Internal Revenue Code relating to the 2 percent tax on payments 
made by the U.S. government to foreign persons pursuant to certain 
contracts. The regulations affect U.S. government acquiring agencies 
and foreign persons providing certain goods or services to the U.S. 
government pursuant to a contract. This document also contains final 
regulations under section 6114, with respect to foreign persons 
claiming an exemption from the 2 percent tax under an income tax 
treaty.

DATES: Effective Date: These regulations are effective on August 18, 
2016.

[[Page 55134]]

    Applicability Date: For dates of applicability, see Sec.  1.5000C-7 
and Sec.  301.6114-1(e)(2).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Hwa at (202) 317-6934, and for 
questions related to tax treaties and the regulations under section 
6114, Rosy Lor at (202) 317-6933, (not toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On January 2, 2011, section 301 of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health 
and Compensation Act of 2010, Public Law 111-347 (the Act), 124 Stat. 
3623, added section 5000C to the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Section 
5000C(a) imposes on any foreign person that receives a specified 
Federal procurement payment a tax equal to 2 percent of the amount such 
payment. Section 5000C(b) defines the term specified Federal 
procurement payment as any payment made pursuant to a contract with the 
Government of the United States (U.S. government) for goods or services 
if the goods are manufactured or produced or the services are provided 
in any country that is not a party to an international procurement 
agreement with the United States. Section 301(a)(3) of the Act provides 
that section 5000C applies to payments received pursuant to contracts 
entered into on and after January 2, 2011. Additionally, section 
301(b)(1)(c) of the Act states that this section must be applied in a 
manner consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements. 
Section 5000C(d)(1) provides that the amount deducted and withheld 
under chapter 3 shall be increased by the amount of tax imposed under 
section 5000C.
    On April 22, 2015, the Department of Treasury (Treasury Department) 
and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 22449) a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-103281-11) 
(NPRM) under sections 5000C and 6114 (the proposed regulations). The 
regulations set forth a number of exemptions from the tax and provided 
procedures for collecting the tax. Notice 2015-35, 2015-18 I.R.B. 943, 
issued contemporaneously with the proposed regulations, provided a list 
of income tax treaties in effect that prevented the imposition of the 
tax. No public hearing was requested or held. Written comments on the 
proposed regulations were received and are available at 
www.regulations.gov or upon request. After consideration of the 
comments, the proposed regulations are adopted as amended by this 
Treasury decision. The revisions are discussed below.

Explanation and Summary of Comments

1. Payments by Contracting Parties to Subcontractors

    A commenter asked for clarification that the proposed regulations 
apply only to payments made by the U.S. government to direct (prime) 
contractors with the U.S. government, and not to payments made by prime 
contractors pursuant to subcontracts. Consistent with the proposed 
regulations, the final regulations provide section 5000C imposes the 
tax on any foreign contracting party, which means a foreign person that 
is a party to a contract with the U.S. government that was entered into 
on or after January 2, 2011. Therefore, the final regulations do not 
generally impose the tax on a subcontractor that is not party to a 
contract with the U.S. government. For example, if an acquiring agency 
contracts with a domestic corporation (prime contractor) for goods or 
services, and the prime contractor separately contracts with a foreign 
subcontractor for goods and services to be provided under the contract, 
section 5000C will not ordinarily apply to payments by the prime 
contractor to its foreign subcontractor that relate to those goods or 
services.
    However, the activities of a subcontractor are taken into account 
when determining the country in which goods are manufactured or 
produced or in which services are provided under Sec.  1.5000C-1(e). 
Furthermore, the final regulations retain the rules in the proposed 
regulations that payments received by a nominee or agent on behalf of a 
contracting party are considered to be received by that contracting 
party. For the definition of a contracting party, see Sec.  1.5000C-
1(c)(4). The final regulations also retain the anti-abuse rule in Sec.  
1.5000C-5 that in certain circumstances may treat a subcontractor that 
is a foreign person as being liable for tax under section 5000C.

2. Exemption for Certain Foreign Humanitarian Assistance Contracts

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 
regularly enters into contracts with foreign persons for goods and 
services for purposes of implementing USAID's development projects and 
programs in a host country. The proposed regulations do not provide 
relief from the tax under section 5000C for payments made pursuant to 
some of these contracts. The Treasury Department and the IRS have 
concluded that it is appropriate to exempt from the tax payments made 
to foreign contracting parties that USAID engages to execute its 
development projects and programs in a host country. In this context, 
the U.S. government is not procuring goods and services for its own 
benefit, but rather to provide humanitarian assistance for the benefit 
of the host countries. As a result, the final regulations add an 
exemption under which section 5000C does not apply to a contract for 
the purpose of obtaining goods or services described in or authorized 
under certain specified statutes that are for the purpose of providing 
foreign humanitarian assistance when the acquiring agency determines 
that the payment is for the purpose of providing foreign humanitarian 
assistance. This exemption generally applies to a contract entered into 
by an acquiring agency with a foreign contracting party to obtain goods 
or services for purposes of implementing an agreement between the 
United States and a foreign country or a group of countries to provide 
foreign humanitarian assistance as authorized under the Food for Peace 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1691, et seq.) and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2151, et seq.).
    Similarly, this exemption also generally applies to contacts 
providing foreign humanitarian assistance under the Migration and 
Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.), the Freedom 
Support Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), and the SEED Act of 1989 
(22 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.), and to transportation of humanitarian relief 
supplies to foreign countries described in 10 U.S.C. 402, foreign 
disaster assistance described in 10 U.S.C. 404, humanitarian demining 
assistance described in 10 U.S.C. 407, excess non-lethal supplies for 
humanitarian relief purposes described in 10 U.S.C. 2557, and 
transportation of humanitarian relief and for other humanitarian 
purposes described in 10 U.S.C. 2561. See Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(4). A 
corresponding change is made to the withholding rules to take into 
account this exemption. See Sec.  1.5000C-2(b)(6).

3. Procurement Not Pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulations

    A commenter noted that it was unclear whether payments by acquiring 
agencies under contracts that are not entered into pursuant to the 
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) are subject to tax under section 
5000C. The FAR is the body of rules that generally governs acquisitions 
and contracting procedures for federal agencies. See 48 CFR Chapter 1. 
Although the final regulations utilize certain concepts and definitions 
contained in the FAR, neither the Act nor the final regulations

[[Page 55135]]

are limited to contracts executed pursuant to the FAR. Thus, while the 
term ``contract'' in the proposed and final regulations uses the FAR 
definition of the term ``contract'', it can nevertheless include a 
contract that is not executed under the FAR. A sentence was added to 
the definition of contract in the final regulations to clarify this 
point.

4. Definition of International Procurement Agreement and Least 
Developed Countries

    The General Explanation of Tax Legislation prepared by the Staff of 
the Joint Committee on Taxation accompanying section 5000C explains 
that parties engaged in cross-border transactions are required to 
comply with relevant trade agreements of the jurisdictions in which 
they operate. See Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, General 
Explanation of Tax Legislation Enacted in the 111th Congress (JCS-2-
11), at 694, March 16, 2011 (Joint Committee Explanation). In 
describing these obligations, the Joint Committee Explanation listed 
the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) that is an annex to the 
World Trade Organization agreement, as well as the government 
procurement obligations of U.S. free trade agreements. Id. Accordingly, 
the proposed regulations defined the term international procurement 
agreement as the World Trade Organization GPA (WTO GPA) within the 
meaning of 48 CFR 25.400(a)(1) and any free trade agreement to which 
the United States is a party that includes government procurement 
obligations that provide appropriate competitive government procurement 
opportunities to U.S. goods, services, and suppliers.
    One commenter noted that the FAR provides that eligible products 
from WTO GPA and free trade agreement countries are entitled to certain 
nondiscriminatory treatment, and that 48 CFR 25.404 expands this 
nondiscriminatory treatment to include least developed countries 
described in 48 CFR 25.400(a)(3). The commenter requested that the 
final regulations also expand the definition of international 
procurement agreement to include goods manufactured or produced or 
services provided in a least developed country.
    The final regulations do not adopt this comment for two reasons. 
First, the proposed regulations referred to 48 CFR 25.400(a)(1) in 
order to utilize a term that was widely understood in the context of 
government procurement but was not intended to incorporate any related 
provisions of the FAR. Second, the Joint Committee Explanation 
indicates that Congress intended the exemption under section 5000C(b) 
related to international procurement agreements to be limited to 
signatories of free trade agreements with government procurement 
obligations or procurement agreements.

5. Definition of International Agreements

    Section 301(c) of the Act requires that section 5000C be applied in 
a manner consistent with the United States' obligations under 
international agreements. A commenter indicated that the proposed 
regulations limit international agreements that may affect the 
application of section 5000C to income tax treaties and requested that 
final regulations include other international agreements that may 
impact taxation. In particular, the commenter indicated that the Vienna 
Convention on Consular Relations and bilateral framework agreements 
negotiated and administered by USAID contain tax provisions.
    The final regulations do not adopt this request. The specific 
international agreements to which the commenter referred prohibit host 
country taxation of expenditures of a U.S. consulate or amounts 
provided through USAID programs but do not limit the United States' 
taxing rights. Consequently, these international agreements do not 
provide relief from the tax imposed under section 5000C. Furthermore, 
in identifying the income tax treaties that provide relief from the tax 
under section 5000C, the regulations do not preclude a foreign 
contracting party from claiming relief from the tax under any other 
applicable international agreement.

6. Simplified Acquisition Threshold

    The proposed regulations provide that that the tax imposed under 
section 5000C will not apply to payments for purchases under the 
simplified acquisition procedures described in the FAR that do not 
exceed the simplified acquisition threshold in 48 CFR 2.101. One 
commenter recommended that the determination of the $150,000 simplified 
acquisition threshold should be computed on an annual basis rather than 
on a contract-by-contract basis. The final regulations do not adopt 
this suggestion because the Treasury Department and the IRS have 
determined that it is generally more administrable to make a 
determination of the threshold amount when entering into a particular 
contract. However, as described in 7. Personal Service Contacts of this 
preamble, this suggestion has been adopted in the limited context of 
personal service contracts.

7. Personal Service Contracts

    A commenter requested a new exemption from the tax for service 
contracts entered into with individuals (personal service contracts). 
The commenter further stated that some acquiring agencies do not use 
the FAR to procure personal services from individuals. As such, the 
commenter stated that these personal service contracts do not fall 
within the simplified acquisition procedures of the FAR but typically 
are for an amount less than $150,000 per contract. The commenter also 
suggested that the threshold amount of personal service contracts with 
individuals would be more appropriately determined on an annual (rather 
than a per contract) basis.
    Section 5000C applies to contracts for the provision of services, 
so the final regulations do not provide an exemption for all personal 
service contracts. However, the Treasury Department and the IRS have 
decided that it is appropriate to extend the simplified acquisition 
exemption to personal service contracts, whether or not they are not 
executed pursuant to the FAR. Further, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS agree with the comment that when applying this exemption, the 
amount paid for personal services under the contracts should be 
determined on an annual basis. Accordingly, the final regulations 
provide an exemption in Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(3) for payments for services 
provided by, and under contracts with, a single individual in which the 
payments do not exceed on an annual basis the simplified acquisition 
threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101 for all years of the contract. A 
corresponding change is made to the withholding rules to take into 
account this exemption. See Sec.  1.5000C-2(b)(5).

8. Definition of Emergency Acquisition

    Proposed Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(2) exempts payments pursuant to 
contracts awarded for certain emergency acquisitions. One commenter 
suggested that this exemption be broadened to include contracts that 
involve other agency acquisitions of importance to the government, such 
as contracts for acquisitions determined to be in the national interest 
by the acquiring agency. The final regulations do not adopt this 
comment for two reasons. First, the Treasury Department and the IRS 
have concluded that the more limited exemption in the proposed 
regulations appropriately balances

[[Page 55136]]

compliance with section 5000C with the government's need to procure 
goods and services in certain emergency situations. Second, the 
commenter's suggestion would introduce a subjective, potentially 
overbroad exemption from the tax imposed by section 5000C.

9. Credit Card Payments

    One commenter requested a new exemption from the section 5000C tax 
for payments made with a credit card. The commenter indicated that 
applying the section 5000C tax to payments made with a credit card 
would be difficult to administer because of the volume of these 
transactions.
    The final regulations do not adopt this suggestion for several 
reasons. First, in most cases, payments made with a credit card will be 
in an amount that will fall within the exemption for payments for 
simplified acquisitions, which applies to purchases under the 
simplified acquisition procedures described in the FAR that do not 
exceed the simplified acquisition threshold as described in 48 CFR 
2.101. See Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(1). Second, in cases in which payments 
made with a credit card do not meet the exemption for simplified 
acquisitions, adopting this comment would allow foreign contracting 
parties to avoid the tax by receiving payment with a credit card for 
large amounts that should be subject to the tax.

10. Payments Only in Part for Goods or Services

    A commenter indicated that, in some circumstances, a contract may 
be for goods or services but also include payments that are not for 
goods or services, giving as an example payments to reimburse taxes 
incurred by the contracting party. In response to the comment, the 
withholding steps in the final regulations clarify that acquiring 
agencies should not withhold to the extent that a payment is for 
something other than goods or services. See Sec.  1.5000C-2(b)(1). 
However, this clarification should not be read to mean that payments to 
reimburse taxes incurred by the contracting party in providing goods or 
services are anything other than payments for those goods or services.

11. Form W-14, ``Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving 
Federal Procurement Payments''

    The proposed regulations provided that a foreign contracting party 
must submit a ``Section 5000C Certificate'' that provides all of the 
information required by the proposed regulations to claim an exemption 
from section 5000C. The proposed regulations also contained a model 
Section 5000C Certificate. Simultaneous with the publication of the 
final regulations, the IRS is publishing Form W-14, ``Certificate of 
Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments,'' 
which may be used as the Section 5000C Certificate. Accordingly, the 
final regulations do not contain a model Section 5000C Certificate but 
rather provide that a foreign person may use Form W-14 as its Section 
5000C Certificate provided that it includes all the necessary 
information. See Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1(c)(14) and 1.5000C-2(d)(7).
    Notice 2015-35 listed the countries that had entered into qualified 
income tax treaties with the United States as of the date of its 
publication. The instructions to Form W-14, issued contemporaneously 
with the publication of these final regulations, identify income tax 
treaties in force, as of the date of the issuance of the form, that are 
qualified income tax treaties. When new income tax treaties come into 
force, foreign persons and acquiring agencies should review IRS Forms, 
Instructions, Publications or other media (including www.irs.gov) for 
an updated list of qualified income tax treaties, rather than Notice 
2015-35.

12. Change in Circumstances

    Section 1.5000C-2(d)(6) provides that a foreign contracting party 
must submit a revised Section 5000C Certificate within 30 days of a 
change in circumstances that causes the information in a Section 5000C 
Certificate held by the acquiring agency to be incorrect with respect 
to the acquiring agency's determination of whether to withhold or the 
amount of withholding under Section 5000C. One commenter suggested that 
an example would be helpful to illustrate this rule. In response to 
this comment, an example was added to illustrate the withholding 
obligation of an acquiring agency when it receives a revised Section 
5000C Certificate due to a change in circumstances. See Sec.  1.5000C-
6, Example 6.

13. Effective Date of Section 5000C and the Final Regulations

    Comments recommended that the final regulations delay the 
applicability of the tax imposed by section 5000C to contracts entered 
into on or after the date of the publication of the final regulations. 
Alternatively, one commenter recommended that the final regulations 
delay the applicability of the tax until the issuance of final 
amendments to the FAR as promulgated by the Department of Defense 
(DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration (NASA), if any, that may take into account 
these final regulations. This commenter reasoned that a delay in the 
application of the final regulations would allow the necessary time 
needed to amend the FAR in order to take into account the rules 
provided in the final regulations. While the DoD, GSA, and NASA have 
amended some sections of the FAR to reflect the enactment of section 
5000C (see 48 CFR 31.205-41(b), 52.229-3(b)(2), 52.229-4(b)(2), 52.229-
6(c)(2), and 52.229-7(b)(2)), commenters stated that other sections of 
the FAR (such as CFR 52.229-3) will also need to be amended.
    Section 301(a)(3) of the Act specifically provides that the tax 
imposed by section 5000C applies to payments received pursuant to 
contracts entered into on and after January 2, 2011, indicating a clear 
Congressional intent as to the effective date. Further, the Act does 
not require Treasury regulations or FAR amendments to be applicable 
before the requirements of the statute take effect. Thus, the final 
regulations do not adopt this comment and confirm the statutory 
effective date.
    Consistent with the proposed regulations, the final regulations 
apply on and after the date that is 90 days after the date they are 
published as final regulations in the Federal Register (applicability 
date). However, contracting parties and acquiring agencies may rely 
upon the rules in the final regulations before the applicability date.
    Under the Act, while acquiring agencies have an obligation to 
withhold, the foreign contracting parties remain liable for the tax if 
withholding does not fully satisfy the foreign person's tax liability. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS are aware that some foreign persons 
subject to statutory obligations under section 5000C may have deferred 
compliance actions pending the applicability of the final regulations. 
The Treasury Department and the IRS have concluded that 90 days is 
sufficient for these foreign persons to satisfy their tax and filing 
obligations with respect to section 5000C for prior periods. 
Accordingly, Sec.  1.5000C-7 provides that if a foreign contracting 
party fully satisfies its tax and filing obligations under section 
5000C with respect to any payments received in tax years ending before 
the applicability date of the regulations on or before the later of the 
applicability date of the final regulations or the due date for the 
foreign person's income tax return for the year in which the payment 
was

[[Page 55137]]

received in a manner consistent with the final regulations, penalties 
will not be asserted on the foreign contracting parties with respect to 
those payments or returns. For example, assume a foreign corporation 
received a single specified Federal procurement payment during its tax 
year ending on December 31, 2013 that is not described in any of the 
exemptions in these final regulations, and the payment was not withheld 
upon. If the corporation files Form 1120-F, ``U.S. Income Tax Return of 
a Foreign Corporation,'' for 2013 and pays the tax imposed under 
section 5000C in the manner described in Sec.  1.5000C-4(d) before the 
applicability date of the final regulations, penalties will not be 
asserted with respect to that payment or return. However, the final 
regulations do not relieve a foreign person of any applicable rules 
relating to interest under Subtitle F.
    Additionally, for purposes of section 6114 and the regulations 
thereunder, if a foreign contracting party has received a payment 
exempt from tax under a qualified income tax treaty before the 
effective date of the final regulations under section 5000C, reporting 
is waived if the foreign contracting party has properly relied on 
Notice 2015-35. See Sec.  301.6114-1(e)(2).

Special Analyses

    Certain IRS regulations, including these, are exempt from the 
requirements of Executive Order 12866, as supplemented and reaffirmed 
by Executive Order 13563. It has been determined that section 553(b) of 
the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to 
this regulation. It is hereby certified that the collection of 
information contained in this regulation will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, 
a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required. The collection of 
information requirement in the regulations will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because a 
limited number of foreign contracting parties that are small entities 
will be subject to the tax, in part because the final regulations 
provide exemptions for simplified acquisitions and for certain personal 
service contracts. Because section 5000C(a) applies to foreign persons 
regardless of the size of the entity, a limited number of small foreign 
entities that received specified Federal procurement payments are 
affected by the regulation. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal 
Revenue Code, the NPRM preceding these regulations was submitted to the 
Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for 
comment on its impact on small business.

Drafting Information

    The principal authors of these regulations are Kate Hwa and Rosy 
Lor, Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). However, other 
personnel from the Treasury Department and the IRS participated in 
their development.

List of Subjects

26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

26 CFR Part 301

    Employment taxes, Estate taxes, Excise taxes, Gift taxes, Income 
taxes, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

26 CFR Part 602

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Adoption of Amendments to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR parts 1, 301, and 602 are amended as follows:

PART I--INCOME TAXES

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

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
    Section 1.5000C-1 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C
    Section 1.5000C-2 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C
    Section 1.5000C-3 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C
    Section 1.5000C-4 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C
    Section 1.5000C-5 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C
    Section 1.5000C-6 is also issued under 26 U.S.C. 5000C


0
Par. 2. An undesignated center heading is added following Sec.  
1.5000A-5 to read as follows:

Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement

0
Par. 3. Section 1.5000C-0 is added after the undesignated center 
heading to read as follows:


Sec.  1.5000C-0  Outline of regulation provisions for section 5000C.

    This section lists the captions contained in Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 
through 1.5000C-7.


Sec.  1.5000C-1  Tax on specified Federal procurement payments.

    (a) Overview.
    (b) Imposition of tax.
    (c) Definitions.
    (d) Exemptions.
    (1) Simplified acquisitions.
    (2) Emergency acquisitions.
    (3) Certain personal service contracts.
    (4) Certain foreign humanitarian assistance contracts.
    (5) Certain international agreements.
    (6) Goods manufactured or produced or services provided in the 
United States.
    (7) Goods manufactured or produced or services provided in a 
country that is a party to an international procurement agreement.
    (e) Country in which goods are manufactured or produced or 
services provided.
    (1) Goods manufactured or produced.
    (2) Provision of services.
    (3) Allocation of total contract price to determine the 
nonexempt amount.
    (4) Reduction or elimination of withholding by an acquiring 
agency.


Sec.  1.5000C-2  Withholding on specified Federal procurement payments.

    (a) In general.
    (b) Steps in determining the obligation to withhold under 
section 5000C.
    (1) Determine whether the payment is pursuant to a contract for 
goods or services.
    (2) Determine whether the payment is made pursuant to a contract 
with a U.S. person.
    (3) Determine whether the payment is for purchases under the 
simplified acquisition procedures.
    (4) Determine whether the payment is for emergency acquisitions.
    (5) Determine whether the payment is for personal services under 
the simplified acquisition threshold.
    (6) Determine whether the payment is pursuant to a foreign 
humanitarian assistance contract.
    (7) Determine whether the foreign contracting party is entitled 
to relief pursuant to an international agreement.
    (8) Determine whether the contract is for goods manufactured or 
produced or services provided in the United States or in a foreign 
country that is a party to an international procurement agreement.
    (9) Compute amounts to withhold.
    (10) Deposit and report amounts withheld.
    (c) Determining whether the contracting party is a U.S. person.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Determination based on Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
    (3) Determination based on the Form W-9.
    (4) Contracting party treated as a foreign contracting party.
    (d) Withholding when a foreign contracting party submits a 
Section 5000C Certificate.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Exemption for a foreign contracting party entitled to the 
benefit of relief pursuant to certain international agreements.
    (3) Exemption when goods are manufactured or produced or 
services provided in the United States, or in a foreign country that 
is a party to an international procurement agreement.
    (4) Information required for Section 5000C Certificate.

[[Page 55138]]

    (5) Validity period of Section 5000C Certificate.
    (6) Change in circumstances.
    (7) Form W-14.
    (8) Time for submitting Section 5000C Certificate.
    (e) Offset for underwithholding or overwithholding.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Underwithholding.
    (3) Overwithholding.


Sec.  1.5000C-3  Payment and returns of tax withheld by the acquiring 
agency.

    (a) In general.
    (b) Deposit rules.
    (1) Acquiring agency with a chapter 3 deposit requirement treats 
amounts withheld as under chapter 3.
    (2) Acquiring agency with no chapter 3 filing obligation 
deposits withheld amounts monthly.
    (c) Return requirements.
    (1) In general.
    (2) Classified or confidential contracts.
    (d) Special arrangement for certain contracts.


Sec.  1.5000C-4  Requirement for the foreign contracting party to file 
a return and pay tax, and procedures for the contracting party to seek 
a refund.

    (a) In general.
    (b) Tax obligation of foreign contracting party independent of 
withholding.
    (c) Return of tax by the foreign contracting party.
    (d) Time and manner of paying tax.
    (e) Refund requests when amount withheld exceeds tax liability.


Sec.  1.5000C-5  Anti-abuse rule.


Sec.  1.5000C-6  Examples.


Sec.  1.5000C-7  Effective/applicability date.

0
Par. 4. Sections 1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7 are added to read as 
follows:


Sec.  1.5000C-1  Tax on specified Federal procurement payments.

    (a) Overview. This section provides definitions and general rules 
relating to the imposition of, and exemption from, the tax on specified 
Federal procurement payments under section 5000C. Section 1.5000C-2 
provides rules concerning withholding under section 5000C(d)(1), 
including the steps that must be taken to determine the obligation to 
withhold and whether an exemption from withholding applies. Section 
1.5000C-3 provides the time and manner for depositing the amounts 
withheld under section 5000C and the related reporting requirements. 
Section 1.5000C-4 contains the rules that apply to a foreign 
contracting party that must pay and report the tax under section 5000C 
when the tax obligation under section 5000C is not fully satisfied by 
withholding, as well as procedures by which a contracting party may 
seek a refund when the amount withheld exceeds its tax liability under 
section 5000C. Section 1.5000C-5 contains an anti-abuse rule. Section 
1.5000C-6 contains examples illustrating the principles of Sec. Sec.  
1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-4. Finally, Sec.  1.5000C-7 contains the 
effective/applicability date for Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-
7.
    (b) Imposition of tax. Except as otherwise provided, section 5000C 
imposes on any foreign contracting party a tax equal to 2 percent of 
the amount of a specified Federal procurement payment. In general, the 
tax imposed under section 5000C applies to specified Federal 
procurement payments received pursuant to contracts entered into on and 
after January 2, 2011. Specified Federal procurement payments received 
by a nominee or agent on behalf of a contracting party are considered 
to be received by that contracting party. The tax imposed under section 
5000C is to be applied in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations 
under international agreements. Payments for the purchase or lease of 
land or an interest in land are not subject to the tax imposed under 
section 5000C.
    (c) Definitions. Solely for purposes of section 5000C and 
Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7, the following definitions 
apply:
    (1) The term acquiring agency means the U.S. government department, 
agency, independent establishment, or corporation described in 
paragraph (c)(7) of this section that is a party to the contract. To 
the extent that a U.S. government department or agency, other than the 
acquiring agency, is making the payments pursuant to the contract, that 
department or agency is also considered to be the acquiring agency.
    (2) The term contract has the same meaning as provided in 48 CFR 
2.101, and thus does not include a grant agreement or a cooperative 
agreement within the meaning of 31 U.S.C. 6304 and 6305, respectively. 
A contract may include an agreement that is not executed under the 
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), 48 CFR Chapter 1.
    (3) The term contract ratio refers to the nonexempt amount over the 
total contract price.
    (4) The term contracting party means any person that is a party to 
a contract with the U.S. government that is entered into on or after 
January 2, 2011. See Sec.  1.5000C-1(b) for situations involving a 
nominee or agent.
    (5) The term foreign contracting party means a contracting party 
that is a foreign person.
    (6) The term foreign person means any person other than a United 
States person (as defined in section 7701(a)(30)).
    (7) The term Government of the United States or U.S. government 
means the executive departments specified in 5 U.S.C. 101, the military 
departments specified in 5 U.S.C. 102, the independent establishments 
specified in 5 U.S.C. 104(1), and wholly owned government corporations 
specified in 31 U.S.C. 9101(3). Unless otherwise specified in 5 U.S.C. 
101, 102, or 104(1), or 31 U.S.C. 9101(3), the term Government of the 
United States or U.S. government does not include any quasi-
governmental entities or instrumentalities of the U.S. government.
    (8) The term international procurement agreement means the World 
Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement within the meaning 
of 48 CFR 25.400(a)(1) and any free trade agreement to which the United 
States is a party that includes government procurement obligations that 
provide appropriate competitive government procurement opportunities to 
U.S. goods, services, and suppliers. A party to an international 
procurement agreement is a signatory to the agreement and does not 
include a country that is merely an observer with respect to the 
agreement.
    (9) The term nonexempt amount means the portion of the contract 
price allocated to nonexempt goods and nonexempt services.
    (10) The term nonexempt goods means goods manufactured or produced 
in a foreign country that is not a party to an international 
procurement agreement with the United States.
    (11) The term nonexempt services means services provided in a 
foreign country that is not a party to an international procurement 
agreement with the United States.
    (12) The term outlying areas has the same meaning as set forth in 
48 CFR 2.101(b), which includes Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana 
Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Baker Island, 
Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway 
Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Atoll.
    (13) The term qualified income tax treaty means a U.S. income tax 
treaty in force that contains a nondiscrimination provision that 
applies to the tax imposed under section 5000C and prohibits taxation 
that is more burdensome on a foreign national than a U.S. national (or 
in the case of certain income tax treaties, taxation that is more 
burdensome on a foreign citizen than a U.S. citizen), regardless of its 
residence.

[[Page 55139]]

    (14) The term Section 5000C Certificate means a written statement 
that includes the information described in Sec.  1.5000C-2(d) that the 
foreign contracting party submits to an acquiring agency for the 
purposes of demonstrating that the foreign contracting party is 
eligible for certain exemptions from withholding (in whole or in part) 
under section 5000C with respect to a contract. The term may also 
include any form that the Internal Revenue Service may prescribe as a 
substitute for the Section 5000C Certificate, such as Form W-14, 
``Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal 
Procurement Payments.''
    (15) The term specified Federal procurement payment means any 
payment made pursuant to a contract with a foreign contracting party 
that is for goods manufactured or produced or services provided in a 
foreign country that is not a party to an international procurement 
agreement with the United States. For purposes of the prior sentence, a 
foreign country does not include an outlying area.
    (16) The term Taxpayer Identification Number or TIN means the 
identifying number assigned to a person under section 6109, as defined 
in section 7701(a)(41).
    (17) The term total contract price means the total cost to the U.S. 
Government of the goods and services procured under a contract and paid 
to the contracting party.
    (d) Exemptions. The tax imposed under paragraph (b) of this section 
does not apply to the payments made in the following situations. For 
the exemptions in paragraphs (d)(5), (6) and (7) of this section, see 
Sec.  1.5000C-2(d) for the procedures to eliminate withholding by an 
acquiring agency.
    (1) Simplified acquisitions. Payments for purchases under the 
simplified acquisition procedures that do not exceed the simplified 
acquisition threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101.
    (2) Emergency acquisitions. Payments made pursuant to a contract if 
the contract is--
    (i) Awarded under the ``unusual and compelling urgency'' authority 
of 48 CFR 6.302-2, or
    (ii) Entered into under the emergency acquisition flexibilities as 
defined in 48 CFR part 18.
    (3) Certain personal service contracts. Payments for services 
provided by, and under contracts with, a single individual in which the 
payments do not (and will not) exceed on an annual calendar year basis 
the simplified acquisition threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101 for 
all years of the contract. Payments that satisfy this exemption remain 
exempt if the contract is later renegotiated so that future payments 
under the contract do not meet this exemption.
    (4) Certain foreign humanitarian assistance contracts. Payments 
made by the U.S. government pursuant to a contract with a foreign 
contracting party to obtain goods or services described in or 
authorized under 7 U.S.C. 1691, et seq., 22 U.S.C. 2151, et seq., 22 
U.S.C. 2601 et seq., 22 U.S.C. 5801 et seq., 22 U.S.C. 5401 et seq., 10 
U.S.C. 402, 10 U.S.C. 404, 10 U.S.C. 407, 10 U.S.C. 2557, and 10 U.S.C. 
2561, if the acquiring agency determines that the payment is for the 
purpose of providing foreign humanitarian assistance.
    (5) Certain international agreements. Payments made by the U.S. 
government pursuant to a contract with a foreign contracting party when 
the payments are entitled to relief from the tax imposed under section 
5000C pursuant to an international agreement with the United States, 
including relief pursuant to a nondiscrimination provision of a 
qualified income tax treaty, because the foreign contracting party is 
entitled to the benefit of that provision.
    (6) Goods manufactured or produced or services provided in the 
United States. A payment made pursuant to a contract to the extent that 
the payment is for goods manufactured or produced or services provided 
in the United States.
    (7) Goods manufactured or produced or services provided in a 
country that is a party to an international procurement agreement. A 
payment made pursuant to a contract to the extent the payment is for 
goods manufactured or produced or services provided in a country that 
is a party to an international procurement agreement, as defined in 
paragraph (c)(8) of this section.
    (e) Country in which goods are manufactured or produced or services 
provided--
    (1) Goods manufactured or produced. Solely for purposes of section 
5000C, goods are manufactured or produced in the country (or 
countries)--
    (i) Where property has been substantially transformed into the 
goods that are procured pursuant to a contract; or
    (ii) Where there has been assembly or conversion of component parts 
(involving activities that are substantial in nature and generally 
considered to constitute the manufacture or production of property) 
into the final product that constitutes the goods procured pursuant to 
a contract.
    (2) Provision of services. Solely for purposes of section 5000C, 
services are considered to be provided in the country where the 
individuals performing the services are physically located when they 
perform their duties pursuant to the contract.
    (3) Allocation of total contract price to determine the nonexempt 
amount. If, pursuant to a contract, goods are manufactured or produced, 
or services are provided, in multiple countries and only a portion of 
the goods manufactured or produced, or the services provided, pursuant 
to the contract are nonexempt goods or nonexempt services, a foreign 
contracting party may use a reasonable allocation method to determine 
the nonexempt amount. A reasonable allocation method would include 
taking into account the proportionate costs (including the cost of 
labor and raw materials) incurred to manufacture or produce the goods 
in each country, or taking into account the proportionate costs 
incurred to provide the services in each country.
    (4) Reduction or elimination of withholding by an acquiring agency. 
For procedures to reduce or eliminate withholding by an acquiring 
agency based on where goods are manufactured or produced or where 
services are provided, including as a result of an allocation under 
this paragraph (e), see Sec.  1.5000C-2(d).


Sec.  1.5000C-2  Withholding on specified Federal procurement payments.

    (a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in this section, every 
acquiring agency making a specified Federal procurement payment on 
which tax is imposed under section 5000C and Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 
through 1.5000C-7 must deduct and withhold an amount equal to 2 percent 
of the payment. For rules relating to the liability of a foreign 
contracting party with respect to specified Federal procurement 
payments not fully withheld upon at source, see Sec.  1.5000C-4. An 
acquiring agency may rely upon any information furnished by a 
contracting party under this section unless the acquiring agency has 
reason to know that the information is incorrect or unreliable. An 
acquiring agency has reason to know that the information is incorrect 
or unreliable if it has knowledge of relevant facts or statements 
contained in the submitted information such that a reasonably prudent 
person in the position of the acquiring agency would know that the 
information provided is incorrect or unreliable.
    (b) Steps in determining the obligation to withhold under section 
5000C. An acquiring agency generally determines its obligation to 
withhold under section

[[Page 55140]]

5000C according to the steps described in this paragraph (b). See, 
however, paragraph (e) of this section for situations in which 
withholding may be increased in the case of underwithholding, or may be 
decreased in the case of overwithholding.
    (1) Determine whether the payment is pursuant to a contract for 
goods or services. The acquiring agency determines whether it is making 
a payment pursuant to a contract for goods or services. To the extent 
that the acquiring agency is making a payment for any other purpose, it 
does not have an obligation to withhold under section 5000C on the 
payment.
    (2) Determine whether the payment is made pursuant to a contract 
with a U.S. person. The acquiring agency determines whether the payment 
is made pursuant to a contract with a person considered to be a United 
States person (U.S. person) in accordance with paragraph (c) of this 
section. If the other contracting party is a U.S. person, the acquiring 
agency does not have an obligation to withhold under section 5000C on 
the payment.
    (3) Determine whether the payment is for purchases under the 
simplified acquisition procedures. The acquiring agency determines 
whether the payment is for purchases under the simplified acquisitions 
procedures that do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold as 
described in 48 CFR 2.101. If it is, the acquiring agency does not have 
an obligation to withhold under section 5000C on the payment.
    (4) Determine whether the payment is for emergency acquisitions. 
The acquiring agency determines whether the payment is made for certain 
emergency acquisitions within the meaning of Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(2). If 
it is, the acquiring agency does not have an obligation to withhold 
under section 5000C on the payment.
    (5) Determine whether the payment is for personal services under 
the simplified acquisition threshold. The acquiring agency determines 
whether payments for services under contracts with a single individual 
do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold as described in 48 
CFR 2.101 on an annual basis for all years of the contract. If that is 
the case, the acquiring agency does not have an obligation to withhold 
under section 5000C on the payment.
    (6) Determine whether the payment is pursuant to a foreign 
humanitarian assistance contract. The acquiring agency determines 
whether the payment is made pursuant to a foreign humanitarian 
assistance contract described in Sec.  1.5000C-1(d)(4). If it is, the 
acquiring agency does not have an obligation to withhold under section 
5000C on the payment.
    (7) Determine whether the foreign contracting party is entitled to 
relief pursuant to an international agreement. If the foreign 
contracting party submits a Section 5000C Certificate in accordance 
with paragraph (d) of this section representing that the foreign 
contracting party is entitled to relief from the tax imposed under 
section 5000C pursuant to an international agreement with the United 
States (such as relief pursuant to the nondiscrimination provision of a 
qualified income tax treaty), the acquiring agency does not have an 
obligation to withhold under section 5000C on the payment.
    (8) Determine whether the contract is for goods manufactured or 
produced or services provided in the United States or in a foreign 
country that is a party to an international procurement agreement. If 
the foreign contracting party submits a Section 5000C Certificate in 
accordance with paragraph (d) of this section that represents that the 
contract is for goods manufactured or produced or services provided in 
the United States, or in a foreign country that is a party to an 
international procurement agreement, the acquiring agency does not have 
an obligation to withhold. If the Section 5000C Certificate provides 
that payments under the contract are only partially exempt from 
withholding under section 5000C, the acquiring agency must withhold to 
the extent described in paragraph (b)(8) of this section.
    (9) Compute amounts to withhold. If, after evaluating each step 
described in this paragraph (b), the acquiring agency determines that 
it has an obligation to withhold, the acquiring agency computes the 
amount of withholding by multiplying the amount of the payment by 2 
percent, unless the foreign contracting party has provided a Section 
5000C Certificate or the payment is only in part for goods or services. 
In cases in which the Section 5000C Certificate demonstrates that the 
exemption in Step 8 applies, the acquiring agency generally computes 
the amount of withholding by multiplying the amount of the payment by 
the contract ratio provided on the most recent Section 5000C 
Certificate, the product of which is multiplied by 2 percent. However, 
in cases in which the exemption in Step 8 applies and the requirements 
of paragraph (d)(4)(iii)(B)(2) of this section are met, the acquiring 
agency computes the amount of withholding based on the payment for the 
specifically identified items, which may be identified by the contract 
line item number, or CLIN. In the case in which the payment is only in 
part for goods or services, the acquiring agency reduces the amount of 
the payment subject to the tax to the extent it is for something other 
than goods or services. The acquiring agency withholds the computed 
amount from the payment.
    (10) Deposit and report amounts withheld. The acquiring agency 
deposits and reports the amounts determined in the prior step in 
accordance with Sec.  1.5000C-3.
    (c) Determining whether the contracting party is a U.S. person--(1) 
In general. An acquiring agency must rely on the provisions of this 
paragraph (c) to determine the status of the contracting party as a 
U.S. person for purposes of withholding under section 5000C.
    (2) Determination based on Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). An 
acquiring agency must treat a contracting party as a U.S. person if the 
U.S. government information system (such as the System for Award 
Management (SAM)) indicates that the contracting party is a corporation 
(for example, because the name listed in SAM contains the term 
``Corporation,'' ``Inc.,'' or ``Corp.'') and that it has a TIN that 
begins with two digits other than ``98'' (a limited liability company 
or LLC is not treated as a corporation for purposes of this paragraph 
(c)(2)). Further, an acquiring agency must treat a contracting party as 
a U.S. person if the acquiring agency has access to a U.S. government 
information system that indicates that the contracting party is an 
individual with a TIN that begins with a digit other than ``9''.
    (3) Determination based on the Form W-9. An acquiring agency must 
treat a contracting party as a U.S. person if the person has submitted 
to it a valid Form W-9, ``Request for Taxpayer Identification Number 
(TIN) and Certificate'' (or valid substitute form described in Sec.  
31.3406(h)-3(c)(2) of this chapter), signed under penalties of perjury.
    (4) Contracting party treated as a foreign contracting party. If an 
acquiring agency cannot determine that a contracting party is a U.S. 
person based on application of paragraph (c)(2) or (3) of this section, 
then the contracting party is treated as a foreign contracting party 
for purposes of this section.
    (d) Withholding when a foreign contracting party submits a Section 
5000C Certificate--(1) In general. Unless the acquiring agency has 
reason to know that the information is incorrect or unreliable, the 
acquiring agency may rely on a claim that a foreign contracting party 
is entitled to an exemption (in

[[Page 55141]]

whole or in part) from withholding on payments pursuant to a contract 
if the foreign contracting party provides a Section 5000C Certificate 
to the acquiring agency as prescribed in this paragraph (d). When a 
Section 5000C Certificate is furnished, the acquiring agency does not 
withhold, or must reduce the amount of withholding, on payments made to 
a foreign person if the certificate establishes that the foreign person 
is wholly or partially exempt from withholding. An acquiring agency may 
establish a system for a foreign contracting party to electronically 
furnish a Section 5000C Certificate.
    (2) Exemption for a foreign contracting party entitled to the 
benefit of relief pursuant to certain international agreements. An 
acquiring agency does not withhold on payments pursuant to a contract 
with a foreign contracting party when the payment is entitled to relief 
from the tax imposed under section 5000C pursuant to an international 
agreement, including relief pursuant to a nondiscrimination provision 
of a qualified income tax treaty, because the foreign contracting party 
is entitled to the benefit of that agreement and the foreign 
contracting party has submitted a Section 5000C Certificate that 
includes all of the information described in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and 
(ii) of this section.
    (3) Exemption when goods are manufactured or produced or services 
provided in the United States, or in a foreign country that is a party 
to an international procurement agreement. An acquiring agency does not 
withhold on payments pursuant to a contract with a foreign contracting 
party to the extent that the payments are for goods manufactured or 
produced or services provided in the United States or in a foreign 
country that is a party to an international procurement agreement with 
the United States, provided that the foreign contracting party has 
submitted a Section 5000C Certificate that includes all of the 
information described in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and (iii) of this 
section. If the Section 5000C Certificate provides that the payment is 
only partially exempt from withholding under section 5000C, the 
acquiring agency must withhold to the extent that the payment is not 
exempt.
    (4) Information required for Section 5000C Certificate--(i) In 
general. The Section 5000C Certificate must be signed under penalties 
of perjury by the foreign contracting party and contain--
    (A) The name of the foreign contracting party, country of 
organization (if applicable), and permanent residence address of the 
foreign contracting party;
    (B) The mailing address of the foreign contracting party (if 
different than the permanent residence address);
    (C) The TIN assigned to the foreign contracting party (if any);
    (D) The identifying or reference number on the contract (if known);
    (E) The name and address of the acquiring agency;
    (F) A statement that the person signing the Section 5000C 
Certificate is the foreign contracting party listed in paragraph 
(d)(4)(i)(A) of this section (or is authorized to sign on behalf of the 
foreign contracting party);
    (G) A statement that the foreign contracting party is not acting as 
an agent or nominee for another foreign person with respect to the 
goods manufactured or produced or services provided under the contract;
    (H) A statement that the foreign contracting party agrees to pay an 
amount equal to any tax (including any applicable penalties and 
interest) due under section 5000C that the acquiring agency does not 
withhold under section 5000C;
    (I) A statement that the foreign contracting party acknowledges and 
understands the rules in Sec.  1.5000C-4 relating to procedural 
obligations related to section 5000C; and
    (J) A statement that the foreign contracting party has not engaged 
in a transaction (or series of transactions) with a principal purpose 
of avoiding the tax imposed under section 5000C as defined in Sec.  
1.5000C-5.
    (ii) Additional information required for claiming an exemption 
based on certain international agreements with the United States. In 
addition to the information required by paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this 
section, a foreign contracting party claiming an exemption from 
withholding in reliance on a provision of an international agreement 
with the United States, including a qualified income tax treaty, must 
provide--
    (A) The name of the international agreement under which the foreign 
contracting party is claiming benefits;
    (B) The specific provision of the international agreement relied 
upon (for example, the nondiscrimination article of a qualified income 
tax treaty); and
    (C) The basis on which it is entitled to the benefits of that 
provision (for example, because the foreign contracting party is a 
corporation organized in a foreign country that has in force a 
qualified income tax treaty with the United States that covers all 
nationals, regardless of their residence).
    (iii) Additional required information for claiming exemption based 
on country where goods are manufactured or services provided. (A) In 
general. In addition to the information required by paragraph (d)(4)(i) 
of this section, a foreign contracting party claiming an exemption from 
withholding (in whole or in part) because payments will be pursuant to 
a contract for goods manufactured or produced or services provided in 
the United States, or a foreign country that is party to an 
international procurement agreement, must describe on the Section 5000C 
Certificate the relevant goods or services and the country (or 
countries) in which they are manufactured or produced, or are provided, 
and must include the name of the international procurement agreement or 
agreements (if relevant).
    (B) Information on allocation to exempt and nonexempt amounts. (1) 
In general. In situations in which a foreign contracting party claims 
the exemption in paragraph (d)(3) of this section with respect to only 
a portion of the payments received under the contract, the Section 
5000C Certificate must include an explanation of the method used by the 
foreign contracting party to allocate the total contract price among 
the countries, as described in Sec.  1.5000C-1(e)(3), if applicable. In 
general, the Section 5000C Certificate also must include the total 
contract price and the nonexempt amount; however, when necessary, an 
estimate of the total contract price or the nonexempt amount may be 
used. For example, total contract price may be estimated when a Section 
5000C Certificate is being completed with respect to payments to be 
made pursuant to a cost-reimbursement contract that is paid on the 
basis of actual incurred costs and the total amount of such costs is 
not known at the time the certificate is provided.
    (2) Specific identification of exempt items. If agreed to by the 
acquiring agency, the Section 5000C Certificate may identify specific 
exempt and nonexempt amounts. For example, specific contract line items 
(such as a contract line item number or CLIN) identified in the 
contract may be listed on the Section 5000C Certificate as exempt and 
nonexempt amounts (in whole or in part), as applicable. When this 
paragraph applies, and whether or not the contract identifies exempt 
and nonexempt amounts, a foreign contracting party must provide the 
information required by paragraphs (d)(4)(iii)(A) and (d)(4)(iii)(B)(1) 
of this section, on the Section 5000C Certificate to explain why the 
contract line items are eligible for an exemption; however,

[[Page 55142]]

the foreign contracting party is not required to include information 
about the total contract price under this paragraph. In these 
circumstances, only one Section 5000C Certificate is required to be 
provided identifying the exempt and nonexempt contract line items that 
relate to the contract (for example, a spreadsheet may be attached to 
the Section 5000C Certificate that identifies the contract line items 
with an explanation for the treatment as exempt or nonexempt).
    (5) Validity period of Section 5000C Certificate. Except as 
otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(6) of this section, the Section 
5000C Certificate is valid for the term of the contract.
    (6) Change in circumstances. A foreign contracting party must 
submit a revised Section 5000C Certificate within 30 days of a change 
in circumstances that causes the information in a Section 5000C 
Certificate held by the acquiring agency to be incorrect with respect 
to the acquiring agency's determination of whether to withhold or the 
amount of withholding under Section 5000C. An acquiring agency must 
request a new Section 5000C Certificate from a contracting party in 
circumstances in which it knows (or has reason to know) that a 
previously submitted Section 5000C Certificate becomes incorrect or 
unreliable. An acquiring agency may request an updated Section 5000C 
Certificate at any time, including when other documentation is required 
under the contract, such as the annual representations and 
certifications required in 48 CFR 4.1201. See Sec.  1.5000C-6, Example 
6, for an illustration of this paragraph (6).
    (7) Form W-14. A foreign contracting party may choose to use Form 
W-14, ``Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal 
Procurement Payments'' (or other form that the IRS may prescribe), as 
its Section 5000C Certificate, provided that it includes all the 
necessary information required by this paragraph (d).
    (8) Time for submitting Section 5000C Certificate. A contracting 
party must submit the Section 5000C Certificate (such as Form W-14 or 
Form W-9) as early as practicable (for example, when the offer for the 
contract is submitted to the U.S. government). In all cases, however, 
the Section 5000C Certificate must be submitted to the acquiring agency 
no later than the date of execution of the contract.
    (e) Offset for underwithholding or overwithholding--(1) In general. 
If the foreign contracting party discovers that amounts withheld on 
prior payments either were insufficient or in excess of the amount 
required to satisfy its tax liability under section 5000C, the foreign 
contracting party may request the acquiring agency to increase or 
decrease the amount of withholding on future payments for which 
withholding is required under section 5000C. The request must be in 
writing, signed under penalties of perjury, contain the amount by which 
the foreign contracting party requests to increase or decrease future 
amounts withheld under section 5000C, and explain the reason for the 
request. The request may be submitted in conjunction with an original 
or updated Section 5000C Certificate.
    (2) Underwithholding. Upon receipt of a request described in 
paragraph (e)(1) of this section, acquiring agencies may increase the 
amount of withholding under this paragraph to correct underwithholding 
only if the payment for which the increase is applied is otherwise 
subject to withholding under section 5000C and made before the date 
that Form 1042, ``Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income 
of Foreign Persons,'' is required to be filed (not including 
extensions) with respect to the payment for which the underwithholding 
occurred. Amounts withheld under this paragraph must be deposited and 
reported in the time and manner as prescribed by Sec.  1.5000C-3. See 
Sec.  1.5000C-4 for procedures for a foreign contracting party that 
must pay tax due when its tax liability under section 5000C was not 
fully satisfied by withholding by an acquiring agency.
    (3) Overwithholding. Upon receipt of a request described in 
paragraph (e)(1) of this section, acquiring agencies may decrease the 
amount of withholding on subsequent payments made to the foreign 
contracting party that are otherwise subject to withholding under 
section 5000C provided that the payment for which the decrease is 
applied is made on or before the date on which Form 1042, ``Annual 
Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign Persons,'' is 
required to be filed (not including extensions) with respect to the 
payment for which the overwithholding occurred. See Sec.  1.5000C-4(e) 
for procedures for foreign contracting parties to file a claim for 
refund for the overwithheld amount under section 5000C.


Sec.  1.5000C-3  Payment and returns of tax withheld by the acquiring 
agency.

    (a) In general. This section provides administrative procedures 
that acquiring agencies must follow to satisfy their obligations to 
deposit and report amounts withheld under Sec.  1.5000C-2. An acquiring 
agency with a section 5000C withholding obligation must increase the 
amount it deducts and withholds under chapter 3 for fixed or 
determinable annual or periodical income (FDAP income) by the amount it 
must withhold under Sec.  1.5000C-2. Accordingly, this section 
generally applies the administrative provisions of chapter 3 for FDAP 
income relating to the deposit, payment, and reporting for amounts 
withheld under Sec.  1.5000C-2, and contains some variation from those 
provisions to take into account the nature of the tax imposed under 
section 5000C.
    (b) Deposit rules--(1) Acquiring agency with a chapter 3 deposit 
requirement treats amounts withheld as under chapter 3. If an acquiring 
agency has a chapter 3 deposit obligation for a period, it must treat 
any amount withheld under Sec.  1.5000C-2 as an additional amount of 
tax withheld under chapter 3 for purposes of the deposit rules of Sec.  
1.6302-2. Thus, depending on the combined amount withheld under chapter 
3 and Sec.  1.5000C-2, an acquiring agency subject to this paragraph 
(b)(1) must make monthly deposits, quarter-monthly deposits, or annual 
deposits under the rules in Sec.  1.6302-2. To the extent provided in 
forms, instructions, or publications prescribed by the Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS), acquiring agencies must deposit all withheld amounts by 
electronic funds transfer, as that term is defined in Sec.  31.6302-
1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter.
    (2) Acquiring agency with no chapter 3 filing obligation deposits 
withheld amounts monthly. If an acquiring agency has no chapter 3 
deposit obligation to which the deposit rules of Sec.  1.6302-2 apply 
for a calendar month, it must make monthly deposits of the amounts 
withheld under the rules in this paragraph (b)(2). Thus, an acquiring 
agency with no chapter 3 deposit obligations and that has withheld any 
amount under Sec.  1.5000C-2 during any calendar month must deposit 
that amount by the 15th day of the month following the payment. To the 
extent provided in forms, instructions, or publications prescribed by 
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), acquiring agencies must deposit all 
withheld amounts by electronic funds transfer, as that term is defined 
in Sec.  31.6302-1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter.
    (c) Return requirements--(1) In general. Except as provided in 
paragraph (c)(2) of this section, an acquiring agency that withholds an 
amount pursuant to section 5000C generally must file Form 1042-S, 
``Foreign Person's U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding,'' and 
Form 1042, ``Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of 
Foreign

[[Page 55143]]

Persons,'' each year, or other such forms as the IRS may prescribe, to 
report information related to amounts withheld under section 5000C. The 
acquiring agency must prepare a Form 1042-S for each contracting party 
reporting the amount withheld under section 5000C for the preceding 
calendar year. The Form 1042 must show the aggregate amounts withheld 
under section 5000C that were required to be reported on Forms 1042-S 
(including those amounts withheld under section 5000C for which a Form 
1042-S is not required to be filed pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this 
section). The Form 1042 must also include the information required by 
the form and accompanying instructions. Further, any forms required 
under this paragraph (c) are due at the same time, at the same place, 
and eligible for the same extended due dates and may be amended in the 
same manner as Form 1042 and Form 1042-S (or such other forms as the 
IRS may prescribe related to chapter 3). The acquiring agency must 
furnish a copy of the Form 1042-S (or such other form as the IRS may 
prescribe for the same purpose) to the contracting party for whom the 
form is prepared on or before March 15 of the calendar year following 
the year in which the amount subject to reporting under section 5000C 
was paid. It must be filed with a transmittal form as provided in the 
instructions for Form 1042-S and to the transmittal form. Section 5000C 
Certificates or other statements or information as prescribed by Sec.  
1.5000C-2 that are provided to the acquiring agency are not required to 
be attached to the Form 1042 filed with the IRS. However, an acquiring 
agency that is required to file Form 1042 must retain a copy of Form 
1042, Form 1042-S, the Section 5000C Certificates, or other statements 
or information prescribed by Sec.  1.5000C-2 for at least three years 
from the original due date of Form 1042 or the date it was filed, 
whichever is later. An acquiring agency that is not required to file 
Form 1042 must retain any Section 5000C Certificates or other 
statements or information as prescribed by Sec.  1.5000C-2 for at least 
three years from the date the Form 1042 would have been due had the 
acquiring agency had an obligation to file.
    (2) Classified or confidential contracts. An acquiring agency is 
not required to report information otherwise required by this section 
on Form 1042-S for payments made pursuant to classified or confidential 
contracts (as described in section 6050M(e)(3)), unless the acquiring 
agency determines that the information reported on the Form 1042-S does 
not compromise the safeguarding of classified information or national 
security.
    (d) Special arrangement for certain contracts. In limited 
circumstances, the IRS may authorize the amount otherwise required to 
be withheld under section 5000C to be deposited in the time and manner 
mutually agreed upon by the acquiring agency and the foreign 
contracting party. In these circumstances, the IRS may in its sole 
discretion also modify any reporting or return requirements of the 
acquiring agency or the foreign contracting party.


Sec.  1.5000C-4  Requirement for the foreign contracting party to file 
a return and pay tax, and procedures for the contracting party to seek 
a refund.

    (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle F of the Internal Revenue 
Code (``Procedure and Administration''), the tax imposed under section 
5000C on foreign persons is treated as a tax imposed under subtitle A. 
Except as provided elsewhere in the regulations under section 5000C, 
forms, or accompanying instructions, the tax imposed on foreign 
contracting parties under section 5000C is administered in a manner 
similar to gross basis income taxes. This section provides procedures 
that a foreign contracting party must follow to satisfy its obligations 
to report and deposit tax due under Sec.  1.5000C-1 as well as 
procedures for contracting parties to seek a refund of amounts 
overwithheld.
    (b) Tax obligation of foreign contracting party independent of 
withholding. A foreign contracting party subject to tax under section 
5000C and Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7 remains liable for the 
tax unless its tax obligation was fully satisfied by withholding by an 
acquiring agency in accordance with Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-2 and 1.5000C-3.
    (c) Return of tax by the foreign contracting party. If the tax 
liability under Sec.  1.5000C-1 relating to a payment is not fully 
satisfied by withholding in accordance with Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-2 and 
1.5000C-3 (including as a result of the use of an estimated nonexempt 
amount or estimated total contract price in computing the contract 
ratio), a foreign contracting party subject to tax under Sec.  1.5000C-
1 during a calendar year must make a return of tax on, for example, 
Form 1120-F, ``U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Corporation,'' or 
such other form as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may prescribe to 
report the amount of tax due under section 5000C (required return). A 
foreign contracting party with no other U.S. tax filing obligation 
other than with respect to its liability for the tax imposed under 
section 5000C must file its required return on or before the fifteenth 
day of the sixth month following the close of its taxable year. The 
required return must include the information required by the form and 
accompanying instructions. The required return must be filed at the 
place and time (including any extension of time to file) provided by 
the form and accompanying instructions. Penalties for failure to file 
contained in Subtitle F can apply to foreign contracting parties who 
fail to file the required return. A foreign contracting party must 
attach copies of all Forms 1042-S, ``Foreign Person's U.S. Source 
Income Subject to Withholding,'' received from acquiring agencies (if 
any) to the required return.
    (d) Time and manner of paying tax. A foreign contracting party must 
pay the tax imposed under section 5000C in the manner provided and in 
the time prescribed in the required return and accompanying 
instructions. In general, the foreign contracting party must pay the 
tax at the time that the required return is due, excluding extensions. 
To the extent provided in forms, instructions, or publications 
prescribed by the IRS, each foreign contracting party must deposit tax 
due under section 5000C by electronic funds transfer, as that term is 
defined in Sec.  31.6302-1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter. A foreign 
contracting party that fails to pay tax in the time and manner 
prescribed in this section (or under forms, instructions, or 
publications prescribed by the IRS under this section) may be subject 
to penalties and interest under Subtitle F.
    (e) Refund requests when amount withheld exceeds tax liability. 
After taking into account any offsets pursuant to Sec.  1.5000C-
2(e)(3), if the acquiring agency has overwithheld amounts under section 
5000C and has made a deposit of the amounts under Sec.  1.5000C-3(b), 
the contracting party may claim a refund of the amount overwithheld 
pursuant to the procedures described in chapter 65. The contracting 
party's claim for refund must meet the requirements of section 6402 and 
the regulations thereunder, as applicable, and must be filed before the 
expiration of the period of limitations on refund in section 6511 and 
the regulations thereunder. In general, the contracting party making a 
refund claim must file the required return to claim a refund, stating 
the grounds upon which the claim is based. A Section 5000C Certificate 
and a copy of the Form 1042-S received from the acquiring agency must 
be attached to the required return. For purposes of this section, an 
amount

[[Page 55144]]

is overwithheld if the amount withheld from the payment pursuant to 
section 5000C and Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7 exceeds the 
contracting party's tax liability under Sec.  1.5000C-1, regardless of 
whether the overwithholding was in error or appeared correct when it 
occurred. A U.S. person may seek a refund under this paragraph (e) even 
if it was treated as a foreign person under the rules in Sec.  1.5000C-
2 (for example, because it neither had a taxpayer identification number 
on file in the System for Award Management nor submitted Form W-9, 
``Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Certification,'' 
to the acquiring agency).


Sec.  1.5000C-5  Anti-abuse rule.

    If a foreign person engages in a transaction (or series of 
transactions) with a principal purpose of avoiding the tax imposed 
under section 5000C, the transaction (or series of transactions) may be 
disregarded or the arrangement may be recharacterized (including 
disregarding an intermediate entity), in accordance with its substance. 
If this section applies, the foreign person remains liable for any tax 
(including any tax obligation unsatisfied as a result of 
underwithholding) and the Internal Revenue Service retains all other 
rights and remedies under any applicable law available to collect any 
tax imposed on the foreign contracting party by section 5000C.


Sec.  1.5000C-6  Examples.

    The rules of Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-4 are illustrated 
by the following examples. For purposes of the examples: All contracts 
are executed with acquiring agencies on or after January 2, 2011, and 
are for the provision of either goods or services; none of the 
exemptions described in Sec.  1.5000C-1(d) apply, unless otherwise 
explicitly stated; the acquiring agencies have no other withholding 
obligations under chapter 3 of the Code and have no other contracts 
subject to section 5000C; the foreign contracting parties do not have 
any U.S. source income or a U.S. tax return filing obligation other 
than a tax return filing obligation that arises based on the facts 
described in the particular example; and none of the contracts are 
classified or confidential contracts as described in section 
6050M(e)(3).

    Example 1. U.S. person not subject to tax; no withholding. (i) 
Facts. Company A Inc., a domestic corporation and the contracting 
party, enters into a contract with Agency L, the acquiring agency. 
Before making its first payment under the contract (for example, on 
the date of execution of the contract), pursuant to the first step 
in Sec.  1.5000C-2(b), Agency L determines that the contract will be 
for services. Under the second step, Agency L reviews Company A 
Inc.'s record in the System for Award Management (SAM) and 
determines that Company A is a corporation and is considered to be a 
U.S. person because Agency L's records demonstrate that Company A 
Inc. is a business entity treated as a corporation for tax purposes 
that has a TIN that does not begin with ``98.''
    (ii) Analysis. Company A Inc. is a U.S. person and thus is not 
subject to the tax under section 5000C. Moreover, because Company A 
Inc. is a corporation for tax purposes that has a TIN that does not 
begin with ``98,'' Agency L is able to determine that it has no 
obligation to withhold any amounts under section 5000C on the 
payment made to Company A Inc. For purposes of section 5000C, 
Company A Inc. could also establish that it is a U.S. person by 
providing a Form W-9, ``Request for Taxpayer Identification Number 
(TIN) and Certification,'' to Agency L. Company A Inc. does not need 
to file a Section 5000C Certificate to demonstrate its eligibility 
for an exemption from withholding.
    Example 2. Foreign national entitled to the benefit of a 
nondiscrimination provision of a treaty; no withholding. (i) Facts. 
Company B, a foreign contracting party and a national of Country T, 
provides goods to Agency M, the acquiring agency. Company B 
determines that it is exempt from tax under section 5000C because it 
is entitled to the benefit of the nondiscrimination article of a 
qualified income tax treaty between the United States and Country T. 
Company B submits a Section 5000C Certificate to Agency M when the 
contract is executed. Company B uses Form W-14, ``Certificate of 
Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments,'' 
and properly fills the relevant sections stating the name of the 
treaty, the specific article relied upon, and the basis on which it 
is entitled to the benefits of that article. Following the steps in 
Sec.  1.5000C-2, Agency M determines that the nondiscrimination 
provision of the Country T-United States income tax treaty applies 
to exempt Company B from the tax imposed under section 5000C. Agency 
M makes one lump sum payment of $50 million to Company B pursuant to 
the contract.
    (ii) Analysis. Company B has no liability for tax under section 
5000C because it is entitled to the benefit of a nondiscrimination 
article of a qualified income tax treaty. Because Company B 
submitted a Section 5000C Certificate meeting the requirements in 
Sec.  1.5000C-2 and Agency M does not have reason to know that the 
submitted information is incorrect or unreliable, Agency M is not 
required to withhold under section 5000C. Agency M must retain the 
Section 5000C Certificate for at least three years pursuant to Sec.  
1.5000C-3(c)(1) from the due date for the Form 1042 (if it were 
required).
    Example 3. Foreign treaty beneficiary does not submit Section 
5000C Certificate; withholding required. (i) Facts. The facts are 
the same as in Example 2, except that Company B does not submit a 
Section 5000C Certificate to Agency M before Agency M makes the $50 
million payment.
    (ii) Analysis. Company B is not subject to tax under section 
5000C, but Agency M must nevertheless withhold on the payment made 
to Company B because Agency M did not receive a Section 5000C 
Certificate from Company B in the time and manner required pursuant 
to Sec.  1.5000C-2(d). Agency M must withhold $1 million (2 percent 
of $50 million) on the payment, and deposit that amount under the 
rules in Sec.  1.5000C-3 no later than the 15th day of the month 
following the month in which the payment was made. Agency M must 
also complete Forms 1042, ``Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. 
Source Income of Foreign Persons,'' and 1042-S, ``Foreign Person's 
U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding,'' on or before the date 
specified on those forms and the accompanying instructions. Agency M 
must furnish copies of Form 1042-S to Company B. Agency M must 
retain a copy of the Form 1042 and the Form 1042-S for 3 years from 
the due date for the Form 1042 pursuant to Sec.  1.5000C-3(c)(1). As 
Company B is not liable for the tax, it may later file a claim for 
refund pursuant to the procedures described in chapter 65.
    Example 4. Foreign contracting party partially exempt from tax 
under section 5000C when goods are manufactured in different 
countries. (i) Facts. Company C, a foreign contracting party, 
provides goods to Agency N in 2015. The terms of the contract 
require that payment be made to Company C by Agency N in two $5 
million installments in 2015. Company C has a TIN that begins with 
``98'' and is not entitled to relief pursuant to an international 
agreement with the United States, such as relief pursuant to a 
nondiscrimination provision of a qualified income tax treaty. Some 
of the goods are manufactured in Country R, which is a party to an 
international procurement agreement with the United States, with the 
remainder being manufactured in Country S, a country that is not a 
party to an international procurement agreement with the United 
States. Company C uses a reasonable allocation method based on the 
information available to it at the time in accordance with Sec.  
1.5000C-1(e)(3) to estimate that $3 million is the nonexempt amount 
that is allocated to the goods produced in Country S. Company C 
submits a valid and complete Section 5000C Certificate to Agency N 
in the time and manner required by Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 
1.5000C-7 that provides that the nonexempt amount is $3 million. In 
2015, Agency N pays Company C in two installments pursuant to the 
terms of the contract.
    (ii) Analysis. Using a reasonable allocation method to determine 
the estimated nonexempt amount, Company C determines that pursuant 
to section 5000C and Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7, tax of 
$30,000 (2 percent of the $5 million payment, or $100,000 multiplied 
by a fraction, the numerator of which is the estimated nonexempt 
amount, $3 million, and the denominator of which is the estimated 
total contract price, or $10 million) is imposed on each payment 
made to Company C. Because Company C has timely submitted a Section 
5000C Certificate explaining the basis for this allocation, Agency N 
withholds $30,000 on

[[Page 55145]]

each payment made to Company C. Agency N must deposit each $30,000 
withholding tax under the rules in Sec.  1.5000C-3 no later than the 
15th day of the month following the month in which each payment is 
made. Agency N must also complete Forms 1042 and 1042-S and furnish 
copies of Form 1042-S to Company C. Agency N must retain a copy of 
the Form 1042 and the Form 1042-S for at least three years from the 
due date for the Form 1042 pursuant to Sec.  1.5000C-3(c)(1). 
Provided that Agency N properly withholds on the nonexempt portion 
as required under section 5000C and Sec. Sec.  1.5000C-1 through 
1.5000C-7 and that Company C's estimate of the nonexempt amount is 
the actual nonexempt amount, Company C does not have an additional 
tax liability or a U.S. tax return filing obligation as a result of 
receiving the payments.
    Example 5. Foreign contracting party liable for additional tax 
under Section 5000C not fully withheld upon due to errors on the 
Section 5000C Certificate. (i) Facts. The facts are the same as in 
Example 4, except that the Section 5000C Certificate submitted to 
Agency N by Company C erroneously provides that the estimated 
nonexempt amount is $1.5 million instead of $3 million. As a result, 
Agency N only withholds $15,000 (2 percent of the $5 million payment 
multiplied by a fraction (the numerator of which is the estimated 
nonexempt amount stated on the Section 5000C Certificate, $1.5 
million, and the denominator of which is the estimated total 
contract price, or $10 million)) on each payment made to Company C. 
Agency N neither discovered nor had reason to know that the 
information on the Section 5000C Certificate was incorrect or 
unreliable. After both payments have been made and after the filing 
due date for Form 1042 for 2015, Company C determines that the 
estimated nonexempt amount should have been stated as $3 million on 
the Section 5000C Certificate.
    (ii) Analysis. The tax imposed under section 5000C on Company C 
as a result of the receipt of specified Federal procurement payments 
is $60,000 and this amount has not been fully satisfied by 
withholding by Agency N. Accordingly, Company C must remit 
additional tax of $30,000 ($60,000 tax liability less $30,000 
amounts already withheld by Agency N) and file its required return, 
a Form 1120-F, ``U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Corporation,'' 
for 2015 to report this tax liability, as required by Sec.  1.5000C-
4. Company C must explain its corrected allocation method in its 
Form 1120-F. Company C must also attach a copy of the Form 1042-S it 
received from Agency N to Form 1120-F.
    Example 6. Foreign contracting party submits revised Section 
5000C Certificate due to change in circumstances. (i) Facts. The 
facts are the same as in Example 4, except that, after the first 
payment, Company C changes its business so that all of the goods 
manufactured with respect to the second payment are manufactured in 
Country R. Prior to the second payment, Company C submits a revised 
Section 5000C Certificate indicating this change in circumstance 
pursuant to Sec.  1.5000C-2(d)(6).
    (ii) Analysis. Agency N withholds $30,000 on the first payment 
made to Company C and does not withhold on the second payment. 
Company C does not have an additional tax liability or a U.S. tax 
return filing obligation as a result of receiving the payments.


Sec.  1.5000C-7  Effective/applicability date.

    Section 5000C applies to specified Federal procurement payments 
received pursuant to contracts entered into on and after January 2, 
2011. Sections 1.5000C-1 through 1.5000C-7 apply on and after November 
16, 2016. Contracting parties and acquiring agencies may rely upon the 
rules in the regulations before such date. If a foreign contracting 
party fully satisfies its tax and filing obligations under section 
5000C with respect to any payments received in tax years ending before 
November 16, 2016 on or before the later of November 16, 2016 or the 
due date for the foreign person's income tax return for the year in 
which the payment was received in a manner consistent with the final 
regulations, penalties will not be asserted on the foreign contracting 
parties with respect to those payments or returns.

PART 301--PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION

0
Par. 5. The authority citation for part 301 continues to read in part 
as follows:

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *


0
Par. 6. Section 301.6114-1 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(1)(ix) 
and revising paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  301.6114-1  Treaty-based return positions.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ix) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(1) of this section, that a 
nondiscrimination provision of a qualified income tax treaty, as 
defined in Treas. Reg. Sec.  1.5000C-1(c)(13), exempts a payment from 
tax under section 5000C, but only if the foreign person claiming such 
relief has provided a Section 5000C Certificate (such as Form W-14, 
``Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal 
Procurement Payments'') to the acquiring agency in accordance with 
section 5000C and the regulations thereunder.
* * * * *
    (e) Effective/applicability date--(1) In general. This section is 
effective for taxable years of the taxpayer for which the due date for 
filing returns (without extensions) occurs after December 31, 1988. 
However, if--
    (i) A taxpayer has filed a return for such a taxable year, without 
complying with the reporting requirement of this section, before 
November 13, 1989, or
    (ii) A taxpayer is not otherwise than by paragraph (a) of this 
section required to file a return for a taxable year before November 
13, 1989, such taxpayer must file (apart from any earlier filed return) 
the statement required by paragraph (d) of this section before June 12, 
1990, by mailing the required statement to the Internal Revenue 
Service, P.O. Box 21086, Philadelphia, PA 19114. Any such statement 
filed apart from a return must be dated, signed and sworn to by the 
taxpayer under the penalties of perjury. In addition, with respect to 
any return due (without extensions) on or before March 10, 1990, the 
reporting required by paragraph (a) of this section must be made no 
later than June 12, 1990. If a taxpayer files or has filed a return on 
or before November 13, 1989, that provides substantially the same 
information required by paragraph (d) of this section, no additional 
submission will be required. Foreign insurers and reinsurers subject to 
reporting described in paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of this section must so 
report for calendar years 1988 and 1989 no later than August 15, 1990.
    (2) Section 5000C. Paragraph (c)(1)(ix) of this section applies to 
payments made on and after November 16, 2016 pursuant to contracts 
entered into on and after January 2, 2011. However, a taxpayer that 
receives payments exempt from tax under section 5000C by reason of a 
qualified income tax treaty before November 16, 2016 is not required to 
disclose this position on Form 8833, provided it has properly relied on 
Notice 2015-35, I.R.B. 2016-14, 533, in claiming the exemption.
* * * * *

PART 602--OMB CONTROL NUMBERS UNDER THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

0
Par. 7. The authority citation for part 602 continues to read in part 
as follows:

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *


0
Par. 8. In Sec.  602.101, paragraph (b) is amended by adding entries in 
numerical order to the table to read as follows:


Sec.  602.101  OMB Control numbers.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Current
                                                                  OMB
     CFR part or section where  identified and described        control
                                                                  No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                * * * * *
1.5000C-2...................................................   1545-0096
                                                               1545-2263
1.5000C-3...................................................   1545-0096
                                                               1545-2263

[[Page 55146]]

 
1.5000C-4...................................................   1545-1223
                                                               1545-0074
 
                                * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------


John M. Dalrymple,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.

    Approved: July 22, 2016.
Mark D. Mazur,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2016-19452 Filed 8-17-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4830-01-P



                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                              55133

                                             assumption of responsibility, hold harmless,            party’s failure to implement properly the             each Customer, any Part 440 Customer, and
                                             and indemnification, as set forth in                    waiver requirement.                                   the Contractors and Subcontractors of each of
                                             paragraphs 2(a) and 3(a), respectively, to its             (b) Each Customer shall hold harmless and          them, the directors, officers, agents and
                                             Contractors and Subcontractors by requiring             indemnify Permittee and its directors,                employees of any of the foregoing, and in the
                                             them to waive and release all claims they               officers, servants, agents, subsidiaries,             case of the United States, its agents.
                                             may have against each Customer, the United              employees and assignees, or any of them; the             (c) References herein to Customer shall
                                             States, any Part 440 Customer, and each of              United States and its agencies, servants,             apply to, and be deemed to include, each
                                             their respective Contractors and                        agents, subsidiaries, employees and                   such customer severally and not jointly.
                                             Subcontractors, and to agree to be                      assignees, or any of them; and any other                 (d) This Agreement shall be governed by
                                             responsible, for Property Damage they                   customer and its directors, officers, servants,       and construed in accordance with United
                                             sustain and to be responsible, hold harmless            agents, subsidiaries, employees and                   States Federal law.
                                             and indemnify each Customer, the United                 assignees, or any of them, from and against              In witness whereof, the Parties to this
                                             States, any Part 440 Customer, and each of              liability, loss or damage arising out of claims       Agreement have caused the Agreement to be
                                             their respective Contractors and                        that each Customer’s Contractors,                     duly executed by their respective duly
                                             Subcontractors, for Bodily Injury or Property           Subcontractors, and customers, may have for           authorized representatives as of the date
                                             Damage sustained by their own employees,                Property Damage sustained by them and for             written above.
                                             resulting from Permitted Activities,                    Bodily Injury or Property Damage sustained            Permittee
                                             regardless of fault.                                    by their employees, resulting from Permitted
                                                                                                     Activities and arising out of the indemnifying        By: lllllllllllllllllll
                                                (b) Each Customer shall extend the                                                                         Its: lllllllllllllllllll
                                             requirements of the waiver and release of               party’s failure to implement properly the
                                             claims, and the assumption of responsibility,           waiver requirement.                                   Customer 1
                                             hold harmless, and indemnification, as set              6. Assurances Under 51 U.S.C. 50914(e)                By: lllllllllllllllllll
                                             forth in paragraphs 2(b) and 3(a),                         Notwithstanding any provision of this              Its: lllllllllllllllllll
                                             respectively, to its customers, Contractors,            Agreement to the contrary, Permittee shall               [Signature lines for each additional
                                             and Subcontractors, by requiring them to                hold harmless and indemnify the United                customer]
                                             waive and release all claims they may have              States and its agencies, servants, agents,            Federal Aviation Administration of the
                                             against Permittee, the United States, any               employees and assignees, or any of them,              Department of Transportation on Behalf of
                                             other customer, and each of their respective            from and against liability, loss or damage            the United States Government
                                             Contractors and Subcontractors, and to agree            arising out of claims for Bodily Injury or
                                             to be responsible, for Property Damage they             Property Damage, resulting from Permitted             By: lllllllllllllllllll
                                             sustain and to be responsible, hold harmless            Activities, regardless of fault, except to the        Its: lllllllllllllllllll
                                             and indemnify Permittee, the United States,             extent that: (i) As provided in paragraph 7(b)          Issued under authority provided by 49
                                             any other customer, and each of their                   of this Agreement, claims result from willful         U.S.C. 106(f), 44701(a), and 44703 in
                                             respective Contractors and Subcontractors,              misconduct of the United States or its agents;        Washington, DC, on July 25, 2016.
                                             for Bodily Injury or Property Damage                    (ii) claims for Property Damage sustained by          Michael P. Huerta,
                                             sustained by their own employees, resulting             the United States or its Contractors and
                                             from Permitted Activities, regardless of fault.                                                               Administrator.
                                                                                                     Subcontractors exceed the amount of
                                                (c) The United States shall extend the               insurance or demonstration of financial               [FR Doc. 2016–18765 Filed 8–17–16; 8:45 am]
                                             requirements of the waiver and release of               responsibility required under § 440.9(e) of           BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
                                             claims, and the assumption of responsibility            the Regulations; (iii) claims by a Third Party
                                             as set forth in paragraphs 2(c) and 3(b),               for Bodily Injury or Property Damage exceed
                                             respectively, to its Contractors and                    the amount of insurance or demonstration of
                                             Subcontractors by requiring them to waive
                                                                                                                                                           DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
                                                                                                     financial responsibility required under
                                             and release all claims they may have against            § 440.9(c) of the Regulations, and do not             Internal Revenue Service
                                             Permittee, each Customer, any Part 440                  exceed $1,500,000,000 (as adjusted for
                                             Customer, and each of their respective                  inflation after January 1, 1989) above such
                                             Contractors and Subcontractors, and to agree            amount, and are payable pursuant to the               26 CFR Parts 1, 301, and 602
                                             to be responsible, for any Property Damage              provisions of 51 U.S.C. 50915 and § 440.19 of         [TD 9782]
                                             they sustain and for any Bodily Injury or               the Regulations; or (iv) Licensee has no
                                             Property Damage sustained by their own                  liability for claims exceeding $1,500,000,000         RIN 1545–BK06
                                             employees, resulting from Permitted                     (as adjusted for inflation after January 1,
                                             Activities, regardless of fault, to the extent          1989) above the amount of insurance or                Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement
                                             that claims they would otherwise have for               demonstration of financial responsibility
                                             such damage or injury exceed the amount of              required under § 440.9(c) of the Regulations.         AGENCY:  Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
                                             insurance or demonstration of financial                                                                       Treasury.
                                                                                                     7. Miscellaneous
                                             responsibility required under § 440.9(c) and                                                                  ACTION: Final regulations.
                                             (e), respectively, of the Regulations.                     (a) Nothing contained herein shall be
                                                                                                     construed as a waiver or release by Permittee,        SUMMARY:   This document contains final
                                             5. Indemnification                                      any Customer or the United States of any              regulations under section 5000C of the
                                                (a) Permittee shall hold harmless and                claim by an employee of the Permittee, any            Internal Revenue Code relating to the 2
                                             indemnify each Customer and its directors,              Customer or the United States, respectively,
                                                                                                                                                           percent tax on payments made by the
                                             officers, servants, agents, subsidiaries,               including a member of the Armed Forces of
                                             employees and assignees, or any of them; the            the United States, for Bodily Injury or               U.S. government to foreign persons
                                             United States and its agencies, servants,               Property Damage, resulting from Permitted             pursuant to certain contracts. The
                                             agents, subsidiaries, employees and                     Activities.                                           regulations affect U.S. government
                                             assignees, or any of them; and any Part 440                (b) Notwithstanding any provision of this          acquiring agencies and foreign persons
                                             Customer and its directors, officers, servants,         Agreement to the contrary, any waiver,                providing certain goods or services to
                                             agents, subsidiaries, employees and                     release, assumption of responsibility or              the U.S. government pursuant to a
                                             assignees, or any of them, from and against             agreement to hold harmless and indemnify              contract. This document also contains
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             liability, loss or damage arising out of claims         herein shall not apply to claims for Bodily           final regulations under section 6114,
                                             that Permittee’s Contractors and                        Injury or Property Damage resulting from
                                                                                                                                                           with respect to foreign persons claiming
                                             Subcontractors may have for Property                    willful misconduct of any of the Parties, the
                                             Damage sustained by them and for Bodily                 Contractors and Subcontractors of any of the          an exemption from the 2 percent tax
                                             Injury or Property Damage sustained by their            Parties, any Part 440 Customer, the                   under an income tax treaty.
                                             employees, resulting from Permitted                     Contractors and Subcontractors of any Part            DATES: Effective Date: These regulations
                                             Activities and arising out of the indemnifying          440 Customer, and in the case of Permittee,           are effective on August 18, 2016.


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00023   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55134            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                               Applicability Date: For dates of                      Explanation and Summary of                            engages to execute its development
                                             applicability, see § 1.5000C–7 and                      Comments                                              projects and programs in a host country.
                                             § 301.6114–1(e)(2).                                                                                           In this context, the U.S. government is
                                                                                                     1. Payments by Contracting Parties to
                                             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:               Kate                                                           not procuring goods and services for its
                                                                                                     Subcontractors
                                             Hwa at (202) 317–6934, and for                                                                                own benefit, but rather to provide
                                             questions related to tax treaties and the                  A commenter asked for clarification                humanitarian assistance for the benefit
                                             regulations under section 6114, Rosy                    that the proposed regulations apply only              of the host countries. As a result, the
                                             Lor at (202) 317–6933, (not toll-free                   to payments made by the U.S.                          final regulations add an exemption
                                             numbers).                                               government to direct (prime) contractors              under which section 5000C does not
                                                                                                     with the U.S. government, and not to                  apply to a contract for the purpose of
                                             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                              payments made by prime contractors                    obtaining goods or services described in
                                             Background                                              pursuant to subcontracts. Consistent                  or authorized under certain specified
                                                                                                     with the proposed regulations, the final              statutes that are for the purpose of
                                                On January 2, 2011, section 301 of the               regulations provide section 5000C
                                             James Zadroga 9/11 Health and                                                                                 providing foreign humanitarian
                                                                                                     imposes the tax on any foreign                        assistance when the acquiring agency
                                             Compensation Act of 2010, Public Law                    contracting party, which means a
                                             111–347 (the Act), 124 Stat. 3623, added                                                                      determines that the payment is for the
                                                                                                     foreign person that is a party to a                   purpose of providing foreign
                                             section 5000C to the Internal Revenue                   contract with the U.S. government that
                                             Code (Code). Section 5000C(a) imposes                                                                         humanitarian assistance. This
                                                                                                     was entered into on or after January 2,               exemption generally applies to a
                                             on any foreign person that receives a                   2011. Therefore, the final regulations do             contract entered into by an acquiring
                                             specified Federal procurement payment                   not generally impose the tax on a                     agency with a foreign contracting party
                                             a tax equal to 2 percent of the amount                  subcontractor that is not party to a                  to obtain goods or services for purposes
                                             such payment. Section 5000C(b) defines                  contract with the U.S. government. For                of implementing an agreement between
                                             the term specified Federal procurement                  example, if an acquiring agency                       the United States and a foreign country
                                             payment as any payment made pursuant                    contracts with a domestic corporation                 or a group of countries to provide
                                             to a contract with the Government of the                (prime contractor) for goods or services,             foreign humanitarian assistance as
                                             United States (U.S. government) for                     and the prime contractor separately                   authorized under the Food for Peace Act
                                             goods or services if the goods are                      contracts with a foreign subcontractor                (7 U.S.C. 1691, et seq.) and the Foreign
                                             manufactured or produced or the                         for goods and services to be provided                 Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151,
                                             services are provided in any country                    under the contract, section 5000C will                et seq.).
                                             that is not a party to an international                 not ordinarily apply to payments by the                  Similarly, this exemption also
                                             procurement agreement with the United                   prime contractor to its foreign                       generally applies to contacts providing
                                             States. Section 301(a)(3) of the Act                    subcontractor that relate to those goods              foreign humanitarian assistance under
                                             provides that section 5000C applies to                  or services.                                          the Migration and Refugee Assistance
                                             payments received pursuant to contracts                    However, the activities of a                       Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.), the
                                             entered into on and after January 2,                    subcontractor are taken into account                  Freedom Support Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C.
                                             2011. Additionally, section 301(b)(1)(c)                when determining the country in which                 5801 et seq.), and the SEED Act of 1989
                                             of the Act states that this section must                goods are manufactured or produced or                 (22 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.), and to
                                             be applied in a manner consistent with                  in which services are provided under                  transportation of humanitarian relief
                                             U.S. obligations under international                    § 1.5000C–1(e). Furthermore, the final                supplies to foreign countries described
                                             agreements. Section 5000C(d)(1)                         regulations retain the rules in the                   in 10 U.S.C. 402, foreign disaster
                                             provides that the amount deducted and                   proposed regulations that payments                    assistance described in 10 U.S.C. 404,
                                             withheld under chapter 3 shall be                       received by a nominee or agent on                     humanitarian demining assistance
                                             increased by the amount of tax imposed                  behalf of a contracting party are                     described in 10 U.S.C. 407, excess non-
                                             under section 5000C.                                    considered to be received by that                     lethal supplies for humanitarian relief
                                                On April 22, 2015, the Department of                 contracting party. For the definition of              purposes described in 10 U.S.C. 2557,
                                             Treasury (Treasury Department) and the                  a contracting party, see § 1.5000C–                   and transportation of humanitarian
                                             Internal Revenue Service (IRS)                          1(c)(4). The final regulations also retain            relief and for other humanitarian
                                             published in the Federal Register (80                   the anti-abuse rule in § 1.5000C–5 that               purposes described in 10 U.S.C. 2561.
                                             FR 22449) a notice of proposed                          in certain circumstances may treat a                  See § 1.5000C–1(d)(4). A corresponding
                                             rulemaking (REG–103281–11) (NPRM)                       subcontractor that is a foreign person as             change is made to the withholding rules
                                             under sections 5000C and 6114 (the                      being liable for tax under section 5000C.             to take into account this exemption. See
                                             proposed regulations). The regulations                                                                        § 1.5000C–2(b)(6).
                                             set forth a number of exemptions from                   2. Exemption for Certain Foreign
                                             the tax and provided procedures for                     Humanitarian Assistance Contracts                     3. Procurement Not Pursuant to the
                                             collecting the tax. Notice 2015–35,                        The United States Agency for                       Federal Acquisition Regulations
                                             2015–18 I.R.B. 943, issued                              International Development (USAID)                        A commenter noted that it was
                                             contemporaneously with the proposed                     regularly enters into contracts with                  unclear whether payments by acquiring
                                             regulations, provided a list of income                  foreign persons for goods and services                agencies under contracts that are not
                                             tax treaties in effect that prevented the               for purposes of implementing USAID’s                  entered into pursuant to the Federal
                                             imposition of the tax. No public hearing                development projects and programs in a                Acquisition Regulations (FAR) are
                                             was requested or held. Written                          host country. The proposed regulations                subject to tax under section 5000C. The
                                             comments on the proposed regulations                    do not provide relief from the tax under              FAR is the body of rules that generally
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             were received and are available at                      section 5000C for payments made                       governs acquisitions and contracting
                                             www.regulations.gov or upon request.                    pursuant to some of these contracts. The              procedures for federal agencies. See 48
                                             After consideration of the comments,                    Treasury Department and the IRS have                  CFR Chapter 1. Although the final
                                             the proposed regulations are adopted as                 concluded that it is appropriate to                   regulations utilize certain concepts and
                                             amended by this Treasury decision. The                  exempt from the tax payments made to                  definitions contained in the FAR,
                                             revisions are discussed below.                          foreign contracting parties that USAID                neither the Act nor the final regulations


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00024   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                        55135

                                             are limited to contracts executed                       the Joint Committee Explanation                       suggestion has been adopted in the
                                             pursuant to the FAR. Thus, while the                    indicates that Congress intended the                  limited context of personal service
                                             term ‘‘contract’’ in the proposed and                   exemption under section 5000C(b)                      contracts.
                                             final regulations uses the FAR definition               related to international procurement
                                                                                                                                                           7. Personal Service Contracts
                                             of the term ‘‘contract’’, it can                        agreements to be limited to signatories
                                             nevertheless include a contract that is                 of free trade agreements with                            A commenter requested a new
                                             not executed under the FAR. A sentence                  government procurement obligations or                 exemption from the tax for service
                                             was added to the definition of contract                 procurement agreements.                               contracts entered into with individuals
                                             in the final regulations to clarify this                                                                      (personal service contracts). The
                                                                                                     5. Definition of International                        commenter further stated that some
                                             point.
                                                                                                     Agreements                                            acquiring agencies do not use the FAR
                                             4. Definition of International                             Section 301(c) of the Act requires that            to procure personal services from
                                             Procurement Agreement and Least                         section 5000C be applied in a manner                  individuals. As such, the commenter
                                             Developed Countries                                     consistent with the United States’                    stated that these personal service
                                                The General Explanation of Tax                       obligations under international                       contracts do not fall within the
                                             Legislation prepared by the Staff of the                agreements. A commenter indicated that                simplified acquisition procedures of the
                                             Joint Committee on Taxation                             the proposed regulations limit                        FAR but typically are for an amount less
                                             accompanying section 5000C explains                     international agreements that may affect              than $150,000 per contract. The
                                             that parties engaged in cross-border                    the application of section 5000C to                   commenter also suggested that the
                                             transactions are required to comply with                income tax treaties and requested that                threshold amount of personal service
                                             relevant trade agreements of the                        final regulations include other                       contracts with individuals would be
                                             jurisdictions in which they operate. See                international agreements that may                     more appropriately determined on an
                                             Staff of the Joint Committee on                         impact taxation. In particular, the                   annual (rather than a per contract) basis.
                                             Taxation, General Explanation of Tax                    commenter indicated that the Vienna                      Section 5000C applies to contracts for
                                             Legislation Enacted in the 111th                        Convention on Consular Relations and                  the provision of services, so the final
                                             Congress (JCS–2–11), at 694, March 16,                  bilateral framework agreements                        regulations do not provide an
                                             2011 (Joint Committee Explanation). In                  negotiated and administered by USAID                  exemption for all personal service
                                             describing these obligations, the Joint                 contain tax provisions.                               contracts. However, the Treasury
                                             Committee Explanation listed the                           The final regulations do not adopt this            Department and the IRS have decided
                                             Government Procurement Agreement                        request. The specific international                   that it is appropriate to extend the
                                             (GPA) that is an annex to the World                     agreements to which the commenter                     simplified acquisition exemption to
                                             Trade Organization agreement, as well                   referred prohibit host country taxation               personal service contracts, whether or
                                             as the government procurement                           of expenditures of a U.S. consulate or                not they are not executed pursuant to
                                             obligations of U.S. free trade                          amounts provided through USAID                        the FAR. Further, the Treasury
                                             agreements. Id. Accordingly, the                        programs but do not limit the United                  Department and the IRS agree with the
                                             proposed regulations defined the term                   States’ taxing rights. Consequently,                  comment that when applying this
                                             international procurement agreement as                  these international agreements do not                 exemption, the amount paid for
                                             the World Trade Organization GPA                        provide relief from the tax imposed                   personal services under the contracts
                                             (WTO GPA) within the meaning of 48                      under section 5000C. Furthermore, in                  should be determined on an annual
                                             CFR 25.400(a)(1) and any free trade                     identifying the income tax treaties that              basis. Accordingly, the final regulations
                                             agreement to which the United States is                 provide relief from the tax under section             provide an exemption in § 1.5000C–
                                             a party that includes government                        5000C, the regulations do not preclude                1(d)(3) for payments for services
                                             procurement obligations that provide                    a foreign contracting party from                      provided by, and under contracts with,
                                             appropriate competitive government                      claiming relief from the tax under any                a single individual in which the
                                             procurement opportunities to U.S.                       other applicable international                        payments do not exceed on an annual
                                             goods, services, and suppliers.                         agreement.                                            basis the simplified acquisition
                                                One commenter noted that the FAR                                                                           threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101
                                             provides that eligible products from                    6. Simplified Acquisition Threshold
                                                                                                                                                           for all years of the contract. A
                                             WTO GPA and free trade agreement                           The proposed regulations provide that              corresponding change is made to the
                                             countries are entitled to certain                       that the tax imposed under section                    withholding rules to take into account
                                             nondiscriminatory treatment, and that                   5000C will not apply to payments for                  this exemption. See § 1.5000C–2(b)(5).
                                             48 CFR 25.404 expands this                              purchases under the simplified
                                             nondiscriminatory treatment to include                  acquisition procedures described in the               8. Definition of Emergency Acquisition
                                             least developed countries described in                  FAR that do not exceed the simplified                    Proposed § 1.5000C–1(d)(2) exempts
                                             48 CFR 25.400(a)(3). The commenter                      acquisition threshold in 48 CFR 2.101.                payments pursuant to contracts awarded
                                             requested that the final regulations also               One commenter recommended that the                    for certain emergency acquisitions. One
                                             expand the definition of international                  determination of the $150,000                         commenter suggested that this
                                             procurement agreement to include                        simplified acquisition threshold should               exemption be broadened to include
                                             goods manufactured or produced or                       be computed on an annual basis rather                 contracts that involve other agency
                                             services provided in a least developed                  than on a contract-by-contract basis. The             acquisitions of importance to the
                                             country.                                                final regulations do not adopt this                   government, such as contracts for
                                                The final regulations do not adopt this              suggestion because the Treasury                       acquisitions determined to be in the
                                             comment for two reasons. First, the                     Department and the IRS have                           national interest by the acquiring
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             proposed regulations referred to 48 CFR                 determined that it is generally more                  agency. The final regulations do not
                                             25.400(a)(1) in order to utilize a term                 administrable to make a determination                 adopt this comment for two reasons.
                                             that was widely understood in the                       of the threshold amount when entering                 First, the Treasury Department and the
                                             context of government procurement but                   into a particular contract. However, as               IRS have concluded that the more
                                             was not intended to incorporate any                     described in 7. Personal Service                      limited exemption in the proposed
                                             related provisions of the FAR. Second,                  Contacts of this preamble, this                       regulations appropriately balances


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00025   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55136            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                             compliance with section 5000C with the                  The proposed regulations also contained               by the Department of Defense (DoD),
                                             government’s need to procure goods and                  a model Section 5000C Certificate.                    General Services Administration (GSA),
                                             services in certain emergency situations.               Simultaneous with the publication of                  and National Aeronautics and Space
                                             Second, the commenter’s suggestion                      the final regulations, the IRS is                     Administration (NASA), if any, that may
                                             would introduce a subjective,                           publishing Form W–14, ‘‘Certificate of                take into account these final regulations.
                                             potentially overbroad exemption from                    Foreign Contracting Party Receiving                   This commenter reasoned that a delay
                                             the tax imposed by section 5000C.                       Federal Procurement Payments,’’ which                 in the application of the final
                                                                                                     may be used as the Section 5000C                      regulations would allow the necessary
                                             9. Credit Card Payments
                                                                                                     Certificate. Accordingly, the final                   time needed to amend the FAR in order
                                                One commenter requested a new                        regulations do not contain a model                    to take into account the rules provided
                                             exemption from the section 5000C tax                    Section 5000C Certificate but rather                  in the final regulations. While the DoD,
                                             for payments made with a credit card.                   provide that a foreign person may use                 GSA, and NASA have amended some
                                             The commenter indicated that applying                   Form W–14 as its Section 5000C                        sections of the FAR to reflect the
                                             the section 5000C tax to payments made                  Certificate provided that it includes all             enactment of section 5000C (see 48 CFR
                                             with a credit card would be difficult to                the necessary information. See                        31.205–41(b), 52.229–3(b)(2), 52.229–
                                             administer because of the volume of                     §§ 1.5000C–1(c)(14) and 1.5000C–                      4(b)(2), 52.229–6(c)(2), and 52.229–
                                             these transactions.                                     2(d)(7).                                              7(b)(2)), commenters stated that other
                                                The final regulations do not adopt this                 Notice 2015–35 listed the countries                sections of the FAR (such as CFR
                                             suggestion for several reasons. First, in               that had entered into qualified income                52.229–3) will also need to be amended.
                                             most cases, payments made with a                        tax treaties with the United States as of                Section 301(a)(3) of the Act
                                             credit card will be in an amount that                   the date of its publication. The                      specifically provides that the tax
                                             will fall within the exemption for                      instructions to Form W–14, issued                     imposed by section 5000C applies to
                                             payments for simplified acquisitions,                   contemporaneously with the                            payments received pursuant to contracts
                                             which applies to purchases under the                    publication of these final regulations,               entered into on and after January 2,
                                             simplified acquisition procedures                       identify income tax treaties in force, as             2011, indicating a clear Congressional
                                             described in the FAR that do not exceed                 of the date of the issuance of the form,              intent as to the effective date. Further,
                                             the simplified acquisition threshold as                 that are qualified income tax treaties.               the Act does not require Treasury
                                             described in 48 CFR 2.101. See                          When new income tax treaties come                     regulations or FAR amendments to be
                                             § 1.5000C–1(d)(1). Second, in cases in                  into force, foreign persons and acquiring             applicable before the requirements of
                                             which payments made with a credit                       agencies should review IRS Forms,                     the statute take effect. Thus, the final
                                             card do not meet the exemption for                      Instructions, Publications or other                   regulations do not adopt this comment
                                             simplified acquisitions, adopting this                  media (including www.irs.gov) for an                  and confirm the statutory effective date.
                                             comment would allow foreign                             updated list of qualified income tax                     Consistent with the proposed
                                             contracting parties to avoid the tax by                 treaties, rather than Notice 2015–35.                 regulations, the final regulations apply
                                             receiving payment with a credit card for                                                                      on and after the date that is 90 days after
                                                                                                     12. Change in Circumstances                           the date they are published as final
                                             large amounts that should be subject to
                                             the tax.                                                   Section 1.5000C–2(d)(6) provides that              regulations in the Federal Register
                                                                                                     a foreign contracting party must submit               (applicability date). However,
                                             10. Payments Only in Part for Goods or                  a revised Section 5000C Certificate                   contracting parties and acquiring
                                             Services                                                within 30 days of a change in                         agencies may rely upon the rules in the
                                                A commenter indicated that, in some                  circumstances that causes the                         final regulations before the applicability
                                             circumstances, a contract may be for                    information in a Section 5000C                        date.
                                             goods or services but also include                      Certificate held by the acquiring agency                 Under the Act, while acquiring
                                             payments that are not for goods or                      to be incorrect with respect to the                   agencies have an obligation to withhold,
                                             services, giving as an example payments                 acquiring agency’s determination of                   the foreign contracting parties remain
                                             to reimburse taxes incurred by the                      whether to withhold or the amount of                  liable for the tax if withholding does not
                                             contracting party. In response to the                   withholding under Section 5000C. One                  fully satisfy the foreign person’s tax
                                             comment, the withholding steps in the                   commenter suggested that an example                   liability. The Treasury Department and
                                             final regulations clarify that acquiring                would be helpful to illustrate this rule.             the IRS are aware that some foreign
                                             agencies should not withhold to the                     In response to this comment, an                       persons subject to statutory obligations
                                             extent that a payment is for something                  example was added to illustrate the                   under section 5000C may have deferred
                                             other than goods or services. See                       withholding obligation of an acquiring                compliance actions pending the
                                             § 1.5000C–2(b)(1). However, this                        agency when it receives a revised                     applicability of the final regulations.
                                             clarification should not be read to mean                Section 5000C Certificate due to a                    The Treasury Department and the IRS
                                             that payments to reimburse taxes                        change in circumstances. See                          have concluded that 90 days is
                                             incurred by the contracting party in                    § 1.5000C–6, Example 6.                               sufficient for these foreign persons to
                                             providing goods or services are anything                                                                      satisfy their tax and filing obligations
                                                                                                     13. Effective Date of Section 5000C and               with respect to section 5000C for prior
                                             other than payments for those goods or
                                                                                                     the Final Regulations                                 periods. Accordingly, § 1.5000C–7
                                             services.
                                                                                                        Comments recommended that the                      provides that if a foreign contracting
                                             11. Form W–14, ‘‘Certificate of Foreign                 final regulations delay the applicability             party fully satisfies its tax and filing
                                             Contracting Party Receiving Federal                     of the tax imposed by section 5000C to                obligations under section 5000C with
                                             Procurement Payments’’                                  contracts entered into on or after the                respect to any payments received in tax
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                               The proposed regulations provided                     date of the publication of the final                  years ending before the applicability
                                             that a foreign contracting party must                   regulations. Alternatively, one                       date of the regulations on or before the
                                             submit a ‘‘Section 5000C Certificate’’                  commenter recommended that the final                  later of the applicability date of the final
                                             that provides all of the information                    regulations delay the applicability of the            regulations or the due date for the
                                             required by the proposed regulations to                 tax until the issuance of final                       foreign person’s income tax return for
                                             claim an exemption from section 5000C.                  amendments to the FAR as promulgated                  the year in which the payment was


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00026   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                             55137

                                             received in a manner consistent with                    Advocacy of the Small Business                          (b) Imposition of tax.
                                             the final regulations, penalties will not               Administration for comment on its                       (c) Definitions.
                                             be asserted on the foreign contracting                  impact on small business.                               (d) Exemptions.
                                                                                                                                                             (1) Simplified acquisitions.
                                             parties with respect to those payments                                                                          (2) Emergency acquisitions.
                                                                                                     Drafting Information
                                             or returns. For example, assume a                                                                               (3) Certain personal service contracts.
                                             foreign corporation received a single                      The principal authors of these                       (4) Certain foreign humanitarian assistance
                                             specified Federal procurement payment                   regulations are Kate Hwa and Rosy Lor,                contracts.
                                             during its tax year ending on December                  Office of Associate Chief Counsel                       (5) Certain international agreements.
                                             31, 2013 that is not described in any of                (International). However, other                         (6) Goods manufactured or produced or
                                             the exemptions in these final                           personnel from the Treasury                           services provided in the United States.
                                             regulations, and the payment was not                    Department and the IRS participated in                  (7) Goods manufactured or produced or
                                                                                                     their development.                                    services provided in a country that is a party
                                             withheld upon. If the corporation files                                                                       to an international procurement agreement.
                                             Form 1120–F, ‘‘U.S. Income Tax Return                   List of Subjects                                        (e) Country in which goods are
                                             of a Foreign Corporation,’’ for 2013 and                                                                      manufactured or produced or services
                                             pays the tax imposed under section                      26 CFR Part 1                                         provided.
                                             5000C in the manner described in                          Income taxes, Reporting and                           (1) Goods manufactured or produced.
                                             § 1.5000C–4(d) before the applicability                                                                         (2) Provision of services.
                                                                                                     recordkeeping requirements.
                                             date of the final regulations, penalties                                                                        (3) Allocation of total contract price to
                                             will not be asserted with respect to that               26 CFR Part 301                                       determine the nonexempt amount.
                                                                                                                                                             (4) Reduction or elimination of
                                             payment or return. However, the final                     Employment taxes, Estate taxes,                     withholding by an acquiring agency.
                                             regulations do not relieve a foreign                    Excise taxes, Gift taxes, Income taxes,
                                             person of any applicable rules relating                 Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping                § 1.5000C–2 Withholding on specified
                                             to interest under Subtitle F.                           requirements.                                         Federal procurement payments.
                                                Additionally, for purposes of section                                                                         (a) In general.
                                             6114 and the regulations thereunder, if                 26 CFR Part 602                                          (b) Steps in determining the obligation to
                                             a foreign contracting party has received                  Reporting and recordkeeping                         withhold under section 5000C.
                                             a payment exempt from tax under a                       requirements.                                            (1) Determine whether the payment is
                                             qualified income tax treaty before the                                                                        pursuant to a contract for goods or services.
                                             effective date of the final regulations                 Adoption of Amendments to the                            (2) Determine whether the payment is
                                                                                                     Regulations                                           made pursuant to a contract with a U.S.
                                             under section 5000C, reporting is                                                                             person.
                                             waived if the foreign contracting party                   Accordingly, 26 CFR parts 1, 301, and                  (3) Determine whether the payment is for
                                             has properly relied on Notice 2015–35.                  602 are amended as follows:                           purchases under the simplified acquisition
                                             See § 301.6114–1(e)(2).                                                                                       procedures.
                                                                                                     PART I—INCOME TAXES                                      (4) Determine whether the payment is for
                                             Special Analyses                                                                                              emergency acquisitions.
                                                Certain IRS regulations, including                   ■ Paragraph 1. The authority citation                    (5) Determine whether the payment is for
                                             these, are exempt from the requirements                 for part 1 is amended by adding entries               personal services under the simplified
                                             of Executive Order 12866, as                            in numerical order to read in part as                 acquisition threshold.
                                             supplemented and reaffirmed by                          follows:                                                 (6) Determine whether the payment is
                                                                                                                                                           pursuant to a foreign humanitarian assistance
                                             Executive Order 13563. It has been                        Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *                     contract.
                                             determined that section 553(b) of the                     Section 1.5000C–1 is also issued under 26              (7) Determine whether the foreign
                                             Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.                  U.S.C. 5000C                                          contracting party is entitled to relief pursuant
                                             chapter 5) does not apply to this                         Section 1.5000C–2 is also issued under 26           to an international agreement.
                                             regulation. It is hereby certified that the             U.S.C. 5000C                                             (8) Determine whether the contract is for
                                             collection of information contained in                    Section 1.5000C–3 is also issued under 26           goods manufactured or produced or services
                                                                                                     U.S.C. 5000C                                          provided in the United States or in a foreign
                                             this regulation will not have a
                                                                                                       Section 1.5000C–4 is also issued under 26           country that is a party to an international
                                             significant economic impact on a                        U.S.C. 5000C                                          procurement agreement.
                                             substantial number of small entities.                     Section 1.5000C–5 is also issued under 26              (9) Compute amounts to withhold.
                                             Accordingly, a regulatory flexibility                   U.S.C. 5000C                                             (10) Deposit and report amounts withheld.
                                             analysis is not required. The collection                  Section 1.5000C–6 is also issued under 26              (c) Determining whether the contracting
                                             of information requirement in the                       U.S.C. 5000C                                          party is a U.S. person.
                                             regulations will not have a significant                                                                          (1) In general.
                                             economic impact on a substantial                        ■ Par. 2. An undesignated center                         (2) Determination based on Taxpayer
                                             number of small entities because a                      heading is added following § 1.5000A–                 Identification Number (TIN).
                                             limited number of foreign contracting                   5 to read as follows:                                    (3) Determination based on the Form W–
                                             parties that are small entities will be                                                                       9.
                                                                                                     Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement                       (4) Contracting party treated as a foreign
                                             subject to the tax, in part because the                                                                       contracting party.
                                             final regulations provide exemptions for                ■ Par. 3. Section 1.5000C–0 is added
                                                                                                     after the undesignated center heading to                 (d) Withholding when a foreign contracting
                                             simplified acquisitions and for certain                                                                       party submits a Section 5000C Certificate.
                                             personal service contracts. Because                     read as follows:                                         (1) In general.
                                             section 5000C(a) applies to foreign                     § 1.5000C–0 Outline of regulation                        (2) Exemption for a foreign contracting
                                             persons regardless of the size of the                   provisions for section 5000C.                         party entitled to the benefit of relief pursuant
                                             entity, a limited number of small foreign                                                                     to certain international agreements.
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                                                                                       This section lists the captions                        (3) Exemption when goods are
                                             entities that received specified Federal                contained in §§ 1.5000C–1 through                     manufactured or produced or services
                                             procurement payments are affected by                    1.5000C–7.                                            provided in the United States, or in a foreign
                                             the regulation. Pursuant to section                                                                           country that is a party to an international
                                             7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code,                   § 1.5000C–1 Tax on specified Federal                  procurement agreement.
                                             the NPRM preceding these regulations                    procurement payments.                                    (4) Information required for Section 5000C
                                             was submitted to the Chief Counsel for                     (a) Overview.                                      Certificate.



                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00027   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55138            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                               (5) Validity period of Section 5000C                  exceeds its tax liability under section               person (as defined in section
                                             Certificate.                                            5000C. Section 1.5000C–5 contains an                  7701(a)(30)).
                                               (6) Change in circumstances.                          anti-abuse rule. Section 1.5000C–6                       (7) The term Government of the
                                               (7) Form W–14.
                                               (8) Time for submitting Section 5000C
                                                                                                     contains examples illustrating the                    United States or U.S. government means
                                             Certificate.                                            principles of §§ 1.5000C–1 through                    the executive departments specified in 5
                                               (e) Offset for underwithholding or                    1.5000C–4. Finally, § 1.5000C–7                       U.S.C. 101, the military departments
                                             overwithholding.                                        contains the effective/applicability date             specified in 5 U.S.C. 102, the
                                               (1) In general.                                       for §§ 1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7.                   independent establishments specified in
                                               (2) Underwithholding.                                   (b) Imposition of tax. Except as                    5 U.S.C. 104(1), and wholly owned
                                               (3) Overwithholding.                                  otherwise provided, section 5000C                     government corporations specified in 31
                                             § 1.5000C–3 Payment and returns of tax                  imposes on any foreign contracting                    U.S.C. 9101(3). Unless otherwise
                                             withheld by the acquiring agency.                       party a tax equal to 2 percent of the                 specified in 5 U.S.C. 101, 102, or 104(1),
                                                (a) In general.                                      amount of a specified Federal                         or 31 U.S.C. 9101(3), the term
                                                (b) Deposit rules.                                   procurement payment. In general, the                  Government of the United States or U.S.
                                                (1) Acquiring agency with a chapter 3                tax imposed under section 5000C                       government does not include any quasi-
                                             deposit requirement treats amounts withheld             applies to specified Federal                          governmental entities or
                                             as under chapter 3.                                     procurement payments received                         instrumentalities of the U.S.
                                                (2) Acquiring agency with no chapter 3               pursuant to contracts entered into on                 government.
                                             filing obligation deposits withheld amounts             and after January 2, 2011. Specified                     (8) The term international
                                             monthly.
                                                (c) Return requirements.                             Federal procurement payments received                 procurement agreement means the
                                                (1) In general.                                      by a nominee or agent on behalf of a                  World Trade Organization Government
                                                (2) Classified or confidential contracts.            contracting party are considered to be                Procurement Agreement within the
                                                (d) Special arrangement for certain                  received by that contracting party. The               meaning of 48 CFR 25.400(a)(1) and any
                                             contracts.                                              tax imposed under section 5000C is to                 free trade agreement to which the
                                                                                                     be applied in a manner consistent with                United States is a party that includes
                                             § 1.5000C–4 Requirement for the foreign
                                             contracting party to file a return and pay              U.S. obligations under international                  government procurement obligations
                                             tax, and procedures for the contracting                 agreements. Payments for the purchase                 that provide appropriate competitive
                                             party to seek a refund.                                 or lease of land or an interest in land are           government procurement opportunities
                                                (a) In general.                                      not subject to the tax imposed under                  to U.S. goods, services, and suppliers. A
                                                (b) Tax obligation of foreign contracting            section 5000C.                                        party to an international procurement
                                             party independent of withholding.                         (c) Definitions. Solely for purposes of             agreement is a signatory to the
                                                (c) Return of tax by the foreign contracting         section 5000C and §§ 1.5000C–1                        agreement and does not include a
                                             party.                                                  through 1.5000C–7, the following                      country that is merely an observer with
                                                (d) Time and manner of paying tax.                   definitions apply:                                    respect to the agreement.
                                                (e) Refund requests when amount withheld
                                                                                                        (1) The term acquiring agency means                   (9) The term nonexempt amount
                                             exceeds tax liability.
                                                                                                     the U.S. government department,                       means the portion of the contract price
                                             § 1.5000C–5      Anti-abuse rule.                       agency, independent establishment, or                 allocated to nonexempt goods and
                                                                                                     corporation described in paragraph                    nonexempt services.
                                             § 1.5000C–6      Examples.                              (c)(7) of this section that is a party to the            (10) The term nonexempt goods
                                             § 1.5000C–7      Effective/applicability date.          contract. To the extent that a U.S.                   means goods manufactured or produced
                                                                                                     government department or agency, other                in a foreign country that is not a party
                                             ■ Par. 4. Sections 1.5000C–1 through
                                                                                                     than the acquiring agency, is making the              to an international procurement
                                             1.5000C–7 are added to read as follows:
                                                                                                     payments pursuant to the contract, that               agreement with the United States.
                                             § 1.5000C–1 Tax on specified Federal                    department or agency is also considered                  (11) The term nonexempt services
                                             procurement payments.                                   to be the acquiring agency.                           means services provided in a foreign
                                               (a) Overview. This section provides                      (2) The term contract has the same                 country that is not a party to an
                                             definitions and general rules relating to               meaning as provided in 48 CFR 2.101,                  international procurement agreement
                                             the imposition of, and exemption from,                  and thus does not include a grant                     with the United States.
                                             the tax on specified Federal                            agreement or a cooperative agreement                     (12) The term outlying areas has the
                                             procurement payments under section                      within the meaning of 31 U.S.C. 6304                  same meaning as set forth in 48 CFR
                                             5000C. Section 1.5000C–2 provides                       and 6305, respectively. A contract may                2.101(b), which includes Puerto Rico,
                                             rules concerning withholding under                      include an agreement that is not                      the Northern Mariana Islands, American
                                             section 5000C(d)(1), including the steps                executed under the Federal Acquisition                Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Baker
                                             that must be taken to determine the                     Regulations (FAR), 48 CFR Chapter 1.                  Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
                                             obligation to withhold and whether an                      (3) The term contract ratio refers to              Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway
                                             exemption from withholding applies.                     the nonexempt amount over the total                   Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll,
                                             Section 1.5000C–3 provides the time                     contract price.                                       and Wake Atoll.
                                             and manner for depositing the amounts                      (4) The term contracting party means                  (13) The term qualified income tax
                                             withheld under section 5000C and the                    any person that is a party to a contract              treaty means a U.S. income tax treaty in
                                             related reporting requirements. Section                 with the U.S. government that is entered              force that contains a nondiscrimination
                                             1.5000C–4 contains the rules that apply                 into on or after January 2, 2011. See                 provision that applies to the tax
                                             to a foreign contracting party that must                § 1.5000C–1(b) for situations involving a             imposed under section 5000C and
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             pay and report the tax under section                    nominee or agent.                                     prohibits taxation that is more
                                             5000C when the tax obligation under                        (5) The term foreign contracting party             burdensome on a foreign national than
                                             section 5000C is not fully satisfied by                 means a contracting party that is a                   a U.S. national (or in the case of certain
                                             withholding, as well as procedures by                   foreign person.                                       income tax treaties, taxation that is more
                                             which a contracting party may seek a                       (6) The term foreign person means any              burdensome on a foreign citizen than a
                                             refund when the amount withheld                         person other than a United States                     U.S. citizen), regardless of its residence.


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00028   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                          55139

                                                (14) The term Section 5000C                          Payments that satisfy this exemption                  considered to be provided in the
                                             Certificate means a written statement                   remain exempt if the contract is later                country where the individuals
                                             that includes the information described                 renegotiated so that future payments                  performing the services are physically
                                             in § 1.5000C–2(d) that the foreign                      under the contract do not meet this                   located when they perform their duties
                                             contracting party submits to an                         exemption.                                            pursuant to the contract.
                                             acquiring agency for the purposes of                       (4) Certain foreign humanitarian                      (3) Allocation of total contract price to
                                             demonstrating that the foreign                          assistance contracts. Payments made by                determine the nonexempt amount. If,
                                             contracting party is eligible for certain               the U.S. government pursuant to a                     pursuant to a contract, goods are
                                             exemptions from withholding (in whole                   contract with a foreign contracting party             manufactured or produced, or services
                                             or in part) under section 5000C with                    to obtain goods or services described in              are provided, in multiple countries and
                                             respect to a contract. The term may also                or authorized under 7 U.S.C. 1691, et                 only a portion of the goods
                                             include any form that the Internal                      seq., 22 U.S.C. 2151, et seq., 22 U.S.C.              manufactured or produced, or the
                                             Revenue Service may prescribe as a                      2601 et seq., 22 U.S.C. 5801 et seq., 22              services provided, pursuant to the
                                             substitute for the Section 5000C                        U.S.C. 5401 et seq., 10 U.S.C. 402, 10                contract are nonexempt goods or
                                             Certificate, such as Form W–14,                         U.S.C. 404, 10 U.S.C. 407, 10 U.S.C.                  nonexempt services, a foreign
                                             ‘‘Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party              2557, and 10 U.S.C. 2561, if the                      contracting party may use a reasonable
                                             Receiving Federal Procurement                           acquiring agency determines that the                  allocation method to determine the
                                             Payments.’’                                             payment is for the purpose of providing               nonexempt amount. A reasonable
                                                (15) The term specified Federal                      foreign humanitarian assistance.                      allocation method would include taking
                                             procurement payment means any                              (5) Certain international agreements.              into account the proportionate costs
                                             payment made pursuant to a contract                     Payments made by the U.S. government                  (including the cost of labor and raw
                                             with a foreign contracting party that is                pursuant to a contract with a foreign                 materials) incurred to manufacture or
                                             for goods manufactured or produced or                   contracting party when the payments                   produce the goods in each country, or
                                             services provided in a foreign country                  are entitled to relief from the tax                   taking into account the proportionate
                                             that is not a party to an international                 imposed under section 5000C pursuant                  costs incurred to provide the services in
                                             procurement agreement with the United                   to an international agreement with the                each country.
                                             States. For purposes of the prior                       United States, including relief pursuant                 (4) Reduction or elimination of
                                             sentence, a foreign country does not                    to a nondiscrimination provision of a                 withholding by an acquiring agency. For
                                             include an outlying area.                               qualified income tax treaty, because the              procedures to reduce or eliminate
                                                (16) The term Taxpayer Identification                foreign contracting party is entitled to              withholding by an acquiring agency
                                             Number or TIN means the identifying                     the benefit of that provision.                        based on where goods are manufactured
                                             number assigned to a person under                          (6) Goods manufactured or produced                 or produced or where services are
                                             section 6109, as defined in section                     or services provided in the United                    provided, including as a result of an
                                             7701(a)(41).                                            States. A payment made pursuant to a                  allocation under this paragraph (e), see
                                                (17) The term total contract price                   contract to the extent that the payment               § 1.5000C–2(d).
                                             means the total cost to the U.S.                        is for goods manufactured or produced
                                                                                                                                                           § 1.5000C–2 Withholding on specified
                                             Government of the goods and services                    or services provided in the United
                                                                                                                                                           Federal procurement payments.
                                             procured under a contract and paid to                   States.
                                             the contracting party.                                     (7) Goods manufactured or produced                    (a) In general. Except as otherwise
                                                (d) Exemptions. The tax imposed                      or services provided in a country that is             provided in this section, every acquiring
                                             under paragraph (b) of this section does                a party to an international procurement               agency making a specified Federal
                                             not apply to the payments made in the                   agreement. A payment made pursuant                    procurement payment on which tax is
                                             following situations. For the exemptions                to a contract to the extent the payment               imposed under section 5000C and
                                             in paragraphs (d)(5), (6) and (7) of this               is for goods manufactured or produced                 §§ 1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7 must
                                             section, see § 1.5000C–2(d) for the                     or services provided in a country that is             deduct and withhold an amount equal
                                             procedures to eliminate withholding by                  a party to an international procurement               to 2 percent of the payment. For rules
                                             an acquiring agency.                                    agreement, as defined in paragraph                    relating to the liability of a foreign
                                                (1) Simplified acquisitions. Payments                (c)(8) of this section.                               contracting party with respect to
                                             for purchases under the simplified                         (e) Country in which goods are                     specified Federal procurement
                                             acquisition procedures that do not                      manufactured or produced or services                  payments not fully withheld upon at
                                             exceed the simplified acquisition                       provided—                                             source, see § 1.5000C–4. An acquiring
                                             threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101.                    (1) Goods manufactured or produced.                agency may rely upon any information
                                                (2) Emergency acquisitions. Payments                 Solely for purposes of section 5000C,                 furnished by a contracting party under
                                             made pursuant to a contract if the                      goods are manufactured or produced in                 this section unless the acquiring agency
                                             contract is—                                            the country (or countries)—                           has reason to know that the information
                                                (i) Awarded under the ‘‘unusual and                     (i) Where property has been                        is incorrect or unreliable. An acquiring
                                             compelling urgency’’ authority of 48                    substantially transformed into the goods              agency has reason to know that the
                                             CFR 6.302–2, or                                         that are procured pursuant to a contract;             information is incorrect or unreliable if
                                                (ii) Entered into under the emergency                or                                                    it has knowledge of relevant facts or
                                             acquisition flexibilities as defined in 48                 (ii) Where there has been assembly or              statements contained in the submitted
                                             CFR part 18.                                            conversion of component parts                         information such that a reasonably
                                                (3) Certain personal service contracts.              (involving activities that are substantial            prudent person in the position of the
                                             Payments for services provided by, and
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                                                                                     in nature and generally considered to                 acquiring agency would know that the
                                             under contracts with, a single                          constitute the manufacture or                         information provided is incorrect or
                                             individual in which the payments do                     production of property) into the final                unreliable.
                                             not (and will not) exceed on an annual                  product that constitutes the goods                       (b) Steps in determining the obligation
                                             calendar year basis the simplified                      procured pursuant to a contract.                      to withhold under section 5000C. An
                                             acquisition threshold as described in 48                   (2) Provision of services. Solely for              acquiring agency generally determines
                                             CFR 2.101 for all years of the contract.                purposes of section 5000C, services are               its obligation to withhold under section


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00029   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55140            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                             5000C according to the steps described                  obligation to withhold under section                  the case in which the payment is only
                                             in this paragraph (b). See, however,                    5000C on the payment.                                 in part for goods or services, the
                                             paragraph (e) of this section for                          (7) Determine whether the foreign                  acquiring agency reduces the amount of
                                             situations in which withholding may be                  contracting party is entitled to relief               the payment subject to the tax to the
                                             increased in the case of                                pursuant to an international agreement.               extent it is for something other than
                                             underwithholding, or may be decreased                   If the foreign contracting party submits              goods or services. The acquiring agency
                                             in the case of overwithholding.                         a Section 5000C Certificate in                        withholds the computed amount from
                                                (1) Determine whether the payment is                 accordance with paragraph (d) of this                 the payment.
                                             pursuant to a contract for goods or                     section representing that the foreign                    (10) Deposit and report amounts
                                             services. The acquiring agency                          contracting party is entitled to relief               withheld. The acquiring agency deposits
                                             determines whether it is making a                       from the tax imposed under section                    and reports the amounts determined in
                                             payment pursuant to a contract for                      5000C pursuant to an international                    the prior step in accordance with
                                             goods or services. To the extent that the               agreement with the United States (such                § 1.5000C–3.
                                             acquiring agency is making a payment                    as relief pursuant to the                                (c) Determining whether the
                                             for any other purpose, it does not have                 nondiscrimination provision of a                      contracting party is a U.S. person—(1)
                                             an obligation to withhold under section                 qualified income tax treaty), the                     In general. An acquiring agency must
                                             5000C on the payment.                                   acquiring agency does not have an                     rely on the provisions of this paragraph
                                                (2) Determine whether the payment is                 obligation to withhold under section                  (c) to determine the status of the
                                             made pursuant to a contract with a U.S.                 5000C on the payment.                                 contracting party as a U.S. person for
                                             person. The acquiring agency                               (8) Determine whether the contract is              purposes of withholding under section
                                             determines whether the payment is                       for goods manufactured or produced or                 5000C.
                                             made pursuant to a contract with a                      services provided in the United States or                (2) Determination based on Taxpayer
                                             person considered to be a United States                 in a foreign country that is a party to an            Identification Number (TIN). An
                                             person (U.S. person) in accordance with                 international procurement agreement. If               acquiring agency must treat a
                                             paragraph (c) of this section. If the other             the foreign contracting party submits a               contracting party as a U.S. person if the
                                             contracting party is a U.S. person, the                 Section 5000C Certificate in accordance               U.S. government information system
                                             acquiring agency does not have an                       with paragraph (d) of this section that               (such as the System for Award
                                             obligation to withhold under section                    represents that the contract is for goods             Management (SAM)) indicates that the
                                             5000C on the payment.                                   manufactured or produced or services                  contracting party is a corporation (for
                                                (3) Determine whether the payment is                 provided in the United States, or in a                example, because the name listed in
                                             for purchases under the simplified                      foreign country that is a party to an                 SAM contains the term ‘‘Corporation,’’
                                             acquisition procedures. The acquiring                   international procurement agreement,                  ‘‘Inc.,’’ or ‘‘Corp.’’) and that it has a TIN
                                             agency determines whether the payment                   the acquiring agency does not have an                 that begins with two digits other than
                                             is for purchases under the simplified                   obligation to withhold. If the Section                ‘‘98’’ (a limited liability company or
                                             acquisitions procedures that do not                     5000C Certificate provides that                       LLC is not treated as a corporation for
                                             exceed the simplified acquisition                       payments under the contract are only                  purposes of this paragraph (c)(2)).
                                             threshold as described in 48 CFR 2.101.                 partially exempt from withholding                     Further, an acquiring agency must treat
                                             If it is, the acquiring agency does not                 under section 5000C, the acquiring                    a contracting party as a U.S. person if
                                             have an obligation to withhold under                    agency must withhold to the extent                    the acquiring agency has access to a U.S.
                                             section 5000C on the payment.                           described in paragraph (b)(8) of this                 government information system that
                                                (4) Determine whether the payment is                 section.                                              indicates that the contracting party is an
                                             for emergency acquisitions. The                            (9) Compute amounts to withhold. If,               individual with a TIN that begins with
                                             acquiring agency determines whether                     after evaluating each step described in               a digit other than ‘‘9’’.
                                             the payment is made for certain                         this paragraph (b), the acquiring agency                 (3) Determination based on the Form
                                             emergency acquisitions within the                       determines that it has an obligation to               W–9. An acquiring agency must treat a
                                             meaning of § 1.5000C–1(d)(2). If it is, the             withhold, the acquiring agency                        contracting party as a U.S. person if the
                                             acquiring agency does not have an                       computes the amount of withholding by                 person has submitted to it a valid Form
                                             obligation to withhold under section                    multiplying the amount of the payment                 W–9, ‘‘Request for Taxpayer
                                             5000C on the payment.                                   by 2 percent, unless the foreign                      Identification Number (TIN) and
                                                (5) Determine whether the payment is                 contracting party has provided a Section              Certificate’’ (or valid substitute form
                                             for personal services under the                         5000C Certificate or the payment is only              described in § 31.3406(h)–3(c)(2) of this
                                             simplified acquisition threshold. The                   in part for goods or services. In cases in            chapter), signed under penalties of
                                             acquiring agency determines whether                     which the Section 5000C Certificate                   perjury.
                                             payments for services under contracts                   demonstrates that the exemption in Step                  (4) Contracting party treated as a
                                             with a single individual do not exceed                  8 applies, the acquiring agency                       foreign contracting party. If an acquiring
                                             the simplified acquisition threshold as                 generally computes the amount of                      agency cannot determine that a
                                             described in 48 CFR 2.101 on an annual                  withholding by multiplying the amount                 contracting party is a U.S. person based
                                             basis for all years of the contract. If that            of the payment by the contract ratio                  on application of paragraph (c)(2) or (3)
                                             is the case, the acquiring agency does                  provided on the most recent Section                   of this section, then the contracting
                                             not have an obligation to withhold                      5000C Certificate, the product of which               party is treated as a foreign contracting
                                             under section 5000C on the payment.                     is multiplied by 2 percent. However, in               party for purposes of this section.
                                                (6) Determine whether the payment is                 cases in which the exemption in Step 8                   (d) Withholding when a foreign
                                             pursuant to a foreign humanitarian                      applies and the requirements of                       contracting party submits a Section
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             assistance contract. The acquiring                      paragraph (d)(4)(iii)(B)(2) of this section           5000C Certificate—(1) In general. Unless
                                             agency determines whether the payment                   are met, the acquiring agency computes                the acquiring agency has reason to know
                                             is made pursuant to a foreign                           the amount of withholding based on the                that the information is incorrect or
                                             humanitarian assistance contract                        payment for the specifically identified               unreliable, the acquiring agency may
                                             described in § 1.5000C–1(d)(4). If it is,               items, which may be identified by the                 rely on a claim that a foreign contracting
                                             the acquiring agency does not have an                   contract line item number, or CLIN. In                party is entitled to an exemption (in


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00030   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                          55141

                                             whole or in part) from withholding on                   permanent residence address of the                       (iii) Additional required information
                                             payments pursuant to a contract if the                  foreign contracting party;                            for claiming exemption based on
                                             foreign contracting party provides a                       (B) The mailing address of the foreign             country where goods are manufactured
                                             Section 5000C Certificate to the                        contracting party (if different than the              or services provided. (A) In general. In
                                             acquiring agency as prescribed in this                  permanent residence address);                         addition to the information required by
                                             paragraph (d). When a Section 5000C                        (C) The TIN assigned to the foreign                paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, a
                                             Certificate is furnished, the acquiring                 contracting party (if any);                           foreign contracting party claiming an
                                             agency does not withhold, or must                          (D) The identifying or reference                   exemption from withholding (in whole
                                             reduce the amount of withholding, on                    number on the contract (if known);                    or in part) because payments will be
                                             payments made to a foreign person if                       (E) The name and address of the                    pursuant to a contract for goods
                                             the certificate establishes that the                    acquiring agency;                                     manufactured or produced or services
                                             foreign person is wholly or partially                      (F) A statement that the person                    provided in the United States, or a
                                             exempt from withholding. An acquiring                   signing the Section 5000C Certificate is              foreign country that is party to an
                                             agency may establish a system for a                     the foreign contracting party listed in               international procurement agreement,
                                             foreign contracting party to                            paragraph (d)(4)(i)(A) of this section (or            must describe on the Section 5000C
                                             electronically furnish a Section 5000C                  is authorized to sign on behalf of the                Certificate the relevant goods or services
                                             Certificate.                                            foreign contracting party);                           and the country (or countries) in which
                                                (2) Exemption for a foreign                             (G) A statement that the foreign                   they are manufactured or produced, or
                                             contracting party entitled to the benefit               contracting party is not acting as an                 are provided, and must include the
                                             of relief pursuant to certain                           agent or nominee for another foreign                  name of the international procurement
                                             international agreements. An acquiring                  person with respect to the goods                      agreement or agreements (if relevant).
                                             agency does not withhold on payments                    manufactured or produced or services                     (B) Information on allocation to
                                             pursuant to a contract with a foreign                   provided under the contract;                          exempt and nonexempt amounts. (1) In
                                             contracting party when the payment is                      (H) A statement that the foreign                   general. In situations in which a foreign
                                             entitled to relief from the tax imposed                                                                       contracting party claims the exemption
                                                                                                     contracting party agrees to pay an
                                             under section 5000C pursuant to an                                                                            in paragraph (d)(3) of this section with
                                                                                                     amount equal to any tax (including any
                                             international agreement, including relief                                                                     respect to only a portion of the
                                                                                                     applicable penalties and interest) due
                                             pursuant to a nondiscrimination                                                                               payments received under the contract,
                                                                                                     under section 5000C that the acquiring
                                             provision of a qualified income tax                                                                           the Section 5000C Certificate must
                                                                                                     agency does not withhold under section
                                             treaty, because the foreign contracting                                                                       include an explanation of the method
                                                                                                     5000C;
                                             party is entitled to the benefit of that                                                                      used by the foreign contracting party to
                                                                                                        (I) A statement that the foreign
                                             agreement and the foreign contracting                                                                         allocate the total contract price among
                                                                                                     contracting party acknowledges and
                                                                                                                                                           the countries, as described in
                                             party has submitted a Section 5000C                     understands the rules in § 1.5000C–4                  § 1.5000C–1(e)(3), if applicable. In
                                             Certificate that includes all of the                    relating to procedural obligations                    general, the Section 5000C Certificate
                                             information described in paragraphs                     related to section 5000C; and                         also must include the total contract
                                             (d)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section.                        (J) A statement that the foreign                   price and the nonexempt amount;
                                                (3) Exemption when goods are                         contracting party has not engaged in a                however, when necessary, an estimate
                                             manufactured or produced or services                    transaction (or series of transactions)               of the total contract price or the
                                             provided in the United States, or in a                  with a principal purpose of avoiding the              nonexempt amount may be used. For
                                             foreign country that is a party to an                   tax imposed under section 5000C as                    example, total contract price may be
                                             international procurement agreement.                    defined in § 1.5000C–5.                               estimated when a Section 5000C
                                             An acquiring agency does not withhold                      (ii) Additional information required               Certificate is being completed with
                                             on payments pursuant to a contract with                 for claiming an exemption based on                    respect to payments to be made
                                             a foreign contracting party to the extent               certain international agreements with                 pursuant to a cost-reimbursement
                                             that the payments are for goods                         the United States. In addition to the                 contract that is paid on the basis of
                                             manufactured or produced or services                    information required by paragraph                     actual incurred costs and the total
                                             provided in the United States or in a                   (d)(4)(i) of this section, a foreign                  amount of such costs is not known at
                                             foreign country that is a party to an                   contracting party claiming an exemption               the time the certificate is provided.
                                             international procurement agreement                     from withholding in reliance on a                        (2) Specific identification of exempt
                                             with the United States, provided that                   provision of an international agreement               items. If agreed to by the acquiring
                                             the foreign contracting party has                       with the United States, including a                   agency, the Section 5000C Certificate
                                             submitted a Section 5000C Certificate                   qualified income tax treaty, must                     may identify specific exempt and
                                             that includes all of the information                    provide—                                              nonexempt amounts. For example,
                                             described in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and                      (A) The name of the international                  specific contract line items (such as a
                                             (iii) of this section. If the Section 5000C             agreement under which the foreign                     contract line item number or CLIN)
                                             Certificate provides that the payment is                contracting party is claiming benefits;               identified in the contract may be listed
                                             only partially exempt from withholding                     (B) The specific provision of the                  on the Section 5000C Certificate as
                                             under section 5000C, the acquiring                      international agreement relied upon (for              exempt and nonexempt amounts (in
                                             agency must withhold to the extent that                 example, the nondiscrimination article                whole or in part), as applicable. When
                                             the payment is not exempt.                              of a qualified income tax treaty); and                this paragraph applies, and whether or
                                                (4) Information required for Section                    (C) The basis on which it is entitled              not the contract identifies exempt and
                                             5000C Certificate—(i) In general. The                   to the benefits of that provision (for                nonexempt amounts, a foreign
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             Section 5000C Certificate must be                       example, because the foreign                          contracting party must provide the
                                             signed under penalties of perjury by the                contracting party is a corporation                    information required by paragraphs
                                             foreign contracting party and contain—                  organized in a foreign country that has               (d)(4)(iii)(A) and (d)(4)(iii)(B)(1) of this
                                                (A) The name of the foreign                          in force a qualified income tax treaty                section, on the Section 5000C Certificate
                                             contracting party, country of                           with the United States that covers all                to explain why the contract line items
                                             organization (if applicable), and                       nationals, regardless of their residence).            are eligible for an exemption; however,


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00031   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55142            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                             the foreign contracting party is not                    liability under section 5000C, the                    withholds under chapter 3 for fixed or
                                             required to include information about                   foreign contracting party may request                 determinable annual or periodical
                                             the total contract price under this                     the acquiring agency to increase or                   income (FDAP income) by the amount
                                             paragraph. In these circumstances, only                 decrease the amount of withholding on                 it must withhold under § 1.5000C–2.
                                             one Section 5000C Certificate is                        future payments for which withholding                 Accordingly, this section generally
                                             required to be provided identifying the                 is required under section 5000C. The                  applies the administrative provisions of
                                             exempt and nonexempt contract line                      request must be in writing, signed under              chapter 3 for FDAP income relating to
                                             items that relate to the contract (for                  penalties of perjury, contain the amount              the deposit, payment, and reporting for
                                             example, a spreadsheet may be attached                  by which the foreign contracting party                amounts withheld under § 1.5000C–2,
                                             to the Section 5000C Certificate that                   requests to increase or decrease future               and contains some variation from those
                                             identifies the contract line items with an              amounts withheld under section 5000C,                 provisions to take into account the
                                             explanation for the treatment as exempt                 and explain the reason for the request.               nature of the tax imposed under section
                                             or nonexempt).                                          The request may be submitted in                       5000C.
                                                (5) Validity period of Section 5000C                 conjunction with an original or updated                  (b) Deposit rules—(1) Acquiring
                                             Certificate. Except as otherwise                        Section 5000C Certificate.                            agency with a chapter 3 deposit
                                             provided in paragraph (d)(6) of this                       (2) Underwithholding. Upon receipt of              requirement treats amounts withheld as
                                             section, the Section 5000C Certificate is               a request described in paragraph (e)(1)               under chapter 3. If an acquiring agency
                                             valid for the term of the contract.                     of this section, acquiring agencies may               has a chapter 3 deposit obligation for a
                                                (6) Change in circumstances. A                       increase the amount of withholding                    period, it must treat any amount
                                             foreign contracting party must submit a                 under this paragraph to correct                       withheld under § 1.5000C–2 as an
                                             revised Section 5000C Certificate within                underwithholding only if the payment                  additional amount of tax withheld
                                             30 days of a change in circumstances                    for which the increase is applied is                  under chapter 3 for purposes of the
                                             that causes the information in a Section                otherwise subject to withholding under                deposit rules of § 1.6302–2. Thus,
                                             5000C Certificate held by the acquiring                 section 5000C and made before the date                depending on the combined amount
                                             agency to be incorrect with respect to                  that Form 1042, ‘‘Annual Withholding                  withheld under chapter 3 and
                                             the acquiring agency’s determination of                 Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of                  § 1.5000C–2, an acquiring agency
                                             whether to withhold or the amount of                    Foreign Persons,’’ is required to be filed            subject to this paragraph (b)(1) must
                                             withholding under Section 5000C. An                     (not including extensions) with respect               make monthly deposits, quarter-
                                             acquiring agency must request a new                     to the payment for which the                          monthly deposits, or annual deposits
                                             Section 5000C Certificate from a                        underwithholding occurred. Amounts                    under the rules in § 1.6302–2. To the
                                             contracting party in circumstances in                   withheld under this paragraph must be                 extent provided in forms, instructions,
                                             which it knows (or has reason to know)                  deposited and reported in the time and                or publications prescribed by the
                                             that a previously submitted Section                     manner as prescribed by § 1.5000C–3.                  Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
                                             5000C Certificate becomes incorrect or                  See § 1.5000C–4 for procedures for a                  acquiring agencies must deposit all
                                             unreliable. An acquiring agency may                     foreign contracting party that must pay               withheld amounts by electronic funds
                                             request an updated Section 5000C                        tax due when its tax liability under                  transfer, as that term is defined in
                                             Certificate at any time, including when                 section 5000C was not fully satisfied by              § 31.6302–1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter.
                                             other documentation is required under                   withholding by an acquiring agency.                      (2) Acquiring agency with no chapter
                                             the contract, such as the annual                           (3) Overwithholding. Upon receipt of               3 filing obligation deposits withheld
                                             representations and certifications                      a request described in paragraph (e)(1)               amounts monthly. If an acquiring
                                             required in 48 CFR 4.1201. See                          of this section, acquiring agencies may               agency has no chapter 3 deposit
                                             § 1.5000C–6, Example 6, for an                          decrease the amount of withholding on                 obligation to which the deposit rules of
                                             illustration of this paragraph (6).                     subsequent payments made to the                       § 1.6302–2 apply for a calendar month,
                                                (7) Form W–14. A foreign contracting                 foreign contracting party that are                    it must make monthly deposits of the
                                             party may choose to use Form W–14,                      otherwise subject to withholding under                amounts withheld under the rules in
                                             ‘‘Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party              section 5000C provided that the                       this paragraph (b)(2). Thus, an acquiring
                                             Receiving Federal Procurement                           payment for which the decrease is                     agency with no chapter 3 deposit
                                             Payments’’ (or other form that the IRS                  applied is made on or before the date on              obligations and that has withheld any
                                             may prescribe), as its Section 5000C                    which Form 1042, ‘‘Annual                             amount under § 1.5000C–2 during any
                                             Certificate, provided that it includes all              Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source                calendar month must deposit that
                                             the necessary information required by                   Income of Foreign Persons,’’ is required              amount by the 15th day of the month
                                             this paragraph (d).                                     to be filed (not including extensions)                following the payment. To the extent
                                                (8) Time for submitting Section 5000C                with respect to the payment for which                 provided in forms, instructions, or
                                             Certificate. A contracting party must                   the overwithholding occurred. See                     publications prescribed by the Internal
                                             submit the Section 5000C Certificate                    § 1.5000C–4(e) for procedures for                     Revenue Service (IRS), acquiring
                                             (such as Form W–14 or Form W–9) as                      foreign contracting parties to file a claim           agencies must deposit all withheld
                                             early as practicable (for example, when                 for refund for the overwithheld amount                amounts by electronic funds transfer, as
                                             the offer for the contract is submitted to              under section 5000C.                                  that term is defined in § 31.6302–
                                             the U.S. government). In all cases,                                                                           1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter.
                                             however, the Section 5000C Certificate                  § 1.5000C–3 Payment and returns of tax                   (c) Return requirements—(1) In
                                             must be submitted to the acquiring                      withheld by the acquiring agency.                     general. Except as provided in
                                             agency no later than the date of                          (a) In general. This section provides               paragraph (c)(2) of this section, an
                                                                                                     administrative procedures that                        acquiring agency that withholds an
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             execution of the contract.
                                                (e) Offset for underwithholding or                   acquiring agencies must follow to satisfy             amount pursuant to section 5000C
                                             overwithholding—(1) In general. If the                  their obligations to deposit and report               generally must file Form 1042–S,
                                             foreign contracting party discovers that                amounts withheld under § 1.5000C–2.                   ‘‘Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income
                                             amounts withheld on prior payments                      An acquiring agency with a section                    Subject to Withholding,’’ and Form
                                             either were insufficient or in excess of                5000C withholding obligation must                     1042, ‘‘Annual Withholding Tax Return
                                             the amount required to satisfy its tax                  increase the amount it deducts and                    for U.S. Source Income of Foreign


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00032   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                         55143

                                             Persons,’’ each year, or other such forms               Form 1042–S does not compromise the                   liability for the tax imposed under
                                             as the IRS may prescribe, to report                     safeguarding of classified information or             section 5000C must file its required
                                             information related to amounts                          national security.                                    return on or before the fifteenth day of
                                             withheld under section 5000C. The                         (d) Special arrangement for certain                 the sixth month following the close of
                                             acquiring agency must prepare a Form                    contracts. In limited circumstances, the              its taxable year. The required return
                                             1042–S for each contracting party                       IRS may authorize the amount                          must include the information required
                                             reporting the amount withheld under                     otherwise required to be withheld under               by the form and accompanying
                                             section 5000C for the preceding                         section 5000C to be deposited in the                  instructions. The required return must
                                             calendar year. The Form 1042 must                       time and manner mutually agreed upon                  be filed at the place and time (including
                                             show the aggregate amounts withheld                     by the acquiring agency and the foreign               any extension of time to file) provided
                                             under section 5000C that were required                  contracting party. In these                           by the form and accompanying
                                             to be reported on Forms 1042–S                          circumstances, the IRS may in its sole                instructions. Penalties for failure to file
                                             (including those amounts withheld                       discretion also modify any reporting or               contained in Subtitle F can apply to
                                             under section 5000C for which a Form                    return requirements of the acquiring                  foreign contracting parties who fail to
                                             1042–S is not required to be filed                      agency or the foreign contracting party.              file the required return. A foreign
                                             pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this                                                                          contracting party must attach copies of
                                                                                                     § 1.5000C–4 Requirement for the foreign               all Forms 1042–S, ‘‘Foreign Person’s
                                             section). The Form 1042 must also                       contracting party to file a return and pay
                                             include the information required by the                                                                       U.S. Source Income Subject to
                                                                                                     tax, and procedures for the contracting
                                             form and accompanying instructions.                     party to seek a refund.
                                                                                                                                                           Withholding,’’ received from acquiring
                                             Further, any forms required under this                                                                        agencies (if any) to the required return.
                                                                                                        (a) In general. For purposes of subtitle              (d) Time and manner of paying tax. A
                                             paragraph (c) are due at the same time,                 F of the Internal Revenue Code
                                             at the same place, and eligible for the                                                                       foreign contracting party must pay the
                                                                                                     (‘‘Procedure and Administration’’), the               tax imposed under section 5000C in the
                                             same extended due dates and may be                      tax imposed under section 5000C on
                                             amended in the same manner as Form                                                                            manner provided and in the time
                                                                                                     foreign persons is treated as a tax                   prescribed in the required return and
                                             1042 and Form 1042–S (or such other                     imposed under subtitle A. Except as
                                             forms as the IRS may prescribe related                                                                        accompanying instructions. In general,
                                                                                                     provided elsewhere in the regulations                 the foreign contracting party must pay
                                             to chapter 3). The acquiring agency                     under section 5000C, forms, or
                                             must furnish a copy of the Form 1042–                                                                         the tax at the time that the required
                                                                                                     accompanying instructions, the tax                    return is due, excluding extensions. To
                                             S (or such other form as the IRS may                    imposed on foreign contracting parties
                                             prescribe for the same purpose) to the                                                                        the extent provided in forms,
                                                                                                     under section 5000C is administered in                instructions, or publications prescribed
                                             contracting party for whom the form is                  a manner similar to gross basis income
                                             prepared on or before March 15 of the                                                                         by the IRS, each foreign contracting
                                                                                                     taxes. This section provides procedures               party must deposit tax due under
                                             calendar year following the year in                     that a foreign contracting party must
                                             which the amount subject to reporting                                                                         section 5000C by electronic funds
                                                                                                     follow to satisfy its obligations to report           transfer, as that term is defined in
                                             under section 5000C was paid. It must                   and deposit tax due under § 1.5000C–1
                                             be filed with a transmittal form as                                                                           § 31.6302–1(h)(4)(i) of this chapter. A
                                                                                                     as well as procedures for contracting                 foreign contracting party that fails to
                                             provided in the instructions for Form                   parties to seek a refund of amounts
                                             1042–S and to the transmittal form.                                                                           pay tax in the time and manner
                                                                                                     overwithheld.                                         prescribed in this section (or under
                                             Section 5000C Certificates or other                        (b) Tax obligation of foreign                      forms, instructions, or publications
                                             statements or information as prescribed                 contracting party independent of                      prescribed by the IRS under this
                                             by § 1.5000C–2 that are provided to the                 withholding. A foreign contracting party              section) may be subject to penalties and
                                             acquiring agency are not required to be                 subject to tax under section 5000C and                interest under Subtitle F.
                                             attached to the Form 1042 filed with the                §§ 1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7                           (e) Refund requests when amount
                                             IRS. However, an acquiring agency that                  remains liable for the tax unless its tax             withheld exceeds tax liability. After
                                             is required to file Form 1042 must retain               obligation was fully satisfied by                     taking into account any offsets pursuant
                                             a copy of Form 1042, Form 1042–S, the                   withholding by an acquiring agency in                 to § 1.5000C–2(e)(3), if the acquiring
                                             Section 5000C Certificates, or other                    accordance with §§ 1.5000C–2 and                      agency has overwithheld amounts under
                                             statements or information prescribed by                 1.5000C–3.                                            section 5000C and has made a deposit
                                             § 1.5000C–2 for at least three years from                  (c) Return of tax by the foreign                   of the amounts under § 1.5000C–3(b),
                                             the original due date of Form 1042 or                   contracting party. If the tax liability               the contracting party may claim a
                                             the date it was filed, whichever is later.              under § 1.5000C–1 relating to a payment               refund of the amount overwithheld
                                             An acquiring agency that is not required                is not fully satisfied by withholding in              pursuant to the procedures described in
                                             to file Form 1042 must retain any                       accordance with §§ 1.5000C–2 and                      chapter 65. The contracting party’s
                                             Section 5000C Certificates or other                     1.5000C–3 (including as a result of the               claim for refund must meet the
                                             statements or information as prescribed                 use of an estimated nonexempt amount                  requirements of section 6402 and the
                                             by § 1.5000C–2 for at least three years                 or estimated total contract price in                  regulations thereunder, as applicable,
                                             from the date the Form 1042 would                       computing the contract ratio), a foreign              and must be filed before the expiration
                                             have been due had the acquiring agency                  contracting party subject to tax under                of the period of limitations on refund in
                                             had an obligation to file.                              § 1.5000C–1 during a calendar year must               section 6511 and the regulations
                                                (2) Classified or confidential                       make a return of tax on, for example,                 thereunder. In general, the contracting
                                             contracts. An acquiring agency is not                   Form 1120–F, ‘‘U.S. Income Tax Return                 party making a refund claim must file
                                             required to report information otherwise                of a Foreign Corporation,’’ or such other
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                                                                                                                                           the required return to claim a refund,
                                             required by this section on Form 1042–                  form as the Internal Revenue Service                  stating the grounds upon which the
                                             S for payments made pursuant to                         (IRS) may prescribe to report the                     claim is based. A Section 5000C
                                             classified or confidential contracts (as                amount of tax due under section 5000C                 Certificate and a copy of the Form 1042–
                                             described in section 6050M(e)(3)),                      (required return). A foreign contracting              S received from the acquiring agency
                                             unless the acquiring agency determines                  party with no other U.S. tax filing                   must be attached to the required return.
                                             that the information reported on the                    obligation other than with respect to its             For purposes of this section, an amount


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00033   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55144            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                             is overwithheld if the amount withheld                  pursuant to the first step in § 1.5000C–2(b),            (ii) Analysis. Company B is not subject to
                                             from the payment pursuant to section                    Agency L determines that the contract will be         tax under section 5000C, but Agency M must
                                             5000C and §§ 1.5000C–1 through                          for services. Under the second step, Agency           nevertheless withhold on the payment made
                                                                                                     L reviews Company A Inc.’s record in the              to Company B because Agency M did not
                                             1.5000C–7 exceeds the contracting                       System for Award Management (SAM) and                 receive a Section 5000C Certificate from
                                             party’s tax liability under § 1.5000C–1,                determines that Company A is a corporation            Company B in the time and manner required
                                             regardless of whether the                               and is considered to be a U.S. person because         pursuant to § 1.5000C–2(d). Agency M must
                                             overwithholding was in error or                         Agency L’s records demonstrate that                   withhold $1 million (2 percent of $50
                                             appeared correct when it occurred. A                    Company A Inc. is a business entity treated           million) on the payment, and deposit that
                                             U.S. person may seek a refund under                     as a corporation for tax purposes that has a          amount under the rules in § 1.5000C–3 no
                                             this paragraph (e) even if it was treated               TIN that does not begin with ‘‘98.’’                  later than the 15th day of the month
                                                                                                        (ii) Analysis. Company A Inc. is a U.S.            following the month in which the payment
                                             as a foreign person under the rules in
                                                                                                     person and thus is not subject to the tax             was made. Agency M must also complete
                                             § 1.5000C–2 (for example, because it                    under section 5000C. Moreover, because                Forms 1042, ‘‘Annual Withholding Tax
                                             neither had a taxpayer identification                   Company A Inc. is a corporation for tax               Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign
                                             number on file in the System for Award                  purposes that has a TIN that does not begin           Persons,’’ and 1042–S, ‘‘Foreign Person’s U.S.
                                             Management nor submitted Form W–9,                      with ‘‘98,’’ Agency L is able to determine that       Source Income Subject to Withholding,’’ on
                                             ‘‘Request for Taxpayer Identification                   it has no obligation to withhold any amounts          or before the date specified on those forms
                                             Number (TIN) and Certification,’’ to the                under section 5000C on the payment made to            and the accompanying instructions. Agency
                                             acquiring agency).                                      Company A Inc. For purposes of section                M must furnish copies of Form 1042–S to
                                                                                                     5000C, Company A Inc. could also establish            Company B. Agency M must retain a copy of
                                             § 1.5000C–5      Anti-abuse rule.                       that it is a U.S. person by providing a Form          the Form 1042 and the Form 1042–S for 3
                                                                                                     W–9, ‘‘Request for Taxpayer Identification            years from the due date for the Form 1042
                                                If a foreign person engages in a                     Number (TIN) and Certification,’’ to Agency
                                             transaction (or series of transactions)                                                                       pursuant to § 1.5000C–3(c)(1). As Company B
                                                                                                     L. Company A Inc. does not need to file a             is not liable for the tax, it may later file a
                                             with a principal purpose of avoiding the                Section 5000C Certificate to demonstrate its          claim for refund pursuant to the procedures
                                             tax imposed under section 5000C, the                    eligibility for an exemption from                     described in chapter 65.
                                             transaction (or series of transactions)                 withholding.                                             Example 4. Foreign contracting party
                                             may be disregarded or the arrangement                      Example 2. Foreign national entitled to the        partially exempt from tax under section
                                             may be recharacterized (including                       benefit of a nondiscrimination provision of a         5000C when goods are manufactured in
                                                                                                     treaty; no withholding. (i) Facts. Company B,
                                             disregarding an intermediate entity), in                a foreign contracting party and a national of
                                                                                                                                                           different countries. (i) Facts. Company C, a
                                             accordance with its substance. If this                                                                        foreign contracting party, provides goods to
                                                                                                     Country T, provides goods to Agency M, the
                                             section applies, the foreign person                                                                           Agency N in 2015. The terms of the contract
                                                                                                     acquiring agency. Company B determines
                                             remains liable for any tax (including any                                                                     require that payment be made to Company C
                                                                                                     that it is exempt from tax under section
                                                                                                                                                           by Agency N in two $5 million installments
                                             tax obligation unsatisfied as a result of               5000C because it is entitled to the benefit of
                                                                                                                                                           in 2015. Company C has a TIN that begins
                                             underwithholding) and the Internal                      the nondiscrimination article of a qualified
                                                                                                                                                           with ‘‘98’’ and is not entitled to relief
                                             Revenue Service retains all other rights                income tax treaty between the United States
                                                                                                                                                           pursuant to an international agreement with
                                             and remedies under any applicable law                   and Country T. Company B submits a Section
                                                                                                     5000C Certificate to Agency M when the                the United States, such as relief pursuant to
                                             available to collect any tax imposed on                 contract is executed. Company B uses Form             a nondiscrimination provision of a qualified
                                             the foreign contracting party by section                W–14, ‘‘Certificate of Foreign Contracting            income tax treaty. Some of the goods are
                                             5000C.                                                  Party Receiving Federal Procurement                   manufactured in Country R, which is a party
                                                                                                     Payments,’’ and properly fills the relevant           to an international procurement agreement
                                             § 1.5000C–6      Examples.                              sections stating the name of the treaty, the          with the United States, with the remainder
                                               The rules of §§ 1.5000C–1 through                     specific article relied upon, and the basis on        being manufactured in Country S, a country
                                             1.5000C–4 are illustrated by the                        which it is entitled to the benefits of that          that is not a party to an international
                                                                                                     article. Following the steps in § 1.5000C–2,          procurement agreement with the United
                                             following examples. For purposes of the
                                                                                                     Agency M determines that the                          States. Company C uses a reasonable
                                             examples: All contracts are executed                                                                          allocation method based on the information
                                             with acquiring agencies on or after                     nondiscrimination provision of the Country
                                                                                                     T-United States income tax treaty applies to          available to it at the time in accordance with
                                             January 2, 2011, and are for the                        exempt Company B from the tax imposed                 § 1.5000C–1(e)(3) to estimate that $3 million
                                             provision of either goods or services;                  under section 5000C. Agency M makes one               is the nonexempt amount that is allocated to
                                             none of the exemptions described in                     lump sum payment of $50 million to                    the goods produced in Country S. Company
                                             § 1.5000C–1(d) apply, unless otherwise                  Company B pursuant to the contract.                   C submits a valid and complete Section
                                             explicitly stated; the acquiring agencies                  (ii) Analysis. Company B has no liability          5000C Certificate to Agency N in the time
                                             have no other withholding obligations                   for tax under section 5000C because it is             and manner required by §§ 1.5000C–1
                                                                                                     entitled to the benefit of a nondiscrimination        through 1.5000C–7 that provides that the
                                             under chapter 3 of the Code and have
                                                                                                     article of a qualified income tax treaty.             nonexempt amount is $3 million. In 2015,
                                             no other contracts subject to section                                                                         Agency N pays Company C in two
                                                                                                     Because Company B submitted a Section
                                             5000C; the foreign contracting parties do                                                                     installments pursuant to the terms of the
                                                                                                     5000C Certificate meeting the requirements
                                             not have any U.S. source income or a                    in § 1.5000C–2 and Agency M does not have             contract.
                                             U.S. tax return filing obligation other                 reason to know that the submitted                        (ii) Analysis. Using a reasonable allocation
                                             than a tax return filing obligation that                information is incorrect or unreliable,               method to determine the estimated
                                             arises based on the facts described in                  Agency M is not required to withhold under            nonexempt amount, Company C determines
                                             the particular example; and none of the                 section 5000C. Agency M must retain the               that pursuant to section 5000C and
                                             contracts are classified or confidential                Section 5000C Certificate for at least three          §§ 1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7, tax of
                                                                                                     years pursuant to § 1.5000C–3(c)(1) from the          $30,000 (2 percent of the $5 million payment,
                                             contracts as described in section
                                                                                                     due date for the Form 1042 (if it were                or $100,000 multiplied by a fraction, the
                                             6050M(e)(3).                                                                                                  numerator of which is the estimated
                                                                                                     required).
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                               Example 1. U.S. person not subject to tax;               Example 3. Foreign treaty beneficiary does         nonexempt amount, $3 million, and the
                                             no withholding. (i) Facts. Company A Inc., a            not submit Section 5000C Certificate;                 denominator of which is the estimated total
                                             domestic corporation and the contracting                withholding required. (i) Facts. The facts are        contract price, or $10 million) is imposed on
                                             party, enters into a contract with Agency L,            the same as in Example 2, except that                 each payment made to Company C. Because
                                             the acquiring agency. Before making its first           Company B does not submit a Section 5000C             Company C has timely submitted a Section
                                             payment under the contract (for example, on             Certificate to Agency M before Agency M               5000C Certificate explaining the basis for this
                                             the date of execution of the contract),                 makes the $50 million payment.                        allocation, Agency N withholds $30,000 on



                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00034   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations                                                  55145

                                             each payment made to Company C. Agency                  does not withhold on the second payment.              with the reporting requirement of this
                                             N must deposit each $30,000 withholding tax             Company C does not have an additional tax             section, before November 13, 1989, or
                                             under the rules in § 1.5000C–3 no later than            liability or a U.S. tax return filing obligation         (ii) A taxpayer is not otherwise than
                                             the 15th day of the month following the                 as a result of receiving the payments.                by paragraph (a) of this section required
                                             month in which each payment is made.
                                             Agency N must also complete Forms 1042                  § 1.5000C–7       Effective/applicability date.       to file a return for a taxable year before
                                             and 1042–S and furnish copies of Form                                                                         November 13, 1989, such taxpayer must
                                                                                                        Section 5000C applies to specified                 file (apart from any earlier filed return)
                                             1042–S to Company C. Agency N must retain
                                                                                                     Federal procurement payments received                 the statement required by paragraph (d)
                                             a copy of the Form 1042 and the Form 1042–
                                             S for at least three years from the due date            pursuant to contracts entered into on                 of this section before June 12, 1990, by
                                             for the Form 1042 pursuant to § 1.5000C–                and after January 2, 2011. Sections                   mailing the required statement to the
                                             3(c)(1). Provided that Agency N properly                1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7 apply on                  Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box
                                             withholds on the nonexempt portion as                   and after November 16, 2016.                          21086, Philadelphia, PA 19114. Any
                                             required under section 5000C and                        Contracting parties and acquiring
                                             §§ 1.5000C–1 through 1.5000C–7 and that
                                                                                                                                                           such statement filed apart from a return
                                                                                                     agencies may rely upon the rules in the               must be dated, signed and sworn to by
                                             Company C’s estimate of the nonexempt                   regulations before such date. If a foreign
                                             amount is the actual nonexempt amount,                                                                        the taxpayer under the penalties of
                                             Company C does not have an additional tax               contracting party fully satisfies its tax             perjury. In addition, with respect to any
                                             liability or a U.S. tax return filing obligation        and filing obligations under section                  return due (without extensions) on or
                                             as a result of receiving the payments.                  5000C with respect to any payments                    before March 10, 1990, the reporting
                                                Example 5. Foreign contracting party liable          received in tax years ending before                   required by paragraph (a) of this section
                                             for additional tax under Section 5000C not              November 16, 2016 on or before the                    must be made no later than June 12,
                                             fully withheld upon due to errors on the                later of November 16, 2016 or the due
                                             Section 5000C Certificate. (i) Facts. The facts
                                                                                                                                                           1990. If a taxpayer files or has filed a
                                                                                                     date for the foreign person’s income tax              return on or before November 13, 1989,
                                             are the same as in Example 4, except that the
                                             Section 5000C Certificate submitted to
                                                                                                     return for the year in which the                      that provides substantially the same
                                             Agency N by Company C erroneously                       payment was received in a manner                      information required by paragraph (d) of
                                             provides that the estimated nonexempt                   consistent with the final regulations,                this section, no additional submission
                                             amount is $1.5 million instead of $3 million.           penalties will not be asserted on the                 will be required. Foreign insurers and
                                             As a result, Agency N only withholds                    foreign contracting parties with respect              reinsurers subject to reporting described
                                             $15,000 (2 percent of the $5 million payment            to those payments or returns.                         in paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of this section
                                             multiplied by a fraction (the numerator of
                                             which is the estimated nonexempt amount                                                                       must so report for calendar years 1988
                                                                                                     PART 301—PROCEDURE AND                                and 1989 no later than August 15, 1990.
                                             stated on the Section 5000C Certificate, $1.5           ADMINISTRATION
                                             million, and the denominator of which is the                                                                     (2) Section 5000C. Paragraph (c)(1)(ix)
                                             estimated total contract price, or $10                                                                        of this section applies to payments
                                                                                                     ■ Par. 5. The authority citation for part
                                             million)) on each payment made to Company                                                                     made on and after November 16, 2016
                                             C. Agency N neither discovered nor had                  301 continues to read in part as follows:
                                                                                                                                                           pursuant to contracts entered into on
                                             reason to know that the information on the                  Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *                   and after January 2, 2011. However, a
                                             Section 5000C Certificate was incorrect or                                                                    taxpayer that receives payments exempt
                                             unreliable. After both payments have been               ■ Par. 6. Section 301.6114–1 is
                                             made and after the filing due date for Form             amended by adding paragraph (c)(1)(ix)                from tax under section 5000C by reason
                                             1042 for 2015, Company C determines that                and revising paragraph (e) to read as                 of a qualified income tax treaty before
                                             the estimated nonexempt amount should                   follows:                                              November 16, 2016 is not required to
                                             have been stated as $3 million on the Section                                                                 disclose this position on Form 8833,
                                             5000C Certificate.                                      § 301.6114–1      Treaty-based return                 provided it has properly relied on
                                                (ii) Analysis. The tax imposed under                 positions.                                            Notice 2015–35, I.R.B. 2016–14, 533, in
                                             section 5000C on Company C as a result of               *      *     *    *      *                            claiming the exemption.
                                             the receipt of specified Federal procurement
                                             payments is $60,000 and this amount has not
                                                                                                        (c) * * *                                          *       *    *     *     *
                                             been fully satisfied by withholding by                     (1) * * *
                                             Agency N. Accordingly, Company C must                      (ix) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(1)              PART 602—OMB CONTROL NUMBERS
                                             remit additional tax of $30,000 ($60,000 tax            of this section, that a nondiscrimination             UNDER THE PAPERWORK
                                             liability less $30,000 amounts already                  provision of a qualified income tax                   REDUCTION ACT
                                             withheld by Agency N) and file its required             treaty, as defined in Treas. Reg.
                                             return, a Form 1120–F, ‘‘U.S. Income Tax                                                                      ■ Par. 7. The authority citation for part
                                                                                                     § 1.5000C–1(c)(13), exempts a payment                 602 continues to read in part as follows:
                                             Return of a Foreign Corporation,’’ for 2015 to
                                             report this tax liability, as required by
                                                                                                     from tax under section 5000C, but only
                                                                                                     if the foreign person claiming such relief                Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
                                             § 1.5000C–4. Company C must explain its
                                             corrected allocation method in its Form                 has provided a Section 5000C Certificate              ■ Par. 8. In § 602.101, paragraph (b) is
                                             1120–F. Company C must also attach a copy               (such as Form W–14, ‘‘Certificate of                  amended by adding entries in numerical
                                             of the Form 1042–S it received from Agency              Foreign Contracting Party Receiving                   order to the table to read as follows:
                                             N to Form 1120–F.                                       Federal Procurement Payments’’) to the
                                                Example 6. Foreign contracting party                 acquiring agency in accordance with                   § 602.101    OMB Control numbers.
                                             submits revised Section 5000C Certificate               section 5000C and the regulations                     *       *    *       *       *
                                             due to change in circumstances. (i) Facts.                                                                        (b) * * *
                                             The facts are the same as in Example 4,
                                                                                                     thereunder.
                                             except that, after the first payment, Company           *      *     *    *      *                                                                       Current
                                             C changes its business so that all of the goods            (e) Effective/applicability date—(1) In                 CFR part or section where              OMB
                                             manufactured with respect to the second                                                                             identified and described
                                                                                                     general. This section is effective for                                                         control No.
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                             payment are manufactured in Country R.                  taxable years of the taxpayer for which
                                             Prior to the second payment, Company C                  the due date for filing returns (without
                                             submits a revised Section 5000C Certificate                                                                      *        *              *               *       *
                                             indicating this change in circumstance                  extensions) occurs after December 31,                 1.5000C–2 .................................. 1545–0096
                                             pursuant to § 1.5000C–2(d)(6).                          1988. However, if—                                                                                 1545–2263
                                                (ii) Analysis. Agency N withholds $30,000               (i) A taxpayer has filed a return for              1.5000C–3 .................................. 1545–0096
                                             on the first payment made to Company C and              such a taxable year, without complying                                                             1545–2263



                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:00 Aug 17, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00035   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1


                                             55146                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2016 / Rules and Regulations

                                                                                              Current         SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            during the Tall Ships event in Duluth,
                                                 CFR part or section where
                                                  identified and described                     OMB                                                                  MN. The duration of the zone is
                                                                                            control No.       I. Table of Abbreviations
                                                                                                                                                                    intended to protect personnel, vessels,
                                                                                                              CFR Code of Federal Regulations                       and the marine environment in these
                                             1.5000C–4 ..................................   1545–1223         DHS Department of Homeland Security
                                                                                            1545–0074
                                                                                                                                                                    navigable waters during the event. No
                                                                                                              FR Federal Register                                   vessel or person will be permitted to
                                                                                                              NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking
                                                 *            *            *            *            *        § Section
                                                                                                                                                                    enter the safety zone without obtaining
                                                                                                              U.S.C. United States Code                             permission from the COTP or a
                                             John M. Dalrymple,
                                                                                                                                                                    designated representative.
                                                                                                              II. Background Information and
                                             Deputy Commissioner for Services and                             Regulatory History                                    V. Regulatory Analyses
                                             Enforcement.                                                                                                             We developed this rule after
                                                                                                                 The Coast Guard is issuing this
                                               Approved: July 22, 2016.                                       temporary rule without prior notice and               considering numerous statutes and
                                             Mark D. Mazur,                                                   opportunity to comment pursuant to                    Executive order related to rulemaking.
                                             Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax                         authority under section 4(a) of the                   Below we summarize our analyses
                                             Policy).                                                         Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5                 based on a number of these statutes and
                                             [FR Doc. 2016–19452 Filed 8–17–16; 8:45 am]                      U.S.C. 553(b)). This provision                        Executive orders, and we discuss First
                                             BILLING CODE 4830–01–P                                           authorizes an agency to issue a rule                  Amendment rights of protestors.
                                                                                                              without prior notice and opportunity to               A. Regulatory Planning and Review
                                                                                                              comment when the agency for good
                                             DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND                                           cause finds that those procedures are                    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
                                             SECURITY                                                         ‘‘impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary             direct agencies to assess the costs and
                                                                                                              to the public interest.’’ Under 5 U.S.C.              benefits of available regulatory
                                             Coast Guard                                                      553(b)(B), the Coast Guard finds that                 alternatives and, if regulation is
                                                                                                              good cause exists for not publishing a                necessary, to select regulatory
                                             33 CFR Part 165                                                  notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)                  approaches that maximize net benefits.
                                                                                                              with respect to this rule because doing               Executive Order 13563 emphasizes the
                                             [Docket No. USCG–2016–6017]
                                                                                                              so would be impracticable and contrary                importance of quantifying both costs
                                             RIN 1625–AA00                                                    to the public interest. Because the event             and benefits, of reducing costs, of
                                                                                                              is scheduled for August 18, 2016, there               harmonizing rules, and of promoting
                                             Safety Zone; Tall Ships Duluth 2016—                                                                                   flexibility. This rule has not been
                                                                                                              is insufficient time to accommodate the
                                             Giant Duck, Lake Superior, Duluth, MN                                                                                  designated a ‘‘significant regulatory
                                                                                                              comment period. Thus, delaying the
                                             AGENCY:      Coast Guard, DHS.                                   effective date of this rule to wait for the           action,’’ under Executive Order 12866.
                                             ACTION:     Temporary final rule.                                comment period to run would be both                   Accordingly, it has not been reviewed
                                                                                                              impracticable and contrary to public                  by the Office of Management and
                                             SUMMARY:    The Coast Guard is                                   interest because it would inhibit the                 Budget.
                                             establishing a safety zone around the                            Coast Guard’s ability to protect                         This regulatory action determination
                                             Giant Duck barge and its corresponding                           spectators and vessels from the hazards               is based on the size, location, duration,
                                             tug during the Tall Ships Duluth 2016                            associated with the event.                            and time-of-year of the safety zone.
                                             parade of sail in Lake Superior near                                We are issuing this rule, and under 5              Vessel traffic will be able to safely
                                             Duluth, MN. This safety zone will                                U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the Coast Guard finds               transit around this safety zone which
                                             provide for the regulation of vessel                             that good cause exists for making it                  will impact a small designated area of
                                             traffic in the vicinity of the tow in the                        effective less than 30 days after                     Lake Superior near Duluth, MN.
                                             navigable waters of the United States.                           publication in the Federal Register.                  Moreover, the Coast Guard will issue
                                             This safety zone is necessary to                                 Delaying the effective date of this rule              Broadcast Notice to Mariners via VHF–
                                             safeguard participants and spectators                            would be contrary to public interest as               FM marine channel 16 about the zone
                                             from the hazards associated with the                             it would inhibit the Coast Guard’s                    and the rule allows vessels to seek
                                             limited maneuverability of a barge and                           ability to protect spectators and vessels             permission to enter the zone.
                                             tow. Entry of vessels or persons into this                       from the hazards associated with the                  B. Impact on Small Entities
                                             zone is prohibited unless specifically                           event.
                                             authorized by the Captain of the Port                                                                                     The Regulatory Flexibility Act of
                                                                                                              III. Legal Authority and Need for Rule                1980, 5 U.S.C. 601–612, as amended,
                                             Duluth.
                                                                                                                 The Coast Guard is issuing this rule               requires Federal agencies to consider
                                             DATES: This rule is effective from 8 a.m.                                                                              the potential impact of regulations on
                                                                                                              under authority in 33 U.S.C. 1231. The
                                             through 8 p.m. August 18, 2016.                                                                                        small entities during rulemaking. The
                                                                                                              Captain of the Port Duluth (COTP) has
                                             ADDRESSES: To view documents                                     determined that potential hazards                     term ‘‘small entities’’ comprises small
                                             mentioned in this preamble as being                              associated with the Giant Duck tow                    businesses, not-for-profit organizations
                                             available in the docket, go to http://                           operating in crowded harbors in close                 that are independently owned and
                                             www.regulations.gov, type USCG–2016–                             proximity to spectator craft necessitate a            operated and are not dominant in their
                                             6017 in the ‘‘SEARCH’’ box and click                             safety zone. The purpose of this rule is              fields, and governmental jurisdictions
                                             ‘‘SEARCH.’’ Click on Open Docket                                 to ensure the safety of all vessels during            with populations of less than 50,000.
                                             Folder on the line associated with this                          the Tall Ship event in Duluth, MN.                    The Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C.
                                             rule.
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES




                                                                                                                                                                    605(b) that this rule will not have a
                                             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If                              IV. Discussion of the Rule                            significant economic impact on a
                                             you have questions on this rule, call or                            This rule establishes a safety zone                substantial number of small entities.
                                             email Lieutenant Junior Grade John                               from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. August 18,                    While some owners or operators of
                                             Mack, Waterways management, MSU                                  2016. The safety zone will cover all                  vessels intending to transit the safety
                                             Duluth, Coast Guard; telephone 218–                              navigable waters within 100 yards of the              zone may be small entities, for the
                                             725–3818, email John.V.Mack@uscg.mil.                            Giant Duck and its corresponding tug                  reasons stated in section V.A above, this


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014       15:00 Aug 17, 2016    Jkt 238001       PO 00000   Frm 00036   Fmt 4700   Sfmt 4700   E:\FR\FM\18AUR1.SGM   18AUR1



Document Created: 2016-08-17 23:46:05
Document Modified: 2016-08-17 23:46:05
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionRules and Regulations
ActionFinal regulations.
ContactKate Hwa at (202) 317-6934, and for questions related to tax treaties and the regulations under section 6114, Rosy Lor at (202) 317-6933, (not toll-free numbers).
FR Citation81 FR 55133 
RIN Number1545-BK06
CFR Citation26 CFR 1
26 CFR 301
26 CFR 602

2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR