83_FR_26691 83 FR 26580 - Partnership Transactions Involving Equity Interests of a Partner

83 FR 26580 - Partnership Transactions Involving Equity Interests of a Partner

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 111 (June 8, 2018)

Page Range26580-26593
FR Document2018-12407

This document contains final regulations that prevent a corporate partner from avoiding corporate-level gain through transactions with a partnership involving equity interests of the partner or certain related entities. This document also contains final regulations that allow consolidated group members that are partners in the same partnership to aggregate their bases in stock distributed by the partnership for the purpose of limiting the application of rules that might otherwise cause basis reduction or gain recognition. This document also contains final regulations that may also require certain corporations that engage in gain elimination transactions to reduce the basis of corporate assets or to recognize gain. These final regulations affect partnerships and their partners.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 111 (Friday, June 8, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 26580-26593]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12407]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 1

[TD 9833]
RIN 1545-BO43


Partnership Transactions Involving Equity Interests of a Partner

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations that prevent a 
corporate partner from avoiding corporate-level gain through 
transactions with a partnership involving equity interests of the 
partner or certain related entities. This document also contains final 
regulations that allow consolidated group members that are partners in 
the same partnership to aggregate their bases in stock distributed by 
the partnership for the purpose of limiting the application of rules 
that might otherwise cause basis reduction or gain recognition. This 
document also contains final regulations that may also require certain 
corporations that engage in gain elimination transactions to reduce the 
basis of corporate assets or to recognize gain. These final regulations 
affect partnerships and their partners.

DATES: 
    Effective Date: These final regulations are effective on June 8, 
2018.
    Applicability Date: These final regulations are applicable on or 
after June 12, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the final regulations, 
Kevin I. Babitz, (202) 317-6852.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

1. Overview

    On June 12, 2015, the Department of the Treasury (and the IRS 
published final and temporary regulations (TD 9722) under section 
337(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) in the Federal Register (80 
FR 33402). On July 8, 2015, corrections to TD 9722 were published in 
the Federal Register (80 FR 38940-38941) (together with TD 9722, the 
temporary regulations). The temporary regulations expire on June 11, 
2018.
    A notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-149518-03) withdrawing 
proposed regulations under section 337(d) published in 1992, and 
proposing new proposed regulations by cross-reference to the temporary 
regulations, was published in the Federal Register (80 FR 33451) on the 
same date as TD 9722. Additionally, on June 12, 2015, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS published proposed regulations (REG-138759-14) 
under section 732(f) in the Federal Register (80 FR 33452) (together 
with the 2015 proposed regulations under section 337(d), the 2015 
regulations).
    The Treasury Department and the IRS received one comment letter in 
response to the 2015 regulations. Except as described below, the 
commenter largely supported the 2015 regulations while recommending 
some minor modifications and clarifications to the 2015 regulations 
under both section 337(d) and section 732(f). The comment letter is 
discussed in detail in the Explanation of Provisions section of this 
preamble.
    After considering this comment letter, this Treasury decision 
adopts as final regulations the rules set forth in the 2015 regulations 
under section 337(d) (with only minor, nonsubstantive clarifications in 
response to the commenter's request for additional certainty regarding 
certain collateral effects) and section 732(f) (without any change). 
However, the Treasury Department and the IRS are considering publishing 
a new notice of proposed rulemaking to propose more substantive 
amendments to the final regulations under section 337(d) and to allow 
for additional public comment with respect to these more substantive 
proposals in response to the comment letter, further reflection by the 
Treasury Department and the IRS, and concerns raised by practitioners.

2. Regulations Under Section 337(d)

A. Background
    In General Utilities & Operating Co. v. Helvering, 296 U.S. 200 
(1935), the Supreme Court held that corporations generally could 
distribute appreciated property to their shareholders without the 
recognition of any corporate level gain (the General Utilities 
doctrine). Beginning with legislation in 1969 and culminating in the 
Tax Reform Act of 1986, Public Law 99-514 (100 Stat. 2085) (the Act), 
Congress repealed the General Utilities doctrine by enacting section 
336(a) to apply gain and loss recognition to liquidating distributions.
    Under current law, sections 311(b) and 336(a) require a corporation 
that distributes appreciated property to its shareholders to recognize 
gain determined as if the property were sold to the shareholders for 
its fair market value. Additionally, section 631 of the Act added 
section 337(d) to permit the Secretary to prescribe regulations that 
are necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the General 
Utilities repeal, ``including regulations to ensure that [the repeal of 
the General Utilities doctrine] may not be circumvented through the use 
of any provision of law or regulations.''
    After the enactment of sections 311(b) and 337(d), the Treasury 
Department and the IRS became aware of transactions in which taxpayers 
used a partnership to postpone or avoid completely gain generally 
required to be recognized under section 311(b). In one example of this 
transaction, a corporation entered into a partnership and contributed 
appreciated property. The partnership then acquired stock of that 
corporate partner, and later made a liquidating distribution of this 
stock to the corporate partner. Under section 731(a), the corporate 
partner did not recognize gain on the partnership's distribution of its 
stock. By means of this transaction, the corporation had disposed of 
the appreciated property it formerly held and had acquired its own 
stock, permanently avoiding its gain in the appreciated property. If 
the corporation had directly exchanged the appreciated property for its 
own stock, section 311(b) would have required the corporation to 
recognize gain upon the exchange.
    In response to these types of abusive transactions, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS issued Notice 89-37, 1989-1 CB 679, on March 9, 
1989. Notice 89-37 announced that future regulations under section 
337(d) would address the use of partnerships to avoid the repeal of the 
General Utilities doctrine.
    On December 15, 1992, the Treasury Department and the IRS published 
a notice of proposed rulemaking under section 337(d) (PS-91-90, REG-
208989-90, 1993-1 CB 919) in the Federal Register (57 FR 59324) 
addressing abusive partnership transactions involving stock of a 
corporate partner (the 1992 proposed regulations). The 1992 proposed 
regulations set forth a deemed redemption rule and a separate 
distribution rule to prevent a corporate partner from avoiding 
corporate-level gain through transactions with a partnership involving 
stock of the corporate partner, stock of the partner's affiliate, and 
other equity interests in the corporate partner or affiliate. The 1992 
proposed regulations treated a corporation as an affiliate of a partner 
at

[[Page 26581]]

the time of a deemed redemption or distribution by the partnership if, 
immediately thereafter, the partner and corporation were members of an 
affiliated group as defined in section 1504(a) without regard to 
section 1504(b) (section 337(d) affiliation). On January 19, 1993, the 
Treasury Department and the IRS issued Notice 93-2, 1993-1 CB 292, 
which stated that the 1992 proposed regulations would be amended to 
limit the application of the regulations to transactions in which 
section 337(d) affiliation existed immediately before the deemed 
redemption or distribution. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
received comments on the 1992 proposed regulations, and adopted a 
number of these comments in the 2015 regulations.
B. The 2015 Regulations
    The 2015 regulations under section 337(d) set forth a rule (the 
deemed redemption rule) that was aimed at protecting the repeal of the 
General Utilities doctrine. The 2015 regulations provided that certain 
transactions create the economic effect of an exchange of appreciated 
property for Stock of the Corporate Partner and, to tax such exchange 
appropriately, the deemed redemption rule provided that a Corporate 
Partner recognizes gain at the time of, and to the extent that, any 
transaction (or series of transactions) has the economic effect of an 
exchange by the partner of its interest in appreciated property for an 
interest in Stock of the Corporate Partner owned, acquired, or 
distributed by the partnership. (The terms Corporate Partner and Stock 
of the Corporate Partner are defined in section 1.B.i. of the 
Explanation of Provisions.)
    The 2015 regulations did not adopt the separate distribution rule 
set forth in the 1992 proposed regulations. Instead, the 2015 
regulations applied the deemed redemption rule to partnership 
distributions of Stock of the Corporate Partner to the Corporate 
Partner as though the partnership amended its agreement, immediately 
before the distribution, to allocate 100 percent of the distributed 
stock to the Corporate Partner. The 2015 regulations also set forth de 
minimis and inadvertence exceptions to the deemed redemption rule.

3. Regulations Under Section 732(f)

A. Section 732(f)
    Section 538 of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement 
Act of 1999, Public Law 106-170 (113 Stat. 1860) (December 17, 1999), 
added section 732(f) generally effective for distributions of made 
after July 14, 1999. Section 732(f) provides that if (1) a corporate 
partner receives a distribution from a partnership of stock in another 
corporation (distributed corporation); (2) the corporate partner has 
control of the distributed corporation, defined as ownership of stock 
meeting the requirements of section 1504(a)(2), immediately after the 
distribution or at any time thereafter (control requirement); and (3) 
the partnership's basis in the stock immediately before the 
distribution exceeded the corporate partner's basis in the stock 
immediately after the distribution, then the basis of the distributed 
corporation's property must be reduced by this excess. The amount of 
this reduction is limited to the amount by which the sum of the 
aggregate adjusted basis of property and the amount of money of the 
distributed corporation exceeds the corporate partner's adjusted basis 
in the stock of the distributed corporation. The corporate partner must 
recognize gain to the extent that the basis of the distributed 
corporation's property cannot be reduced.
    Congress enacted section 732(f) due to concerns that a corporate 
partner could otherwise negate the effects of a basis step-down to 
distributed property required under section 732(b) by applying the 
step-down against the basis of the stock of the distributed 
corporation.
    For example, assume a corporate partner has a partnership interest 
with zero basis and receives a partnership distribution of high-basis 
stock in a corporation. The corporate partner's basis in the 
distributed corporation's stock is reduced to zero under section 732(a) 
or section 732(b). If the partnership has elected under section 754, 
then the basis of other partnership property is increased by an equal 
amount under section 734(b). The section 732 basis decrease and the 
section 734(b) basis increase generally offset each other. However, if 
the corporate partner owned stock in the distributed corporation that 
satisfied the control requirement, the corporate partner could 
liquidate the distributed corporation under section 332, and section 
334(b) would generally provide for a carryover basis in the distributed 
corporation's property received by the corporate partner in the 
liquidation. Taken together, these rules could permit the partnership 
to increase the basis of its retained property without an equivalent 
basis reduction following the liquidation of the distributed 
corporation. Section 732(f) generally precludes this result by 
requiring that either the distributed corporation must reduce the basis 
of its property or the corporate partner must recognize gain (to the 
extent the distributed corporation is unable to reduce the basis of its 
property). Thus, section 732(f) generally ensures that any basis 
increase under section 734(b) is offset.
    Section 732(f)(8) grants the Secretary authority to prescribe 
regulations that may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
subsection, including regulations to avoid double counting and to 
prevent the abuse of such purposes.
B. The 2015 Regulations
    In the preamble to the 2015 regulations under section 732(f), the 
Treasury Department and the IRS stated that the application of section 
732(f) was too broad in some circumstances and too narrow in others. 
Specifically, the application was overbroad because section 732(f) 
could require basis reduction or gain recognition even though that 
basis reduction or gain recognition did not further the purposes of 
section 732(f). Alternatively, the application was too narrow because 
corporate partners could inappropriately avoid the purposes of section 
732(f) by engaging in transactions that allow corporate partners to 
receive property held by a distributed corporation without reducing the 
basis of that property to account for basis reductions under section 
732(b) made when the partnership distributed stock of the distributed 
corporation to the corporate partner.
    To address these concerns, the 2015 regulations set forth specific 
rules governing the application of section 732(f) in two specific sets 
of circumstances. The first rule would permit consolidated group 
members to aggregate the bases of their respective interests in the 
same partnership, in certain circumstances, for section 732(f) 
purposes. The second rule would restrict corporate partners from 
entering into certain transactions or a series of transactions (gain 
elimination transactions), such as a distribution followed by a 
reorganization under section 368(a), that might eliminate gain in the 
stock of a distributed corporation while avoiding the effects of a 
basis step-down under section 732(f) because the control requirement 
would not be immediately satisfied.
    In addition, the 2015 regulations under section 732(f) required 
taxpayers to apply those rules to tiered partnerships in a manner 
consistent with the purpose of section 732(f).

[[Page 26582]]

Explanation of Provisions

1. Final Regulations Under Section 337(d)

A. Generally
    The final regulations under section 337(d) provide that the purpose 
of the regulations is to prevent corporate taxpayers from using a 
partnership to circumvent gain required to be recognized under section 
311(b) or section 336(a). These final regulations, including the rules 
governing the amount, timing, and character of recognized gain, must be 
applied in a manner consistent with, and which reasonably carries out, 
this purpose.
    These final regulations apply when a partnership, either directly 
or indirectly, owns, acquires, or distributes Stock of the Corporate 
Partner (as defined in Sec.  1.337(d)-3(c)(2) of these final 
regulations). Under these final regulations, a Corporate Partner (as 
defined at Sec.  1.337(d)-3(c)(1) of these final regulations) may 
recognize gain when it is treated as acquiring or increasing its 
interest in Stock of the Corporate Partner held by a partnership in 
exchange for appreciated property in a manner that avoids gain 
recognition under section 311(b) or section 336(a). These final 
regulations also provide exceptions under which a Corporate Partner is 
not required to recognize gain.
B. Scope and Definitions
i. Corporate Partner and Stock of the Corporate Partner
    The 2015 regulations defined a Corporate Partner as a person that 
holds or acquires an interest in a partnership and that is classified 
as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. The 2015 regulations 
defined Stock of the Corporate Partner expansively to include the 
Corporate Partner's stock, or other equity interests, including 
options, warrants, and similar interests, in the Corporate Partner, or 
in a corporation that controls the Corporate Partner within the meaning 
of section 304(c), except that section 318(a)(1) and (3) shall not 
apply (referred to in this Explanation of Provisions as a Controlling 
Corporation). Stock of the Corporate Partner also included interests in 
any entity to the extent that the value of the interest is attributable 
to Stock of the Corporate Partner.
    The commenter asked whether an equity interest issued by a third 
party on a Corporate Partner's stock, such as an option issued by a 
bank on the Corporate Partner's stock, was considered Stock of the 
Corporate Partner. The Treasury Department and the IRS confirm that all 
options, warrants, and other similar interests issued by third parties 
on a Corporate Partner's stock, a Controlling Corporation's stock, or 
any interests in any entity to the extent that the value of the 
interest is attributable to Stock of the Corporate Partner, are Stock 
of the Corporate Partner under both the temporary regulations and these 
final regulations. No inference is intended regarding whether options, 
warrants, and other similar interests are subject to section 1032 where 
they create an equity interest in the Stock of the Corporate Partner.
ii. Stock of the Corporate Partner: Controlling Corporations
    The 2015 regulations provided that Stock of the Corporate Partner 
includes the stock (or other equity interests) in a Controlling 
Corporation. The commenter asked whether stock in a Controlling 
Corporation wholly constitutes Stock of the Corporate Partner or only 
constitutes Stock of the Corporate Partner to the extent the value of 
the Controlling Corporation's stock is attributable to that 
corporation's interest in the Corporate Partner. These final 
regulations clarify that it is intended that stock (or any other equity 
interest) in a Controlling Corporation will wholly constitute Stock of 
the Corporate Partner irrespective of the ratio of the Controlling 
Corporation's interest in the Corporate Partner to the Controlling 
Corporation's total assets. In response to this comment, the final 
regulations also include a new example to clearly illustrate this 
point. See Example 2 of Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) in these final regulations.
    With respect to the rule that Stock of the Corporate Partner 
includes an interest in an entity to the extent that the value of the 
interest is attributable to the Stock of the Corporate Partner (Value 
Rule), the commenter asked that, in cases in which the entity is not 
controlled by the Corporate Partner and which is not a Controlling 
Corporation, that a limitation be added that the interest in the entity 
would not be treated as Stock of the Corporate Partner if less than 20 
percent of the assets of the entity consisted of Stock of the Corporate 
Partner. The Treasury Department and the IRS agree with the commenter 
that the Value Rule in the 2015 regulations could be overbroad in 
certain situations but decline to adopt the commenter's specific 
suggestion in these final regulations because such a rule would be too 
generous and could permit taxpayers to structure transactions that 
would contravene the purpose of section 337(d) and these regulations. 
However, the Treasury Department and the IRS are considering publishing 
new proposed regulations to limit the application of the Value Rule to 
entities that are not Controlling Corporations but which own, directly 
or indirectly, 5 percent or more of the stock, by vote or value, of the 
Corporate Partner and clarifying how taxpayers would determine what 
portion of the value of the interest in the entity is attributable to 
Stock of the Corporate Partner.
iii. Stock of the Corporate Partner: Attribution
    The 2015 regulations defined Stock of the Corporate Partner to 
include stock in a Controlling Corporation. The 2015 regulations 
employed the section 304(c) definition of control, which generally 
requires the ownership of stock with either 50 percent of the voting 
power in the corporation or 50 percent of the value of the corporation. 
While section 304(c) incorporates the constructive ownership rules of 
section 318(a) with some modifications, the 2015 regulations excluded 
the application of sections 318(a)(1) and (3) from its definition of 
control.
    The commenter agreed with excluding section 318(a)(3) attribution 
from the application of section 304(c) under the 2015 regulations, but 
noted that it may be inappropriate to exclude section 318(a)(1) family 
attribution. The commenter suggested that families could invoke this 
exclusion to structure partnerships in such a way to avoid these 
regulations but which would be transactions that should otherwise be 
subject to these final regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
agree that excluding family attribution under section 318(a)(1) could 
produce inappropriate results. Additionally, the Treasury Department 
and the IRS have also determined that taxpayers could structure 
transactions designed to take advantage of the lack of section 
318(a)(3) attribution. Therefore, the Treasury Department and the IRS 
are considering publishing new proposed regulations to further modify 
the definition of Stock of the Corporate Partner so that it would no 
longer exclude attribution under sections 318(a)(1) and (3) when 
determining whether an interest in an entity is Stock of the Corporate 
Partners under section 304(c), but which would limit the proposed 
expanded scope of section 304(c) control to entities that own, directly 
or indirectly, an interest in the Corporate Partner.

[[Page 26583]]

iv. Stock of the Corporate Partner: Related-Party Partnerships
    The 2015 regulations provided an exception from the definition of 
Stock of the Corporate Partner in the case of certain related-party 
partnerships. Under this exception, Stock of the Corporate Partner did 
not include any stock or other equity interests held or acquired by a 
partnership if all interests in the partnership's capital and profits 
are held by members of an affiliated group defined in section 1504(a) 
that includes the Corporate Partner (Affiliated Group Exception).
    The commenter suggested that the final regulations extend the 
Affiliated Group Exception to partnerships in which a high percentage, 
but not all, of its interests are owned by affiliated group members. 
The commenter asserted that, under these facts, there would be no 
reason to require gain recognition. The commenter also recommended that 
the final regulations extend the affiliated group exception to lower-
tier partnerships owned by one or more upper-tier partnerships, if the 
upper-tier partnerships are entirely owned by members of an affiliated 
group that includes the Corporate Partner.
    After further study of this issue, and in light of the other 
exceptions to the deemed redemption rule, the Treasury Department and 
the IRS decline to adopt these comments because even without such 
extensions the Affiliated Group Exception could permit inappropriate 
elimination of corporate level built-in gain. For example--

    Assume that P, a corporation, owns all of the stock of S1, and 
S1 owns all of the stock of CP. P, S1, and CP are members of an 
affiliated group. P and CP form a 50-50 partnership, where CP 
contributes an appreciated asset to the partnership, and P 
contributes S1 stock with a basis equal to fair market value. After 
seven years, the partnership liquidates and distributes the S1 stock 
to CP and the appreciated asset to P. At that time, the asset may be 
sold outside of the group with an artificially increased basis. 
While the built-in gain that was in the asset now is preserved in 
the S1 stock held by CP, the group may permanently eliminate the 
gain without tax by causing CP to liquidate. CP would receive 
nonrecognition treatment on distribution of the S1 stock to S1 under 
section 332, and S1 would receive nonrecognition treatment on the 
receipt of its own stock under section 1032. Thus, the liquidation 
of CP permanently eliminates the built-in gain on the appreciated 
asset that attached to the hook stock CP held in S1 after the 
liquidation of the partnership.

    Although these final regulations retain the Affiliated Group 
Exception, the Treasury Department and the IRS are considering 
publishing new proposed regulations to remove the Affiliated Group 
Exception because this exception can permit corporations to engage in 
transactions with partnerships to eliminate permanently the built-in 
gain on appreciated assets or otherwise to avoid the purposes of 
General Utilities repeal and these regulations.
v. Section 337(d) Transactions
    The 2015 regulations provided that, for partnerships that hold 
Stock of the Corporate Partner, the 2015 regulations apply to a 
transaction (or a series of transactions) that is a ``Section 337(d) 
Transaction.'' The 2015 regulations defined a Section 337(d) 
Transaction as a transaction (or series of transactions) that has the 
effect of an exchange by a Corporate Partner of its interest in 
appreciated property for an interest in Stock of the Corporate Partner 
owned, acquired, or distributed by a partnership. For example, a 
Section 337(d) Transaction may occur if: (i) A Corporate Partner 
contributes appreciated property to a partnership that owns Stock of 
the Corporate Partner; (ii) a partnership acquires Stock of the 
Corporate Partner; (iii) a partnership that owns Stock of the Corporate 
Partner distributes appreciated property to a partner other than the 
Corporate Partner; (iv) a partnership distributes Stock of the 
Corporate Partner to the Corporate Partner; or (v) a partnership 
agreement is amended in a manner that increases a Corporate Partner's 
interest in the Stock of the Corporate Partner (including in connection 
with a contribution to, or distribution from, a partnership).
    In certain circumstances, a partnership's acquisition of Stock of 
the Corporate Partner does not have the effect of an exchange of 
appreciated property for that stock. For example, if a partnership with 
an operating business uses the cash generated in that business to 
purchase Stock of the Corporate Partner, the deemed redemption rule 
does not apply to the stock purchase because the Corporate Partner's 
share in appreciated property has not been reduced, and thus no 
exchange has occurred. The Treasury Department and the IRS acknowledge 
that such stock acquisitions would not trigger the deemed redemption 
rule. The Treasury Department and the IRS note, however, that because 
of the administrative difficulties in tracing the source of cash used 
to acquire Corporate Partner stock, taxpayers wishing to invoke this 
exception must maintain appropriate records or other documentation to 
affirmatively demonstrate that the consideration used in the exchange 
to acquire the Stock of the Corporate Partner at issue came from 
operating cashflow.
    The commenter asked whether the 2015 regulations encompassed other 
types of acquisitions of Stock of the Corporate Partner for cash, and 
requested that the final regulations include examples of transactions 
that do not have the effect of an exchange of appreciated property for 
Stock of the Corporate Partner. The Treasury Department and the IRS 
considered this comment, but decline to add additional examples because 
those examples would go beyond the scope of these final regulations 
which is to prevent the exchange of appreciated property for Stock of 
the Corporate Partner.
C. Deemed Redemption Rule
i. Generally
    The 2015 regulations provided that if a transaction is a Section 
337(d) Transaction, a Corporate Partner must recognize gain under the 
deemed redemption rule. To determine the amount of gain, the Corporate 
Partner must first determine the amount of appreciated property (other 
than Stock of the Corporate Partner) effectively exchanged for Stock of 
the Corporate Partner (by value) and then calculate the amount of 
taxable gain recognized.
    The deemed redemption rule applies only to the extent that the 
transaction has the effect of an exchange by the Corporate Partner of 
its interest in appreciated property for Stock of the Corporate 
Partner. Thus, this rule does not apply to the extent a transaction has 
the effect of an exchange by a Corporate Partner of non-appreciated 
property for Stock of the Corporate Partner or has the effect of an 
exchange by a Corporate Partner of appreciated property for property 
other than Stock of the Corporate Partner.
    The 2015 regulations set forth general principles that apply in 
determining the amount of appreciated property effectively exchanged 
for Stock of the Corporate Partner. These general principles require 
that the Corporate Partner's economic interest with respect to both 
Stock of the Corporate Partner and all other appreciated property of 
the partnership be determined based on all facts and circumstances, 
including the allocation and distribution rights set forth in the 
partnership agreement.
    A Corporate Partner must recognize gain under the 2015 regulations 
even if the Section 337(d) Transaction would not otherwise change the 
Corporate Partner's allocable share of gain under section 704(c). For 
example, if a Corporate Partner contributes

[[Page 26584]]

appreciated property to a newly-formed partnership and an individual 
contributes cash that the partnership subsequently uses to purchase 
Stock of the Corporate Partner, then the purchase of the stock is a 
Section 337(d) Transaction even though the Corporate Partner's 
allocable share of gain in the appreciated property under section 
704(c) is the same before and after the purchase. See Example 4 of 
Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) in these final regulations.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS did not receive comments on 
this general deemed redemption rule. Therefore, these final regulations 
adopt the rule set forth in the 2015 regulations.
ii. Subsequent Transactions
    Under the 2015 regulations, the deemed redemption rule did not 
apply to transactions involving stock that does not meet the definition 
of Stock of the Corporate Partner. The commenter asked whether, in 
cases in which the deemed redemption rule does not apply to an initial 
transaction because the definition of Stock of the Corporate Partner is 
not satisfied, if certain subsequent transactions would trigger gain 
recognition by treating those transactions as Section 337(d) 
Transactions. The Treasury Department and the IRS intend for certain 
subsequent transactions to trigger gain recognition as Section 337(d) 
Transactions. Therefore, in response to this comment, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS clarify that these final regulations apply to 
certain transactions involving related parties in which a first 
transaction does not constitute a Section 337(d) Transaction because 
the partnership does not own stock in either a Corporate Partner or in 
a Controlling Corporation, but the Corporate Partner in a later, 
separate transaction transfers its partnership interest to a related 
corporation whose stock the partnership owns. In these transactions, 
the deemed redemption rule will trigger gain as if the first 
transaction was a Section 337(d) Transaction with the result that the 
transferee corporation who is now itself a Corporate Partner will 
``step into the shoes'' of the first Corporate Partner and will be 
subject to the deemed redemption rule to the extent of the first 
Corporate Partner's remaining built-in gain in the appreciated asset 
immediately prior to the transfer.
iii. Prior Transactions
    The 2015 regulations provided that, if the Corporate Partner has an 
existing interest in the partnership's Stock of the Corporate Partner 
prior to the Section 337(d) Transaction, the deemed redemption rule 
applies only with respect to the Corporate Partner's incremental 
increase in the Stock of the Corporate Partner. For example, changing 
allocations to increase a Corporate Partner's interest in the Stock of 
the Corporate Partner from 50 percent to 80 percent and to decrease the 
Corporate Partner's interest in other appreciated property from 80 
percent to 50 percent would have the effect of an exchange by the 
Corporate Partner of the 30-percent incremental decrease in its 
interest in the appreciated property for the 30-percent incremental 
increase in the Stock of the Corporate Partner. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS did not receive comments on this rule, and therefore, these 
final regulations adopt the rule set forth in the 2015 regulations.
iv. Special Rule for Determination of Corporate Partner's Interest
    For purposes of recognizing gain under the deemed redemption rule, 
the 2015 regulations provided that a Corporate Partner's interest in an 
identified share of Stock of the Corporate Partner will never be less 
than the Corporate Partner's largest interest (by value) in that share 
of Stock of the Corporate Partner that was taken into account when the 
partnership previously determined whether there had been a Section 
337(d) Transaction (regardless of whether the Corporate Partner 
recognized gain in the earlier transaction). See Example 7 of Sec.  
1.337(d)-3(h) in these final regulations. This rule ensures that 
alternating increases and decreases in a Corporate Partner's interest 
in Stock of the Corporate Partner do not cause duplicate gain 
recognition.
    This limitation does not apply if any reduction in the Corporate 
Partner's interest in the identified share of Stock of the Corporate 
Partner occurred as part of a plan or arrangement to circumvent the 
purpose of these final regulations. See Example 8 of Sec.  1.337(d)-
3(h) in these final regulations.
    The commenter raised a question regarding the numbers used in this 
Example 8 (which was numbered as Example 7 in the 2015 regulations 
under section 337(d)). The commenter pointed out that under the 
example's facts, the two partners make initial contributions to the 
partnership in a 99 to 1 ratio, and make subsequent contributions in a 
50 to 50 ratio. The commenter questioned why the example stated that 
the two partners are ``equal partners'' in all respects after the 
subsequent contributions. In response to this comment, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS clarify the example to provide that the 
subsequent contributions resulted in the partners' total contributions 
as being in a 50 to 50 ratio, so that, after the partners make these 
subsequent contributions, the partners have equal interests in the 
partnership in all respects. The aim of the example is to illustrate 
the rule that partners cannot utilize this special rule for determining 
a Corporate Partner's interest to circumvent the purpose of these final 
regulations. The Treasury Department and the IRS did not receive any 
other comments on this rule, and therefore, these final regulations 
adopt the rule set forth in the 2015 regulations.
v. Amount and Character of Gain
    The 2015 regulations provided that, if a transaction is a Section 
337(d) Transaction, the deemed redemption rule requires the Corporate 
Partner to recognize a percentage of the total gain in partnership 
appreciated property that is subject to the exchange equal to a 
fraction, the numerator of which is the Corporate Partner's interest 
(by value) in appreciated property effectively exchanged for Stock of 
the Corporate Partner under the deemed redemption rule, and the 
denominator of which is the Corporate Partner's interest (by value) in 
appreciated property immediately before the Section 337(d) Transaction. 
The 2015 regulations define this fraction as the Gain Percentage. The 
Corporate Partner's gain under the deemed redemption rule equals the 
product of (i) the Corporate Partner's Gain Percentage and (ii) the 
gain from the appreciated property that is the subject of the exchange 
that the Corporate Partner would recognize if, immediately before the 
Section 337(d) Transaction, all assets of the partnership and any 
assets contributed to the partnership in the Section 337(d) Transaction 
were sold in a fully taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal to 
the fair market value of such property (taking into account section 
7701(g)), reduced, but not below zero, by any gain the Corporate 
Partner is required to recognize with respect to the appreciated 
property in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any other section of 
the Code.
    The gain from the hypothetical sale used to compute gain under the 
deemed redemption rule is determined by applying the principles of 
section 704(c), which generally requires the partnership to take into 
account variations between the adjusted tax basis and fair market value 
of partnership property at the time it is contributed to the 
partnership and upon certain other events that allow or

[[Page 26585]]

require the value of partnership property to be redetermined under 
Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f). See Examples 4 and 6 of Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) 
in these final regulations. A partner's share of gain under section 
704(c) for this purpose includes any remedial allocations under Sec.  
1.704-3(d) for a partnership that has elected under section 704(c) to 
report notional items of offsetting tax gain and loss to its partners 
to eliminate distortions that may arise when the partnership's total 
tax gain or loss on the sale of partnership property is less than all 
partners' aggregate share of gain or loss from the property. The 
Treasury Department and the IRS did not receive comments on this 
general rule governing the amount of gain from a Section 337(d) 
Transaction. These final regulations therefore adopt the rule set forth 
in the 2015 regulations. However, the commenter asked whether section 
743(b) basis adjustments are taken into account when determining a 
Corporate Partner's gain in a Section 337(d) Transaction. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS confirm that basis adjustments, including 
adjustments made pursuant to section 743(b), are taken into account 
when calculating this gain, so that the Corporate Partner would not be 
subject to a duplication of tax liability.
    The commenter also noted that the 2015 regulations do not specify 
the character of the gain that a Corporate Partner recognizes in a 
Section 337(d) Transaction. In response to this comment, the final 
regulations clarify that the character of the gain that the Corporate 
Partner recognizes in a Section 337(d) Transaction is the same 
character of the gain that the Corporate Partner would have recognized 
if, immediately before the Section 337(d) Transaction, the Corporate 
Partner had disposed of the appreciated property in a fully taxable 
transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of 
such property (taking into account section 7701(g)).
vi. Basis Rules
    The 2015 regulations contained two rules related to the effect of 
the deemed redemption rule on partner and partnership basis. First, the 
2015 regulations require the Corporate Partner to increase its basis in 
its partnership interest by an amount equal to the gain that the 
Corporate Partner recognizes in a Section 337(d) Transaction. This 
basis increase is necessary to prevent the Corporate Partner from 
recognizing gain a second time when the partnership liquidates (or, if 
property is distributed to the Corporate Partner, when that property is 
sold). Under the 2015 regulations, this basis increase applies 
regardless of whether the partnership has a Section 754 election in 
effect. The commenter suggested that the final regulations clarify how 
a basis increase is treated for basis-recovery purposes. The final 
regulations provide this clarification by specifying that this increase 
is treated as property that is placed in service by the partnership in 
the taxable year of the Section 337(d) Transaction.
    Second, the 2015 regulations require the partnership to increase 
its adjusted tax basis in the appreciated property that is treated as 
the subject of a Section 337(d) Transaction by the amount of gain that 
the Corporate Partner recognized with respect to that property as a 
result of the Section 337(d) Transaction. The Treasury Department and 
the IRS did not receive comments on this basis increase rule and, 
accordingly, these final regulations adopt the rule set forth in the 
2015 regulations.
D. Partnership Distributions of Stock of the Corporate Partner
i. General Rule Governing Distributions
    The 2015 regulations extended the deemed redemption rule to certain 
distributions to the Corporate Partner of Stock of the Corporate 
Partner. These rules governing distributions applied only if the 
distributed stock had previously been the subject of a Section 337(d) 
Transaction or became the subject of a Section 337(d) Transaction as a 
result of the distribution (a section 337(d) distribution). The 2015 
regulations did not apply to a distribution to the Corporate Partner of 
the Stock of the Corporate Partner to which section 732(f) applied at 
the time of the distribution.
    If the deemed redemption rule applied to a distribution, the 2015 
regulations deem the partnership to amend its agreement immediately 
before the distribution to allocate a 100 percent interest in that 
portion of the stock to the Corporate Partner that is distributed and 
to allocate an appropriately reduced interest in other partnership 
property away from the Corporate Partner. The 2015 regulations employ 
this deemed allocation solely for purposes of recognizing gain, and no 
inference is intended with regard to the treatment of such allocations 
generally.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS did not receive comments on 
this general rule governing partnership distributions and, accordingly, 
these final regulations adopt the rule set forth in the 2015 
regulations.
ii. Gain Recognition Rule
    The 2015 regulations provided that if a distribution is a section 
337(d) distribution, then in addition to any gain recognized under the 
deemed redemption rule upon the distribution of Stock of the Corporate 
Partner to the Corporate Partner, the 2015 regulations also would 
require the Corporate Partner to recognize gain to the extent that the 
partnership's basis in the distributed Stock of the Corporate Partner 
exceeds the Corporate Partner's basis in its partnership interest (as 
reduced by any cash distributed in the transaction) immediately before 
the distribution.
    The commenter noted that the language used in this provision 
differs from the gain recognition provision of section 732(f)(1)(C), 
which evaluates whether the partnership's adjusted basis in the 
distributed stock immediately before the distribution exceeded the 
Corporate Partner's adjusted basis in that stock immediately after the 
distribution. The commenter asked whether these differences were 
intentional and, if so, for the explanation of the differences. The 
differences were not intentional and the Treasury Department and the 
IRS have determined that the provisions should be the same. 
Accordingly, the language of the gain recognition rule in these final 
regulations is modified to conform to the language used in the section 
732(f) gain recognition provision.
iii. Basis Rules
    The 2015 regulations set forth two rules under sections 337(d) and 
732 to coordinate the effects of the rule requiring gain recognition 
when the basis of the Stock of the Corporate Partner is stepped down on 
a section 337(d) distribution with existing rules for determining the 
basis of property upon partnership distributions.
    The first rule applied for purposes of: (1) Determining the basis 
of property distributed to the Corporate Partner (other than the basis 
of the Corporate Partner in its own stock); (2) determining the basis 
of the Corporate Partner's remaining partnership interest; (3) 
determining the partnership's basis in undistributed Stock of the 
Corporate Partner; and (4) computing gain on the distribution. For 
these purposes, the basis of Stock of the Corporate Partner distributed 
to the Corporate Partner equals the greater of (i) the partnership's 
basis of that distributed Stock of the Corporate Partner immediately 
before the distribution, or (ii) the fair market value of that 
distributed Stock of the Corporate Partner immediately before

[[Page 26586]]

the distribution, less the Corporate Partner's allocable share of gain 
from all of the Stock of the Corporate Partner, if the partnership sold 
all of its assets in a fully taxable transaction for cash in an amount 
equal to the fair market value of such property (taking into account 
section 7701(g)) immediately before the distribution. See Examples 3 
and 4 of Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) in these final regulations. This special 
rule is necessary to prevent basis from shifting away from distributed 
Stock of the Corporate Partner to other property. This basis shift 
could occur, for example, upon a distribution of less than all of the 
partnership's Stock of the Corporate Partner to the Corporate Partner.
    The commenter asked whether this basis rule applies solely to the 
Corporate Partner or whether it applies for all purposes and 
recommended expanding Example 4 of Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) in these final 
regulations (which was numbered as Example 3 in the 2015 regulations 
under section 337(d)) to address the basis consequences to the 
partnership and to the non-corporate partner. The Treasury Department 
and the IRS confirm that this basis rule applies for all purposes, and 
these final regulations expand Example 4 of Sec.  1.337(d)-3(h) to 
discuss the basis that AX partnership and partner A have in the X stock 
that is distributed to A.
    The second rule applied when a Corporate Partner receives both 
Stock of the Corporate Partner and other property in a section 337(d) 
distribution. Under this rule, the basis to be allocated to the 
properties distributed under section 732(a) or (b) is allocated first 
to the Stock of the Corporate Partner before taking into account the 
distribution of any other property (other than cash). Therefore, before 
taking into account the distribution of other property, the Corporate 
Partner will reduce its basis in its partnership interest by the 
Corporate Partner's basis in the distributed Stock of the Corporate 
Partner (but not below zero). The Corporate Partner will determine its 
basis in other distributed partnership property and in its remaining 
partnership interest after giving effect to this reduction. The 2015 
regulations set forth this rule to ensure that the purposes of the 
repeal of the General Utilities doctrine are not circumvented through 
the use of any provision of law or regulations.
    When a Corporate Partner receives a partnership distribution of its 
own stock, it is unclear under existing law whether the Corporate 
Partner has basis in that stock. (See, for example, Rev. Rul. 2006-2, 
2006-1 CB 261.) The resolution of this question is beyond the scope of 
these final regulations. However, because the distribution to a 
Corporate Partner of its own stock affects the Corporate Partner's 
basis in other distributed property and any retained partnership 
interest, these final regulations make clear that the partnership and 
the Corporate Partner must determine the basis of other distributed 
property and any retained partnership interest by reference to the 
partnership's basis in the distributed Stock of the Corporate Partner. 
That is, the Corporate Partner determines its basis in other 
distributed property and in any retained partnership interest as though 
the distributed stock was stock other than Stock of the Corporate 
Partner. Similarly, the 2015 regulations computed any gain recognition 
on the distribution by comparing the Corporate Partner's basis in its 
partnership interest to the basis of that Stock of the Corporate 
Partner in the hands of the partnership (without regard to whether the 
Corporate Partner can have basis in the distributed stock). No 
inference is intended with respect to the question of whether a 
corporation does or does not have basis in its own stock.
    The commenter noted that duplication of gain under sections 337(d) 
and 732(f) may occur under the 2015 regulations. The commenter provided 
an example in which a Corporate Partner could potentially recognize 
gain first under section 337(d) from a partnership distribution to 
which section 732(f) does not apply, because its control requirement is 
not satisfied at the time of the distribution, but then later be 
subject to the 732(f) basis reduction if the control requirement is 
subsequently satisfied. The Treasury Department and the IRS agree with 
the commenter and therefore, these final regulations set forth a basis 
rule providing that, for purposes of determining the amount of the 
decrease to the basis of property held by a distributed corporation 
pursuant to section 732(f), the amount of this decrease is reduced by 
the amount of gain that a Corporate Partner has recognized under this 
section in a Section 337(d) Transaction, both in cases where section 
732(f) applies at the time of the Section 337(d) Transaction and in 
cases where section 732(f) is subsequently triggered. This rule 
prevents the Corporate Partner from recognizing the same gain twice.
E. Exceptions
i. De Minimis Exception
    The 2015 regulations set forth a de minimis rule providing that the 
2015 regulations do not apply to a Corporate Partner if three 
conditions are satisfied. These conditions are tested upon the 
occurrence of a Section 337(d) Transaction and upon any subsequent 
revaluation event described in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f).
    The first condition requires that both the Corporate Partner and 
any persons related to the Corporate Partner under section 267(b) or 
section 707(b) own, in the aggregate, less than 5 percent of the 
partnership. The second condition requires that the partnership hold 
Stock of the Corporate Partner worth less than 2 percent of the value 
of the partnership's gross assets, including Stock of the Corporate 
Partner. The third condition requires that the partnership has never, 
at any point in time, held more than $1,000,000 in Stock of the 
Corporate Partner or more than 2 percent of any particular class of 
Stock of the Corporate Partner.`
    The 2015 regulations provided a special rule that applies if the 
conditions of the de minimis rule are satisfied at the time of a 
Section 337(d) Transaction, but are not satisfied at the time of a 
subsequent Section 337(d) Transaction or revaluation event described in 
Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f). This rule provided that, solely for 
purposes of the deemed redemption rule, a Corporate Partner may 
determine its gain on the subsequent acquisition or revaluation event 
as if it had already recognized gain at the previous event. 
Accordingly, the Corporate Partner would only recognize gain with 
respect to appreciation arising between the earlier acquisition or 
revaluation event and the subsequent event. Neither the Corporate 
Partner nor the partnership increases its basis by the gain the 
Corporate Partner would have recognized if the de minimis rule did not 
apply to the prior acquisition or revaluation event.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS are concerned that taxpayers 
could intentionally plan to combine entities, each meeting the de 
minimis limits, to avoid the purposes of these final regulations. To 
address this concern, in these final regulations, the Treasury 
Department and the IRS add a clarifying provision to the de minimis 
exception stating that the exception does not apply to Stock of the 
Corporate Partner that is acquired as part of a plan to circumvent the 
purpose of these final regulations.

[[Page 26587]]

ii. Exception for Certain Dispositions of Stock
    The 2015 regulations set forth another exception titled the 
``inadvertence rule.'' This exception provided that the 2015 
regulations do not apply to Section 337(d) Transactions in which the 
partnership satisfies two requirements. First, the partnership must 
dispose of, by sale or distribution, the Stock of the Corporate Partner 
before the due date (including extensions) of its federal income tax 
return for the taxable year in which the partnership acquired the stock 
(or in which the Corporate Partner joined the partnership, if 
applicable). Second, the partnership must not have distributed the 
Stock of the Corporate Partner to the Corporate Partner or a person 
possessing section 304(c) control of the Corporate Partner.
    The commenter asked, whether, notwithstanding the exception's 
title, the dispositions needed to be inadvertent to qualify for the 
exception. In order to avoid any ambiguity or any assumption that these 
dispositions must be inadvertent, these final regulations rename the 
exception to state that the exception simply applies to ``certain 
dispositions of stock'' that qualify for the exception and that 
inadvertence is not a requirement.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS also note that this exception 
requires that the stock at issue is not distributed to the Corporate 
Partner or a Controlling Corporation. As discussed in (1)(B) of this 
Explanation of Provisions with respect to the general definition of 
Stock of the Corporate Partner, the Treasury Department and the IRS are 
considering publishing new proposed regulations to modify the 
definition of Stock of the Corporate Partner to remove the exception 
for attribution under section 318(a)(1) and (3) from the scope of 
section 304(c) control.
F. Other Comments
    The commenter requested that these final regulations provide 
examples on how to measure a Corporate Partner's partnership interest 
in more complex partnership agreements, such as situations in which the 
agreement contains a distribution waterfall. Similarly, the commenter 
requested that these final regulations provide more detailed examples 
relating to tiered partnership structures. The Treasury Department and 
the IRS believe that the purpose of these final regulations is to set 
forth rules of general applicability to prevent a corporate partner 
from avoiding corporate level gain through transactions with a 
partnership. The Treasury Department and the IRS therefore believe that 
providing such detailed examples is beyond the scope of these final 
regulations.

2. Final Regulations Under Section 732(f)

    These final regulations adopt the rules set forth in the 2015 
regulations under section 732(f) without any change to conform the 
application of section 732(f) with Congress' identified purposes for 
enacting sections 337(d), 732(f), and 1502 in certain situations.
A. Aggregation of Section 732(b) Basis Adjustments
    As discussed in the Background, section 732(f) generally applies on 
a partner-by-partner basis. However, the Treasury Department and the 
IRS determined that, in certain circumstances, it is appropriate to 
aggregate the bases of consolidated group members in a partnership for 
purposes of applying section 732(f).
    The 2015 regulations provided that corporate partners that are 
members of the same consolidated group (as defined in Sec.  1.1502-
1(h)) could aggregate their bases in interests in the same partnership 
for purposes of section 732(f) when two conditions are met. First, two 
or more of the corporate partners receive a distribution of stock in a 
distributed corporation from the partnership. Second, the distributed 
corporation is or becomes a member of the distributee partners' 
consolidated group following the distribution.
    Under this rule, section 732(f) only applies to the extent that the 
partnership's adjusted basis in the distributed stock immediately 
before the distribution exceeds the aggregate basis of the distributed 
stock in the hands of all members of the distributee corporate 
partners' consolidated group immediately after the distribution. The 
2015 regulations included the requirement that the distributed 
corporation be a member of the consolidated group in order to avoid 
unintended consequences that could result if that corporation were a 
controlled foreign corporation.
    The commenter recommended that the final regulations extend this 
basis-aggregation rule to include a distributed corporation (including 
a controlled foreign corporation) that is owned by members of the 
distributee partners' consolidated group following the distribution. 
The commenter stated that the distributed corporation need not be a 
member of the distributee partners' consolidated group, and that the 
rule should apply to corporations like a controlled foreign corporation 
that cannot be a member of a consolidated group. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS decline to adopt the comment because there could 
be unanticipated consequences if the distributed corporation were a 
controlled foreign corporation.
B. Gain Elimination Transactions
    The 2015 regulations also provided rules that restrict corporate 
partners from entering into transactions or a series of transactions 
(gain elimination transactions), such as a distribution followed by a 
reorganization under section 368(a), that might eliminate gain in the 
stock of a distributed corporation while avoiding the effects of a 
basis step-down in transactions, because the section 732(f) control 
requirement is not immediately satisfied.
    Accordingly, the 2015 regulations provided that, in the event of a 
gain elimination transaction, section 732(f) shall apply as though the 
corporate partner acquired control (as defined in section 732(f)(5)) of 
the distributed corporation immediately before the gain elimination 
transaction.
    The Treasury Department and the IRS did not receive comments on the 
proposed rule governing gain elimination transactions. These final 
regulations adopt the rules set forth in the 2015 regulations.
C. Tiered Partnerships
    The 2015 regulations required taxpayers to apply its rules to 
tiered partnerships in a manner consistent with the purpose of section 
732(f). These final regulations maintain this requirement. The 
commenter requested that these final regulations provide examples 
illustrating their application to tiered partnerships. The Treasury 
Department and the IRS decline to adopt this comment, because such 
examples are beyond the scope of these final regulations, which is to 
set forth rules of general applicability governing the application of 
section 732(f) to two specific sets of circumstances.

Applicability Date

    These final regulations apply to transactions occurring on or after 
June 12, 2015.

Special Analyses

    This regulation is not subject to review under section 6(b) of 
Executive Order 12866 pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement (April 
11, 2018) between the Department of the Treasury and the Office of 
Management and Budget regarding review of tax regulations.
    Further, pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 
chapter 6), it is

[[Page 26588]]

hereby certified that these final regulations would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
This certification is based on the fact that these final regulations 
would primarily affect sophisticated ownership structures involving 
corporations that own partnerships owning stock or other equity 
interests in corporate partners. Additionally, these final regulations 
contain a number of de minimis and other exceptions that render the 
final regulations inapplicable to most small businesses, and do not 
impose a collection of information on small entities.
    Pursuant to section 7805(f), these final regulations have been 
submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration for comment on its impact on small business, and no 
comments were received.

Statement of Availability of IRS Documents

    Notice 89-37 cited in this document is published in the Internal 
Revenue Bulletin (or Cumulative Bulletin) and is available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office, 
Washington, DC 20402, or by visiting the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov.

Drafting Information

    The principal author of these final regulations is Kevin I. Babitz, 
Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special 
Industries). However, other personnel from the Treasury Department and 
the IRS participated in their development.

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1

    Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Amendments to the Regulations

    Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is amended as follows:

PART I--INCOME TAXES

0
Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 is amended by removing 
the sectional authority for Sec.  1.337(d)-3T, adding a sectional 
authority for Sec.  1.337(d)(3) in numerical order, and revising the 
sectional authority for Sec.  1.732-3 to read as follows:

    Authority:  26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
* * * * *
    Section 1.337(d)-3 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 337(d).
* * * * *
    Section 1.732-3 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 337(d), 732(f)(8), 
and 1502.
* * * * *

0
Par. 2. Section 1.337(d)-3 is added to read as follows:


Sec.  1.337(d)-3   Gain recognition upon certain partnership 
transactions involving a partner's stock.

    (a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to prevent corporate 
taxpayers from using a partnership to circumvent gain required to be 
recognized under section 311(b) or section 336(a). The rules of this 
section, including the determination of the amount of gain, must be 
applied in a manner that is consistent with and reasonably carries out 
this purpose.
    (b) In general. This section applies when a partnership, either 
directly or indirectly, owns, acquires, or distributes Stock of the 
Corporate Partner (within the meaning of paragraph (c)(2) of this 
section). Under paragraphs (d) or (e) of this section, a Corporate 
Partner (within the meaning of paragraph (c)(1) of this section) is 
required to recognize gain when a transaction has the effect of the 
Corporate Partner acquiring or increasing an interest in its own stock 
in exchange for appreciated property in a manner that contravenes the 
purpose of this section as set forth in paragraph (a) of this section. 
Paragraph (f) of this section sets forth exceptions under which a 
Corporate Partner does not recognize gain.
    (c) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this section:
    (1) Corporate Partner. A Corporate Partner is a person that is 
classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes and holds 
or acquires an interest in a partnership.
    (2) Stock of the Corporate Partner--(i) In general. With respect to 
a Corporate Partner, Stock of the Corporate Partner includes the 
Corporate Partner's stock, or other equity interests, including 
options, warrants, and similar interests, in the Corporate Partner or a 
corporation that controls the Corporate Partner within the meaning of 
section 304(c) (except that section 318(a)(1) and (3) shall not apply). 
Stock of the Corporate Partner also includes interests in any entity to 
the extent that the value of the interest is attributable to Stock of 
the Corporate Partner.
    (ii) Affiliated partner exception. Stock of the Corporate Partner 
does not include any stock or other equity interests held or acquired 
by a partnership if all interests in the partnership's capital and 
profits are held by members of an affiliated group as defined in 
section 1504(a) that includes the Corporate Partner.
    (3) Section 337(d) Transaction. A Section 337(d) Transaction is a 
transaction (or series of transactions) that has the effect of an 
exchange by a Corporate Partner of its interest in appreciated property 
for an interest in Stock of the Corporate Partner owned, acquired, or 
distributed by a partnership. For example, a Section 337(d) Transaction 
may occur when --
    (i) A Corporate Partner contributes appreciated property to a 
partnership that owns Stock of the Corporate Partner;
    (ii) A partnership acquires Stock of the Corporate Partner;
    (iii) A partnership that owns Stock of the Corporate Partner 
distributes appreciated property to a partner other than a Corporate 
Partner;
    (iv) A partnership distributes Stock of the Corporate Partner to 
the Corporate Partner; or
    (v) A partnership agreement is amended in a manner that increases a 
Corporate Partner's interest in Stock of the Corporate Partner 
(including in connection with a contribution to, or distribution from, 
a partnership).
    (4) Gain Percentage. A Corporate Partner's Gain Percentage equals a 
fraction, the numerator of which is the Corporate Partner's interest 
(by value) in appreciated property effectively exchanged for Stock of 
the Corporate Partner under the test described in paragraphs (d)(1) and 
(2) of this section, and the denominator of which is the Corporate 
Partner's interest (by value) in that appreciated property immediately 
before the Section 337(d) Transaction. Paragraph (d) of this section 
requires a partnership to multiply the Gain Percentage by the Corporate 
Partner's aggregate gain in appreciated property to determine gain 
recognized under this section.
    (d) Deemed redemption rule--(1) In general. A Corporate Partner in 
a partnership that engages in a Section 337(d) Transaction recognizes 
gain at the time, and to the extent, that the Corporate Partner's 
interest in appreciated property (other than Stock of the Corporate 
Partner) is reduced in exchange for an increased interest in Stock of 
the Corporate Partner, as determined under paragraph (d)(2) of this 
section. This section does not apply to the extent a transaction has 
the effect of an exchange by a Corporate Partner of non-appreciated 
property for Stock of the Corporate Partner, or has the effect of an 
exchange by a Corporate Partner for property other than Stock of the 
Corporate Partner.
    (2) Corporate Partner's interest in partnership property. The 
Corporate Partner's interest with respect to both Stock of the 
Corporate Partner and the appreciated property that is the subject

[[Page 26589]]

of the exchange is determined based on all facts and circumstances, 
including the allocation and distribution rights set forth in the 
partnership agreement. The Corporate Partner's interest in an 
identified share of Stock of the Corporate Partner will never be less 
than the Corporate Partner's largest interest (by value) in that share 
of Stock of the Corporate Partner that was taken into account when the 
partnership previously determined whether there had been a Section 
337(d) Transaction with respect to such share (regardless of whether 
the Corporate Partner recognized gain in the earlier transaction). See 
Example 7 of paragraph (h) of this section. However, this limitation 
will not apply if any reduction in the Corporate Partner's interest in 
the identified share of Stock of the Corporate Partner occurred as part 
of a plan or arrangement to circumvent the purpose of this section. See 
Example 8 of paragraph (h) of this section.
    (3) Amount and character of gain recognized on the exchange--(i) 
Amount of gain. The amount of gain the Corporate Partner recognizes 
under paragraph (d)(1) of this section equals the product of the 
Corporate Partner's Gain Percentage and the gain from the appreciated 
property that is the subject of the exchange that the Corporate Partner 
would recognize if, immediately before the Section 337(d) Transaction, 
all assets of the partnership and any assets contributed to the 
partnership in the Section 337(d) Transaction were sold in a fully 
taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market 
value of such property (taking into account section 7701(g)), reduced, 
but not below zero, by any gain the Corporate Partner is required to 
recognize with respect to the appreciated property in the Section 
337(d) Transaction under any other provision of this chapter. This gain 
is computed taking into account allocations of tax items applying the 
principles of section 704(c), including any remedial allocations under 
Sec.  1.704-3(d), and also taking into account any basis adjustments 
including adjustments made pursuant to section 743(b).
    (ii) Character of gain. The character of the gain that the 
Corporate Partner recognizes under paragraph (d)(1) of this section 
from the appreciated property that is the subject of the exchange shall 
be the character of the gain that the Corporate Partner would recognize 
if, immediately before the Section 337(d) Transaction, the Corporate 
Partner had disposed of the appreciated property that is the subject of 
the exchange in a fully taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal 
to the fair market value of such property (taking into account section 
7701(g)).
    (4) Basis adjustments--(i) Corporate Partner's basis in the 
partnership interest. The basis of the Corporate Partner's interest in 
the partnership is increased by the amount of gain that the Corporate 
Partner recognizes under this paragraph (d).
    (ii) Partnership's basis in partnership property. The partnership's 
adjusted tax basis in the appreciated property that is treated as the 
subject of the exchange under this paragraph (d) is increased by the 
amount of gain recognized with respect to that property by the 
Corporate Partner as a result of that exchange, regardless of whether 
the partnership has an election in effect under section 754. For basis 
recovery purposes, this basis increase is treated as property that is 
placed in service by the partnership in the taxable year of the Section 
337(d) Transaction.
    (e) Distribution of Stock of the Corporate Partner--(1) In general. 
This paragraph (e) applies to distributions to the Corporate Partner of 
Stock of the Corporate Partner to which section 732(f) does not apply 
and that have previously been the subject of a Section 337(d) 
Transaction or become the subject of a Section 337(d) Transaction as a 
result of the distribution. Upon the distribution of Stock of the 
Corporate Partner to the Corporate Partner, paragraph (d) of this 
section will apply as though immediately before the distribution the 
partners amended the partnership agreement to allocate to the Corporate 
Partner a 100 percent interest in that portion of the Stock of the 
Corporate Partner that is distributed, and to allocate an appropriately 
reduced interest in other partnership property away from the Corporate 
Partner.
    (2) Basis rules--(i) Basis allocation on distributions of stock and 
other property. If, as part of the same transaction, a partnership 
distributes Stock of the Corporate Partner and other property (other 
than cash) to the Corporate Partner, see Sec.  1.732-1(c)(1)(iii) for a 
rule allocating basis first to the Stock of the Corporate Partner 
before the distribution of the other property.
    (ii) Computation of basis. For purposes of determining the basis of 
property distributed to a partner in a transaction that includes the 
distribution of Stock of the Corporate Partner (other than the basis of 
the Corporate Partner in its own stock), the basis of the partner's 
remaining partnership interest, and the partnership's basis in 
undistributed Stock of the Corporate Partner, and for purposes of 
computing gain under paragraph (e)(3) of this section, the 
partnership's basis of Stock of the Corporate Partner distributed to 
the partner equals the greater of--
    (A) The partnership's basis of that distributed Stock of the 
Corporate Partner immediately before the distribution; or
    (B) The fair market value of that distributed Stock of the 
Corporate Partner immediately before the distribution less the 
partner's allocable share of gain from all of the Stock of the 
Corporate Partner if the partnership sold all of its assets in a fully 
taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market 
value of such property (taking into account section 7701(g)) 
immediately before the distribution.
    (iii) Section 732(f) basis reduction. For purposes of determining 
the amount of the decrease to the basis of property held by a 
distributed corporation pursuant to section 732(f), the amount of this 
decrease shall be reduced by the amount of gain that a Corporate 
Partner has recognized under this section in the same Section 337(d) 
Transaction or in a prior Section 337(d) Transaction involving the 
property.
    (3) Gain recognition. The Corporate Partner will recognize gain on 
a distribution of Stock of the Corporate Partner to the Corporate 
Partner to the extent that the partnership's adjusted basis in the 
distributed Stock of the Corporate Partner (as determined under 
paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section) immediately before the 
distribution exceeds the Corporate Partner's adjusted basis in its 
partnership interest immediately after the distribution.
    (f) Exceptions--(1) De minimis rule--(i) In general. Unless Stock 
of the Corporate Partner is acquired as part of a plan to circumvent 
the purpose of this section, this section does not apply to a Corporate 
Partner if at the time that the partnership acquires Stock of the 
Corporate Partner or at the time of a revaluation event as described in 
Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f) (without regard to whether or not the 
partnership revalues its assets)--
    (A) The Corporate Partner and any persons related to the Corporate 
Partner under section 267(b) or section 707(b) own in the aggregate 
less than 5 percent of the partnership;
    (B) The partnership holds Stock of the Corporate Partner with a 
value of less than 2 percent of the partnership's gross assets 
(including the Stock of the Corporate Partner); and
    (C) The partnership has never, at any point in time, held in the 
aggregate--
    (1) Stock of the Corporate Partner with a fair market value greater 
than $1,000,000; or

[[Page 26590]]

    (2) More than 2 percent of any particular class of Stock of the 
Corporate Partner.
    (ii) De minimis rule ceases to apply. If a partnership satisfies 
the conditions of the de minimis rule of paragraph (f)(1) of this 
section upon an acquisition of Stock of the Corporate Partner or 
revaluation event as described in Sec.  1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), but later 
fails to satisfy the conditions of the de minimis rule upon a 
subsequent acquisition or revaluation event, then solely for purposes 
of paragraph (d) of this section, the Corporate Partner may compute its 
gain on the subsequent acquisition or revaluation event as if it had 
already recognized gain at the previous event. Neither the Corporate 
Partner nor the partnership increases its basis by the gain the 
Corporate Partner would have recognized if the de minimis rule of 
paragraph (f)(1) of this section did not apply to the prior acquisition 
or revaluation event.
    (2) Certain dispositions of stock. Unless acquired as part of a 
plan to circumvent the purpose of this section, this section does not 
apply to Stock of the Corporate Partner that--
    (i) Is disposed of (by sale or distribution) by the partnership 
before the due date (including extensions) of its federal income tax 
return for the taxable year during which the Stock of the Corporate 
Partner is acquired (or for the taxable year in which the Corporate 
Partner becomes a partner, whichever is applicable); and
    (ii) Is not distributed to the Corporate Partner or a corporation 
that controls the Corporate Partner within the meaning of section 
304(c), except that section 318(a)(1) and (3) shall not apply.
    (g) Tiered partnerships. The rules of this section shall apply to 
tiered partnerships in a manner that is consistent with the purpose set 
forth in paragraph (a) of this section.
    (h) Examples. The following examples illustrate the principles of 
this section. All amounts in the following examples are reported in 
millions of dollars:
    Example 1. Deemed redemption rule--contribution of Stock of the 
Corporate Partner. (i) In Year 1, X, a corporation, and A, an 
individual, form partnership AX as equal partners in all respects. X 
contributes Asset 1 with a fair market value of $100 and a basis of 
$20. A contributes X stock, which is Stock of the Corporate Partner, 
with a basis and fair market value of $100.
    (ii) Because A and X are equal partners in AX in all respects, 
the partnership formation causes X's interest in X stock to increase 
from $0 to $50 and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease from $100 to 
$50. Thus, the partnership formation is a Section 337(d) Transaction 
because the formation has the effect of an exchange by X of $50 of 
Asset 1 for $50 of X stock.
    (iii) X must recognize gain under paragraph (d) of this section 
with respect to Asset 1 to prevent the circumvention of section 
311(b) principles. X's gain equals the product of X's Gain 
Percentage and the gain from Asset 1 that X would recognize 
(decreased, but not below zero, by any gain that X recognized with 
respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any other 
provision of this chapter) if, immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction, all assets were sold in a fully taxable transaction for 
cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of such property. 
If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully taxable transaction immediately 
before the formation of partnership AX, X's allocable share of gain 
would have been $80. X's Gain Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a 
fraction, the numerator of which is X's $50 interest in Asset 1 
effectively exchanged for X stock, and the denominator of which is 
X's $100 interest in Asset 1 immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $40 of gain ($80 multiplied by 50 
percent) under the deemed redemption rule in paragraph (d) of this 
section. Under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, X's basis in its 
AX partnership interest increases from $20 to $60. Under paragraph 
(d)(4)(ii) of this section, AX's basis in Asset 1 increases from $20 
to $60 because Asset 1 is the appreciated property treated as the 
subject of the exchange.
    Example 2.  Deemed redemption rule--contribution of stock in a 
corporation that controls the Corporate Partner. (i) In Year 1, X, a 
corporation, and A, an individual, form partnership AX as equal 
partners in all respects. X contributes Asset 1 with a fair market 
value of $100 and a basis of $20. A contributes stock in P, with a 
basis and fair market value of $100. P is the sole owner of X. P's 
interest in X constitutes 10 percent of P's total assets.
    (ii) Because P controls X within the meaning of section 304(c), 
stock in P is Stock of the Corporate Partner under paragraph 
(c)(2)(i) of this section.
    (iii) Because A and X are equal partners in AX in all respects, 
the partnership formation causes X's interest in Stock of the 
Corporate Partner stock to increase from $0 to $50 and its interest 
in Asset 1 to decrease from $100 to $50. Thus, the partnership 
formation is a Section 337(d) Transaction because the formation has 
the effect of an exchange by X of $50 of Asset 1 for $50 of Stock of 
the Corporate Partner.
    (iv) X must recognize gain under paragraph (d) of this section 
with respect to Asset 1 to prevent the circumvention of section 
311(b) principles. X's gain equals the product of X's Gain 
Percentage and the gain from Asset 1 that X would recognize 
(decreased, but not below zero, by any gain that X recognized with 
respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any other 
provision of this chapter) if, immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction, all assets were sold in a fully taxable transaction for 
cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of such property. 
If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully taxable transaction immediately 
before the formation of partnership AX, X's allocable share of gain 
would have been $80. X's Gain Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a 
fraction, the numerator of which is X's $50 interest in Asset 1 
effectively exchanged for Stock of the Corporate Partner, and the 
denominator of which is X's $100 interest in Asset 1 immediately 
before the Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $40 of 
gain ($80 multiplied by 50 percent) under the deemed redemption rule 
in paragraph (d) of this section. Under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this 
section, X's basis in its AX partnership interest increases from $20 
to $60. Under paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this section, AX's basis in 
Asset 1 increases from $20 to $60 because Asset 1 is the appreciated 
property treated as the subject of the exchange.
    Example 3.  Distribution of Stock of the Corporate Partner--pro 
rata distribution. (i) The facts are the same as in Example 1(i) of 
this paragraph (h). AX liquidates in Year 9, when Asset 1 and the X 
stock each have a fair market value of $200. X and A each receive 50 
percent of Asset 1 and 50 percent of the X stock in the liquidation. 
At the time AX liquidates, X's basis in its AX partnership interest 
is $60 and A's basis in its AX partnership interest is $100.
    (ii) When AX liquidates, X's interests in its stock and in Asset 
1 do not change. Thus, the liquidation is not a Section 337(d) 
Transaction because it does not have the effect of an exchange by X 
of appreciated property for Stock of the Corporate Partner.
    (iii) Paragraph (e) of this section applies because the 
distributed X stock was the subject of a previous Section 337(d) 
Transaction and because section 732(f) does not apply. Under Sec.  
1.732-1(c)(1)(iii), the distribution to X of X stock is deemed to 
immediately precede the distribution of 50 percent of Asset 1 to X 
for purposes of determining X's basis in the distributed property. 
For purposes of determining X's basis in Asset 1 and X's gain on 
distribution, the basis of the distributed X stock is treated as 
$50, the greater of $50 (50 percent of the stock's $100 basis in the 
hands of the partnership), or $50, the fair market value of that 
distributed X stock ($100) less X's allocable share of gain from the 
distributed X stock if AX had sold all of its assets in a fully 
taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market 
value of such property immediately before the distribution ($50). 
Thus, X reduces its basis in its partnership interest by $50 prior 
to the distribution of Asset 1. Accordingly, X's basis in the 
distributed portion of Asset 1 is $10. Because AX's basis in the 
distributed X stock immediately before the distribution ($50) does 
not exceed X's basis in its AX partnership interest immediately 
before the distribution ($60), X recognizes no gain under paragraph 
(e)(3) of this section.
    Example 4.  Distribution of Stock of the Corporate Partner--non 
pro rata distribution. (i) The facts are the same as Example 3(i) of 
this paragraph (h), except that when AX liquidates, X receives 75 
percent of the X stock and 25 percent of Asset 1 and A receives 25 
percent of the X stock and 75 percent of Asset 1.
    (ii) The liquidation of AX causes X's interest in X stock to 
increase from $100 to $150 and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease 
from $100 to $50. Thus, AX's liquidating distributions of X stock 
and Asset 1 to X are

[[Page 26591]]

a Section 337(d) Transaction because the distributions have the 
effect of an exchange by X of $50 of Asset 1 for $50 of X stock.
    (iii)(A) X must recognize gain with respect to Asset 1 to 
prevent the circumvention of section 311(b) principles. Under 
paragraph (e)(1) of this section, paragraph (d) of this section is 
applied as if X and A amended the AX partnership agreement to 
allocate to X a 100 percent interest in the distributed portion of 
the X stock. X must recognize gain equal to the product of X's Gain 
Percentage and the gain from Asset 1 that X would have recognized 
(decreased, but not below zero, by any gain X recognized with 
respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any other 
provision of this chapter) if, immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction, AX had sold all of its assets in a fully taxable 
transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of 
such property.
    (B) If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully taxable transaction 
immediately before the amendment of the AX partnership agreement, 
X's allocable share of gain would have been $90, or the sum of X's 
$40 remaining gain under section 704(c) and $50 of the $100 post-
contribution appreciation. X's Gain Percentage is 50 percent (equal 
to a fraction, the numerator of which is X's $50 interest in Asset 1 
effectively exchanged for X stock, and the denominator of which is 
X's $100 interest in Asset 1 immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $45 of gain ($90 multiplied by 50 
percent) under the deemed redemption rule in paragraph (d) of this 
section. Under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, X's basis in its 
AX partnership interest increases from $60 to $105. Under paragraph 
(d)(4)(ii) of this section, AX's basis in Asset 1 increases from $60 
to $105 because Asset 1 is the appreciated property treated as the 
subject of the exchange.
    (iv)(A) Paragraph (e) of this section applies because the 
distributed X stock was the subject of a previous Section 337(d) 
Transaction and because section 732(f) does not apply. Under Sec.  
1.732-1(c)(1)(iii), AX is treated as first distributing the X stock 
to X before the distribution of 25 percent of Asset 1. For purposes 
of determining X's basis in Asset 1 and X's gain on distribution, 
the basis of the distributed X stock is treated as $100, the greater 
of $75 (75 percent of the stock's $100 basis in the hands of the 
partnership) or $100, the fair market value of the distributed X 
stock ($150) less X's allocable share of gain if the partnership had 
sold all of the X stock immediately before the distribution for cash 
in an amount equal to its fair market value ($50). Thus, X will 
reduce its basis in its partnership interest by $100 prior to the 
distribution of Asset 1. Accordingly, X's basis in the distributed 
portion of Asset 1 is $5. Because AX's basis in the distributed X 
stock immediately before the distribution as computed for purposes 
of this section ($100) does not exceed X's basis in its AX 
partnership interest immediately before the distribution ($105), X 
recognizes no additional gain under paragraph (e)(3) of this 
section.
    (B) For purposes of determining A's basis in Asset 1 and A's 
gain on distribution, the basis of the distributed X stock is 
treated as $25, the greater of $25 (25 percent of the stock's $100 
basis in the hands of the partnership) or $0, the fair market value 
of the distributed X stock ($50) less A's allocable share of gain if 
the partnership had sold all of the X stock immediately before the 
distribution for cash in an amount equal to its fair market value 
($50). Thus, A will reduce its basis in its partnership interest by 
$25 prior to the distribution of Asset 1. Accordingly, A's basis in 
the distributed portion of Asset 1 is $75. Because AX's basis in the 
distributed X stock immediately before the distribution as computed 
for purposes of this section ($100) does not exceed A's basis in its 
AX partnership interest immediately before the distribution ($100), 
A recognizes no additional gain under paragraph (e)(3) of this 
section.
    Example 5.  Deemed redemption rule--subsequent purchase of Stock 
of the Corporate Partner. The facts are the same as Example 1(i) of 
this paragraph (h), except that A contributes cash of $100 instead 
of X stock. In a later year, when the value of Asset 1 has not 
changed, AX uses the contributed cash to purchase X stock for $100. 
AX's purchase of X stock has the effect of an exchange by X of 
appreciated property for X stock, and thus, is a Section 337(d) 
Transaction. X must recognize gain at the time, and to the extent, 
that X's share of appreciated property (other than X stock) is 
reduced in exchange for X stock. Thus, the consequences of the 
partnership's purchase of X stock are the same as those described in 
Example 1(ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (h), resulting in X 
recognizing $40 of gain.
    Example 6.  Change in allocation ratios--amendment of 
partnership agreement. (i) The facts are the same as Example 3(i) of 
this paragraph (h), except that in Year 9, AX does not liquidate, 
and the AX partnership agreement is amended to allocate to X 80 
percent of the income, gain, loss, and deduction from the X stock 
and to allocate to A 80 percent of the income, gain, loss, and 
deduction from Asset 1. If AX had sold the partnership assets 
immediately before the change to the partnership agreement, X would 
have been allocated $90 of gain from Asset 1 and $50 of gain from 
the X stock.
    (ii) The amendment to the AX partnership agreement causes X's 
interest in its stock to increase from $100 (50 percent of the stock 
value immediately before the amendment of the agreement) to $160 (80 
percent of stock value immediately following amendment of agreement) 
and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease from $100 to $40. Thus, the 
amendment of the partnership agreement is a Section 337(d) 
Transaction because the amendment has the effect of an exchange by X 
of $60 of Asset 1 for $60 of its stock.
    (iii) X must recognize gain equal to the product of X's Gain 
Percentage and the gain from Asset 1 that X would have recognized 
(decreased, but not below zero, by any gain X recognized with 
respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any other 
provision of this chapter) if, immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction, AX had sold all of its assets in a fully taxable 
transaction for cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of 
such property. If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully taxable 
transaction immediately before the amendment of the AX partnership 
agreement, X's allocable share of gain would have been $90, or the 
sum of X's $40 remaining gain under section 704(c) and 50 percent of 
the $100 post-contribution appreciation. X's Gain Percentage is 60 
percent (equal to a fraction, the numerator of which is X's $60 
interest in Asset 1 effectively exchanged for X stock, and the 
denominator of which is X's $100 interest in Asset 1 immediately 
before the Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $54 of 
gain ($90 multiplied by 60 percent) under the deemed redemption rule 
in paragraph (d) of this section. Under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this 
section, X's basis in its AX partnership interest increases from $60 
to $114. Under paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this section, AX's basis in 
Asset 1 increases from $60 to $114 because Asset 1 is the 
appreciated property treated as the subject of the exchange.
    Example 7.  Change in allocation ratios--admission and exit of a 
partner. (i) The facts are the same as Example 1(i) of this 
paragraph (h). In addition, in Year 2, when the values of Asset 1 
and the X stock have not changed, B contributes $100 of cash to AX 
in exchange for a one-third interest in the partnership. Upon the 
admission of B as a partner, X's interest in Asset 1 decreases from 
$50 to $33.33, and its interest in B's contributed cash increases. 
B's admission is not a Section 337(d) Transaction because it does 
not have the effect of an exchange by X of its interest in Asset 1 
for X stock. Accordingly, X does not recognize gain under paragraph 
(d) of this section.
    (ii) In Year 9, when the values of Asset 1 and the X stock have 
not changed, the partnership distributes $50 of cash and 50 percent 
of Asset 1 (valued at $50) to B in liquidation of B's interest. X 
and A are equal partners in all respects after the distribution. 
Upon the liquidation of B's interest, X's interest in Asset 1 
decreases from $33.33 to $25, and its interest in X stock increases 
from $33.33 to $50. AX's liquidation of B's interest has the effect 
of an exchange by X of appreciated property for X stock, and thus, 
is a Section 337(d) Transaction.
    (iii) Pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section, X's interest 
in X stock and other appreciated property held by the partnership is 
determined based on all facts and circumstances, including 
allocation and distribution rights in the partnership agreement. 
However, paragraph (d)(2) of this section also requires that X's 
interest in its stock for purposes of paragraph (d) will never be 
less than the Corporate Partner's largest interest (by value) in 
those shares of Stock of the Corporate Partner taken into account 
when the partnership previously determined whether there had been a 
Section 337(d) Transaction (regardless of whether the Corporate 
Partner recognized gain in the earlier transaction). Although X's 
interest in X stock increases to $50 upon AX's liquidation of B's 
interest, X's largest interest previously taken into account under 
paragraph (d)(1) of this section was $50. Thus, X's interest in its 
stock is not considered to be increased, and X therefore recognizes 
no gain under paragraph (d) of

[[Page 26592]]

this section, provided that the transactions did not occur as part 
of a plan or arrangement to circumvent the purpose of this section.
    Example 8.  Change in allocation ratios--plan to circumvent 
purpose of this section. (i) In Year 1, X, a corporation, and A, an 
individual, contribute $99 and $1, respectively, to newly-formed 
partnership AX, with X receiving a 99 percent interest in AX and A 
receiving a 1 percent interest in AX. AX borrows $100,000 from a 
third-party lender and uses the proceeds to purchase X stock, which 
is Stock of the Corporate Partner. Later, as part of a plan or 
arrangement to circumvent the purposes of this section, A 
contributes $99,999 of cash, which AX uses to repay the loan, and X 
contributes Asset 1 with a fair market value of $99,901 and basis of 
$20,000. After these contributions, A and X are equal partners in AX 
in all respects.
    (ii) Pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section, X's interest 
in X stock and other appreciated property held by the partnership is 
determined based on all facts and circumstances, including 
allocation and distribution rights in the partnership agreement. 
Generally, pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section, X's 
interest in X stock for purposes of paragraph (d) of this section 
will never be less than the Corporate Partner's largest interest (by 
value) in those shares of Stock of the Corporate Partner taken into 
account when the partnership previously determined whether there had 
been a Section 337(d) Transaction (regardless of whether the 
Corporate Partner recognized gain in the earlier transaction). This 
limitation does not apply, however, if the reduction in X's interest 
in X's stock occurred as part of a plan or arrangement to circumvent 
the purpose of this section. Because the transactions described in 
this example are part of a plan or arrangement to circumvent the 
purpose of this section, the limitation in paragraph (d)(2) of this 
section does not apply. Accordingly, the deemed redemption rule 
under paragraph (d) of this section applies to the transactions with 
the consequences described in Example 1(iii) of this paragraph (h), 
resulting in X recognizing $39,950.50 of gain.
    Example 9.  Tiered partnership. (i) In Year 1, X, a corporation, 
and A, an individual, form partnership UTP. X contributes Asset 1 
with a fair market value of $80 and a basis of $0 in exchange for an 
80 percent interest in UTP. A contributes $20 of cash in exchange 
for a 20 percent interest in UTP. UTP and B, an individual, form 
partnership LTP as equal partners. UTP contributes Asset 1 and $20 
of cash. B contributes X stock, which is Stock of the Corporate 
Partner, with a basis and fair market value of $100.
    (ii) Pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section, the rules of 
this section shall apply to tiered partnerships in a manner that is 
consistent with the purpose set forth in paragraph (a) of this 
section. Pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section, if X is in a 
partnership that engages in a Section 337(d) Transaction, X must 
recognize gain at the time, and to the extent, that X's share of 
appreciated property is reduced in exchange for X stock. The 
formation of LTP causes X's interest in X stock to increase from $0 
to $40 and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease from $64 to $32. 
Thus, LTP's formation is a Section 337(d) Transaction because the 
formation has the effect of an exchange by X of $32 of Asset 1 for 
$32 of X stock.
    (iii) X must recognize gain with respect to Asset 1 to prevent 
the circumvention of section 311(b) principles. X must recognize 
gain equal to the product of X's Gain Percentage and the gain from 
Asset 1 (decreased, but not below zero, by any gain X recognized 
with respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under any 
other provision of this chapter) that X would recognize if, 
immediately before the Section 337(d) Transaction, all assets were 
sold in a fully taxable transaction for cash in an amount equal to 
the fair market value of such property. If Asset 1 had been sold in 
a fully taxable transaction immediately before LTP's formation, X's 
allocable share of gain would have been $80 pursuant to section 
704(c). X's Gain Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a fraction, the 
numerator of which is X's $32 interest in Asset 1 effectively 
exchanged for X stock, and the denominator of which is X's $64 
interest in Asset 1 immediately before the Section 337(d) 
Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $40 of gain ($80 multiplied by 50 
percent) under the deemed redemption rule in paragraph (d) of this 
section. Under paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section, X's 
basis in its UTP partnership interest increases from $0 to $40, 
UTP's basis in its LTP partnership interest increases from $20 to 
$60, and LTP's basis in Asset 1 increases from $0 to $40 pursuant to 
paragraph (g) of this section.

    (i) Applicability date. This section applies to transactions 
occurring on or after June 12, 2015.


Sec.  1.337(d)-3T   [Removed]

0
Par. 3. Remove Sec.  1.337(d)-3T.

0
Par. 4. Section 1.732-1 is amended by revising paragraphs (c)(1) and 
(c)(5)(ii) to read as follows:


Sec.  1.732-1   Basis of distributed property other than money.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) General rule--(i) Unrealized receivables and inventory items. 
Except as provided in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section, the basis 
to be allocated to properties distributed to a partner under section 
732(a)(2) or (b) is allocated first to any unrealized receivables (as 
defined in section 751(c)) and inventory items (as defined in section 
751(d)(2)) in an amount equal to the adjusted basis of each such 
property to the partnership immediately before the distribution. If the 
basis to be allocated is less than the sum of the adjusted bases to the 
partnership of the distributed unrealized receivables and inventory 
items, the adjusted basis of the distributed property must be decreased 
in the manner provided in Sec.  1.732-1(c)(2)(i). See Sec.  1.460-
4(k)(2)(iv)(D) for a rule determining the partnership's basis in long-
term contract accounted for under a long-term contract method of 
accounting.
    (ii) Other distributed property. Any basis not allocated to 
unrealized receivables or inventory items under paragraph (c)(1)(i) of 
this section or to stock of persons that control the corporate partner 
or to the corporate partner's stock under paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this 
section is allocated to any other property distributed to the partner 
in the same transaction by assigning to each distributed property an 
amount equal to the adjusted basis of the property to the partnership 
immediately before the distribution. However, if the sum of the 
adjusted bases to the partnership of such other distributed property 
does not equal the basis to be allocated among the distributed 
property, any increase or decrease required to make the amounts equal 
is allocated among the distributed property as provided in Sec.  1.732-
1(c)(2).
    (iii) Stock distributed to the corporate partner. If a partnership 
makes a distribution described in Sec.  1.337(d)-3(e)(1), then for 
purposes of this section, the basis to be allocated to properties 
distributed under section 732(a)(2) or (b) is allocated first to the 
Stock of the Corporate Partner, as defined in Sec.  1.337(d)-3(c)(2), 
before the distribution of any other property (other than cash). The 
amount allocated to the Stock of the Corporate Partner is as provided 
in Sec.  1.337(d)-3(e)(2).
* * * * *
    (5) * * *
    (ii) Exception. Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(5)(i) of this 
section, the first sentence of each of paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (ii) of 
this section, and paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section in its 
entirety, apply to distributions of Stock of the Corporate Partner, as 
defined in Sec.  1.337(d)-3(c)(2), that occur on or after June 12, 
2015.
* * * * *


Sec.  1.732-1T   [Removed]

0
Par. 5. Remove Sec.  1.732-1T.

0
Par. 6. Section 1.732-3 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  1.732-3   Corresponding adjustment to basis of assets of a 
distributed corporation controlled by a corporate partner.

    (a) Determination of control. The determination of whether a 
corporate partner that is a member of a consolidated group has control 
of a distributed corporation for purposes of section 732(f) shall be 
made by applying the special aggregate stock ownership rules of Sec.  
1.1502-34.

[[Page 26593]]

    (b) Aggregation of basis within consolidated group. With respect to 
distributed stock of a corporation, if the following two conditions are 
met, then section 732(f) shall apply only to the extent that the 
partnership's adjusted basis in the distributed stock immediately 
before the distribution exceeds the aggregate basis of the distributed 
stock of the corporation in the hands of corporate partners that are 
members of the same consolidated group (as defined in Sec.  1.1502-
1(h)) immediately after the distribution:
    (1) Two or more of the corporate partners receive a distribution of 
stock in another corporation; and
    (2) The corporation, the stock of which was distributed by the 
partnership, is or becomes a member of the distributee partners' 
consolidated group following the distribution.
    (c) Application of section 732(f) to Gain Elimination 
Transactions--(1) General rule. In the event of a Gain Elimination 
Transaction, section 732(f) shall apply as though the Corporate Partner 
acquired control (as defined in section 732(f)(5)) of the Distributed 
Corporation immediately before the Gain Elimination Transaction.
    (2) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of 
this paragraph (c):
    (i) Corporate Partner. The term Corporate Partner means a person 
that is classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes and 
that holds or acquires an interest in a partnership.
    (ii) Stock. The term Stock includes other equity interests, 
including options, warrants, and similar interests.
    (iii) Distributed Stock. The term Distributed Stock means Stock 
distributed by a partnership to a Corporate Partner, or Stock the basis 
of which is determined by reference to the basis of such Stock. 
Distributed Stock also includes Stock owned directly or indirectly by a 
Distributed Corporation if the basis of such Stock has been reduced 
pursuant to section 732(f).
    (iv) Distributed Corporation. The term Distributed Corporation 
means the issuer of Distributed Stock (or, in the case of an option, 
the issuer of the Stock into which the option is exercisable).
    (v) Gain Elimination Transaction. The term Gain Elimination 
Transaction means a transaction in which Distributed Stock is disposed 
of and less than all of the gain is recognized unless--
    (A) The transferor of the Distributed Stock receives in exchange 
Stock or a partnership interest that is exchanged basis property (as 
defined in section 7701(a)(44)) with respect to the Distributed Stock; 
or
    (B) A transferee corporation holds the Distributed Stock as 
transferred basis property (as defined in section 7701(a)(43)) with 
respect to the transferor corporation's gain. A Gain Elimination 
Transaction includes (without limitation) a reorganization under 
section 368(a) in which the Corporate Partner and the Distributed 
Corporation combine, and a distribution of the Distributed Stock by the 
Corporate Partner to which section 355(c)(1) or 361(c)(1) applies.
    (d) Tiered partnerships. The rules of this section shall apply to 
tiered partnerships in a manner that is consistent with the purposes of 
section 732(f).
    (e) Applicability date. This section applies to transactions 
occurring on or after June 8, 2018.

Kirsten Wielobob,
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.
    Approved: May 25, 2018.
David J. Kautter,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2018-12407 Filed 6-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4830-01-P



                                           26580                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                             Dated: June 4, 2018.                                     A notice of proposed rulemaking                     distributes appreciated property to its
                                           Leslie Kux,                                             (REG–149518–03) withdrawing                            shareholders to recognize gain
                                           Associate Commissioner for Policy.                      proposed regulations under section                     determined as if the property were sold
                                           [FR Doc. 2018–12339 Filed 6–7–18; 8:45 am]              337(d) published in 1992, and                          to the shareholders for its fair market
                                           BILLING CODE 4164–01–P                                  proposing new proposed regulations by                  value. Additionally, section 631 of the
                                                                                                   cross-reference to the temporary                       Act added section 337(d) to permit the
                                                                                                   regulations, was published in the                      Secretary to prescribe regulations that
                                           DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY                              Federal Register (80 FR 33451) on the                  are necessary or appropriate to carry out
                                                                                                   same date as TD 9722. Additionally, on                 the purposes of the General Utilities
                                           Internal Revenue Service                                June 12, 2015, the Treasury Department                 repeal, ‘‘including regulations to ensure
                                                                                                   and the IRS published proposed                         that [the repeal of the General Utilities
                                           26 CFR Part 1                                           regulations (REG–138759–14) under                      doctrine] may not be circumvented
                                                                                                   section 732(f) in the Federal Register                 through the use of any provision of law
                                           [TD 9833]                                                                                                      or regulations.’’
                                                                                                   (80 FR 33452) (together with the 2015
                                           RIN 1545–BO43                                           proposed regulations under section                        After the enactment of sections 311(b)
                                                                                                   337(d), the 2015 regulations).                         and 337(d), the Treasury Department
                                           Partnership Transactions Involving                         The Treasury Department and the IRS                 and the IRS became aware of
                                           Equity Interests of a Partner                           received one comment letter in response                transactions in which taxpayers used a
                                                                                                   to the 2015 regulations. Except as                     partnership to postpone or avoid
                                           AGENCY:  Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
                                                                                                   described below, the commenter largely                 completely gain generally required to be
                                           Treasury.
                                                                                                   supported the 2015 regulations while                   recognized under section 311(b). In one
                                           ACTION: Final rule.                                                                                            example of this transaction, a
                                                                                                   recommending some minor
                                           SUMMARY:    This document contains final                modifications and clarifications to the                corporation entered into a partnership
                                           regulations that prevent a corporate                    2015 regulations under both section                    and contributed appreciated property.
                                           partner from avoiding corporate-level                   337(d) and section 732(f). The comment                 The partnership then acquired stock of
                                           gain through transactions with a                        letter is discussed in detail in the                   that corporate partner, and later made a
                                           partnership involving equity interests of               Explanation of Provisions section of this              liquidating distribution of this stock to
                                           the partner or certain related entities.                preamble.                                              the corporate partner. Under section
                                           This document also contains final                          After considering this comment letter,              731(a), the corporate partner did not
                                           regulations that allow consolidated                     this Treasury decision adopts as final                 recognize gain on the partnership’s
                                           group members that are partners in the                  regulations the rules set forth in the                 distribution of its stock. By means of
                                           same partnership to aggregate their                     2015 regulations under section 337(d)                  this transaction, the corporation had
                                           bases in stock distributed by the                       (with only minor, nonsubstantive                       disposed of the appreciated property it
                                           partnership for the purpose of limiting                 clarifications in response to the                      formerly held and had acquired its own
                                           the application of rules that might                     commenter’s request for additional                     stock, permanently avoiding its gain in
                                           otherwise cause basis reduction or gain                 certainty regarding certain collateral                 the appreciated property. If the
                                           recognition. This document also                         effects) and section 732(f) (without any               corporation had directly exchanged the
                                           contains final regulations that may also                change). However, the Treasury                         appreciated property for its own stock,
                                           require certain corporations that engage                Department and the IRS are considering                 section 311(b) would have required the
                                           in gain elimination transactions to                     publishing a new notice of proposed                    corporation to recognize gain upon the
                                           reduce the basis of corporate assets or to              rulemaking to propose more substantive                 exchange.
                                           recognize gain. These final regulations                                                                           In response to these types of abusive
                                                                                                   amendments to the final regulations
                                           affect partnerships and their partners.                                                                        transactions, the Treasury Department
                                                                                                   under section 337(d) and to allow for
                                                                                                                                                          and the IRS issued Notice 89–37, 1989–
                                           DATES:                                                  additional public comment with respect
                                              Effective Date: These final regulations                                                                     1 CB 679, on March 9, 1989. Notice 89–
                                                                                                   to these more substantive proposals in
                                           are effective on June 8, 2018.                                                                                 37 announced that future regulations
                                                                                                   response to the comment letter, further
                                              Applicability Date: These final                                                                             under section 337(d) would address the
                                                                                                   reflection by the Treasury Department
                                           regulations are applicable on or after                                                                         use of partnerships to avoid the repeal
                                                                                                   and the IRS, and concerns raised by
                                           June 12, 2015.                                                                                                 of the General Utilities doctrine.
                                                                                                   practitioners.                                            On December 15, 1992, the Treasury
                                           FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                   2. Regulations Under Section 337(d)                    Department and the IRS published a
                                           Concerning the final regulations, Kevin
                                                                                                                                                          notice of proposed rulemaking under
                                           I. Babitz, (202) 317–6852.                              A. Background                                          section 337(d) (PS–91–90, REG–208989–
                                           SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                                In General Utilities & Operating Co. v.              90, 1993–1 CB 919) in the Federal
                                           Background                                              Helvering, 296 U.S. 200 (1935), the                    Register (57 FR 59324) addressing
                                                                                                   Supreme Court held that corporations                   abusive partnership transactions
                                           1. Overview                                             generally could distribute appreciated                 involving stock of a corporate partner
                                              On June 12, 2015, the Department of                  property to their shareholders without                 (the 1992 proposed regulations). The
                                           the Treasury (and the IRS published                     the recognition of any corporate level                 1992 proposed regulations set forth a
                                           final and temporary regulations (TD                     gain (the General Utilities doctrine).                 deemed redemption rule and a separate
                                           9722) under section 337(d) of the                       Beginning with legislation in 1969 and                 distribution rule to prevent a corporate
                                           Internal Revenue Code (Code) in the                     culminating in the Tax Reform Act of                   partner from avoiding corporate-level
                                           Federal Register (80 FR 33402). On July                 1986, Public Law 99–514 (100 Stat.                     gain through transactions with a
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                                           8, 2015, corrections to TD 9722 were                    2085) (the Act), Congress repealed the                 partnership involving stock of the
                                           published in the Federal Register (80                   General Utilities doctrine by enacting                 corporate partner, stock of the partner’s
                                           FR 38940–38941) (together with TD                       section 336(a) to apply gain and loss                  affiliate, and other equity interests in
                                           9722, the temporary regulations). The                   recognition to liquidating distributions.              the corporate partner or affiliate. The
                                           temporary regulations expire on June                      Under current law, sections 311(b)                   1992 proposed regulations treated a
                                           11, 2018.                                               and 336(a) require a corporation that                  corporation as an affiliate of a partner at


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                        26581

                                           the time of a deemed redemption or                      section 732(f) generally effective for                 precludes this result by requiring that
                                           distribution by the partnership if,                     distributions of made after July 14,                   either the distributed corporation must
                                           immediately thereafter, the partner and                 1999. Section 732(f) provides that if (1)              reduce the basis of its property or the
                                           corporation were members of an                          a corporate partner receives a                         corporate partner must recognize gain
                                           affiliated group as defined in section                  distribution from a partnership of stock               (to the extent the distributed
                                           1504(a) without regard to section                       in another corporation (distributed                    corporation is unable to reduce the basis
                                           1504(b) (section 337(d) affiliation). On                corporation); (2) the corporate partner                of its property). Thus, section 732(f)
                                           January 19, 1993, the Treasury                          has control of the distributed                         generally ensures that any basis increase
                                           Department and the IRS issued Notice                    corporation, defined as ownership of                   under section 734(b) is offset.
                                           93–2, 1993–1 CB 292, which stated that                  stock meeting the requirements of                         Section 732(f)(8) grants the Secretary
                                           the 1992 proposed regulations would be                  section 1504(a)(2), immediately after the              authority to prescribe regulations that
                                           amended to limit the application of the                 distribution or at any time thereafter                 may be necessary to carry out the
                                           regulations to transactions in which                    (control requirement); and (3) the                     purposes of this subsection, including
                                           section 337(d) affiliation existed                      partnership’s basis in the stock                       regulations to avoid double counting
                                           immediately before the deemed                           immediately before the distribution                    and to prevent the abuse of such
                                           redemption or distribution. The                         exceeded the corporate partner’s basis                 purposes.
                                           Treasury Department and the IRS                         in the stock immediately after the                     B. The 2015 Regulations
                                           received comments on the 1992                           distribution, then the basis of the
                                           proposed regulations, and adopted a                     distributed corporation’s property must                   In the preamble to the 2015
                                           number of these comments in the 2015                    be reduced by this excess. The amount                  regulations under section 732(f), the
                                           regulations.                                            of this reduction is limited to the                    Treasury Department and the IRS stated
                                                                                                   amount by which the sum of the                         that the application of section 732(f)
                                           B. The 2015 Regulations                                 aggregate adjusted basis of property and               was too broad in some circumstances
                                              The 2015 regulations under section                   the amount of money of the distributed                 and too narrow in others. Specifically,
                                           337(d) set forth a rule (the deemed                     corporation exceeds the corporate                      the application was overbroad because
                                           redemption rule) that was aimed at                      partner’s adjusted basis in the stock of               section 732(f) could require basis
                                           protecting the repeal of the General                    the distributed corporation. The                       reduction or gain recognition even
                                           Utilities doctrine. The 2015 regulations                corporate partner must recognize gain to               though that basis reduction or gain
                                           provided that certain transactions create               the extent that the basis of the                       recognition did not further the purposes
                                           the economic effect of an exchange of                   distributed corporation’s property                     of section 732(f). Alternatively, the
                                           appreciated property for Stock of the                   cannot be reduced.                                     application was too narrow because
                                           Corporate Partner and, to tax such                         Congress enacted section 732(f) due to              corporate partners could
                                           exchange appropriately, the deemed                      concerns that a corporate partner could                inappropriately avoid the purposes of
                                           redemption rule provided that a                         otherwise negate the effects of a basis                section 732(f) by engaging in
                                           Corporate Partner recognizes gain at the                step-down to distributed property                      transactions that allow corporate
                                                                                                   required under section 732(b) by                       partners to receive property held by a
                                           time of, and to the extent that, any
                                                                                                   applying the step-down against the basis               distributed corporation without
                                           transaction (or series of transactions)
                                                                                                   of the stock of the distributed                        reducing the basis of that property to
                                           has the economic effect of an exchange
                                                                                                   corporation.                                           account for basis reductions under
                                           by the partner of its interest in
                                                                                                      For example, assume a corporate                     section 732(b) made when the
                                           appreciated property for an interest in
                                                                                                   partner has a partnership interest with                partnership distributed stock of the
                                           Stock of the Corporate Partner owned,
                                                                                                   zero basis and receives a partnership                  distributed corporation to the corporate
                                           acquired, or distributed by the
                                                                                                   distribution of high-basis stock in a                  partner.
                                           partnership. (The terms Corporate                                                                                 To address these concerns, the 2015
                                           Partner and Stock of the Corporate                      corporation. The corporate partner’s
                                                                                                   basis in the distributed corporation’s                 regulations set forth specific rules
                                           Partner are defined in section 1.B.i. of                                                                       governing the application of section
                                                                                                   stock is reduced to zero under section
                                           the Explanation of Provisions.)                                                                                732(f) in two specific sets of
                                              The 2015 regulations did not adopt                   732(a) or section 732(b). If the
                                                                                                   partnership has elected under section                  circumstances. The first rule would
                                           the separate distribution rule set forth in                                                                    permit consolidated group members to
                                                                                                   754, then the basis of other partnership
                                           the 1992 proposed regulations. Instead,                                                                        aggregate the bases of their respective
                                                                                                   property is increased by an equal
                                           the 2015 regulations applied the                                                                               interests in the same partnership, in
                                                                                                   amount under section 734(b). The
                                           deemed redemption rule to partnership                                                                          certain circumstances, for section 732(f)
                                                                                                   section 732 basis decrease and the
                                           distributions of Stock of the Corporate                                                                        purposes. The second rule would
                                                                                                   section 734(b) basis increase generally
                                           Partner to the Corporate Partner as                                                                            restrict corporate partners from entering
                                                                                                   offset each other. However, if the
                                           though the partnership amended its                                                                             into certain transactions or a series of
                                                                                                   corporate partner owned stock in the
                                           agreement, immediately before the                                                                              transactions (gain elimination
                                                                                                   distributed corporation that satisfied the
                                           distribution, to allocate 100 percent of                                                                       transactions), such as a distribution
                                                                                                   control requirement, the corporate
                                           the distributed stock to the Corporate                                                                         followed by a reorganization under
                                                                                                   partner could liquidate the distributed
                                           Partner. The 2015 regulations also set                  corporation under section 332, and                     section 368(a), that might eliminate gain
                                           forth de minimis and inadvertence                       section 334(b) would generally provide                 in the stock of a distributed corporation
                                           exceptions to the deemed redemption                     for a carryover basis in the distributed               while avoiding the effects of a basis
                                           rule.                                                   corporation’s property received by the                 step-down under section 732(f) because
                                           3. Regulations Under Section 732(f)                     corporate partner in the liquidation.                  the control requirement would not be
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                                                                                                   Taken together, these rules could permit               immediately satisfied.
                                           A. Section 732(f)                                       the partnership to increase the basis of                  In addition, the 2015 regulations
                                             Section 538 of the Ticket to Work and                 its retained property without an                       under section 732(f) required taxpayers
                                           Work Incentives Improvement Act of                      equivalent basis reduction following the               to apply those rules to tiered
                                           1999, Public Law 106–170 (113 Stat.                     liquidation of the distributed                         partnerships in a manner consistent
                                           1860) (December 17, 1999), added                        corporation. Section 732(f) generally                  with the purpose of section 732(f).


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                                           26582                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                           Explanation of Provisions                               warrants, and other similar interests                  Department and the IRS are considering
                                                                                                   issued by third parties on a Corporate                 publishing new proposed regulations to
                                           1. Final Regulations Under Section
                                                                                                   Partner’s stock, a Controlling                         limit the application of the Value Rule
                                           337(d)
                                                                                                   Corporation’s stock, or any interests in               to entities that are not Controlling
                                           A. Generally                                            any entity to the extent that the value of             Corporations but which own, directly or
                                              The final regulations under section                  the interest is attributable to Stock of the           indirectly, 5 percent or more of the
                                           337(d) provide that the purpose of the                  Corporate Partner, are Stock of the                    stock, by vote or value, of the Corporate
                                           regulations is to prevent corporate                     Corporate Partner under both the                       Partner and clarifying how taxpayers
                                           taxpayers from using a partnership to                   temporary regulations and these final                  would determine what portion of the
                                           circumvent gain required to be                          regulations. No inference is intended
                                                                                                                                                          value of the interest in the entity is
                                           recognized under section 311(b) or                      regarding whether options, warrants,
                                                                                                                                                          attributable to Stock of the Corporate
                                           section 336(a). These final regulations,                and other similar interests are subject to
                                                                                                   section 1032 where they create an                      Partner.
                                           including the rules governing the
                                           amount, timing, and character of                        equity interest in the Stock of the                    iii. Stock of the Corporate Partner:
                                           recognized gain, must be applied in a                   Corporate Partner.                                     Attribution
                                           manner consistent with, and which                       ii. Stock of the Corporate Partner:
                                           reasonably carries out, this purpose.                                                                             The 2015 regulations defined Stock of
                                                                                                   Controlling Corporations
                                              These final regulations apply when a                                                                        the Corporate Partner to include stock in
                                                                                                      The 2015 regulations provided that                  a Controlling Corporation. The 2015
                                           partnership, either directly or indirectly,
                                                                                                   Stock of the Corporate Partner includes                regulations employed the section 304(c)
                                           owns, acquires, or distributes Stock of
                                                                                                   the stock (or other equity interests) in a             definition of control, which generally
                                           the Corporate Partner (as defined in
                                                                                                   Controlling Corporation. The                           requires the ownership of stock with
                                           § 1.337(d)–3(c)(2) of these final
                                                                                                   commenter asked whether stock in a                     either 50 percent of the voting power in
                                           regulations). Under these final
                                                                                                   Controlling Corporation wholly
                                           regulations, a Corporate Partner (as                                                                           the corporation or 50 percent of the
                                                                                                   constitutes Stock of the Corporate
                                           defined at § 1.337(d)–3(c)(1) of these                                                                         value of the corporation. While section
                                                                                                   Partner or only constitutes Stock of the
                                           final regulations) may recognize gain                                                                          304(c) incorporates the constructive
                                                                                                   Corporate Partner to the extent the value
                                           when it is treated as acquiring or                                                                             ownership rules of section 318(a) with
                                                                                                   of the Controlling Corporation’s stock is
                                           increasing its interest in Stock of the                 attributable to that corporation’s interest            some modifications, the 2015
                                           Corporate Partner held by a partnership                 in the Corporate Partner. These final                  regulations excluded the application of
                                           in exchange for appreciated property in                 regulations clarify that it is intended                sections 318(a)(1) and (3) from its
                                           a manner that avoids gain recognition                   that stock (or any other equity interest)              definition of control.
                                           under section 311(b) or section 336(a).                 in a Controlling Corporation will wholly
                                           These final regulations also provide                                                                              The commenter agreed with
                                                                                                   constitute Stock of the Corporate Partner              excluding section 318(a)(3) attribution
                                           exceptions under which a Corporate                      irrespective of the ratio of the
                                           Partner is not required to recognize gain.                                                                     from the application of section 304(c)
                                                                                                   Controlling Corporation’s interest in the              under the 2015 regulations, but noted
                                           B. Scope and Definitions                                Corporate Partner to the Controlling                   that it may be inappropriate to exclude
                                                                                                   Corporation’s total assets. In response to             section 318(a)(1) family attribution. The
                                           i. Corporate Partner and Stock of the
                                                                                                   this comment, the final regulations also
                                           Corporate Partner                                                                                              commenter suggested that families
                                                                                                   include a new example to clearly
                                              The 2015 regulations defined a                                                                              could invoke this exclusion to structure
                                                                                                   illustrate this point. See Example 2 of
                                           Corporate Partner as a person that holds                § 1.337(d)–3(h) in these final                         partnerships in such a way to avoid
                                           or acquires an interest in a partnership                regulations.                                           these regulations but which would be
                                           and that is classified as a corporation for                With respect to the rule that Stock of              transactions that should otherwise be
                                           federal income tax purposes. The 2015                   the Corporate Partner includes an                      subject to these final regulations. The
                                           regulations defined Stock of the                        interest in an entity to the extent that               Treasury Department and the IRS agree
                                           Corporate Partner expansively to                        the value of the interest is attributable              that excluding family attribution under
                                           include the Corporate Partner’s stock, or               to the Stock of the Corporate Partner                  section 318(a)(1) could produce
                                           other equity interests, including                       (Value Rule), the commenter asked that,                inappropriate results. Additionally, the
                                           options, warrants, and similar interests,               in cases in which the entity is not                    Treasury Department and the IRS have
                                           in the Corporate Partner, or in a                       controlled by the Corporate Partner and                also determined that taxpayers could
                                           corporation that controls the Corporate                 which is not a Controlling Corporation,                structure transactions designed to take
                                           Partner within the meaning of section                   that a limitation be added that the                    advantage of the lack of section
                                           304(c), except that section 318(a)(1) and               interest in the entity would not be                    318(a)(3) attribution. Therefore, the
                                           (3) shall not apply (referred to in this                treated as Stock of the Corporate Partner              Treasury Department and the IRS are
                                           Explanation of Provisions as a                          if less than 20 percent of the assets of               considering publishing new proposed
                                           Controlling Corporation). Stock of the                  the entity consisted of Stock of the                   regulations to further modify the
                                           Corporate Partner also included                         Corporate Partner. The Treasury                        definition of Stock of the Corporate
                                           interests in any entity to the extent that              Department and the IRS agree with the
                                                                                                                                                          Partner so that it would no longer
                                           the value of the interest is attributable               commenter that the Value Rule in the
                                                                                                                                                          exclude attribution under sections
                                           to Stock of the Corporate Partner.                      2015 regulations could be overbroad in
                                              The commenter asked whether an                       certain situations but decline to adopt                318(a)(1) and (3) when determining
                                           equity interest issued by a third party on              the commenter’s specific suggestion in                 whether an interest in an entity is Stock
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                                           a Corporate Partner’s stock, such as an                 these final regulations because such a                 of the Corporate Partners under section
                                           option issued by a bank on the                          rule would be too generous and could                   304(c), but which would limit the
                                           Corporate Partner’s stock, was                          permit taxpayers to structure                          proposed expanded scope of section
                                           considered Stock of the Corporate                       transactions that would contravene the                 304(c) control to entities that own,
                                           Partner. The Treasury Department and                    purpose of section 337(d) and these                    directly or indirectly, an interest in the
                                           the IRS confirm that all options,                       regulations. However, the Treasury                     Corporate Partner.


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                        26583

                                           iv. Stock of the Corporate Partner:                     proposed regulations to remove the                     in the exchange to acquire the Stock of
                                           Related-Party Partnerships                              Affiliated Group Exception because this                the Corporate Partner at issue came from
                                              The 2015 regulations provided an                     exception can permit corporations to                   operating cashflow.
                                           exception from the definition of Stock of               engage in transactions with partnerships                  The commenter asked whether the
                                           the Corporate Partner in the case of                    to eliminate permanently the built-in                  2015 regulations encompassed other
                                           certain related-party partnerships.                     gain on appreciated assets or otherwise                types of acquisitions of Stock of the
                                           Under this exception, Stock of the                      to avoid the purposes of General                       Corporate Partner for cash, and
                                           Corporate Partner did not include any                   Utilities repeal and these regulations.                requested that the final regulations
                                           stock or other equity interests held or                 v. Section 337(d) Transactions                         include examples of transactions that do
                                           acquired by a partnership if all interests                                                                     not have the effect of an exchange of
                                                                                                      The 2015 regulations provided that,                 appreciated property for Stock of the
                                           in the partnership’s capital and profits                for partnerships that hold Stock of the
                                           are held by members of an affiliated                                                                           Corporate Partner. The Treasury
                                                                                                   Corporate Partner, the 2015 regulations                Department and the IRS considered this
                                           group defined in section 1504(a) that                   apply to a transaction (or a series of
                                           includes the Corporate Partner                                                                                 comment, but decline to add additional
                                                                                                   transactions) that is a ‘‘Section 337(d)               examples because those examples
                                           (Affiliated Group Exception).                           Transaction.’’ The 2015 regulations
                                              The commenter suggested that the                                                                            would go beyond the scope of these
                                                                                                   defined a Section 337(d) Transaction as                final regulations which is to prevent the
                                           final regulations extend the Affiliated                 a transaction (or series of transactions)
                                           Group Exception to partnerships in                                                                             exchange of appreciated property for
                                                                                                   that has the effect of an exchange by a                Stock of the Corporate Partner.
                                           which a high percentage, but not all, of                Corporate Partner of its interest in
                                           its interests are owned by affiliated                   appreciated property for an interest in                C. Deemed Redemption Rule
                                           group members. The commenter                            Stock of the Corporate Partner owned,
                                           asserted that, under these facts, there                                                                        i. Generally
                                                                                                   acquired, or distributed by a
                                           would be no reason to require gain                      partnership. For example, a Section                       The 2015 regulations provided that if
                                           recognition. The commenter also                         337(d) Transaction may occur if: (i) A                 a transaction is a Section 337(d)
                                           recommended that the final regulations                  Corporate Partner contributes                          Transaction, a Corporate Partner must
                                           extend the affiliated group exception to                appreciated property to a partnership                  recognize gain under the deemed
                                           lower-tier partnerships owned by one or                 that owns Stock of the Corporate                       redemption rule. To determine the
                                           more upper-tier partnerships, if the                    Partner; (ii) a partnership acquires Stock             amount of gain, the Corporate Partner
                                           upper-tier partnerships are entirely                    of the Corporate Partner; (iii) a                      must first determine the amount of
                                           owned by members of an affiliated                       partnership that owns Stock of the                     appreciated property (other than Stock
                                           group that includes the Corporate                       Corporate Partner distributes                          of the Corporate Partner) effectively
                                           Partner.                                                appreciated property to a partner other                exchanged for Stock of the Corporate
                                              After further study of this issue, and               than the Corporate Partner; (iv) a                     Partner (by value) and then calculate the
                                           in light of the other exceptions to the                 partnership distributes Stock of the                   amount of taxable gain recognized.
                                           deemed redemption rule, the Treasury                    Corporate Partner to the Corporate                        The deemed redemption rule applies
                                           Department and the IRS decline to                       Partner; or (v) a partnership agreement                only to the extent that the transaction
                                           adopt these comments because even                       is amended in a manner that increases                  has the effect of an exchange by the
                                           without such extensions the Affiliated                  a Corporate Partner’s interest in the                  Corporate Partner of its interest in
                                           Group Exception could permit                            Stock of the Corporate Partner                         appreciated property for Stock of the
                                           inappropriate elimination of corporate                  (including in connection with a                        Corporate Partner. Thus, this rule does
                                           level built-in gain. For example—                       contribution to, or distribution from, a               not apply to the extent a transaction has
                                              Assume that P, a corporation, owns all of            partnership).                                          the effect of an exchange by a Corporate
                                           the stock of S1, and S1 owns all of the stock              In certain circumstances, a                         Partner of non-appreciated property for
                                           of CP. P, S1, and CP are members of an                  partnership’s acquisition of Stock of the              Stock of the Corporate Partner or has the
                                           affiliated group. P and CP form a 50–50                 Corporate Partner does not have the                    effect of an exchange by a Corporate
                                           partnership, where CP contributes an                    effect of an exchange of appreciated                   Partner of appreciated property for
                                           appreciated asset to the partnership, and P             property for that stock. For example, if               property other than Stock of the
                                           contributes S1 stock with a basis equal to fair
                                           market value. After seven years, the                    a partnership with an operating                        Corporate Partner.
                                           partnership liquidates and distributes the S1           business uses the cash generated in that                  The 2015 regulations set forth general
                                           stock to CP and the appreciated asset to P.             business to purchase Stock of the                      principles that apply in determining the
                                           At that time, the asset may be sold outside             Corporate Partner, the deemed                          amount of appreciated property
                                           of the group with an artificially increased             redemption rule does not apply to the                  effectively exchanged for Stock of the
                                           basis. While the built-in gain that was in the          stock purchase because the Corporate                   Corporate Partner. These general
                                           asset now is preserved in the S1 stock held             Partner’s share in appreciated property                principles require that the Corporate
                                           by CP, the group may permanently eliminate              has not been reduced, and thus no                      Partner’s economic interest with respect
                                           the gain without tax by causing CP to
                                                                                                   exchange has occurred. The Treasury                    to both Stock of the Corporate Partner
                                           liquidate. CP would receive nonrecognition
                                           treatment on distribution of the S1 stock to            Department and the IRS acknowledge                     and all other appreciated property of the
                                           S1 under section 332, and S1 would receive              that such stock acquisitions would not                 partnership be determined based on all
                                           nonrecognition treatment on the receipt of its          trigger the deemed redemption rule. The                facts and circumstances, including the
                                           own stock under section 1032. Thus, the                 Treasury Department and the IRS note,                  allocation and distribution rights set
                                           liquidation of CP permanently eliminates the            however, that because of the                           forth in the partnership agreement.
                                           built-in gain on the appreciated asset that             administrative difficulties in tracing the                A Corporate Partner must recognize
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                                           attached to the hook stock CP held in S1 after          source of cash used to acquire Corporate               gain under the 2015 regulations even if
                                           the liquidation of the partnership.                     Partner stock, taxpayers wishing to                    the Section 337(d) Transaction would
                                             Although these final regulations                      invoke this exception must maintain                    not otherwise change the Corporate
                                           retain the Affiliated Group Exception,                  appropriate records or other                           Partner’s allocable share of gain under
                                           the Treasury Department and the IRS                     documentation to affirmatively                         section 704(c). For example, if a
                                           are considering publishing new                          demonstrate that the consideration used                Corporate Partner contributes


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                                           26584                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                           appreciated property to a newly-formed                  redemption rule applies only with                      provide that the subsequent
                                           partnership and an individual                           respect to the Corporate Partner’s                     contributions resulted in the partners’
                                           contributes cash that the partnership                   incremental increase in the Stock of the               total contributions as being in a 50 to 50
                                           subsequently uses to purchase Stock of                  Corporate Partner. For example,                        ratio, so that, after the partners make
                                           the Corporate Partner, then the purchase                changing allocations to increase a                     these subsequent contributions, the
                                           of the stock is a Section 337(d)                        Corporate Partner’s interest in the Stock              partners have equal interests in the
                                           Transaction even though the Corporate                   of the Corporate Partner from 50 percent               partnership in all respects. The aim of
                                           Partner’s allocable share of gain in the                to 80 percent and to decrease the                      the example is to illustrate the rule that
                                           appreciated property under section                      Corporate Partner’s interest in other                  partners cannot utilize this special rule
                                           704(c) is the same before and after the                 appreciated property from 80 percent to                for determining a Corporate Partner’s
                                           purchase. See Example 4 of § 1.337(d)–                  50 percent would have the effect of an                 interest to circumvent the purpose of
                                           3(h) in these final regulations.                        exchange by the Corporate Partner of the               these final regulations. The Treasury
                                             The Treasury Department and the IRS                   30-percent incremental decrease in its                 Department and the IRS did not receive
                                           did not receive comments on this                        interest in the appreciated property for               any other comments on this rule, and
                                           general deemed redemption rule.                         the 30-percent incremental increase in                 therefore, these final regulations adopt
                                           Therefore, these final regulations adopt                the Stock of the Corporate Partner. The                the rule set forth in the 2015
                                           the rule set forth in the 2015                          Treasury Department and the IRS did                    regulations.
                                           regulations.                                            not receive comments on this rule, and
                                                                                                                                                          v. Amount and Character of Gain
                                           ii. Subsequent Transactions                             therefore, these final regulations adopt
                                                                                                   the rule set forth in the 2015                            The 2015 regulations provided that, if
                                              Under the 2015 regulations, the                      regulations.                                           a transaction is a Section 337(d)
                                           deemed redemption rule did not apply                                                                           Transaction, the deemed redemption
                                           to transactions involving stock that does               iv. Special Rule for Determination of                  rule requires the Corporate Partner to
                                           not meet the definition of Stock of the                 Corporate Partner’s Interest                           recognize a percentage of the total gain
                                           Corporate Partner. The commenter                           For purposes of recognizing gain                    in partnership appreciated property that
                                           asked whether, in cases in which the                    under the deemed redemption rule, the                  is subject to the exchange equal to a
                                           deemed redemption rule does not apply                   2015 regulations provided that a                       fraction, the numerator of which is the
                                           to an initial transaction because the                   Corporate Partner’s interest in an                     Corporate Partner’s interest (by value) in
                                           definition of Stock of the Corporate                    identified share of Stock of the                       appreciated property effectively
                                           Partner is not satisfied, if certain                    Corporate Partner will never be less                   exchanged for Stock of the Corporate
                                           subsequent transactions would trigger                   than the Corporate Partner’s largest                   Partner under the deemed redemption
                                           gain recognition by treating those                      interest (by value) in that share of Stock             rule, and the denominator of which is
                                           transactions as Section 337(d)                          of the Corporate Partner that was taken                the Corporate Partner’s interest (by
                                           Transactions. The Treasury Department                   into account when the partnership                      value) in appreciated property
                                           and the IRS intend for certain                          previously determined whether there                    immediately before the Section 337(d)
                                           subsequent transactions to trigger gain                 had been a Section 337(d) Transaction                  Transaction. The 2015 regulations
                                           recognition as Section 337(d)                           (regardless of whether the Corporate                   define this fraction as the Gain
                                           Transactions. Therefore, in response to                 Partner recognized gain in the earlier                 Percentage. The Corporate Partner’s gain
                                           this comment, the Treasury Department                   transaction). See Example 7 of                         under the deemed redemption rule
                                           and the IRS clarify that these final                    § 1.337(d)–3(h) in these final                         equals the product of (i) the Corporate
                                           regulations apply to certain transactions               regulations. This rule ensures that                    Partner’s Gain Percentage and (ii) the
                                           involving related parties in which a first              alternating increases and decreases in a               gain from the appreciated property that
                                           transaction does not constitute a Section               Corporate Partner’s interest in Stock of               is the subject of the exchange that the
                                           337(d) Transaction because the                          the Corporate Partner do not cause                     Corporate Partner would recognize if,
                                           partnership does not own stock in either                duplicate gain recognition.                            immediately before the Section 337(d)
                                           a Corporate Partner or in a Controlling                    This limitation does not apply if any               Transaction, all assets of the partnership
                                           Corporation, but the Corporate Partner                  reduction in the Corporate Partner’s                   and any assets contributed to the
                                           in a later, separate transaction transfers              interest in the identified share of Stock              partnership in the Section 337(d)
                                           its partnership interest to a related                   of the Corporate Partner occurred as part              Transaction were sold in a fully taxable
                                           corporation whose stock the partnership                 of a plan or arrangement to circumvent                 transaction for cash in an amount equal
                                           owns. In these transactions, the deemed                 the purpose of these final regulations.                to the fair market value of such property
                                           redemption rule will trigger gain as if                 See Example 8 of § 1.337(d)–3(h) in                    (taking into account section 7701(g)),
                                           the first transaction was a Section                     these final regulations.                               reduced, but not below zero, by any gain
                                           337(d) Transaction with the result that                    The commenter raised a question                     the Corporate Partner is required to
                                           the transferee corporation who is now                   regarding the numbers used in this                     recognize with respect to the
                                           itself a Corporate Partner will ‘‘step into             Example 8 (which was numbered as                       appreciated property in the Section
                                           the shoes’’ of the first Corporate Partner              Example 7 in the 2015 regulations                      337(d) Transaction under any other
                                           and will be subject to the deemed                       under section 337(d)). The commenter                   section of the Code.
                                           redemption rule to the extent of the first              pointed out that under the example’s                      The gain from the hypothetical sale
                                           Corporate Partner’s remaining built-in                  facts, the two partners make initial                   used to compute gain under the deemed
                                           gain in the appreciated asset                           contributions to the partnership in a 99               redemption rule is determined by
                                           immediately prior to the transfer.                      to 1 ratio, and make subsequent                        applying the principles of section
                                                                                                   contributions in a 50 to 50 ratio. The                 704(c), which generally requires the
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                                           iii. Prior Transactions                                 commenter questioned why the example                   partnership to take into account
                                              The 2015 regulations provided that, if               stated that the two partners are ‘‘equal               variations between the adjusted tax
                                           the Corporate Partner has an existing                   partners’’ in all respects after the                   basis and fair market value of
                                           interest in the partnership’s Stock of the              subsequent contributions. In response to               partnership property at the time it is
                                           Corporate Partner prior to the Section                  this comment, the Treasury Department                  contributed to the partnership and upon
                                           337(d) Transaction, the deemed                          and the IRS clarify the example to                     certain other events that allow or


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                          26585

                                           require the value of partnership                        sold). Under the 2015 regulations, this                ii. Gain Recognition Rule
                                           property to be redetermined under                       basis increase applies regardless of                      The 2015 regulations provided that if
                                           § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f). See Examples 4                  whether the partnership has a Section                  a distribution is a section 337(d)
                                           and 6 of § 1.337(d)–3(h) in these final                 754 election in effect. The commenter                  distribution, then in addition to any
                                           regulations. A partner’s share of gain                  suggested that the final regulations                   gain recognized under the deemed
                                           under section 704(c) for this purpose                   clarify how a basis increase is treated for            redemption rule upon the distribution
                                           includes any remedial allocations under                 basis-recovery purposes. The final                     of Stock of the Corporate Partner to the
                                           § 1.704–3(d) for a partnership that has                 regulations provide this clarification by              Corporate Partner, the 2015 regulations
                                           elected under section 704(c) to report                  specifying that this increase is treated as            also would require the Corporate
                                           notional items of offsetting tax gain and               property that is placed in service by the              Partner to recognize gain to the extent
                                           loss to its partners to eliminate                       partnership in the taxable year of the                 that the partnership’s basis in the
                                           distortions that may arise when the                     Section 337(d) Transaction.                            distributed Stock of the Corporate
                                           partnership’s total tax gain or loss on                   Second, the 2015 regulations require                 Partner exceeds the Corporate Partner’s
                                           the sale of partnership property is less                the partnership to increase its adjusted               basis in its partnership interest (as
                                           than all partners’ aggregate share of gain              tax basis in the appreciated property                  reduced by any cash distributed in the
                                           or loss from the property. The Treasury                 that is treated as the subject of a Section            transaction) immediately before the
                                           Department and the IRS did not receive                  337(d) Transaction by the amount of                    distribution.
                                           comments on this general rule                           gain that the Corporate Partner                           The commenter noted that the
                                           governing the amount of gain from a                     recognized with respect to that property               language used in this provision differs
                                           Section 337(d) Transaction. These final                 as a result of the Section 337(d)                      from the gain recognition provision of
                                           regulations therefore adopt the rule set                Transaction. The Treasury Department                   section 732(f)(1)(C), which evaluates
                                           forth in the 2015 regulations. However,                 and the IRS did not receive comments
                                           the commenter asked whether section                                                                            whether the partnership’s adjusted basis
                                                                                                   on this basis increase rule and,                       in the distributed stock immediately
                                           743(b) basis adjustments are taken into
                                                                                                   accordingly, these final regulations                   before the distribution exceeded the
                                           account when determining a Corporate
                                                                                                   adopt the rule set forth in the 2015                   Corporate Partner’s adjusted basis in
                                           Partner’s gain in a Section 337(d)
                                                                                                   regulations.                                           that stock immediately after the
                                           Transaction. The Treasury Department
                                           and the IRS confirm that basis                          D. Partnership Distributions of Stock of               distribution. The commenter asked
                                           adjustments, including adjustments                      the Corporate Partner                                  whether these differences were
                                           made pursuant to section 743(b), are                                                                           intentional and, if so, for the
                                                                                                   i. General Rule Governing Distributions                explanation of the differences. The
                                           taken into account when calculating this
                                           gain, so that the Corporate Partner                        The 2015 regulations extended the                   differences were not intentional and the
                                           would not be subject to a duplication of                deemed redemption rule to certain                      Treasury Department and the IRS have
                                           tax liability.                                          distributions to the Corporate Partner of              determined that the provisions should
                                              The commenter also noted that the                    Stock of the Corporate Partner. These                  be the same. Accordingly, the language
                                           2015 regulations do not specify the                     rules governing distributions applied                  of the gain recognition rule in these
                                           character of the gain that a Corporate                  only if the distributed stock had                      final regulations is modified to conform
                                           Partner recognizes in a Section 337(d)                  previously been the subject of a Section               to the language used in the section
                                           Transaction. In response to this                        337(d) Transaction or became the                       732(f) gain recognition provision.
                                           comment, the final regulations clarify                  subject of a Section 337(d) Transaction                iii. Basis Rules
                                           that the character of the gain that the                 as a result of the distribution (a section
                                           Corporate Partner recognizes in a                                                                                The 2015 regulations set forth two
                                                                                                   337(d) distribution). The 2015
                                           Section 337(d) Transaction is the same                                                                         rules under sections 337(d) and 732 to
                                                                                                   regulations did not apply to a
                                           character of the gain that the Corporate                                                                       coordinate the effects of the rule
                                                                                                   distribution to the Corporate Partner of
                                           Partner would have recognized if,                                                                              requiring gain recognition when the
                                                                                                   the Stock of the Corporate Partner to
                                           immediately before the Section 337(d)                                                                          basis of the Stock of the Corporate
                                                                                                   which section 732(f) applied at the time
                                           Transaction, the Corporate Partner had                                                                         Partner is stepped down on a section
                                                                                                   of the distribution.
                                           disposed of the appreciated property in                                                                        337(d) distribution with existing rules
                                                                                                      If the deemed redemption rule                       for determining the basis of property
                                           a fully taxable transaction for cash in an
                                                                                                   applied to a distribution, the 2015                    upon partnership distributions.
                                           amount equal to the fair market value of
                                                                                                   regulations deem the partnership to                      The first rule applied for purposes of:
                                           such property (taking into account
                                           section 7701(g)).                                       amend its agreement immediately before                 (1) Determining the basis of property
                                                                                                   the distribution to allocate a 100 percent             distributed to the Corporate Partner
                                           vi. Basis Rules                                         interest in that portion of the stock to               (other than the basis of the Corporate
                                             The 2015 regulations contained two                    the Corporate Partner that is distributed              Partner in its own stock); (2)
                                           rules related to the effect of the deemed               and to allocate an appropriately reduced               determining the basis of the Corporate
                                           redemption rule on partner and                          interest in other partnership property                 Partner’s remaining partnership interest;
                                           partnership basis. First, the 2015                      away from the Corporate Partner. The                   (3) determining the partnership’s basis
                                           regulations require the Corporate                       2015 regulations employ this deemed                    in undistributed Stock of the Corporate
                                           Partner to increase its basis in its                    allocation solely for purposes of                      Partner; and (4) computing gain on the
                                           partnership interest by an amount equal                 recognizing gain, and no inference is                  distribution. For these purposes, the
                                           to the gain that the Corporate Partner                  intended with regard to the treatment of               basis of Stock of the Corporate Partner
                                           recognizes in a Section 337(d)                          such allocations generally.                            distributed to the Corporate Partner
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                                           Transaction. This basis increase is                        The Treasury Department and the IRS                 equals the greater of (i) the partnership’s
                                           necessary to prevent the Corporate                      did not receive comments on this                       basis of that distributed Stock of the
                                           Partner from recognizing gain a second                  general rule governing partnership                     Corporate Partner immediately before
                                           time when the partnership liquidates                    distributions and, accordingly, these                  the distribution, or (ii) the fair market
                                           (or, if property is distributed to the                  final regulations adopt the rule set forth             value of that distributed Stock of the
                                           Corporate Partner, when that property is                in the 2015 regulations.                               Corporate Partner immediately before


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                                           26586                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                           the distribution, less the Corporate                    Rul. 2006–2, 2006–1 CB 261.) The                       E. Exceptions
                                           Partner’s allocable share of gain from all              resolution of this question is beyond the
                                                                                                                                                          i. De Minimis Exception
                                           of the Stock of the Corporate Partner, if               scope of these final regulations.
                                           the partnership sold all of its assets in               However, because the distribution to a                   The 2015 regulations set forth a de
                                           a fully taxable transaction for cash in an              Corporate Partner of its own stock                     minimis rule providing that the 2015
                                           amount equal to the fair market value of                affects the Corporate Partner’s basis in               regulations do not apply to a Corporate
                                           such property (taking into account                      other distributed property and any                     Partner if three conditions are satisfied.
                                           section 7701(g)) immediately before the                 retained partnership interest, these final             These conditions are tested upon the
                                           distribution. See Examples 3 and 4 of                   regulations make clear that the                        occurrence of a Section 337(d)
                                           § 1.337(d)–3(h) in these final                                                                                 Transaction and upon any subsequent
                                                                                                   partnership and the Corporate Partner
                                           regulations. This special rule is                                                                              revaluation event described in § 1.704–
                                                                                                   must determine the basis of other
                                           necessary to prevent basis from shifting                                                                       1(b)(2)(iv)(f).
                                           away from distributed Stock of the                      distributed property and any retained
                                           Corporate Partner to other property.                    partnership interest by reference to the                 The first condition requires that both
                                           This basis shift could occur, for                       partnership’s basis in the distributed                 the Corporate Partner and any persons
                                           example, upon a distribution of less                    Stock of the Corporate Partner. That is,               related to the Corporate Partner under
                                           than all of the partnership’s Stock of the              the Corporate Partner determines its                   section 267(b) or section 707(b) own, in
                                           Corporate Partner to the Corporate                      basis in other distributed property and                the aggregate, less than 5 percent of the
                                           Partner.                                                in any retained partnership interest as                partnership. The second condition
                                              The commenter asked whether this                     though the distributed stock was stock                 requires that the partnership hold Stock
                                           basis rule applies solely to the Corporate              other than Stock of the Corporate                      of the Corporate Partner worth less than
                                           Partner or whether it applies for all                   Partner. Similarly, the 2015 regulations               2 percent of the value of the
                                           purposes and recommended expanding                      computed any gain recognition on the                   partnership’s gross assets, including
                                           Example 4 of § 1.337(d)–3(h) in these                   distribution by comparing the Corporate                Stock of the Corporate Partner. The
                                           final regulations (which was numbered                   Partner’s basis in its partnership interest            third condition requires that the
                                           as Example 3 in the 2015 regulations                    to the basis of that Stock of the                      partnership has never, at any point in
                                           under section 337(d)) to address the                    Corporate Partner in the hands of the                  time, held more than $1,000,000 in
                                           basis consequences to the partnership                                                                          Stock of the Corporate Partner or more
                                                                                                   partnership (without regard to whether
                                           and to the non-corporate partner. The                                                                          than 2 percent of any particular class of
                                                                                                   the Corporate Partner can have basis in
                                           Treasury Department and the IRS                                                                                Stock of the Corporate Partner.
                                                                                                   the distributed stock). No inference is
                                           confirm that this basis rule applies for                                                                         The 2015 regulations provided a
                                           all purposes, and these final regulations               intended with respect to the question of
                                                                                                   whether a corporation does or does not                 special rule that applies if the
                                           expand Example 4 of § 1.337(d)–3(h) to                                                                         conditions of the de minimis rule are
                                           discuss the basis that AX partnership                   have basis in its own stock.
                                                                                                                                                          satisfied at the time of a Section 337(d)
                                           and partner A have in the X stock that                     The commenter noted that                            Transaction, but are not satisfied at the
                                           is distributed to A.                                    duplication of gain under sections                     time of a subsequent Section 337(d)
                                              The second rule applied when a                       337(d) and 732(f) may occur under the                  Transaction or revaluation event
                                           Corporate Partner receives both Stock of                2015 regulations. The commenter                        described in § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f). This
                                           the Corporate Partner and other                         provided an example in which a                         rule provided that, solely for purposes
                                           property in a section 337(d)                            Corporate Partner could potentially                    of the deemed redemption rule, a
                                           distribution. Under this rule, the basis                recognize gain first under section 337(d)              Corporate Partner may determine its
                                           to be allocated to the properties                       from a partnership distribution to which               gain on the subsequent acquisition or
                                           distributed under section 732(a) or (b) is
                                                                                                   section 732(f) does not apply, because                 revaluation event as if it had already
                                           allocated first to the Stock of the
                                                                                                   its control requirement is not satisfied at            recognized gain at the previous event.
                                           Corporate Partner before taking into
                                                                                                   the time of the distribution, but then                 Accordingly, the Corporate Partner
                                           account the distribution of any other
                                                                                                   later be subject to the 732(f) basis                   would only recognize gain with respect
                                           property (other than cash). Therefore,
                                                                                                   reduction if the control requirement is                to appreciation arising between the
                                           before taking into account the
                                                                                                   subsequently satisfied. The Treasury                   earlier acquisition or revaluation event
                                           distribution of other property, the
                                                                                                   Department and the IRS agree with the                  and the subsequent event. Neither the
                                           Corporate Partner will reduce its basis
                                                                                                   commenter and therefore, these final                   Corporate Partner nor the partnership
                                           in its partnership interest by the
                                                                                                   regulations set forth a basis rule                     increases its basis by the gain the
                                           Corporate Partner’s basis in the
                                           distributed Stock of the Corporate                      providing that, for purposes of                        Corporate Partner would have
                                           Partner (but not below zero). The                       determining the amount of the decrease                 recognized if the de minimis rule did
                                           Corporate Partner will determine its                    to the basis of property held by a                     not apply to the prior acquisition or
                                           basis in other distributed partnership                                                                         revaluation event.
                                                                                                   distributed corporation pursuant to
                                           property and in its remaining                           section 732(f), the amount of this                       The Treasury Department and the IRS
                                           partnership interest after giving effect to             decrease is reduced by the amount of                   are concerned that taxpayers could
                                           this reduction. The 2015 regulations set                gain that a Corporate Partner has                      intentionally plan to combine entities,
                                           forth this rule to ensure that the                      recognized under this section in a                     each meeting the de minimis limits, to
                                           purposes of the repeal of the General                   Section 337(d) Transaction, both in                    avoid the purposes of these final
                                           Utilities doctrine are not circumvented                 cases where section 732(f) applies at the              regulations. To address this concern, in
                                           through the use of any provision of law                                                                        these final regulations, the Treasury
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                                                                                                   time of the Section 337(d) Transaction
                                           or regulations.                                                                                                Department and the IRS add a clarifying
                                                                                                   and in cases where section 732(f) is
                                              When a Corporate Partner receives a                                                                         provision to the de minimis exception
                                                                                                   subsequently triggered. This rule
                                           partnership distribution of its own                                                                            stating that the exception does not apply
                                           stock, it is unclear under existing law                 prevents the Corporate Partner from                    to Stock of the Corporate Partner that is
                                           whether the Corporate Partner has basis                 recognizing the same gain twice.                       acquired as part of a plan to circumvent
                                           in that stock. (See, for example, Rev.                                                                         the purpose of these final regulations.


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                           26587

                                           ii. Exception for Certain Dispositions of               therefore believe that providing such                  group. The Treasury Department and
                                           Stock                                                   detailed examples is beyond the scope                  the IRS decline to adopt the comment
                                              The 2015 regulations set forth another               of these final regulations.                            because there could be unanticipated
                                           exception titled the ‘‘inadvertence rule.’’                                                                    consequences if the distributed
                                                                                                   2. Final Regulations Under Section
                                           This exception provided that the 2015                                                                          corporation were a controlled foreign
                                                                                                   732(f)
                                           regulations do not apply to Section                                                                            corporation.
                                                                                                      These final regulations adopt the rules
                                           337(d) Transactions in which the                        set forth in the 2015 regulations under                B. Gain Elimination Transactions
                                           partnership satisfies two requirements.                 section 732(f) without any change to                      The 2015 regulations also provided
                                           First, the partnership must dispose of,                 conform the application of section                     rules that restrict corporate partners
                                           by sale or distribution, the Stock of the               732(f) with Congress’ identified                       from entering into transactions or a
                                           Corporate Partner before the due date                   purposes for enacting sections 337(d),                 series of transactions (gain elimination
                                           (including extensions) of its federal                   732(f), and 1502 in certain situations.                transactions), such as a distribution
                                           income tax return for the taxable year in
                                                                                                   A. Aggregation of Section 732(b) Basis                 followed by a reorganization under
                                           which the partnership acquired the
                                                                                                   Adjustments                                            section 368(a), that might eliminate gain
                                           stock (or in which the Corporate Partner
                                                                                                                                                          in the stock of a distributed corporation
                                           joined the partnership, if applicable).                    As discussed in the Background,                     while avoiding the effects of a basis
                                           Second, the partnership must not have                   section 732(f) generally applies on a                  step-down in transactions, because the
                                           distributed the Stock of the Corporate                  partner-by-partner basis. However, the                 section 732(f) control requirement is not
                                           Partner to the Corporate Partner or a                   Treasury Department and the IRS                        immediately satisfied.
                                           person possessing section 304(c) control                determined that, in certain                               Accordingly, the 2015 regulations
                                           of the Corporate Partner.                               circumstances, it is appropriate to                    provided that, in the event of a gain
                                              The commenter asked, whether,                        aggregate the bases of consolidated                    elimination transaction, section 732(f)
                                           notwithstanding the exception’s title,                  group members in a partnership for                     shall apply as though the corporate
                                           the dispositions needed to be                           purposes of applying section 732(f).                   partner acquired control (as defined in
                                           inadvertent to qualify for the exception.                  The 2015 regulations provided that                  section 732(f)(5)) of the distributed
                                           In order to avoid any ambiguity or any                  corporate partners that are members of                 corporation immediately before the gain
                                           assumption that these dispositions must                 the same consolidated group (as defined                elimination transaction.
                                           be inadvertent, these final regulations                 in § 1.1502–1(h)) could aggregate their                   The Treasury Department and the IRS
                                           rename the exception to state that the                  bases in interests in the same                         did not receive comments on the
                                           exception simply applies to ‘‘certain                   partnership for purposes of section                    proposed rule governing gain
                                           dispositions of stock’’ that qualify for                732(f) when two conditions are met.                    elimination transactions. These final
                                           the exception and that inadvertence is                  First, two or more of the corporate                    regulations adopt the rules set forth in
                                           not a requirement.                                      partners receive a distribution of stock               the 2015 regulations.
                                              The Treasury Department and the IRS                  in a distributed corporation from the
                                           also note that this exception requires                  partnership. Second, the distributed                   C. Tiered Partnerships
                                           that the stock at issue is not distributed              corporation is or becomes a member of                     The 2015 regulations required
                                           to the Corporate Partner or a Controlling               the distributee partners’ consolidated                 taxpayers to apply its rules to tiered
                                           Corporation. As discussed in (1)(B) of                  group following the distribution.                      partnerships in a manner consistent
                                           this Explanation of Provisions with                        Under this rule, section 732(f) only                with the purpose of section 732(f).
                                           respect to the general definition of Stock              applies to the extent that the                         These final regulations maintain this
                                           of the Corporate Partner, the Treasury                  partnership’s adjusted basis in the                    requirement. The commenter requested
                                           Department and the IRS are considering                  distributed stock immediately before the               that these final regulations provide
                                           publishing new proposed regulations to                  distribution exceeds the aggregate basis               examples illustrating their application
                                           modify the definition of Stock of the                   of the distributed stock in the hands of               to tiered partnerships. The Treasury
                                           Corporate Partner to remove the                         all members of the distributee corporate               Department and the IRS decline to
                                           exception for attribution under section                 partners’ consolidated group                           adopt this comment, because such
                                           318(a)(1) and (3) from the scope of                     immediately after the distribution. The                examples are beyond the scope of these
                                           section 304(c) control.                                 2015 regulations included the                          final regulations, which is to set forth
                                                                                                   requirement that the distributed                       rules of general applicability governing
                                           F. Other Comments
                                                                                                   corporation be a member of the                         the application of section 732(f) to two
                                              The commenter requested that these                   consolidated group in order to avoid                   specific sets of circumstances.
                                           final regulations provide examples on                   unintended consequences that could
                                           how to measure a Corporate Partner’s                    result if that corporation were a                      Applicability Date
                                           partnership interest in more complex                    controlled foreign corporation.                           These final regulations apply to
                                           partnership agreements, such as                            The commenter recommended that                      transactions occurring on or after June
                                           situations in which the agreement                       the final regulations extend this basis-               12, 2015.
                                           contains a distribution waterfall.                      aggregation rule to include a distributed
                                           Similarly, the commenter requested that                 corporation (including a controlled                    Special Analyses
                                           these final regulations provide more                    foreign corporation) that is owned by                    This regulation is not subject to
                                           detailed examples relating to tiered                    members of the distributee partners’                   review under section 6(b) of Executive
                                           partnership structures. The Treasury                    consolidated group following the                       Order 12866 pursuant to the
                                           Department and the IRS believe that the                 distribution. The commenter stated that                Memorandum of Agreement (April 11,
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                                           purpose of these final regulations is to                the distributed corporation need not be                2018) between the Department of the
                                           set forth rules of general applicability to             a member of the distributee partners’                  Treasury and the Office of Management
                                           prevent a corporate partner from                        consolidated group, and that the rule                  and Budget regarding review of tax
                                           avoiding corporate level gain through                   should apply to corporations like a                    regulations.
                                           transactions with a partnership. The                    controlled foreign corporation that                      Further, pursuant to the Regulatory
                                           Treasury Department and the IRS                         cannot be a member of a consolidated                   Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6), it is


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                                           26588                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                           hereby certified that these final                       ■ Par. 2. Section 1.337(d)–3 is added to               transaction (or series of transactions)
                                           regulations would not have a significant                read as follows:                                       that has the effect of an exchange by a
                                           economic impact on a substantial                                                                               Corporate Partner of its interest in
                                           number of small entities. This                          § 1.337(d)–3 Gain recognition upon certain             appreciated property for an interest in
                                                                                                   partnership transactions involving a
                                           certification is based on the fact that                 partner’s stock.
                                                                                                                                                          Stock of the Corporate Partner owned,
                                           these final regulations would primarily                                                                        acquired, or distributed by a
                                                                                                     (a) Purpose. The purpose of this                     partnership. For example, a Section
                                           affect sophisticated ownership
                                                                                                   section is to prevent corporate taxpayers              337(d) Transaction may occur when —
                                           structures involving corporations that
                                                                                                   from using a partnership to circumvent                    (i) A Corporate Partner contributes
                                           own partnerships owning stock or other
                                                                                                   gain required to be recognized under                   appreciated property to a partnership
                                           equity interests in corporate partners.
                                                                                                   section 311(b) or section 336(a). The                  that owns Stock of the Corporate
                                           Additionally, these final regulations
                                                                                                   rules of this section, including the                   Partner;
                                           contain a number of de minimis and
                                                                                                   determination of the amount of gain,                      (ii) A partnership acquires Stock of
                                           other exceptions that render the final
                                                                                                   must be applied in a manner that is                    the Corporate Partner;
                                           regulations inapplicable to most small
                                                                                                   consistent with and reasonably carries                    (iii) A partnership that owns Stock of
                                           businesses, and do not impose a
                                                                                                   out this purpose.                                      the Corporate Partner distributes
                                           collection of information on small
                                                                                                      (b) In general. This section applies                appreciated property to a partner other
                                           entities.
                                              Pursuant to section 7805(f), these final             when a partnership, either directly or                 than a Corporate Partner;
                                           regulations have been submitted to the                  indirectly, owns, acquires, or distributes                (iv) A partnership distributes Stock of
                                           Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small                 Stock of the Corporate Partner (within                 the Corporate Partner to the Corporate
                                           Business Administration for comment                     the meaning of paragraph (c)(2) of this                Partner; or
                                                                                                   section). Under paragraphs (d) or (e) of                  (v) A partnership agreement is
                                           on its impact on small business, and no
                                                                                                   this section, a Corporate Partner (within              amended in a manner that increases a
                                           comments were received.
                                                                                                   the meaning of paragraph (c)(1) of this                Corporate Partner’s interest in Stock of
                                           Statement of Availability of IRS                        section) is required to recognize gain                 the Corporate Partner (including in
                                           Documents                                               when a transaction has the effect of the               connection with a contribution to, or
                                              Notice 89–37 cited in this document                  Corporate Partner acquiring or                         distribution from, a partnership).
                                           is published in the Internal Revenue                    increasing an interest in its own stock                   (4) Gain Percentage. A Corporate
                                           Bulletin (or Cumulative Bulletin) and is                in exchange for appreciated property in                Partner’s Gain Percentage equals a
                                           available from the Superintendent of                    a manner that contravenes the purpose                  fraction, the numerator of which is the
                                           Documents, U.S. Government                              of this section as set forth in paragraph              Corporate Partner’s interest (by value) in
                                           Publishing Office, Washington, DC                       (a) of this section. Paragraph (f) of this             appreciated property effectively
                                           20402, or by visiting the IRS website at                section sets forth exceptions under                    exchanged for Stock of the Corporate
                                           http://www.irs.gov.                                     which a Corporate Partner does not                     Partner under the test described in
                                                                                                   recognize gain.                                        paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section,
                                           Drafting Information                                       (c) Definitions. The following                      and the denominator of which is the
                                             The principal author of these final                   definitions apply for purposes of this                 Corporate Partner’s interest (by value) in
                                           regulations is Kevin I. Babitz, Office of               section:                                               that appreciated property immediately
                                           the Associate Chief Counsel                                (1) Corporate Partner. A Corporate                  before the Section 337(d) Transaction.
                                           (Passthroughs and Special Industries).                  Partner is a person that is classified as              Paragraph (d) of this section requires a
                                           However, other personnel from the                       a corporation for federal income tax                   partnership to multiply the Gain
                                           Treasury Department and the IRS                         purposes and holds or acquires an                      Percentage by the Corporate Partner’s
                                           participated in their development.                      interest in a partnership.                             aggregate gain in appreciated property
                                                                                                      (2) Stock of the Corporate Partner—(i)              to determine gain recognized under this
                                           List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 1                       In general. With respect to a Corporate                section.
                                             Income taxes, Reporting and                           Partner, Stock of the Corporate Partner                   (d) Deemed redemption rule—(1) In
                                           recordkeeping requirements.                             includes the Corporate Partner’s stock,                general. A Corporate Partner in a
                                                                                                   or other equity interests, including                   partnership that engages in a Section
                                           Amendments to the Regulations                           options, warrants, and similar interests,              337(d) Transaction recognizes gain at
                                             Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is                         in the Corporate Partner or a corporation              the time, and to the extent, that the
                                           amended as follows:                                     that controls the Corporate Partner                    Corporate Partner’s interest in
                                                                                                   within the meaning of section 304(c)                   appreciated property (other than Stock
                                           PART I—INCOME TAXES                                     (except that section 318(a)(1) and (3)                 of the Corporate Partner) is reduced in
                                           ■ Paragraph 1. The authority citation                   shall not apply). Stock of the Corporate               exchange for an increased interest in
                                           for part 1 is amended by removing the                   Partner also includes interests in any                 Stock of the Corporate Partner, as
                                           sectional authority for § 1.337(d)–3T,                  entity to the extent that the value of the             determined under paragraph (d)(2) of
                                           adding a sectional authority for                        interest is attributable to Stock of the               this section. This section does not apply
                                           § 1.337(d)(3) in numerical order, and                   Corporate Partner.                                     to the extent a transaction has the effect
                                                                                                      (ii) Affiliated partner exception. Stock            of an exchange by a Corporate Partner
                                           revising the sectional authority for
                                                                                                   of the Corporate Partner does not                      of non-appreciated property for Stock of
                                           § 1.732–3 to read as follows:
                                                                                                   include any stock or other equity                      the Corporate Partner, or has the effect
                                               Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *                     interests held or acquired by a                        of an exchange by a Corporate Partner
                                           *      *     *       *      *                           partnership if all interests in the                    for property other than Stock of the
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                                             Section 1.337(d)–3 also issued under 26               partnership’s capital and profits are                  Corporate Partner.
                                           U.S.C. 337(d).                                          held by members of an affiliated group                    (2) Corporate Partner’s interest in
                                           *      *     *       *      *                           as defined in section 1504(a) that                     partnership property. The Corporate
                                             Section 1.732–3 also issued under 26                  includes the Corporate Partner.                        Partner’s interest with respect to both
                                           U.S.C. 337(d), 732(f)(8), and 1502.                        (3) Section 337(d) Transaction. A                   Stock of the Corporate Partner and the
                                           *      *     *       *      *                           Section 337(d) Transaction is a                        appreciated property that is the subject


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                         26589

                                           of the exchange is determined based on                  such property (taking into account                     paragraph (e)(3) of this section, the
                                           all facts and circumstances, including                  section 7701(g)).                                      partnership’s basis of Stock of the
                                           the allocation and distribution rights set                 (4) Basis adjustments—(i) Corporate                 Corporate Partner distributed to the
                                           forth in the partnership agreement. The                 Partner’s basis in the partnership                     partner equals the greater of—
                                           Corporate Partner’s interest in an                      interest. The basis of the Corporate                      (A) The partnership’s basis of that
                                           identified share of Stock of the                        Partner’s interest in the partnership is               distributed Stock of the Corporate
                                           Corporate Partner will never be less                    increased by the amount of gain that the               Partner immediately before the
                                           than the Corporate Partner’s largest                    Corporate Partner recognizes under this                distribution; or
                                           interest (by value) in that share of Stock              paragraph (d).                                            (B) The fair market value of that
                                           of the Corporate Partner that was taken                    (ii) Partnership’s basis in partnership             distributed Stock of the Corporate
                                           into account when the partnership                       property. The partnership’s adjusted tax               Partner immediately before the
                                           previously determined whether there                     basis in the appreciated property that is              distribution less the partner’s allocable
                                           had been a Section 337(d) Transaction                   treated as the subject of the exchange                 share of gain from all of the Stock of the
                                           with respect to such share (regardless of               under this paragraph (d) is increased by               Corporate Partner if the partnership sold
                                           whether the Corporate Partner                           the amount of gain recognized with                     all of its assets in a fully taxable
                                           recognized gain in the earlier                          respect to that property by the Corporate              transaction for cash in an amount equal
                                           transaction). See Example 7 of                          Partner as a result of that exchange,                  to the fair market value of such property
                                           paragraph (h) of this section. However,                 regardless of whether the partnership                  (taking into account section 7701(g))
                                           this limitation will not apply if any                   has an election in effect under section                immediately before the distribution.
                                           reduction in the Corporate Partner’s                    754. For basis recovery purposes, this                    (iii) Section 732(f) basis reduction.
                                           interest in the identified share of Stock               basis increase is treated as property that             For purposes of determining the amount
                                           of the Corporate Partner occurred as part               is placed in service by the partnership                of the decrease to the basis of property
                                           of a plan or arrangement to circumvent                  in the taxable year of the Section 337(d)              held by a distributed corporation
                                           the purpose of this section. See Example                Transaction.                                           pursuant to section 732(f), the amount
                                           8 of paragraph (h) of this section.                        (e) Distribution of Stock of the                    of this decrease shall be reduced by the
                                              (3) Amount and character of gain                     Corporate Partner—(1) In general. This                 amount of gain that a Corporate Partner
                                           recognized on the exchange—(i)                          paragraph (e) applies to distributions to              has recognized under this section in the
                                           Amount of gain. The amount of gain the                  the Corporate Partner of Stock of the                  same Section 337(d) Transaction or in a
                                           Corporate Partner recognizes under                      Corporate Partner to which section                     prior Section 337(d) Transaction
                                           paragraph (d)(1) of this section equals                 732(f) does not apply and that have                    involving the property.
                                           the product of the Corporate Partner’s                  previously been the subject of a Section                  (3) Gain recognition. The Corporate
                                           Gain Percentage and the gain from the                   337(d) Transaction or become the                       Partner will recognize gain on a
                                           appreciated property that is the subject                subject of a Section 337(d) Transaction                distribution of Stock of the Corporate
                                           of the exchange that the Corporate                      as a result of the distribution. Upon the              Partner to the Corporate Partner to the
                                           Partner would recognize if, immediately                 distribution of Stock of the Corporate                 extent that the partnership’s adjusted
                                           before the Section 337(d) Transaction,                  Partner to the Corporate Partner,                      basis in the distributed Stock of the
                                           all assets of the partnership and any                   paragraph (d) of this section will apply               Corporate Partner (as determined under
                                           assets contributed to the partnership in                as though immediately before the                       paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section)
                                           the Section 337(d) Transaction were                     distribution the partners amended the                  immediately before the distribution
                                           sold in a fully taxable transaction for                 partnership agreement to allocate to the               exceeds the Corporate Partner’s adjusted
                                           cash in an amount equal to the fair                     Corporate Partner a 100 percent interest               basis in its partnership interest
                                           market value of such property (taking                   in that portion of the Stock of the                    immediately after the distribution.
                                           into account section 7701(g)), reduced,                 Corporate Partner that is distributed,                    (f) Exceptions—(1) De minimis rule—
                                           but not below zero, by any gain the                     and to allocate an appropriately reduced               (i) In general. Unless Stock of the
                                           Corporate Partner is required to                        interest in other partnership property                 Corporate Partner is acquired as part of
                                           recognize with respect to the                           away from the Corporate Partner.                       a plan to circumvent the purpose of this
                                           appreciated property in the Section                        (2) Basis rules—(i) Basis allocation on             section, this section does not apply to a
                                           337(d) Transaction under any other                      distributions of stock and other                       Corporate Partner if at the time that the
                                           provision of this chapter. This gain is                 property. If, as part of the same                      partnership acquires Stock of the
                                           computed taking into account                            transaction, a partnership distributes                 Corporate Partner or at the time of a
                                           allocations of tax items applying the                   Stock of the Corporate Partner and other               revaluation event as described in
                                           principles of section 704(c), including                 property (other than cash) to the                      § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f) (without regard to
                                           any remedial allocations under § 1.704–                 Corporate Partner, see § 1.732–                        whether or not the partnership revalues
                                           3(d), and also taking into account any                  1(c)(1)(iii) for a rule allocating basis first         its assets)—
                                           basis adjustments including adjustments                 to the Stock of the Corporate Partner                     (A) The Corporate Partner and any
                                           made pursuant to section 743(b).                        before the distribution of the other                   persons related to the Corporate Partner
                                              (ii) Character of gain. The character of             property.                                              under section 267(b) or section 707(b)
                                           the gain that the Corporate Partner                        (ii) Computation of basis. For                      own in the aggregate less than 5 percent
                                           recognizes under paragraph (d)(1) of this               purposes of determining the basis of                   of the partnership;
                                           section from the appreciated property                   property distributed to a partner in a                    (B) The partnership holds Stock of the
                                           that is the subject of the exchange shall               transaction that includes the                          Corporate Partner with a value of less
                                           be the character of the gain that the                   distribution of Stock of the Corporate                 than 2 percent of the partnership’s gross
                                           Corporate Partner would recognize if,                   Partner (other than the basis of the                   assets (including the Stock of the
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                                           immediately before the Section 337(d)                   Corporate Partner in its own stock), the               Corporate Partner); and
                                           Transaction, the Corporate Partner had                  basis of the partner’s remaining                          (C) The partnership has never, at any
                                           disposed of the appreciated property                    partnership interest, and the                          point in time, held in the aggregate—
                                           that is the subject of the exchange in a                partnership’s basis in undistributed                      (1) Stock of the Corporate Partner
                                           fully taxable transaction for cash in an                Stock of the Corporate Partner, and for                with a fair market value greater than
                                           amount equal to the fair market value of                purposes of computing gain under                       $1,000,000; or


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                                           26590                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                              (2) More than 2 percent of any                          (iii) X must recognize gain under paragraph         the numerator of which is X’s $50 interest in
                                           particular class of Stock of the Corporate              (d) of this section with respect to Asset 1 to         Asset 1 effectively exchanged for Stock of the
                                           Partner.                                                prevent the circumvention of section 311(b)            Corporate Partner, and the denominator of
                                              (ii) De minimis rule ceases to apply.                principles. X’s gain equals the product of X’s         which is X’s $100 interest in Asset 1
                                                                                                   Gain Percentage and the gain from Asset 1              immediately before the Section 337(d)
                                           If a partnership satisfies the conditions
                                                                                                   that X would recognize (decreased, but not             Transaction). Thus, X recognizes $40 of gain
                                           of the de minimis rule of paragraph                     below zero, by any gain that X recognized              ($80 multiplied by 50 percent) under the
                                           (f)(1) of this section upon an acquisition              with respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d)          deemed redemption rule in paragraph (d) of
                                           of Stock of the Corporate Partner or                    Transaction under any other provision of this          this section. Under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this
                                           revaluation event as described in                       chapter) if, immediately before the Section            section, X’s basis in its AX partnership
                                           § 1.704–1(b)(2)(iv)(f), but later fails to              337(d) Transaction, all assets were sold in a          interest increases from $20 to $60. Under
                                           satisfy the conditions of the de minimis                fully taxable transaction for cash in an               paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this section, AX’s basis
                                           rule upon a subsequent acquisition or                   amount equal to the fair market value of such          in Asset 1 increases from $20 to $60 because
                                           revaluation event, then solely for                      property. If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully          Asset 1 is the appreciated property treated as
                                                                                                   taxable transaction immediately before the             the subject of the exchange.
                                           purposes of paragraph (d) of this                       formation of partnership AX, X’s allocable                Example 3. Distribution of Stock of the
                                           section, the Corporate Partner may                      share of gain would have been $80. X’s Gain            Corporate Partner—pro rata distribution. (i)
                                           compute its gain on the subsequent                      Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a fraction,         The facts are the same as in Example 1(i) of
                                           acquisition or revaluation event as if it               the numerator of which is X’s $50 interest in          this paragraph (h). AX liquidates in Year 9,
                                           had already recognized gain at the                      Asset 1 effectively exchanged for X stock,             when Asset 1 and the X stock each have a
                                           previous event. Neither the Corporate                   and the denominator of which is X’s $100               fair market value of $200. X and A each
                                           Partner nor the partnership increases its               interest in Asset 1 immediately before the             receive 50 percent of Asset 1 and 50 percent
                                           basis by the gain the Corporate Partner                 Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X                   of the X stock in the liquidation. At the time
                                           would have recognized if the de                         recognizes $40 of gain ($80 multiplied by 50           AX liquidates, X’s basis in its AX partnership
                                                                                                   percent) under the deemed redemption rule              interest is $60 and A’s basis in its AX
                                           minimis rule of paragraph (f)(1) of this                in paragraph (d) of this section. Under                partnership interest is $100.
                                           section did not apply to the prior                      paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, X’s basis in         (ii) When AX liquidates, X’s interests in its
                                           acquisition or revaluation event.                       its AX partnership interest increases from             stock and in Asset 1 do not change. Thus, the
                                              (2) Certain dispositions of stock.                   $20 to $60. Under paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this         liquidation is not a Section 337(d)
                                           Unless acquired as part of a plan to                    section, AX’s basis in Asset 1 increases from          Transaction because it does not have the
                                           circumvent the purpose of this section,                 $20 to $60 because Asset 1 is the appreciated          effect of an exchange by X of appreciated
                                           this section does not apply to Stock of                 property treated as the subject of the                 property for Stock of the Corporate Partner.
                                           the Corporate Partner that—                             exchange.                                                 (iii) Paragraph (e) of this section applies
                                              (i) Is disposed of (by sale or                          Example 2. Deemed redemption rule—                  because the distributed X stock was the
                                           distribution) by the partnership before                 contribution of stock in a corporation that            subject of a previous Section 337(d)
                                                                                                   controls the Corporate Partner. (i) In Year 1,         Transaction and because section 732(f) does
                                           the due date (including extensions) of
                                                                                                   X, a corporation, and A, an individual, form           not apply. Under § 1.732–1(c)(1)(iii), the
                                           its federal income tax return for the                   partnership AX as equal partners in all                distribution to X of X stock is deemed to
                                           taxable year during which the Stock of                  respects. X contributes Asset 1 with a fair            immediately precede the distribution of 50
                                           the Corporate Partner is acquired (or for               market value of $100 and a basis of $20. A             percent of Asset 1 to X for purposes of
                                           the taxable year in which the Corporate                 contributes stock in P, with a basis and fair          determining X’s basis in the distributed
                                           Partner becomes a partner, whichever is                 market value of $100. P is the sole owner of           property. For purposes of determining X’s
                                           applicable); and                                        X. P’s interest in X constitutes 10 percent of         basis in Asset 1 and X’s gain on distribution,
                                              (ii) Is not distributed to the Corporate             P’s total assets.                                      the basis of the distributed X stock is treated
                                           Partner or a corporation that controls                     (ii) Because P controls X within the                as $50, the greater of $50 (50 percent of the
                                           the Corporate Partner within the                        meaning of section 304(c), stock in P is Stock         stock’s $100 basis in the hands of the
                                                                                                   of the Corporate Partner under paragraph               partnership), or $50, the fair market value of
                                           meaning of section 304(c), except that
                                                                                                   (c)(2)(i) of this section.                             that distributed X stock ($100) less X’s
                                           section 318(a)(1) and (3) shall not apply.                 (iii) Because A and X are equal partners in         allocable share of gain from the distributed
                                              (g) Tiered partnerships. The rules of                AX in all respects, the partnership formation          X stock if AX had sold all of its assets in a
                                           this section shall apply to tiered                      causes X’s interest in Stock of the Corporate          fully taxable transaction for cash in an
                                           partnerships in a manner that is                        Partner stock to increase from $0 to $50 and           amount equal to the fair market value of such
                                           consistent with the purpose set forth in                its interest in Asset 1 to decrease from $100          property immediately before the distribution
                                           paragraph (a) of this section.                          to $50. Thus, the partnership formation is a           ($50). Thus, X reduces its basis in its
                                              (h) Examples. The following examples                 Section 337(d) Transaction because the                 partnership interest by $50 prior to the
                                           illustrate the principles of this section.              formation has the effect of an exchange by X           distribution of Asset 1. Accordingly, X’s basis
                                           All amounts in the following examples                   of $50 of Asset 1 for $50 of Stock of the              in the distributed portion of Asset 1 is $10.
                                           are reported in millions of dollars:                    Corporate Partner.                                     Because AX’s basis in the distributed X stock
                                              Example 1. Deemed redemption rule—                      (iv) X must recognize gain under paragraph          immediately before the distribution ($50)
                                           contribution of Stock of the Corporate                  (d) of this section with respect to Asset 1 to         does not exceed X’s basis in its AX
                                           Partner. (i) In Year 1, X, a corporation, and           prevent the circumvention of section 311(b)            partnership interest immediately before the
                                           A, an individual, form partnership AX as                principles. X’s gain equals the product of X’s         distribution ($60), X recognizes no gain
                                           equal partners in all respects. X contributes           Gain Percentage and the gain from Asset 1              under paragraph (e)(3) of this section.
                                           Asset 1 with a fair market value of $100 and            that X would recognize (decreased, but not                Example 4. Distribution of Stock of the
                                           a basis of $20. A contributes X stock, which            below zero, by any gain that X recognized              Corporate Partner—non pro rata distribution.
                                           is Stock of the Corporate Partner, with a basis         with respect to Asset 1 in the Section 337(d)          (i) The facts are the same as Example 3(i) of
                                           and fair market value of $100.                          Transaction under any other provision of this          this paragraph (h), except that when AX
                                              (ii) Because A and X are equal partners in           chapter) if, immediately before the Section            liquidates, X receives 75 percent of the X
                                           AX in all respects, the partnership formation           337(d) Transaction, all assets were sold in a          stock and 25 percent of Asset 1 and A
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                                           causes X’s interest in X stock to increase from         fully taxable transaction for cash in an               receives 25 percent of the X stock and 75
                                           $0 to $50 and its interest in Asset 1 to                amount equal to the fair market value of such          percent of Asset 1.
                                           decrease from $100 to $50. Thus, the                    property. If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully             (ii) The liquidation of AX causes X’s
                                           partnership formation is a Section 337(d)               taxable transaction immediately before the             interest in X stock to increase from $100 to
                                           Transaction because the formation has the               formation of partnership AX, X’s allocable             $150 and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease
                                           effect of an exchange by X of $50 of Asset 1            share of gain would have been $80. X’s Gain            from $100 to $50. Thus, AX’s liquidating
                                           for $50 of X stock.                                     Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a fraction,         distributions of X stock and Asset 1 to X are



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                                           a Section 337(d) Transaction because the                basis of the distributed X stock is treated as         Asset 1 had been sold in a fully taxable
                                           distributions have the effect of an exchange            $25, the greater of $25 (25 percent of the             transaction immediately before the
                                           by X of $50 of Asset 1 for $50 of X stock.              stock’s $100 basis in the hands of the                 amendment of the AX partnership agreement,
                                              (iii)(A) X must recognize gain with respect          partnership) or $0, the fair market value of           X’s allocable share of gain would have been
                                           to Asset 1 to prevent the circumvention of              the distributed X stock ($50) less A’s                 $90, or the sum of X’s $40 remaining gain
                                           section 311(b) principles. Under paragraph              allocable share of gain if the partnership had         under section 704(c) and 50 percent of the
                                           (e)(1) of this section, paragraph (d) of this           sold all of the X stock immediately before the         $100 post-contribution appreciation. X’s Gain
                                           section is applied as if X and A amended the            distribution for cash in an amount equal to            Percentage is 60 percent (equal to a fraction,
                                           AX partnership agreement to allocate to X a             its fair market value ($50). Thus, A will              the numerator of which is X’s $60 interest in
                                           100 percent interest in the distributed                 reduce its basis in its partnership interest by        Asset 1 effectively exchanged for X stock,
                                           portion of the X stock. X must recognize gain           $25 prior to the distribution of Asset 1.              and the denominator of which is X’s $100
                                           equal to the product of X’s Gain Percentage             Accordingly, A’s basis in the distributed              interest in Asset 1 immediately before the
                                           and the gain from Asset 1 that X would have             portion of Asset 1 is $75. Because AX’s basis          Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X
                                           recognized (decreased, but not below zero, by           in the distributed X stock immediately before          recognizes $54 of gain ($90 multiplied by 60
                                           any gain X recognized with respect to Asset             the distribution as computed for purposes of           percent) under the deemed redemption rule
                                           1 in the Section 337(d) Transaction under               this section ($100) does not exceed A’s basis          in paragraph (d) of this section. Under
                                           any other provision of this chapter) if,                in its AX partnership interest immediately             paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, X’s basis in
                                           immediately before the Section 337(d)                   before the distribution ($100), A recognizes           its AX partnership interest increases from
                                           Transaction, AX had sold all of its assets in           no additional gain under paragraph (e)(3) of           $60 to $114. Under paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this
                                           a fully taxable transaction for cash in an              this section.                                          section, AX’s basis in Asset 1 increases from
                                           amount equal to the fair market value of such              Example 5. Deemed redemption rule—                  $60 to $114 because Asset 1 is the
                                           property.                                               subsequent purchase of Stock of the                    appreciated property treated as the subject of
                                              (B) If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully              Corporate Partner. The facts are the same as           the exchange.
                                           taxable transaction immediately before the              Example 1(i) of this paragraph (h), except                Example 7. Change in allocation ratios—
                                           amendment of the AX partnership agreement,              that A contributes cash of $100 instead of X           admission and exit of a partner. (i) The facts
                                           X’s allocable share of gain would have been             stock. In a later year, when the value of Asset        are the same as Example 1(i) of this
                                           $90, or the sum of X’s $40 remaining gain               1 has not changed, AX uses the contributed             paragraph (h). In addition, in Year 2, when
                                           under section 704(c) and $50 of the $100                cash to purchase X stock for $100. AX’s                the values of Asset 1 and the X stock have
                                           post-contribution appreciation. X’s Gain                purchase of X stock has the effect of an               not changed, B contributes $100 of cash to
                                           Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a fraction,          exchange by X of appreciated property for X            AX in exchange for a one-third interest in the
                                           the numerator of which is X’s $50 interest in           stock, and thus, is a Section 337(d)                   partnership. Upon the admission of B as a
                                           Asset 1 effectively exchanged for X stock,              Transaction. X must recognize gain at the              partner, X’s interest in Asset 1 decreases from
                                           and the denominator of which is X’s $100                time, and to the extent, that X’s share of             $50 to $33.33, and its interest in B’s
                                           interest in Asset 1 immediately before the              appreciated property (other than X stock) is           contributed cash increases. B’s admission is
                                           Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X                    reduced in exchange for X stock. Thus, the             not a Section 337(d) Transaction because it
                                           recognizes $45 of gain ($90 multiplied by 50            consequences of the partnership’s purchase             does not have the effect of an exchange by
                                           percent) under the deemed redemption rule               of X stock are the same as those described in          X of its interest in Asset 1 for X stock.
                                           in paragraph (d) of this section. Under                 Example 1(ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (h),         Accordingly, X does not recognize gain under
                                           paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, X’s basis in       resulting in X recognizing $40 of gain.                paragraph (d) of this section.
                                           its AX partnership interest increases from                 Example 6. Change in allocation ratios—                (ii) In Year 9, when the values of Asset 1
                                           $60 to $105. Under paragraph (d)(4)(ii) of this         amendment of partnership agreement. (i) The            and the X stock have not changed, the
                                           section, AX’s basis in Asset 1 increases from           facts are the same as Example 3(i) of this             partnership distributes $50 of cash and 50
                                           $60 to $105 because Asset 1 is the                      paragraph (h), except that in Year 9, AX does          percent of Asset 1 (valued at $50) to B in
                                           appreciated property treated as the subject of          not liquidate, and the AX partnership                  liquidation of B’s interest. X and A are equal
                                           the exchange.                                           agreement is amended to allocate to X 80               partners in all respects after the distribution.
                                              (iv)(A) Paragraph (e) of this section applies        percent of the income, gain, loss, and                 Upon the liquidation of B’s interest, X’s
                                           because the distributed X stock was the                 deduction from the X stock and to allocate             interest in Asset 1 decreases from $33.33 to
                                           subject of a previous Section 337(d)                    to A 80 percent of the income, gain, loss, and         $25, and its interest in X stock increases from
                                           Transaction and because section 732(f) does             deduction from Asset 1. If AX had sold the             $33.33 to $50. AX’s liquidation of B’s interest
                                           not apply. Under § 1.732–1(c)(1)(iii), AX is            partnership assets immediately before the              has the effect of an exchange by X of
                                           treated as first distributing the X stock to X          change to the partnership agreement, X                 appreciated property for X stock, and thus, is
                                           before the distribution of 25 percent of Asset          would have been allocated $90 of gain from             a Section 337(d) Transaction.
                                           1. For purposes of determining X’s basis in             Asset 1 and $50 of gain from the X stock.                 (iii) Pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this
                                           Asset 1 and X’s gain on distribution, the basis            (ii) The amendment to the AX partnership            section, X’s interest in X stock and other
                                           of the distributed X stock is treated as $100,          agreement causes X’s interest in its stock to          appreciated property held by the partnership
                                           the greater of $75 (75 percent of the stock’s           increase from $100 (50 percent of the stock            is determined based on all facts and
                                           $100 basis in the hands of the partnership)             value immediately before the amendment of              circumstances, including allocation and
                                           or $100, the fair market value of the                   the agreement) to $160 (80 percent of stock            distribution rights in the partnership
                                           distributed X stock ($150) less X’s allocable           value immediately following amendment of               agreement. However, paragraph (d)(2) of this
                                           share of gain if the partnership had sold all           agreement) and its interest in Asset 1 to              section also requires that X’s interest in its
                                           of the X stock immediately before the                   decrease from $100 to $40. Thus, the                   stock for purposes of paragraph (d) will never
                                           distribution for cash in an amount equal to             amendment of the partnership agreement is              be less than the Corporate Partner’s largest
                                           its fair market value ($50). Thus, X will               a Section 337(d) Transaction because the               interest (by value) in those shares of Stock of
                                           reduce its basis in its partnership interest by         amendment has the effect of an exchange by             the Corporate Partner taken into account
                                           $100 prior to the distribution of Asset 1.              X of $60 of Asset 1 for $60 of its stock.              when the partnership previously determined
                                           Accordingly, X’s basis in the distributed                  (iii) X must recognize gain equal to the            whether there had been a Section 337(d)
                                           portion of Asset 1 is $5. Because AX’s basis            product of X’s Gain Percentage and the gain            Transaction (regardless of whether the
                                           in the distributed X stock immediately before           from Asset 1 that X would have recognized              Corporate Partner recognized gain in the
                                           the distribution as computed for purposes of            (decreased, but not below zero, by any gain            earlier transaction). Although X’s interest in
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                                           this section ($100) does not exceed X’s basis           X recognized with respect to Asset 1 in the            X stock increases to $50 upon AX’s
                                           in its AX partnership interest immediately              Section 337(d) Transaction under any other             liquidation of B’s interest, X’s largest interest
                                           before the distribution ($105), X recognizes            provision of this chapter) if, immediately             previously taken into account under
                                           no additional gain under paragraph (e)(3) of            before the Section 337(d) Transaction, AX              paragraph (d)(1) of this section was $50.
                                           this section.                                           had sold all of its assets in a fully taxable          Thus, X’s interest in its stock is not
                                              (B) For purposes of determining A’s basis            transaction for cash in an amount equal to             considered to be increased, and X therefore
                                           in Asset 1 and A’s gain on distribution, the            the fair market value of such property. If             recognizes no gain under paragraph (d) of



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                                           26592                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations

                                           this section, provided that the transactions            and its interest in Asset 1 to decrease from           rule determining the partnership’s basis
                                           did not occur as part of a plan or arrangement          $64 to $32. Thus, LTP’s formation is a                 in long-term contract accounted for
                                           to circumvent the purpose of this section.              Section 337(d) Transaction because the                 under a long-term contract method of
                                              Example 8. Change in allocation ratios—              formation has the effect of an exchange by X
                                                                                                                                                          accounting.
                                           plan to circumvent purpose of this section. (i)         of $32 of Asset 1 for $32 of X stock.
                                           In Year 1, X, a corporation, and A, an                     (iii) X must recognize gain with respect to            (ii) Other distributed property. Any
                                           individual, contribute $99 and $1,                      Asset 1 to prevent the circumvention of                basis not allocated to unrealized
                                           respectively, to newly-formed partnership               section 311(b) principles. X must recognize            receivables or inventory items under
                                           AX, with X receiving a 99 percent interest in           gain equal to the product of X’s Gain                  paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section or to
                                           AX and A receiving a 1 percent interest in              Percentage and the gain from Asset 1                   stock of persons that control the
                                           AX. AX borrows $100,000 from a third-party              (decreased, but not below zero, by any gain            corporate partner or to the corporate
                                           lender and uses the proceeds to purchase X              X recognized with respect to Asset 1 in the            partner’s stock under paragraph
                                           stock, which is Stock of the Corporate                  Section 337(d) Transaction under any other             (c)(1)(iii) of this section is allocated to
                                           Partner. Later, as part of a plan or                    provision of this chapter) that X would
                                           arrangement to circumvent the purposes of                                                                      any other property distributed to the
                                                                                                   recognize if, immediately before the Section
                                           this section, A contributes $99,999 of cash,            337(d) Transaction, all assets were sold in a          partner in the same transaction by
                                           which AX uses to repay the loan, and X                  fully taxable transaction for cash in an               assigning to each distributed property
                                           contributes Asset 1 with a fair market value            amount equal to the fair market value of such          an amount equal to the adjusted basis of
                                           of $99,901 and basis of $20,000. After these            property. If Asset 1 had been sold in a fully          the property to the partnership
                                           contributions, A and X are equal partners in            taxable transaction immediately before LTP’s           immediately before the distribution.
                                           AX in all respects.                                     formation, X’s allocable share of gain would           However, if the sum of the adjusted
                                              (ii) Pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this            have been $80 pursuant to section 704(c). X’s          bases to the partnership of such other
                                           section, X’s interest in X stock and other              Gain Percentage is 50 percent (equal to a
                                           appreciated property held by the partnership                                                                   distributed property does not equal the
                                                                                                   fraction, the numerator of which is X’s $32
                                           is determined based on all facts and                                                                           basis to be allocated among the
                                                                                                   interest in Asset 1 effectively exchanged for
                                           circumstances, including allocation and                 X stock, and the denominator of which is X’s           distributed property, any increase or
                                           distribution rights in the partnership                  $64 interest in Asset 1 immediately before             decrease required to make the amounts
                                           agreement. Generally, pursuant to paragraph             the Section 337(d) Transaction). Thus, X               equal is allocated among the distributed
                                           (d)(2) of this section, X’s interest in X stock         recognizes $40 of gain ($80 multiplied by 50           property as provided in § 1.732–1(c)(2).
                                           for purposes of paragraph (d) of this section           percent) under the deemed redemption rule                 (iii) Stock distributed to the corporate
                                           will never be less than the Corporate                   in paragraph (d) of this section. Under                partner. If a partnership makes a
                                           Partner’s largest interest (by value) in those          paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and (ii) of this section,         distribution described in § 1.337(d)–
                                           shares of Stock of the Corporate Partner taken          X’s basis in its UTP partnership interest
                                           into account when the partnership                                                                              3(e)(1), then for purposes of this section,
                                                                                                   increases from $0 to $40, UTP’s basis in its
                                           previously determined whether there had                                                                        the basis to be allocated to properties
                                                                                                   LTP partnership interest increases from $20
                                           been a Section 337(d) Transaction (regardless           to $60, and LTP’s basis in Asset 1 increases           distributed under section 732(a)(2) or (b)
                                           of whether the Corporate Partner recognized             from $0 to $40 pursuant to paragraph (g) of            is allocated first to the Stock of the
                                           gain in the earlier transaction). This                  this section.                                          Corporate Partner, as defined in
                                           limitation does not apply, however, if the                                                                     § 1.337(d)–3(c)(2), before the
                                           reduction in X’s interest in X’s stock                     (i) Applicability date. This section
                                                                                                                                                          distribution of any other property (other
                                           occurred as part of a plan or arrangement to            applies to transactions occurring on or
                                                                                                                                                          than cash). The amount allocated to the
                                           circumvent the purpose of this section.                 after June 12, 2015.
                                                                                                                                                          Stock of the Corporate Partner is as
                                           Because the transactions described in this
                                           example are part of a plan or arrangement to            § 1.337(d)–3T     [Removed]                            provided in § 1.337(d)–3(e)(2).
                                           circumvent the purpose of this section, the             ■ Par. 3. Remove § 1.337(d)–3T.                        *       *     *     *     *
                                           limitation in paragraph (d)(2) of this section
                                                                                                   ■ Par. 4. Section 1.732–1 is amended by
                                                                                                                                                             (5) * * *
                                           does not apply. Accordingly, the deemed                                                                           (ii) Exception. Notwithstanding
                                           redemption rule under paragraph (d) of this             revising paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(5)(ii)
                                                                                                   to read as follows:                                    paragraph (c)(5)(i) of this section, the
                                           section applies to the transactions with the                                                                   first sentence of each of paragraphs
                                           consequences described in Example 1(iii) of
                                                                                                   § 1.732–1 Basis of distributed property                (c)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section, and
                                           this paragraph (h), resulting in X recognizing
                                           $39,950.50 of gain.
                                                                                                   other than money.                                      paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section in its
                                              Example 9. Tiered partnership. (i) In Year           *      *     *     *    *                              entirety, apply to distributions of Stock
                                           1, X, a corporation, and A, an individual,                 (c) * * *                                           of the Corporate Partner, as defined in
                                           form partnership UTP. X contributes Asset 1                (1) General rule—(i) Unrealized                     § 1.337(d)–3(c)(2), that occur on or after
                                           with a fair market value of $80 and a basis             receivables and inventory items. Except                June 12, 2015.
                                           of $0 in exchange for an 80 percent interest            as provided in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of                *       *     *     *     *
                                           in UTP. A contributes $20 of cash in                    this section, the basis to be allocated to
                                           exchange for a 20 percent interest in UTP.              properties distributed to a partner under              § 1.732–1T   [Removed]
                                           UTP and B, an individual, form partnership
                                                                                                   section 732(a)(2) or (b) is allocated first            ■ Par. 5. Remove § 1.732–1T.
                                           LTP as equal partners. UTP contributes Asset
                                           1 and $20 of cash. B contributes X stock,               to any unrealized receivables (as                      ■ Par. 6. Section 1.732–3 is revised to
                                           which is Stock of the Corporate Partner, with           defined in section 751(c)) and inventory               read as follows:
                                           a basis and fair market value of $100.                  items (as defined in section 751(d)(2)) in
                                              (ii) Pursuant to paragraph (g) of this               an amount equal to the adjusted basis of               § 1.732–3 Corresponding adjustment to
                                           section, the rules of this section shall apply          each such property to the partnership                  basis of assets of a distributed corporation
                                           to tiered partnerships in a manner that is              immediately before the distribution. If                controlled by a corporate partner.
                                           consistent with the purpose set forth in                the basis to be allocated is less than the               (a) Determination of control. The
                                           paragraph (a) of this section. Pursuant to              sum of the adjusted bases to the                       determination of whether a corporate
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                                           paragraph (d)(1) of this section, if X is in a
                                                                                                   partnership of the distributed                         partner that is a member of a
                                           partnership that engages in a Section 337(d)
                                           Transaction, X must recognize gain at the               unrealized receivables and inventory                   consolidated group has control of a
                                           time, and to the extent, that X’s share of              items, the adjusted basis of the                       distributed corporation for purposes of
                                           appreciated property is reduced in exchange             distributed property must be decreased                 section 732(f) shall be made by applying
                                           for X stock. The formation of LTP causes X’s            in the manner provided in § 1.732–                     the special aggregate stock ownership
                                           interest in X stock to increase from $0 to $40          1(c)(2)(i). See § 1.460–4(k)(2)(iv)(D) for a           rules of § 1.1502–34.


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                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 111 / Friday, June 8, 2018 / Rules and Regulations                                               26593

                                              (b) Aggregation of basis within                      partnership interest that is exchanged                 ADDRESSES:   The docket for this
                                           consolidated group. With respect to                     basis property (as defined in section                  deviation, USCG–2018–0516 is available
                                           distributed stock of a corporation, if the              7701(a)(44)) with respect to the                       at http://www.regulations.gov. Type the
                                           following two conditions are met, then                  Distributed Stock; or                                  docket number in the ‘‘SEARCH’’ box
                                           section 732(f) shall apply only to the                     (B) A transferee corporation holds the              and click ‘‘SEARCH’’. Click on Open
                                           extent that the partnership’s adjusted                  Distributed Stock as transferred basis                 Docket Folder on the line associated
                                           basis in the distributed stock                          property (as defined in section                        with this deviation.
                                           immediately before the distribution                     7701(a)(43)) with respect to the
                                           exceeds the aggregate basis of the                      transferor corporation’s gain. A Gain                  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:      If
                                           distributed stock of the corporation in                 Elimination Transaction includes                       you have questions on this temporary
                                           the hands of corporate partners that are                (without limitation) a reorganization                  deviation, call or email Jeffrey Stieb,
                                           members of the same consolidated                        under section 368(a) in which the                      Bridge Management Specialist, First
                                           group (as defined in § 1.1502–1(h))                     Corporate Partner and the Distributed                  District Bridge Branch, U.S. Coast
                                           immediately after the distribution:                     Corporation combine, and a distribution                Guard; telephone 617–223–8364, email
                                              (1) Two or more of the corporate                     of the Distributed Stock by the                        Jeffrey.D.Stieb@uscg.mil.
                                           partners receive a distribution of stock                Corporate Partner to which section
                                           in another corporation; and                             355(c)(1) or 361(c)(1) applies.                        SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:     The
                                              (2) The corporation, the stock of                       (d) Tiered partnerships. The rules of               Massachusetts Department of
                                           which was distributed by the                            this section shall apply to tiered                     Transportation (Craigie) Bridge across
                                           partnership, is or becomes a member of                  partnerships in a manner that is                       Charles River, mile 1.0, at Boston,
                                           the distributee partners’ consolidated                  consistent with the purposes of section                Massachusetts, has a vertical clearance
                                           group following the distribution.                       732(f).                                                of 12 feet at normal pool in the closed
                                              (c) Application of section 732(f) to                    (e) Applicability date. This section                position. The existing drawbridge
                                           Gain Elimination Transactions—(1)                       applies to transactions occurring on or                operating regulations are listed at 33
                                           General rule. In the event of a Gain                    after June 8, 2018.                                    CFR 117.591(e).
                                           Elimination Transaction, section 732(f)
                                                                                                   Kirsten Wielobob,                                         The Massachusetts Department of
                                           shall apply as though the Corporate
                                                                                                   Deputy Commissioner for Services and                   Transportation requested a temporary
                                           Partner acquired control (as defined in
                                                                                                   Enforcement.                                           deviation from the normal operating
                                           section 732(f)(5)) of the Distributed
                                           Corporation immediately before the                        Approved: May 25, 2018.                              schedule. This temporary deviation will
                                           Gain Elimination Transaction.                           David J. Kautter,                                      allow the bridge to remain closed from
                                              (2) Definitions. The following                       Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax               11 p.m. on July 4, 2018 through 1 a.m.
                                           definitions apply for purposes of this                  Policy).                                               on July 5, 2018 to allow pedestrian
                                           paragraph (c):                                          [FR Doc. 2018–12407 Filed 6–7–18; 8:45 am]             traffic to exit the Boston Pops Fireworks
                                              (i) Corporate Partner. The term                      BILLING CODE 4830–01–P                                 Spectacular. The waterway is used
                                           Corporate Partner means a person that                                                                          extensively by recreational traffic during
                                           is classified as a corporation for federal                                                                     the fireworks display. A State Police
                                           income tax purposes and that holds or                   DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND                                 Unit will be on-scene to direct vessel
                                           acquires an interest in a partnership.                  SECURITY                                               traffic. Vessels that can pass under the
                                              (ii) Stock. The term Stock includes                                                                         bridge in the closed position may do so
                                           other equity interests, including                       Coast Guard                                            at any time. The bridge will be able to
                                           options, warrants, and similar interests.                                                                      open for emergencies. There is no
                                              (iii) Distributed Stock. The term                    33 CFR Part 117                                        alternate route for vessels to pass. The
                                           Distributed Stock means Stock                                                                                  Coast Guard will inform users of the
                                           distributed by a partnership to a                       [Docket No. USCG–2018–0516]
                                                                                                                                                          waterway of the change in operating
                                           Corporate Partner, or Stock the basis of                Drawbridge Operation Regulation;                       schedule through our Local and
                                           which is determined by reference to the                 Charles River, Boston, MA                              Broadcast Notices to Mariners so that
                                           basis of such Stock. Distributed Stock                                                                         vessel operators can arrange their
                                           also includes Stock owned directly or                   AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.                              transits to minimize any impact caused
                                           indirectly by a Distributed Corporation                 ACTION:Notice of deviation from                        by the temporary deviation.
                                           if the basis of such Stock has been                     drawbridge regulation.
                                           reduced pursuant to section 732(f).                                                                               In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e),
                                              (iv) Distributed Corporation. The term               SUMMARY:   The Coast Guard has issued a                the drawbridge must return to its regular
                                           Distributed Corporation means the                       temporary deviation from the operating                 operating schedule immediately at the
                                           issuer of Distributed Stock (or, in the                 schedule that governs the Massachusetts                end of the effective period of this
                                           case of an option, the issuer of the Stock              Department of Transportation (Craigie)                 temporary deviation. This deviation
                                           into which the option is exercisable).                  Bridge across Charles River, mile 1.0, at              from the operating regulations is
                                              (v) Gain Elimination Transaction. The                Boston, Massachusetts. This deviation is               authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.
                                           term Gain Elimination Transaction                       necessary to facilitate the Boston Pops
                                                                                                                                                            Dated: June 4, 2018.
                                           means a transaction in which                            Fireworks Spectacular on July 4, 2018,
                                                                                                   and allows the bridge to remain in the                 C.J. Bisignano,
                                           Distributed Stock is disposed of and less
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                                           than all of the gain is recognized                      closed position for two hours.                         Supervisory Bridge Management Specialist,
                                           unless—                                                 DATES: This deviation is effective from                First Coast Guard District.
                                              (A) The transferor of the Distributed                11 p.m. on July 4, 2018 through 1 a.m.                 [FR Doc. 2018–12310 Filed 6–7–18; 8:45 am]
                                           Stock receives in exchange Stock or a                   on July 5, 2018.                                       BILLING CODE 9110–04–P




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Document Created: 2018-06-08 01:21:58
Document Modified: 2018-06-08 01:21:58
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 rule.
DatesEffective Date: These final regulations are effective on June 8, 2018.
ContactConcerning the final regulations, Kevin I. Babitz, (202) 317-6852.
FR Citation83 FR 26580 
RIN Number1545-BO43
CFR AssociatedIncome Taxes and Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

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