26 CFR §1.705-2

1. (a)Purpose. This section coordinates the application of sections 705 and 1032 and is intended to prevent inappropriate increases or decreases in the adjusted basis of a corporate partner's interest in a partnership resulting from the partnership's disposition of the corporate partner's stock. The rules under section 705 generally are intended to preserve equality between the adjusted basis of a partner's interest in a partnership (outside basis) and such partner's share of the adjusted basis in partnership assets (inside basis). However, in situations where a section 754 election was not in effect for the year in which a partner acquired its interest, the partner's inside basis and outside basis may not be equal. Similarly, in situations where a section 754 election was not in effect for the year in which a partnership distributes money or other property to another partner and that partner recognizes gain or loss on the distribution or the basis of the property distributed to that partner is adjusted, the remaining partners' inside basis and outside basis may not be equal. In these situations, gain or loss allocated to the partner upon disposition of the partnership assets that is attributable to the difference between the adjusted basis of the partnership assets absent the section 754 election and the adjusted basis of the partnership assets had a section 754 election been in effect generally will result in an adjustment to the basis of the partner's interest in the partnership under section 705(a). Such gain (or loss) therefore generally will be offset by a corresponding decrease in the gain or increase in the loss (or increase in the gain or decrease in the loss) upon the subsequent disposition by the partner of its interest in the partnership. Where such a difference exists with respect to stock of a corporate partner that is held by the partnership, gain or loss from the disposition of corporate partner stock attributable to the difference is not recognized by the corporate partner under section 1032. To adjust the basis of the corporate partner's interest in the partnership for this unrecognized gain or loss would not be appropriate because it would create an opportunity for the recognition of taxable gain or loss on a subsequent disposition of the partnership interest where no economic gain or loss has been incurred by the corporate partner and no corresponding taxable gain or loss had previously been allocated to the corporate partner by the partnership.
2. (b)Single partnership
   1. (1)Required adjustments relating to acquisitions of partnership interest.
      1. (i)This paragraph (b)(1) applies in situations where a corporation acquires an interest in a partnership that holds stock in that corporation (or the partnership subsequently acquires stock in that corporation in an exchanged basis transaction), the partnership does not have an election under section 754 in effect for the year in which the corporation acquires the interest, and the partnership later sells or exchanges the stock. In these situations, the increase (or decrease) in the corporation's adjusted basis in its partnership interest resulting from the sale or exchange of the stock equals the amount of gain (or loss) that the corporate partner would have recognized (absent the application of section 1032) if, for the year in which the corporation acquired the interest, a section 754 election had been in effect.
      2. (ii)The provisions of this paragraph (b)(1) are illustrated by the following example:
   2. (2)Required adjustments relating to distributions.
      1. (i)This paragraph (b)(2) applies in situations where a corporation owns a direct or indirect interest in a partnership that owns stock in that corporation, the partnership distributes money or other property to another partner and that partner recognizes gain or loss on the distribution or the basis of the property distributed to that partner is adjusted during a year in which the partnership does not have an election under section 754 in effect, and the partnership subsequently sells or exchanges the stock. In these situations, the increase (or decrease) in the corporation's adjusted basis in its partnership interest resulting from the sale or exchange of the stock equals the amount of gain (or loss) that the corporate partner would have recognized (absent the application of section 1032) if, for the year in which the partnership made the distribution, a section 754 election had been in effect.
      2. (ii)The provisions of this paragraph (b)(2) are illustrated by the following example:
3. (c)Tiered partnerships and other arrangements
   1. (1)Required adjustments. The purpose of these regulations as set forth in paragraph (a) of this section cannot be avoided through the use of tiered partnerships or other arrangements. For example, if a corporation acquires an indirect interest in its own stock through a chain of two or more partnerships (either where the corporation acquires a direct interest in a partnership or where one of the partnerships in the chain acquires an interest in another partnership), and gain or loss from the sale or exchange of the stock is subsequently allocated to the corporation, then the bases of the interests in the partnerships included in the chain shall be adjusted in a manner that is consistent with the purpose of this section. Similarly, if a corporation owns an indirect interest in its own stock through a chain of two or more partnerships, and a partnership in the chain distributes money or other property to another partner and that partner recognizes gain or loss on the distribution or the basis of the property distributed to that partner is adjusted during a year in which the partnership does not have an election under section 754 in effect, then upon any subsequent sale or exchange of the stock, the bases of the interests in the partnerships included in the chain shall be adjusted in a manner that is consistent with the purpose of this section.
   2. (2)Examples. The provisions of this paragraph (c) are illustrated by the following examples:
4. (d)Positions in Stock. For purposes of this section, stock includes any position in stock to which section 1032 applies.
5. (e)Effective date. This section applies to gain or loss allocated with respect to sales or exchanges of stock occurring after December 6, 1999, except that paragraph (d) of this section is applicable with respect to sales or exchanges of stock occurring on or after March 29, 2002, and the fourth sentence of paragraph (a), paragraph (b)(2), and the third sentence of paragraph (c)(1) of this section are applicable with respect to sales or exchanges of stock occurring on or after March 18, 2003.