26 CFR §1.956-3
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- (a)In general. For purposes of section 956(a) and § 1.956-1, the term “United States property” also includes any trade or service receivable if the trade or service receivable is acquired (directly or indirectly) from a related person who is a United States person (as defined in section 7701(a)(30)) (a related United States person) and the obligor under the receivable is a United States person. A trade or service receivable described in this paragraph is considered to be United States property notwithstanding the exceptions (other than subparagraph (H)) contained in section 956(c)(2). The terms “trade or service receivable” and “related person” have the respective meanings given to the terms by section 864(d) and the regulations thereunder, including § 1.864-8T(b). For purposes of this section, the exception in § 1.956-2T(d)(2)(ii) does not apply to trade or service receivables described in this paragraph.
- (b)Acquisition of a trade or service receivable
- (1)General rule. The rules of § 1.864-8T(c)(1) apply to determine whether a controlled foreign corporation has acquired a trade or service receivable.
- (2)Indirect acquisitions
- (i)Acquisition through unrelated person. A trade or service receivable is considered acquired from a related person when it is acquired from an unrelated person who acquired (directly or indirectly) the receivable from a person who is a related person to the acquiring person.
- (ii)Acquisition by nominee, pass-through entity, or related foreign corporation. A controlled foreign corporation is treated as holding a trade or service receivable that is held by a nominee on its behalf, or by a simple trust or other pass-through entity (other than a partnership) to the extent of its direct or indirect ownership or beneficial interest in such simple trust or other pass-through entity. See §§ 1.956-1(b) and 1.956-4(b) for rules that may treat a controlled foreign corporation as indirectly holding a trade or service receivable held by a foreign corporation or partnership. A controlled foreign corporation that is treated as holding a trade or service receivable held by another person (the direct holder) (or that would be treated as holding the receivable if the receivable were United States property or would be United States property if held directly by the controlled foreign corporation) is considered to have acquired the receivable from the person from whom the direct holder acquired the receivable. This paragraph (b)(2)(ii) does not limit the application of paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph (b)(2)(ii):
- (iii)Swap or pooling arrangements. A trade or service receivable of a United States person is considered to be a trade or service receivable acquired from a related United States person and subject to the rules of this section when it is acquired in accordance with an arrangement that involves two or more groups of related persons, if the groups are unrelated to each other and the effect of the arrangement is that one or more persons in each group acquire (directly or indirectly) trade or service receivables from one or more unrelated United States persons who are also parties to the arrangement in exchange for reciprocal purchases of receivables from related United States persons. The following example illustrates the application of this paragraph (b)(2)(iii):
- (iv)Financing arrangements. If a controlled foreign corporation participates (directly or indirectly) in a lending transaction that results in a loan to a United States person who purchases property described in section 1221(a)(1) (inventory property) or services from a related United States person, or to any person who purchases from a related United States person trade or service receivables under which the obligor is a United States person, or to a person who is a related person with respect to the purchaser, and if the loan would not have been made or maintained on the same terms but for the corresponding purchase, then the controlled foreign corporation is considered to have indirectly acquired a trade or service receivable described in paragraph (a) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(2)(iv), it is immaterial that the sums lent are not, in fact, the sums used to finance the purchase of the inventory property or services or trade or service receivables from a related United States person. The amount to be taken into account with respect to the United States property treated as held by a controlled foreign corporation as a result of the application of this paragraph (b)(2)(iv) is the lesser of the amount lent pursuant to a lending transaction described in this paragraph (b)(2)(iv) and the purchase price of the inventory property, services, or trade or service receivables. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph (b)(2)(iv):
- (c)Substitution of obligor. For purposes of this section, the substitution of another person for a United States obligor is disregarded, unless it can be demonstrated by the parties to the transaction that the primary purpose for the arrangement was not the avoidance of section 956. The following example illustrates the application of this paragraph (c):
- (d)Effective/applicability date.
- (1)Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, this section applies to trade or service receivables acquired (directly or indirectly) after March 1, 1984.
- (2)Paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section applies to taxable years of controlled foreign corporations ending on or after November 3, 2016, and taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years end, with respect to trade or service receivables acquired on or after September 1, 2015. For purposes of this paragraph (d), a significant modification, within the meaning of § 1.1001-3(e), of a trade or service receivable on or after September 1, 2015, constitutes an acquisition of the trade or service receivable on or after that date.