(a) In general. This section coordinates the withholding requirements of a withholding agent when a withholdable payment or foreign passthru payment is subject to withholding under both chapter 4 and another Code provision. See §1.1473-1(a) for the definition of withholdable payment and see §1.1471-5(h)(2) for the definition of foreign passthru payment.

(b) Coordination of withholding for amounts subject to withholding under sections 1441, 1442, and 1443—(1) In general. In the case of a withholdable payment that is both subject to withholding under chapter 4 and is an amount subject to withholding under §1.1441-2(a), a withholding agent may credit the withholding applied under chapter 4 against its liability for any tax due under sections 1441, 1442, or 1443. See §1.1474-1(c) and (d) for the income tax return and information return reporting requirements that apply in the case of a payment that is a withholdable payment subject to withholding under chapter 4 that is also an amount subject to withholding under §1.1441-2(a).

(2) When withholding is applied. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, withholding is applied by a withholding agent under section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) or chapter 4 (as applicable) when the withholding agent has withheld on the payment and has designated the withholding as having been made under section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) or chapter 4 to the extent required in the reporting described in §1.1474-1(c) and (d). For purposes of allowing an offset of withholding and allowing a credit to a withholding agent against its liability for such tax as described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, withholding is treated as applied for purposes of paragraph (a) of this section only when the withholding agent has actually withheld on a payment and has not made any adjustment for overwithheld tax applicable to the amount withheld that would otherwise be permitted with respect to the payment.

(3) Special rule for certain substitute dividend payments. In the case of a dividend equivalent under section 871(m) paid pursuant to a securities lending transaction described in section 1058 (or a substantially similar transaction), or pursuant to a sale-repurchase transaction, a withholding agent may offset its obligation to withhold under chapter 4 for amounts withheld by another withholding agent under chapters 3 and 4 with respect to the same underlying security in such a transaction, but only to the extent that there is sufficient evidence as required under chapter 3 that tax was actually withheld on a prior dividend equivalent paid to the withholding agent or a prior withholding agent with respect to the same underlying security in such transaction.

(c) Coordination with amounts subject to withholding under section 1445—(1) In general. An amount subject to withholding under section 1445 is not subject to withholding under chapter 4 as described in paragraphs (c)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(2) Determining the amount of the distribution from certain domestic corporations subject to section 1445 or chapter 4 withholding—(i) Distribution from qualified investment entity. In the case of a passthru payment (including a withholdable payment) subject to withholding under chapter 4 that is a distribution with respect to the stock of a qualified investment entity as described in section 897(h)(4)(A), withholding under chapter 4 does not apply when withholding under section 1445 applies to such amounts. With respect to the portion of such distribution that is not subject to withholding under section 1445 but is subject to withholding under section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) and chapter 4, the coordination rule described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall apply.

(ii) Distribution from a United States real property holding corporation. A distribution (or portion of a distribution) from a United States real property holding corporation (or from a corporation that was a United States real property holding corporation at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of the distribution) with respect to its stock that is a United States real property interest under section 897(c) is subject to withholding under chapter 4 and is also subject to the withholding provisions of section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) and section 1445. In such case, to the extent that the United States real property holding corporation chooses to withhold on a distribution only under section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) pursuant to §1.1441-3(c)(4)(i)(A), the coordination rule described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall apply to such distribution. Alternatively, to the extent that the United States real property holding corporation chooses to withhold under both section 1441 (or section 1442 or 1443) and section 1445 pursuant to §1.1441-3(c)(4)(i)(B), the coordination rule described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall apply to the portion of such distribution described in §1.1441-3(c)(4)(i)(B)(1), and withholding under section 1445 shall apply to the amount of such distribution described in §1.1441-3(c)(4)(i)(B)(2). A withholding agent other than a United States real property holding corporation may rely, absent actual knowledge or reason to know otherwise, on the representations of the United States real property holding corporation making the distribution regarding the portion of the distribution that is estimated to be a dividend under §1.1441-3(c)(2)(ii)(A), and in the case of a failure by the withholding agent to withhold under chapter 4 due to this reliance, the required amount shall be imputed to the United States real property holding corporation.

(d) Coordination with section 1446—(1) In general. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, a withholdable payment or a foreign passthru payment subject to withholding under section 1446 shall not be subject to withholding under chapter 4. See §1.1473-1(a)(4)(ii) for the exclusion from withholdable payment and the requirements for such exclusion for any item of income that is taken into account under section 871(b)(1) or 882(a)(1) for the taxable year.

(2) Determining the amount of distribution subject to section 1446. [Reserved]

(e) Example. Chapter 4 withholding satisfies chapter 3 withholding obligation. WA, a U.S. withholding agent, makes a payment consisting of a dividend from sources within the United States to NPFFI. NPFFI is a nonparticipating FFI that is a resident of Country X, a country that has an income tax treaty in force with the United States that would allow WA to reduce the rate of withholding for section 1442 purposes on a payment of U.S. source dividends paid to NPFFI to 15%. Because the payment is a withholdable payment and NPFFI is a nonparticipating FFI, WA withholds on the payment at the rate of 30% under chapter 4. WA does not make any adjustment for overwithholding that is otherwise permitted with respect to this payment. Although the payment is also an amount subject to withholding under section 1442, WA is not required to withhold any tax on this payment under section 1442. WA may credit its withholding applied under chapter 4 against the amount of tax otherwise required to be withheld on this payment under section 1442. See §1.1474-5(a)(2) for the credit and refund procedures for nonparticipating FFIs that are entitled to a reduced rate of tax with respect to an amount subject to withholding under chapter 4 by reason of any treaty obligation of the United States.

(f) Coordination with section 3406. A participating FFI that makes a withholdable payment that is also a reportable payment (as defined in the relevant sections of chapter 61) to a recalcitrant account holder that is a U.S. non-exempt recipient is not required to withhold under section 3406 if it withholds on the payment at a 30-percent rate in accordance with its withholding obligations under chapter 4. See, however, §1.1471-4(b)(3)(iii) for the election to withhold on recalcitrant account holders that are non-exempt U.S. recipients under section 3406 instead of withholding under chapter 4.

(g) Effective/applicability date. This section applies on January 6, 2017. However, taxpayers may apply these provisions as of January 28, 2013. (For the rules that apply beginning on January 28, 2013, and before January 6, 2017, see this section as in effect and contained in 26 CFR part 1 revised April 1, 2016.)

[T.D. 9610, 78 FR 5993, Jan. 28, 2013, as amended by T.D. 9657, 79 FR 12865, Mar. 6, 2014; T.D. 9809, 82 FR 2191, Jan. 6, 2017]