(a) Closing of taxable year—(1) In general. Except in the case of certain reorganizations qualifying under section 368(a)(1)(F), the taxable year of the distributor or transferor corporation shall end with the close of the date of distribution or transfer. With regard to the closing of the taxable year of the transferor corporation in certain reorganizations under section 368(a)(1)(F) involving a foreign corporation after December 31, 1986, see §§1.367(a)-1(e) and 1.367(b)-2(f).

(2) Reorganizations under section 368(a)(1)(F). In the case of a reorganization qualifying under section 368(a)(1)(F) (whether or not such reorganization also qualifies under any other provision of section 368(a)(1)), the acquiring corporation shall be treated (for purposes of section 381) just as the transferor corporation would have been treated if there had been no reorganization. Thus, the taxable year of the transferor corporation shall not end on the date of transfer merely because of the transfer; a net operating loss of the acquiring corporation for any taxable year ending after the date of transfer shall be carried back in accordance with section 172(b) in computing the taxable income of the transferor corporation for a taxable year ending before the date of transfer; and the tax attributes of the transferor corporation enumerated in section 381(c) shall be taken into account by the acquiring corporation as if there had been no reorganization.

(b) Date of distribution or transfer.

(1) The date of distribution or transfer shall be that day on which are distributed or transferred all those properties of the distributor or transferor corporation which are to be distributed or transferred pursuant to a liquidation or reorganization described in paragraph (b)(1) of §1.381(a)-1. If the distribution or transfer of all such properties is not made on one day, then, except as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, the date of distribution or transfer shall be that day on which the distribution or transfer of all such properties is completed.

(2) If the distributor or transferor and acquiring corporations file the statements described in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, the date of distribution or transfer shall be that day as of which (i) substantially all of the properties to be distributed or transferred have been distributed or transferred, and (ii) the distributor or transferor corporation has ceased all operations (other than liquidating activities). Such day also shall be the date of distribution or transfer if the completion of the distribution or transfer is unreasonably postponed beyond the date as of which substantially all the properties to be distributed or transferred have been distributed or transferred and the distributor or transferor corporation has ceased all operations other than liquidating activities. A corporation shall be considered to have distributed or transferred substantially all of its properties to be distributed or transferred even though it retains money or other property in a reasonable amount to pay outstanding debts or preserve the corporation's legal existence. A corporation shall be considered to have ceased all operations, other than liquidating activities, when it ceases to be a going concern and its activities are merely for the purpose of winding up its affairs, paying its debts, and distributing any remaining balance of its money or other properties to its shareholders.

(3) Election—(i) Content of statements. The statements referred to in paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be entitled, “ELECTION OF DATE OF DISTRIBUTION OR TRANSFER PURSUANT TO §1.381(b)-1(b)(2),” and must include: [INSERT NAME AND EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (IF ANY) OF DISTRIBUTOR OR TRANSFEROR CORPORATION] AND [INSERT NAME AND EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (IF ANY) OF ACQUIRING CORPORATION] ELECT TO DETERMINE THE DATE OF DISTRIBUTION OR TRANSFER UNDER §1.381(b)-1(b)(2). SUCH DATE IS [INSERT DATE (mm/dd/yyyy)].

(ii) Filing of statements. One statement must be included on or with the timely filed Federal income tax return of the distributor or transferor corporation for its taxable year ending with the date of distribution or transfer. An identical statement must be included on or with the timely filed Federal income tax return of the acquiring corporation for its first taxable year ending after that date. If the distributor or transferor corporation, or the acquiring corporation, is a controlled foreign corporation (within the meaning of section 957), each United States shareholder (within the meaning of section 951(b)) with respect thereto must include this statement on or with its return.

(4) If—

(i) The last day of the acquiring corporation's taxable year is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, and

(ii) The day specified in subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph as the date of distribution or transfer is the last business day before such Saturday, Sunday, or holiday,

then the last day of the acquiring corporation's taxable year shall be the date of distribution or transfer for purposes of section 381(b) and this section. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term business day means a day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, and also means a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday if the date of distribution or transfer determined under subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph is such Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.

(c) Return of distributor or transferor corporation. The distributor or transferor corporation shall file an income tax return for the taxable year ending with the date of distribution or transfer described in paragraph (b) of this section. If the distributor or transferor corporation remains in existence after such date of distribution or transfer, it shall file an income tax return for the taxable year beginning on the day following the date of distribution or transfer and ending with the date on which the distributor or transferor corporation's taxable year would have ended if there had been no distribution or transfer.

(d) Carryback of net operating losses. For provisions relating to the carryback of net operating losses of the acquiring corporation, see paragraph (b) of §1.381(c)(1)-1.

(e) Effective/applicability date. Paragraph (b)(3) of this section applies to any taxable year beginning on or after May 30, 2006. However, taxpayers may apply paragraph (b)(3) of this section to any original Federal income tax return (including any amended return filed on or before the due date (including extensions) of such original return) timely filed on or after May 30, 2006. For taxable years beginning before May 30, 2006, see §1.381(b)-1 as contained in 26 CFR part 1 in effect on April 1, 2006.

[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 11607, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended at T.D. 8280, 55 FR 1417, Jan. 16, 1990; T.D. 8862, 65 FR 3609, Jan. 24, 2000; T.D. 9264, 71 FR 30598, May 30, 2006; T.D. 9329, 72 FR 32801, June 14, 2007; T.D. 9739, 80 FR 56915, Sept. 21, 2015]