(a) General rule—(1) Early termination of employment by employer—(i) In general. If the employment of any employee, with respect to whom work incentive program (WIN) expenses (as defined in paragraph (a) of §1.50B-1) are taken into account under paragraph (a) of §1.50A-1, is terminated by the taxpayer at any time during the first 12 months of such employment (whether or not consecutive) or before the close of the 12th calendar month after the calendar month in which such employee completes the first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive) with the taxpayer, then subparagraph (3) of this paragraph shall apply. See paragraph (c) of this section for rules relating to the determination of the first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive). See §1.50A-4 for rules relating to other circumstances under which a termination of employment will not be treated as a termination of employment to which the provisions of subparagraph (3) of this paragraph are applicable.
(ii) Rules for determining whether a termination of employment has occurred. For purposes of this section, the taxpayer is deemed to have terminated the employment of any WIN employee (as defined in paragraph (h) of §1.50B-1) if the employment relationship (as determined under common law principles) has terminated. A layoff for any reason is considered a termination of employment for purposes of the preceding sentence. However, a temporary suspension of employment of any WIN employee necessitated by the installation of new equipment or by the retooling of existing equipment (such as for a model changeover in the automobile industry) shall not be deemed to be a termination of employment if such suspension is for a period of time no longer than 60 days. For purposes of this section, the death of the taxpayer is considered a termination of the employment relationship between the taxpayer and any WIN employee.
(2) Failure to pay comparable wages—(i) In general. If, at any time during the period described in subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph, the taxpayer pays wages (as defined in section 50B(b) and paragraph (b) of §1.50B-1) to an employee, with respect to whom WIN expenses are taken into account under paragraph (a) of §1.50A-1, which are less than the wages paid to other employees of the taxpayer who perform comparable services, then subparagraph (3) of this paragraph shall apply.
(ii) Comparable services.
(a) For purposes of subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, the term “comparable services” refers to services performed in work positions which require similar education, training, and skills. Comparable services are those associated with other work positions which require similar levels of judgment and responsibility, which make similar physical and mental demands of an employee, and which could easily be performed by the employee without substantial additional training or experience.
(b) If substantial training, skill, or experience are material to the performance of a particular job, a taxpayer may pay wages to a WIN employee which are less than those paid to other employees of the taxpayer who possess such training, skill, or experience. However, there must be a reasonable relationship between the lower wages or salary of such WIN employee and his relative lack of training, skill, or experience.
(3) Recomputation of credit earned.
(i) If, by reason of subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph, this subparagraph (3) is applicable, then the credit earned for all credit years (as defined in subdivision (ii)(a) of this subparagraph) shall be recomputed under the principles of paragraph (a) of §1.50A-1 by not taking into account WIN expenses with respect to the employee (or employees) described in subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph. There shall be recomputed under the principles of §§1.50A-1 and 1.50A-2 the credit allowed for all credit years and for any other taxable year affected by reason of the reduction in credit earned for such credit year or years, giving effect to such reduction in the computation of carrybacks or carryovers of unused credit from any taxable year. If the recomputation described in the preceding sentence results, in the aggregate, in a decrease (taking into account any recomputation under this paragraph in respect of prior recapture years, as defined in subdivision (ii)(b) of this subparagraph) in the credits allowed for any credit year and for any other taxable year affected by the reduction in credit earned for any credit year, then the income tax for the recapture year shall be increased by the amount of such decrease in credits allowed. For treatment of such increase in tax, see paragraph (b) of this section. For special rules in the case of an electing small business corporation (as defined in section 1371(b)), an estate or trust, or a partnership, see respectively, §1.50A-5, §1.50A-6 or §1.50A-7.
(ii) For purposes of this section and §§1.50A-4 through 1.50B-6—
(a) The term “credit year” means a taxable year in which WIN expenses with respect to the employee described in subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph are taken into account under paragraph (a) of §1.50A-1.
(b) The term “recapture year” means a taxable year in which a termination of employment (within the meaning of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph) or a failure to pay comparable wages (within the meaning of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph) occurs by reason of which the rule of subparagraph (3) of this paragraph becomes applicable.
(c) The term “recapture determination” means a recomputation made under this paragraph.
(b) Increase in income tax and reduction of WIN credit carryback and carryover—(1) Increase in tax. Except as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, any increase in income tax under this section shall be treated as income tax imposed on the taxpayer by chapter 1 of the Code for the recapture year notwithstanding that without regard to such increase the taxpayer has no income tax liability, has a net operating loss for such taxable year, or no income tax return was otherwise required for such taxable year.
(2) Special rule. Any increase in income tax under this section shall not be treated as income tax imposed on the taxpayer by chapter 1 of the Code for purposes of determining the amount of the credits allowable to such taxpayer under—
(i) Section 33 (relating to taxes of foreign countries and possessions of the United States),
(ii) Section 35 (relating to partially tax-exempt interest received by individuals),
(iii) Section 37 (relating to retirement income),
(iv) Section 38 (relating to investment in certain depreciable property),
(v) Section 39 (relating to certain uses of gasoline, special fuels, and lubricating oil),
(vi) Section 40 (relating to expenses of work incentive programs), and
(vii) Section 41 (relating to contributions to candidates for public office).
(3) Reduction in credit allowed as a result of a net operating loss carryback.
(i) If a net operating loss carryback from the recapture year or from any taxable year subsequent to the recapture year reduces the amount allowed as a credit under section 40 for any taxable year up to and including the recapture year, then there shall be a new recapture determination under paragraph (a) of this section for each recapture year affected, taking into account the reduced amount of credit allowed after application of the net operating loss carryback.
(ii) Subdivision (i) of this subparagraph may be illustrated by the following example:
(b) For the taxable year 1975, X Corporation has a net operating loss which is carried back to the taxable year 1972 and reduces its liability for tax, as defined in paragraph (c) of §1.50A-1, for such taxable year to $800. As a result of such net operating loss carryback, X Corporation's credit allowed under section 40 for the taxable year 1972 is limited to $800 and the excess of $1,200 ($2,000 credit earned minus the $800 limitation based on amount of tax) is a WIN credit carryover to the taxable year 1973.
(c) For 1975 there is a recapture determination under subdivision (i) of this subparagraph for the 1974 recapture year. The $2,000 increase in the income tax imposed on X Corporation for the taxable year 1974 is redetermined to be $800 (that is, the $800 credit allowed after taking into account the 1975 net operating loss minus zero credit which would have been allowed taking into account the 1974 recapture determination). In addition, X Corporation's $1,200 WIN credit carryover to the taxable year 1973 is reduced by $1,200 ($2,000 minus $800) to zero and X Corporation is entitled to a $1,200 refund of the $2,000 tax paid as a result of the 1974 recapture determination.
(4) Statement of recomputation. The taxpayer shall attach to his income tax return for the recapture year a separate statement showing in detail the computation of the increase in income tax imposed on such taxpayer by chapter 1 of the Code and the reduction in any WIN credit carryovers.
(c) Period of employment—(1) Initial date of employment. For purposes of this section and §§1.50A-4 through 1.50B-6, the initial date of employment (for purposes of applying paragraph (a) (1) and (2) of this section and paragraphs (a)(1) and (f) of §1.50B-1) is the date the WIN employee reports to the taxpayer (or in the case where the taxpayer is a partner of a partnership, a beneficiary of an estate or trust, or a shareholder of an electing small business corporation, to such partnership, estate, trust, or electing small business corporation) for work.
(2) Computation of the first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive). For purposes of computing the first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive), the first month of employment shall begin with the initial date of employment (as defined in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph) of the WIN employee, the second month of employment shall begin with the corresponding date in the following month, the third month of employment shall begin with the corresponding date in the next following month, and so forth. If the WIN employee performs any services during any such month (as determined under the preceding sentence), that month shall be counted in computing the WIN employee's “first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive)”. If the WIN employee performs no services during any such month, that month shall not be counted in computing the WIN employee's “first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive)”. Thus, if the initial date of employment of a WIN employee is June 15, the first month of employment of such employee shall be the period beginning June 15, and ending July 14. The second month of employment is the period beginning July 15 and ending August 14. If during such second month of employment the employee performs no services for the taxpayer, that month is not counted in determining the employee's first 12 months of employment (whether or not consecutive).
[38 FR 6154, Mar. 7, 1973]