(a) Taxable cemetery corporation. For purposes of section 642(i) and this section, the meaning of the term taxable cemetery corporation is limited to a corporation (within the meaning of section 7701(a)(3)) engaged in the business of owning and operating a cemetery that either (1) is not exempt from Federal tax, or (2) is subject to tax under section 511 with respect to its cemetery activities.

(b) Pursuant to local law. A cemetery perpetual care fund is created pursuant to local law if:

(1) The governing law of the relevant jurisdiction (State, district, county, parish, etc.) requires or expressly permits the creation of such a fund, or

(2) The legally enforceable bylaws or contracts of a taxable cemetery corporation require a perpetual care fund.

(c) Gravesite. A gravesite is any type of interment right that has been sold by a cemetery, including, but not limited to, a burial lot, mausoleum, lawn crypt, niche, or scattering ground. For purposes of §1.642 (i)-1, the term gravesites includes only those gravesites with respect to which the care fund or cemetery has an obligation for care and maintenance within the meaning of §1.642 (i)-1(c)(1).

(d) Care and maintenance. For purposes of section 642(i) and this section, the term care and maintenance of gravesite shall be generally defined in accordance with the definition of such term under the local law pursuant to which the cemetery perpetual care fund is created. If the applicable local law contains no definition, care and maintenance of gravesites may include the upkeep, repair and preservation of those portions of cemetery property in which gravesites (as defined in paragraph (c) of this section) have been sold; including gardening, road maintenance, water line and drain repair and other activities reasonably necessary to the preservation of cemetery property. The costs for care and maintenance include, but are not limited to, expenditures for the maintenance, repair and replacement of machinery, tools, and equipment, compensation of employees performing such work, insurance premiums, reasonable payments for employees' pension and other benefit plans, and the costs of maintaining necessary records of lot ownership, transfers and burials. However, if some of the expenditures of the cemetery corporation, such as officers' salaries, are for both care and maintenance and for other purposes, the expenditures must be properly allocated between care and maintenance of gravesites and the other purposes. Only those expenditures that are properly allocable to those portions of cemetery property in which gravesites have been sold qualify as expenditures for care and maintenance of gravesites.

[T.D. 7651, 44 FR 61596, Oct. 26, 1979]