26 CFR § 1.963-3 Distributions counting toward a minimum distribution | Code of Federal Regulations | US Law

26 CFR § 1.963-3

Distributions counting toward a minimum distribution

June 25, 2020

CFR

(a) Conditions under which earnings and profits are counted toward a minimum distribution—(1) In general. A distribution to the United States shareholder by a single first-tier corporation or by a foreign corporation included in a chain or group shall count toward a minimum distribution for the taxable year of such shareholder to which the election under section 963 relates only to the extent that—

(i) It is received by such shareholder during such year or within 180 days thereafter,

(ii) It is a distribution of the type described in paragraph (b) of this section,

(iii) Under paragraph (c) of this section, it is deemed to be distributed from the earnings and profits of the foreign corporations for the taxable year of such corporation to which the election relates, and

(iv) Such shareholder chooses to include it in gross income for the taxable year of such shareholder to which the election relates notwithstanding that such distribution, by reason of its receipt after the close of such year, would ordinarily be includible in the gross income of a subsequent year.

Amounts taken into account under this subparagraph as gross income of the United States shareholder for the taxable year to which the election relates shall not be considered to be includible in the gross income of such shareholder for a subsequent taxable year. For purposes of determining the foreign tax credit under sections 901 through 905, foreign income tax paid or accrued by such shareholder on or with respect to such amounts shall be treated as paid or accrued during the taxable year of such election.

(2) Distributions made prior to acquisition of stock. A United States shareholder which owns within the meaning of section 958(a) stock in a foreign corporation with respect to which such shareholder elects to secure an exclusion under section 963 for the taxable year may count toward the minimum distribution any distribution made with respect to such stock, and before its acquisition by the United States shareholder, to any other domestic corporation not exempt from income tax under chapter 1 of the Code, to the extent that such distribution is made out of the United States shareholder's proportionate share, as determined under paragraph (d)(2) of §1.963-2, of such corporation's earnings and profits for the taxable year and would have counted toward a minimum distribution if it had been distributed to such United States shareholder. The application of this subparagraph may be illustrated by the following examples:

Example 1. Controlled foreign corporation A, which uses the calendar year as the taxable year, has for 1963 $100 of earnings and profits and 100 shares of only one class of stock outstanding. Domestic corporation M, not exempt from income tax under chapter 1 of the Code, directly owns all of such shares during the period from January 1, 1963, through June 30, 1963. On June 30, 1963, M Corporation transfers all of such shares to domestic corporation N, which owns them throughout the remainder of 1963 and elects to secure an exclusion under section 963 for such year with respect to the subpart F income of A Corporation. During June 1963, M Corporation receives a dividend of $75 from A Corporation, which would count toward a minimum distribution if it had been distributed to N Corporation for such year. Corporation N's proportionate share of the earnings and profits of A Corporation for 1963 is $100; N Corporation may count toward a minimum distribution for 1963 the entire dividend of $75 paid to M Corporation.

Example 2. The facts are the same as in example 1 except that M is a nonresident alien individual. Since A Corporation is not a controlled foreign corporation from January 1, 1963, through June 30, 1963, N Corporation's proportionate share of the earnings and profits of A Corporation for 1963 is $50.41 ($100 × 184/365), as determined under paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of §1.963-2. Although $25.41 ($75−$49.59) of the $75 distribution to M is paid from N Corporation's proportionate share of A Corporation's 1963 earnings and profits, N Corporation may not count toward a minimum distribution any part of the $75 dividend distributed to M, since M is not a domestic corporation.

(b) Qualifying distributions—(1) Amounts not counted toward a minimum distribution. No distribution received by a United States shareholder shall count toward a minimum distribution for the taxable year with respect to such shareholder to the extent the distribution is excludable from gross income to the extent gain on the distribution is not recognized, or to the extent the distribution is treated as a distribution in part or full payment in exchange for stock. Undistributed amounts required to be included in gross income under section 551 as undistributed foreign personal holding company income or under section 951 as undistributed amounts of a controlled foreign corporation shall not count toward a minimum distribution under section 963. An amount received by a United States shareholder as a distribution which under section 302 or section 331 is treated as a distribution in part or full payment in exchange for stock shall not count toward a minimum distribution even though such amount is includible in gross income under section 1248 as a dividend. For purposes of this subparagraph, any portion of a distribution of earnings and profits which is attributable to an increase in current earnings, invested in United States property which, but for paragraph (e) of this section, would be included in the gross income of the United States shareholder under section 951(a)(1)(B) shall not be treated as an amount excludable from gross income.

(2) Inclusion of tax on intercorporate distributions. In the case of a chain or group election, the United States shareholder's proportionate share of the amount of the foreign income tax paid or accrued for the taxable year by a foreign corporation in the chain or group with respect to distributions received by such corporation from the earnings and profits, of another foreign corporation in such chain or group, for the taxable year of such other corporation to which the election relates shall count toward a minimum distribution from such chain or group for the taxable year, but only if the United States shareholder does not choose under paragraph (d)(1)(iii) of §1.963-2 to take such tax into account in determining the effective foreign tax rate of such chain or group for the taxable year. To the extent that foreign income tax counts toward a minimum distribution under this subparagraph, it shall be applied against and reduce the amount of the minimum distribution required to be received by the United States shareholder, determined without regard to this paragraph.

(c) Rules for allocation of distributions to earnings and profits for a taxable year. To determine whether a distribution to the United States shareholder by a single first-tier corporation or by a foreign corporation in a chain or group is made from the earnings and profits of such corporation for the taxable year to which the election under section 963 relates, the following subparagraphs shall apply:

(1) Exception to section 316. Section 316 shall apply except that a distribution of earnings and profits made by a foreign corporation either to another foreign corporation or to the United States shareholder shall be treated as having been paid from the earnings and profits of the distributing corporation for the taxable year of such corporation to which the election relates only if it is made during its distribution period (described in paragraph (g) of this section) for such year.

(2) Distributions from other corporations. The earnings and profits of a foreign corporation shall be determined in accordance with paragraph (d)(1) of §1.963-2 (applied as though the United States shareholder had chosen under subparagraph (1)(iii) of such paragraph to take the tax described therein into account in determining the effective foreign tax rate) except that, in the case of a chain or group election, a distribution received by a foreign corporation in the chain or group from another foreign corporation in such chain or group shall be taken into account as earnings and profits of the recipient corporation for the taxable year of such recipient corporation to which the election relates but only to the extent that—

(i) The distribution is received by the recipient corporation during the distribution period for the taxable year of such recipient corporation to which the election relates,

(ii) If the distribution had been received by the United States shareholder, it would have constituted a distribution of the type described in paragraph (b) of this section, and

(iii) The distribution is made from the earnings and profits of the distributing corporation for the taxable year of such distributing corporation to which the election relates.

(d) Year of inclusion in income of foreign corporation and effect upon subpart F income. To the extent that a distribution to the United States shareholder counting toward a minimum distribution from a chain or group consists of earnings and profits distributed to a foreign corporation in the chain or group after the close of the recipient corporation's taxable year but during its distribution period for such year by another foreign corporation in such chain or group, such amount shall be treated as received by the recipient corporation on the last day of such taxable year and shall not be regarded as foreign personal holding company income (within the meaning of section 553(a) or 954(c)) of such corporation for the taxable year in which such amount is actually received. The extent to which a distribution counting toward a minimum distribution consists of earnings and profits distributed to a foreign corporation in a chain or group shall be determined under the ordering rules of paragraph (b)(3) of §1.963-4 (applied in each instance as though the United States shareholder had not chosen under paragraph (d)(1)(iii) of §1.963-2 to take the tax described therein into account in determining the effective foreign tax rate). However, for such purpose, the amount of foreign income tax, if any, which counts toward the minimum distribution shall be determined without regard to paragraph (b)(2) of this section but in accordance with paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of §1.963-4.

(e) Distribution of current earnings invested in United States property. A distribution made by a foreign corporation during its distribution period for a taxable year shall, notwithstanding section 959(c), first be attributed to earnings and profits for such year described in section 959(c)(3) and then to other earnings and profits. For such purposes, earnings and profits of such foreign corporation for such year attributable to amounts which would otherwise be included in gross income of the United States shareholder under section 951(a)(1)(B) for such year shall be treated as earnings and profits to which section 959(c)(3) applies, shall not be excluded from gross income under section 959 (a) or (b), and shall count toward a minimum distribution for such year. See paragraph (c)(1)(v) of §1.960-1 and paragraph (a) of §1.960-2.

(f) Cumulative dividends in arrears. A distribution in satisfaction of arrearages shall be treated as being made out of earnings and profits of the foreign corporation for the taxable year to which the election under section 963 applies only to the extent the dividend is not attributed, under paragraph (d)(2)(i)(d) of §1.963-2, to the earnings and profits of such corporation remaining from prior taxable years beginning after December 31, 1962. The application of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:

Example. For 1963, single first-tier corporation A, which uses the calendar year as the taxable year, has earnings and profits of $50; for 1964, a deficit in earnings and profits of $20; for 1965, earnings and profits of $100; and for 1966, earnings and profits of $240. For each of such years preferred dividends accumulate at the rate of $60; but no dividend is paid until 1966 during which year the current dividend is paid and $180 is distributed toward the arrearages. Of this $180, only $50 ($180−$130) shall be treated as paid from 1966 earnings and profits.

(g) Distribution period of a foreign corporation—(1) General distribution period. Except as provided by subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, the distribution period with respect to a foreign corporation for its taxable year shall begin immediately after the close of the distribution period for the preceding taxable year and shall end with the close of the 60th day of the next succeeding taxable year. If no election to secure an exclusion under section 963 applied to the preceding taxable year, the distribution period for the taxable year shall begin with the 61st day of the taxable year.

(2) Special extended distribution period. If the United States shareholder of the foreign corporation so elects in statement filed with its return for the taxable year for which the election to secure the exclusion under section 963 is made, the distribution period with respect to such foreign corporation for its taxable year to which the election to secure the exclusion applies shall end with any day which occurs no earlier than the last day of such taxable year of such foreign corporation and no later than the 180th day after the close of such taxable year. The statement shall designate the day so elected as the end of the distribution period.

(h) Illustrations. The application of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:

Example 1. For 1963 domestic corporation M makes a chain election with respect to controlled foreign corporation A, all of whose one class of stock M Corporation directly owns, and controlled foreign corporation B, all of whose one class of stock is directly owned by A Corporation. All such corporations use the calendar year as the taxable year, and the distribution periods of corporations A and B for 1963 coincide. Corporations A and B each have earnings and profits (before distributions) of $100 for 1963. On June 1, 1963, B Corporation distributes earnings and profits of $120, of which $100 is from its earnings and profits for 1963 and $20 is from prior earnings. For 1963, A Corporation pays no income tax and distributes earnings and profits of $150 to M Corporation. Under paragraph (c) of this section, such $150 is allocated to A Corporation's earnings and profits of $200 for 1963, consisting of its total earnings and profits for that year of $220 less the $20 received as a distribution from B Corporation's prior earnings.

Example 2. Domestic corporation M directly owns all of the one class of stock of controlled foreign corporation A. Both corporations use the calendar year as the taxable year, and A Corporation's taxable year and its distribution period for 1963 coincide. For 1963, $50 is included in the gross income of M Corporation under section 951(a)(1)(B) as A Corporation's increase in earnings invested for such year in United States property. For 1964, M Corporation makes a first-tier election with respect to A Corporation. For 1964, A Corporation has earnings and profits of $100, including $10 attributable to an increase in earnings invested for such year in United States property. During 1964, A Corporation distributes earnings and profits of $80 to M Corporation. Without regard to paragraph (e) of this section, $10 of this distribution is attributable under section 959(c)(1) to A Corporation's 1964 earnings and profits required to be included in M Corporation's gross income under section 951(a)(1)(D). Pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, however, the entire distribution of $80 counts toward a minimum distribution for 1964 and is considered to be from earnings and profits of A Corporation for 1964 described in section 959(c)(3). Thus the entire distribution of $80 is included in M Corporation's gross income as a dividend and the foreign tax credit in respect of such amount is determined in accordance with section 902 as modified by the regulations under section 963. On the other hand, if A Corporation made no distributions for 1964, no part of the $10 of A Corporation's increase in earnings invested in United States property for such year would count toward a minimum distribution for any other year but would be included in the gross income for M Corporation for 1964 under section 951(a)(1)(B), and the foreign tax credit in respect of such amount would be determined in accordance with §1.960-1.

Example 3. For 1964 domestic corporation M makes a chain election with respect to controlled foreign corporation A, all the one class of stock of which is owned directly by M Corporation, and controlled foreign corporation B, all the one class of stock of which is owned directly by A Corporation. Corporation M makes no election under section 963 for 1963 or 1965. Corporations M and B use the calendar year as the taxable year, and A Corporation uses for its taxable year a fiscal year ending on September 30. Corporation M elects to have the distribution period for each controlled foreign corporation end on March 29, 1965, such date being the 180th day after the close of A Corporation's taxable year ending on September 30, 1964. Corporation A's distribution period for its taxable year ending on September 30, 1964, begins on November 30, 1963, the 61st day of such taxable year. The distribution period of B Corporation for 1964 begins on March 1, 1964, the 61st day of such taxable year. A distribution counting toward a minimum distribution for 1964 may be made from the earnings and profits of B Corporation only if the amount thereof is distributed by B Corporation to A Corporation, and in turn by A Corporation to M Corporation, during the period of March 1, 1964, through March 29, 1965.

Example 4. The facts are the same as in example 3, except that for their taxable years ending in 1964, corporations A and B each have earnings and profits (before distributions) of $100. On March 10, 1965, B Corporation distributes to A Corporation a dividend of $80 upon which A Corporation incurs foreign income tax at the rate of 10 percent. On March 15, 1965, A Corporation distributes to M Corporation a dividend of $50. Corporation M chooses to take into account as gross income for 1964 from such distribution only $40. For purposes of applying this section, the distribution counting toward a minimum distribution is $44.44, consisting of the $40 of earnings and profits actually received by M Corporation plus the $4.44 ($40/$72 × $8) of foreign income tax incurred by A Corporation attributable thereto; A Corporation is deemed to have received $44.44 ($40 ÷ 0.90) of the distribution from B Corporation on September 30, 1964, the last day of the taxable year of A Corporation to which the election relates; and the foreign personal holding company income derived by A Corporation for its taxable year ending in 1965 from the distribution from B is only $35.56 ($80−$44.44). Assuming that no exceptions, exclusions, or exemptions were applicable, subpart F income would be realized by A Corporation for its taxable year ending on September 30, 1965, upon the distribution by B Corporation to A Corporation, but only in the amount of $32 ($35.56 less a deduction under section 954(b)(5) for taxes of $3.56).

[T.D. 7100, 36 FR 10860, June 4, 1971; 36 FR 11924, June 23, 1971, as amended by T.D. 7334, 39 FR 44214, Dec. 23, 1974]

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