(a) General rule—(1) Definition. Under section 993(d), a loan made by a DISC to a person, referred to in this section as the “borrower,” is a producer's loan if—

(i) The loan is made out of accumulated DISC income within the meaning of subparagraph (3) of this paragraph.

(ii) The loan is evidenced by an obligation described in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph.

(iii) The requirement as to the trade or business of the borrower described in subparagraph (5) of this paragraph is satisfied.

(iv) At the time the loan is made, the obligation referred to in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph bears a legend stating “This Obligation Is Designated A Producer's Loan Within The Meaning of section 993(d) of the Internal Revenue Code” or words of substantially the same meaning.

(v) The limitation as to the export-related assets of the borrower described in paragraph (b) of this section is satisfied.

(vi) The requirement as to the increased investment of the borrower in export-related assets described in paragraph (c) of this section is satisfied, and

(vii) The requirement of paragraph (d) of this section as to proof of compliance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section is satisfied.

(2) Application of this section—(i) In general. A loan which is a producer's loan is a qualified export asset of the DISC (see §1.993-2(a)(5) and (F)). The interest on a producer's loan is a qualified export receipt of the DISC (see §1.993-1(g)). A producer's loan is not a dividend to a borrower which is also a shareholder of the DISC making the loan. For rules with respect to deemed distributions by reason of the amount of foreign investment attributable to producer's loans, see section 995(b)(1)(G) and (d) and the regulations thereunder.

(ii) No tracing of loan proceeds. For purposes of applying this section, in order to qualify as a producer's loan, the proceeds of the loan need not be traced to an investment in any specific asset.

(iii) Unrelated borrower. For purposes of applying this section, it is not necessary for a borrower to be a related person with respect to the DISC from which it receives a producer's loan, or a member of the same controlled group as the DISC.

(iv) Unpaid balance of producer's loans. For purposes of applying this section, the unpaid balance of producer's loans does not include the unpaid balance of any producer's loan to the extent the loan has been deducted or charged off by the DISC as totally or partially worthless under section 165 or 166.

(v) Refinancing, renewal, and extension. For purposes of applying this section, the refinancing, renewal, or extension of a producer's loan shall be treated as the making of a new loan which may qualify as a producer's loan only if the requirements of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph are met.

(vi) Events subsequent to time loan is made. The determination as to whether a loan qualifies as a producer's loan is made on the basis of the relevant facts taken into account for purposes of determining whether the loan was a producer's loan when made. Thus, for example, if the accumulated DISC income of the lender is later reduced below the unpaid balance of all producer's loans previously made by the DISC, such subsequent decrease in the amount of accumulated DISC income will not result in later disqualification of such loan (or part thereof) as a producer's loan. Similarly, if a loan (or part of a loan) does not qualify as a producer's loan because of an insufficient amount of accumulated DISC income at the time the loan is made, a subsequent increase in the amount of accumulated DISC income will not result in later qualification of such loan (or part thereof) as a producer's loan. As a further example, for purposes of applying the borrower's export related assets limitation described in paragraph (b) of this section, a loan which qualifies as a producer's loan when made will not later be disqualified if property, the gross receipts from the sale or lease of which were includible in the numerator of the fraction described in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section at the time of sale or lease by the borrower, is later characterized as excluded property (as defined in §1.993-3(f)).

(vii) Application of tests under paragraphs (b) and (c) on controlled group bases. If the borrower is a member of a controlled group (as defined in §1.993-1(k)) at the time a loan is made, all amounts that must be determined for purposes of applying the limitation and increased investment requirement with respect to the export-related assets of the borrower (described in paragraphs (b) and (c), respectively, of this section) may be determined at the election of the borrower by aggregating such amounts for all members of the controlled group, determined for the taxable year of each member of the controlled group during which the loan is made, excluding only such members of the group as are DISC's or foreign corporations for such year. However, such amounts may be included only to the extent that such amounts have not already been taken into account in applying the limitation and increased investment requirement with respect to any other borrower. Amounts to be aggregated for all such members if such election is made include, for example, gross receipts (described in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section) and export-related assets (described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section). The borrower may make such election by causing its written statement of election to be attached to the lending DISC's return under section 6011(e)(2) for the first taxable year of the lending DISC within which or with which the borrower's taxable year for which the election is to apply ends. An election once made is binding on all members of the controlled group which includes the borrower with respect to all taxable years of the borrower beginning with its first taxable year for which the election is made. A borrower who makes such election may revoke it only if it secures the consent of the Commissioner to such revocation upon application made through the lending DISC.

(3) Loan out of accumulated DISC income—(i) In general. A loan is a producer's loan only to the extent that it is made out of accumulated DISC income. A loan is made out of accumulated DISC income only if the amount of the loan, when added to the unpaid balance at the time such loan is made of all other producer's loans made by a DISC, does not exceed the amount of accumulated DISC income of the DISC at the beginning of the month in which the loan is made. The amount of accumulated DISC income at the beginning of any month is determined as if the DISC's taxable year closed at the end of the immediately preceding month.

(ii) Presumption. A loan made during a taxable year shall be deemed under subdivision (i) of this subparagraph to have been made out of accumulated DISC income if the balance of producer's loans at the beginning of the year and those made during the year do not exceed accumulated DISC income at the end of the year.

(iii) Deemed distributions. For purposes of this subparagraph, accumulated DISC income as of the end of any taxable year (or month) shall be determined without regard to deemed distributions under section 995(b)(1)(G) for the amount of foreign investment attributable to producer's loans for such year (or for the taxable year for which such month is a part) but actual distributions shall be taken into account.

(4) Evidence and terms of obligation. A loan is a producer's loan only if the loan is evidenced by a note or other evidence of indebtedness which is made by the borrower and which has a stated maturity date not more than 5 years from the date the loan is made. Accordingly, a loan which does not have a stated maturity date or which has a stated maturity date more than 5 years from the date such loan is made can never meet the 5-year requirement of this subparagraph. Thus, for example, even if there is a period of less than 5 years remaining to the stated maturity date of a loan, the loan can never be a producer's loan if it had a stated maturity date more than 5 years from the date it was made. For a further example, if a loan having a period remaining to maturity of 2 years is extended for a further period of 3 years (making a total of 5 years to maturity from the date of the extension), the extension of the loan would under subparagraph (2)(v) of this paragraph constitute the making of a new producer's loan and the original producer's loan would terminate. If, however, a loan having a period remaining to maturity of 2 years is extended for a further period of 4 years (making a total of 6 years to maturity from the date of the extension), the original producer's loan will terminate and the new loan will not be a producer's loan. If a producer's loan is not paid in full at its maturity date and is not formally refinanced, renewed, or extended, such loan shall be deemed to be a new loan which does not have a stated maturity date and, thus, will not be a producer's loan. For purposes of this subparagraph, an evidence of indebtedness is a written instrument of indebtedness. Section 482 and the regulations thereunder are applicable to determine, in the case of a loan by the DISC to a borrower which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the same interests as the DISC within the meaning of section 482, whether the interest charged on such loan is at an arm's length rate.

(5) Borrower's trade or business. A loan is a producer's loan only if the loan is made to a person engaged in the United States in the manufacture, production, growth, or extraction (within the meaning of §1.993-3(c)) of export property determined without regard to §1.993-3(f)(1)(iii) and (iv). The borrower may also be engaged in other trades or businesses and the loan need not be traceable to specific investments in export property.

(b) Borrower's export related assets limitation—(1) General rule. A loan to a borrower is a producer's loan only to the extent that the amount of the loan, when added to the unpaid balance of all other producer's loans made by all DISC's to the borrower which are outstanding at the time the loan is made, does not exceed an amount equal to the amount of the borrower's export-related assets (determined under subparagraph (2) of this paragraph) multiplied by the fraction set forth in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph.

(2) Amount of export-related assets—(i) In general. For purposes of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, the amount of the borrower's export-related assets is the sum of the amounts described in subdivisions (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this subparagraph.

(ii) Borrower's plant and equipment. The amount described in this subdivision is the sum of the borrower's adjusted bases (determined as of the beginning of the borrower's taxable year in which a loan is made to it) for plant, machinery, equipment, and supporting production facilities, which are located in the United States. Supporting production facilities are all property used primarily in connection with the manufacture, production, growth, or extraction (within the meaning of §1.993-3(c)) or storage, handling, transportation, or assembly of property by the borrower.

(iii) Borrower's property held primarily for sale or lease. The amount described in this subdivision is the amount of the borrower's property (at the beginning of the taxable year of the borrower in which a loan is made to it) held primarily for sale or lease to customers in the ordinary course of its trade or business. The amount of such property held for sale is determined under the methods of identifying and valuing inventory normally used by the borrower. The amount of such property held for lease or leased is the borrower's adjusted bases, determined under section 1011, for such property.

(iv) Borrower's research and experimental expenditures. The amount described in this subdivision is the aggregate amount, whether or not charged to capital account, of research and experimental expenditures (within the meaning of section 174) incurred in the United States by the borrower during each of its taxable years which begin after December 31, 1971, and precede the taxable year in which the loan is made to the borrower. Such research and experimental expenditures need bear no relationship to export property (as defined in §1.993-3) of the borrower. The aggregate amount of all such expenditures for each of such preceding taxable years is taken into account for purposes of this subparagraph, regardless of whether all or any portion of the aggregate amount has been taken into account with respect to producer's loans made to the borrower by any DISC in preceding taxable years. The aggregate amount of all such expenditures shall include such expenditures of a corporation, the assets of which were acquired by the borrower in a distribution or a transfer described in section 381(a)(1) or (2) (relating to carryovers in certain corporate acquisitions).

(3) Fraction referred to in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph—(i) Numerator of fraction. The numerator of the fraction set forth in this subparagraph is the sum of the borrower's gross receipts for each of its 3 taxable years immediately preceding the taxable year in which the loan is made (but not including any taxable year beginning before January 1, 1972) from the sale or lease of export property (determined without regard to §1.993-3(f)(1)(iii) and (iv)) which is manufactured, produced, grown, or extracted (within the meaning of §1.993-3(c)) by the borrower whether or not sold or leased directly or through a related domestic person (notwithstanding §1.993-3(a)(4) and (f)(2)). For purposes of the preceding sentence, with respect to a sale or lease to a related DISC in which the transfer price is determined under section 994(a)(1) or (2), the rules under §1.994-1(c)(5) (relating to incomplete transactions) shall be applied, and with respect to all other sales and leases the rules under §1.994-1(c)(5) other than subdivision (i)(d) thereof shall be applied.

(ii) Denominator of fraction. The denominator of the fraction set forth in this subparagraph is the sum of the amount included in the numerator and all other gross receipts of the borrower, for each of its taxable years for which gross receipts are included in the numerator of the fraction, from all sales or leases of all property held by the borrower primarily for sale or lease to customers in the ordinary course of its trade or business. For purposes of subdivision (i) of this subparagraph and this subdivision, if such property is sold or leased to a domestic related person which resells or subleases such property, the borrower's gross receipts shall be the gross receipts derived by the domestic related person from the resale or sublease of the export property.

(iii) Taxable years. If the borrower has not engaged in the sale or lease of property (as described in this subparagraph) for the 3 immediately preceding taxable years, or if 3 taxable years beginning after December 31, 1971, have not elapsed, the fraction will be computed on the basis of such gross receipts for its taxable years immediately preceding the loan and beginning after December 31, 1971, during which the borrower has so engaged. No producer's loans can be made to a borrower until after the end of the first taxable year of the borrower beginning after December 31, 1971.

(c) Requirement for increased investment in export-related assets—(1) In general. A loan to a borrower is a producer's loan only to the extent that the amount of the loan, when added to the unpaid balance of all other producer's loans made by all DISC's to the borrower during the borrower's taxable year during which such loan is made, does not exceed the amount of the borrower's increase for the year in investment in export-related assets. Such increase for any taxable year is the sum of—

(i) The increase (if any) in the borrowers adjusted basis of certain types of assets as determined under subparagraph (2) of this paragraph and

(ii) The amount (if any) during the year of its research and experimental expenditures as determined under paragraph (b)(2)(iv) of this section.

(2) Increase in adjusted basis. The amount under this subparagraph is the amount (not less than zero) by which—

(i) The borrower's adjusted basis (determined as of the end of its taxable year in which the producer's loan is made) in all of its property which is described in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) (plant and equipment), and (iii) (property held primarily for sale or lease) of this section, including any such property acquired by it during such taxable year, exceeds

(ii) Its adjusted bases in all such property (determined as of the beginning of such year).

(3) Ordering rule. If during the borrower's taxable year the amount of increase in investment in export-related assets determined under this subparagraph is exceeded by amounts loaned to the borrower during such year that would otherwise qualify as producer's loans, such loans shall be applied in the order made against the amount of such increase in order to determine which loans qualify as producer's loans.

(d) Proof of borrower's compliance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. For purposes of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a DISC shall be prepared to establish initially the compliance of the borrower with the requirements of such paragraphs by providing the written statement of the borrower, certified by a certified public accountant, stating that the borrower has complied with the limitation and increased investment requirement in section 993(d)(2) and (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. In lieu of certification by a certified public accountant, the DISC may attach to its return a statement signed by the borrower under penalties of perjury on a form provided by the Internal Revenue Service certifying that the borrower has complied with the limitation and increased investment requirement in section 993(d)(2) and (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. For taxable years ending after October 17, 1977, the DISC must attach either the certification by the certified public accountant or the certification by the borrower to its return. Additional full substantiation of the borrower's compliance with the requirements of such paragraphs may be required by the district director. If full substantiation of such compliance is not provided by the DISC (or the borrower) when required, the loan shall be deemed not to be a producer's loan.

(e) Special limitation in the case of domestic film maker—(1) General rule. The limitation of paragraph (b) of this section as to the export-related assets of the borrower will be considered satisfied if the DISC—

(i) Is engaged in the trade or business of selling or leasing films which are export property, or is acting as a commission agent for a person who is so engaged,

(ii) Makes a loan to a borrower which is a domestic film maker (as defined in subparagraph (5) of this paragraph) for the purpose of making a film, and

(iii) The amount of such loan, when added to the unpaid balance of all other producer's loans made by all DISC's to the borrower which are outstanding at the time the loan is made, does not exceed an amount determined by multiplying—

(a) The sum of (1) the amount of the export-related assets of the borrower (determined under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section as of the beginning of the borrower's taxable year in which the loan is made), plus (2) the amount of a reasonable estimate of the amount of such export related assets obtained or to be obtained by the borrower during such year and subsequent years with respect to films as to which filming begins within such year by

(b) The percentage which, based on the experience of other film makers of similar films for the 5 calendar years preceding the calendar year in which the loan is made, the annual gross receipts (as described in §1.993-6(a)(1), whether or not such films constitute property described therein) of such other film makers from the sale or lease of such films outside the United States is of the annual gross receipts of such other film makers from all sales or leases of such films.

(2) Purpose of loan. A loan by a DISC will be deemed to be for the making of a film if there exists a written agreement between the DISC and the borrower, executed at or before the time the loan is made, stating that the loan is made or to be made to enable the borrower to make such film.

(3) Reasonable estimate of amounts. For purposes of subparagraph (1)(iii)(a)(2) of this paragraph, a reasonable estimate shall be based on the conditions known by the DISC and borrower to exist at the time a loan is made (or which the DISC and borrower have reason to know to exist at such time).

(4) Experience of film makers. For purposes of subparagraph (1)(iii)(b) of this paragraph, the experience of other film makers of similar films for the 5 calendar years preceding the calendar year in which the loan is made shall be derived from such records and statistics as are acknowledged in the trade as reasonably reliable.

(5) Domestic film maker. For purposes of this section, a borrower is a domestic film maker with respect to a film if—

(i) The borrower is a U.S. person within the meaning of section 7701(a)(30), except that (a) with respect to a partnership all of the partners must be U.S. persons and (b) with respect to a corporation all of its officers and at least a majority of its directors must be U.S. persons,

(ii) The borrower is engaged in the trade or business of making the film with respect to which the loan is made,

(iii) Each studio, if any, used or to be used for filming or for recording sound incorporated into such film is located in the United States (as defined in section 7701(a)(9)),

(iv) At least 80 percent of the aggregate playing time of the film is or will be photographed within the United States (as defined in section 7701(a)(9)), and

(v) At least 80 percent of the total amount (not including any amount which is contingent upon receipts or profits of such film and which is fully taxable by the United States) paid or to be paid for services performed in the making of the film is either paid or to be paid to persons who are U.S. persons at the time such services are performed or consists of amounts which are fully taxable by the United States.

(6) Amounts as fully taxable. For purposes of subparagraph (5)(v) of this paragraph, an amount is considered fully taxable by the United States if the entire amount is included in gross income under section 61 or is subject to withholding under any provision of U.S. law or treaty to which the U.S. is a party and is not exempt from taxation under any provision of such law or treaty. Where a nonresident alien individual is engaged for the making of a film or where a foreign corporation is engaged to furnish the services of one of its officers or employees for the making of a film, the amount paid such individual or corporation will be considered as fully taxable by the United States only if it meets the test of this subparagraph.

[T.D. 7514, 42 FR 55464, Oct. 17, 1977, as amended by T.D. 7513, 42 FR 57311, Nov. 2, 1977; T.D. 7514, 42 FR 60910, Nov. 30, 1977; T.D. 7854, 47 FR 51741, Nov. 17, 1982]