(a) In general. Section 5891 imposes on any person who acquires, directly or indirectly, structured settlement payment rights in a structured settlement factoring transaction a tax equal to 40 percent of the factoring discount with respect to such factoring transaction.

(b) Exceptions for certain approved transactions—(1) In general. The excise tax shall not apply to a structured settlement factoring transaction if the transfer of structured settlement payment rights is approved in advance in a qualified order.

(2) Qualified order dispositive. A qualified order shall be treated as dispositive for purposes of this exception.

(c) Definitions—(1) Applicable state statute means—

(i) A statute that is enacted by the state in which the payee of the structured settlement is domiciled and provides for the entry of an order, judgment, or decree described in paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section; or

(ii) If there is no such statute, a statute that—

(A) Is enacted by the state in which either the party to the structured settlement (including an assignee under a qualified assignment under section 130) or the person issuing the funding asset for the structured settlement is domiciled or has its principal place of business; and

(B) Provides for the entry of such an order, judgment, or decree.

(2) Applicable state court means, with respect to any applicable state statute, a court of the state that enacted such statute. If the payee of the structured settlement is not domiciled in the state that enacted the statute, the term also includes a court of the state in which the payee is domiciled.

(3) Factoring discount means an amount equal to the excess of—

(i) The aggregate undiscounted amount of structured settlement payments being acquired in the structured settlement factoring transaction; over

(ii) The total amount actually paid by the acquirer to the person from whom such structured settlement payments are acquired.

(4) Qualified order means a final order, judgment, or decree that—

(i) Finds that the transfer of structured settlement payment rights does not contravene any Federal or state statute, or the order of any court or responsible administrative authority, and is in the best interest of the payee, taking into account the welfare and support of the payee's dependents; and

(ii) Is issued under the authority of an applicable state statute by an applicable state court, or is issued by the responsible administrative authority (if any) which has exclusive jurisdiction over the underlying action or proceeding which was resolved by means of the structured settlement.

(5) Responsible administrative authority means the administrative authority that had jurisdiction over the underlying action or proceeding that was resolved by means of the structured settlement.

(6) State includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and any possession of the United States.

(7) Structured settlement means an arrangement—

(i) That is established by—

(A) Suit or agreement for the periodic payment of damages excludable from the gross income of the recipient under section 104(a)(2); or

(B) Agreement for the periodic payment of compensation under any workers' compensation law excludable from the gross income of the recipient under section 104(a)(1); and

(ii) Under which the periodic payments are—

(A) Of the character described in section 130(c)(2)(A) and (B); and

(B) Payable by a person who is a party to the suit or agreement or to the workers' compensation claim or by a person who has assumed the liability for such periodic payments under a qualified assignment in accordance with section 130.

(8) Structured settlement factoring transaction means a transfer of structured settlement payment rights (including portions of structured settlement payments) made for consideration by means of sale, assignment, pledge, or other form of encumbrance or alienation for consideration other than—

(i) The creation or perfection of a security interest in structured settlement payment rights under a blanket security agreement entered into with an insured depository institution in the absence of any action to redirect the structured settlement payments to such institution (or agent or successor thereof) or otherwise to enforce such blanket security interest as against the structured settlement payment rights; or

(ii) A subsequent transfer of structured settlement payment rights acquired in a structured settlement factoring transaction.

(9) Structured settlement payment rights means rights to receive payments under a structured settlement.

(d) Coordination with other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code—(1) In general. If the applicable requirements of sections 72, 104(a)(1), 104(a)(2), 130, and 461(h) were satisfied at the time the structured settlement involving structured settlement payment rights was entered into, the subsequent occurrence of a structured settlement factoring transaction shall not affect the application of the provisions of such sections to the parties to the structured settlement (including an assignee under a qualified assignment under section 130) in any taxable year.

(2) No withholding of tax. The provisions of section 3405 regarding withholding of tax shall not apply to the person making the payments in the event of a structured settlement factoring transaction.

(e) Effective dates. This section applies to structured settlement factoring transactions entered into on or after July 8, 2004. For structured settlement factoring transactions entered into before July 8, 2004, see §157.5891-1T of this chapter (2003-1 C.B. 564. See §601.601(d)(2) of this chapter.), as it appeared in the April 1, 2003, edition of 26 CFR part 157.