1.507-1—General rule.
(a) In general.
Except as provided in § 1.507-2, the status of any organization as a private foundation shall be terminated only if:
(1)
Such organization notifies the district director of its intent to accomplish such termination, or
(2)
(i)
With respect to such organization, there have been either willful repeated acts (or failures to act), or a willful and flagrant act (or failure to act), giving rise to liability for tax under chapter 42, and
(ii)
The Commissioner notifies such organization that, by reason of subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, such organization is liable for the tax imposed by section 507(c)
Code of Federal Regulations
(b) Termination under
(1)
In order to terminate its private foundation status under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an organization must submit a statement to the district director of its intent to terminate its private foundation status under section 507(a)(1). Such statement must set forth in detail the computation and amount of tax imposed under section 507(c). Unless the organization requests abatement of such tax pursuant to section 507(g), full payment of such tax must be made at the time the statement is filed under section 507(a)(1). An organization may request the abatement of all of the tax imposed under section 507(c), or may pay any part thereof and request abatement of the unpaid portion of the amount of tax assessed. If the organization requests abatement of the tax imposed under section 507(c) and such request is denied, the organization must pay such tax in full upon notification by the Internal Revenue Service that such tax will not be abated. For purposes of subtitle F of the Code, the statement described in this subparagraph, once filed, shall be treated as a return.
(2)
Termination of private foundation status under section 507(a)(1) does not relieve a private foundation, or any disqualified person with respect thereto, of liability for tax under chapter 42 with respect to acts or failures to act prior to termination or for any additional taxes imposed for failure to correct such acts or failures to act. See subparagraph (8) of this paragraph as to the possible imposition of transferee liability in cases not involving termination of private foundation status.
(3)
In the case of an organization which has terminated its private foundation status under section 507(a) and continues in operation thereafter, if such organization wishes to be treated as described in section 501(c)(3), then pursuant to section 509(c) and § 1.509(c)-1 such organization must apply for recognition of exemption as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) in accordance with the provisions of section 508(a).
(4)
See § 53.4947-1(c)(7) of this chapter as to the application of section 507(a) to certain split-interest trusts.
(5)
For purposes of section 508(d)(1), the Internal Revenue Service shall make notice to the public (such as by publication in the Internal Revenue Bulletin) of any notice received from a private foundation pursuant to section 507(a)(1) or of any notice given to a private foundation pursuant to section 507(a)(2).
(6)
If a private foundation transfers all or part of its assets to one or more other private foundations (or one or more private foundations and one or more section 509(a) (1), (2), (3), or (4) organizations) pursuant to a transfer described in section 507(b)(2) and § 1.507-3(c), such transferor foundation will not have terminated its private foundation status under section 507(a)(1). See § 1.507-3, however, for the special rules applicable to private foundations participating in section 507(b)(2) transfers.
(7)
Neither a transfer of all of the assets of a private foundation nor a significant disposition of assets (as defined in § 1.507-3(c)(2)) by a private foundation (whether or not any portion of such significant disposition of assets is made to another private foundation) shall be deemed to result in a termination of the transferor private foundation under section 507(a) unless the transferor private foundation elects to terminate pursuant to section 507(a)(1) or section 507(a)(2) is applicable. Thus, if a private foundation transfers all of its assets to one or more persons, but less than all of its net assets to one or more organizations described in section 509(a)(1) which have been in existence and so described for a continuous period of 60 calendar months, for purposes of this paragraph such transferor foundation will not be deemed by reason of such transfer to have terminated its private foundation status under section 507 (a) or (b) unless section 507(a)(2) is applicable. Such foundation will continue to be treated as a private foundation for all purposes. For example, if a private foundation transfers all of its net assets to a section 509(a)(2) organization in 1971 and receives a bequest in 1973, the bequest will be regarded as having been made to a private foundation and the foundation will be subject to the provisions of chapter 42 with respect to such funds. If a private foundation makes a transfer of all of its net assets to a section 509(a) (2) or (3) organization, for example, it must retain sufficient income or assets to pay the tax imposed under section 4940 for that portion of its taxable year prior to such transfer. For additional rules applicable to a transfer by a private foundation of all of its net assets to a section 509(a)(1) organization which has not been in existence and so described for a continuous period of 60 calendar months, see § 1.507-3(e).
(8)
If a private foundation makes a transfer described in subparagraph (7) of this paragraph and prior to, or in connection with, such transfer, liability for any tax under chapter 42 is incurred by the transferor foundation, transferee liability may be applied against the transferee organization for payment of such taxes. For purposes of this subparagraph, liability for any tax imposed under chapter 42 for failure to correct any act or failure to act shall be deemed incurred on the date on which the act or failure to act giving rise to the initial tax liability occurred.
(9)
A private foundation which transfers all of its net assets is required to file the annual information return required by section 6033, and the foundation managers are required to file the annual report of a private foundation required by section 6056, for the taxable year in which such transfer occurs. However, neither such foundation nor its foundation managers will be required to file such returns for any taxable year following the taxable year in which the last of any such transfers occurred, if at no time during the subsequent taxable years in question the foundation has either legal or equitable title to any assets or engages in any activity.
(c) Involuntary termination under
(1)
For purposes of section 507(a)(2)(A), the term willful repeated acts (or failures to act) means at least two acts or failures to act both of which are voluntary, conscious, and intentional.
(2)
For purposes of section 507(a)(2)(A), a willful and flagrant act (or failure to act) is one which is voluntarily, consciously, and knowingly committed in violation of any provision of chapter 42 (other than section 4940 or 4948(a)) and which appears to a reasonable man to be a gross violation of any such provision.
(3)
An act (or failure to act) may be treated as an act (or failure to act) by the private foundation for purposes of section 507(a)(2) even though tax is imposed upon one or more foundation managers rather than upon the foundation itself.
(4)
For purposes of section 507(a)(2), the failure to correct the act or acts (or failure or failures to act) which gave rise to liability for tax under any section of chapter 42 by the close of the correction period for such section may be a willful and flagrant act (or failure to act).
(5)
No motive to avoid the restrictions of the law or the incurrence of any tax is necessary to make an act (or failure to act) willful. However, a foundation's act (or failure to act) is not willful if the foundation (or a foundation manager, if applicable) does not know that it is an act of self-dealing, a taxable expenditure, or other act (or failure to act) to which chapter 42 applies. Rules similar to the regulations under chapter 42 (see, for example, § 53.4945-1(a)(2)(iii) of this chapter) shall apply in determining whether a foundation or a foundation manager knows that an act (or failure to act) is an act of self-dealing a taxable expenditure or other such act (or failure to act).