1.514(c)-2—Permitted allocations under section 514(c)(9)(E).
(a) Table of contents.
This paragraph contains a listing of the major headings of this § 1.514(c)-2.
(a) Table of contents.
(b) Application of section 514(c)(9)(E), relating to debt-financed real property held by partnerships.
(1) In general.
(i) The fractions rule.
(ii) Substantial economic effect.
(2) Manner in which fractions rule is applied.
(i) In general.
(ii) Subsequent changes.
(c) General definitions.
(1) Overall partnership income and loss.
(i) Items taken into account in determining overall partnership income and loss.
(ii) Guaranteed payments to qualified organizations.
(2) Fractions rule percentage.
(3) Definitions of certain terms by cross reference to partnership regulations.
(4) Example.
(d) Exclusion of reasonable preferred returns and guaranteed payments.
(1) Overview.
(2) Preferred returns.
(3) Guaranteed payments.
(4) Reasonable amount.
(i) In general.
(ii) Safe harbor.
(5) Unreturned capital.
(i) In general.
(ii) Return of capital.
(6) Timing rules.
(i) Limitation on allocations of income with respect to reasonable preferred returns for capital.
(ii) Reasonable guaranteed payments may be deducted only when paid in cash.
(7) Examples.
(e) Chargebacks and offsets.
(1) In general.
(2) Disproportionate allocations.
(i) In general.
(ii) Limitation on chargebacks of partial allocations.
(3) Minimum gain chargebacks attributable to nonrecourse deductions.
(4) Minimum gain chargebacks attributable to distribution of nonrecourse debt proceeds.
(i) Chargebacks disregarded until allocations made.
(ii) Certain minimum gain chargebacks related to returns of capital.
(5) Examples.
(f) Exclusion of reasonable partner-specific items of deduction or loss.
(g) Exclusion of unlikely losses and deductions.
(h) Provisions preventing deficit capital account balances.
(i) [Reserved]
(j) Exception for partner nonrecourse deductions.
(1) Partner nonrecourse deductions disregarded until actually allocated.
(2) Disproportionate allocation of partner nonrecourse deductions to a qualified organization.
(k) Special rules.
(1) Changes in partnership allocations arising from a change in the partners' interests.
(2) De minimis interest rule.
(i) In general.
(ii) Example.
(3) De minimis allocations disregarded.
(4) Anti-abuse rule.
(l) [Reserved]
(m) Tiered partnerships.
(1) In general.
(2) Examples.
(n) Effective date.
(1) In general.
(2) General effective date of the regulations.
(3) Periods after June 24, 1990, and prior to December 30, 1992.
(4) Periods prior to the issuance of Notice 90-41.
(5) Material modifications to partnership agreements.
(b) Application of
(1) In general.
This § 1.514(c)-2 provides rules governing the application of section 514(c)(9)(E). To comply with section 514(c)(9)(E), the following two requirements must be met:
(i) The fractions rule.
The allocation of items to a partner that is a qualified organization cannot result in that partner having a percentage share of overall partnership income for any partnership taxable year greater than that partner's fractions rule percentage (as defined in paragraph (c)(2) of this section).
(ii) Substantial economic effect.
Each partnership allocation must have substantial economic effect. However, allocations that cannot have economic effect must be deemed to be in accordance with the partners' interests in the partnership pursuant to § 1.704-1(b)(4), or (if § 1.704-1(b)(4) does not provide a method for deeming the allocations to be in accordance with the partners' interests in the partnership) must otherwise comply with the requirements of § 1.704-1(b)(4). Allocations attributable to nonrecourse liabilities or partner nonrecourse debt must comply with the requirements of § 1.704-2(e) or § 1.704-2(i).
(2) Manner in which fractions rule is applied—
(i) In general.
A partnership must satisfy the fractions rule both on a prospective basis and on an actual basis for each taxable year of the partnership, commencing with the first taxable year of the partnership in which the partnership holds debt-financed real property and has a qualified organization as a partner. Generally, a partnership does not qualify for the unrelated business income tax exception provided by section 514(c)(9)(A) for any taxable year of its existence unless it satisfies the fractions rule for every year the fractions rule applies. However, if an actual allocation described in paragraph (e)(4), (h), (j)(2), or (m)(1)(ii) of this section (regarding certain allocations that are disregarded or not taken into account for purposes of the fractions rule until an actual allocation is made) causes the partnership to violate the fractions rule, the partnership ordinarily is treated as violating the fractions rule only for the taxable year of the actual allocation and subsequent taxable years. For purposes of applying the fractions rule, the term partnership agreement is defined in accordance with § 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii) (h ), and informal understandings are considered part of the partnership agreement in appropriate circumstances. See paragraph (k) of this section for rules relating to changes in the partners' interests and de minimis exceptions to the fractions rule.
(ii) Subsequent changes.
A subsequent change to a partnership agreement that causes the partnership to violate the fractions rule ordinarily causes the partnership's income to fail the exception provided by section 514(c)(9)(A) only for the taxable year of the change and subsequent taxable years.
(c) General definitions—
(1) Overall partnership income and loss.
Overall partnership income is the amount by which the aggregate items of partnership income and gain for the taxable year exceed the aggregate items of partnership loss and deduction for the year. Overall partnership loss is the amount by which the aggregate items of partnership loss and deduction for the taxable year exceed the aggregate items of partnership income and gain for the year.
(i) Items taken into account in determining overall partnership income and loss.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the partnership items that are included in computing overall partnership income or loss are those items of income, gain, loss, and deduction (including expenditures described in section 705(a)(2)(B)) that increase or decrease the partners' capital accounts under § 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Tax items allocable pursuant to section 704(c) or § 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) (f )(4) are not included in computing overall partnership income or loss. Nonetheless, allocations pursuant to section 704(c) or § 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) (f )(4) may be relevant in determining that this section is being applied in a manner that is inconsistent with the fractions rule. See paragraph (k)(4) of this section.
(ii) Guaranteed payments to qualified organizations.
Except to the extent otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this section—
(A)
A guaranteed payment to a qualified organization is not treated as an item of partnership loss or deduction in computing overall partnership income or loss; and
(B)
Income that a qualified organization may receive or accrue with respect to a guaranteed payment is treated as an allocable share of overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule.
(2) Fractions rule percentage.
A qualified organization's fractions rule percentage is that partner's percentage share of overall partnership loss for the partnership taxable year for which that partner's percentage share of overall partnership loss will be the smallest.
(3)
Definitions of certain terms by cross reference to partnership regulations. Minimum gain chargeback, nonrecourse deduction, nonrecourse liability, partner nonrecourse debt, partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain, partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain chargeback, partner nonrecourse deduction, and partnership minimum gain have the meanings provided in § 1.704-2.
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(d) Exclusion of reasonable preferred returns and guaranteed payments—
(1) Overview.
This paragraph (d) sets forth requirements for disregarding reasonable preferred returns for capital and reasonable guaranteed payments for capital or services for purposes of the fractions rule. To qualify, the preferred return or guaranteed payment must be set forth in a binding, written partnership agreement.
(2) Preferred returns.
Items of income (including gross income) and gain that may be allocated to a partner with respect to a current or cumulative reasonable preferred return for capital (including allocations of minimum gain attributable to nonrecourse liability (or partner nonrecourse debt) proceeds distributed to the partner as a reasonable preferred return) are disregarded in computing overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule. Similarly, if a partnership agreement effects a reasonable preferred return with an allocation of what would otherwise be overall partnership income, those items comprising that allocation are disregarded in computing overall partnership income for purposes of the fractions rule.
(3) Guaranteed payments.
A current or cumulative reasonable guaranteed payment to a qualified organization for capital or services is treated as an item of deduction in computing overall partnership income or loss, and the income that the qualified organization may receive or accrue from the current or cumulative reasonable guaranteed payment is not treated as an allocable share of overall partnership income or loss. The treatment of a guaranteed payment as reasonable for purposes of section 514(c)(9)(E) does not affect its possible characterization as unrelated business taxable income under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
(4) Reasonable amount—
(i) In general.
A guaranteed payment for services is reasonable only to the extent the amount of the payment is reasonable under § 1.162-7 (relating to the deduction of compensation for personal services). A preferred return or guaranteed payment for capital is reasonable only to the extent it is computed, with respect to unreturned capital, at a rate that is commercially reasonable based on the relevant facts and circumstances.
(ii) Safe harbor.
For purposes of this paragraph (d)(4), a rate is deemed to be commercially reasonable if it is no greater than four percentage points more than, or if it is no greater than 150 percent of, the highest long-term applicable federal rate (AFR) within the meaning of section 1274(d), for the month the partner's right to a preferred return or guaranteed payment is first established or for any month in the partnership taxable year for which the return or payment on capital is computed. A rate in excess of the rates described in the preceding sentence may be commercially reasonable, based on the relevant facts and circumstances.
(5) Unreturned capital—
(i) In general.
Unreturned capital is computed on a weighted-average basis and equals the excess of—
(A)
The amount of money and the fair market value of property contributed by the partner to the partnership (net of liabilities assumed, or taken subject to, by the partnership); over
(B)
The amount of money and the fair market value of property (net of liabilities assumed, or taken subject to, by the partner) distributed by the partnership to the partner as a return of capital.
(ii) Return of capital.
In determining whether a distribution constitutes a return of capital, all relevant facts and circumstances are taken into account. However, the designation of distributions in a written partnership agreement generally will be respected in determining whether a distribution constitutes a return of capital, so long as the designation is economically reasonable.
(6) Timing rules—
(i) Limitation on allocations of income with respect to reasonable preferred returns for capital.
Items of income and gain (or part of what would otherwise be overall partnership income) that may be allocated to a partner in a taxable year with respect to a reasonable preferred return for capital are disregarded for purposes of the fractions rule only to the extent the allocable amount will not exceed—
(A)
The aggregate of the amount that has been distributed to the partner as a reasonable preferred return for the taxable year of the allocation and prior taxable years, on or before the due date (not including extensions) for filing the partnership's return for the taxable year of the allocation; minus
(B)
The aggregate amount of corresponding income and gain (and what would otherwise be overall partnership income) allocated to the partner in all prior years.
(ii) Reasonable guaranteed payments may be deducted only when paid in cash.
If a partnership that avails itself of paragraph (d)(3) of this section would otherwise be required (by virtue of its method of accounting) to deduct a reasonable guaranteed payment to a qualified organization earlier than the taxable year in which it is paid in cash, the partnership must delay the deduction of the guaranteed payment until the taxable year it is paid in cash. For purposes of this paragraph (d)(6)(ii), a guaranteed payment that is paid in cash on or before the due date (not including extensions) for filing the partnership's return for a taxable year may be treated as paid in that prior taxable year.
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(e) Chargebacks and offsets—
(1) In general.
The following allocations are disregarded in computing overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule—
(i)
Allocations of what would otherwise be overall partnership income that may be made to chargeback (i.e., reverse) prior disproportionately large allocations of overall partnership loss (or part of the overall partnership loss) to a qualified organization, and allocations of what would otherwise be overall partnership loss that may be made to chargeback prior disproportionately small allocations of overall partnership income (or part of the overall partnership income) to a qualified organization;
(ii)
Allocations of income or gain that may be made to a partner pursuant to a minimum gain chargeback attributable to prior allocations of nonrecourse deductions to the partner;
(iii)
Allocations of income or gain that may be made to a partner pursuant to a minimum gain chargeback attributable to prior allocations of partner nonrecourse deductions to the partner and allocations of income or gain that may be made to other partners to chargeback compensating allocations of other losses, deductions, or section 705(a)(2)(B) expenditures to the other partners; and
(iv)
Allocations of items of income or gain that may be made to a partner pursuant to a qualified income offset, within the meaning of § 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii) (d ).
(v)
Allocations made in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2002, that are mandated by statute or regulation other than subchapter K of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder.
(2) Disproportionate allocations—
(i) In general.
To qualify under paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section, prior disproportionate allocations may be reversed in full or in part, and in any order, but must be reversed in the same ratio as originally made. A prior allocation is disproportionately large if the qualified organization's percentage share of that allocation exceeds its fractions rule percentage. A prior allocation is disproportionately small if the qualified organization's percentage share of that allocation is less than its fractions rule percentage. However, a prior allocation (or allocations) is not considered disproportionate unless the balance of the overall partnership income or loss for the taxable year of the allocation is allocated in a manner that would independently satisfy the fractions rule.
(ii) Limitation on chargebacks of partial allocations.
Except in the case of a chargeback allocation pursuant to paragraph (e)(4) of this section, and except as otherwise provided by the Internal Revenue Service by revenue ruling, revenue procedure, or, on a case-by-case basis, by letter ruling, paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section applies to a chargeback of an allocation of part of the overall partnership income or loss only if that part consists of a pro rata portion of each item of partnership income, gain, loss, and deduction (other than nonrecourse deductions, as well as partner nonrecourse deductions and compensating allocations) that is included in computing overall partnership income or loss.
(3) Minimum gain chargebacks attributable to nonrecourse deductions.
Commencing with the first taxable year of the partnership in which a minimum gain chargeback (or partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain chargeback) occurs, a chargeback to a partner is attributable to nonrecourse deductions (or separately, on a debt-by-debt basis, to partner nonrecourse deductions) in the same proportion that the partner's percentage share of the partnership minimum gain (or separately, on a debt-by-debt basis, the partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain) at the end of the immediately preceding taxable year is attributable to nonrecourse deductions (or partner nonrecoursedeductions). The partnership must determine the extent to which a partner's percentage share of the partnership minimum gain (or partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain) is attributable to deductions in a reasonable and consistent manner. For example, in those cases in which none of the exceptions contained in § 1.704-2(f) (2) through (5) are relevant, a partner's percentage share of the partnership minimum gain generally is attributable to nonrecourse deductions in the same ratio that—
(i)
The aggregate amount of the nonrecourse deductions previously allocated to the partner but not charged back in prior taxable years; bears to
(ii)
The sum of the amount described in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section, plus the aggregate amount of distributions previously made to the partner of proceeds of a nonrecourse liability allocable to an increase in partnership minimum gain but not charged back in prior taxable years.
(4) Minimum gain chargebacks attributable to distribution of nonrecourse debt proceeds—
(i) Chargebacks disregarded until allocations made.
Allocations of items of income and gain that may be made pursuant to a provision in the partnership agreement that charges back minimum gain attributable to the distribution of proceeds of a nonrecourse liability (or a partner nonrecourse debt) are taken into account for purposes of the fractions rule only to the extent an allocation is made. (See paragraph (d)(2) of this section, pursuant to which there is permanently excluded chargeback allocations of minimum gain that are attributable to proceeds distributed as a reasonable preferred return.)
(ii) Certain minimum gain chargebacks related to returns of capital.
Allocations of items of income or gain that (in accordance with § 1.704-2(f)(1)) may be made to a partner pursuant to a minimum gain chargeback attributable to the distribution of proceeds of a nonrecourse liability are disregarded in computing overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule to the extent that the allocations (subject to the requirements of paragraph (e)(2) of this section) also charge back prior disproportionately large allocations of overall partnership loss (or part of the overall partnership loss) to a qualified organization. This exception applies only to the extent the disproportionately large allocation consisted of depreciation from real property (other than items of nonrecourse deduction or partner nonrecourse deduction) that subsequently was used to secure the nonrecourse liability providing the distributed proceeds, and only if those proceeds were distributed as a return of capital and in the same proportion as the disproportionately large allocation.
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(f) Exclusion of reasonable partner-specific items of deduction or loss.
Provided that the expenditures are allocated to the partners to whom they are attributable, the following partner-specific expenditures are disregarded in computing overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule—
(1)
Expenditures for additional record-keeping and accounting incurred in connection with the transfer of a partnership interest (including expenditures incurred in computing basis adjustments under section 743(b) );
(4)
Expenditures designated by the Internal Revenue Service by revenue ruling or revenue procedure, or, on a case-by-case basis, by letter ruling. (See § 601.601(d)(2)(ii) (b) of this chapter).
(g) Exclusion of unlikely losses and deductions.
Unlikely losses or deductions (other than items of nonrecourse deduction) that may be specially allocated to partners that bear the economic burden of those losses or deductions are disregarded in computing overall partnership income or loss for purposes of the fractions rule, so long as a principal purpose of the allocation is not tax avoidance. To be excluded under this paragraph (g), a loss or deduction must have a low likelihood of occurring, taking into account all relevant facts, circumstances, and information available to the partners (including bona fide financial projections). The types of events that may give rise to unlikely losses or deductions, depending on the facts and circumstances, include tort and other third-party litigation that give rise to unforeseen liabilities in excess of reasonable insurance coverage; unanticipated labor strikes; unusual delays in securing required permits or licenses; abnormal weather conditions (considering the season and the job site); significant delays in leasing property due to an unanticipated severe economic downturn in the geographic area; unanticipated cost overruns; and the discovery of environmental conditions that require remediation. No inference is drawn as to whether a loss or deduction is unlikely from the fact that the partnership agreement includes a provision for allocating that loss or deduction.
(h) Provisions preventing deficit capital account balances.
A provision in the partnership agreement that allocates items of loss or deduction away from a qualified organization in instances where allocating those items to the qualified organization would cause or increase a deficit balance in its capital account that the qualified organization is not obligated to restore (within the meaning of § 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii) (b) or (d )), is disregarded for purposes of the fractions rule in taxable years of the partnership in which no such allocations are made pursuant to the provision. However, this exception applies only if, at the time the provision becomes part of the partnership agreement, all relevant facts, circumstances, and information (including bona fide financial projections) available to the partners reasonably indicate that it is unlikely that an allocation will be made pursuant to the provision during the life of the partnership.
(j) Exception for partner nonrecourse deductions—
(1) Partner nonrecourse deductions disregarded until actually allocated.
Items of partner nonrecourse deduction that may be allocated to a partner pursuant to § 1.704-2, and compensating allocations of other items of loss, deduction, and section 705(a)(2)(B) expenditures that may be allocated to other partners, are not taken into account for purposes of the fractions rule until the taxable years in which they are allocated.
(2) Disproportionate allocation of partner nonrecourse deductions to a qualified organization.
A violation of the fractions rule will be disregarded if it arises because an allocation of partner nonrecourse deductions to a qualified organization that is not motivated by tax avoidance reduces another qualified organization's fractions rule percentage below what it would have been absent the allocation of the partner nonrecourse deductions.
(k) Special rules—
(1) Changes in partnership allocations arising from a change in the partners' interests.
A qualified organization that acquires a partnership interest from another qualified organization is treated as a continuation of the prior qualified organization partner (to the extent of that acquired interest) for purposes of applying the fractions rule. Changes in partnership allocations that result from other transfers or shifts of partnership interests will be closely scrutinized (to determine whether the transfer or shift stems from a prior agreement, understanding, or plan or could otherwise be expected given the structure of the transaction), but generally will be taken into account only in determining whether the partnership satisfies the fractions rule in the taxable year of the change and subsequent taxable years.
(2) De minimis interest rule—
(i) In general.
Section 514(c)(9)(B)(vi) does not apply to a partnership otherwise subject to that section if—
(A)
Qualified organizations do not hold, in the aggregate, interests of greater than five percent in the capital or profits of the partnership; and
(B)
Taxable partners own substantial interests in the partnership through which they participate in the partnership on substantially the same terms as the qualified organization partners.
(ii) Example.
Partnership PRS has two types of limited partnership interests that participate in partnership profits and losses on different terms. Qualified organizations (QOs) only own one type of limited partnership interest and own no general partnership interests. In the aggregate, the QOs own less than five percent of the capital and profits of PRS. Taxable partners also own the same type of limited partnership interest that the QOs own. These limited partnership interests owned by the taxable partners are 30 percent of the capital and profits of PRS. Thirty percent is a substantial interest in the partnership. Therefore, PRS satisfies paragraph (k)(2) of this section and section 514(c)(9)(B)(vi) does not apply.
(3) De minimis allocations disregarded.
A qualified organization's fractions rule percentage of the partnership's items of loss and deduction, other than nonrecourse and partner nonrecourse deductions, that are allocated away from the qualified organization and to other partners in any taxable year are treated as having been allocated to the qualified organization for purposes of the fractions rule if—
(A)
One percent of the partnership's aggregate items of gross loss and deduction for the taxable year; and
(4) Anti-abuse rule.
The purpose of the fractions rule is to prevent tax avoidance by limiting the permanent or temporary transfer of tax benefits from tax-exempt partners to taxable partners, whether by directing income or gain to tax-exempt partners, by directing losses, deductions, or credits to taxable partners, or by some other similar manner. This section may not be applied in a manner that is inconsistent with the purpose of the fractions rule.
(m) Tiered partnerships—
(1) In general.
If a qualified organization holds an indirect interest in real property through one or more tiers of partnerships (a chain), the fractions rule is satisfied only if—
(i)
The avoidance of tax is not a principal purpose for using the tiered-ownership structure (investing in separate real properties through separate chains of partnerships so that section 514(c)(9)(E) is, effectively, applied on a property-by-property basis is not, in and of itself, a tax avoidance purpose); and
(ii)
The relevant partnerships can demonstrate under any reasonable method that the relevant chains satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2) through (k) of this section. For purposes of applying § 1.704-2(k) under the independent chain approach described in Example 3 of paragraph (m)(2) of this section, allocations of items of income or gain that may be made pursuant to a provision in the partnership agreement that charges back minimum gain are taken into account for purposes of the fractions rule only to the extent an allocation is made.