1.597-7—Effective date.
(a) FIRREA effective date.
Section 597, as amended by section 1401 of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), Public Law 101-73, is generally effective for any FFA received or accrued by an Institution on or after May 10, 1989, and for any transaction in connection with which such FFA is provided, unless the FFA is provided in connection with an acquisition occurring prior to May 10, 1989. See § 1.597-8 for rules regarding FFA received or accrued on or after May 10, 1989, that relates to an acquisition that occurred before May 10, 1989.
(b) Effective date of regulations.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 apply to taxable years ending on or after April 22, 1992. However, the provisions of §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 do not apply to FFA received or accrued for taxable years ending on or after April 22, 1992, in connection with an Agency assisted acquisition within the meaning of Notice 89-102 (1989-2 C.B. 436; see § 601.601(d)(2)) (which does not include a transfer to a Bridge Bank), that occurs before April 22, 1992. Taxpayers not subject to §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 must comply with an interpretation of the statute that is reasonable in light of the legislative history and applicable administrative pronouncements. For this purpose, the rules contained in Notice 89-102 apply to the extent provided in the Notice.
(c) Elective application to prior years and transactions—
(1) In general.
Except as limited in this paragraph (c), an election is available to apply §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 to taxable years prior to the general effective date of these regulations. A consolidated group may elect to apply §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 for all members of the group in all taxable years to which section 597, as amended by FIRREA, applies. The common parent makes the election for the group. An entity that is not a member of a consolidated group may elect to apply §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 to all taxable years to which section 597, as amended by FIRREA, applies for which it is not a member of a consolidated group. The election is irrevocable.
(2) Election unavailable in certain cases—
(i) Statute of limitations closed.
The election cannot be made if the period for assessment and collection of tax has expired under the rules of section 6501 for any taxable year in which §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 would affect the determination of the electing entity's or group's income, deductions, gain, loss, basis, or other items.
(ii) No
The election cannot be made with respect to an Institution if, under Notice 89-102, it was a Target with respect to which a qualified stock purchase was made, a timely election under section 338 was not made, and on April 22, 1992, a timely election under section 338 could not be made.
(iii) Inconsistent treatment of Institution that would be New Entity.
If, under § 1.597-5(b), an Institution would become a New Entity before April 22, 1992, the election cannot be made with respect to that Institution unless elections are made by all relevant persons such that §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 apply both before and after the deemed sale under § 1.597-5. However, this requirement does not apply if, under §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6, the Institution would not have Continuing Equity prior to the deemed sale.
(3) Expense reimbursements.
Notice 89-102, 1989-2 C.B. 436, provides that reimbursements paid or accrued pursuant to an expense reimbursement or indemnity arrangement are not included in income but the taxpayer may not deduct, or otherwise take into account, the item of cost or expense to which the reimbursement or indemnity payment relates. With respect to an Agency assisted acquisition within the meaning of Notice 89-102 that occurs before April 22, 1992, a taxpayer that elects to apply these regulations retroactively under this paragraph (c) may continue to account for these items under the rules of Notice 89-102.
(4) Procedural rules—
(i) Manner of making election.
An Institution or consolidated group makes the election provided by this paragraph (c) by attaching a written statement to, and including it as a part of, the taxpayer's or consolidated group's first annual income tax return filed on or after March 15, 1996. The statement must contain the following legend at the top of the page: “THIS IS AN ELECTION UNDER § 1.597-7(c) ,” and must contain the name, address and employer identification number of the taxpayer or common parent making the election. The statement must include a declaration that “TAXPAYER AGREES TO EXTEND THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON ASSESSMENT FOR THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE FILING OF THIS ELECTION UNDER § 1.597-7(c), IF THE LIMITATIONS PERIOD WOULD EXPIRE EARLIER WITHOUT SUCH EXTENSION, FOR ANY ITEMS AFFECTED IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR BY THE FILING OF THIS ELECTION,” and a declaration that either “AMENDED RETURNS WILL BE FILED FOR ALL TAXABLE YEARS AFFECTED BY THE FILING OF THIS ELECTION WITHIN 180 DAYS OF MAKING THIS STATEMENT, UNLESS SUCH REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED IN WRITING BY THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR OR HIS DELEGATE” or “ALL RETURNS PREVIOUSLY FILED ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF §§ 1.597-1 THROUGH 1.597-6,” and be signed by an individual who is authorized to make the election under this paragraph (c) on behalf of the taxpayer. An election with respect to a consolidated group must be made by the common parent of the group, not Agency, and applies to all members of the group.
(ii) Effect of elective disaffiliation.
To make the affirmative election described in § 1.597-4(g)(5) for an Institution placed in Agency receivership in a taxable year ending before April 22, 1992, the consolidated group must send the affected Institution the statement described in § 1.597-4(g)(5) on or before May 31, 1996. Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section, a consolidated group sending such a statement is deemed to make the election described in, and to agree to the conditions contained in, this paragraph (c). The consolidated group must nevertheless attach the statement described in paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section to its first annual income tax return filed on or after March 15, 1996.
(d) Reliance on prior guidance—
(1) Notice 89-102.
Taxpayers may rely on Notice 89-102, 1989-2 C.B. 436, to the extent they acted in reliance on that Notice prior to April 22, 1992. Such reliance must be reasonable and transactions with respect to which taxpayers rely must be consistent with the overriding policies of section 597, as expressed in the legislative history.
(2) Notice FI-46-89—
(i) In general.
Notice FI-46-89 was published in the Federal Register on April 23, 1992 ( 57 FR 14804 ). Taxpayers may rely on the provisions of §§ 1.597-1 through 1.597-6 of that notice to the extent they acted in reliance on those provisions prior to December 21, 1995. Such reliance must be reasonable and transactions with respect to which taxpayers rely must be consistent with the overriding policies of section 597, as expressed in the legislative history, as well as the overriding policies of notice FI-46-89.
(ii) Taxable Transfers.
Any taxpayer described in this paragraph (d) that, under notice FI-46-89, would be a New Entity or Acquiring with respect to a Taxable Transfer on or after April 22, 1992, and before December 21, 1995, may apply the rules of that notice with respect to such transaction.