1.810-3—Adjustment for change in computing reserves.
(a) Reserve strengthening or weakening.
Section 810(d)(1) provides that if the basis for determining any item referred to in section 810(c) and paragraph (b) of § 1.810-2 at the end of any taxable year differs from the basis for such determination at the end of the preceding taxable year, then so much of the difference between:
(1)
The amount of the item at the end of the taxable year, computed on the new basis, and
(2)
The amount of the item at the end of the taxable year, computed on the old basis,
as is attributable to contracts issued before the taxable year shall be taken into account as follows:
(i)
If the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the new basis exceeds the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis, 1/10 of such excess shall be taken into account, for each of the succeeding 10 taxable years as a net increase to which section 809(d)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-5 applies; or
(ii)
If the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis exceeds the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the new basis, 1/10 of such excess shall be taken into account, for each of the 10 succeeding taxable years, as a net decrease to which section 809 (c)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-4 applies.
(b) Illustration of principles.
The provisions of section 810(d)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:
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Example 1.
Assume that the amount of an item described in section 810(c) of L, a life insurance company, at the beginning of the taxable year 1959 is $100. Assume that at the end of the taxable year 1959, as a result of a change in the basis used in computing such item during the taxable year, the amount of the item (computed on the new basis) is $200 but computed on the old basis would have been $150. Since the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the new basis, $200, exceeds the amount of the item at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis, $150, by $50, 1/10 of the amount of such excess, or $5, shall be taken into account as a net increase referred to in section 809(d)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-5
in determining gain or loss from operations for each of the 10 taxable years immediately following the taxable year 1959. Any increase (or decrease) in the sum of the section 810(c) items computed on the old basis at the end of the taxable year 1959 ($150) after adjustment for investment yield not included in gain or loss from operations for the taxable year by reason of section 809(a)(1), over the sum of such items computed on the old basis at the beginning of the taxable year 1959 ($100), shall be taken into account in the manner prescribed in section 810 (a) or (b) and § 1.810-2
for purposes of determining L's gain or loss from operations for 1959.
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Example 2.
Assume the facts are the same as in example 1, and that the sum of the items described in section 810(c) (computed on the new basis) is $200 on January 1, 1960, and $260 on December 31, 1960. Under the provisions of section 810(d)(1), as a result of the reserve strengthening attributable to the change in basis which occurred in 1959, L would include $5 (computed in the manner described in example 1) as a net increase under section 809(d)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-5
in determining its gain or loss from operations for 1960. In addition to this amount, any increase (or decrease) in the sum of the items described in section 810(c) at the end of the taxable year 1960 ($260) after adjustment for investment yield not included in gain or loss from operations for the taxable year by reason of section 809(a)(1), over the sum of such items at the beginning of the taxable year 1960 ($200), shall be taken into account in the manner prescribed in section 810 (a) or (b) and § 1.810-2
for purposes of determining L's gain or loss from operations for 1960.
(c) Termination as life insurance company.
Section 810(d)(2) provides, subject to the provisions of section 381(c)(22) and the regulations thereunder (relating to carryovers in certain corporate readjustments), that if for any taxable year a company which previously was a life insurance company no longer meets the requirements of section 801(a) and paragraph (b) of § 1.801-3 (relating to the definition of a life insurance company), the balance of any adjustments remaining to be made under section 810(d)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section shall be taken into account for the preceding taxable year.
(d) Illustration of principles.
The provisions of section 810(d)(2) and paragraph (c) of this section may be illustrated by the following example:
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Example.
Assume the facts are the same as in example 1 of paragraph (b) of this section, except that for the taxable year 1962, L no longer meets the requirements of section 801(a) (relating to the definition of a life insurance company) and that the provisions of section 381(c)(22) are not applicable. Under the provisions of section 810 (d)(2), the entire balance of the adjustment remaining to be made with respect to the change in basis which occurred in 1959, 8/10 of $50, or $40, shall be taken into account for the taxable year 1961, the last year L was a life insurance company. Thus, for the taxable year 1961, the total amount to be taken into account by L as a net increase referred to in section 809(d)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-5
in determining its gain or loss from operations shall be $45. Of this amount, $5 (1/10 of $50) represents the amount determined under the provisions of section 810(d)(1), and $40 represents the amount determined under the provisions of section 810(d)(2).
(e) Effect of preliminary term election.
(1)
Section 810(d)(3) provides that if a company which computes its life insurance reserves on a preliminary term basis elects to revalue such reserves on a net level premium basis under section 818(c), such election shall not be treated as a change in basis within the meaning of section 810(d)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section. Thus, any increase or decrease in reserves attributable to such election shall not be taken into account under section 810(d)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section but shall be taken into account in the manner prescribed in section 810 (a) and (b) and paragraph (a) of § 1.810-2. See paragraph (c)(3) of § 1.810-2.
(2)
Section 810(d)(3) further provides that where an election under section 818(c) would apply to an item referred to in section 810(c) but for the fact that the basis used in computing such item has actually been changed, any increase or decrease in such item attributable to such actual change in basis shall be subject to the adjustment required under section 810(d)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section. In such a case, however, for purposes of section 810(d)(1)(B) and paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the amount of such item at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis shall be the amount of such item at the end of the taxable year computed as if the election under section 818(c) applied in respect of such item for the taxable year.
(f) Illustration of principles.
The provisions of section 810(d)(3) and par- agraph (e) of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:
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Example 1.
Assume that S, a life insurance company which computes its life insurance reserves on a 3-percent assumed rate and the Commissioner's reserve valuation method (one of the recognized preliminary term reserve methods), elects to revalue such reserves on a net level premium method under section 818(c) and that the significant facts are as follows:
| Book reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, Commissioner's reserve valuation method |
100 |
118 |
| Reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, after restatement under section 818(c)
|
110 |
131 |
Under the provisions of section 810(d)(3), an election under section 818(c) is not treated as a change in basis for purposes of section 810(d)(1). Accordingly, the increase of $21 ($131 minus $110) attributable to such election shall not be subject to the adjustment provided by section 810(d)(1) but shall be taken into account in the manner prescribed in section 810(b). For purposes of determining the amount to be taken into account under section 810(b), the reserves with respect to the contracts subject to the section 818(c) election shall be $110 at the beginning of the taxable year 1958 and $131 at the end of the taxable year 1958. However, as a result of making the election under section 818(c), the difference ($10) between the reserves computed on the preliminary term basis on January 1, 1958 ($100) and the reserves restated on the net level premium basis on January 1, 1958 ($110) shall not be taken into account under section 809(d) for the year 1958, or for any subsequent taxable year.
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Example 2.
Assume the facts are the same as in example 1, except that during the taxable year 1959, S actually changed from the preliminary term basis to a net level premium basis which was identical with the net level premium basis used under the section 818(c) election and that the significant facts are as follows:
| Book reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, Commissioner's reserve valuation method |
118 |
127 |
| Reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, after restatement under section 818(c)
|
131 |
142 |
| Strengthened reserves at 3-percent assumed rate and net level premium method |
|
142 |
Under the provisions of section 810(d)(3), if a company which has made an election under section 818(c) which has not been revoked actually changes the basis used by it in computing the reserves subject to such election, any increase or decrease in reserves attributable to such change in basis shall be taken into account in the manner prescribed in section 810(d)(1). Since S actually changed to the same basis which it used in computing its reserves under section 818(c), the reserves at the end of the taxable year computed on the new basis ($142) are the same as the reserves at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis ($142), i.e., the basis which would have applied under section 818(c) if the election applied for 1959. Accordingly, no adjustment under section 810(d)(1) is required.
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Example 3.
Assume the facts are the same as in example 1, except that during the taxable year 1960, S actually changed the basis used by it in computing its reserves on a certain block of contracts subject to the election under section 818(c) and that the significant facts with respect to this block of contracts are as follows:
| Book reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, Commissioner's reserve valuation method |
50 |
63 |
| Reserves at 3-percent assumed rate, after restatement under section 818(c)
|
60 |
75 |
| Strengthened reserves at 2-percent assumed rate and net level premium method |
|
95 |
Under the provisions of section 810(d)(3), the amount of the reserves subject to the section
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751
818(c) election at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis shall be the amount of such reserves at the end of the taxable year determined under section 818(c) ($75). Since the reserves at the end of the taxable year computed on the new basis, $95, exceed the reserves at the end of the taxable year computed on the old basis, $75, by $20, 1/10 of the excess of $20, or $2, shall be taken into account as a net increase referred to in section 809(d)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.809-5
in determining gain or loss from operations for each of the 10 taxable years immediately following the taxable year 1960. For purposes of determining whether there is a net increase or decrease in the sum of the items described in section 810(c) for the taxable year 1960 under section 810 (a) or (b), the sum of the reserves with respect to such block of contracts shall be $60 at the beginning of the taxable year and $75 at the end of the taxable year (the amount of such reserves computed under section 818(c) at the beginning and end of the taxable year). The difference ($10) between the reserves computed on the preliminary term basis on January 1, 1960 ($50) and the reserves restated on the net level premium basis on January 1, 1960 ($60) shall not be taken into account under section 809(d) for the year 1960, or for any subsequent taxable year.
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[T.D. 6535, 26 FR 532, Jan. 20, 1961]