1400.501—Determination of average adjusted gross income.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, average adjusted gross farm income of a person or legal entity includes income or benefits derived from or related to the following:
(1) Production of crops, specialty crops, and unfinished raw forestry products;
(2) The production of livestock, including but not limited to, cattle, elk, reindeer, bison, horses, deer, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, fish and other aquaculture products used for food, honeybees, and products produced by, or derived from, livestock;
(3) The production of farm-based renewable energy;
(4) The sale, including the sale of easements and development rights, of farm, ranch, forestry land, water or hunting rights, or environmental benefits;
(5) The rental or lease of land or equipment, used for farming, ranching, or forestry operations, including water or hunting rights;
(6) The processing, packing, storing, shedding, and transporting of farm, ranch, and forestry commodities, including renewable energy;
(7) The feeding, rearing, or finishing of livestock;
(8) The sale of land that has been used for agriculture;
(9) Any payment or benefit, including benefits from risk management practices, crop insurance indemnities, and catastrophic risk protection plans;
(10) Payments and benefits authorized under any program made applicable to this subpart by statute or regulation;
(11) Any other activity related to farming, ranching, or forestry, as determined by the Deputy Administrator; and,
(12) Any income reported on the Schedule F or other schedule used by the person or legal entity to report income from farming, ranching, or forestry operations to the Internal Revenue Service.
(b) For the specific purpose of determining the average adjusted gross farm income under § 1400.500(d)(1), and in addition to § 1400.501(a), the average adjusted gross farm income of a person or legal entity includes income or benefits derived from the following:
(1) The sale of equipment to conduct farm, ranch, or forestry operations and
(2) The provision of production inputs and services to farmers, ranchers, foresters, and farm operations.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, adjusted gross income means:
(1) For a person filing a separate tax return, the amount reported as “adjusted gross income” on the final federal income tax return for the person for the applicable tax year;
(2) For a person filing a joint tax return, the amount reported as “adjusted gross income” on the final federal income tax return for the applicable tax year unless a certified statement is provided by a certified public accountant or attorney specifying the manner in which such income would have been declared and reported if the persons had filed two separate returns and that this calculation is consistent with the information supporting the filed joint return;
(3) For a corporation, including a subchapter S corporation, the total reported “taxable income” as reported to the Internal Revenue Service plus the amount of the charitable contributions as reported on the final federal income tax return for the applicable tax year;
(4) For a tax exempt legal entity, the “unrelated business taxable income” of the legal entity as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on the final federal income tax return, less any other income CCC determines to be from non-commercial activities;
(5) For a limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or similar type of organization, the income from trade or business activities plus the amount of guaranteed payments to the members as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on the final federal income tax return for the applicable tax year; and
(6) For an estate or trust, the adjusted total income plus charitable deductions as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on the final federal income tax return for the applicable tax year, or the amount of net increase in the estate's or trust's value resulting from its business or investment interests.
(d) For purposes of applying this subpart and calculating the 3-year average referenced in § 1400.500, that average will be for the adjusted gross income for the 3 taxable years preceding the most immediately preceding complete taxable year, as determined by CCC. For a legal entity that is not required to file a federal income tax return, or a person or legal entity that did not have taxable income in one or more tax years, the average will be the adjusted gross income, including losses, averaged for the 3 taxable years preceding the most immediately preceding complete taxable year, as determined by CCC. A new legal entity will have its adjusted gross income averaged only for those years of the base period for which it was in business; however, a new legal entity will not be considered “new” to the extent it takes over an existing operation and has any elements of common ownership or interests with the preceding legal entity, or with persons or legal entities with an interest in the “old” legal entity. When there is such commonality, income of the “old” legal entity will be averaged with that of the “new” legal entity for the base period.