us-irs-revenue-rulings-irb-2009-5-pdf•Internal Revenue Bulletin 2009-5 (PDF rendition): IRS Revenue Rulings
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2009-5 (PDF rendition): IRS Revenue Rulings
us-irs-revenue-rulings-irb-2009-5-pdfInternal Revenue Bulletin 2009-5 (PDF rendition): IRS Revenue RulingsGuidance
Preserve advance releases and the authoritative Internal Revenue Bulletin rendition; directory timestamps are file-publication metadata, not legal effective dates. HTML bulletins begin June 2003; earlier available issues require full PDF parsing. Whole bulletin rendition: numbered items are identified below; other legal material and publisher context remain included. This is not a new standalone advance release.
Bulletin No. 200 9-5 February 2, 2009 HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE These synopses are intended only as aids to the reader in identifying the subject matter covered. They may not be relied upon as authoritative interpretations. INCOME TAX Rev. Rul. 2009–3, page 382. Insurance companies; interest rate tables.Prevailing state assumed interest rates are provided for the determina- tion of reserves under section 807 of the Code for contracts issued in 2008 and 2009. Rev. Rul. 92–19 supplemented. Rev. Rul. 2008–19 modified. Rev. Rul. 2009–4, page 408. Section 1256 contracts marked to market.This ruling holds that Dubai Mercantile Exchange, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. T.D. 9438, page 387. REG–150066–08, page 423. Final, temporary, and proposed regulations under section 954 of the Code relate to foreign base company sales income in cases in which personal property sold by a controlled foreign corporation is manufactured, produced, or constructed pur- suant to a contract manufacturing arrangement or by one or more branches of the controlled foreign corporation. A public hearing on the proposed regulations is scheduled for April 20, 2009. Notice 2009–10, page 419. This notice serves to extend the application of the future regu- lations described in Notice 2008–91, 2008–43 I.R.B. 1001, to a third taxable year in certain cases and to extend Rev. Proc. 2008–26, 2008–21 I.R.B. 1014, to calendar year 2009. EMPLOYEE PLANS Notice 2009–9, page 419. This notice provides guidance to financial institutions on the reporting rules applicable to required minimum distributions (RMDs) for 2009 in light of the enactment of the Worker, Re- tiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008. Section 201 of the Act waives any RMDs for 2009 from individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) and retirement plans that hold participant benefits in individual accounts. This notice modifies the report- ingrequirementsapplicabletoRMDsfromIRAstoreflectthe waiver of the RMD rules for 2009. Notice 2002–27 modified. EMPLOYMENT TAX T.D. 9440, page 409. REG–148568–04, page 421. Final, temporary, and proposed regulations under sections 6011 and 6302 of the Code relate to the annual filing of fed- eral employment tax returns and requirements for employment tax deposits. The regulations concern reporting and paying income taxes withheld from wages and reporting and paying taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) (collectively, “employment taxes”). The regulations generally allow certain employers to file a Form 944,Employer’sAN- NUALFederalTaxReturn, rather than Form 941,Employer’s QUARTERLYFederalTaxReturn. (Continued on the next page) Announcements of Disbarments and Suspensions begin on page 424. Finding Lists begin on page ii. ADMINISTRATIVE T.D. 9439, page 416. Final regulations under section 6103 of the Code relate to disclosures of corporate tax return information to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The regulations authorize the IRS to disclose certain items of corporate tax return information to the Secretary of Commerce for purposes of structuring United States national economic accounts and conducting related sta- tistical activities authorized by law. Notice 2009–11, page 420. This notice provides that the February 17, 2009, due date for brokers to furnish From 1099–B information to customers es- tablished under section 403 of the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 will apply to certain other tax informa- tion reportable for tax year 2008 if furnished to customers with Form 1099–B statements on an annual composite tax report- ing statement. February 2, 20092009–5 I.R.B. The IRS Mission Provide Americ a’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand an d meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. Introduction The Internal Revenue Bulletin is the authoritative instrument of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for announcing official rulings and procedures of the Internal Revenue Service and for publishing Treasury Decisions, Executive Orders, Tax Conven- tions, legislation, court decisions, and other items of general interest. It is published weekly and may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents on a subscription basis. Bulletin contents are compiled semiannually into Cumulative Bulletins, which are sold on a single-copy basis. It is the policy of the Service to publish in the Bulletin all sub- stantive rulings necessary to promote a uniform application of the tax laws, including all rulings that supersede, revoke, mod- ify, or amend any of those previously published in the Bulletin. All published rulings apply retroactively unless otherwise indi- cated. Procedures relating solely to matters of internal man- agement are not published; however, statements of internal practices and procedures that affect the rights and duties of taxpayers are published. Revenue rulings represent the conclusions of the Service on the application of the law to the pivotal facts stated in the revenue ruling. In those based on positions taken in rulings to taxpayers or technical advice to Service field offices, identifying details and information of a confidential nature are deleted to prevent unwarranted invasions of privacy and to comply with statutory requirements. Rulings and procedures reported in the Bulletin do not have the force and effect of Treasury Department Regulations, but they may be used as precedents. Unpublished rulings will not be relied on, used, or cited as precedents by Service personnel in the disposition of other cases. In applying published rulings and procedures, the effect of subsequent legislation, regulations, court decisions, rulings, and procedures must be considered, and Service personnel and others concerned are cautioned against reaching the same conclusions in other cases unless the facts and circumstances are substantially the same. The Bulletin is divided into four parts as follows: Part I.—19 86 Code. This part i ncludes rulings and decisions based on provisions of the Intern al Revenue Code of 1986. Part II.—Treaties and Tax Legislation. This part is divided into two subparts as follows: Subpart A, Tax Conventions and Other Related Items, and Subpart B, Leg- islation and Related Committee Reports. Part III.—Administrative, Procedural, and Miscellaneous. To the extent practicable, pertinent cross references to these subjects are contained in the other Parts and Subparts. Also included in this part are Bank Secrecy Act Administrative Rul- ings. Bank Secrecy Act Administrative Rulings are issued by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Assistant Secre- tary (Enforcement). Part IV .—Items of General Interest. This par t includes notices of proposed rulemakings, disbar- ment an d suspension lists, and announcements. The last Bulletin for each month includes a cumulative index for the matters published during the preceding months. These monthly indexes are cumulated on a semiannual basis, and are published in the last Bulletin of each semiannual period. The c ontents of this publication are not copyrighted and may be reprinted freely. A citation of the Internal Revenue Bulletin as the source would be appropriate. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. 2009–5 I.R.B.February 2, 2009 February 2, 20092009–5 I.R.B. Part I. Rulings and Decisions Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 Section 446.— General Rule for Methods of Accounting 26 CFR 1.446–1: General rule for methods of ac- counting. A revenue ruling holds that Dubai Mercantile Ex- change, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. See Rev. Rul. 2009-4, page 408. Section 481.—Adjustments Required by Changes in Method of Accounting A revenue ruling holds that Dubai Mercantile Ex- change, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. See Rev. Rul. 2009-4, page 408. Section 807.—Rules for Certain Reserves Insuran ce companies; interest rate tables .Prevailing state assumed interest rates a re provided for the determination of reserv es under section 807 of the Code for contra cts issued in 2008 and 2009. Rev. Rul. 92 –19 supplemented. Rev. Rul. 2008– 19 modified. Rev. Rul. 2009 –3 For purposes o f § 807(d)(4) of the In- ternal Revenu e Code, for taxable years be- ginning after December 31, 2007, this rul- ing suppleme nts the schedules of prevail- ing state ass umed interest rates set forth in Rev. Rul. 9 2–19, 1992–1 C.B. 227. This informa tionistobeusedbyinsurance companies i n computing their reserves for (1) life ins urance and supplementary total and permane nt disability benefits, (2) in- dividual an nuities and pure endowments, and (3) gro up annuities and pure endow- ments. As § 807(d)(2)(B) requires that the interest r ate used to compute these reserves be the grea ter of (1) the applicable federal interest r ate, or (2) the prevailing state as- sumed int erest rate, the table of applicable federal i nterest rates in Rev. Rul. 92–19 is also supp lemented. Followin g are supplements to schedules A, B, C, an d D to Part III of Rev. Rul. 92–19, pr oviding prevailing state assumed interest rates for insurance products with differe nt features issued in 2008 and 2009, and a sup plement to the table in Part IV of Rev. Rul . 92–19, providing the applica- ble fede ral interest rates under § 807(d) for 2008 and 2009. This ruling does not sup- plemen t Parts I and II of Rev. Rul. 92–19. This is the sev enteenth supplement to the interest r ates provided in Rev. Rul. 92–19. Earlie r supplements were pub- lished in Rev . Rul. 93–58, 1993–2 C.B. 241 (interes t rates for insurance prod- ucts issued i n 1992 and 1993); Rev. Rul. 94–11, 1994– 1 C.B. 196 (1993 and 1994); Rev. Rul. 95 –4, 1995–1 C.B. 141 (1994 and 1995); R ev. Rul. 96–2, 1996–1 C.B. 141 (1995 an d 1996); Rev. Rul. 97–2, 1997–1 C.B. 134 (1996 and 1997); Rev. Rul. 98–2, 1 998–1 C.B. 259 (1997 and 1998); Rev . Rul. 99–10, 1999–1 C.B. 671 (1998 a nd 1999); Rev. Rul. 2000–17, 2000–1 C.B . 842 (1999 and 2000); Rev. Rul. 2001– 11, 2001–1 C.B. 780 (2000 and 2001) ; Rev. Rul. 2002–12, 2002–1 C.B. 624 ( 2001 and 2002); Rev. Rul. 2003–24, 2003–1 C.B. 557 (2002 and 2003); Re v. Rul. 2004–14, 2004–1 C.B. 511 (2003 and 2004); Rev. Rul. 2005–29, 2005–1 C .B. 1080 (2004 and 2005); Rev. Rul. 200 6–25, 2006–1 C.B. 882 (May 15, 2006 ) (2005 and 2006); Rev. Rul. 2007–10 , 2007–1 C.B. 660 (Mar. 5, 2007) (2006 a nd 2007); and Rev. Rul. 2008–19, 2008–1 3 I.R.B. 669 (Mar. 31, 2008) (2007 and 200 8). 2009–5 I.R.B.382February 2, 2009 Part III. Prevailing State Assumed Interest Rates — Products Issued in Years After 1982.* Schedule A STATUTORY VALUATION INTEREST RATES BASED ON THE 1980 AMENDMENTS TO THE N AICSTANDARDVALUATIONLAW A. Life insurance valuation: G uaranteeDuration(years)CalendarYearofIssue 20092008*** 10 or fewer 4.50**4.50 More than 10 but not more than 20 4.25**4.25 More than 204.00**4.00 Source: Rates calculated from the monthly averages, ending June 30, 2008, of Moody’s Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds. *The terms used in the schedules in this ruling and in Part III of Rev. Rul. 92–19 are those used in the Standard Valuation Law; the terms are defined in Rev. Rul. 92–19. **As these rates exceed the applicable federal interest rate for 2009of 4.06 percent, the valuation interest rate to be used for this product under § 807 is the applicable rate specified in this table. ***The valuation interest rates for life insurance contracts issued in 2008 as set forth in Schedule A of Rev. Rul. 2008–19, 2008–13 I.R.B. 669 (Mar. 31, 2008) are corrected by the numbers set forth in this Schedule A. February 2, 20093832009–5 I.R.B. Part III, Schedule B STATUTORY VALUATION INTEREST RATES BASED ON THE 1980 AMENDMENTS TO THE N AICSTANDARDVALUATIONLAW B. Single premium immediate annuities and annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and from guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options: C alendarYearofIssueValuationInterestRate 2008 5.50* Source: Rates calculated from the monthly averages, ending June 30, 2008, of Moody’s Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds (formerly known as Moody’s Corporate Bond Yield Average — Monthly Average Corporates). The terms used in this schedule are those used in the Standard Valuation Law as defined in Rev. Rul. 92–19. *As this prevailing state assumed interest exceeds the applicable federal interest rate for 2008 of 4.06 percent, the valuation interest rate of 5.50 percent is to be used for this product under § 807. 2009–5 I.R.B.384February 2, 2009 Part III, Schedule C24 — 2008 STATUTORY VALUATION INTEREST RATES BASED ON NAIC STANDARD VALUATION LAW FOR2008CALENDAR YEAR BUSINESS G OVERNEDBYTHE1980AMENDMENTS C. Valuation interest rates for other annuities and guaranteed interest contracts that are valued on an issue year basis: Valuation Interest Rate (%) For Plan Type Cash Settlement O ptions? Future Interest G uarantee? Guarantee Duration ( years)ABC YesYes 5 or fewer5.50*5.00*4.50* More than 5, but not more than 10 5.50*5.00*4.50* More than 10, but not more than 20 5.00*4.50*4.25* More than 20 4.25* 4.004.00 YesNo 5 or fewer5.75*5.00*4.75* More than 5, but not more than 10 5.50*5.00*4.75* More than 10, but not more than 20 5.00*4.75*4.50* More than 20 4.50*4.25*4.25* NoYes or No 5 or fewer5.50* More than 5, but not more than 10 5.50* NOT APPLICABLE More than 10, but not more than 20 5.00* More than 20 4.50* Source: Rates calculated from the monthly averages, ending June 30, 2008, of Moody’s Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds. *As these rates exceed the applicable federal interest rate for 2008of 4.06 percent, the valuation interest rate to be used for this product under § 807 is the applicable rate specified in the above table. February 2, 20093852009–5 I.R.B. Part III, Schedule D24 — 2008 STATUTORY VALUATION INTEREST RATES BASED ON NAIC STANDARD VALUATION LAW FOR2008CALENDAR YEAR BUSINESS G OVERNEDBYTHE1980AMENDMENTS D. Valuation interest rates for other annuities and guaranteed interest contracts that are contracts with cash settlement options and that are valued on a change in fund basis: Valuation Interest Rate For Plan Type Cash Settlement O ptions? Future Interest G uarantee? Guarantee Duration ( years)ABC YesYes 5 or fewer 6.00 5.754.75 More than 5, but not more than 10 6.00 5.754.75 More than 10, but not more than 20 5.505.504.50 More than 20 5.005.004.25* YesNo 5 or fewer6.25 6.00 5.00 More than 5, but not more than 10 6.006.00 5.00 More than 10, but not more than 20 5.755.504.75 More than 20 5.005.004.50* Source: Rates calculated from the monthly averages, ending June 30, 2008, of Moody’s Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds. *As the applicable federal interest rate for 2008 of 4.06 percent is less than the prevailing state assumed interest rate, the valuation interest rate to be used for this product under § 807 is the applicable rate specified in the above table. 2009–5 I.R.B.386February 2, 2009 Part IV. Applicable Federal Interest Rates. TABLE OF APPLICABLE FEDERAL INTEREST RATES F ORPURPOSESOF§807 YearInterestRate 20084.06 20094.06 Sources: Rev. Rul. 2004–106, 2004–2 C.B. 893, for the 2005 rate; Rev. Rul. 2005–77, 2005–2 C.B. 1071, for the 2006 rate; Rev. Rul. 2006–61, 2006–2 C.B. 1028 (Dec. 11, 2006) for the 2007 rate; Rev. Rul. 2007–70, 2007–50 C.B. 1158 (Nov. 20, 2007) for the 2008 rate; and Rev. Rul. 2008–53, 2008–49 I.R.B. 1231 (Nov. 19, 2008) for the 2009 rate. EFFECT ON OTHER REVENUE RULINGS Rev. Rul. 92–19 is supplemented by the addition to Part III of that ruling of pre- vailing state assumed interest rates under § 807 for certain insurance products issued in 2008 and 2009 and is further supple- mented by an addition to the table in Part IV of Rev. Rul. 92–19 listing applicable federal interest rates. Parts I and II of Rev. Rul. 92–19 are not affected by this ruling. Rev. Rul. 2008–19 is modified in that the valuation interest rates set forth in Sched- ule A of this ruling for contracts issued in 2008 correct and replace those set forth in Schedule A of Rev. Rul. 2008–19. DRAFTING INFORMATION The principal author of this revenue rul- ing is Josephine H. Firehock of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial In- stitutions and Products). For further infor- mation regarding this revenue ruling, con- tact her at (202) 622–3970 (not a toll-free call). Section 954.—Foreign Base Company Income 26 CFR 1.954–3: Foreign base company sales in- come. T.D. 9438 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 1 Guidance Regarding Foreign Base Company Sales Income AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final and temporary regula- tions. SUMMARY: This document contains fi- nal and temporary regulations that provide guidance relating to foreign base company sales income in cases in which personal property sold by a controlled foreign cor- poration is manufactured, produced, or constructed pursuant to a contract manu- facturing arrangement or by one or more branches of the controlled foreign corpora- tion. These regulations modify the foreign base company sales income regulations to address current business structures and practices, particularly the growing importance of contract manufacturing and other manufacturing arrangements. These regulations, in general, will af- fect controlled foreign corporations and their United States shareholders. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations (REG–150066–08) set forth in the notice of proposed rulemaking on this subject in this issue of the Bulletin. DATES:Effective Date:These regulations are effective July 1, 2009. Applicability Date:For dates of applicability, see§1.954–3(c) and §1.954–3T(e). The final regulations shall apply to taxable years of controlled for- eign corporations beginning after June 30, 2009, and for taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the controlled for- eign corporations end. The temporary regulations shall apply to taxable years of controlled foreign corporations beginning after June 30, 2009, and for taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the controlled foreign corporations end. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ethan Atticks, (202) 622–3840 (not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On February 28, 2008, the IRS and the Treasury Department published in theFederal Registerproposed regula- tions (REG–124590–07, 2008–16 I.R.B. 801 [73 FR 10716], as corrected at 73 FR 20201), which provided proposed amendments to §1.954–3, addressing the treatment of contract manufacturing arrangements under the foreign base company sales income (FBCSI) rules. February 2, 20093872009–5 I.R.B. Written comments were received in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking, and a public hearing on the proposed regulations was held on July 29, 2008. Section 954(d)(1) definesFBCSIto mean income derived by a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) in connection with: (1) the purchase of personal property from a related person and its sale to any person, (2) the sale of personal property to any person on behalf of a related person, (3) the purchase of personal property from any person and its sale to a related person or (4) the purchase of personal property from any person on behalf of a related person, provided (in all these cases) that the property is manufactured, produced, grown or extracted outside of the CFC’s country of organization and is sold for use, consumption or disposition outside of such country. The existing regulations further define FBCSI and the applicable exceptions from FBSCI, including the exceptions to the FBCSI rules for personal property that is: (1) manufactured, produced, constructed, grown, or extracted within the CFC’s country of organization (same country manufacture exception); (2) sold for use, consumption or disposition within the CFC’s country of organization; and (3) manufactured, produced, or constructed by the CFC (the manufacturing excep- tion). See §1.954–3(a)(2)–(4). The existing regulations set forth certain tests to determine whether a CFC satisfies the manufacturing ex- ception: the “substantial transforma- tion test” of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) and the “substantive test” and safe harbor of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iii). For purposes of this preamble, the requirements of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) and 1.954–3(a)(4)(iii) will be referred to collectively as the “physical manufacturing test” and the sat- isfaction of either test will be described as “physical manufacturing.” The proposed regulations provide a third test for satisfying the manufacturing exception, which may apply when a CFC is involved in the manufacturing process but does not satisfy the physical manu- facturing test. In particular, the proposed regulations provide that a CFC will satisfy the manufacturing exception if the facts and circumstances evince that the CFC makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the man- ufacture, production, or construction of personal property (substantial contribu- tion test). The proposed regulations also propose other modifications to the exist- ing regulations to address the treatment of contract manufacturing arrangements under the FBCSI rules. Written comments were received in response to the notice of proposed rule- making, and a public hearing was held on July 29, 2008. After consideration of all the comments, the proposed regulations, as revised by this Treasury decision, are adopted as final and temporary regula- tions. Summary of Comments and Explanation of Provisions This Treasury decision contains fi- nal and temporary regulations relating to FBCSI. The temporary regulations con- tained in this Treasury decision also serve as the text of proposed regulations set forth inanoticeofproposedrulemakingonthis subject in this issue of the Bulletin. The preamble to this Treasury decision will refer to the proposed regulations published in theFederal Registeron February 28, 2008, as the proposed regulations. The preamble will refer to the regulations that are published simultaneously as temporary regulations in this Treasury decision and as proposed regulations in this issue of the Bulletin as the temporary regulations. A.Substantial Contribution Test The proposed regulations provide that a CFC will satisfy the substantial contri- bution test with respect to personal prop- erty only if all the facts and circumstances evince that the CFC makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of the prop- erty. Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(b) includes a non-exclusive list of activities (collectively, “indiciaof manufacturing”) to be considered in determining whether the CFC satisfies the substantial contri- bution test with respect to the manufac- ture, production, or construction of the per- sonal property (manufacture of the per- sonal property) under all the facts and cir- cumstances. 1.General operation of substantial contribution test In response to the proposed regula- tions, commentators requested further elaboration of the general operation of the substantial contribution test. For ex- ample, commentators requested guidance on the amount of activity performed by a CFC’s employees that would be neces- sary to “satisfy” each individual activity listed among theindiciaof manufacturing. Several commentators requested clarifi- cations that suggested they believed that a certain threshold of employee activity was required before the activity would be considered in determining whether a CFC satisfied the substantial contribution test. Commentators requested, for example, clarification as to whether the “vendor selection” activity is satisfied if the CFC provides a contract manufacturer with an approved list of vendors but allows the contract manufacturer to make the final determination regarding the vendors to be used. Commentators also requested guid- ance on how theindiciaof manufacturing shouldbeweighedinrelationtoone another and whether performing a cer- tain minimum number of activities was required in order for the substantial con- tribution test to be satisfied. Others asked that the regulations explain whether a CFC must perform any particular activity in all cases to satisfy the substantial contribution test (for example, whether a CFC must always perform oversight and direction of the manufacturing process to satisfy the substantial contribution test). Some com- mentators requested that the regulations emphasize that the importance of each activity would vary by industry and by taxpayer. Commentators also requested that the regulations make clear that a CFC need not perform all of theindiciaof manufacturing to establish a substantial contribution, and that the weight given to activities performed by employees of the CFC will depend on the economic signif- icance of those activities to the business of the taxpayer with respect to the product being manufactured. Although the proposed regulations pro- vide guidance on many of these issues, the IRS and the Treasury Department believe that additional guidance with re- spect to the application of the substantial 2009–5 I.R.B.388February 2, 2009 contribution test is warranted in light of the comments received. Consequently, §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c) is added to the final regulations to provide further clarification on the application of the substantial con- tribution test. First,§1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c) clarifies that all CFC employee functions contributing to the manufacture of the personal property will be considered in the aggregate when determining whether a substantial contribution is made to the manufacture of the personal property through the activities of a CFC’s em- ployees. Second, §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c) clarifies that there is no single activity that will be accorded more weight than any other activity in every case or that will be required to be performed in all cases. Third, it clarifies that there is no minimum threshold with respect to func- tions performed by employees of a CFC before their functions with respect to a given activity may be taken into account as part of the substantial contribution test. Therefore, all functions performed by a CFC’s employees are considered (and given appropriate weight) under the substantial contribution test, even if the CFC’s employees perform only some of the functions in connection with any one activity (for example, some, but not all, of the vendor selection) considered under that test. The weight given to any func- tions performed by employees of the CFC with respect to any activity will be based on the economic significance of those functions to the manufacture, production, or construction of the relevant personal property. Corresponding amendments and additional examples have been added to the final regulations to illustrate further the application of the substantial contribution test. See §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d). Other commentators sought clarifica- tion as to the extent to which purely con- tractual assumptions of risk are consid- ered in a substantial contribution analy- sis. The IRS and the Treasury Department believe that no further clarification in the final regulations is necessary to address this point. Both the proposed and final regulations provide that only activities of the CFC’s employees are considered in the substantial contribution analysis and, con- sequently, purely contractual assumptions of risk are not considered in the substantial contribution analysis. In addition, commentators requested that the regulations clarify that more than one person can provide a substantial con- tribution to the manufacturing process with respect to a given product. In re- sponse to this comment, the IRS and the Treasury Department amended the reg- ulations to clarify that a CFC will not be precluded from making a substantial contribution to the manufacture of the personal property by the fact that other persons also make a substantial contri- bution to the manufacture, production, or construction of that property. Further, §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Example 9is added to the final regulations to illustrate that more than one person can provide a sub- stantial contribution to the manufacture of the same property. 2.Indicia of manufacturing The IRS and the Treasury Department received numerous comments with respect to the specific activities listed in the pro- posed regulation that are considered in de- termining whether a CFC makes a substan- tial contribution through its employees to the manufacture, production, or construc- tion of personal property. a.Oversight and Direction of Manufacturing Commentators requested that the IRS and the Treasury Department clarify cer- tain issues related to the “oversight and direction of the activities or process” pursuant to which personal property is manufactured, produced, or constructed. Some commentators asked that the regula- tions provide that oversight and direction of the activities or process pursuant to which personal property is manufactured, produced, or constructed be a prerequisite for satisfying the substantial contribution test. Other commentators requested that the IRS and the Treasury Department clar- ify that in certain industries a substantial contribution can be made by a CFC with- out its employees engaging in significant oversight and direction of the activities or process pursuant to which personal property is manufactured, produced, or constructed. Some commentators focused on the fact that in an example in the pro- posed regulations the CFC was not treated as making a substantial contribution to the manufacture of personal property when the CFC did not “regularly exercise” over- sight and direction with respect to the contract manufacturer. See Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c)Example 1. The importance of oversight and direc- tion of the activities or process pursuant to which personal property is manufactured, produced, or constructed will vary based on the facts and circumstances associated with the specific manufacture, production, or construction at issue. The IRS and the Treasury Department acknowledge that oversight and direction of the activities or process pursuant to which personal property is manufactured, produced, or constructedislikelytobeanimportant element in many, but not all, substantial contribution analyses. Thus, to address taxpayer comments, the examples in the final regulations are amended to make clear that oversight and direction is not a prerequisite for satisfying the substan- tial contribution test and that in certain industries a substantial contribution could be made by a CFC without its employees engaging in oversight and direction of the activities or process pursuant to which per- sonal property is manufactured, produced, or constructed. Finally, the examples in the final regulations do not use the poten- tially confusing reference to “regularly” exercising oversight. b.Material Selection, Vendor Selection, and Control of the Raw Materials, Work-in-process, and Finished Goods Some commentators asked if other ac- tivities listed among theindiciaof manu- facturing also represented means of exer- cising control of the raw materials, work- in-process and finished goods. The IRS and the Treasury Department acknowledge that some of the activities in theindiciaof manufacturing may overlap with other ac- tivities in that list. The final regulations re- quire a substantial contribution to the man- ufacture of the personal property through the activities of the CFC’s employees and not satisfaction of any specific activity in theindiciaof manufacturing. Therefore, the IRS and the Treasury Department de- termined that it was not necessary to clar- ify whether any particular function might reasonably be included under more than oneheadingintheindiciaof manufactur- ing. However, to provide further clarity, February 2, 20093892009–5 I.R.B. the final regulations group material selec- tion, vendor selection, and control of the raw materials, work-in-process, and fin- ished goods as a single activity in thein- diciaof manufacturing. Commentators asked whether the con- trol of the raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods refers to the CFC hav- ing the contractual right to take possession of the personal property, to have title to the property, or to have economic risk of loss with respect to the property. These com- mentators requested clarification regard- ing whether tax ownership of raw materi- als, work-in-process and finished goods is required to have control of the raw mate- rials, work-in-process, and finished goods. In connection with this question, commen- tators also asked whether a CFC can sat- isfy the substantial contribution test when the contract manufacturing arrangement is buy-sell or “turnkey” (that is, when the contract manufacturer purchases the raw materials). Both the proposed and final regula- tions provide that only activities of the CFC’s employees are considered in the substantial contribution analysis. Thus, mere contractual rights, legal title, tax ownership, or assumption of economic risk are not considered in the substantial contribution analysis. To provide greater clarity, the final regulations revise Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(a), deleting the phrase “purchased by a controlled foreign corporation” in the first sentence of Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(a) to eliminate any inference that a CFC needs to own the raw materials that are used in the manufac- turing process. In addition, examples in the final regulations clarify that buy-sell or turnkey contract manufacturing arrange- ments may satisfy the substantial con- tribution test. See §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d) Examples 3and9. c.Management of Manufacturing Profits and Management of Risk of Loss Commentators requested clarification regarding which functions would qualify as “management of the manufacturing profits” or “management of the risk of loss.” Some commentators expressed concerns regarding the term “manage- ment of the manufacturing profits.” Other commentators suggested that it would add clarity if “management of the risk of loss” were deleted from Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(b)(1) and included with “management of manufacturing prof- its” in a single item in theindiciaof manu- facturing. Some commentators expressed concern that the term “management of the risk of loss” implicitly excluded all other risk management functions. One commen- tator expressed the view that theindicia of manufacturing should include reference to management of enterprise risk, other than risks pertaining exclusively to sales and marketing functions. Some com- mentators suggested that management of the manufacturing profits might refer to such activities as the management of risks related to the raw materials and the utiliza- tion of plant capacity, but others thought it might encompass the finance function of a company. The IRS and the Treasury Department agree that further clarification is needed as to the functions that are intended to be included within what was labeled “man- agement of the manufacturing profits” and “management of the risk of loss” in the proposed regulations. The IRS and the Treasury Department intend that the sub- stantial contribution test recognize contri- butions made by a CFC’s employees to the manufacturing process through functions whichhelptoensurethataplantisrunin an economically efficient manner, such as optimization of plant capacity and reduc- tion of waste (for example, waste of raw materials). On the other hand, not all cor- porate managerial decisions are intended to be considered in the substantial contri- bution test, because many such decisions are not directly related to the manufacture of the personal property with respect to which the substantial contribution analy- sis is being performed. For example, the IRS and the Treasury Department do not intend that corporate finance decisions be considered in the substantial contribution test. Similarly, the IRS and the Treasury Department do not intend that the general management of enterprise risk be consid- ered in the substantial contribution test. The IRS and the Treasury Department concluded that the term “management of the manufacturing costs or capacities” more accurately reflects the type of func- tions originally contemplated by “manage- ment of the manufacturing profits” in the proposed regulations and is also related to the types of functions contemplated by the “management of the risk of loss.” Accordingly, the activity labeled “man- agement of the manufacturing profits” in the proposed regulations is replaced in the final regulations with an activity entitled “management of manufacturing costs or capacities.” Further, the final regulations include a parenthetical list of functions (that is, managing the risk of loss, cost re- duction or efficiency initiatives associated with the manufacturing process, demand planning, production scheduling, or hedg- ing raw material costs) to elaborate on the meaning of the activity. d.Control of Logistics Commentators asked for clarification regarding the scope of logistical functions that will contribute towards a substantial contribution by a CFC. This activity is in- tended to include, for example, arranging for delivery of raw materials to a contract manufacturer, but to exclude, for example, delivery of finished goods to a customer. The final regulations provide further clar- ity on this issue by revising the activity to read “control of manufacturing related lo- gistics.” e.Direction of the Development, Protection, and Use of Trade Secrets, Technology, Product Design, and Design Specifications, and Other Intellectual Property Used in Manufacturing the Product Commentators noted that the “and” in the description of this activity in the pro- posed regulations could be read to mean that directing the “development, protec- tion, and use” of intellectual property are all required for this activity to be consid- ered in the substantial contribution anal- ysis. Commentators requested that these activities be stated in the disjunctive. The IRS and the Treasury Department adopted this comment, replacing “and” with “or” in the final regulations. This clarification is consistent with providing that all functions performed by a CFC’s employees are con- sidered (and given appropriate weight) un- der the substantial contribution test. Thus, the CFC’s employees’ activities are con- sidered regardless of whether the CFC’s employees perform all or only some of the functions listed in any enumerated item in theindiciaof manufacturing. 2009–5 I.R.B.390February 2, 2009 The term “protection” is also deleted from the final regulations. The IRS and the Treasury Department were concerned that absent this clarification the final regu- lations could be read to provide that legal work performed by a CFC’s in-house legal staff was considered under the substantial contribution test, including in cases where, for example, litigation success could be heavily correlated to profitability or busi- ness failure with respect to a product. Fur- ther, the IRS and the Treasury Department modified the description of the activity in the final regulations to clarify that devel- oping, or directing the use or development of, trade secrets, technology, or other in- tellectual property, are considered under the substantial contribution test, but only when activities of this nature are under- taken for the purpose of the manufacture of the personal property. Commentators asked whether the intel- lectual property referred to in Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(b)(9) included market- ing intangibles. Theactivity as described in both the proposed and final regulations is with respect to intellectual property used in the manufacture of the personal prop- erty. Thus, developing, or directing the use or development of, marketing intangibles is not intended to be considered in the sub- stantial contribution test. 3.Anti-abuse rule and safe harbor The IRS and the Treasury Department requested comments on whether the sub- stantial contribution test should include an anti-abuse rule and safe harbor. In particular, comments were requested as to whether it would be appropriate to add an anti-abuse rule to prevent a CFC from sat- isfying the substantial contribution test in cases in which a significant portion of the direct or indirect contributions to the man- ufacture of personal property provided collectively by the CFC and any related U.S. persons are provided by one or more related U.S. persons. Commentators rec- ommended that in determining whether a CFC makes a substantial contribution it should not be relevant whether other persons (whether U.S. or foreign, related or unrelated) contribute to the manufac- turing process. The IRS and the Treasury Department agree with commentators that the substantial contribution test should focus on whether the activities of the CFC itself are substantial without comparing those activities to those of other persons. Thus, the final regulations do not adopt such a rule. Examples in the final regula- tions also illustrate that the contributions of other persons to the manufacture of a product are not relevant to the analysis of whether a CFC makes a substantial contri- bution to the manufacturing process. See §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Examples 6,7,and 9. The IRS and the Treasury Department also requested comments as to whether oneormoresafeharborsshouldbeadded to the substantial contribution test of the proposed regulations. Some commenta- tors suggested that a CFC that contributes at least twenty percent of the costs of man- ufacturing personal property should be deemed to have substantially contributed to its manufacture. Other commentators suggested that a safe harbor was only ap- propriate if it were made clear that such a safe harbor would not function as a minimum standard and would be flex- ible enough to accommodate multiple industries. Many other commentators rec- ommended that the IRS and the Treasury Department not adopt a safe harbor. The IRS and the Treasury Department con- cluded that no safe harbor could fairly apply across the range of industries poten- tially subject to §1.954–3, and therefore no safe harbor is provided in the final regulations. 4.Definition of employee The IRS and the Treasury Department requested comments as to whether the re- quirement in the proposed regulations that the activities of the CFC be performed by its employees should take into account commercial arrangements where individu- als performing services for the CFC while not on its payroll are nevertheless con- trolled by employees of the CFC. Com- mentators requested that the regulations expand the definition of the term “em- ployee” to include various commercial or economic arrangements where individu- als who perform services for a CFC un- der the CFC’s direction and control are not necessarily the CFC’s employees un- der local law. In particular, commentators suggested that the term “employee” could be defined for purposes of the substantial contribution test using section 3121(d)(2). Other commentators asked that the term “employee” be defined more broadly to include anyone in an agency relationship with a CFC. The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment agree that clarification of the term “employee” will promote more effec- tive application of these regulations. The IRS and the Treasury Department also agree that activities performed by certain non-payroll workers should be considered in determining whether the CFC provides a substantial contribution through “its employees.” However, the IRS and the Treasury Department concluded that it would be inappropriate to broaden the definition of employee to include anyone in an agency relationship with a CFC, because it could create unintended branch rule issues for taxpayers (for example, as a result of employees of a contract man- ufacturer being treated as employees of the CFC under such a definition). Thus, the final regulations provide that the term employeemeans any individual who, un- der §31.3121(d)–1(c), has the status of an employee for U.S. Federal tax purposes. This definition of the term “employee” may encompass certain seconded work- ers, part-time workers, workers on the payroll of a related employment com- pany whose activities are directed and controlled by CFC employees, and con- tractors, so long as those individuals are deemed to be employees of the CFC under §31.3121(d)–1(c). Consistent with com- mentators’ request, this definition of the term employee may result in an individual being treated as an employee of two or more entities simultaneously. 5.Product grouping Commentators requested that the deter- mination of whether a CFC provides a sub- stantial contribution to the manufacture of the personal property be made on the ba- sis of a group or line of related products rather than on a product-by-product basis. The IRS and the Treasury Department be- lieve that the substantial contribution test must be met with respect to each prod- uct. Whether manufactured goods are sep- arate products or a single product for this purpose is determined by reference to the distinctions or lack thereof made by the CFC in its business operations and in its books and records, rather than by reference February 2, 20093912009–5 I.R.B. to a third party’s definition of a product or an industry product classification sys- tem, such as the Standard Industrial Clas- sification Code. The IRS and the Trea- sury Department recognize that some ac- tivities taken into account under the sub- stantial contribution test are not performed with respect to each individual unit of a particular product manufactured under a contract manufacturing arrangement. Sec- tion 1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Example 11has been added to the final regulations to ad- dress these comments. 6.Treatment of partnerships Commentators requested that the regu- lations adopt principles to determine when the employees of a partnership should be treated as employees of the CFC for pur- poses of determining whether the CFC’s relative economic interest in the partner- ship should be relevant in determining whether the CFC satisfies the substantial contribution test. The IRS and the Trea- sury Department concluded that this issue was beyond the scope of this regulatory project. However, the IRS and the Trea- sury Department continue to study this issue and welcome comments. 7.Rebuttable presumption The proposed regulations provide a rebuttable presumption that the CFC does not satisfy the substantial contribution test when the activities of a branch of the CFC satisfy the physical manufacturing test. The presumption can only be rebutted if the taxpayer can prove to the satisfac- tion of the Commissioner that the CFC satisfied the substantial contribution test. Commentators suggested that satisfaction of the physical manufacturing test and satisfaction of the substantial contribution test should be treated equally under the regulations. Commentators also expressed the view that the standard required to rebut the presumption was either too subjective, imposedanimproperlyhighstandard,or both. They recommended that if a re- buttable presumption was retained, the standard required to rebut the presumption should be clear and convincing evidence. In response to the comments received, the IRS and the Treasury Department re- considered the ability to examine a CFC’s claim that it substantially contributes to the manufacture of the personal property when the activities of its branch satisfy the physical manufacturing test. Upon further study, the IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment concluded that the substantial contri- bution test can be administered without the benefit of a rebuttable presumption that a CFC does not satisfy the substantial contri- bution test when the activities of a branch of the CFC satisfy the physical manufac- turing test. Thus, these final and temporary regulations do not contain a rebuttable pre- sumption. The IRS and the Treasury De- partment took into account the request for parity of treatment with respect to satisfac- tion of the physical manufacturing test and the substantial contribution test in reaching this conclusion, as well as with respect to other aspects of the temporary regulations, as discussed further in Parts C and D of this preamble. 8.Documentation Some commentators requested guid- ance on how taxpayers should document their activities for application of the sub- stantial contribution test. Because the necessary documentation will vary by in- dustry and by taxpayer, the IRS and the Treasury Department believe that creat- ing general rules of documentation would prove impracticable and would not allow for enough flexibility in application of the substantial contribution test. Accordingly, the final regulations do not include docu- mentation rules. 9.Automated manufacturing Several comments were received con- cerning Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c) Example 4.InExample 4,aCFCowns software and network systems that re- motely and automatically (without human involvement) order raw materials for use by the contract manufacturer, take cus- tomer orders and route them to the contract manufacturer, and perform quality control. Although the CFC has a small number of computer technicians monitoring the soft- ware and network systems, the software and network systems were developed by employees of DP, the CFC’s domestic parent corporation. Those DP employees supervise the CFC’s computer techni- cians, evaluate the results of the automated manufacturing business, make ongoing operational decisions related to the per- formance of the manufacturing process, redesign and update the products and the manufacturing process, and develop all of the upgrades and patches for the software and network systems owned by the CFC. The example concludes that the CFC does not provide a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X. Commentators expressed concern that Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c)Exam- ple 4did not recognize the importance of automated manufacturing in modern business practices. These commentators noted that manufacturing processes are increasingly automated and explained that in some high technology industries, au- tomated manufacturing processes are the only way to manufacture and test the qual- ity of certain products. In such industries, commentators noted that human involve- ment in various parts of the manufacturing process could be counterproductive. Some commentators were concerned that Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c)Example 4 penalized such automated manufacturing processes under the substantial contribu- tion test. The IRS and the Treasury Department agree that a CFC may provide a substantial contribution to a largely automated man- ufacturing process through its employees. Section 1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Example 5 contains the same facts as Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(c)Example 4. Under those particular facts, substantial opera- tional responsibilities and decision making by humans are required for the manufac- turing process; however, they are not per- formed by the CFC. To provide additional guidance, the final regulations include an additional example, §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d) Example 6, which illustrates that a CFC whose employees perform most of the functions that DP’s employees perform in §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Example 5makes a substantial contribution to the manufac- turing process. This result applies even though DP’s employees also contribute to the manufacturing process. Section 1.954–3(a)(4)(iv)(d)Example 7further illustrates that the CFC can make a sub- stantial contribution through the activities of its employees regardless of whether the software and network systems were purchasedbytheCFC.Theseexamples illustrate that the evaluation of whether a CFC makes a substantial contribution through its employees is determined based on whether industry-sufficient substantial 2009–5 I.R.B.392February 2, 2009 contribution activities are conducted by employees of the CFC. B.The “Its” Argument The proposed regulations clarify that forpurposesofdeterminingFBCSIaCFC qualifies for the manufacturing excep- tion only if the CFC, acting through its employees, manufactured, produced, or constructed the relevant personal property within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). In response to the proposed regulations, some commentators maintained that a CFC need not satisfy the physical man- ufacturing test or the substantial contri- bution test to exclude a sale from FBCSI as long as the personal property sold is not the same as the property originally purchasedbytheCFC. The IRS and the Treasury Department believe, as described in the preamble to the proposed regulations, that this posi- tion, commonly referred to as the “its” ar- gument, is contrary to existing law, and represents an incorrect reading of section 954(d)(1). The finalregulations accord- ingly maintain the rules provided in the proposed regulations regarding when per- sonalpropertysoldbyaCFCwillbecon- sidered to be other than the property pur- chased by the CFC. C.Same Country Manufacture Exception Commentators requested that the reg- ulations incorporate the substantial con- tribution test in the same country man- ufacture exception. The IRS and the Treasury Department generally agree with commentators that if the substantial con- tribution test is sufficient to constitute the manufacture of the personal property where a CFC substantially contributes to the manufacture, production, or construc- tion of that property, then it should be equally sufficient if those activities are performedbyarelatedperson(asdefined in section 954(d)(3)) in the CFC’s coun- try of organization. However, the IRS and the Treasury Department concluded that the same country manufacture ex- ception would be difficult to administer and enforce in the case of a substantial contribution performed by an unrelated third party. Commentators suggested that these concerns could be ameliorated if taxpayers were required to maintain doc- umentation with respect to a third party’s substantial contribution. The IRS and the Treasury Department do not believe a documentation requirement adequately addresses these concerns because the IRS may be unable to audit the third party to verify if those substantial contribution activities in fact took place. Therefore, the final regulations provide that the same country manufacture exception is avail- able to taxpayers in cases when a related person provides a substantial contribution to the manufacture of the personal prop- erty in the CFC’s country of organization. The final regulations also retain the rule provided in the proposed regulations mod- ifying the application of the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) and(a)(4)(iii) to reflect that the personal property manufactured, produced, or constructed in the country of organization of theselling corporation under the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) and (a)(4)(iii) will qualify for the same country exception regardless of whose employees engage in qualifying manufac- turing activities in that country. D.Branch Rule In addition to the amendments to §1.954–3(a), the proposed regulations also proposed amendments to the rules of §1.954–3(b) dealing with the application of the FBCSI rules to CFCs with branches or similar establishments (the branch rule), particularly the rules dealing with man- ufacturing branches. For the remainder of this preamble, the word “branch” will be used to refer to a “branch or similar establishment.” 1.Branch definition Some commentators requested that the regulations define the term “branch” for purposes of the branch rule. These com- mentators suggested various definitions for the IRS and the Treasury Department to consider. Commentators suggested, for instance, that a branch be defined as a permanent establishment, as a business activity in a jurisdiction outside a CFC’s country of organization that has separate books and records, or as a trade or business outside a CFC’s country of organization. Commentators pointed to precedents in the section 367 and 987 regulations. Alterna- tively, some commentators requested that the regulations make clear that ade min- imisamount of activity outside of a CFC’s country of organization (for example, traveling employees) does not constitute a branch. Other commentators warned that requiring too high a level of activity outside of a CFC’s country of organiza- tion before a CFC was treated as having a “branch” would make it possible for a CFC organized in a lower-tax jurisdiction to contribute substantially to manufacturing activities in a higher-tax jurisdiction with- out causing the CFC to operate through a branch. Still other commentators sug- gested that courts have concluded that the IRS and the Treasury Department lack the regulatory authority to determine what constitutes a branch, and they may only address the consequences flowing from the existence of a branch. The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment determined that defining a branch was beyond the scope of this regulatory project. However, the temporary regula- tions retain an example similar to Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(f)Exam- ple 3, which illustrates that employees of a CFC that travel to a contract man- ufacturer’s location outside the CFC’s country of organization do not necessarily give rise to a branch in that location. See §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v)Example 6. See also Part D.3.b of this preamble. 2.Determination of hypothetical effective tax rate Commentators requested that the reg- ulations clarify that the tax rate dispar- ity tests contained in §§1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) and (b)(1)(ii)(b) take into account incen- tive tax rates and other similar foreign tax relief available to a CFC in calculating the hypothetical effective tax rate of tax. The IRS and the Treasury Department recognize that the tax rate disparity tests should take into account the actual tax rate paid with respect to the sales income by the selling branch or remainder and the hy- pothetical effective tax rate that would be paid by the manufacturing branch (or re- mainder) on that sales income under the laws of the country in which the manufac- turing branch is located (or, in the case of a remainder, the country of organization of the CFC) if it were derived from sources within that country. Thus, the IRS and the Treasury Department agree that uni- formly available tax incentives are to be considered in determining the hypotheti- February 2, 20093932009–5 I.R.B. cal effective tax rate to be used in apply- ing the tax rate disparity tests. In contrast, if a sales affiliate in the country of manu- facturing can theoretically receive certain tax relief by taking certain actions, for ex- ample, by applying for special treatment pursuant to a ruling process, but the tax- payer has not affirmatively obtained such tax relief for the manufacturing branch (or remainder), then the hypothetical effective tax rate that would be paid by the manu- facturing branch (or remainder) were it to derive the sales income should be the ef- fective tax rate that would be applicable in that jurisdiction without such tax relief. The IRS and the Treasury Department be- lieve that no change to the text of the ex- isting regulations is necessary to address these points. However, §1.954–3T(b)(4) Example (8)is included in the temporary regulations to illustrate that uniformly ap- plicable incentive tax rates are taken into account in determining the hypothetical ef- fective tax rate. The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment concluded that other questions and requests in this area,including further clarification of the methodology for cal- culation of hypothetical tax rates, and for changes to the assumptions used in applying the tax rate disparity tests and determining the hypothetical effective tax rate, are beyond the scope of this regula- tory project. However, the IRS and the Treasury Department continue to study these questions and welcome comments. 3.Multiple manufacturing branch rules a.Determination of the Location of Manufacturing Under Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b) (1)(ii)(c)(3), the relevant tax rate disparity test is applied by giving satisfaction of the physical manufacturing test precedence over satisfaction of the substantial contribution test when multiple branches, or one or more branches and the remainder of the CFC, perform manufacturing activities with respect to the same item of personal property. If more than one branch (or one or more branches and the remainder of the CFC) each independently satisfies the physical manufacturing test, then the branch or the remainder of the CFC located or organized in the jurisdiction that would impose the lowest effective rate of tax is treated as the location of manufacturing, producing, or constructing of the personal property for purposes of applying the tax rate disparity test (lowest-of-all-rates rule). If only one branch (or only the remainder of a CFC) independently satisfies the physical manufacturing test,then that branch (or remainder) is treated as the location of manufacturing, producing, or constructing of the personal property (location of manufacturing) for purposes of the tax rate disparity test. If none of the branches or the remain- der of the CFC independently satisfies the physical manufacturing test, but the CFC as a whole satisfies the substantial contri- bution test, then the location of manufac- turing under the proposed regulations is the location of the branch or the remain- der of the CFC that provides the predomi- nant amount of the CFC’s substantial con- tribution to the manufacture of the per- sonal property (predominant place rule). If a predominant amount of the CFC’s con- tribution to the manufacture of the per- sonal property is not provided by any one location, then the location of manufactur- ing for purposes of applying the manufac- turing branch tax rate disparity test under the proposed regulations is that place (ei- ther the remainder of the CFC or one of its branches) where manufacturing activity with respect to that property is performed and which would impose the highest effec- tive rate of tax (highest-of-all-rates rule) when applying either §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) or (b)(1)(ii)(b). The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment received multiple comments com- paring and contrasting the highest- and lowest-of-all-rates rules. For exam- ple, commentators asked why the low- est-of-all-rates rule should apply when more than one branch (or one or more branches and the remainder of the CFC) in- dependently satisfy the physical manufac- turing test, whereas the highest-of-all-rates rule should apply when none of the branches or the remainder of the CFC independently satisfies the physical man- ufacturing test but the CFC as a whole satisfies the substantial contribution test. Commentators suggested that satisfaction of the physical manufacturing test and the substantial contribution test should be treated equally under the regulations, and therefore suggested having the same rule in both circumstances. These commenta- tors proposed a lowest-of-all-rates rule or the use of a weighted average of the tax rate of each branch or remainder of the CFC in both instances. The IRS and the Treasury Department generally agreed with these comments. The IRS and the Treasury Department adopted taxpayers’ comment that the same rule should apply consistently when a branch (or remainder) independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i), regardless of whether it satisfies the physical manu- facturing test or the substantial contri- bution test. Therefore the rules set forth in the proposed regulations are modified in the temporary regulations to provide that the lowest-of-all-rates rule will ap- ply whenever a branch (or remainder) independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii), (iii), or (iv). However, providing parity of treatment for satisfaction of the physi- cal manufacturing test and the substantial contribution test in respect of the low- est-of-all-rates ruleis not sufficient to determine the location of manufacturing in cases where a CFC satisfies the sub- stantial contribution test, yet no branch (or remainder) independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). Commentators questioned how to treat branches making contributions to the manufacture of the personal prop- erty through the activities of employees when no branch independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). Some commentators expressed concern that it would be diffi- cult to compare the relative contributions of various locations to determine which branch or remainder of the CFC made a predominant contribution under the pre- dominant place rule. Other commentators requested greater guidance regarding the meaning of predominant contribution. Many commentators suggested that the highest-of-all-rates rule in the proposed regulations could leadto arbitrary results when no predominant contributor could be identified. The IRS and the Treasury Department generally agreed with these comments. Consequently, the temporary regulations revise the rules for determining the lo- cation of manufacture of the personal property when more than one branch (or one or more branches and the remain- der) contributes to the manufacture of the personal property but no branch (or 2009–5 I.R.B.394February 2, 2009 remainder) independently satisfies the physical manufacturing test or the sub- stantial contributiontest. The revised rules are based on the principle that the branch rule should apply in situations where pur- chase or sale activities with respect to the personal property are separated from manufacturing activities conducted by the CFC such that a demonstrably greater amount of manufacturing activity with respect to that property occurs in jurisdic- tions with tax rate disparity relative to the sales or purchase branch (or, in the case of a purchasing or selling remainder, the demonstrably greater amount of manufac- turing activity with respect to the personal property occurs in jurisdictions with tax rate disparity relative to the purchasing or selling remainder). Under the temporary regulations, if a demonstrably greater amount of manufac- turing activity with respect to the personal property occurs in jurisdictions without tax rate disparity relative to the sales or pur- chase branch, the location of the sales or purchase branch will be deemed to be the location of manufacture of the personal property. In that case, the purchase or sales activities with respect to the property pur- chased or sold by or through the sales or purchase branch of the CFC will not, for purposes of determining FBCSI in con- nection with the sale of that property, be deemed to have substantially the same tax effect as if a branch were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of the CFC. Other- wise, the location of manufacture of the personal property will be deemed to be the location of a manufacturing branch (or re- mainder) that has tax rate disparity relative to the sales or purchase branch. In that case, the purchase or sales activities with respect to the property purchased or sold by or through the sales or purchase branch of the CFC will be deemed to have sub- stantially the same tax effect as if a branch were a wholly owned subsidiary corpora- tion of the CFC, and that branch will be treated as a separate corporation for pur- poses of applying the regulations. The temporary regulations apply anal- ogous rules in the case of purchase or sales activity being conducted through the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized. In such cases, how- ever, the analysis focuses on whether the demonstrably greater amount of manufac- turing activity with respect to the personal property occurs in jurisdictions that do or do not have tax rate disparity relative to the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized. The temporary regulations incorporate examples under §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v) to illustrate the application of these rules. b.Location of Activities The proposed regulations provide that for purposes of the multiple manufac- turing branch rules the location of any activity with respect to the manufacture of the personal property is where the CFC’s employees engage in such activity. Com- mentators suggested that in some cases the proposed regulations left it unclear, for purposes of determining the location of manufacturing, which jurisdiction was accorded credit for activities performed by an employee who is traveling temporarily to a foreign jurisdiction. Some commenta- tors suggested that the location of activity rule should be removed or that the regula- tions should clarify that, for instance, the activities of employees of a CFC based in the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized, even while traveling outside the CFC’s country of organiza- tion, would generally be credited toward establishing that the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized pro- vided a predominant amount of a CFC’s substantial contribution. The IRS and the Treasury Department believe the text of §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iv) makes clear that when an employee travels to perform activities, those activities are credited to the location in which the activities are conducted if there is a branch or remainder of the CFC in that jurisdiction. Section 1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v) provides ex- amples to further clarify this result. Other commentators asked which loca- tion was accorded credit, if any, for ac- tivities performed by traveling employees oftheCFCwhilelocatedinacountryin which there is no branch or remainder of the CFC. The temporary regulations pro- vide that the location of any manufactur- ing activity is where the employees of the CFC perform that activity. Thus, the ac- tivities of employees while traveling to a country where the CFC does not maintain a branch or remainder are not credited to the branch or remainder where the trav- eling employees are regularly employed for purposes of determining the location of manufacture of the personal property under the branch rule. Such activities, however, can be taken into account for purposes of satisfying the manufacturing exception and the substantial contribution test. See §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v)Ex- ample 6. c.Clarifying Application of the Rule for Determining the Remainder of the CFC When Activities are Performed in Multiple Locations Prop Reg. §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(a)pro- vides that when treating the location of sales or purchase income as a separate corporation for purposes of determining whether FBCSI is realized, that separate corporation will exclude any branch or the remainder of the CFC that would be treated as a separate corporation, if the hypothet- ical tax rate imposed by the jurisdiction of each such branch or the remainder of the CFC were separately tested against the effective rate of tax imposed on the sales or purchase income under the rele- vant tax rate disparity test. Commentators suggested that the application of this rule for determining the remainder of the CFC when activities are preformed in multi- ple locations is unclear. To clarify, the language from the proposed regulations isrevisedinthetemporaryregulationsto describe what is included in the remain- der, rather than what is excluded from the remainder, for purposes of determining whether there is FBCSI, after it is deter- mined that a manufacturing branch should receive treatment as a separate corporation for purposes of applying the regulations. See §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(a). As with the rule provided in the pro- posed regulations, this rule is intended to provide that the activities of all branch lo- cations (or, in the case of a remainder, the activities in the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized) that do not have tax rate disparity relative to the sales or purchase branch location (or, in the case of a purchasing or selling re- mainder, the jurisdiction under the laws of which the CFC is organized) may be taken into account together with the activ- ities of the sales or purchase branch (or, in the case of a purchasing or selling re- mainder, activities of the remainder of the CFC in the jurisdiction under the laws of February 2, 20093952009–5 I.R.B. which the CFC is organized) for purposes of applying the separate corporation anal- ysis required under the regulations and de- termining whether the sales income of the sales or purchase branch (or remainder) is FBCSI. Such determination will depend on whether the substantial contribution test is satisfied by the combined activities of the sales or purchase branch (or remainder) and the other locations aggregated with the sales or purchase branch (or remainder). 4.Coordination of sales and manufacturing branch rules Commentators requested guidance on how the sales or purchase branch rules in- teract with the manufacturing branch rules. The current manufacturing branch rules contemplate the existence of a sales or pur- chase branch and a manufacturing branch. The rules provide that in such an instance the sales or purchase branch is treated as the remainder of the CFC for purposes of applying the tax rate disparity test. How- ever, the sales or purchase branch rules of §1.954–3(b)(1)(i) of the existing regu- lations do not indicate that those rules do not apply in cases where the manufactur- ing branch rules are applied. Commenta- tors were concerned that the manufactur- ing branch rules would be applied in addi- tion to, rather than in lieu of, the sales or purchase branch rules. The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment agree that if one or more sales or purchase branches are used in ad- dition to a manufacturing branch and §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(1) (use of one or more sales or purchases branches in addition to a manufacturing branch) is applied with respect to income from the sale of an item of personal property, then the sales or purchasing branch rules do not also apply to determine whether that income is FBCSI. Therefore, the tempo- rary regulations clarify this point. See §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(c). 5.Unrelated to unrelated transactions Commentators suggested that there was uncertainty as to whether a substantial contribution to the manufacture, produc- tion, or construction of personal property by a CFC could cause the CFC to earn FBCSI in cases where, in the absence of the substantial contribution test, some taxpayers had taken the position that they were outside the scope of the FBCSI rules. Some commentators expressed concern that transactions that are not currently subject to the existing regulations may be- come subject to the regulations as a result of the interaction of the substantial contri- bution test and the manufacturing branch rule. Other commentators suggested more generally that it was unclear if the sub- stantial contribution test might create a branch through which a CFC carries on activities in a contract manufacturer’s ju- risdiction. Commentators suggested that taxpayers should be exempted from the branch consequences of the regulations by providing that the manufacturing branch rule only apply if the CFC was relying on the manufacturing exception for purposes of section 954(d)(1), or alternatively that the substantial contribution test should be elective. In this context, commentators noted that placing a CFC’s substantial contribution activities, which are per- formed outside the country where the sales activities are performed, in a separately incorporated entity could prevent the CFC from having a branch that is subject to the manufacturing branch rule as a result of such activities. The IRS and the Treasury Department agree that taxpayers may be subject to the FBCSI rules as a result of CFC employ- ees performingindiciaof manufacturing activities through a branch outside the country of organization of a CFC. The IRS and the Treasury Department believe this result is clear in the proposed regulations, and therefore no modifications are made to the text of the temporary regulations to clarify further this result. The IRS and the Treasury Department note that many commentators criticized the proposed reg- ulations for drawing inappropriate distinc- tions between satisfaction of the physical manufacturing test and satisfaction of the substantial contribution test, and argued that updating the manufacturing excep- tion in the context of modern business enterprise models required treating with equal importance and weight physical manufacturing and activities satisfying the substantial contribution test. The IRS and the Treasury Department adopted this comment in both the final regulations and the temporary regulations and, accord- ingly, did not incorporate in the temporary regulations an exception regarding activ- ities performed through a branch located outside the country of organization of a CFC for cases in which, in the absence of the substantial contribution test, some taxpayers had taken the position that they were outside the scope of the FBCSI rules. One commentator noted that while there are strong policy reasons for the sub- stantial contribution test and the branch rules to apply in the case of “unrelated to unrelated” transactions, the IRS and the Treasury Department should consider a special delayed effective date to allow tax- payers in this position time to restructure their operations in light of the regulations. The commentator argued that such tax- payers had been outside the scope of the FBCSI rules prior to these regulations and should be provided reasonable time to restructure. For a discussion of the effective date of the final and temporary regulations, see Part F of this preamble. 6.Branch rule examples Commentatorsexpressedcon- cern that the facts of Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(f)Example 4 ascribed most substantial contribution ac- tivities to the remainder, but determined that the remainder had not met the sub- stantial contribution test. In the example, the remainder performs seven activities listed in theindiciaof manufacturing of the proposed regulations, whereas Branch A performs only one activity (design) and Branch B performs only two activities. The example was intended to show that in a CFC’s particular industry, the weight ac- corded to the activities performed by each branch can be comparable, even though a different number of activities occur in different locations, because the economic significance of the activities conducted in each location is comparable. However, the IRS and the Treasury Department rec- ognize that the example may have caused confusion for taxpayers. Therefore, the al- location of activities inExample 4of Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(f) has been revised in §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v) Example 3. Moreover,Examples 4,5,and 6of Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(f) have been restructured in the temporary regulations to be consistent with the revi- sions to the branch rules. Commentators also noted thatEx- ample 4andExample 5of Prop. Reg. §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3 )(f) suggest that 2009–5 I.R.B.396February 2, 2009 income other than sales or purchasing income may be FBCSI. These examples are amended in the temporary regulations to be consistent with section 954(d)(2), which provides that income attributable to the carrying on of purchase or sales activities by a branch may be FBCSI. Commentators requested that the IRS and the Treasury Department add an ex- ample to the regulations to illustrate how the substantial contribution test and the branch rules operate in cases involving multiple manufacturing branches and mul- tiple sales branches. The temporary reg- ulations include such an example. See §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v)Example 5. The temporary regulations also include an example illustrating the operation of the location of manufacture rules under §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c)(3) and the appli- cation of the substantial contribution test when a tested manufacturing location has been determined to have tax rate dis- parity with a tested sales location. See §1.954–3T(b)(4)Example (9).Example (9)illustrates that a tested sales location can satisfy the substantial contribution test for purposes of determining FBCSI once it has been determined that a tested manufacturing location should be treated as a separate corporation for purposes of determining FBCSI. Although a branch that has tax rate disparity with the tested sales location is the tested manufactur- ing location,Example (9)concludes that the CFC does not have FBCSI from the sale of the personal property because, after applying the aggregation rules of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(a), the tested sales location satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). E.Conforming Amendments Sections 1.954–3(a)(1)(i) and (c) of the existing regulations contain cross-refer- ences to foreign base company shipping income under §1.954–6. Section 954 was amended by Public Law 108–357 in 2004, and foreign base company shipping income was removed as a separate cat- egory of foreign base company income. The final regulations are amended by deleting both references to foreign base company shipping income to reflect the 2004 amendment to section 954. Section 1.954–3(a)(1)(i) of the existing regulations defines “related person” and “unrelated person” by an obsolete cross reference to §1.954–1(e). The final regu- lations are amended to define “related per- son” and “unrelated person” with refer- ence to §1.954–1(f). F.Effective Date Several commentators requested that the new regulations provide for a delayed effective date to allow taxpayers to imple- ment supply chain and structural changes that may be required to satisfy the sub- stantial contribution test and the branch rules. The IRS and the Treasury Depart- ment agree that a delayed effective date is appropriate for taxpayers whose structures require modification to accommodate the new regulations. Accordingly, these fi- nal and temporary regulations will apply to taxable years of CFCs beginning after June 30, 2009, and for taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the CFCs end. Thus, the final and temporary reg- ulations will become applicable January 1, 2010, for CFCs whose taxable year is the calendar year. The temporary regula- tions will expire on or before December 23, 2009. In addition, a taxpayer may choose to apply these final and temporary regulations retroactively with respect to its open taxable years. The taxpayer may so choose if and only if the taxpayer and all members of the taxpayer’s affiliated group apply both the final and temporary regulations, in their entirety, to the earliest taxable year of each controlled foreign corporation that ends with or within an open taxable year of the taxpayer and to all subsequent taxable years. A taxpayer that chose, prior to December 24, 2008, to apply Prop. Reg. §1.954–3 (73 FR 10716 as corrected at 73 FR 20201) in its entirety to all of the taxpayer’s open taxable years in which or with which a taxable year of a controlled foreign corporation of the tax- payer ended, may continue to apply Prop. Reg. §1.954–3 (73 FR 10716 as corrected at 73 FR 20201) in its entirety with respect to all of the taxpayer’s open taxable years that begin prior to July 1, 2009. Special Analyses It has been determined that this Trea- sury decision is not a significant regula- tory action as defined in Executive Order 12866. Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It has also been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations and because the regulations do not impose a collection of information on small entities, the Regu- latory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) does not apply. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Code, the notice of proposed rule- making that preceded these final and tem- porary regulations was submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for comment on its impact on small business. Drafting Information The principal author of these regula- tions is Ethan Atticks of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). However, other personnel from the IRS and the Treasury Department participated in their development. ***** Adoption of Amendments to the Regulations Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is amended as follows: PART 1—INCOME TAXES Paragraph 1. The authority citation for 26 CFR part 1 continues to read in part as follows: Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * Par. 2. Section 1.954–3 is amended by: 1. Revising paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(iii)Examples 1and2, (a)(2), (a)(4)(i), (a)(4)(ii), (a)(4)(iii), (a)(6)(i), and (c). 2. Adding paragraphs (a)(4)(iv) and (d). 3. Removing and reserving paragraphs (b)(1)(i)(c), (b)(1)(ii)(a), (b)(1)(ii)(c), (b)(2)(i)(b), (b)(2)(i)(d), (b)(2)(ii)(a), (b)(2)(ii)(b), (b)(2)(ii)(e) and (b)(4)Exam- ple (3). The additions and revisions read as fol- lows: §1.954–3 Foreign base company sales income. (a) * * * (1)In general—(i)General rules.For- eign base company sales income of a con- trolled foreign corporation shall, except February 2, 20093972009–5 I.R.B. as provided in paragraphs (a)(2), (a)(3) and (a)(4) of this section, consist of gross income (whether in the form of profits, commissions, fees or otherwise) derived in connection with the purchase of personal property from a related person and its sale to any person, the sale of personal property to any person on behalf of a related person, the purchase of personal property from any person and its sale to a related person, or the purchase of personal property from any person on behalf of a related person. See section 954(d)(1). For purposes of the preceding sentence, except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2) and (a)(4) of this section, personal property sold by a controlled for- eign corporation will be considered to be the same property that was purchased by the controlled foreign corporation regard- less of whether the personal property is sold in the same form in which it was pur- chased, in a different form than the form in which it was purchased, or as a compo- nent part of a manufactured product. This sectionshallapplytothepurchaseand/ or sale of personal property, whether or not such property was purchased and / or sold in the ordinary course of trade or busi- ness, except that income derived in con- nection with the sale of tangible personal property will not be considered to be for- eign base company sales income if such property is sold to a person that is not a related person, as defined in §1.954–1(f), after substantial use has been made of the property by the controlled foreign corpo- ration in its trade or business. This sec- tion shall not apply to the excess of gains over losses from sales or exchanges of se- curities or from futures transactions, to the extent such excess gains are includible in foreign personal holding company income of the controlled foreign corporation under §1.954–2; nor shall it apply to the sale of the controlled foreign corporation’s prop- erty (other than its stock in trade or other property of a kind which would properly be included in its inventory if on hand at the close of the taxable year, or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of its business) if substan- tially all the propertyof such corporation is sold pursuant to the discontinuation of the trade or business previously carried on by such corporation. The term “any person” as used in this paragraph (a)(1)(i) includes a related person as defined in §1.954–1(f). ***** (iii) * * * Example 1. Controlled foreign corporation A, in- corporated under the laws of foreign country X, is a wholly owned subsidiary of domestic corporation M. Corporation A purchases from M Corporation, a related person, articles manufactured in the United States and sells the articles to P, an unrelated person, fordeliveryanduseinforeign country Y. Gross in- come of A Corporation derived from the purchase and sale of the personal property is foreign base company sales income. Example 2. Corporation A inExample 1also pur- chases from P, an unrelated person, articles manufac- tured in country Y and sells the articles to foreign cor- poration B, a related person, for use in foreign country Z. Gross income of A Corporation derived from the purchase and sale of the personal property is foreign base company sales income. ***** (2)Property manufactured, produced, constructed, grown, or extracted within the country in which the controlled foreign corporation is created or organized.For- eign base company sales income does not include income derived in connection with the purchase and sale of personal prop- erty (or purchase or sale of personal prop- erty on behalf of a related person) in a transaction described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section if the property is manufac- tured, produced, constructed, grown, or extracted in the country under the laws of which the controlled foreign corpora- tion which purchases and sells the prop- erty (or acts on behalf of a related per- son) is created or organized. See section 954(d)(1)(A). The principles set forth in paragraphs (a)(4)(ii) and (a)(4)(iii) of this section apply under this paragraph (a)(2) in determining what constitutes the man- ufacture, production, or construction of personal property, excluding the require- ment set forth in paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section that the provisions of paragraphs (a)(4)(ii) and (a)(4)(iii) of this section may only be satisfied through the activities of employees of the corporation manufactur- ing, producing, or constructing the per- sonal property. The principles of para- graph (a)(4)(iv) of this section apply under this paragraph (a)(2) in determining what constitutes the manufacture, production, or construction of personal property but only when the personal property is manufac- tured, produced, or constructed by a per- son related to the controlled foreign corpo- ration within the meaning of §1.954–1(f). The application of this paragraph (a)(2) maybeillustratedbythefollowingexam- ples: ***** (4)Property manufactured, produced, or constructed by the controlled foreign corporation—(i)In general. Foreign base company sales income does not include income of a controlled foreign corporation derived in connection with the sale of per- sonal property manufactured, produced, or constructed by such corporation. A controlled foreign corporation will have manufactured, produced, or constructed personal property which the corporation sells only if such corporation satisfies the provisions of paragraph (a)(4)(ii), (a)(4)(iii), or (a)(4)(iv) of this section through the activities of its employees (as defined in §31.3121(d)–1(c) of this chapter) with respect to such property. A controlled foreign corporation will not be treated as having manufactured, produced, or constructed personal property which the corporation sells merely because the property is sold in a different form than the form in which it was purchased. For rules of apportionment in determining foreign base company sales income derived from thesaleofpersonalproperty purchased and used as a component part of property which is not manufactured, produced, or constructed, see paragraph (a)(5) of this section. (ii)Substantial transformation of prop- erty. If personal property purchased by a foreign corporation is substantially trans- formed by such foreign corporation prior to sale, the property sold by the selling corporation is manufactured, produced, or constructed by such selling corporation. The application of this paragraph (a)(4)(ii) maybeillustratedbythefollowingexam- ples: ***** (iii)Manufacture of a product when purchased components constitute part of thepropertysold. If purchased property is used as a component part of personal property which is sold, the sale of the property will be treated as the sale of a manufactured product, rather than the sale of component parts, if the assembly or conversion of the component parts into the final product by the selling corporation involves activities that are substantial in nature and generally considered to con- stitute the manufacture, production, or 2009–5 I.R.B.398February 2, 2009 construction of property. Without limiting this substantive test, which is dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case, the operations of the selling corpo- ration in connection with the use of the purchased property as a component part of the personal property which is sold will be considered to constitute the manufacture of a product if in connection with such property conversioncosts (direct labor and factory burden) of such corporation account for 20 percent or more of the total cost of goods sold. In no event, however, will packaging, repackaging, labeling, or minor assembly operations constitute the manufacture, production, or construc- tion of property for purposes of section 954(d)(1). The application of this para- graph (a)(4)(iii) maybe illustrated by the following examples: ***** (iv)Substantial contribution to man- ufacturing of personal property—(a)In general.Ifanitemofpersonalproperty would be considered manufactured, pro- duced, or constructed (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) prior to sale by the controlled for- eign corporation had all of the manufac- turing, producing, and constructing activ- ities undertaken with respect to that prop- erty prior to sale been undertaken by the controlled foreign corporation through the activities of its employees, then this para- graph (a)(4)(iv) applies. If this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies and if the facts and cir- cumstances evince thatthe controlled for- eign corporation makes a substantial con- tribution through the activities of its em- ployees to the manufacture, production, or construction of the personal property sold, then the personal property sold by the controlled foreign corporation is manu- factured, produced, or constructed by such controlled foreign corporation. (b)Activities. The determination of whether a controlled foreign corporation makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manu- facture, production, or construction of the personal property sold involves, but will not necessarily be limited to, consideration of the following activities: (1) Oversight and direction of the activ- ities or process pursuant to which the prop- erty is manufactured, produced, or con- structed (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section). (2) Activities that are considered in, but that are insufficient to satisfy, the tests provided in paragraphs (a)(4)(ii) and (a)(4)(iii) of this section. (3) Material selection,vendor selection, or control of the raw materials, work-in- process or finished goods. (4) Management of manufacturing costs or capacities (for example, man- aging the risk of loss, cost reduction or efficiency initiatives associated with the manufacturing process, demand planning, production scheduling, or hedging raw material costs). (5) Control of manufacturing related lo- gistics. (6) Quality control (for example, sam- ple testing or establishment of quality con- trol standards). (7) Developing, or directing the use or development of, product design and de- sign specifications, as well as trade secrets, technology, or other intellectual property for the purpose of manufacturing, produc- ing, or constructing the personal property. (c)Application of substantial contribu- tion test. When considering whether a con- trolled foreign corporation makes a sub- stantial contribution to the manufacture, production, or construction of the personal property, the performance of any activity in paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(b)ofthissection will be taken into account. The perfor- mance or lack of performance of any par- ticular activity in paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(b) of this section, or of a particular number of activities in (a)(4)(iv)(b) of this sec- tion, is not determinative. The weight ac- corded to the performance of any quantum of any activity (whether or not specified in paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(b)ofthissection) will vary with the facts and circumstances of the particular business. See paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(d)Examples 8, 10and11of this section. In determining whether the activ- ities of the controlled foreign corporation constitute a substantial contribution, there is no minimum performance threshold be- fore an activity can be considered. The fact that other persons make a substantial contribution to the manufacture, produc- tion, or construction of the personal prop- erty prior to sale does not preclude the controlled foreign corporation from mak- ing a substantial contribution to the manu- facture, construction, or production of that property through the activities of its em- ployees. See paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(d)Ex- ample 9 of this section. (d)Examples. The rules of this para- graph (a)(4)(iv) are illustrated by the fol- lowing examples: Example 1.No substantial contribution to manu- facturing.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corpora- tion, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the prin- ciples of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this sec- tion) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrangement. CM physically performs the substantial transforma- tion, assembly, or conversion outside of FS’s country of organization. Product X is sold by FS for use out- side of FS’s country of organization. Under the terms of the contract, FS retains the right to control the raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods, and the right to oversee and direct the activities or process pursuant to which Product X is manufactured by CM. FS owns the intellectual property used in the manu- facturing process. However, FS does not exercise, through its employees, its powers to control the raw materials, work-in-process, or finished goods, and FS does not exercise its powers of oversight and direc- tion. Likewise, FS does not, through its employees, develop or direct the use or development of the in- tellectual property for the purpose of manufacturing Product X. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. FS does not satisfy the test under this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it does not make a substantial contribution through the activ- ities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. Mere contractual rights to control materials, con- tractual rights to oversee and direct the manufacturing activities or process pursuant to which the property is manufactured, and ownership of intellectual property are not sufficient to satisfy this paragraph (a)(4)(iv). Therefore, under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS is not considered to have manufactured Product X under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 2.Substantial contribution to manufac- turing.(i)Facts. Assume the same facts as inExam- ple 1, except for the following. FS, through its em- ployees, engages in product design and quality con- trol and controls manufacturing related logistics. Em- ployees of FS exercise the right to oversee and direct the activities of CM in the manufacture of Product X. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test un- der this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a sub- stantial contribution through the activities of its em- ployees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS is considered to have manufactured Product X un- der paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. The analysis February 2, 20093992009–5 I.R.B. and conclusion would be the same if CM were related to FS because the relationship between CM and FS is irrelevant for purposes of applying paragraph (a)(4) of this section. Example 3.Raw materials procured by contract manufacturer.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign cor- poration, enters into a contract with CM to manufac- ture (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) Product X. CM physically performs the substantial transformation, assembly, or conversion required to manufacture Product X out- side of FS’s country of organization. Product X is sold by FS for use outside of FS’s country of organi- zation. Employees of FS select the materials that will be used to manufacture Product X. FS does not own the materials or work-in-process during the manufac- turing process. FS, through its employees, exercises oversight and direction of the manufacturing process and provides quality control. FS manages the manu- facturing costs and capacities with respect to Product X by managing the risk of loss and engaging in de- mand planning and production scheduling. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test un- der this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a sub- stantial contribution through the activities of its em- ployees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS is considered to have manufactured Product X un- der paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 4.Physical conversion by employees of a person other than the contract manufacturer.(i) Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corporation organized in Country M, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (un- der the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a contract manufacturing ar- rangement. CM physically performs the substantial transformation, assembly, or conversion required to manufacture Product X outside of FS’s country of or- ganization. Product X is sold by FS for use outside of FS’s country of organization. CM contracts with another corporation for its employees in order to op- erate CM’s manufacturing plant and transform, as- semble, or convert the raw materials into Product X. Apart from the physical performance of the substan- tial transformation, assembly, or conversion of the raw materials into Product X, employees of FS per- form all of the other manufacturing activities required in connection with the manufacture of Product X (for example, oversight and direction of the manufactur- ing process; vendor selection; control of raw materi- als, work-in-process, and finished goods; control of manufacturing related logistics; and quality control). (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test un- der this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a sub- stantial contribution through the activities of its em- ployees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS is considered to have manufactured Product X un- der paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 5.Automated manufacturing super- vised by another person.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corporation, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufac- tured (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation selected by FS, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrangement. CM physically performs the substantial transformation, assembly, or conversion outside of FS’s country of organization. Product X is sold by FS to related and unrelated persons for use outside of FS’s country of organiza- tion. At all times, FS retains ownership of the raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods. FS retains the right to oversee and direct the activities or process pursuant to which Product X is manu- factured by CM, but does not exercise, through its employees, its powers of oversight and direction. FS is the owner of sophisticated software and network systems that remotely and automatically (without human involvement) take orders, route them to CM, order raw materials, and perform quality control. FS has a small number of computer technicians who monitor the software and network systems to ensure that they are running smoothly and apply any nec- essary patches or fixes. The software and network systems were developed by employees of DP, the U.S. corporate parent of FS. DP’s employees super- vise the computer technicians, evaluate the results of the automated manufacturing business, and make ongoing operational decisions, including decisions related to acceptable performance of the manufactur- ing process, stoppages of that process, and decisions related to product and manufacturing process design. DP’s employees develop and provide to FS all of the upgrades to the software and network systems. DP also has employees who direct and control other aspects of the manufacturing process such as vendor and material selection, management of the manufac- turing costs and capacities, and the selection of CM. The need for DP’s employees to direct the activities of the FS employees and otherwise contribute to the manufacturing process evinces that substantial operational responsibilities and decision making are required to be exercised by parties other than CM in order to manufacture Product X. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstance of the business, FS does not satisfy the test under this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it does not make a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. Mere ownership of materials and intellectual property along with contractual rights to exercise powers of direction and control are not sufficient to satisfy this paragraph (a)(4)(iv). The employees of FS do not per- form the amount of activity necessary to constitute a substantial contribution. FS is not considered to have manufactured Product X under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 6.Automated manufacturing supervised by FS.(i)Facts. Assume the same facts as inExam- ple 5, except for the following. FS, through its em- ployees, engages in the activities undertaken by DP’s employees inExample 5. DP’s employees also con- tribute to product and manufacturing process design, and provide support and oversight to FS in connection with functions performed by FS through its employ- ees. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test un- der this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a sub- stantial contribution through the activities of its em- ployees to the manufacture of Product X. This deter- mination does not require a comparison between the activities of FS and the activities of DP. Selection of the contract manufacturer, even though not specifi- cally identified in paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(b)ofthissec- tion, is considered under paragraph (a)(4)(iv)(c)of this section in determining whether FS makes a sub- stantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X through its employees. FS is considered to have man- ufactured Product X under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 7.Automated manufacturing supervised by FS with purchased intellectual property.(i)Facts. Assume the same facts as inExample 6, except for the following. The software and network systems, and the upgrades to those systems, were purchased by FS rather than developed by employees of FS. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. The lack of per- formance of software and network system develop- ment activities is not determinative under the facts and circumstances of the business. Therefore, FS sat- isfies the test under this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a substantial contribution through the activ- ities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. This determination does not require a comparison between the activities of FS and the activities of DP. FS is considered to have manufactured Product X un- der paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 8.Manufacture without intellectual property.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign cor- poration, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrangement. CM physically performs the substan- tial transformation, assembly, or conversion outside of FS’s country of organization. Product X is sold by FS for use outside of FS’s country of organiza- tion. At all times, FS controls the raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods. FS controls the manufacturing related logistics, manages the manu- facturing costs and capacities, and provides quality control with respect to CM’s manufacturing process 2009–5 I.R.B.400February 2, 2009 and product. No intellectual property of significant value is required to manufacture Product X. FS does not own any intellectual property underlying Product X, or hold an exclusive or non-exclusive right to manufacture Product X. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Because use of in- tellectual property plays little or no role in the man- ufacture of Product X, it is irrelevant to the substan- tial contribution analysis under paragraph (a)(4)(iv) of this section. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test under this para- graph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a substantial con- tribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS is con- sidered to have manufactured Product X under para- graph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 9.Substantial contribution by more than one CFC.(i)Facts. FS1 and FS2, unrelated con- trolled foreign corporations, contract with CM, an un- related corporation, to manufacture (under the prin- ciples of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this sec- tion) Product X. CM physically performs the substan- tial transformation, assembly, or conversion required to manufacture Product X outside of FS1’s and FS2’s respective countries of organization. Neither FS1 nor FS2 owns the materials or work-in-process during the manufacturing process. Product X is sold by FS1 and FS2 to persons related to FS1 and FS2, respec- tively, for disposition outside of FS1’s and FS2’s re- spective countries of organization. FS1, through its employees, designs Product X. FS1 directs the use of the product design and design specifications, and other intellectual property, for the purpose of man- ufacturing Product X. Employees of FS1 also select the materials that will be used to manufacture Prod- uct X, and the vendors that provide those materials. FS2, through its employees, designs the process for manufacturing Product X. FS2, through its employ- ees, manages the manufacturing costs and capacities withrespecttoProductX.FS1andFS2eachprovide quality control and oversight and direction of CM’s manufacturing activities with respect to different as- pects of the manufacture of Product X. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS1 or FS2 through the activities of their employees, FS1 or FS2 would have satisfied the man- ufacturing exception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. The fact that other persons make a substantial contribution to the manufacture of personal property does not pre- clude a controlled foreigncorporation from making a substantial contribution to the manufacture of per- sonal property through the activities of its employ- ees. In the analysis of whether FS1 or FS2 make a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Prod- uct X, each company takes into account its individual activities, including those of providing quality con- trol and oversight and direction of the manufacture of Product X. In addition, no threshold level of ac- tivity is required, including with respect to provid- ing quality control or oversight and direction of the activities or process pursuant to which Product X is manufactured, before FS1and FS2 can take into ac- count their respective activities. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, both FS1 and FS2 sat- isfy the test under this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because each independently makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the man- ufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS1 and FS2 are each considered to have manufactured Product X un- der paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 10.Manufacture of products designed by CFC.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corpora- tion, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the prin- ciples of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this sec- tion) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corpora- tion, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrange- ment. CM physically performs the substantial trans- formation, assembly, or conversion outside of FS’s country of organization. Product X is sold by FS for use outside of FS’s country of organization. Products in the X industry are distinguished (and vary widely in value) based on the raw materials used to make the product and the product design. FS designs the product and selects the materials that CM will use to manufacture Product X. FS also manages the manu- facturing costs and capacities. Product X can be man- ufactured from the raw materials to FS’s design spec- ifications without significant oversight and direction, quality control, or control of manufacturing related logistics. The activities most relevant to the substan- tial contribution analysis under these facts are mate- rial selection, product design and management of the manufacturing costs and capacities. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS makes a substan- tial contribution through the activities of its employ- ees to the manufacture of Product X. FS satisfies the test under this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) because it makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. There- fore, FS is considered to have manufactured Product X under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. Example 11.Direction and oversight of manu- facturing and quality control through periodic visits. (i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corporation, pur- chases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the principles of paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrangement. CM physi- cally performs the substantial transformation, assem- bly, or conversion outside of FS’s country of organ- ization. Product X is sold by FS for use outside of FS’s country of organization. FS controls the raw ma- terial, work-in-process, and finished goods, manages the manufacturing costs and capacities, and provides oversight and direction of the manufacture of Prod- uct X. Employees of FS visit CM’s manufacturing fa- cility for one week each quarter and perform quality control tests on a random sample of the units of Prod- uct X produced during the week. In the X industry, quarterly visits to a manufacturing facility by qual- ified persons are sufficient to control the quality of manufacturing. (ii)Result. If the manufacturing activities under- taken with respect to Product X prior to sale were un- dertaken by FS through the activities of its employ- ees, FS would have satisfied the manufacturing ex- ception contained in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii) of this section with respect to Product X. Therefore, this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) applies. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS satisfies the test un- der this paragraph (a)(4)(iv) with respect to Product X because it makes a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of ProductX.Therefore,FSisconsideredtohaveman- ufactured Product X under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section. ***** (6)Special rule applicable to distribu- tive share of partnership income—(i)In general. To determine the extent to which a controlled foreign corporation’s distribu- tive share of any item of gross income of a partnership would have been foreign base company sales income if received by it directly, under §1.952–1(g), the prop- erty sold will be considered to be manu- factured, produced, or constructed by the controlled foreign corporation, within the meaning of paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this sec- tion, only if the manufacturing exception of paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section would have applied to exclude the income from foreign base company sales income if the controlled foreign corporation had earned the income directly, determined by taking into account only the activities of the em- ployees of, and property owned by, the partnership. ***** (b) * * * (1) * * * (i) * * * (c) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(1)(i)(c). (ii) * * * (a) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(a). ***** (c) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c). (2) * * * (i) * * * (b) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(2)(i)(b). ***** (d) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(2)(i)(d). ***** February 2, 20094012009–5 I.R.B. (ii) * * * (a) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(a). (b) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(b). ***** (e) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(e). ***** (4) * * * Example (3). [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3T(b)(4)Example (3). ***** (c)Effective/applicability date. Para- graphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(iii)Example 1, (a)(1)(iii)Example 2, (a)(2), (a)(4)(i), (a)(4)(ii), (a)(4)(iii), (a)(4)(iv) and (a)(6)(i) shall apply to taxable years of controlled foreign corporations beginning after June 30, 2009, and for taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the controlled for- eign corporations end. (d)Application of regulations to earlier taxable years. A taxpayer may choose to apply these regulations and the reg- ulations under §1.954–3T retroactively with respect to its open taxable years. The taxpayer may so choose if and only if the taxpayer and all members of the taxpayer’s affiliated group (within the meaning of §1504(a)) apply both these regulations and the regulations under §1.954–3T, in their entirety, to the earliest taxable year of each controlled foreign corporation that ends with or within an open taxable year of the taxpayer and to all subsequent taxable years of the taxpayer. Par. 3. Section 1.954–3T is added to read as follows: §1.954–3T Foreign base company sales income (temporary). (a) through (b)(1)(i)(b) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(a) through (b)(1)(i)(b). (c)Use of more than one branch.If a controlled foreign corporation carries on purchasing or selling activities by or through more than one branch or sim- ilar establishment located outside the country under the laws of which such corporation is created or organized, then §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) shall be applied sep- arately to the income derived by each such branch or similar establishment (by treating such purchasing or selling branch or similar establishment as if it were the only branch or similar establishment of the controlled foreign corporation and as if any such other branches or similar es- tablishments were separate corporations) in determining whether the use of such branch or similar establishment has sub- stantially the same tax effect as if such branch or similar establishment were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of the controlled foreign corporation. See paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(1)ofthissection for rules applicable to a controlled for- eign corporation that carries on purchase or sales activities by or through one or more branches or similar establishments in addition to carrying on manufactur- ing activities by or through one or more branches or similar establishments. (ii)Manufacturing branch—(a)In gen- eral. If a controlled foreign corporation carries on manufacturing, producing, con- structing, growing, or extracting activities by or through a branch or similar estab- lishment located outside the country un- der the laws of which such corporation is created or organized and the use of the branch or similar establishment for such activities with respectto personal property purchasedorsoldbyorthroughthere- mainder of the controlled foreign corpo- ration has substantially the same tax ef- fect as if the branch or similar establish- ment were a wholly owned subsidiary cor- poration of such controlled foreign corpo- ration, the branch or similar establishment and the remainder of the controlled for- eign corporation will be treated as sepa- rate corporations for purposes of determin- ing foreign base company sales income of such corporation. See section 954(d)(2). The provisions of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii) and §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) will apply only if the controlled foreign corporation (in- cluding any branches or similar establish- ments of such controlled foreign corpo- ration) manufactures, produces, or con- structs such personal property within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(i), or carries on growing or extracting activities with re- spect to such personal property. (b) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b). (c )Use of more than one branch—(1) Use of one or more sales or purchase branches in addition to a manufacturing branch. If, with respect to personal prop- erty manufactured, produced, constructed, grown, or extracted by or through a branch or similar establishment located outside the country under the laws of which the controlled foreign corporation is created or organized, purchasing or selling activ- ities are carried on by or through more than one branch or similar establishment, or by or through one or more branches or similar establishments located outside such country, of such corporation, then §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) shall be applied sep- arately to the income derived by each such purchasing or selling branch or similar es- tablishment (by treating such purchasing or selling branch or similar establishment as though it alone were the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation) for purposes of determining whether the use of such manufacturing, producing, con- structing, growing, or extracting branch or similar establishment has substantially the same tax effect as if such branch or similar establishment were a wholly owned sub- sidiary corporation of the controlled for- eign corporation. If this rule applies, the sales or purchase branch rules contained in paragraph (b)(1)(i)(c)ofthissectionand §1.954–3(b)(1)(i) do not apply. The appli- cation of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(1)is illustrated by the following example: Example.All activities of controlled foreign cor- poration conducted through sales branches and man- ufacturing branch.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corporation organized under the laws of country M, operates three branches. Branch A, located in coun- try A, manufactures Product X under the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). Branch B, located in Country B, sells Product X manufactured by Branch A to cus- tomers for use outside of Country B. Branch C, lo- cated in Country C sells Product X manufactured by Branch A to customers for use outside of Country C. FS does not conduct any manufacturing or selling ac- tivities apart from the activities of Branches A, B and C. Country M imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 0%. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 20%. Country B imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 20%. Country C imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 18%. (ii)Result.Pursuant to this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(1), §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) is applied to the sales income derived by Branch B by treating Branch B as though it alone were the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation. The use of Branch B does not have the same tax effect as if Branch B were a wholly owned subsidiary of FS because the tax rate applicable to the income allocated to Branch B under §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) (20%) is not less than 90 percent of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax which would apply to such income under the laws of Country A (20%), 2009–5 I.R.B.402February 2, 2009 the country in which Branch A is located. Section 1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) is applied separately to the sales income derived by Branch C by treating Branch C as though it alone were the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation. The use of Branch C does not have the same tax effect as if Branch C were a wholly owned subsidiary of FS because the tax rate applicable to the income allocated to Branch C under §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) (18%) is not less than 90 percent of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax which would apply to such income under the laws of Country A (20%), the coun- try in which Branch A is located. Pursuant to this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(1), the rules under paragraph (b)(1)(i)(c) of this section and §1.954–3(b)(1)(i) for determining whether a sales or purchase branch is treated as a separate corporation from the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation do not apply. (2)Use of more than one branch to manufacture, produce, construct, grow, or extract separate items of personal prop- erty. If a controlled foreign corporation carries on manufacturing, producing, con- structing, growing, or extracting activities with respect to separate items of personal property by or through more than one branch or similar establishment located outside the country under the laws of which such corporation is created or or- ganized, then paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)of this section and §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b)will be applied separately to each such branch or similar establishment (by treating such manufacturing branch or similar establish- ment as if it were the only such branch or similar establishment of the controlled foreign corporation and as if any other such branches or similar establishments were separate corporations) for purposes of determining whether the use of such branch or similar establishment has sub- stantially the same tax effect as if such branch or similar establishment were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of the controlled foreign corporation. The ap- plication of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(2) is illustrated by the following example: Example.Multiple branches that satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i).(i)Facts. FS is a controlled foreign corporation organized in Country M. FS op- erates two branches, Branch A and Branch B located in Country A and Country B, respectively. Branch A and Branch B each manufacture separate items of personal property (Product X and Product Y, respec- tively) within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (iii). Raw materials used in the manufacture of Prod- uct X and Product Y are purchased by FS from an unrelated person. FS engages in activities in Coun- try M to sell Product X and Product Y to a related person for use, disposition or consumption outside of Country M. Employees of FS located in Country M perform only sales functions. The effective rate imposed in Country M on the income from the sales of Product X and Product Y is 10%. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 20%. Country B imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 12%. (ii)Result.Pursuant to this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(2), §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) is applied sep- aratelytoBranchAandBranchBwithrespectto the sales income of FS attributable to Product X (manufactured by Branch A) and Product Y (manu- factured by Branch B). Because the effective rate of tax on FS’s sales income from the sale of Product X in Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in the country in which Branch A is located (20%), the use of Branch A to manufacture Product X has substantially the same tax effect as if Branch A were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of FS. Because the effective rate of tax on FS’s sales income from the sale of Product Y in Country M (10%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in the country in which Branch B is located (12%), the use of Branch B to manufacture Product Y does not have substantially the same tax effect as if Branch B were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of FS. Consequently, only Branch A is treated as a separate corporation apart from the remainder of FS for purposes of determining foreign base company sales income from the sales of Product X. (3)Use of more than one manufac- turing branch, or one or more manu- facturing branches and the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, to manufacture, produce, or construct the same item of personal property—(i)In general. This paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3) applies to determine the location of man- ufacture, production, or construction of personal property for purposes of apply- ing §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) or (b)(1)(ii)(b) where more than one branch (or simi- lar establishment) of a controlled foreign corporation, or one or more branches (or similar establishments) of a controlled foreign corporation and the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, each engage in manufacturing, producing, or constructing activities with respect to the same item of personal property which is then sold by the controlled foreign cor- poration. The location of manufacture, production, or construction is determined under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(ii)ofthis section if one or more branches (or sim- ilar establishments), or the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, inde- pendently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to an item of personal property. The location of manufacture, production, or construction is determined under para- graph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii)ofthissectionif none of the branches (or similar establish- ments), or the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation,independently satis- fies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to an item of personal property, but the con- trolled foreign corporation as a whole makes a substantial contribution to the manufacture, production or construction of that property within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). For purposes of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3), the location of any activity with respect to the manufac- ture, production, or construction of an item of personal property is determined under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iv)ofthis section. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3), if multiple branches (or similar establishments) are located in a single jurisdiction, then the activities of those branches will be aggregated for pur- poses of determining whether a branch or remainder of the controlled foreign corpo- ration satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). (ii)Manufacture, production, or con- struction in one or more locations. If only one branch (or similar establishment), or only the remainder of a controlled foreign corporation, independently sat- isfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to an item of personal property, then that branch(orsimilarestablishment)orthe remainder of the controlled foreign cor- poration will be the location of manu- facture, production, or construction of that property for purposes of applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b)or(b)(1)(ii)(b)to the income from the sale of that prop- erty. See paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v) Example 1of this section. If more than one branch (or similar establishment), or one or more branches (or similar es- tablishments) and the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, each inde- pendently satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to an item of personal property, then the location of manufacture, produc- tion, or construction of that property for purposes of applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) or (b)(1)(ii)(b) will be the location of that branch (or similar establishment) or the jurisdiction under the laws of which the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation is organized that sat- isfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) and that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b)to such branch (or similar establishment) or §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) to the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, im- February 2, 20094032009–5 I.R.B. pose the lowest effective rate of tax on the income allocated to such branch or the remainder of the controlled foreign corpo- ration under such section (that is, either §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) or (b)(1)(ii)(b)). See paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v)Example 2of this section. (iii)No location independently sat- isfies manufacturing test. If none of the branches (or similar establishments) or the remainder of the controlled for- eign corporation independently satis- fies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to an item of personal property but the con- trolled foreign corporation as a whole makes a substantial contribution to the manufacture, production, or construc- tion of that property within the mean- ing of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv), then for pur- poses of applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b)or (b)(1)(ii)(b), the location of manufacture, production, or construction with respect to that property will be the “tested man- ufacturing location” unless the “tested sales location” provides a demonstra- bly greater contribution to the manu- facture, production, or construction of the property. The tested manufacturing location is the location of any branch (or similar establishment) or remain- der of the controlled foreign corpora- tion that contributes to the manufacture, production, or construction of the per- sonal property, if any, and that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b)to such branch (or similar establishment) or §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b)totheremain- der of the controlled foreign corporation, be treated as a separate corporation and would impose the lowest effective rate of tax on the income allocated to such branch (or similar establishment) or to the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation under such section (that is, ei- ther §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b)or(b)(1)(i)(b)). The tested sales location is the location where the branch (or similar establish- ment)ortheremainderofthecontrolled foreign corporation purchases or sells the personal property. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii), the contri- bution to the manufacture, production, or construction of the personal property by the tested sales location will be deemed to include the activities of any branch (or similar establishment) or remainder of the controlled foreign corporation that would not be treated as a corporation separate from the tested sales location after the application of §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b)or (b)(1)(i)(b). For purposes of this para- graph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii), the contribution of the tested manufacturing location to the manufacture, production, or construction of the personal property will be deemed to include any activities of any branch (or similar establishment) or remainder of the controlled foreign corporation that would be treated as a corporation sepa- rate from the tested sales location after the application of §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) or (b)(1)(i)(b). Whether the tested sales location provides a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture, pro- duction, or construction of the personal property is determined by weighing the relative contributions to the manufac- ture, production, or construction of that property by the tested sales location and the tested manufacturing location under the facts and circumstances test provided in §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). See paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(v)Examples 4,5,and6of this section. If the tested sales location provides a demonstrably greater contri- bution to the manufacture, production, or construction of the personal property than the tested manufacturing location or if there is no tested manufacturing lo- cation, then the tested sales location is the location of manufacture, production, or construction of that property and the rules of paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(a)ofthis section and §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(a) will not apply with respect to the sales income related to that property and the use of the purchasing or selling branch (or similar establishment) or the purchasing or sell- ing remainder will not result in a branch being treated as a separate corporation for purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section or §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii). (iv)Location of activity. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)ofthissection, the location of any activity with respect to the manufacture, production, or construc- tion of an item of personal property is the location where the employees of the con- trolled foreign corporation perform such activity. For example, the location of any activity concerning intellectual property is determined based on where employees of the controlled foreign corporation develop, or direct the use or development of, the in- tellectual property, not on the formal as- signment of that intellectual property. (v) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3): Example 1.Multiple branches contribute to the manufacture of a single product, only one branch satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i).(i)Facts. FS is a con- trolled foreign corporation organized in Country M. FS operates three branches, Branch A, Branch B, and Branch C, located respectively in Country A, Country B, and Country C. Branch A, Branch B, and Branch C each performs different manufacturing activities with respect to the manufacture of Product X. Branch A, through the activities of employees of FS located in Country A, designs Product X. Branch B, through the activities of employees of FS located in Country B, provides quality control and oversight and direction. Branch C, through the activities of employees of FS located in Country C, manufactures Product X (within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii)) using the designs developed by Branch A and under the oversight of the quality control personnel of Branch B. The activ- ities of Branch A and Branch B do not independently satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). Employees of FS located in Country M purchase the raw materials used in the manufacture of Product X from a related person and control the work-in-process and finished goods throughout the manufacturing process. Employees of FS located in Country M also manage the man- ufacturing costs and capacities related to Product X. Further, employees of FS located in Country M oversee the coordination between the branches. Employees of FS located in Country M sell Product X to unrelated persons for use outside of Country M. The sales income from the sale of Product X is taxed in Country M at an effective rate of tax of 10%. Country C imposes an effective rate of tax of 20% on sales income. (ii)Result. Country C is the location of manufac- ture for purposes of applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) because only the activities of Branch C independently satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). The use of Branch C has substantially the same tax effect as if Branch C were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of FS because the effective rate of tax on the sales income (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in the country in which Branch C is located (20%). Therefore, sales of Product X by the remainder of FS are treated as sales on behalf of Branch C. In determining whether the remainder of FS will qualify for the manufacturing exception under §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv), the activities of FS will include the activities of Branch A or Branch B, respectively, if each of those branches would not be treated as a separate corporation under §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), if that paragraph were applied independently to each of Branch A and Branch B. See paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(a) of this section. Example 2.Multiple branches satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to the same product sold by the controlled foreign corporation.(i)Facts. Assume the same facts as inExample 1,exceptfor the following. In addition to the design of Product X, Branch A also performs in Country A other manufacturing activities, including those ascribed to FS inExample 1, that are sufficient to qualify as manufacturing under §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv) with respect 2009–5 I.R.B.404February 2, 2009 to Product X. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax of 12% on sales income. (ii)Result. Branch A and Branch C through their activities each independently satisfy the requirements of §1.954–3(a)(4)(i).Therefore, §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) is applied by comparing the effective rate of tax imposed on the income from the sales of Product X against the lowest effective rate of tax that would apply to the sales income in either Country A or Country C if §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) wereappliedseparatelytoBranchAandBranch C. Country A imposes the lower effective rate of tax, and therefore, Branch A is treated as the lo- cation of manufacture for purposes of applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b). The effective rate of tax in Country B is not considered because Branch B does not satisfy §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). Neither Branch A nor Branch C is treated as a separate corporation because the effective rate of tax on the sales income of FS from the sale of Product X (10%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in the country in which Branch A is located (12%). Sales of Product X by the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation are not treated as made on behalf of any branch. Example 3.Determining the location of man- ufacture when manufacturing activities performed by multiple branches and no branch independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i).(i)Facts. FS, a con- trolled foreign corporation organized in Country M, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the princi- ples of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii)) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrangement. CM physically performs the substantial transformation, assembly, or conversion of the raw materials in Country C. FS has two branches, Branch A and Branch B, located in Country A and Country B respectively. Branch A, through the activities of employees of FS lo- cated in Country A, designs Product X. Branch B, through the activities of employees of FS located in Country B, controls manufacturing related logistics, provides oversight and direction during the manu- facturing process, and controls the raw materials and work-in-process. FS manages the manufacturing costs and capacities related to the manufacture of Product X through employees located in Country M. Further, employees of FS located in Country M oversee the coordination between the branches. Em- ployees of FS located in Country M also sell Product X to unrelated persons for use outside of Country M. Country M imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 10%. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 20%, and Country B im- poses an effective rate of tax on sales income of 24%. Neither the remainder of FS, nor any branch of FS independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). However, under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS as a whole provides a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). (ii)Result. Based on the facts, neither the remain- der of FS (through the activities of its employees in Country M) nor any branch of FS independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to Product X, but FS, as a whole, provides a substantial con- tribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. The remainder of FS, Branch A, and Branch B each provides a contribution through the activities of employees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS must determine the location of manufacture under para- graph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section The tested sales location is Country M because the remainder of FS performs the selling activities with respect to Product X. The location of Branch A is the tested manufacturing location because the effective rate of tax imposed on FS’s sales income by Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percent- age points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country A (20%), and Country A has the lowest effective rate of tax among the manufacturing branches that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), be treated as a sep- arate corporation. The activities of Branch B will be included in the contribution of Branch A for pur- poses of determining the location of manufacture of Product X because the effective rate of tax imposed on the sales income by Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country B (24%). Under the facts and circumstances of the business, the activities of the remainder of FS would not provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of Branch A and Branch B, consid- ered together. Therefore, the location of manufacture is Country A, the location of Branch A. Example 4.Manufacturing activities performed by multiple branches, no branch independently sat- isfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i), selling activities performed by remainder of the controlled foreign corporation, remainder contribution includes branch manufactur- ing activities.(i)Facts. The facts are the same asEx- ample 3, except that the effective rate of tax on sales income in Country B is 12%. In addition, under the facts of the particular business, the activities of em- ployees of FS located in Country B and Country M, if considered together, would provide a demonstra- bly greater contribution to the manufacture of Prod- uct X than the activities of employees of FS located in Country A. (ii)Result. Based on the facts, neither the re- mainder of FS (through activities of its employees in Country M) nor any branch of FS independently sat- isfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to Product X, but FS, as a whole, provides a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the manu- facture of Product X. The remainder of FS, Branch A, and Branch B each provide a contribution through the activities of their employees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS must determine the location of manufacture under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section. The tested sales location is Coun- try M because the remainder of FS performs the sell- ing activities with respect to Product X. The location of Branch A is the tested manufacturing location be- cause the effective rate of tax imposed on FS’s sales income by Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country A (20%), and Branch A is the only branch that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), be treated as a separate corporation. The activities of Branch B will be included in the contribution of the remainder of FS for purposes of determining the location of manufac- ture of Product X because the effective rate of tax im- posed on the sales income by Country M (10%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country B (12%). Under a facts and cir- cumstances analysis, considered together, the activi- ties of Branch B and the remainder of FS would pro- vide a demonstrably greater contribution to the man- ufacture of Product X than the activities of Branch A. Therefore, the rules of paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(a) of this section will not apply and neither Branch A nor Branch B will be treated as a separate corporation for purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section and §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii). Example 5.Manufacturing activities performed by multiple branches, no branch independently satis- fies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i), selling activities performed by remainder of the controlled foreign corporation and a sales branch.(i)Facts. The facts are the same as Example 3, except that selling activities are also per- formed by Branch D in Country D, and Country D imposes a 16% effective rate of tax on sales income. In addition, under the facts and circumstances of the business, the activities of employees of FS located in Country A and Country M,considered together, would provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of employees of FS located in Country B. (ii)Result. Based on the facts, neither the re- mainder of FS nor any branch of FS independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to Product X, but FS, as a whole, provides a substantial con- tribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of ProductX. The remainder of FS, Branch A, and Branch B each provide a contribu- tion through the activities of their employees to the manufacture of Product X.Therefore, FS must de- termine the location of manufacture under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section. Further, pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(1) of this section, paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)( iii) of this section must be applied separately to the sales income derived by the remain- der of FS and Branch D respectively. The results with respect to the remainder of FS in thisExample 6are the same as inExample 3. However, paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section must also be ap- plied with respect to Branch D because Branch D performs selling activities with respect to Product X. Thus, for purposes of that sales income, the location of Branch D is the tested sales location. The location of Branch B is the tested manufacturing location be- cause the effective rate of tax imposed on the Branch D’s sales income by Country D (16%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax thatwould apply to such income in Country B (24%), and Branch B is the only branch that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), be treated as a separate corporation. The manufacturing activities performed in Country M by the remainder of FS and the manufacturing activities performed in Country A by Branch A will be included in Branch D’s contribution to the manufacture of Product X for purposes of determining the location of manufacture of Product X with respect to Branch D’s sales income because the effective rate of tax imposed on the sales income by Country D (16%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effec- tive rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country M (10%) and Country A (20%). Under the February 2, 20094052009–5 I.R.B. facts and circumstances of the business, the activities of Branch D, Branch A, and the remainder of FS, considered together, would provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of Branch B. Therefore, the rules of paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(a) of this section will not apply to Branch D and neither Branch A nor Branch D will be treated as a separate corporation for purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section and §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii). Example 6.Determining the location of manufac- ture when employees of remainder of controlled for- eign corporation travel to location of unrelated con- tract manufacturer to perform manufacturing activ- ities.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corpora- tion organized in Country M, purchases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manu- factured (under the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii)) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corpo- ration, pursuant to a contract manufacturing arrange- ment. CM physically performs the substantial trans- formation, assembly, or conversion of the raw materi- als in Country C. Employees of FS located in Country M sell Product X to unrelated persons for use outside of Country M. Employees of FS located in Country M engage in product design, manage the manufacturing costs and capacities with respect to Product X, and di- rect the use of intellectual property for the purpose of manufacturing Product X. Quality control and over- sight and direction of the manufacturing process are conducted in Country C by employees of FS who are employed in Country M but who regularly travel to CountryC.BranchA,locatedinCountryA,isthe onlybranchofFS.Productdesignwithrespectto Product X conducted by employees of FS located in Country A is supplemental to the bulk of the design work, which is done by employees of FS located in Country M. At all times, employees of Branch A con- trol the raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods. Employees of FS located in Country A also control manufacturing related logistics with respect to Product X. Country M imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 10%. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 20%. Nei- ther the remainder of FS nor Branch A independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). However, under the facts and circumstance of the business, FS as a whole (in- cluding Branch A) provides a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). (ii)Result. Based on the facts, neither the re- mainder of FS nor Branch A independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to Product X, but FS, as a whole, provides a substantial contribution through the activities of its employees to the man- ufacture of Product X. The remainder of FS and Branch A each provide a contribution through the activities of employees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS must determine the location of manufacture under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii)of this section. The tested sales location is Country M because the remainder of FS performs the selling activities with respect to Product X. The tested manu- facturing location is the location of Branch A because the effective rate of tax imposed on the remainder of FS’s sales income by Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country A (20%), and Branch A is the only branch that would, after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), be treated as a separate corporation. Although the activities of traveling employees are considered in determining whether FS, as a whole, makes a sub- stantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X under §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv), the activities of the employees of FS that are performed in Country C are not taken into consideration in determining whether Country M, the jurisdiction under the laws of which FS is organized, is the location of manufacture under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section. Activi- ties of employees performed outside the jurisdiction in which the controlled foreign corporation is orga- nized and outside a location in which the controlled foreign corporation maintains a branch or similar establishment, are not considered in determining the location of manufacture. Under the facts and circum- stances of the business, the activities of employees of FS performed in Country M do not provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of employees of FS performed in Country A. Therefore, the location of manufacture is Country A, the location of Branch A. (4)Use of more than one branch to manufacture, produce, construct, grow, or extract separate items of personal property. For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1)(ii)(c)(2) and (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)ofthis section, anitemof personal property refers to an individual unit of personal property rather than a type or class of personal property. (2) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2). (i) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(i). (a) Treatment as separate corporations. [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(i)(a). (b)Activities treated as performed on behalf of the remainder of corporation. With respect to purchasing or selling activ- ities performed by or through the branch or similar establishment, such purchasing or selling activities will— (1) With respect to personal property manufactured, produced, or constructed by the remainder of the controlled foreign cor- poration (or any branch treated as the re- mainder of the controlled foreign corpora- tion); or (2) With respect to personal prop- erty (other than property described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(b)(1)ofthissection) purchased or sold, or purchased and sold, by the remainder of the controlled for- eign corporation (or any branch treated as the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation), be treated on behalf of the remainder of the controlled foreign corpo- ration. (c) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(i)(c). (d)Determination of hypothetical tax. To the extent applicable, the principles of §1.954–1(d)(2) shall be used in deter- mining, under paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section and §1.954–3(b)(1)(i), the effec- tive rate of tax which would apply to the income of the branch or similar estab- lishment under the laws of the country in which the controlled foreign corporation is created or organized, or in determining, under paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii), the effective rate of tax which would apply to the income of the branch or similar establishment un- der the laws of the country in which the manufacturing, producing, constructing, growing, or extracting branch or similar establishment is located. (e) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(i)(e). (ii) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii). (a)Treatment as separate corpora- tions. The branch or similar establish- ment will be treated as a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of the controlled foreign corporation, and such branch or similar establishment will be deemed to be incorporated in the country in which it is located. For purposes of applying the rules of this paragraph (b)(2)(ii) and §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii), a branch or similar establishment of a controlled foreign cor- poration treated as a separate corporation purchasing or selling on behalf of the remainder of the controlled foreign cor- poration under paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(b) of this section, or the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation treated as a separate corporation purchasing or selling on behalf of a branch or similar establishment of the controlled foreign corporation under §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(c), will include any other branch or similar establishment or remainder of the con- trolled foreign corporation that would not be treated as a separate corporation (apart from the branch or similar establishment of a controlled foreign corporation that is treated as performing purchasing or sell- ing activities on behalf of the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation under paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(b) of this section or the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation that is treated as performing purchasing or selling activities on behalf 2009–5 I.R.B.406February 2, 2009 of the branch or similar establishment un- der §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(c)) if the effective rate of tax imposed on the income of the purchasing or selling branch or similar establishment, or purchasing or selling remainder of the controlled foreign cor- poration, were tested under the principles of §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(b) or (b)(1)(ii)(b) against the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income if it were considered derived by such other branch or similar establishment or the remainder of the con- trolled foreign corporation. (b)Activities treated as performed on behalf of the remainder of corporation. With respect to purchasing or selling activ- ities performed by or through the branch or similar establishment, such purchasing or selling activities will— (1) With respect to personal property manufactured, produced, or constructed by the remainder of the controlled foreign cor- poration (or any branch treated as the re- mainder of the controlled foreign corpora- tion); or (2) With respect to personal prop- erty (other than property described in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(b)(1)ofthissection) purchased or sold, or purchased and sold, by the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation (or any branch treated as the remainder of the controlled foreign corpo- ration), be treated as performed on behalf of the remainder of the controlled foreign corporation. (c)and(d) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(c)and (d). (e)Comparison with ordinary treat- ment. Income derived by a branch or similar establishment, or by the remain- der of the controlled foreign corporation, shall not be determined to be foreign base company sales income under paragraph (b) of this section or §1.954–3(b) if the in- come would not be so considered if it were derived by a separate controlled foreign corporation under like circumstances. (f) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(f). (3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(3). (4)Illustrations. The application of this paragraph (b)(4) may be illustrated by the following examples: Examples (1)and(2). [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(4)Ex- amples (1)and(2). Example (3).(i)Facts. Corporation E, a con- trolled foreign corporation incorporated under the laws of foreign Country X, is a wholly owned sub- sidiary of Corporation D, also a controlled foreign corporation incorporated under the laws of Country X. Corporation E maintains Branch B in foreign Country Y. Both corporations use the calendar year as the taxable year. In 1964, Corporation E’s sole activity, carried on through Branch B, consists of the purchase of articles manufactured in Country X by Corporation D, a related person, and the sale of the articles through Branch B to unrelated persons. One hundred percent of the articles sold through Branch B are sold for use outside Country X and 90 percent are also sold for use outside of Country Y. The income of Corporation E derived by Branch B from such trans- actions is taxed to Corporation E by Country X only at the time Corporation E distributes such income to Corporation D and is taxedon the basis of what the tax (a 40 percent effective rate) would have been if the income had been derived in 1964 by Corpora- tion E from sources within Country X from doing business through a permanent establishment therein. Country Y levies an income tax at an effective rate of 50 percent on income derived from sources within such country, but the income of Branch B for 1964 is effectively taxed by Country Y at a 5 percent rate since under the laws of such country, only 10 percent of Branch B’s income is derived from sources within such country. Corporation E makes no distributions to Corporation D in 1964. (ii)Result. In determining foreign base company sales income of Corporation E for 1964, Branch B is treated as a separate wholly owned subsidiary corpo- ration of Corporation E, the 5 percent rate of tax be- ing less than 90 percent of,and at least 5 percentage points less than the 40 percent rate. Income derived by Branch B, treated as a separate corporation, from the purchase from a related person (Corporation D), of personal property manufactured outside of Coun- try Y and sold for use, disposition, or consumption outside of Country Y constitutes foreign base com- pany sales income. If, instead, Corporation D were unrelated to Corporation E, none of the income would be foreign base company sales income because Cor- poration E would be purchasing from and selling to unrelated persons and if Branch B were treated as a separate corporation it would likewise be purchasing from and selling to unrelated persons. Alternatively, if Corporation D were related to Corporation E, but Branch B manufactured the articles prior to sale un- der the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv), the income would not be foreign base company sales income be- cause Branch B, treated as a separate corporation, would qualify for the manufacturing exception under §1.954–3(a)(4). Examples (4)through(7)[Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(b)(4)Examples (4)through (7). Example (8).Uniformly applicable incentive tax rate in one country.(i)Facts. FS is a controlled foreign corporation organized in Country M. FS op- erates one branch, Branch A, located in Country A. Branch A manufactures Product X within the mean- ing of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii). Raw materials used in the manufacture of Product X are purchased by FS from an unrelated person. FS engages in activ- ities in Country M to sell Product X to a related per- son for use outside of Country M. Employees of FS located in Country M perform only sales functions. The effective rate imposed in Country M on the in- come from the sale of Product X is 10%. Country A generally imposes an effective rate of tax on income of 20%, but imposes a uniformly applicable incentive rate of tax of 10% on manufacturing income and re- lated sales income. (ii)Result. The use of Branch A to manufacture Product X does not have substantially the same tax ef- fect as if Branch A were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of FS because the effective rate of tax on FS’s sales income from the sale of Product X in Coun- try M (10%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 per- centage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in the country in which Branch A is located (10%). Consequently, pursuant to §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), Branch A is not treated as a separate corporation apart from the remainder of FS for purposes of determining foreign base company sales income. Example (9).Manufacturing activities performed by multiple branches, no branch independently sat- isfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i), selling activities performed by remainder of the controlled foreign corpora- tion, branch manufacturing activities included in remainder contribution.(i)Facts. FS, a controlled foreign corporation organized in Country M, has two branches, Branch A and Branch B, located in Country A and Country B respectively. FS pur- chases raw materials from a related person. The raw materials are manufactured (under the principles of §1.954–3(a)(4)(ii) or (a)(4)(iii)) into Product X by CM, an unrelated corporation, pursuant to a con- tract manufacturing arrangement. CM physically performs the substantial transformation, assembly, or conversion required to manufacture Product X outside of FS’s country of organization. FS manages the manufacturing costs and capacities with respect to the manufacture of Product X through employees located in Country M. Further, employees of FS lo- cated in Country M oversee the coordination between the branches. Branch A, through the activities of em- ployees of FS located in Country A, designs Product X, controls manufacturing related logistics, and con- trols the raw materials and work-in-process during the manufacturing process. Branch B, through the activities of employees of FS located in Country B, provides quality control and oversight and direction during the manufacturing process. Employees of FS located in Country M sell Product X to unrelated persons for use outside of Country M. Country M imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 10%. Country A imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 12%, and Country B imposes an effective rate of tax on sales income of 24%. None of the remainder of FS, Branch A, or Branch B independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i). However, under the facts and circumstances of the business, FS, as a whole, provides a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). Under the facts and circum- stances of the business, the activities of the remainder of FS and Branch A, if considered together, would not provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of Branch B. Under the facts and circumstances of the business, however, the activities of the employees of the remainder of FS and Branch A, if considered February 2, 20094072009–5 I.R.B. together, would constitute a substantial contribution to the manufacture of Product X. (ii)Result. Based on the facts, neither the re- mainder of FS (through activities of its employees in Country M) nor any branch of FS independently satisfies §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) with respect to Product X, but FS, as a whole, provides a substantial con- tribution through the activities of its employees to the manufacture of Product X. The remainder of FS, Branch A, and Branch B each provide a con- tribution through the activities of employees to the manufacture of Product X. Therefore, FS must de- termine the location of manufacture under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(c)(3)(iii) of this section. The tested sales location is Country M because the remainder of FS performs the selling activities with respect to Product X. The location of Branch B is the tested manu- facturing location becausetheeffectiverateoftax imposed on FS’s sales income by Country M (10%) is less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country B (24%); and Branch B is the only manufacturing branch that would, after ap- plying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b), be treated as a separate corporation. The manufacturing activities performed in Country A will be included in the contribution of the remainder of FS for purposes of determining the location of manufacture of Product X because the effective rate of tax imposed on the sales income by Country M (10%) is not less than 90% of, and at least 5 percentage points less than, the effective rate of tax that would apply to such income in Country A (12%). Under the facts and circumstances of the business, the manufacturing activities of the remain- der of FS and Branch A, considered together, would not provide a demonstrably greater contribution to the manufacture of Product X than the activities of Branch B. Therefore, the location of manufacture is Country B, the location of Branch B. In determining that Country B is the location of manufacture, it was determined that after applying §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(b) Branch B would be treated as a separate corpora- tion under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(a)ofthissectionfor purposes of determining foreign base company sales income. To determine whether income from the sale of Product X is foreign base company sales income, the remainder of FS takes into account the activities of Branch A because, under paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(a) of this section, Branch A would not be treated as a separate corporation apart from FS. The remainder of FS is considered to have manufactured Product X under §1.954–3(a)(4)(i) because the manufacturing activities of the remainder of FS and Branch A, considered together, would make a substantial con- tribution to the manufacture of Product X within the meaning of §1.954–3(a)(4)(iv). Therefore, income derived from the sale of Product X by the remainder of FS does not constitute foreign base company sales income. (c) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(c). (d) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §1.954–3(d). (e)Effective/applicability date of temporary regulations.Paragraphs (b)(1)(i)(c), (b)(1)(ii)(a), (b)(1)(ii)(c), (b)(2)(i)(b), (b)(2)(ii)(a), (b)(2)(ii)(b), (b)(2)(ii)(e), and (b)(4)Example (3),Ex- ample (8),andExample (9)of this section shall apply to taxable years of controlled foreign corporations beginning after June 30, 2009, and for taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the controlled for- eign corporations end. (f)Application of temporary regula- tions to earlier taxable years.Forthe application of these temporary regula- tions retroactively with respect to taxable years of controlled foreign corporations and to open taxable years of United States shareholders in which or with which such taxable years of the controlled foreign corporations end, see §1.954–3(d). (g)Expiration date. The applicability of this section expires on or before Decem- ber 23, 2011. Linda E. Stiff, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. Approved December 18, 2008. Eric Solomon, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax Policy). (Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on December 24, 2008, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the Federal Register for December 29, 2008, 73 F.R. 79334) Section 1256.—Section 1256 Contracts Marked to Market (Also §§ 446, 481, 7805; 1.446–1, 301.7805–1.) Section 1256 contracts marked to market.This ruling holds that Dubai Mer- cantile Exchange, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. Rev. Rul. 2009–4 ISSUE Is Dubai Mercantile Exchange, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code? LAW Section 1256(g)(7) of the Code pro- vides that the term “qualified board or ex- change” means: (A) a national securities exchange which is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (B) a domestic board of trade desig- nated as a contract market by the Com- modity Futures Trading Commission, or (C) any other exchange, board of trade, or other market which the Secretary deter- mines has rules adequate to carry out the purposes of section 1256. HOLDING The Internal Revenue Service deter- mines that Dubai Mercantile Exchange, whichisaUnitedArabEmiratesAutho- rized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. EFFECTIVE DATE Under the authority of section 7805(b)(8) of the Code, this revenue ruling is effective for Dubai Mercantile Exchange Contracts (commodity futures contracts and futures contract options) entered into on or after February 1, 2009. CHANGE IN METHOD OF ACCOUNTING A change in the treatment of Dubai Mercantile Exchange Contracts to comply with this revenue ruling is a change in method of accounting within the mean- ing of sections 446 and 481 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. The Com- missioner grants consent to taxpayers to change to the section 1256 mark to market method for the first taxable year during which the taxpayer holds a Dubai Mercan- tile Exchange Contract that was entered into on or after February 1, 2009. Such a taxpayer need not file a Form 3115,Appli- cation for Change in Accounting Method. Dubai Mercantile Exchange Contracts that were entered into before February 1, 2009, are not covered by the change in method for which consent is granted. Because the change is being made on a “cut-off” basis, there is no potential omission or duplication of income or deductions, and 2009–5 I.R.B.408February 2, 2009 therefore no adjustment under section 481 is required. DRAFTING INFORMATION The principal author of this revenue rul- ing is K. Scott Brown of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Insti- tutions and Products). For further infor- mation regarding this revenue ruling, con- tact Mr. Brown at (202) 622–7454 (not a toll-free call). Section 6011.—General Requirement of Return, Statement, or List 26 CFR 31.6011(a)–1: Returns under Federal Insur- ance Contributions Act. T.D. 9440 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 31 Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return and Modifications to the Deposit Rules AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final and temporary regula- tions. SUMMARY: This document contains temporary regulationsrelatingtothean- nual filing of Federal employment tax returns and requirements for employment tax deposits. These temporary regulations relate to sections 6011 and 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) concern- ing reporting and paying income taxes withheld from wages and reporting and paying taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) (collectively, “employment taxes”). These temporary regulations generally allow certain em- ployers to file a Form 944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,”rather than Form 941,“Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return.”In addition to rules related to Form 944, the temporary regu- lations provide an additional method for employers who file Form 941 to determine whether the amount of accumulated em- ployment taxes is consideredde minimis. The portions of this document that are final regulations provide necessary cross-refer- ences to the temporary regulations. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regula- tions (REG–148568–04) set forth in this issue of the Bulletin. DATES:Effective Date:These regulations are effective on December 29, 2008. Applicability Date:For dates of applicability, see §§31.6011(a)–1T(g), 31.6011(a)–4T(d), and 31.6302–1T(n). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Audra Dineen, (202) 622–4910 (not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background These temporary regulations amend the Regulations on Employment Taxes and Collection of Income Tax at Source (26 CFR part 31) under section 6011 relating to the Federal employment tax return filing requirements and section 6302 relating to the employment tax deposit requirements. These temporary regulations are part of the IRS’s effort to reduce taxpayer burden by permitting certain employers to file one return annually to report their employment tax liabilities instead of four quarterly returns. These temporary regulations affect taxpayers that file Form 941,“Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return,”Form 944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,”and any related Spanish-language returns or returns for U.S. possessions. On January 3, 2006, a temporary reg- ulation (T.D. 9239, 2006–1 C.B. 401) relating to Form 944 (the 2006 temporary regulation) was published in theFederal Register(71 FR 11). A notice of proposed rulemaking (REG–148568–04, 2006–1 C.B. 417) cross-referencing the temporary regulations was published in theFederal Registerfor the same day (71 FR 46) (the 2006 proposed regulation). A correction to the 2006 temporary regulation was pub- lished in the Federal Register on March 17, 2006 (71 FR 13766). No requests for a public hearing were received; therefore, no public hearing was held. Comments responding to the notice of proposed rule- making were received. Those comments requested that use of Form 944 be changed from mandatory to voluntary and that the amount of the employment tax liability used to deter- mine whether employers are eligible to file Form 944 (the “eligibility threshold”) be increased. The Treasury Department and the IRS agree with the suggestion to make Form 944 voluntary. The Treasury Department and the IRS will continue to consider whether to increase the eligibil- ity threshold. The final regulations allow the eligibility threshold to be increased through future guidance. These temporary regulations continue to permit most employers who file Form 944 to pay accumulated employment taxes annually when they file their returns and modify the lookback period andde min- imisdeposit rule for these employers. In addition to the rules related to Form 944, these temporary regulations provide an ad- ditional method for employers who file Forms 941 quarterly to determine whether the amount of accumulated employment taxesisconsideredde minimis.Thissafe harbor was originally proposed in the 2006 proposed regulation. Explanation of Provisions Form 944 — Regulations Concerning Filing Requirements Under Section 6011 These temporary regulations allow certain employers to file an annual em- ployment tax return, Form 944, to report their social security, Medicare, and with- held Federal income taxes rather than the quarterly Form 941. For these employers, Form 944 will replace Form 941 and re- duce their burden by reducing the number of returns they arerequired to file each year. Form 944 will not replace Form 943, “Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees,”or Schedule H (Form 1040),“Household Employment Taxes.”However, if an employer files Form 944, the employer may choose to report wages with respect to household employees on Form 944, instead of re- porting such wages on Schedule H (Form 1040). Form 944 is generally due January 31 of the year following the tax year for which the return is filed. If the employer February 2, 20094092009–5 I.R.B. timely deposits all accumulated employ- ment taxes on or before January 31 of the year following the tax year for which the return is filed, the employer will have 10 extra calendar days to file Form 944 pursuant to §31.6071(a)–1(a). Under the 2006 proposed and tempo- rary regulations, the IRS sent a notification letter to qualified employers with an esti- mated employment tax liability of $1,000 or less requiring them to participate in the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) (hereinafter referred to as the Form 944 Program). Employers were eli- gible to opt out only if they estimated that their employment tax liability would ex- ceed the $1,000 threshold or if they wanted to e-file Forms 941 quarterly instead. New employers who estimated that their em- ployment tax liability would be $1,000 or less also were eligible to file Form 944. These employers were identified by their responses on Form SS–4,Application for Employer Identification Number,andno- tified that they were required to file Form 944 in the letter advising them of their em- ployer identification number. Employers that were not identified by the IRS in ei- ther manner were able to contact the IRS if they thought they were qualified. If the IRS determined they were qualified, it wouldsendconfirmationtotheseemploy- ers. Once employers received this letter, they were required to file Form 944 instead of Forms 941. Commentators suggested that Form 944 should be voluntary instead of manda- tory. This benefits taxpayers because it allows them to choose the filing require- ment they prefer and to change from year to year more easily. In addition, commen- tators suggested that the threshold should be increased in order to allow more em- ployers to take advantage of Form 944 and to bring the threshold in line with thede minimisdeposit rule amount, which is less than $2,500 as discussed more fully in this preamble. Sections 31.6011(a)–1T(a)(5) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a)(4) have been re- vised to incorporate the suggestion to make the program voluntary. Although these temporary regulations do not adopt the suggestion to increase the eligibility threshold, the Treasury Department and the IRS will continue to consider this sug- gestion and may increase the threshold in the future. To accommodate any potential increase to the threshold amount before fi- nal regulations are issued, these temporary regulations contain a provision that allows the IRS to increase the eligibility threshold by guidance published in the Internal Rev- enue Bulletin. See §601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b). Under §§31.6011(a)–1T(a)(5) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a)(4) in effect for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2009, employers who estimate that their annual employment tax liability will be $1,000 or less can contact the IRS to ex- press their desire to file Form 944 instead of Forms 941 for a taxable year. Only upon such a request will the IRS send a notification letter to qualified employers confirming that they may file Form 944 for that taxable year. Once employers re- ceive this notice they must file Form 944 and cannot file Forms 941 instead for a taxable year until they contact the IRS to change their filing requirement to Form 941 for that taxable year and receive con- firmation that their filing requirement has been changed. The IRS will issue guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin inform- ing employers how they can contact the IRStoparticipateintheForm944Program and how they can elect out if they later de- cide that they want to file Forms 941 in- stead of Form 944. Under the 2006 reg- ulations, employers were only eligible to opt out if they estimated that their employ- ment tax liability would exceed the $1,000 thresholdoriftheywantedtoe-fileForms 941 quarterly instead. Because the pro- gram is being made voluntary, beginning in tax year 2010, employers will be able to opt out for any reason if they follow pro- cedures to be provided in future guidance. Employers that have received notification of their qualification to file Form 944, even if the notification was received prior to the publication of these regulations, must con- tinue to file Form 944 unless they properly opt out of the Form 944 program. In addition, a few clarifying revisions were made to the regulations under section 6011. First, §§31.6011(a)–1T(a) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a) wereclarified by adding references to §§31.6011(a)–1T(a)(5) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a)(4) to account for Form 944 in §§31.6011(a)–1T(a)(1) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a)(1).Sec- ond,§§31.6011(a)–1(a)(5)and 31.6011(a)–4(a)(4) were revised to re- move the details regarding the procedures to use for opting out of the Form 944 program and provide that the IRS will issue guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin containing these proce- dures. The IRS will issue procedures in other forms of guidance published in the IRB regarding how to opt out of Form 944 for taxable year 2009 and how to elect to file Form 944 for taxable year 2010 and beyond. This will allow the IRS to administer the program more effectively, by having the flexibility to adjust the procedures as necessary due to changes in the program and taxpayer response. Form 944 — Regulations Concerning Deposit Requirements Under Section 6302 These temporary regulations revise the 2006 temporary regulation concerning requirements for employers to make de- posits of employment taxes under section 6302 and §31.6302–1 to make a few clar- ifying changes to §31.6302–1 related to Form 944. These temporary regulations continue to permit employers who file Form 944 to deposit or pay their accumu- lated employment taxes annually when they file their Form 944 if they satisfy the provisions of thede minimisdeposit rule, as modified in §31.6302–1T(f)(4)(iii), rather than make monthly or semi-weekly deposits. These temporary regulations continue to contain the exception in §31.6302–1T(c)(6) for employers who filed Form 944 in the preceding year but who no longer qualify because their an- nual employment taxliability exceeds the eligibility threshold. Also, these temporary regulations con- tinue to provide a different lookback period for Form 944 filers to use to deter- mine an employer’s status as a monthly or semi-weekly depositor. The lookback period was changed in the 2006 temporary and proposed regulations because once an employer begins to file annual Form 944 returns, it may not be possible for the IRS to determine the employer’s aggregate amount of employment tax liability during the lookback period set forth in the existing regulations (12-month period ending the preceding June 30) because the employer may not have filed any quarterly returns during that period. Under the 2006 tem- porary regulation, §31.6302–1T(b)(4)(i) provided that the lookback period for em- ployers who filed Form 944 during the 2009–5 I.R.B.410February 2, 2009 current, or preceding, calendar year is the second calendar year preceding the current calendar year. For example, the lookback period for calendar year 2009 is calendar year 2007. In these temporary regulations, §31.6302–1T(b)(4)(i) is clarified to reflect that the lookback period is the second preceding calendar year for employers who filed Form 944 for either of the two previous calendar years, not just the one previous calendar year. This clarification was needed because an employer would not have filed the requisite quarterly re- turns to use the other lookback period (12-monthperiodendingJune30)ifthey filed Form 944 in either of the prior years. For example, if an employer filed Form 944 in 2006 but not in 2007, the lookback period for 2008 would be 2006, because they would not have filed quarterly returns for July through December 2006 and, thus, it would be impossible to use July 2006 — June 2007 as the lookback period. Section 31.6302–1T(b)(4)(i) also is re- vised to clarify that the amount of tax re- ported during the lookback period is de- termined without regard to the employer’s filing requirement. In other words, in the preceding example, if an employer is re- quired to file Forms 941 for 2008 but filed Form 944 for the lookback period (2006), the amount of employment tax liability re- ported for the lookback period would be the amount of employment tax the em- ployer reported on its Form 944 for 2006 even though the employer will file Forms 941 to report its 2008 liability. The reverse also is true. The employment tax liability reported for the lookback period (2006) of an employer required to file Form 944 for 2008 would be the sum of the liabilities it reported on its four Forms 941 for 2006. In addition, §31.6302–1T(b)(4)(ii) is revised by changing the term “supple- mental” to “adjusted” and deleting the reference to Form 941c,“Supporting Statement To Correct Information,”due to the revisions to the process of adjusting employment tax liability. Final regula- tions (T.D. 9405, 2008–32 I.R.B. 293) relating to employment tax adjustments were published in theFederal Register (73 FR 37371) on July 1, 2008. For pe- riods ending on or before December 31, 2008, the employment tax liability re- ported on the original return includes any prior period adjustments reported on that return (for example, prior period adjust- ments supported by a Form 941c attached to the return for a subsequent period). For periods beginning on or after January 1, 2009, employers can no longer make prior period adjustments on a return. Instead, employers will use an adjusted return or claim for refund to make corrections to the amounts reported on their original returns. Lastly, §31.6302–1T is revised by adding references to Form 944 in paragraphs (e)(2) and (g)(1). Form 941 — New Deposit Rule Safe Harbor Under Section 6302 In addition to revising the 2006 tempo- rary regulation regarding Form 944, these temporary regulations incorporate the safe harbor for employers who file Forms 941 that was included in the 2006 proposed regulation. The safe harbor helps small employers who file Form 941 and have an unexpected increase in their deposit liabil- ity for a quarterly return period. These temporary regulations provide an alternate method for determining whether the em- ployer’s employment tax obligations are de minimis, which is based on the employ- ment taxes due for the prior return period. This special rule applies only to employers filing quarterly tax returns and, therefore, does not apply to employers who file Form 944. Generally, deposits of taxes reported on Form 941,“Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return,”are due monthly or semi-weekly. If an employer failed to make timely deposits of employment taxes, the employer, absent reasonable cause, is subject to the penalty for failure to deposit under section 6656. Prior to these temporary regulations, §31.6302–1(f)(4) (thede minimisdeposit rule) provided that, for quarterly and annual return periods, if the aggregate amount of employment taxes for the return period is less than $2,500 and that amount was deposited or paid with a timely filed return for that return period, the amount was deemed to have been timely deposited and the employer was not subject to the penalty for failure to deposit. Accordingly, employers who paid their employment taxes when they timely filed their quarterly returns were deemed to have timely deposited their taxes if the amount of taxes due was less than $2,500 for that quarter. Similarly, employers who paid their employment taxes when they timely filed their annual returns were deemed to have timely deposited if the amount of taxes due was less than $2,500 for the entire year. Under these temporary regulations, pursuant to §31.6302–1T(f)(4)(i) and (ii), employers may pay their employment taxeswhentheytimelyfiletheirquarterly returns and be deemed to have timely de- posited if the amount of the taxes due for the current quarter or for the prior quarter is less than $2,500. This special rule can be illustrated by the following example: an employer has less than $50,000 in employment taxes reported during the lookback period and is therefore a monthly depositor under §31.6302–1(b)(2). The employer’s em- ployment tax liabilities for the first and second quarters of 2010 are $2,450 and $2,400, respectively. In the third quarter of 2010, however, the employer’s employ- ment tax liability is $2,550. Under thede minimisdeposit rule in effect prior to these temporary regulations, if the employer pays the $2,550 with its return for the third quarter of 2010, the amount would not be considered timely deposited for that quar- ter and, therefore, the employer would be assessed the section 6656 penalty for failure to deposit. Modifying thede minimisdeposit rule to allow employers to base the determina- tion on the employment taxes due for the immediately preceding quarter provides a safe harbor for employers regarding their deposit obligations. Thus, in this exam- ple, when the employer had an increase in its employment tax liability for the third quarter of 2010, its remittance still would be deemed to have been timely deposited because the taxes for the immediately preceding return period werede minimis. These regulations have no application to the One-Day rule in §31.6302–1(c)(2), which requires employers to make a de- posit on the next banking day if they accumulate $100,000 or more of employ- ment taxes on any day during a deposit period. Therefore, if an employer accu- mulates $100,000 or more of employment taxes during a deposit period, the em- ployer must make a deposit on the next banking day even if the employer’s em- ployment tax liability for the prior quarter wasde minimis. Due to the programming changes necessary to implement this safe February 2, 20094112009–5 I.R.B. harbor, the safe harbor will be available for deposit periods beginning on or after January 1, 2010. Special Analyses It has been determined that this Trea- sury decision is not a significant regula- tory action as defined in Executive Order 12866. Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It also has been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations. For appli- cability of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, please refer to the Special Analyses section of the preamble to the cross-referenced no- tice of proposed rulemaking published in this issue of the Bulletin. Pursuant to sec- tion 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, these regulations will be submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for comment on their impact on small business. Drafting Information The principal authors of these final regulations are Raymond Bailey and Audra M. Dineen of the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration). ***** Amendments to the Regulations Accordingly, 26 CFR part 31 is amended as follows: PART 31—EMPLOYMENT TAXES AND COLLECTION OF INCOME TAX AT SOURCE Paragraph. 1. The authority citation for part 31 continues to read in part as follows: Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * Par. 2. Section 31.6011(a)–1 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(1) and adding paragraph (g) to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–1 Returns under Federal Insurance Contributions Act. (a) * * * (1) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–1T(a)(1). ***** (g) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–1T(g). Par. 3. Section 31.6011(a)–1T is re- vised to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–1T Returns under Federal Insurance Contributions Act (temporary). (a)Requirement—(1)In general. Except as otherwise provided in §31.6011(a)–5, every employer required to make a return under the Federal In- surance Contributions Act, as in effect prior to 1955, for the calendar quarter ended December 31, 1954, in respect of wages other than wages for agricultural labor, shall make a return for each sub- sequent calendar quarter (whether or not wages are paid in such quarter) until he has filed a final return in accordance with §31.6011(a)–6. Except as otherwise pro- vided in §31.6011(a)–5, every employer not required to make a return for the cal- endar quarter ended December 31, 1954, shall make a return for the first calen- dar quarter thereafter in which he pays wages, other than wages for agricultural labor, subject to the tax imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act as in effect after 1954, and shall make a re- turn for each subsequent calendar quarter (whether or not wages are paid therein) until he has filed a final return in ac- cordance with §31.6011(a)–6. Except as otherwise provided in §31.6011(a)–8 and in §31.6011(a)–1(a)(3), (a)(4), and (a)(5), Form 941,“Employer’s QUAR- TERLY Federal Tax Return,”is the form prescribed for making the return required by this subparagraph. Such return shall not include wages for agricultural labor requiredtobereportedonanyreturn prescribed by §31.6011(a)–1(a)(2). The return shall include wages received by an employee in the form of tips only to the extent of the tips reported by the employee to the employer in a written statement fur- nished to the employer pursuant to section 6053(a). (a)(2) through (a)(4) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–1(a)(2) through (a)(4). (5)Employers in the Employers’ An- nual Federal Tax Program (Form 944)—(i) In general. Employers notified of their qualification for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) are re- quired to file Form 944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,”instead of Form 941 to make a return as required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Upon proper request by the employer, the In- ternal Revenue Service (IRS) will notify employers in writing of their qualification for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944). Qualified employ- ers are those with an estimated annual employment tax liability (that is, social security, Medicare, and withheld Federal income taxes) of $1,000 or less for the entire calendar year, except employers required under §31.6011(a)–1(a)(2) to makeareturnonForm943,“Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricul- tural Employees,”or §31.6011(a)–1(a)(3) to make a return on Schedule H (Form 1040),“Household Employment Taxes.” The IRS may increase the amount of the estimated annual employment tax liability that qualifies employers to file Form 944 through a revenue procedure, notice, or other IRS guidance published in the Inter- nal Revenue Bulletin. The IRS will notify employers when they no longer qualify for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) and must file Forms 941 instead. (ii)Requests to participate and eligi- bility to opt out of the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944).TheIRS will establish procedures in a revenue pro- cedure, notice, or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin for em- ployers to follow to request to receive no- tification to participate in the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) and to be removed from the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) after becoming a participant in order to file Forms 941 instead. (b) through (f) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–1(b) through (f). (g)Effective/applicability dates—(1)In general. Paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(5) of this section apply to taxable years begin- ning on or after December 30, 2008. The rules of paragraph (a)(1) of this section that apply to taxable years beginning be- fore December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6011(a)–1. The rules of paragraph (a)(5) of this section that apply to tax- able years beginning before December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6011(a)–1T in effect prior to December 30, 2008. (2)Expiration date. The applicability of this section will expire on or before De- cember 23, 2011. 2009–5 I.R.B.412February 2, 2009 Par. 4. Section 31.6011(a)–4 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(1) and adding paragraph (d) to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–4 Returns of income tax withheld. (a) * * * (1) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–4T(a)(1). ***** (d) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–4T(d). Par. 5. Section 31.6011(a)–4T is re- vised to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–4T Returns of income tax withheld (temporary). (a)Withheld from wages—(1)In gen- eral. Except as otherwise provided in §31.6011(a)–4(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4), and (b), and in §31.6011(a)–5, every person required to make a return of income tax withheld from wages pursuant to section 3402 shall make a returnfor the first calen- dar quarter in which the person is required to deduct and withhold such tax and for each subsequent calendar quarter, whether or not wages are paid therein, until the per- son has filed a final return in accordance with §31.6011(a)–6. Except as otherwise provided in §31.6011(a)–4(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4) and (b), and in §31.6011(a)–8, Form 941,“Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return,”is the form prescribed for making the return required under this para- graph (a)(1). (a)(2) through (a)(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–4(a)(2) through (a)(3). (4)Employers in the Employers’ An- nual Federal Tax Program (Form 944)—(i) In general. Employers notified of their qualification for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) are re- quired to file Form 944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,”instead of Form 941 to make a return of income tax withheld from wages pursuant to section 3402. Upon proper request by the em- ployer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will notify employers in writing of their qualification for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944). Quali- fied employers are those with an estimated annual employment tax liability (that is, social security, Medicare, and withheld federal income taxes) of $1,000 or less for the entire calendar year, except employ- ers required under §31.6011(a)–4(a)(2) to make a return on Schedule H (Form 1040),“Household Employment Taxes,” or §31.6011(a)–4(a)(3) to make a return on Form 943,“Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees.” The IRS may increase the amount of the estimated annual employment tax liability that qualifies employers to file Form 944 through a revenue procedure, notice or other IRS guidance published in the Inter- nal Revenue Bulletin. The IRS will notify employers when they no longer qualify for the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) and must file Forms 941 instead. (ii)Request to participate and eligibil- ity to opt out of the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944).TheIRS will establish procedures in a revenue pro- cedure, notice, or other IRS guidance pub- lished in the Internal Revenue Bulletin for employers to follow to request to receive notification to participate in the Employ- ers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) and to be removed from the Employ- ers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) after becoming a participant in order to file Forms 941 instead. (b) through (c) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6011(a)–4(b) through (c). (d)Effective/applicability dates—(1)In general. Paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(4) of this section apply to taxable years begin- ning on or after December 30, 2008. The rules of paragraph (a)(1) of this section that apply to taxable years beginning be- fore December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6011(a)–4. The rules of paragraph (a)(4) of this section that apply to tax- able years beginning before December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6011(a)–4T in effect prior to December 30, 2008. (2)Expiration date. The applicability of this section will expire on or before De- cember 23, 2011. Par. 6. Section 31.6302–0 is amended by revising the entries for §31.6302–1(f)(4)(i), (g)(1) and (n) to read as follows: §31.6302–0 Table of contents. ***** §31.6302–1 Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992. ***** (f) * * * (4) * * * (i) [Reserved]. For further guid- ance, see §31.6302–0T, the entry for §31.6302–1T(f)(4)(i). ***** (g) * * * (1) [Reserved]. For further guid- ance, see §31.6302–0T, the entry for §31.6302–1T(g)(1). ***** (n) [Reserved]. For further guid- ance, see §31.6302–0T, the entry for §31.6302–1T(n). Par. 7. Section 31.6302–0T is added to read as follows: §31.6302–0T Table of contents (temporary). This section lists the captions that ap- pear in §31.6302–1T. Section 31.6302–1T Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992 (temporary). (a) through (b)(3) [Reserved]. For fur- ther guidance, see §31.6302–0, the entries for §31.6302–1(a) through (b)(3). (4) Lookback period. (i) In general. (ii) Adjustments and claims for refund. (c)(1) through (c)(4) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–0, the en- tries for §31.6302–1(c)(1) through (c)(4). (c)(5) Exception to the monthly and semi-weekly deposit rules for employers in the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944). (c)(6) Extension of time to deposit for employers in the Employers’ Annual Fed- eral Tax Program (Form 944) during the preceding year. (d)Examples 1through5[Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–0, February 2, 20094132009–5 I.R.B. the entries for §31.6302–1(d)Examples 1 through5. Example 6. Extension of time to deposit for employers who filed Form 944 for the preceding year satisfied. (e) through (f)(3) [Reserved]. For fur- ther guidance, see §31.6302–0, the entries for §31.6302–1(e) through (f)(3). (4)De minimisrule. (i)De minimisdeposit rules for quar- terly and annual return periods beginning on or after January 1, 2001. (ii)De minimisdeposit rule for quar- terlyreturnperiodsbeginningonorafter January 1, 2010 (iii)De minimisdeposit rule for em- ployers who file Form 944. (f)(5)Examples 1and2[Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–0, the en- tries for §31.6302–1(f)(5)Examples 1and 2. Example 3.De minimisdeposit rule for employers who file Form 944 satisfied. (g) [Reserved]. For further guid- ance, see §31.6302–0, the entry for §31.6302–1(g). (1) In general. (g)(2) through (m) [Reserved]. For fur- ther guidance, see §31.6302–0, the entries for §31.6302–1(g)(2) through (m). (n) Effective/applicability dates. Par. 8. Section 31.6302–1 is amended by revising paragraphs (e)(2), (f)(4)(i), (g)(1) and (n) and adding paragraph (f)(4)(ii) to read as follows: ***** (e) * * * (2) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1T(e)(2). (f) * * * (4) * * * (i) and (ii) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1T(f)(4)(i) and (ii). ***** (g)***(1)[Reserved]. Forfurther guidance, see §31.6302–1T(g)(1). ***** (n) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1T(n). Par. 9. Section 31.6302–1T is revised to read as follows: §31.6302–1T Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992 (temporary). (a) through (b)(3) [Reserved]. For fur- ther guidance, see §31.6302–1(a) through (b)(3). (4)Lookback period—(i)In general. For employers who file Form 941,“Em- ployer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Re- turn,”the lookback period for each calen- dar year is the twelve month period ended the preceding June 30. For example, the lookback period for calendar year 2006 is the period July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005. The lookback period for employers who file Form 944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,”or filed Form 944 either of the two previous calendar years, is the second calendar year preceding the current calendar year. For example, the lookback period for calendar year 2006 is calendar year 2004. In determining status as either a monthly or semi-weekly depositor, an employer should determine the aggregate amount of employment tax liabilities reported on its return(s) (Form 941 or Form 944) for the lookback pe- riod. The amount of employment tax liabilities reported for the lookback period is the amount the employer reported on either Forms 941 or Form 944 even if the employer is required to file the other form(s) for the current calendar year. New employers shall be treated as having em- ployment tax liabilities of zero for any part of the lookback period before the date the employer started or acquired its business. (ii)Adjustments and claims for refund. The employment tax liability reported on the original return for the return period is the amount taken into account in determin- ing whether the aggregate amount of em- ployment taxes reported for the lookback period exceeds $50,000. Any amounts re- ported on adjusted returns or claims for re- fund pursuant to sections 6205, 6402, 6413 and 6414 filed after the due date of the original return are not taken into account when determining the aggregate amount of employment taxes reported for the look- back period. However, prior period adjust- ments reported on Forms 941 or 944 for 2008 and earlier years are taken into ac- count in determining the employment tax liability for the return period in which the adjustments are reported. (c)(1) through (c)(4) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1(c)(1) through (c)(4). (5)Exception to the monthly and semi- weekly deposit rules for employers in the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944). Generally, an employer who files Form 944 for a taxable year may remit its accumulated employment taxes with its timely filed return for that taxable year and is not required to deposit under ei- ther the monthly or semi-weekly rules set forth in §31.6302–1(c)(1) and (2) during that taxable year. An employer who files Form 944 whose actual employment tax liability exceeds the eligibility threshold, as set forth in §§31.6011(a)–1T(a)(5) and 31.6011(a)–4T(a)(4), will not qualify for this exception and should follow the de- posit rules set forth in this section. (6)Extension of time to deposit for em- ployers in the Employers’ Annual Federal Tax Program (Form 944) during the pre- ceding year. An employer who filed Form 944 for the preceding year but will file Forms 941 instead for the current year will be deemed to have timely deposited its cur- rent year’s January deposit obligation(s) under §31.6302–1(c)(1) through (4) if the employer deposits the amount of such de- posit obligation(s) by March 15 of that year. (d)Examples 1through5[Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1(d) Examples 1through5. Example 6.Extension of time to deposit for employers who filed Form 944 for the preceding year satisfied. F (a monthly depositor) was notified to file Form 944 to report its employment tax liabilities for the 2006 calendar year. F filed Form 944 on January 31, 2007, reporting a total employment tax liability for 2006 of $3,000. Because F’s annual employment tax liability for the 2006 taxable year exceeded $1,000 (the applicable eligibility threshold for that taxable year), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notified F to file Forms 941 for calendar year 2007 and thereafter. Based on F’s liability during the lookback period (calendar year 2005, pursuant to paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section), F is a monthly depositor for 2007. F accumulates $1,000 in em- ployment taxes during January 2007. Because F is a monthly depositor, F’s January deposit obligation is due February 15, 2007. F does not deposit these ac- cumulated employment taxes on February 15, 2007. F accumulates $1,500 in employment taxes during February 2007. F’s February deposit is due March 15, 2007. F deposits the $2,500 of employment taxes accumulated during January and February on March 15, 2007. Pursuant to §31.6302–1T(c)(6), F will be deemed to have timely deposited the employment taxes due for January 2007, and, thus, the IRS will 2009–5 I.R.B.414February 2, 2009 not impose a failure-to-deposit penalty under section 6656 for that month. (e)(1) [Reserved]. For further guid- ance, see §31.6302–1(e)(1). (2) The termemployment taxesdoes not include taxes with respect to wages for do- mestic service in a private home of the em- ployer, unless the employer is otherwise required to file a Form 941 or Form 944 under §31.6011(a)–4, §31.6011(a)–4T, or §31.6011(a)–5. In the case of employ- ers paying advance earned income credit amounts, the amount of taxes required to be deposited shall be reduced by advance amounts paid to employees. Also, see §31.6302–3 concerning a taxpayer’s op- tion with respect to payments made before January 1, 1994, to treat backup withhold- ing amounts under section 3406 separately. (f)(1) through (f)(3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1(f)(1) through (f)(3). (4)De minimis rule—(i)De minimis de- posit rules for quarterly and annual re- turn periods beginning on or after January 1, 2001. If the total amount of accumu- lated employment taxes for the return pe- riod isde minimisand the amount is fully deposited or remitted with a timely filed return for the return period, the amount de- posited or remitted will be deemed to have been timely deposited. The total amount of accumulated employment taxes isde min- imisif it is less than $2,500 for the return period or if it isde minimispursuant to paragraph (f)(4)(ii) of this section. (ii)De minimis deposit rule for quar- terly return periods beginning on or after January 1, 2010. For purposes of para- graph (f)(4)(i) of this section, if the total amount of accumulated employment taxes for the immediately preceding quarter was less than $2,500, unless §31.6302–1(c)(3) applies to require a deposit at the close of the next banking day, then the employer will be deemed to have timely deposited the employer’s employment taxes for the current quarter if the employer complies with the time and method payment require- ments contained in paragraph (f)(4)(i) of this section. (iii)De minimis deposit rule for em- ployers who file Form 944.Anemployer who files Form 944 whose employment tax liability for the year equals or exceeds $2,500 but whose employment tax liability for a quarter of the year isde minimispur- suant to paragraph (f)(4)(i) of this section will be deemed to have timely deposited the employment taxes due for that quarter if the employer fully deposits the employ- ment taxes accumulated during the quarter by the last day of the month following the close of that quarter. Employment taxes accumulated during the fourth quarter can be either deposited by January 31 or remit- ted with a timely filed return for the return period. (5)Examples 1and2[Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1(f)(5)Ex- amples 1and2. Example 3.De minimis deposit rule for employ- ers who file Form 944 satisfied. K (a monthly de- positor) was notified to file Form 944 to report its employment tax liabilities for the 2006 calendar year. In the first quarter of 2006, K accumulates employ- ment taxes in the amount of $1,000. On April 28, 2006, K deposits the $1,000 of employment taxes ac- cumulated in the 1 st quarter. K accumulates another $1,000 of employment taxes during the second quar- ter of 2006. On July 31, 2006, K deposits the $1,000 of employment taxes accumulated in the 2nd quar- ter. K’s business grows and accumulates $1,500 in employment taxes during the third quarter of 2006. On October 31, 2006, K deposits the $1,500 of em- ployment taxes accumulated in the 3rd quarter. K ac- cumulates another $2,000 in employment taxes dur- ing the fourth quarter. K files Form 944 on January 31, 2007, reporting a total employment tax liability for 2006 of $5,500 and submits a check for the re- maining $2,000 of employment taxes with the return. K will be deemed to have timely deposited the em- ployment taxes due for all of 2006, because K com- plied with thede minimisdeposit rule provided in paragraph (f)(4)(iii) of this section. Therefore, the IRS will not impose a failure-to-deposit penalty under section 6656 for any month of the year. Under thisde minimisdeposit rule, as K was required to file Form 944 for calendar year 2006, if K’s employment tax li- ability for a quarter isde minimis,thenKmaydeposit that quarter’s liability by the last day of the month following the close of the quarter. Thisde minimis rule allows K to have the benefit of the same quar- terlyde minimisamount K would have received if K filed Form 941 each quarter instead of Form 944 an- nually. Thus, as K’s employment tax liability for each quarter wasde minimis, K could deposit quarterly. (g)Agricultural employers—special rules—(1)In general. An agricultural em- ployer reports wages paid to farm workers annually on Form 943(Employer’s Annual Tax Return for Agricultural Employees) and reports wages paid to nonfarm work- ers quarterly on Form 941 or annually on Form 944. Accordingly, an agricultural employer must treat employment taxes re- portable on Form 943 (“Form 943 taxes”) separately from employment taxes re- portable on Form 941 or Form 944 (“Form 941 or Form 944 taxes”). Form 943 taxes and Form 941 or Form 944 taxes are not combined for purposes of determining whether a deposit of either is due, whether the One-Day rule of §31.6302–1(c)(3) applies, or whether any safe harbor is ap- plicable. In addition, separate Federal tax deposit coupons must be used to deposit Form 943 taxes and Form 941 or Form 944 taxes. (See §31.6302–1(b) for rules for determining an agricultural employer’s deposit status for Form 941 taxes.) The determination of whether an agricultural employer is a monthly or semi-weekly depositor of Form 943 taxes is made ac- cording to the rules of this paragraph (g). (g)(2) through (m) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see §31.6302–1(g)(2) through (m). (n)Effective/applicability dates—(1) In general. Sections 31.6302–1 through 31.6302–3 apply with respect to the deposit of employment taxes attribut- able to payments made after December 31, 1992. To the extent that the provi- sions of §§31.6302–1 through 31.6302–3 are inconsistent with the provisions of §§31.6302(c)–1 and 31.6302(c)–2, a taxpayer will be considered to be in compliance with §§31.6301–1 through 31.6302–3 if the taxpayer makes timely deposits during 1993 in accordance with §§31.6302(c)–1 and 31.6302(c)–2. Para- graphs (b)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), (d)Example 6, (e)(2), (f)(4)(i), (f)(4)(iii), (f)(5)Exam- ple 3, and (g)(1) of this section apply to taxable years beginning on or after De- cember 30, 2008. Paragraph (f)(4)(ii) of this section applies to taxable years be- ginning on or after January 1, 2010. The rules of paragraphs (e)(2) and (g)(1) of this section that apply to taxable years beginning before December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6302–1 in effect prior to December 30, 2008. The rules of para- graphs (b)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), (d)Example 6, (f)(4)(i), (f)(4)(iii), and (f)(5)Example 3of this section that apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2006 and before December 30, 2008, are contained in §31.6302–1T in effect prior to Decem- ber 30, 2008. The rules of paragraphs (b)(4) and (f)(4) of this section that apply to taxable years beginning before January 1, 2006, are contained in §31.6302–1 in effect prior to January 1, 2006. (2)Expiration date. The applicability of this section will expire on or before De- cember 23, 2011. February 2, 20094152009–5 I.R.B. Linda E. Stiff, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. Approved December 18, 2008. Eric Solomon, Assistant Secretary of theTreasury(TaxPolicy). (Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on December 24, 2008, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the Federal Register for December 29, 2008, 73 F.R. 79354) Section 6103.—Confi- dentiality and Disclosure of Returns and Return Information 26 CFR 301.6103(j)(1)–1: Disclosures of return in- formation to officers and employees of the Depart- ment of Commerce for certain statistical purposes and related activities. T.D. 9439 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 301 Disclosure of Return Information to the Bureau of Economic Analysis AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final regulation and removal of temporary regulations. SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations relating to disclosures of cor- porate tax return information to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (Bureau). The final regulations authorize the IRS to disclose certain items of corporate tax return infor- mation to the Secretary of Commerce for purposes of structuring United States na- tional economic accounts and conducting related statistical activities authorized by law. The final regulations facilitate the as- sistance of the IRS to the Bureau in its sta- tistics programs, require no action by tax- payers, and have no effect on their tax lia- bilities. DATES:Effective Date:These regulations are effective on December 29, 2008. Applicability Date:These regulations apply to disclosures made to the Bureau of Economic Analysis on or after December 29, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles B. Christopher, (202) 622–4570 (not a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background This document contains final regula- tions amending the Procedure and Admin- istration Regulations (26 CFR Part 301) under section 6103(j)(1)(B) of the Inter- nal Revenue Code (Code). The final reg- ulations contain rules relating to the dis- closure of corporate tax return information to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (Bu- reau) of the Department of Commerce for the purpose of, but only to the extent nec- essary in, structuring national economic accounts and conductingrelated statistical activities authorized by law. Section 6103(j)(1)(B) provides that, upon written request from the Secre- tary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury shall furnish to BEA return in- formation that is prescribed by Treasury regulations for the purpose of, but only to the extent necessary in, structuring of national economic accounts and conduct- ing related statistical activities authorized by law. Prior regulations under section 6103(j)(1)(B) permitted the disclosure to BEA of return information from corporate returns processed by the IRS’s Statistics of Income Division for its corporate sample file. By letter dated December 18, 2003, the Department of Commerce requested disclosure of certain items of return information obtained from all corpo- rate returns, not just those processed by the IRS’s Statistics of Income Division for its corporate sample file. Proposed regulations (REG–148864–03, 2006–2 C.B. 320 [71 FR 38323]) and tempo- rary regulations (T.D. 9267, 2006–2 C.B. 313 [71 FR 38262]) were published in theFederal Registeron July 6, 2006. The Department of Commerce thereafter submitted comments requesting certain technical corrections to the items of corporate return information authorized to be disclosed. No other comments were received, and no public hearing was requested or held. After consideration of the comments received from the Department of Commerce, the proposed regulations, as amended by this Treasury decision, are adopted as final regulations, and the corresponding temporary regulations are removed. See §601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b). These final regulations generally retain the provisions of the proposed regulations with the inclusion of the additional requested items as explained in more detail in this preamble. Explanation and Summary of Comments Proposed §301.6103(j)(1)–1(c)(3) pro- vided an itemized description of the cor- porate tax return information authorized to be disclosed to the Bureau for the pur- pose of structuring national economic ac- counts and conducting related statistical activities required by law. In its comments, the Department of Commerce requested that certain additional items of corporate tax return information that are essential to the Bureau’s ability to measure accurately U.S. economic activity be included in the itemized list in the final regulations. Most of the additional items of corporate tax re- turn information to which the Department of Commerce requests access are slightly different variants of the same items autho- rized in the proposed regulations. The in- clusion of these items will enable the Bu- reau to measure accurately corporate prof- its, gross domestic product, and other mea- sures of activity in the economy. After consideration of these comments, the Trea- sury Department and IRS have included the additional requested items in the final regulations. Special Analyses It has been determined that this Trea- sury decision is not asignificant regula- tory action as defined in Executive Order 12866. Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It also has been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations. Because the regulations do not impose a collection of information on small entities, the Regula- tory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) 2009–5 I.R.B.416February 2, 2009 does not apply. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, the notice of proposed rulemaking preceding these reg- ulations was submitted to the Chief Coun- sel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for comment on their im- pact on small businesses. Drafting Information The principal author of these regula- tions is Robin M. Tuczak, Office of the As- sociate Chief Counsel (Procedure & Ad- ministration). ***** Adoption of Amendments to the Regulations Accordingly, 26 CFR Part 301 is amended as follows: PART 301—PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 301 continues to read in part as fol- lows: Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * Par. 2. Section 301.6103(j)(1)–1 is amended by revising paragraphs (c) intro- ductory text, (c)(1) and (e) and removing and reserving paragraph (c)(2), and adding paragraph (c)(3) to read as follows: §301.6103(j)(1)–1 Disclosures of return information to officers and employees of the Department of Commerce for certain statistical purposes and related activities. ***** (c) Disclosure of return information re- flected on returns of corporations to offi- cers and employees of the Bureau of Eco- nomic Analysis. (1) As authorized by law for purposes of, but only to the extent necessary in, conducting and preparing statistical analy- ses, the Internal Revenue Service will dis- close to officers and employees of the Bu- reau of Economic Analysis all return in- formation, regardless of format or medium and including edited information from the Statistics of Income sample, of designated classes or categories of corporations with respect to the tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code. (2) [Reserved]. (3) The Internal Revenue Service will disclose the following return information reflected on returns filed by corporations to officers and employees of the Bureau of Economic Analysis: (i) From the business master files of the Internal Revenue Service— (A) Taxpayer identity information (as definedinsection6103(b)(6))withrespect to corporate taxpayers; (B) Business or industry activity codes; (C) Filing requirement code; and (D) Physical location. (ii) From Form SS–4,“Application for Employer Identification Number,”filed by an entity identifying itself on the form as a corporation or a private services corpora- tion— (A) Taxpayer identity information (as defined in section 6103(b)(6), including le- gal, trade, and business name); (B) Physical location; (C) State or country of incorporation; (D) Entity type (corporate only); (E) Estimated highest number of em- ployees expected in the next 12 months; (F) Principal activity of the business; (G) Principal line of merchandise; (H) Posting cycle date relative to filing; and (I) Document code. (iii) From an employment tax return filed by a corporation— (A) Taxpayer identity information (as defined in section 6103(b)(6)); (B) Total compensation reported; (C) Taxable wages paid for purposes of Chapter 21 to each employee; (D) Master file tax account code (MFT); (E) Total number of individuals em- ployed in the taxable period covered by the return; (F) Posting cycle date relative to filing; (G) Accounting period covered; and (H) Document code. (iv) From returns of corporate taxpay- ers, including Form 1120, “U.S. Corpora- tion Income Tax Return,” Form 851,“Af- filiations Schedule,”and other business re- turns, schedules and forms that the Internal Revenue Service may issue— (A) Taxpayer identity information (as defined in section 6103(b)(6)), including that of a parent corporation, affiliate, or subsidiary; a shareholder; a foreign corpo- rationofwhichoneormoreU.S.share- holders (as defined in section 951(b)) own at least 10% of the voting stock; a foreign trust; and a U.S. agent of a foreign trust; (B) Gross sales and receipts; (C) Gross income, including life insur- ance company gross income; (D) Gross income from sources outside the U.S.; (E) Gross rents from real property; (F) Other Gross Rents; (G) Total Gross Rents; (H) Returns and allowances; (I) Percentage of foreign ownership of corporations and trusts; (J) Fact of ownership of foreign partner- ships; (K) Fact of ownership of foreign entity disregarded as a foreign entity; (L) Country of the foreign owner; (M) Gross value of the portion of the foreign trust owned by filer; (N) Country of incorporation; (O) Cost of labor, salaries, and wages; (P) Total assets; (Q) The quantity of certain forms at- tached that are returns of U.S. persons with respect to foreign disregarded enti- ties, partnerships, and corporations. (R) Posting cycle date relative to filing; (S) Accounting period covered; (T) Master file tax account code (MFT); (U) Document code; and (V) Principal industrial activity code. ***** (e)Effective/applicability date.This section applies to disclosures to the Bureau of Economic Analysis on or after Decem- ber 29, 2008. §301.6103(j)(1)–1T [Removed] Par. 3. Section 301.6103(j)(1)–1T is removed. LindaE.Stiff, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. Approved December 17, 2008. Eric Solomon, Assistant Secretary of theTreasury(TaxPolicy). (Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on December 24, 2008, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the Federal Register for December 25, 2008, 73 F.R. 79361) February 2, 20094172009–5 I.R.B. Section 6302.—Mode or Time of Collection 26 CFR 31.6302–1: Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992. Temporary regulations relate to the annual filing of Federal employment tax returns and requirements for employment tax deposits. These temporary regu- lations relate to sections 6011 and 6302 of the Inter- nal Revenue Code (Code) concerning reporting and paying income taxes withheld from wages and re- porting and paying taxes under the Federal Insur- ance Contributions Act (FICA) (collectively, “em- ployment taxes”). See T.D. 9440, page 409. Section 7805.—Rules and Regulations 26 CFR 301.7805–1: Rules and regulations. A revenue ruling holds that Dubai Merchantile Ex- change, which is a United Arab Emirates Authorized Market Institution, is a qualified board or exchange within the meaning of section 1256(g)(7)(C) of the Code. See Rev. Rul. 2009-4, page 408. 2009–5 I.R.B.418February 2, 2009 Part III. Administrative, Procedural, and Miscellaneous Required Minimum Distributions for 2009 Notice 2009–9 PURPOSE This notice provides guidance to finan- cial institutions on reporting required min- imum distributions for 2009 after enact- ment of the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008, P. L. 110–458. BACKGROUND On December 23, 2008, the President signed the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (the Act) into law. Section 201 of the Act waives any required minimum distributions (RMDs) for 2009 from retirement plans that hold each par- ticipant’s benefit in an individual account, such as § 401(k) plans and § 403(b) plans, and certain § 457(b) plans. The Act also waives any RMD for 2009 from an In- dividual Retirement Arrangement (IRA). This means that most participants and beneficiaries otherwise required to take minimum distributions from these types of accounts are not required to withdraw any amount in 2009. If they do make a withdrawal in 2009 (that is not an RMD for 2008), they might be able to roll over the withdrawn amount into other eligible retirement plans. Of course, they must still include any previously untaxed portion of the withdrawal that they do not roll over in their gross income. SeeIndividual Retire- ment Arrangements (IRAs), Publication 590, andPension and Annuity Income, Publication 575, foradditional informa- tion on rollovers and on calculating the taxable portion of a distribution. The Act does not waive any 2008 RMDs, even for individuals who were eli- gible and chose to delay taking their 2008 RMD until April 1, 2009 (e.g., retired em- ployees and IRA owners who turned 70 1 /2 in 2008). These individuals must still take their full 2008 RMD by April 1, 2009. The 2009 RMD waiver under the Act does apply to individuals who may be eligible to postpone taking their 2009 RMD until April 1, 2010 (generally, retired employ- ees and IRA owners who attain age 70 1 /2 in 2009). However, the Act does not waive any RMDs for 2010. If a beneficiary is receiving distribu- tions over a 5-year period, he or she can now waive the distribution for 2009, ef- fectively taking distributions over a 6-year rather than a 5-year period. IRA REPORTING Issuers of the 2008 Form 5498,IRA Contribution Information, shouldnotput a check in Box 11. However, in recognition of the short amount of time to make pro- gramming changes, if a financial institu- tion issues a 2008 Form 5498 with a check in Box 11, the IRS will not consider such form issued incorrectly solely because of the check in Box 11, provided the IRA owner is notified by the financial institu- tion no later than March 31, 2009, that no RMD is required for 2009. In addition, the RMD information re- quired under Notice 2002–27, 2002–1 C.B. 814, need not be sent to IRA own- ers for 2009. If a financial institution sends a separate RMD statement to an IRA owner, either initially or in response to the owner’s request for the financial institution to calculate the RMD for 2009, the financial institution must show the RMD for 2009 as zero (0). Alternatively, the financial institution may send the IRA owner a statement showing the RMD that would have been required but for the waiver of RMDs for 2009, along with an explanation of thewaiver for 2009. The IRS encourages all financial insti- tutions to inform IRA owners who delayed taking their 2008 RMD until April 1, 2009, that they are still required to take that dis- tribution. EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS Notice 2002–27 is modified. DRAFTING INFORMATION The principal author of this no- tice is Anita Bower of the Employee Plans, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. Questions regarding this notice may be sent via e-mail to RetirementPlanQuestions@irs.gov. Treatment of Certain Obligations Under Section 956(c) Notice 2009–10 1. On October 27, 2008, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Ser- vice (Service) published Notice 2008–91. SeeNotice 2008–91, 2008–43 I.R.B. 1001. This notice provides that the regulations described in Notice 2008–91 will apply (in addition to the period described in Notice 2008–91) to the third consecutive taxable year of a foreign corporation, if any, (in- cluding any short taxable year) that ends after October 3, 2008, and that ends on or before December 31, 2009. 2. On May 27, 2008, the Treasury De- partment and the Service published Rev. Proc. 2008–26, 2008–21 I.R.B. 1014, which applies to determine whether securi- ties are “readily marketable” for purposes of section 956(c)(2)(J) for any day during calendar years 2007 or 2008, for which it is relevant whether securities are readily marketable for purposes of that section. This notice extends the application of Rev. Proc. 2008–26 to any day during calendar year 2009, for which it is relevant whether securities are readily marketable for pur- poses of section 956(c)(2)(J) (in addition to any day during calendar years 2007 or 2008). DRAFTING INFORMATION The principal author of this notice is Ethan A. Atticks of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). For further information regarding this notice, contact Mr. Atticks at (202) 622–3840 (not a toll- free call). February 2, 20094192009–5 I.R.B. Brokers May Furnish Certain Composite Annual Tax Reporting Statements by February 17, 2009, Without Penalty Notice 2009–11 PURPOSE This notice provides additional time for furnishing certain composite annual tax re- porting statements. BACKGROUND Section 403 of the Energy Improve- ment and Extension Act of 2008, Div. B of Pub. L. No. 110–343, 122 Stat. 3765 (the Act), enacted on October 3, 2008, amended section 6045(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to change from January 31 to February 15 the deadline for furnishing to customers the informa- tion statements required by section 6045, including Form 1099–B(Proceeds From Broker and Barter Exchange Transac- tions),effective for statements required to be furnished after December 31, 2008. Because February 15, 2009, is a Sunday, and because February 16, 2009, is a le- gal holiday, the deadline under section 6045(b) with respect to reportable items from calendar year 2008 is February 17, 2009, pursuant to section 7503. The Act also added language to section 6045(b) to permit reporting entities to furnish other items that they must report to customers in January by the extended deadline when these other items are furnished with a “consolidated reporting statement (as de- fined in regulations).” There is not yet a regulatory definition of the term “consol- idated reporting statement.” Section 6722 imposes a penalty on any reporting entity that fails to furnish any required payee statement by its deadline. DEADLINE FOR REPORTING ITEMS FROM 2008 This notice applies to reporting enti- ties that furnish Form 1099–B and that customarily report the items furnished on Form 1099–B to customers on an annual composite form recipient statement (as describedinSection4.2ofRev. Proc. 2008–36, 2008–33 I.R.B. 340). This no- tice provides that such reporting entities have until February 17, 2009, to report all items that they customarily report on these annual composite form recipient state- ments to all customers whether or not each customer’s transactional history for 2008 triggeredanobligationtofurnishForm 1099–B to that particular customer. This notice modifies the 2008 General Instruc- tions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W–2G and applies only to the reporting of items from calendar year 2008. EXAMPLE This notice is illustrated by the follow- ing example: Broker, a brokerage firm, customarily issues an annual composite form recipient statement to each of its customers that reports dividends as required by section 6042(c), interest as required by section 6049(c), and the gross proceeds of the sale of secu- rities and other items as required by section 6045(b). Broker issued correct annual composite form recipi- ent statements to all of its customers on February 12, 2009. Because only 80 percent of Broker’s customers sold securities or other items in 2008, only 80 percent of the annual composite form recipient statements contained information required to be reported under section 6045(b) on Form 1099–B. Because the com- posite form recipient statements customarily included dividends and interest with items reportable on Form 1099–B, and because Broker provided correct state- ments to each of its customers by February 17, 2009, the IRS will treat Broker as having met its report- ing deadline requirements under sections 6042(c) and 6049(c) for items from calendar year 2008 reported on the annual composite form recipient statements and will not assess any penalties under section 6722 for these items. DRAFTING INFORMATION The principal author of this notice is Stephen Schaeffer of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure & Administration). For further informa- tion regarding this notice, please contact Stephen Schaeffer at (202) 622–4910 (not a toll-free call). 2009–5 I.R.B.420February 2, 2009 Part IV. Items o fGeneralInterest Notice of Prop osed Rulemaking by Cross-Refere nce to Temporary Re gulations Employer’s A nnual Federal Tax Return an d Modifications to the Depos it Rules REG–148568 –04 AGENCY: Int ernal Revenue Service (IRS), Tre asury. ACTION: No tice of proposed rulemaking by cross-r eference to temporary regula- tions. SUMMARY: T his document revises the notice of p roposed rulemaking published in theFed eral Registeron January 3, 2006. In t his issue of the Bulletin, the IRS is iss uing temporary regulations (T.D. 9440) rel ating to the annual filing of Fed- eral empl oyment tax returns and require- ments fo r employment tax deposits under section s 6011 and 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Those temporary regulat ions generally allow certain em- ployers tofileaForm944,“Employer’s ANNUAL Federal Tax Return,” rather than Form 94 1, “Employer’s QUARTERLY Federa lTaxReturn.” In addition to rules relate d to Form 944, those temporary reg- ulatio ns provide an additional method for emplo yers who file Form 941 to determine wheth er the amount of accumulated em- ploym ent taxes is consideredde minimis. The te mporary and proposed regulations affec t taxpayers that file Form 941, “Em- ploy er’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Re- turn ,” Form 944, “Employer’s ANNUAL Fede ral Tax Return,” and any related Span ish-language returns or returns for U.S. possessions. The text of those reg- ula tions also serves as the text of these pro posed regulations. DAT ES: Written or electronic comments and requests for a public hearing must be rec eived by March 30, 2009. ADD RESSES: Send submissions to: CC: PA:LPD:PR (REG–148568–04), room 5203, Interna l Revenue Service, POB 7604, Ben Fran klin Station, Washing- ton, DC 20044. Submissions may be hand-deliver ed Monday through Friday between the ho urs of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to: CC:PA:LP D:PR (REG–148568–04), Courier’s De sk, Internal Revenue Service, 111 1 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, or sent electronically via the Fede ral eRulemaking Portal athttp://w ww.regulations.gov(IRS REG–148568 –04). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Co ncerning the proposed regulatio ns, Audra M. Dineen at (202) 622–4910; concerning submissions of comments a nd requests for a public hear- ing, Oluwa funmilayo Taylor of the Publi- cations an d Regulations Branch at (202) 622–7180 (not toll-free numbers). SUPPLEME NTARY INFORMATION: Backgrou nd Temporar y regulations in this issue of the Bulle tin amend the Regulations on Em- ployment Taxes and Collection of Income Tax at Sou rce (26 CFR part 31) under sec- tion 601 1relatingtothefederalemploy- ment tax return filing requirements and section 6302 relating to the employment tax depo sit requirements. The regulations concern the reporting and paying of in- come ta xes withheld from wages and taxes under t he Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FI CA). The text of those temporary regula tions also serves as the text of these propos ed regulations. The preamble to the tempo rary regulations explains the tempo- rary r egulations and these proposed regu- latio ns. The temporary and proposed regu- latio ns are part of the IRS’s effort to reduce taxpa yer burden by permitting certain em- ploy ers to file one return annually to report thei r employment tax liabilities instead of four quarterly returns. Prop osed Effective/Applicability Date The r egulations, as proposed, will ap- ply t o taxable years ending on or after the date of publication of the Treasury deci- sion adopting these rules as final regula- tio ns in theFederal Register. Special Analy ses It has been det ermined that this notice of proposed ru lemaking is not a significant regulatory ac tion as defined in Executive Order 12866. T herefore, a regulatory as- sessment is no t required. It also has been determined t hatsection553(b)oftheAd- ministrativ e Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chap- ter5)doesno t apply to these regulations. It is hereby c ertified that these regula- tions will no t have a significant economic impact on a su bstantial number of small entities pu rsuant to the Regulatory Flexi- bility Act ( 5 U.S.C. Chapter 6). The regu- lations und er sections 6011 and 6302 affect only a small number of taxpayers that file employmen t tax returns. Therefore, the Treasury D epartment and the IRS have de- termined t hat these regulations will not af- fect a subs tantial number of small entities. In additi on, the Treasury Department and the IRS ha ve determined that any impact on entiti es affected by the regulations will not be sig nificant. The regulations merely allow cer tain employers to file their em- ploymen t tax return annually rather than quarter ly. Therefore, these regulations will reduce t he burden on these employers, by reducin g the number of returns they must file eac h year. Based on these facts, the IRS has determined that these regulations will no t have a significant economic im- pact on a substantial number of small en- tities . Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Intern al Revenue Code, this regulation has been s ubmitted to the Chief Counsel for Advoc acy of the Small Business Admin- istra tion for comment on their impact on small business. Comme nts and Requests for a Public Heari ng Befor e these proposed regulations are adopt ed as final regulations, consideration will be given to any written (a signed origi- nal a nd eight (8) copies) or electronic com- ment s that are submitted timely to the IRS. The I RS and Treasury Department request comm ents on the substance of the pro- pos ed regulations, as well as on the clarity of t he proposed rules and how they can be mad e easier to understand. All comments wil l be available for public inspection and cop ying. A public hearing will be sched- February 2, 20094212009–5 I.R.B. uled if requested in writing by any person that timely submits written comments. If a public hearing is scheduled, notice of the date, time, and place for the public hearing will be published in theFederal Register. Drafting Information The principal authors of these final regulations are Raymond Bailey and Audra M. Dineen of the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration). ***** Proposed Amendments to the Regulations Accordingly, 26 CFR part 31 is pro- posedtobeamendedasfollows: PART 31—EMPLOYMENT TAXES AND COLLECTION OF INCOME TAX AT SOURCE Paragraph. 1. The authority citation for part 31 continues to read in part as follows: Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * Par. 2. Section 31.6011(a)–1, which wasproposedtobeamendedat71FR46 on January 3, 2006, is further amended by revising paragraph (a)(1) and paragraph (a)(5) and adding paragraph (g) to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–1 Returns under Federal Insurance Contributions Act. (a)***(1)[Thetextofproposed §31.6011(a)–1(a)(1) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–1T(a)(1) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (5) [The text of proposed §31.6011(a)–1(a)(5) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–1T(a)(5) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (g) [The text of proposed §31.6011(a)–1(g) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–1T(g) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. Par. 3. Section 31.6011(a)–4, which wasproposedtobeamendedat71FR46 (January 3, 2006), is further amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(4) and adding paragraph (d) to read as follows: §31.6011(a)–4 Returns of income tax withheld. (a)* * *(1) [The text of proposed §31.6011(a)–4(a)(1) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–4T(a)(1) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (4) [The text of proposed §31.6011(a)–4(a)(4) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–4T(a)(4) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (d) [The text of proposed §31.6011(a)–4(d) is the same as the text of §31.6011(a)–4T(d) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. Par. 4. Section 31.6302–0 is amended by revising the entries for §31.6302–1(f)(4)(i), (g)(1) and (n) to read as follows: §31.6302–0 Table of contents. ***** §31.6302–1 Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992. ***** (f) * * * (4) * * * (i) [The text of the proposed entry for §31.6302–1(f)(4)(i) is the same as the text of the entry for §31.6302–1T(f)(4)(i) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. ***** (g) * * * (1) [The text of the proposed entry for §31.6302–1(g)(1) is the same as the text of the entry for §31.6302–1T(g)(1) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (n) [The text of the proposed entry for §31.6302–1(n) is the same as the text of the entry for §31.6302–1T(n) published else- where in this issue of the Bulletin]. Par. 5. Section 31.6302–1, which was proposed to be amended at 71 FR 46 on January 3, 2006, is further amended by re- vising paragraphs (b)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), (d) Example 6, (e)(2), (f)(4), (f)(5)Example 3, (g)(1) and (n) to read as follows: §31.6302–1 Federal tax deposit rules for withheld income taxes and taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) attributable to payments made after December 31, 1992. ***** (b)*** ***** (4) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(b)(4) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(b)(4) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (c) * * * (5) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(c)(5) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(c)(5) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (6) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(c)(6) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(c)(6) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (d)*** Example 6. [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(d)Example 6is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(d)Example 6 published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (e) * * * (2) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(e)(2) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(e)(2) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (f) * * * (4) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(f)(4) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(f)(4) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (5) * * * Example 3. [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(f)(5)Example 3is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(f)(5)Example 3published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (g)***(1)[Thetextofproposed §31.6302–1(g)(1) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(g)(1) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (n) [The text of proposed §31.6302–1(n) is the same as the text of §31.6302–1T(n)(1) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. 2009–5 I.R.B.422February 2, 2009 ***** Linda E. Stiff, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. (Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on December 24, 2008, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the Federal Register for December 29, 2008, 73 F.R. 79423) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by Cross-Reference to Temporary Regulations and Notice of Public Hearing Guidance Regarding Foreign Base Company Sales Income REG–150066–08 AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking by cross-reference to temporary regula- tions and notice of public hearing. SUMMARY: In this issue of the Bulletin, the IRS and Treasury Department are is- suing temporary regulations (T.D. 9438) relating to foreign base company sales in- come, in cases in which personal property sold by a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) is manufactured, produced, or constructed pursuant to a contract manu- facturing arrangement or by one or more branches of the CFC. The temporary reg- ulations modify the foreign base company sales income regulations to adequately address current business structures and practices, particularly the growing impor- tance of contract manufacturing and other manufacturing arrangements. The tem- porary regulations, in general, will affect CFCs and their United States sharehold- ers. The text of the temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations. This document also provides notice of a public hearing. DATES: Written or electronic comments must be received by March 30, 2009. Outlines of the topics to be discussed at the public hearing scheduled for April 20, 2009, at 10 a.m. must be received by April 2, 2009. ADDRESSES: Send submissions to: CC:PA:LPD:PR(REG–150066–08), room 5203 Internal Revenue Service, PO Box 7604 Ben Franklin Station, Wash- ington, DC 20044. Submissions may be hand-delivered Monday through Friday betweenthehoursof8a.m. and4p.m. to CC:PA:LPD:PR (REG–150066–08), Courier’s Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20224. Alternatively, taxpayers may submit electronic comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portalatwww.regulations.gov (IRS-REG–150066–08). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the proposed regulations, Ethan Atticks, (202) 622–3840; concerning submissions of comments, hearing, and/or to be placed on the building access list to at- tend the hearing, Richard A. Hurst at Richard.A.Hurst@irscounsel.treas.govor (202) 622–7180 (not toll-free numbers). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background and Explanation of Provision The temporary regulations in this issue of the Bulletin amend the Income Tax Reg- ulations (26 CFR part 1) relating to for- eign base company sales income, in cases inwhichpersonalpropertysoldbyacon- trolled foreign corporation (CFC) is man- ufactured, produced, or constructed pur- suant to a contract manufacturing arrange- ment or by one or more branches of the CFC. These regulations, in general, will affect CFCs and their United States share- holders. The text of those temporary regu- lations also serves as the text of these pro- posed regulations. The preamble to the temporary regulations explains these pro- posed regulations. Special Analyses It has been determined that this Trea- sury decision is not a significant regula- tory action as defined in Executive Order 12866. Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It has also been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations and because the regulations do not impose a collection of information on small entities, the Regu- latory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) does not apply. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Code, these regulations have been submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advo- cacy of the Small Business Administration for comment on their impact on small busi- ness. Comments and Public Hearing Before the proposed regulations are adopted as final regulations, considera- tion will be give to any written comments (a signed original and eight (8) copies) or electronic comments that are submit- tedtimelytotheIRS.TheIRSandthe Treasury Department specifically request comments on the clarity of the proposed rules and how they may be made easier to understand. All comments will be avail- able for public inspection and copying. A public hearing has been scheduled for April 20, 2009, beginning at 10 a.m. in the IRS Auditorium, Internal Revenue Build- ing, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW, Wash- ington, DC. Due to building security pro- cedures, visitors must enter at the Consti- tution Avenue entrance. In addition, all visitors must present photo identification to enter the building. Because of access restrictions, visitors will not be admitted beyond the Constitution Avenue entrance area more than 30 minutes before the hear- ing starts. For information about having your name placed on the building access list to attend the hearing, see the “FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT” section of this preamble. The rules of 26 CFR 601.601(a)(3) ap- ply to the hearing. Persons who wish to present oral comments at the hearing must submit written comments or elec- tronic comments by March 30, 2009, and an outline of the topics to be discussed and the time to be devoted to each topic (signed original and eight (8) copies) by April 2, 2009. A period of 10 minutes will be allotted to each person for making com- ments. An agenda showing the scheduling of the speakers will be prepared after the deadline for receivingoutlines has passed. Copies of the agenda will be available free of charge at the hearing. Drafting Information The principal author of these regula- tions is Ethan Atticks of the Office of February 2, 20094232009–5 I.R.B. Associate Chief Counsel (International). However, other personnel from the IRS and the Treasury Department participated in their development. ***** Proposed Amend ments to the Regulations Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is proposed to be amended as follows: PART 1—INCOME TAXES Paragraph 1. The authority citation for 26 CFR part 1 continues to read in part as follows: Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * Par. 2. Section 1.954–3 is amended by revising paragraphs (b)(1)(i)(c), (b)(1)(ii)(a), (b)(1)(ii)(c), (b)(2)(i)(b), (b)(2)(i)(d), (b)(2)(ii)(a), (b)(2)(ii)(b), (b)(2)(ii)(e), (b)(4)Example 3, (c) and (d), and addingExamples 8and9to paragraph (b)(4), and adding paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) to read as follows: §1.954–3 Fo reign base company sales income. ***** (b)***(1)***(i)*** (c) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(1)(i)(c)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(1)(i)(c) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. (ii)***(a) [The text of the proposed amendments to §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(a)isthe same as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(a) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. ***** (c) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(1)(ii)(c)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(1)(ii)(c) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. (2)***(i)*** (b) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(2)(i)(b)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(i)(b) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. ***** (d) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(2)(i)(d)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(i)(d) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. ***** (ii) * * * (a) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(a)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(a) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. (b) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(b)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(b) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. ***** (e) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(b)(2)(ii)(e)isthesame as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(2)(ii)(e) pub- lished elsewhere in this issue of the Bul- letin]. ***** (4) * * * Example 3. [The text of the proposed amendments to §1.954–3(b)(4)Example 3 is the same as the text of §1.954–3T(b)(4) Example 3published elsewhere in this is- sue of the Bulletin]. ***** Example 8. [The text of the proposed amendments to §1.954–3(b)(4)Example 8 is the same as the text of §1.954–3TEx- ample 8published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. Example 9. [The text of the proposed amendments to §1.954–3(b)(4)Example 9 is the same as the text of §1.954–3TEx- ample 9published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (e) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(e) is the same as the text of §1.954–3T(e) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (f) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(f) is the same as the text of §1.954–3T(f) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. (g) [The text of the proposed amend- ments to §1.954–3(g) is the same as the text of §1.954–3T(g) published elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin]. LindaE.Stiff, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. (Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on December 24, 2008, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the Federal Register for December 29, 2008, 73 F.R. 79421) Announcement of Disciplinary Sanctions From the Office of Professional Responsibility Announcement 2009-2 TheOfficeofProfessionalResponsi- bility (OPR) announcesrecent disciplinary sanctions involving attorneys, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, en- rolled actuaries, enrolled retirement plan agents, and appraisers. These individuals are subject to the regulations governing practice before the Internal Revenue Ser- vice (IRS), which are set out in Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, and which are published in pamphlet form as Treasury Department Circular No. 230. The regulations prescribe the duties and restrictions relating to such practice and prescribe the disciplinary sanctions for violating the regulations. The disciplinary sanctions to be im- posed for violation of the regulations are: Disbarred from practice before the IRS—An individual who is disbarred is not eligible to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Suspended from practice before the IRS—An individual who is suspended is not eligible to represent taxpayers before the IRS during the term of the suspension. Censured in practice before the IRS—Censure is a public reprimand. Un- like disbarment or suspension, censure does not affect an individual’s eligibility to represent taxpayers before the IRS, but OPR may subject the individual’s future 2009–5 I.R.B.424February 2, 2009 representations to conditions designed to promote high standards of conduct. Monetary penalty—A monetary penalty may be imposed on an individual who engages in conduct subject to sanc- tion or on an employer, firm, or entity if the individual was acting on its behalf and if it knew, or reasonably should have known, of the individual’s conduct. Disqualification of appraiser—An appraiser who is disqualified is barred from presenting evidence or testimony in any administrative proceeding before the Department of the Treasury or the IRS. Under the regulations, attorneys, cer- tified public accountants, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries, and enrolled retirement plan agents may not assist, or accept assis- tance from, individuals who are suspended or disbarred with respect to matters consti- tuting practice (i.e., representation) before the IRS, and they may not aid or abet sus- pended or disbarred individuals to practice before the IRS. Disciplinary sanctions are described in these terms: Disbarred by decision after hearing, Suspended by decision after hearing, Censured by decision after hearing, Monetary penalty imposed after hear- ing, and Disqualified after hearing—An administrative law judge (ALJ) conducted an evidentiary hearing upon OPR’s com- plaint alleging violation of the regulations and issued a decision imposing one of these sanctions. After 30 days from the issuance of the decision, in the absence of an appeal, the ALJ’s decision became the final agency decision. Disbarred by default decision, Sus- pended by default decision, Censured by default decision, Monetary penalty im- posed by default decision, and Disqual- ified by default decision—An ALJ, after findingthatnoanswertoOPR’scomplaint had been filed, granted OPR’s motion for a default judgment and issued a decision im- posing one of these sanctions. Disbarment by decision on appeal, Suspended by decision on appeal, Cen- sured by decision on appeal, Monetary penalty imposed by decision on ap- peal, and Disqualified by decision on appeal—The decision of the ALJ was appealed to the agency appeal authority, acting as the delegate of the Secretary of the Treasury, and the appeal authority issued a decision imposing one of these sanctions. Disbarred by consent, Suspended by consent, Censured by consent, Mone- tary penalty imposed by consent, and Disqualified by consent—In lieu of a disciplinary proceeding being instituted or continued, an individual offered a con- sent to one of these sanctions and OPR accepted the offer. Typically, an offer of consent will provide for: suspension for an indefinite term; conditions that the individual must observe during the sus- pension; and the individual’s opportunity, after a stated number of months, to file with OPR a petition for reinstatement af- firming compliance with the terms of the consent and affirming current eligibility to practice (i.e., an active professional license or active enrollment status). An enrolled agent or an enrolled retirement plan agent may also offer to resign in order to avoid a disciplinary proceeding. Suspended by decision in expedited proceeding, Suspended by default de- cision in expedited proceeding, Sus- pended by consent in expedited pro- ceeding—OPR instituted an expedited proceeding for suspension (based on cer- tain limited grounds, including loss of a professional license and criminal convic- tions). OPR has authority to disclose the grounds for disciplinary sanctions in these situations: (1) an ALJ or the Secretary’s delegate on appeal has issued a decision on or after September 26, 2007, which was theeffectivedateofamendmentstothe regulations that permit making such deci- sions publicly available; (2) the individual has settled a disciplinary case by signing OPR’s “consent to sanction” form, which requires consenting individuals to admit to one or more violations of the regulations and to consent to the disclosure of the in- dividual’s own return information related to the admitted violations (for example, failure to file Federal income tax returns); or (3) OPR has issued a decision in an expedited proceeding for suspension. Announcements of disciplinary sanc- tions appear in the Internal Revenue Bul- letin at the earliest practicable date. The sanctions announced below are alphabet- ized first by the names of states and sec- ond by the last names of individuals. Un- less otherwise indicated, section numbers (e.g., § 10.51) refer to the regulations. City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Alabama FlorenceBowlin, Donald W.CPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (revocation of CPA license) Indefinite from December 1, 2008 February 2, 20094252009–5 I.R.B. City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Arizona ScottsdaleCifelli, Thomas A.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 3, 2008 PhoenixGroh, Gregory G.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 1, 2008 ChandlerHuynh, Hoang V.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from November 5, 2008 PaysonJohnson, Richard B.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 5, 2008 MesaMatheny, Ronald S.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 1, 2008 PhoenixOlson, Carl R.CPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (revocation of CPA license in Kansas) Indefinite from December 15, 2008 DeweyWirth, Andrew T.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 3, 2008 California VenturaHartnett, John G.AttorneySuspended by decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license in Massachusetts) Indefinite from December 11, 2008 Colorado EnglewoodSimon, Harry L.AttorneySuspended by decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from November 5, 2008 2009–5 I.R.B.426February 2, 2009 City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Illinois NorthbrookKipnis, Mark S.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (conviction under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1346, frauds and swindles) Indefinite from December 4, 2008 WaukeganMeuth, Patterson C.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 4, 2008 Kansas EmporiaMarkowitz, Daniel J.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment in Missouri) Indefinite from December 17, 2008 Olson, Carl R., See Arizona Overland ParkStewart, KimberlyCPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (revocation of CPA license) Indefinite from December 15, 2008 Kentucky LouisvilleBrooks, Troy L.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment in Tennessee) Indefinite from December 9, 2008 Louisiana LafayettePeddy, Jr., Millard C.CPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (revocation of CPA license) Indefinite from December 17, 2008 Massachusetts East WalpoleBrauer, David P.AttorneySuspended by decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 11, 2008 Hartnett, John G., See California February 2, 20094272009–5 I.R.B. City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Minnesota Varriano, Richard D., See North Dakota Mississippi JacksonMcIntyre, James G.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 17, 2008 OxfordScruggs, Richard F.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 17, 2008 Missouri KirkwoodBelz, MarkAttorneySuspended by decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 12, 2008 Markowitz, Daniel J., See Kansas New York New YorkLefrak, Joseph S.AttorneySuspended by decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from November 12, 2008 Dix HillsNapolitano, James P.CPASuspended by ALJ default decision for violation of § 10.51 (failure to exercise due diligence in representations to client) Indefinite from September 23, 2008 North Carolina RaleighMcLamb, Jr., James O. CPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (revocation of CPA license) Indefinite from December 17, 2008 North Dakota FargoVarriano, Richard D.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney suspension in Minnesota) Indefinite from December 9, 2008 2009–5 I.R.B.428February 2, 2009 City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Oklahoma BethanyFarrow, Katherine L.CPASuspended by consent for violation of § 10.51 (failure to timely file Federal income tax returns) Indefinite from November 1, 2008 Oregon SandyRyan, Jane D.CPASuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (conviction under State of Oregon law 164.055, theft in the first degree) Indefinite from December 9, 2008 Tennessee Brooks, Troy L., See Kentucky MartinSpeight, Harry M.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 15, 2008 GreenvilleWelch, Lawrence A.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney disbarment) Indefinite from December 9, 2008 Virginia AshburnAskintowicz, John W.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (attorney license annulled in West Virginia) Indefinite from December 15, 2008 West Virginia Askintowicz, John W., See Virginia February 2, 20094292009–5 I.R.B. City & StateNameProfessionalDisciplinary SanctionEffective Date(s) Designation Wisconsin RiponGoluba, David A.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (suspension of attorney license) Indefinite from December 9, 2008 RacineShumate, Thomas M.AttorneySuspended by default decision in expedited proceeding under § 10.82 (conviction under 26 U.S.C. § 7212, corruptly impeding the administration of the IRS laws) Indefinite from December 1, 2008 2009–5 I.R.B.430February 2, 2009 Definition of Terms Revenue rulings and revenue procedures (hereinafter referred to as “rulings”) that have an effect on previous rulings use the following defined terms to describe the ef- fect: Amplifieddescribes a situation where no change is being made in a prior pub- lished position, but the prior position is be- ingextendedtoapplytoavariationofthe fact situation set forth therein. Thus, if an earlier ruling held that a principle ap- plied to A, and the new ruling holds that the same principle also applies to B, the earlier ruling is amplified. (Compare withmodi- fied,below). Clarifiedis used in those instances where the language in a prior ruling is be- ing made clear because the language has caused, or may cause, some confusion. It is not used where a position in a prior ruling is being changed. Distinguisheddescribes a situation where a ruling mentions a previously pub- lished ruling and points out an essential difference between them. Modifiedis used where the substance of a previously published position is being changed. Thus, if a prior ruling held that a principle applied to A but not to B, and the new ruling holds that it applies to both A and B, the prior ruling is modified because it corrects a published position. (Compare withamplifiedandclarified, above). Obsoleteddescribes a previously pub- lished ruling that is not considered deter- minative with respect to future transac- tions. This term is most commonly used in a ruling that lists previously published rul- ings that are obsoleted because of changes in laws or regulations. A ruling may also be obsoleted because the substance has been included in regulations subsequently adopted. Revokeddescribes situations where the position in the previously published ruling is not correct and the correct position is beingstatedinanewruling. Supersededdescribes a situation where the new ruling does nothing more than re- state the substance and situation of a previ- ously published ruling (or rulings). Thus, the term is used to republish under the 1986 Code and regulations the same po- sition published under the 1939 Code and regulations. The term is also used when it is desired to republish in a single rul- ing a series of situations, names, etc., that were previously published over a period of time in separate rulings. If the new rul- ing does more than restate the substance of a prior ruling, a combination of terms is used. For example,modifiedandsu- persededdescribes a situation where the substance of a previously published ruling is being changed in part and is continued without change in part and it is desired to restate the valid portion of the previously published ruling in a new ruling that is self contained. In this case, the previously pub- lished ruling is first modified and then, as modified, is superseded. Supplementedis used in situations in which a list, such as a list of the names of countries, is published in a ruling and that list is expanded by adding further names in subsequent rulings. After the original rul- ing has been supplemented several times, a new ruling may be published that includes the list in the original ruling and the ad- ditions, and supersedes all prior rulings in the series. Suspendedis used in rare situations to show that the previous published rulings will not be applied pending some future action such as the issuance of new or amended regulations, the outcome of cases in litigation, or the outcome of a Service study. Abbreviations The fol lowing abbreviations in current use and for merly used will appear in material publis hedintheBulletin. A—Individual. Acq.—A cquiescence. B—Individual. BE—Beneficiary. BK—Bank . B.T.A.—Board of Tax Appeals. C—Individual. C.B.—Cu mulative Bulletin. CFR—Code of Federal Regulations. CI—City. COOP—Coo perative. Ct.D.—Court Decision. CY—County. D—Decede nt. DC—Dummy Corporation. DE—Donee. Del. Order —Delegation Order. DISC—Domestic International Sales Corporation. DR—Donor. E—Estate. EE—Employee. E.O.—Executive Order. ER—Emp loyer. ERISA—Employee Retirement Income Security Act. EX—Executor. F—Fiduc iary. FC—Foreign Country. FICA—Federal Insurance Contributions Act. FISC—Fo reign International Sales Company. FPH—Foreign Personal Holding Company. F.R.—Federal Register. FUTA—Fed eral Unemployment Tax Act. FX—Foreign corporation. G.C.M.—Chief Counsel’s Memorandum. GE—Grante e. GP—General Partner. GR—Grantor. IC—Insura nce Company. I.R.B.—Internal Revenue Bulletin. LE—Lessee. LP—Limited Partner. LR—Lessor. M—Minor. Nonacq.—No nacquiescence. O—Organization. P—Parent Corporation. PHC—Persona l Holding Company. PO—Possession of the U.S. PR—Partner. PRS—Pa rtnership. PTE—Prohibited Transaction Exemption. Pub. L.—Public Law. REIT—Re al Estate Investment Trust. Rev. Proc.—Revenue Procedure. Rev. Rul.—Revenue Ruling. S—Subsi diary. S.P.R.—Statement of Procedural Rules. Stat.—Statutes at Large. T—Target Corporation. T.C.—Tax Court. T.D.—Treasury Decision. TFE—Trans feree. TFR—Transferor. T.I.R.—Technical Information Release. TP—Taxpay er. TR—Trust. TT—Trustee. U.S.C.—Uni ted States Code. X—Corporation. Y—Corporation. Z—Corporat ion. February 2, 2009i2009–5 I.R.B. Numerical Finding List 1 Bulletins 2009–1 through 2009–5 Announcements: 2009-1, 2009-1 I.R.B.242 2009-2, 2009-5 I.R.B.424 Notices: 2009-1, 2009-2 I.R.B.250 2009-2, 2009-4 I.R.B.344 2009-3, 2009-2 I.R.B.250 2009-4, 2009-2 I.R.B.251 2009-5, 2009-3 I.R.B.309 2009-6, 2009-3 I.R.B.311 2009-7, 2009-3 I.R.B.312 2009-8, 2009-4 I.R.B.347 2009-9, 2009-5 I.R.B.419 2009-10, 2009-5 I.R.B.419 2009-11, 2009-5 I.R.B.420 Proposed Regulations: REG-148568-04, 2009-5 I.R.B.421 REG-160872-04, 2009-4 I.R.B.358 REG-158747-06, 2009-4 I.R.B.362 REG-150670-07, 2009-4 I.R.B.378 REG-113462-08, 2009-4 I.R.B.379 REG-150066-08, 2009-5 I.R.B.423 Revenue Procedures: 2009-1, 2009-1 I.R.B.1 2009-2, 2009-1 I.R.B.87 2009-3, 2009-1 I.R.B.107 2009-4, 2009-1 I.R.B.118 2009-5, 2009-1 I.R.B.161 2009-6, 2009-1 I.R.B.189 2009-7, 2009-1 I.R.B.226 2009-8, 2009-1 I.R.B.229 2009-9, 2009-2 I.R.B.256 2009-10, 2009-2 I.R.B.267 2009-11, 2009-3 I.R.B.313 2009-12, 2009-3 I.R.B.321 2009-13, 2009-3 I.R.B.323 2009-14, 2009-3 I.R.B.324 2009-15, 2009-4 I.R.B.356 Revenue Rulings: 2009-1, 2009-2 I.R.B.248 2009-2, 2009-2 I.R.B.245 2009-3, 2009-5 I.R.B.382 2009-4, 2009-5 I.R.B.408 Treasury Decisions: 9434, 2009-4 I.R.B.339 9435, 2009-4 I.R.B.333 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 Treasury Decisions— Continued: 9437, 2009-4 I.R.B.341 9438, 2009-5 I.R.B.387 9439, 2009-5 I.R.B.416 9440, 2009-5 I.R.B.409 1 A cumulative list of all revenue rulings, revenue procedures, Treasury decisions, etc., published in Internal Revenue Bulletins 2008–27 through 2008–52 is in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2008–52, dated December 29, 2008. 2009–5 I.R.B.iiFebruary 2, 2009 Finding List of Current Actions on Previously Published Items 1 Bulletins 2009–1 through 2009–5 Notices: 2001-55 Modified by Notice 2009-1, 2009-2 I.R.B.250 2002-27 Modified by Notice 2009-9, 2009-5 I.R.B.419 2007-54 Obsoleted by T.D. 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 2008-11 Obsoleted by T.D. 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 2008-12 Obsoleted by T.D. 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 Rev. Proc. 2009-11, 2009-3 I.R.B.313 2008-13 Obsoleted by T.D. 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 List of forms modified and superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-11, 2009-3 I.R.B.313 Modified and clarified by Notice 2009-5, 2009-3 I.R.B.309 2008-46 Obsoleted by T.D. 9436, 2009-3 I.R.B.268 Rev. Proc. 2009-11, 2009-3 I.R.B.313 Revenue Procedures: 2007-17 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-14, 2009-3 I.R.B.324 2007-71 Modified by Notice 2009-3, 2009-2 I.R.B.250 2008-1 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-1, 2009-1 I.R.B.1 2008-2 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-2, 2009-1 I.R.B.87 2008-3 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-3, 2009-1 I.R.B.107 2008-4 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-4, 2009-1 I.R.B.118 Revenue Procedures— Continued: 2008-5 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-5, 2009-1 I.R.B.161 2008-6 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-6, 2009-1 I.R.B.189 2008-7 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-7, 2009-1 I.R.B.226 2008-8 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-8, 2009-1 I.R.B.229 2008-9 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-9, 2009-2 I.R.B.256 2008-61 Superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-3, 2009-1 I.R.B.107 2008-68 Amplified and superseded by Rev. Proc. 2009-15, 2009-4 I.R.B.356 Revenue Rulings: 65-286 Obsoleted by T.D. 9435, 2009-4 I.R.B.333 76-54 Obsoleted by T.D. 9435, 2009-4 I.R.B.333 92-19 Supplemented by Rev. Rul. 2009-3, 2009-5 I.R.B.382 2008-19 Modified by Rev. Rul. 2009-3, 2009-5 I.R.B.382 1 A cumulative list of current actions on previously published items in Internal Revenue Bulletins 2008–27 through 2008–52 is in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2008–52, dated December 29, 2008. February 2, 2009iii2009–5 I.R.B. 2009–5 I.R.B.February 2, 2009 February 2, 20092009–5 I.R.B. INTERNAL REVENUE BULLETIN The Introduction at the beginning of this issue describes the purpose and content of this publication. The weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin is sold on a yearly subscription basis by the Superintendent of Documents. Current subscribers are notified by the Superin- tendent of Documents when their subscriptions must be renewed. CUMULATIVE BULLETINS The contents of this weekly Bulletin are consolidated semiannually into a permanent, indexed, Cumulative Bulletin. These are sold on a single copy basis andare notincluded as part of the subscription to the Internal Revenue Bulletin. Subscribers to the weekly Bulletin are notified when copies of the Cumulative Bulletin are available. Certain issues of Cumulative Bulletins are out of print and are not available. Persons desiring available Cumulative Bulletins, which are listed on the reverse, may purchase them from the Superintendent of Documents. ACCESS THE INTERNAL REVENUE BULLETIN ON THE INTERNET You may view the Internal Revenue Bulletin on the Internet at www.irs.gov. Select Businesses. Under Businesses Topics, select More Topics. Then select Internal Revenue Bulletins. INTERNAL REVENUE BULLETINS ON CD-ROM Internal Revenue Bulletins are available annually as part ofPublication 1796 (Tax Products CD-ROM). The CD-ROM can be purchased from National Technical Information Service (NTIS) on the Internet at www.irs.gov/cdorders (discount for online orders) or by calling 1-877-233-6767. The first release is available in mid-December and the final release is available in late January. HOW TO ORDER Check the publications and/or subscription(s) desired on the reverse, complete the order blank, enclose the proper remittance, detach entire page, and mail to the Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh PA, 15250–7954. Please allow two to six weeks, plus mailing time, for delivery. WE WELCOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE INTERNAL REVENUE BULLETIN If you have comments concerning the format or production of the Internal Revenue Bulletin or suggestions for improving it, we would be pleased to hear from you. You can email us your suggestions or comments through the IRS Internet Home Page (www.irs.gov) or write to the IRS Bulletin Unit, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, Washington, DC 20224. Internal Revenue Service W ashington,DC20224 Official Business Penalty for Private Use, $300
Continue your research in ChatGPT or Claude
Connect Omnilex to search the legal corpus from your AI assistant.