Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 1.46-1. Determination of amount.
Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).
Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 46
Cite as 26 CFR § 1.46-1
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Issued
- May 8, 1964 by T.D. 6731
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 46
- Length
- 5,626 words · about 24 min to read
- Defines
- 1 term
- Cross-references
- cites 14 Code sections and 8 regulations; cited by 6
Tax Reduction Act of 1975, section 301.
Tax Reform Act of 1976, sections 802, 1701, 1703.
Revenue Act of 1978, sections 311, 312, 315.
Energy Tax Act of 1978, section 301.
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, section 212.
Technical Corrections Act of 1982, section 102(f).
Tax Reform Act of 1986, section 251.
| Code section | Type | Years applicable |
|---|---|---|
| 46(a)(6) 1 | Utilities | Taxable years ending in 1975-1978 |
| 46(a)(7) 2 | Utilities | Taxable year ending in 1979 |
| 46(a)(8) | Railroads and Airlines | Taxable year ending in 1979 or 1980 |
| 46(a)(8) 3 | Railroads | Taxable years ending in 1977 or 1978 |
| 46(a)(9) 3 | Airlines | Taxable years ending in 1977 or 1978 |
| 1 Section 46(a)(6) was added by section 301(b)(2) of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975 and redesignated as section 46(a)(7) by section 302(a)(1) of the Tax Reform Act of 1976. | ||
| 2 Section 46(a)(7) was amended by section 312(b)(1) of the Revenue Act of 1978. | ||
| 3 These provisions were repealed by section 312(b)(2) of the Revenue Act of 1978. | ||
(a) Corporation M's regular credit available for its taxable year ending December 31, 1979 is as follows:
| Regular carryovers | $5,000 |
| Regular credit earned | 10,000 |
| Regular carrybacks | 15,000 |
| Credit available | 30,000 |
(b) M's “tax liability” for 1979 is $30,000. M's tax liability limitation for 1979 for the regular credit is $28,000, consisting of $25,000 plus 60 percent of the $5,000 of “tax liability” in excess of $25,000.
(c) The regular carryovers and credit earned are allowed in full. However, only $13,000 of the regular carryback is allowed for 1979. The remaining $2,000 must be carried to the next year to which it may be carried under section 46(b).
(a) For its taxable year ending December 31, 1980, corporation N has $30,000 regular credit earned and $9,000 nonrefundable energy credit earned. N has no carryovers to 1980 and no “tax liability” for pre-1980 years.
(b) N's “tax liability” for 1980 for the regular credit is $35,000. N's tax liability limitation for 1980 for the regular credit is $32,000, consisting of $25,000 plus 70 percent of the $10,000 of “tax liability” in excess of $25,000.
(c) The entire regular credit is allowed in 1980.
(d) N's “tax liability” for 1980 for the nonrefundable energy credit is $5,000, consisting of $35,000 less $30,000 regular credit allowed for 1980. N's tax liability limitation for 1980 for the nonrefundable energy credit is 100 percent of $5,000.
(e) $5,000 of the nonrefundable energy credit is allowed for 1980. The remaining $4,000 energy credit is an unused nonrefundable energy credit which must be carried to the next year to which it may be carried under section 46(b).
(a) Assume the same facts as in Example 2 except that in its taxable year ending December 31, 1981, N earns a regular credit of which it may carry back $2,000 to 1980.
(b) The $30,000 regular credit earned and $2,000 of the regular carryback is allowed for 1980. N's “tax liability” for 1980 for the nonrefundable energy credit is reduced to $3,000, consisting of $35,000 less $32,000 regular credit allowed for 1980. The nonrefundable energy credit allowed for 1980 is reduced to $3,000. The remaining $6,000 is an unused nonrefundable energy credit which must be carried to the next year to which it may be carried under section 46(b).
(a) For its taxable year ending December 31, 1980, corporation P's regular credit earned is $20,000. P also has a $9,000 refundable energy credit for 1980. There are no carryovers or carrybacks to 1980.
(b) P's “tax liability” for 1980 for the regular credit is $25,000 which is also the tax liability limitation for the regular credit.
(c) The entire $20,000 regular credit is allowed for 1980. The entire $9,000 refundable energy credit is treated as an overpayment of tax under section 6401(b), even though “tax liability” remains.
Assume the same facts as in Example 4, except that in the following year P earns a regular credit, $5,000 of which it may carry back to 1980. The $5,000 carryback is allowed in full in 1980.
(i) Corporation X, a calendar year taxpayer, constructs a ship on which it begins construction on January 1, 1973, and which, when placed in service on December 31, 1980, has a basis of $450,000. Of that amount, $100,000 is attributable to construction before January 22, 1975. X makes an election under section 46(d) (qualified progress expenditures) for taxable years after 1975.
(ii) For 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, qualified progress expenditures total $200,000. The ten-percent credit applies to those expenditures.
(iii) For 1980, qualified investment for the ship is $450,000. Under section 46(c)(4), X must reduce this amount by $200,000, the amount of qualified progress expenditures taken into account. The ten-percent credit applies to the portion of the remaining qualified investment attributable to construction after January 21, 1975 ($150,000). The seven-percent credit applies to the portion of qualified investment attributable to construction before January 22, 1975 ($100,000).
(i) Corporation Y agrees to build a ship for Corporation X, which uses the calendar year. In 1973, Y begins construction of the ship which X acquires and places in service on December 31, 1980. X makes an election under section 46(d) for taxable years after 1974. The contract price is $400,000.
(ii) For 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, qualified progress expenditures total $250,000. The ten-percent credit applies to those expenditures.
(iii) For 1980, qualified investment for the ship is $400,000, which is the contract price. X must reduce qualified investment by $250,000, the amount of qualified progress expenditures. The ten-percent credit applies to the $150,000 of qualified investment that remains after reduction for qualified progress expenditures.
At all times during 1976 Smith, an individual, owns all the stock of corporations X, Y, and Z. Corporation X files an income tax return on a calendar year basis. Corporation Y files an income tax return on the basis of a fiscal year ending June 30. Corporation Z files an income tax return on the basis of a fiscal year ending September 30. On December 31, 1976, X, Y, and Z are component members of the same controlled group. X, Y, and Z all consent to an apportionment plan in which the $25,000 amount is apportioned entirely to Y for its taxable year ending June 30, 1977 (Y's taxable year which includes December 31, 1976). Such consent is timely filed. For purposes of computing the credit under section 38, Y's tax liability limitation for its taxable year ending June 30, 1977, is so much of Y's tax liability as does not exceed $25,000, plus 50 percent of Y's tax liability in excess of $25,000. X's and Z's limitations for their taxable years ending December 31, 1976, and September 30, 1977, respectively, are equal to 50 percent of X's tax liability for 50 percent of Z's tax liability. On the other hand, if an apportionment plan is not timely filed, X's limitation would be so much of X's tax liability as does not exceed $8,333.33, plus 50 percent of X's liability in excess of $8,333.33, and Y's and Z's limitations would be computed similarly.
At all times during 1976, Jones, an individual, owns all the outstanding stock of corporations P, Q, and R. Corporations Q and R both file returns for taxable years ending December 31, 1976. P files a consolidated return as a common parent for its fiscal year ending June 30, 1977, with its two wholly-owned subsidiaries N and O. On December 31, 1976, N, O, P. Q, and R are component members of the same controlled group. No consent to an apportionment plan is filed. Therefore, each member is apportioned $5,000 of the $25,000 amount ($25,000 divided equally among the five members). The tax liability limitation for the group filing the consolidated return (P, N, and O) for the year ending June 30, 1977 (the consolidated taxable year within which December 31, 1976, falls) is computed by using $15,000 instead of the $25,000 amount. The $15,000 is arrived at by adding together the $5,000 amounts apportioned to P, N, and O.
[T.D. 6731, 29 FR 6064, May 8, 1964]
For Federal Register citations affecting § 1.46-1, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.
Terms defined here
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Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.
Code sections it cites
- § 311 Taxability of corporation on distribution
- § 102 Gifts and inheritances
- § 38 General business credit
- § 46 Amount of credit
- § 48 Energy credit
- § 47 Rehabilitation credit
- § 6401 Amounts treated as overpayments
- § 39 Carryback and carryforward of unused credits
- § 1371 Coordination with subchapter C
- § 143 Mortgage revenue bonds: qualified mortgage bond and qualified veterans’ mortgage bond
- § 441 Period for computation of taxable income
- § 1563 Definitions and special rules
- § 593 Reserves for losses on loans
- § 1381 Organizations to which part applies
Regulations it cites
- § 1.48-12 Qualified rehabilitated building; expenditures incurred after December 31, 1981.
- § 1.48-2 New section 38 property.
- § 1.46-8 Requirements for taxpayers electing additional one-percent investment credit (TRASOP's).
- § 1.441-2 Election of taxable year consisting of 52-53 weeks.
- § 1.1563-1 Definition of controlled group of corporations and component members and related concepts.
- § 1.1502-3 Consolidated tax credits.
- § 1.48-1 Definition of section 38 property.
- § 1.48-11 Qualified rehabilitated building; expenditures incurred before January 1, 1982.
Cited by 6 other regulations
- § 1.46-2 Carryback and carryover of unused credit.
- § 1.46-4 Limitations with respect to certain persons.
- § 1.47-1 Recomputation of credit allowed by section 38.
- § 1.48-4 Election of lessor of new section 38 property to treat lessee as purchaser.
- § 1.48-12 Qualified rehabilitated building; expenditures incurred after December 31, 1981.
- § 1.1502-3 Consolidated tax credits.
Amendment history
From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.
- Issued by T.D. 6731 (29 FR 6064)
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter A Income tax
- Part 1 Income taxes
- Rules for computing credit for investment in certain depreciable property
Nearby sections
- § 1.45Y-3 Rules relating to the increased credit amount for prevailing wage and apprenticeship.
- § 1.45Y-4 Rules of general application.
- § 1.45Y-5 Greenhouse gas emissions rates for qualified facilities under section 45Y.
- § 1.45Z-3 Rules relating to the increased credit amount for prevailing wage and apprenticeship.
- § 1.46-1 Determination of amount.
- § 1.46-2 Carryback and carryover of unused credit.
- § 1.46-3 Qualified investment.
- § 1.46-4 Limitations with respect to certain persons.
- § 1.46-5 Qualified progress expenditures.