Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR

§ 1.47-4. Electing small business corporation.

In effect eCFR current as of October 15, 2026

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. § 47

Cite as 26 CFR § 1.47-4

At a glance

Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.

Status: In the current eCFR
Issued: October 10, 1967 by T.D. 6931
Issued under: 26 U.S.C. § 47
Length: 2,482 words · about 11 min to read
Cross-references: cites 4 Code sections and 2 regulations; cited by 4

¶(a) In general—

¶(1) Disposition or cessation in hands of corporation. If an electing small business corporation (as defined in section 1371(b)) or a former electing small business corporation disposes of any section 38 property (or if any section 38 property otherwise ceases to be section 38 property in the hands of the corporation) before the close of the estimated useful life which was taken into account in computing qualified investment with respect to such property, a recapture determination shall be made with respect to each shareholder who is treated, under § 1.48-5, as a taxpayer with respect to such property. Each such recapture determination shall be made with respect to the pro rata share of the basis (or cost) of such property taken into account by such shareholder in computing his qualified investment. For purposes of each such recapture determination the actual useful life of such property shall be the period beginning with the date on which it was placed in service by the electing small business corporation and ending with the date of the disposition or cessation. In making a recapture determination under this subparagraph there shall be taken into account any prior recapture determinations made with respect to the shareholder in connection with the same property. For definition of “recapture determination” see paragraph (a)(1) of § 1.47-1.

¶(2) Disposition of shareholder's interest.

¶(i) If—

(a) The basis (or cost) of section 38 property is apportioned, under § 1.48-5, to a shareholder of an electing small business corporation who takes such basis (or cost) into account in computing his qualified investment, and

(b) After the end of the shareholder's taxable year in which such apportionment was taken into account and before the close of the estimated useful life of the property, such shareholder's proportionate stock interest in such corporation is reduced (for example, by a sale or redemption, or by the issuance of additional shares) below the percentage specified in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph,

then, on the date of such reduction such section 38 property ceases to be section 38 property with respect to such shareholder to the extent of the actual reduction in such shareholder's proportionate stock interest. (For example, if $100 of the basis of section 38 property was apportioned to a shareholder and if his proportionate stock interest is reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent (that is, 50 percent of his original interest), then such property shall be treated as having ceased to be section 38 property to the extent of $50.) Accordingly, a recapture determination shall be made with respect to such shareholder. For purposes of such recapture determination the actual useful life of such property shall be the period beginning with the date on which it was placed in service by the electing small business corporation and ending with the date on which it is treated as having ceased to be section 38 property with respect to the shareholder. In making a recapture determination under this subparagraph there shall be taken into account any prior recapture determination made with respect to the shareholder in connection with the same property.

¶(ii) The percentage referred to in subdivision (i)(b) of this subparagraph is 66 2/3 percent of the shareholder's proportionate stock interest in the corporation on the date of the apportionment under § 1.48-5. However, once property has been treated under this subparagraph as having ceased to be section 38 property to any extent the percentage referred to shall be 33 1/3 percent of the shareholder's proportionate stock interest in the corporation on the date of the apportionment under § 1.48-5.

¶(iii) In determining a shareholder's proportionate stock interest in a former electing small business corporation for purposes of this subparagraph, the shareholder shall be considered to own stock in such corporation which he owns directly or indirectly (through ownership in other entities provided such other entities' bases in such stock are determined in whole or in part by reference to the basis of such stock in the hands of the transferor). For example, if A, who owns all of the 100 shares of the outstanding stock of corporation X, a corporation which was formerly an electing small business corporation, transfers on November 1, 1966, 70 shares of X stock to corporation Y in exchange for 90 percent of the stock of Y in a transaction to which section 351 applies, then, for purposes of subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, A shall be considered to own 93 percent of the stock of X, 30 percent directly and 63 percent indirectly (i.e., 90 percent of 70). Any taxpayer who seeks to establish his interest in the stock of a former electing small business corporation under the rule of this subdivision shall maintain adequate records to demonstrate his indirect interest in the corporation after any such transfer or transfers.

¶(b) Election of a small business corporation under section 1372—

¶(1) General rule. If a corporation makes a valid election under section 1372 to be an electing small business corporation (as defined in section 1371(b)), then on the last day of the taxable year immediately preceding the first taxable year for which such election is effective, any section 38 property the basis (or cost) of which was taken into account in computing the corporation's qualified investment in taxable years prior to the first taxable year for which the election is effective (and which has not been disposed of or otherwise ceased to be section 38 property with respect to the corporation prior to such last day) shall be considered as having ceased to be section 38 property with respect to such corporation and § 1.47-1 shall apply. However, if the corporation and each of the persons who are shareholders of the corporation on the first day of the first taxable year for which the election under section 1372 is to be effective, or on the date of such election, whichever is later, execute the agreement specified in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, § 1.47-1 shall not apply to any such section 38 property by reason of the election by the corporation under section 1372.

¶(2) Agreement of shareholders and corporation.

¶(i) The agreement referred to in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph shall be signed by the shareholders and the corporation, and shall recite that, in the event the section 38 property described in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph is later disposed of by, or ceases to be section 38 property with respect to, the corporation during a taxable year of the corporation for which the election under section 1372 is effective, each such signer agrees (a) to notify the district director of such disposition or cessation, and (b) to be jointly and severally liable to pay to the district director an amount equal to the increase in tax provided by section 47. The amount of such increase shall be determined as if such property had ceased to be section 38 property as of the last day of the taxable year immediately preceding the first taxable year for which the election under section 1372 is effective, except that the actual useful life (within the meaning of paragraph (a) of § 1.47-1) of the property shall be considered to have ended on the date of the actual disposition by, or cessation in the hands of, the electing small business corporation.

¶(ii) The agreement shall set forth the name, address, and taxpayer account number of each party and the internal revenue district in which each such party files his or its income tax return for the taxable year which includes the last day of the corporation's taxable year immediately preceding the first taxable year for which the election under section 1372 is effective. The agreement may be signed on behalf of the corporation by any person who is duly authorized. The agreement shall be filed with the district director with whom the corporation files its income tax return for its taxable year immediately preceding the first taxable year for which the election under section 1372 is effective and shall be filed on or before the due date (including extensions of time) of such return. However, if the due date (including extensions of time) of such income tax return is on or before September 1, 1967, the agreement may be filed on or before December 31, 1967. For purposes of the two preceding sentences, the district director may, if good cause is shown, permit the agreement to be filed on a later date.

¶(c) Examples. This section may be illustrated by the following examples in each of which it is assumed that X Corporation, an electing small business corporation which makes its returns on the basis of the calendar year, acquired and placed in service on June 1, 1962, three items of section 38 property. The basis and estimated useful life of each item of section 38 property are as follows:

Asset No.	Basis	Estimated useful life (Years)
1	$30,000	4
2	30,000	6
3	30,000	8

On December 31, 1962, X Corporation had 20 shares of stock outstanding which were owned equally by A and B who make their returns on the basis of a calendar year. Under § 1.48-5, the total bases of section 38 properties was apportioned to the shareholders of X Corporation as follows:

	Useful life category
	4 to 6 years	6 to 8 years	8 years or more
Total bases	$30,000	$30,000	$30,000
Shareholder A (10/20)	15,000	15,000	15,000
Shareholder B (10/20)	15,000	15,000	15,000

Assuming that during 1962 shareholders A and B did not place in service any section 38 property and that they did not own any interests in other electing small business corporations, partnerships, estates, or trusts, the qualified investment of each shareholder is $30,000, computed as follows:

Basis	Applicable percentage	Qualified investment
$15,000	33¹⁄₃	$5,000
$15,000	66²⁄₃	10,000
$15,000	100	15,000
		30,000

For the taxable year 1962, each shareholder's credit earned of $2,100 (7 percent of $30,000) was allowed under section 38 as a credit against his liability for tax.

¶Example 1.

(i) On December 2, 1965, X Corporation sells asset No. 3 to Y Corporation.

(ii) The actual useful life of asset No. 3 is three years and six months. The recomputed qualified investment with respect to each shareholder's share of the basis of asset No. 3 is zero ($15,000 share of basis multiplied by zero applicable percentage) and for the taxable year 1962 each shareholder's recomputed credit earned is $1,050 (7 percent of $15,000). The income tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code on each of the shareholders for the taxable year 1965 is increased by the $1,050 decrease in his credit earned for the taxable year 1962 (that is, $2,100 original credit earned minus $1,050 recomputed credit earned).

¶Example 2.

(i) On December 3, 1964, shareholder A sells 5 of his 10 shares of stock in X Corporation to C, and on December 3, 1965, A sells his remaining 5 shares of stock to D. In addition, on January 2, 1966, X Corporation sells asset No. 3 to Y Corporation.

(ii) Under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, on December 3, 1964, 50 percent of the share of the basis of each of the three items of section 38 property ceases to be section 38 property with respect to shareholder A since immediately after the December 3, 1964, sale A's proportionate stock interest in X Corporation is reduced to 50 percent of the proportionate stock interest in X Corporation which he held on December 31, 1962. The actual useful life of the share of the bases of the section 38 properties which cease to be section 38 property with respect to A is two years and six months (that is, the period beginning with June 1, 1962, and ending with December 3, 1964). A's recomputed qualified investment with respect to such properties is $15,000, computed as follows:

Basis	Applicable percentage	Recomputed qualified investment
$7,500	33¹⁄₃	$2,500
$7,500	66²⁄₃	5,000
$7,500	100	7,500
		15,000

For the taxable year 1962 shareholder A's recomputed credit earned is $1,050 (7 percent of $15,000). The income tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code on shareholder A for the taxable year 1964 is increased by the $1,050 decrease in his credit earned for the taxable year 1962 (that is, $2,100 original credit earned minus $1,050 recomputed credit earned).

(iii) Under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, on December 3, 1965, the remaining 50 percent of the share of the basis of each of the three items of section 38 property ceases to be section 38 property with respect to shareholder A since immediately after the December 3, 1965, sale A's proportionate stock interest in X Corporation is reduced to zero. The actual useful life of the share of the bases of the section 38 properties which cease to be section 38 property with respect to A is three years and six months (that is, the period beginning with June 1, 1962, and ending with December 3, 1965). A's recomputed qualified investment with respect to such properties is zero. For the taxable year 1962 shareholder A's recomputed credit earned is zero. The income tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code on shareholder A for the taxable year 1965 is increased by $1,050 (that is, $2,100 ($2,100 original credit earned minus zero recomputed credit earned) reduced by the $1,050 increase in tax for 1964).

(iv) The actual useful life of asset No. 3 which was sold on January 2, 1966, is three years and seven months. The recomputed qualified investment with respect to B's share of the basis of asset No. 3 is zero ($15,000 share of basis multiplied by zero applicable percentage) and for the taxable year 1962, B's recomputed credit earned is $1,050 (7 percent of $15,000). The income tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code on shareholder B for the taxable year 1966 is increased by the $1,050 decrease in his credit earned for the taxable year 1962 ($2,100 original credit earned minus $1,050 recomputed credit earned). The sale of asset No. 3 on January 2, 1966, by X Corporation has no effect on A.

¶(d) Termination or revocation of an election under section 1372. Section 38 property shall not be considered to be disposed of or to have ceased to be section 38 property solely by reason of a termination or revocation of a corporation's election under section 1372.

[T.D. 6931, 32 FR 14035, Oct. 10, 1967]

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.

Code sections it cites

Regulations it cites

Cited by 4 other regulations

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.

October 10, 1967Issued by T.D. 6931 (32 FR 14035)

Where it sits in 26 CFR

Subchapter A Income tax
Part 1 Income taxes
Rules for computing credit for investment in certain depreciable property