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Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR

§ 1.50A-1. Determination of amount.

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. § 50A

Cite as 26 CFR § 1.50A-1

At a glance

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

Status
In the current eCFR
Issued
March 7, 1973 by 38 FR 6152
Last amended
August 10, 1979 by T.D. 7636
Issued under
26 U.S.C. § 50A
Length
2,535 words · about 11 min to read
Cross-references
cites 20 Code sections and 8 regulations; cited by 5
(a) In general. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in § 1.50A-2, the amount of the work incentive program (WIN) credit allowed by section 40 for the taxable year is equal to 20 percent of the taxpayer's WIN expenses (as determined under paragraph (a) of § 1.50B-1). The amount equal to 20 percent of the WIN expenses shall be referred to in this section and §§ 1.50A-2 through 1.50B-5 as the “credit earned.”
(b) Limitation based on amount of tax. Notwithstanding the amount of the credit earned for the taxable year, under section 50A(a)(2) the credit allowed by section 40 for the taxable year is limited to—
(1) If the liability for tax (as defined in paragraph (c) of this section) is $25,000 or less, the liability for tax; or
(2) If the liability for tax is more than $25,000, then, the first $25,000 of the liability for tax plus 50 percent of the liability for tax in excess of $25,000. However, such $25,000 amount may be reduced in the case of certain married individuals filing separate returns (see paragraph (e) of this section); corporations which are members of a controlled group (see paragraph (f) of this section); estates and trusts (see paragraph (c) of § 1.50B-3); and organizations to which section 593 applies, regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts subject to taxation under subchapter M, chapter 1 of the Code, and cooperative organizations described in section 1381(a) (see § 1.50B-5). The excess of the credit earned for the taxable year over the limitations described in this paragraph for such taxable year is an unused credit which may be carried back or forward to other taxable years in accordance with § 1.50A-2.
(c) Liability for tax. For the purpose of computing the limitation based on amount of tax, section 50A(a)(3) defines the liability for tax as the income tax imposed for the taxable year by chapter 1 of the Code, reduced by the sum of the credits allowable under—
(1) Section 33 (relating to taxes of foreign countries and possessions of the United States,
(2) Section 37 (relating to credit for the elderly),
(3) Section 38 (relating to investment in certain depreciable property), and
(4) Section 41 (relating to contributions to candidates for public office).

For purposes of this paragraph, the tax imposed for the taxable year by section 56 (relating to imposition of minimum tax for tax preferences), section 72(m)(5)(B) (relating to 10 percent tax on premature distributions to owner-employees), section 402(e) (relating to tax on lump sum distributions), section 408(f) (relating to additional tax on income from certain retirement accounts), section 531 (relating to imposition of accumulated earnings tax), section 541 (relating to imposition of personal holding company tax), or section 1378 (relating to tax on certain capital gains of subchapter S corporations), and any additional tax imposed for the taxable year by section 1351(d)(1) (relating to recoveries of foreign expropriation losses), shall not be considered tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code for such year. Thus, the liability for tax for purposes of computing the limitation based on amount of tax for the taxable year is determined without regard to any tax imposed by sections 56, 72(m)(5)(B), 402(e), 408(f), 531, 541, 1351(d)(1) or 1378 of the Code. In addition, any increase in tax resulting from the application of section 50A (c) and (d) and § 1.50A-3 (relating to recomputation of credit allowed due to early termination of employment by employer, or failure to pay comparable wages) shall not be treated as tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code for purposes of computing the liability for tax. See section 50A (c)(3) and (d)(2).

(d) Example. The application of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section may be illustrated by the following example:
Example.

X Corporation's WIN expenses for its taxable year ending December 31, 1973, are $500,000. X's credit earned for its taxable year is $100,000 (20 percent of $500,000). X's income tax for such year, computed without regard to credits against tax and without regard to any tax imposed by section 56, 531, 541, 1351(d)(1) or 1378, is $190,000. That amount includes $5,000 resulting from the application of section 50A(c)(3) and § 1.50 A-3. X is allowed under section 33 a foreign tax credit of $50,000. X's liability for tax is computed as follows:

Income tax (including increase in tax under section 50A(c)(3), but before any credits and without regard to any tax imposed by section 56, 531, 541, 1351(d)(1) or 1378)$190,000
Less:
Increase in tax resulting from application of section 50A(c)(3)$5,000
Foreign tax credit50,000
55,000
Liability for tax135,000

Under section 50A(a)(2) and paragraph (b) of this section, X's limitation based on amount of tax for the taxable year is $80,000 ($25,000 plus 50 percent of $110,000). X Corporation's credit allowed by section 40 for the taxable year therefore is $80,000. X has an unused credit for the year of $20,000 ($100,000 less $80,000) which it may carry back or forward to other taxable years in accordance with § 1.50A-2.

(e) Married individuals. If a separate return is filed by a husband or wife, the limitation based on amount of tax under paragraph (b) of this section shall be computed by substituting a $12,500 amount for the $25,000 amount in applying such paragraph (b). However, this reduction of the $25,000 amount to $12,500 applies only if the taxpayer's spouse is entitled to a credit under section 40 for the taxable year of such spouse which ends with, or within, the taxpayer's taxable year. The taxpayer's spouse is entitled to a credit under section 40 either because of incurring WIN expenses for such taxable year of the spouse (whether directly incurred by such spouse or whether apportioned to such spouse, for example, from an electing small business corporation, as defined in section 1371(b)), or because of a credit carryback or carryover to such taxable year under § 1.50A-2. The determination of whether an individual is married shall be made under the principles of section 143 and the regulations thereunder.
(f) Apportionment of $25,000 amount among component members of a controlled group—
(1) In general. In determining the limitation based on amount of tax under section 50A(a)(2) in the case of corporations which are component members of a controlled group of corporations on a December 31, only one $25,000 amount is available to such component members for their taxable years that include such December 31. See subparagraph (2) of this paragraph for apportionment of such amount among such component members. See subparagraph (3) of this paragraph for the definition of “component member.”
(2) Manner of apportionment.
(i) In the case of corporations which are component members of a controlled group on a particular December 31, the $25,000 amount may be apportioned among such members for their taxable years that include such December 31 in any manner the component members may select, provided that each such member less than 100 percent of whose stock is owned, in the aggregate, by the other component members of the group on such December 31 consents to an apportionment plan. The consent of a component member to an apportionment plan with respect to a particular December 31 shall be made by means of a statement signed by a person duly authorized to act on behalf of the consenting member, stating that such member consents to the apportionment plan with respect to such December 31. The statement shall set forth the name, address, employer identification number, and taxable year of each component member of the group on such December 31, the amount apportioned to each such member under the plan, and the location of the Internal Revenue Service center where the statement is to be filed. The consent of more than one component member may be incorporated in a single statement. The statement shall be timely filed with the Internal Revenue Service center where the component member having the taxable year first ending on or after such December 31 files its return for such taxable year and shall be irrevocable after such filing. If two or more component members have the same such taxable year, a statement of consent may be filed by any one of such members. Such statement shall be considered as timely filed if filed on or before the due date (including any extensions of time) of such member's income tax return which includes such December 31. However, if the due date (including any extensions of time) of the return of such member is on or before December 15, 1972, the required statement shall be considered as timely filed if filed on or before March 15, 1973. Each component member of the group on such December 31 shall keep as a part of its records a copy of the statement containing all the required consents.
(ii) An apportionment plan adopted by a controlled group with respect to a particular December 31 shall be valid only for the taxable year of each member of the group which includes such December 31. Thus, a controlled group must file a separate consent to an apportionment plan with respect to each taxable year which includes a December 31 as to which an apportionment plan is desired.
(iii) If an apportionment plan is not timely filed, the $25,000 amount specified in section 50A(a)(2) shall be reduced for each component member of the controlled group, for its taxable year which includes a December 31, to an amount equal to $25,000 divided by the number of component members of each group on such December 31.
(iv) If a component member of the controlled group makes its income tax return on the basis of a 52-53 week taxable year, the principles of section 441(f)(2)(A)(ii) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.441-2 apply in determining the last day of such taxable year.
(3) Definitions of controlled group of corporations and component member of controlled group. For the purpose of this paragraph, the terms “controlled group of corporations” and “component member” of a controlled group of corporations shall have the same meaning assigned to those terms in section 1563 (a) and (b) and the regulations thereunder. For purposes of applying § 1.1563-1(b)(2)(ii)(c), an electing small business corporation shall be treated as an excluded member whether or not it is subject to the tax imposed by section 1378.
(4) Members of a controlled group filing a consolidated return. If some component members of a controlled group join in filing a consolidated return pursuant to § 1.1502-3(a)(3), and other component members do not join, then, unless a consent is timely filed apportioning the $25,000 amount among the group filing the consolidated return and the other component members of the controlled group, each component member of the controlled group (including each component member which joins in filing the consolidated return) shall be treated as a separate corporation for purposes of equally apportioning the $25,000 amount under subparagraph (2)(iii) of this paragraph. In such case, the limitation based on the amount of tax for the group filing the consolidated return shall be computed by substituting for the $25,000 amount the total of the amount apportioned to each component member which joins in filing the consolidated return. If the affiliated group, filing the consolidated return and the other component members of the controlled group adopt an apportionment plan, the affiliated group shall be treated as a single member for the purpose of applying subparagraph (2)(i) of this paragraph. Thus, for example, only one consent executed by the common parent to the apportionment plan is required for the group filing the consolidated return. If any component member of the controlled group which joins in the filing of the consolidated return is an organization to which section 593 applies or a cooperative organization described in section 1381(a), rules similar to the rules contained in paragraph (a)(3)(ii) of § 1.1502-3 are applicable.
(5) Examples. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following examples:
Example 1.

At all times during 1972 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, 1972, 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, 1973 (Y's taxable year which includes December 31, 1972). Such consent is timely filed. For purposes of computing the credit under section 40, Y's limitation based on amount of tax for its taxable year ending June 30, 1973, is so much of Y's liability for tax as does not exceed $25,000, plus 50 percent of Y's liability for tax in excess of $25,000. X's and Z's limitations for their taxable years ending December 31, 1972, and September 30, 1973, respectively, are equal to 50 percent of X's liability for tax and 50 percent of Z's liability for tax. On the other hand, if an apportionment plan is not timely filed, X's limitation would be so much of X's liability for tax 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.

Example 2.

At all times during 1972, Jones, an individual, owns all the outstanding stock of corporations P, Q, and R. Corporations Q and R both file returns for taxable year ending December 31, 1972. P files a consolidated return as a common parent for its fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, with its wholly owned subsidiaries N and O. On December 31, 1972, 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 limitation based on the amount of tax for the group filing the consolidated return (P, N, and O) for the year ending June 30, 1973 (the consolidated taxable year within which December 31, 1972, 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.

[38 FR 6152, Mar. 7, 1973, as amended by T.D. 7636, 44 FR 47049, Aug. 10, 1979]

Other regulations under § 50A

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.

Code sections it cites

Regulations it cites

Cited by 5 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.

  1. Amended by T.D. 7636 (44 FR 47049)
  2. Issued (38 FR 6152)

Where it sits in 26 CFR

  1. Subchapter A Income tax
  2. Part 1 Income taxes
  3. Rules for computing credit for expenses of work incentive programs

Nearby sections