§ 1.544-6. Constructive ownership as actual ownership.

A's wife, AW, owns all the stock of the M Corporation, which in turn owns all the stock of the O Corporation. The O Corporation in turn owns all the stock of the P Corporation. Under the rule provided in section 544(a)(1), relating to stock not owned by an individual, the stock in the P Corporation owned by the O Corporation is considered to be owned constructively by the M Corporation, the sole shareholder of the O Corporation. Such constructive ownership of the stock of the M Corporation is considered as actual ownership for the purpose of again applying such rule in order to make AW, the sole shareholder of the M Corporation, the constructive owner of the stock of the P Corporation. Similarly, the constructive ownership of the stock by AW is considered as actual ownership for the purpose of applying the family and partnership rule provided in section 544(a)(2) in order to make A the constructive owner of the stock of the P Corporation, if such application is necessary for any of the purposes set forth in paragraph (b) of § 1.544-1. But the stock thus constructively owned by A may not be considered as actual ownership for the purpose of again applying the family and partnership rule in order to make another member of A's family, for example, A's father, the constructive owner of the stock of the P Corporation.

B, an individual, owns all the stock of the R Corporation which has an option to acquire all the stock of the S Corporation, owned by C, an individual, who is not related to B. Under the option rule provided in section 544(a)(3) the R Corporation may be considered as owning constructively the stock of the S Corporation owned by C. Such constructive ownership of the stock by the R Corporation is considered as actual ownership for the purpose of applying the rule provided in section 544(a)(1), relating to stock not owned by an individual, in order to make B, the sole shareholder of the R Corporation, the constructive owner of the stock of the S Corporation. The stock thus constructively owned by B by reason of the application of the rule provided in section 544(a)(1) likewise is considered as actual ownership for the purpose, if necessary, of applying the family and partnership rule provided in section 544(a)(2), in order to make another member of B's family, for example, B's wife, BW, the constructive owner of the stock of the S Corporation. However, the family and partnership rule could not again be applied so as to make still another individual the constructive owner of the stock of the S Corporation, that is, the stock constructively owned by BW could not be considered as actually owned by her in order to make BW's father the constructive owner of such stock by a second application of the family and partnership rule.