§ 1.6045-5. Information reporting on payments to attorneys.

Employee C, who sues employer P for back wages, is represented by attorney A. P settles the suit for $300,000. The $300,000 represents taxable wages to C under existing legal principles. P writes a settlement check payable jointly to C and A in the amount of $200,000, net of income and FICA tax withholding with respect to C. P delivers the check to A. A retains $100,000 of the payment as compensation for legal services and disburses the remaining $100,000 to C. P must file an information return with respect to A for $200,000 under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. P also must file an information return with respect to C under sections 6041 and 6051, in the amount of $300,000. See §§ 1.6041-1(f) and 1.6041-2.

C, who sues corporation P for damages on account of personal physical injuries, is represented by attorney A. P settles the suit for a $300,000 damage payment that is excludable from C's gross income under section 104(a)(2). P writes a $300,000 settlement check payable jointly to C and A and delivers the check to A. A retains $120,000 of the payment as compensation for legal services and remits the remaining $180,000 to C. P must file an information return with respect to A for $300,000 under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. P does not file an information return with respect to tax-free damages paid to C.

C, an individual plaintiff in a suit for lost profits against corporation P, is represented by attorney A. P settles the suit for $300,000, all of which will be includible in C's gross income. A requests P to write two checks, one payable to A in the amount of $100,000 as compensation for legal services and the other payable to C in the amount of $200,000. P writes the checks in accordance with A's instructions and delivers both checks to A. P must file an information return with respect to A for $100,000 under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Pursuant to § 1.6041-1(a) and (f), P must file an information return with respect to C for the $300,000.

Corporation P is a defendant in a suit for damages in which C, the plaintiff, has been represented by attorney A throughout the proceeding. P settles the suit for $300,000. Pursuant to a request by A, P writes the $300,000 settlement check payable solely to C and delivers it to A at A's office. P is not required to file an information return under paragraph (a)(1) of this section with respect to A, because there is no payment to an attorney within the meaning of paragraph (d)(4) of this section.

Corporation P, a defendant, settles a lost profits suit brought by C for $300,000 by issuing a check naming C's attorneys, Y, A, and Z, as payees in that order. Y, A, and Z do not belong to the same law firm. P delivers the payment to A's office. A deposits the check proceeds into a trust account and makes payments by separate checks to Y of $30,000 and to Z of $15,000, as compensation for legal services, pursuant to authorization from C to pay these amounts. A also makes a payment by check of $155,000 to C. A retains $100,000 as compensation for legal services. P must file an information return for $300,000 with respect to A under paragraphs (a)(1) and (b)(1)(i) of this section. A, in turn, must file information returns with respect to Y of $30,000 and to Z of $15,000 under paragraphs (a)(1) and (b)(2) of this section because A is not required to file information returns under section 6041 with respect to A's payments to Y and Z because A's role in making the payments to Y and Z is merely ministerial. See § 1.6041-1(e)(1), (e)(2) and (e)(5) Example 7 for information reporting requirements with respect to A's payments to Y and Z. As described in Example 3, P must also file an information return with respect to C, pursuant to § 1.6041-1(a) and (f).

(i) Corporation P, a defendant, settles a suit brought by C for $300,000 of damages. P will pay the damages by a joint check to C and his attorney, A. A failed to furnish P with A's TIN. P is required to deduct and withhold 28 percent tax from the $300,000 under section 3406(a)(1)(A) and paragraph (e) of this section. P writes the check to C and A as joint payees, in the amount of $216,000. P also must file an information return with respect to A under paragraph (a)(1) of this section in the amount of $300,000, as prescribed in paragraph (d)(5) of this section. If the damages are reportable under section 6041 because they are not excludable from gross income under existing legal principles, and are not subject to any exception under section 6041, P must also file an information return with respect to C pursuant to § 1.6041-1(a) and (f) in the amount of $300,000.

(ii) Rather than paying by joint check to C and A, P will pay the damages by a joint check to C and F, A's law firm. F failed to furnish its TIN to P. P is required to deduct and withhold 28 percent tax from the $300,000 under section 3406(a)(1)(A) and paragraph (e) of this section. P writes the check to C and F as joint payees, in the amount of $216,000. P also must file an information return with respect to F under paragraph (a)(1) of this section in the amount of $300,000, as prescribed in paragraph (d)(5) of this section. If the damages are reportable under section 6041 because they are not excludable from gross income under existing legal principles, and are not subject to any exception under section 6041, P must also file an information return with respect to C pursuant to § 1.6041-1(a) and (f) in the amount of $300,000.

(i) Individual P agrees to purchase a house that P will use solely as a residence. P obtains a loan from lender L to finance a portion of the cost of acquiring the house. L disburses loan proceeds of $300,000 to attorney A, who is the settlement agent, by a check naming A as the sole payee. A, in turn, writes checks from the loan proceeds and from other funds provided by P to the persons involved in the purchase of the house, including a check for $800 to attorney B, whom P hired to provide P with legal services relating to the closing.

(ii) P, not L, is the payor of the payment to A under paragraph (d)(3) of this section. P, however, is not required to file an information return with respect to A under paragraph (a)(1) of this section because the payment was not made in the course of P's trade or business. Even if P made the payment in the course of P's trade or business, P would not be required to file an information return under section 6045(f) with respect to A because P is excepted under paragraph (c)(6) of this section.

(iii) A is not required to file an information return under paragraph (a)(1) of this section with respect to the payment to B because A is not the payor as that term is defined under paragraph (d)(3) of this section. A is not required to file an information return under paragraph (b)(2) with respect to the payment to B because A was listed as sole payee on the check it received from P. See section 6041 and § 1.6041-1(e) for whether A or L must file information returns under that section. See section 6045(e) and § 1.6045-4 for whether A is required to file an information return under that section.

The facts are the same as in Example 7 except that P buys real property that P will use in a trade or business. P, not L, is the payor of the payment to A under paragraph (d)(3) of this section. P, however, is not required to file an information return under section 6045(f) with respect to A because P is excepted under paragraph (c)(6) of this section. A is not required to file an information return under paragraphs (a) or (b)(2) of this section with respect to the payment to B. See section 6041 and § 1.6041-1(e) to determine whether P or L must file an information return under that section with respect to the payment to A, and whether P or A must file a return with respect to the payment to B. See section 6045(e) for rules regarding whether A is required to file information returns under that section.

Corporation P agrees to settle for $300,000 a class action lawsuit brought by attorney A on behalf of a claimant class. Pursuant to the settlement agreement and a preliminary order of approval by a court, A establishes a bank account in the name of Q Settlement Fund, which is a qualified settlement fund (QSF) under § 1.468B-1. A is also designated by the court as the administrator of the QSF. Corporation P transfers $300,000 by wire in Year 1 to A, who deposits the funds into the Q Settlement Fund. In Year 2, the court approves an award of attorney's fees of $105,000 for A. In Year 2, Q Settlement Fund delivers $105,000 to A. P is required to file an information return under paragraph (a) of this section with respect to A for Year 1 for the $300,000 payment it made to A. The Q Settlement Fund is required to file an information return under section 6041(a) and § 1.468B-2(l)(2) with respect to A for Year 2 for the $105,000 payment it made to A.