§ 1.817-3. Gain on property held on December 31, 1958, and certain substituted property acquired after 1958.

On December 31, 1958, J, a stock life insurance company, owned stock of Z Corporation and on such date the stock had an adjusted basis for determining gain of $5,000 and a fair market value of $6,000. On August 1, 1959, the company sells such stock for $8,000. Assuming J qualifies as a life insurance company for the taxable year 1959, and applying the provisions of section 817(b)(1) and paragraph (a) of this section, the gain recognized (assuming no adjustment to basis for the period since December 31, 1958) on the sale shall be limited to $2,000 (the amount by which the gain realized, $3,000, exceeds the difference, $1,000, between the fair market value, $6,000, and the adjusted basis, $5,000, for determining gain on December 31, 1958). Thus, J shall take into account $2,000 under section 815(b)(2)(A)(ii) for purposes of determining the amount to be added to its shareholders surplus account for the taxable year and shall include $1,000 in other accounts for the taxable year.

The facts are the same as in example 1, except that the selling price is $5,800. In such case, no gain shall be recognized even though there is a realized gain of $800 since such realized gain does not exceed the difference ($1,000) between the fair market value ($6,000) and the adjusted basis ($5,000) for determining gain on December 31, 1958. Furthermore, no loss shall be realized or recognized as a result of this transaction. Thus, J shall include $800 in other accounts for the taxable year and shall not take into account any amount under section 815(b)(2)(A)(ii).

The facts are the same as in example 1, except that the adjusted basis for determining loss is $5,000 and the selling price is $4,500. In such case, since J has sustained a loss, section 817(b)(1) does not apply.

For purposes of section 817(b)(2) and this paragraph, the term property does not include insurance and annuity contracts (and contracts supplementary thereto) and property described in section 1221(1) (relating to stock in trade or inventory-type property). Furthermore, the provisions of section 817(b)(1) and paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall not apply for purposes of determining loss with respect to property described in section 817(b)(2) and this paragraph.

Assume that W, a life insurance company, owns property B on December 31, 1958, at which time its adjusted basis was $1,000 and its fair market value was $1,800. On January 31, 1960, in a transaction to which section 1031 (relating to exchange of property held for productive use or investment) applies, W receives property H having a fair market value of $1,700 plus $300 in cash in exchange for property B. The gain realized on the transaction, without regard to section 817(b) is $1,000 (assuming no adjustments to basis for the period since December 31, 1958). Under the provisions of section 817(b)(1) the gain is limited to $200. The entire $200 shall be recognized since such amount is less than the amount of gain ($300) which would be recognized under section 1031. Applying the provisions of section 817(b)(2) and paragraph (c) of this section, the basis of property H shall be determined as if the entire $300 of cash received is recognized gain. Thus, the basis of property H under section 1031 is $1,000 ($1,000 (the basis of property B) minus $300 (the amount of money received) plus $300 (the recognized gain of $200 plus $100 which would have been recognized but for section 817(b)). If W later sells property H for $2,200 cash, and assuming no further adjustments to its basis of $1,000, the gain realized is $1,200, but due to the application of section 817(b)(2) the amount of gain recognized is $500, computed as follows: