§ 1.909-2. Splitter arrangements.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns DE, a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is organized in country A and treated as a corporation for country A tax purposes. DE wholly owns RH, a corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes that is organized in country A and treated as a fiscally transparent entity for country A tax purposes. Country A imposes an income tax at the rate of 30% on DE with respect to the items of income earned by RH. Prior to year 1, RH had no income for country A purposes and had no post-1986 earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. In year 1, RH earns 200u of income on which DE pays 60u of country A tax. Pursuant to § 1.901-2(f)(4)(ii), USP is treated as legally liable for the 60u of country A taxes paid by DE. DE has no other income. In year 2, RH earns no income and incurs no losses or expenses. At the end of year 2, RH distributes 100u to DE.

(ii) Result. (A) Split taxes and related income. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1)(iv), RH is a reverse hybrid because it is a corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes and a fiscally transparent entity for country A purposes. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1), RH is a covered person with respect to USP because USP wholly owns RH for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1)(i), there is a splitter arrangement with respect to RH because USP paid country A tax with respect to the income of RH. All 60u of taxes paid by USP in year 1 with respect to the income of RH are split taxes pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1)(ii). The post-1986 earnings and profits of RH are 200u as of the end of year 1. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1)(iii), the related income in year 1 is the 200u of RH's earnings and profits that are attributable to the activities that gave rise to the split taxes. No additional split taxes or related income arise in year 2.

(B) Distribution. Because DE is a disregarded entity, the 100u distribution by RH at the end of year 2 is treated as a dividend to USP. Pursuant to § 1.909-6(d)(7) and § 1.909-3(a), 100u of the 200u of related income of RH, or 50%, is taken into account by USP by reason of the 100u dividend. Accordingly, pursuant to § 1.909-6(e)(4) and § 1.909-3(a), a ratable portion of the split taxes, or 30u of taxes (50% of 60u), is no longer treated as split taxes and is taken into account by USP for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.

(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that in year 2, RH has a 100u loss for U.S. Federal income tax purposes as well as for country A tax purposes. For country A tax purposes, DE takes the 100u loss into account in year 2 and may not carry back the 100u loss to offset its country A taxable income for year 1. At the end of year 2, RH distributes 100u to DE.

(ii) Result. (A) Split taxes and related income. The split taxes and related income for year 1 are the same as in Example 1. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(1)(iii), § 1.909-6(d)(1) and § 1.909-3(a), the total related income of RH is reduced to 100u (200u − 100u) in year 2 because RH incurred a 100u loss in year 2 attributable to the activities that are included in DE's country A tax base.

(B) Distribution. Because DE is a disregarded entity, the 100u distribution by RH at the end of year 2 is treated as a dividend to USP. Pursuant to § 1.909-6(d)(7) and § 1.909-3(a), 100u of the 100u of related income of RH, or 100%, is taken into account by USP by reason of the 100u dividend. Accordingly, pursuant to § 1.909-6(e)(4) and § 1.909-3(a), a ratable portion of the split taxes, or 60u of taxes (100% of 60u), is no longer treated as split taxes and is taken into account by USP for U.S. Federal income tax purposes.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a corporation organized in country A. CFC1 wholly owns CFC2 and CFC3, both corporations organized in country A. CFC2 wholly owns DE, an entity organized in country A. DE is a corporation for country A tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Country A has a loss-sharing regime under which a loss of CFC1, CFC2, CFC3 or DE may be used to offset the income of one or more of the others. Country A imposes an income tax at the rate of 30% on the taxable income of corporations organized in country A. In year 1, before any loss sharing, CFC1 has no income, CFC2 has income of 50u, CFC3 has income of 200u, and DE has a loss of 100u. Under the provisions of country A's loss-sharing regime, the group decides to use DE's 100u loss to offset 100u of CFC3's income. After the loss is shared, for country A's tax purposes, CFC2 still has 50u of income on which it pays 15u of country A tax. CFC3 has income of 100u (200u less the 100u shared loss) on which it pays 30u of country A tax. For U.S. Federal income tax purposes, the loss sharing with CFC3 is not taken into account. Because DE is a disregarded entity, its 100u loss is taken into account by CFC2 and reduces its earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, before application of section 909, CFC2 has a loss for earnings and profits purposes of 65u (50u income less 15u taxes paid to country A less 100u loss of DE). CFC2 also has the U.S. dollar equivalent of 15u of foreign income taxes to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool. CFC3 has earnings and profits of 170u (200u income less 30u of taxes) and the dollar equivalent of 30u of foreign income taxes to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.

(ii) Result. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(ii), CFC2 and DE constitute one U.S. combined income group, while CFC1 and CFC3 each constitute separate U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is 50u (CFC2's country A taxable income of 50u). The income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group is 200u (CFC3's country A taxable income of 200u). Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iii)(B), the shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group includes the 100u of shared loss incurred by DE. The usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is 50u, the amount of the group's shared loss that could have otherwise offset CFC2's 50u of country A taxable income that is included in the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group. There is a splitter arrangement because the 50u usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group was used instead to offset income of CFC3, which is included in the CFC3 U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iv), the split taxes are the 15u of country A income taxes paid by CFC2 on 50u of income, an amount of income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group equal to the amount of usable shared loss of that group that was used to offset income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(v), the related income is the 50u of CFC3's income that equals the amount of income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group that was offset by the usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a corporation organized in country B. CFC1 wholly owns CFC2 and CFC3, both corporations organized in country B. CFC2 wholly owns DE, an entity organized in country B. DE is a corporation for country B tax purposes and a disregarded entity for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. CFC2 and CFC3 each own 50% of HP1, an entity organized in country B. HP1 is a corporation for country B tax purposes and a partnership for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. All items of income and loss of HP1 are allocated for U.S. Federal income tax purposes equally between CFC2 and CFC3, and all entities use the country B currency “u” as their functional currency. Country B has a loss-sharing regime under which a loss of any of CFC1, CFC2, CFC3, DE, and HP1 may be used to offset the income of one or more of the others. Country B imposes an income tax at the rate of 30% on the taxable income of corporations organized in country B. In year 1, before any loss sharing, CFC2 has income of 100u, CFC1 and CFC3 have no income, DE has a loss of 100u, and HP1 has income of 200u. Under the provisions of country B's loss-sharing regime, the group decides to use DE's 100u loss to offset 100u of HP1's income. After the loss is shared, for country B tax purposes, CFC2 has 100u of income on which it pays 30u of country B income tax, and HP1 has 100u of income (200u less the 100u shared loss) on which it pays 30u of country B income tax. For U.S. Federal income tax purposes, the loss sharing with HP1 is not taken into account, and, because DE is a disregarded entity, its 100u loss is taken into account by CFC2 and reduces CFC2's earnings and profits for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. The 200u income of HP1 is allocated 50/50 to CFC2 and CFC3, as is the 30u of country B income tax paid by HP1. Accordingly, before application of section 909, for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, CFC2 has earnings and profits of 55u (100u income plus 100u share of HP1's income less 100u loss of DE less 30u country B income tax paid by CFC2 less 15u share of HP1's country B income tax) and the dollar equivalent of 45u of country B income tax to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool. CFC3 has earnings and profits of 85u (100u share of HP1's income less 15u share of HP1's country B income taxes) and the dollar equivalent of 15u of country B income tax to add to its post-1986 foreign income taxes pool.

(ii) U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(ii), because the income and loss of HP1 are combined in part with the income and loss of both CFC2 and CFC3, it belongs to both of the separate CFC2 and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups. DE is a member of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group.

(iii) Income of the U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iii)(A), the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is the 200u country B taxable income of the members of the group with positive taxable incomes (CFC2's country B taxable income of 100u plus 50% of HP1's country B taxable income of 200u, or 100u). Because DE does not have positive taxable income for country B tax purposes, its 100u loss is not included in the income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group. The income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group is 100u (50% of HP1's country B taxable income of 200u, or 100u).

(iv) Shared loss of the U.S. combined income groups. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iii)(B), the shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is the 100u loss incurred by DE that is used to offset 100u of HP1's income. The CFC3 U.S. combined income group has no shared loss. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(i), the usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group is 100u, the full amount of the group's 100u shared loss that could have been used to offset income of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group had the loss been used to offset 100u of CFC2's country B taxable income.

(v) Income offset by shared loss. The shared loss of the CFC2 combined income group is used to offset 100u country B taxable income of HP1. Because the taxable income of HP1 is allocated 50/50 between the CFC2 and CFC3 U.S. combined income groups, the shared loss is treated as offsetting 50u of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group's income and 50u of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group's income.

(vi) Splitter arrangement. There is a splitter arrangement because 50u of the 100u usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group was used to offset income of the CFC3 U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(iv), the split taxes are the 15u of country B income tax paid by CFC2 on 50u of its income, which is equal to the amount of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group's usable shared loss that was used to offset income of another U.S. combined income group. Pursuant to § 1.909-2(b)(2)(v), the related income is the 50u of CFC3's income that was offset by the usable shared loss of the CFC2 U.S. combined income group.