§ 1.956-4. Certain rules applicable to partnerships.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns FS, a controlled foreign corporation, which, in turn, owns an interest in FPRS, a foreign partnership. The remaining interest in FPRS is owned by an unrelated foreign person. FPRS holds non-depreciable property with an adjusted basis of $100x (the “FPRS property”) that would be United States property if held by FS directly. At the close of quarter 1 of year 1, the liquidation value percentage, as determined under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, for FS with respect to FPRS is 25%. There are no special allocations in the FPRS partnership agreement.

(ii) Result. Under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, for purposes of section 956, FS is treated as holding its attributable share of the property held by FPRS with an adjusted basis equal to its attributable share of FPRS's adjusted basis in such property. Under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, FS's attributable share of property held by FPRS is determined in accordance with FS's liquidation value percentage, which is 25%. Thus, FS's attributable share of the FPRS property is 25%, and its attributable share of FPRS's basis in the FPRS property is $25x. Accordingly, for purposes of determining the amount of United States property held by FS as of the close of quarter 1 of year 1, FS is treated as holding United States property with an adjusted basis of $25x.

(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in Example 1 of this paragraph (b)(3), except that the FPRS partnership agreement, which satisfies the requirements of section 704(b), specially allocates 80% of the income with respect to the FPRS property to FS. The special allocation does not have a principal purpose of avoiding the purposes of section 956.

(ii) Result. Under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, for purposes of section 956, FS is treated as holding its attributable share of property held by FPRS with an adjusted basis equal to its attributable share of FPRS's adjusted basis in such property. In general, FS's attributable share of property held by FPRS is determined in accordance with FS's liquidation value percentage. However, because the special allocation does not have a principal purpose of avoiding the purposes of section 956, under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, FS's attributable share of the FPRS property is determined by reference to its special allocation. FS's special allocation percentage for the FPRS property is 80%, and thus FS's attributable share of the FPRS property is 80% and its attributable share of FPRS's basis in the FPRS property is $80x. Accordingly, for purposes of determining the amount of United States property held by FS as of the close of quarter 1 of year 1, FS is treated as holding United States property with an adjusted basis of $80x.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns FS, a controlled foreign corporation, which, in turn, owns an interest in FPRS, a foreign partnership. USP owns the remaining interest in FPRS. FPRS holds property (the “FPRS property”) that would be United States property if held by FS directly. The FPRS property has an adjusted basis of $100x and is anticipated to appreciate in value but generate relatively little income. The FPRS partnership agreement, which satisfies the requirements of section 704(b), specially allocates 80% of the income with respect to the FPRS property to USP and 80% of the gain with respect to the disposition of FPRS property to FS. The special allocation does not have a principal purpose of avoiding the purposes of section 956.

(ii) Result. Because the special allocation does not have a principal purpose of avoiding the purposes of section 956, under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, FS's attributable share of the FPRS property is determined by reference to a special allocation with respect to the FPRS property. Given the income and gain anticipated with respect to the FPRS property, it is appropriate to determine FS's attributable share of the property in accordance with the special allocation of gain. Accordingly, for purposes of determining the amount of United States property held by FS in each year that FPRS holds the FPRS property, FS's attributable share of the FPRS property is 80% and its attributable share of FPRS's basis in the FPRS property is $80x. Thus, FS is treated as holding United States property with an adjusted basis of $80x.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns FS, a controlled foreign corporation, and owns an interest in FPRS, a foreign partnership. At the close of quarter 1 of year 1, the liquidation value percentage, as determined under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, for USP with respect to FPRS is 90%. X, a foreign person that is unrelated to USP or FS, owns the remaining interest in FPRS. FPRS borrows $100x from FS. FS's basis in the FPRS obligation is $100x.

(ii) Result. Under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, for purposes of section 956, the obligation of FPRS is treated as obligations of its partners (USP and X) in proportion to each partner's liquidation value percentage with respect to FPRS. Because USP, a partner in FPRS, is related to FS within the meaning of section 954(d)(3), the exception in paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not apply. Based on its liquidation value percentage, USP's share of the FPRS obligation is $90x. Accordingly, for purposes of section 956, $90x of the FPRS obligation held by FS is treated as an obligation of USP and is United States property within the meaning of section 956(c). Therefore, on the date the loan is made, FS is treated as holding United States property of $90x.

(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in Example 1 of this paragraph (c)(4), except that USP owns 40% of the stock of FS and is not a related person (as defined in section 954(d)(3)) with respect to FS. Y, a United States person that is unrelated to USP or X, owns the remaining 60% of the stock of FS.

(ii) Result. Because neither FS nor any person related to FS within the meaning of section 954(d)(3) is a partner in FPRS, the exception in paragraph (c)(2) of this section applies to treat the FPRS obligation as an obligation of a foreign partnership and not an obligation of a United States person. Therefore, paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply, and FS is not treated as holding United States property.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns FS, a controlled foreign corporation. USP and FS own interests in FPRS, a foreign partnership. USP's liquidation value percentage with respect to FPRS is 60%, and FS's liquidation value percentage with respect to FPRS is 30%. USP2, a domestic corporation that is unrelated to USP and FS, also owns an interest in FPRS; its liquidation value percentage is 10%. FPRS borrows $100x from an unrelated person. FS guarantees the FPRS obligation.

(ii) Result. Under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, for purposes of section 956, the obligation of FPRS is treated as obligations of its partners (USP, FS, and USP2) in proportion to each partner's liquidation value percentage. Because USP, a partner in FPRS, is related to FS within the meaning of section 954(d)(3), and because FS is a partner in FPRS, the exception in paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not apply. Based on their liquidation value percentages, USP's share of the FPRS obligation is $60x, and USP2's share of the FPRS obligation is $10x. For purposes of section 956, $60x of the FPRS obligation is treated as an obligation of USP, and $10x of the FPRS obligation is treated as an obligation of USP2. Under § 1.956-2(c)(1), FS is treated as holding the obligations of USP and USP2 that FS guaranteed. All of the exceptions to the definition of United States property contained in section 956 and § 1.956-2 must be considered to determine whether the obligations of USP and USP2 that are treated as held by FS constitute United States property. Accordingly, the obligation of USP2 is not United States property under section 956(c)(2)(F) and § 1.956-2(b)(1)(viii). The obligation of USP, however, is United States property within the meaning of section 956(c). Therefore, on the date the guarantee is made, FS is treated as holding United States property of $60x.

(i) Facts. USP, a domestic corporation, wholly owns FS, a controlled foreign corporation. USP owns an interest in FPRS, a foreign partnership; its liquidation value percentage with respect to FPRS is 70%. A domestic corporation that is unrelated to USP and FS owns the remaining interest in FPRS; its liquidation value percentage is 30%. FPRS borrows $100x from FS and makes a distribution of $80x to USP. FPRS would not have made the distribution to USP but for the funding of FPRS by FS.

(ii) Result. Because USP, a partner in FPRS, is related to FS within the meaning of section 954(d)(3), the exception in paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not apply. Moreover, an obligation of USP held by FS would be United States property. USP's share of the FPRS obligation as determined under paragraph (c)(1) of this section in accordance with USP's liquidation value percentage is $70x. Under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, USP's share of the FPRS obligation is the greater of (i) USP's attributable share of the obligation, $70x, or (ii) the lesser of the amount of the distribution, $80x, or the amount of the obligation, $100x. For purposes of section 956, therefore, $80x of the FPRS obligation is treated as an obligation of USP and is United States property within the meaning of section 956(c). Thus, on the date the loan is made, FS is treated as holding United States property of $80x.