Internal Revenue Code · 26 U.S.C.
§ 901. Taxes of foreign countries and of possessions of United States
Official text, no changes From the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, release point 119-121 (current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026)). Compare it with the official text at uscode.house.gov (external site).
Cite as 26 U.S.C. § 901
At a glance
Read from the text, the source credit and the official notes. Not part of the law.
- Status
- In force
- Enacted
- September 14, 1960 by Pub. L. 86–780
- Last amended
- March 23, 2018 by Pub. L. 115–141
- Amendments
- 29 dated changes in the source credit
- Length
- 14 subsections · 4,442 words · about 19 min to read
- Defines
- 10 terms
- Cross-references
- cites 26; cited by 30 Code sections and 87 other regulations
- Regulations
- 13 issued under this section
If the taxpayer chooses to have the benefits of this subpart, the tax imposed by this chapter shall, subject to the limitation of section 904, be credited with the amounts provided in the applicable paragraph of subsection (b) plus, in the case of a corporation, the taxes deemed to have been paid under section 960. Such choice for any taxable year may be made or changed at any time before the expiration of the period prescribed for making a claim for credit or refund of the tax imposed by this chapter for such taxable year. The credit shall not be allowed against any tax treated as a tax not imposed by this chapter under section 26(b).
In the case of a citizen of the United States and of a domestic corporation, the amount of any income, war profits, and excess profits taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any foreign country or to any possession of the United States; and
In the case of a resident of the United States and in the case of an individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire taxable year, the amount of any such taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any possession of the United States; and
In the case of an alien resident of the United States and in the case of an alien individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire taxable year, the amount of any such taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any foreign country; and
In the case of any nonresident alien individual not described in section 876 and in the case of any foreign corporation, the amount determined pursuant to section 906; and
In the case of any person described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), who is a member of a partnership or a beneficiary of an estate or trust, the amount of his proportionate share of the taxes (described in such paragraph) of the partnership or the estate or trust paid or accrued during the taxable year to a foreign country or to any possession of the United States, as the case may be. Under rules or regulations prescribed by the Secretary, in the case of any foreign trust of which the settlor or another person would be treated as owner of any portion of the trust under subpart E but for section 672(f), the allocable amount of any income, war profits, and excess profits taxes imposed by any foreign country or possession of the United States on the settlor or such other person in respect of trust income.
For purposes of this subpart, dividends from a DISC or former DISC (as defined in section 992(a)) shall be treated as dividends from a foreign corporation to the extent such dividends are treated under part I as income from sources without the United States.
For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “foreign mineral income” means income derived from the extraction of minerals from mines, wells, or other natural deposits, the processing of such minerals into their primary products, and the transportation, distribution, or sale of such minerals or primary products. Such term includes, but is not limited to 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma. that portion of the taxpayer’s distributive share of the income of partnerships attributable to foreign mineral income.
For purposes of paragraph (1), a corporation shall be treated as a possessions corporation for any period during which an election under section 936 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2018) applied to such corporation, during which section 931 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1976) applied to such corporation, or during which section 957(c) (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986) applied to such corporation.
Sections 275 and 78 shall not apply to any tax which is not allowable as a credit under subsection (a) by reason of this subsection.
The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection, including regulations which treat income paid through 1 or more entities as derived from a foreign country to which this subsection applies if such income was, without regard to such entities, derived from such country.
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “withholding tax” includes any tax determined on a gross basis; but does not include any tax which is in the nature of a prepayment of a tax imposed on a net basis.
The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out this paragraph, including regulations to prevent the abuse of the exception provided by this paragraph and to treat other taxes as qualified taxes.
For purposes of this subsection, the rules of paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 246(c) shall apply.
If a person’s holding period is reduced by reason of the application of the rules of section 246(c)(4) to any contract for the bona fide sale of stock, the determination of whether such person’s holding period meets the requirements of paragraph (2) with respect to taxes deemed paid under section 960 shall be made as of the date such contract is entered into.
Sections 275 and 78 shall not apply to any tax which is not allowable as a credit under subsection (a) by reason of this subsection.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any qualified tax with respect to any property held in the active conduct in a foreign country of a business as a dealer in such property.
The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out this paragraph, including regulations to prevent the abuse of the exception provided by this paragraph and to treat other taxes as qualified taxes.
The Secretary may by regulation provide that paragraph (1) shall not apply to property where the Secretary determines that the application of paragraph (1) to such property is not necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
Holding periods shall be determined for purposes of this subsection without regard to section 1235 or any similar rule.
The basis difference with respect to any relevant foreign asset shall be allocated to taxable years using the applicable cost recovery method under this chapter.
In the case of a relevant foreign asset with respect to which the amount described in clause (i)(II) exceeds the amount described in clause (i)(I), such excess shall be taken into account under this subsection as a basis difference of a negative amount.
In the case of a covered asset acquisition described in paragraph (2)(A), the covered asset acquisition shall be treated for purposes of this subparagraph as occurring at the close of the acquisition date (as defined in section 338(h)(2)).
For purposes of this section, the term “relevant foreign asset” means, with respect to any covered asset acquisition, any asset (including any goodwill, going concern value, or other intangible) with respect to such acquisition if income, deduction, gain, or loss attributable to such asset is taken into account in determining the foreign income tax referred to in paragraph (1).
For purposes of this section, the term “foreign income tax” means any income, war profits, or excess profits tax paid or accrued to any foreign country or to any possession of the United States.
Sections 275 and 78 shall not apply to any tax which is not allowable as a credit under subsection (a) by reason of this subsection.
The Secretary may issue such regulations or other guidance as is necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection, including to exempt from the application of this subsection certain covered asset acquisitions, and relevant foreign assets with respect to which the basis difference is de minimis.
(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 285; Pub. L. 86–780, § 3(a), (b), Sept. 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 1013; Pub. L. 87–834, §§ 9(d)(3), 12(b)(1), Oct. 16, 1962, 76 Stat. 1001, 1031; Pub. L. 88–272, title II, § 207(b)(7), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 42; Pub. L. 89–384, § 1(c)(2), Apr. 8, 1966, 80 Stat. 102; Pub. L. 89–809, title I, § 106(a)(4), (5), (b)(1), (2), Nov. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 1569; Pub. L. 91–172, title III, § 301(b)(9), title V, § 506(a), Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 585, 634; Pub. L. 92–178, title V, § 502(b)(1), Dec. 10, 1971, 85 Stat. 549; Pub. L. 93–406, title II, §§ 2001(g)(2)(C), 2002(g)(3), 2005(c)(5), Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 957, 968, 991; Pub. L. 94–12, title VI, § 601(b), Mar. 29, 1975, 89 Stat. 57; Pub. L. 94–455, title X, §§ 1031(b)(1), 1051(d), title XIX, § 1901(b)(1)(H)(iii), (37)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1622, 1645, 1791, 1803; Pub. L. 95–600, title VII, § 701(u)(1)(A), (B), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2912; Pub. L. 97–248, title II, § 201(d)(8)(A), formerly § 201(c)(8)(A), § 265(b)(2)(A)(iv), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 420, 547, renumbered § 201(d)(8)(A), Pub. L. 97–448, title III, § 306(a)(1)(A)(i), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2400; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title IV, § 474(r)(20), title VI, § 612(e)(1), title VII, § 713(c)(1)(C), title VIII, § 801(d)(1), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 843, 912, 957, 995; Pub. L. 99–509, title VIII, § 8041(a), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1962; Pub. L. 99–514, title I, § 112(b)(3), title XII, § 1204(a), title XVIII, § 1876(p)(2), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2109, 2532, 2902; Pub. L. 100–203, title X, § 10231(a), (b), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–418, 1330–419; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1012(j), title II, § 2003(c)(1), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3512, 3598; Pub. L. 103–149, § 4(b)(8)(A), Nov. 23, 1993, 107 Stat. 1505; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, § 1904(b)(2), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1912; Pub. L. 105–34, title X, § 1053(a), title XI, § 1142(e)(4), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 941, 983; Pub. L. 105–206, title VI, § 6010(k)(3), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 815; Pub. L. 106–200, title VI, § 601(a), May 18, 2000, 114 Stat. 305; Pub. L. 108–311, title IV, § 406(g), Oct. 4, 2004, 118 Stat. 1190; Pub. L. 108–357, title IV, § 405(b), title VIII, § 832(a), (b), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1498, 1587, 1588; Pub. L. 109–135, title IV, § 403(aa)(2), Dec. 21, 2005, 119 Stat. 2630; Pub. L. 110–172, § 11(g)(9), Dec. 29, 2007, 121 Stat. 2490; Pub. L. 111–226, title II, § 212(a), Aug. 10, 2010, 124 Stat. 2396; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 14301(c)(7)–(14), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2222, 2223; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(d)(1)(D)(xii), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1208.)
Terms defined here
Where the text says “the term … means”. Select a term to jump to its definition.
- basis difference § 901(m)(3)(C)(i)
- covered asset acquisition § 901(m)(2)
- dealer § 901(l)(2)(C)
- disqualified portion § 901(m)(3)(A)
- foreign income tax § 901(m)(5)
- foreign mineral income § 901(e)(2)
- qualified tax § 901(k)(4)(B)
- qualified tax § 901(l)(2)(B)
- relevant foreign asset § 901(m)(4)
- withholding tax § 901(k)(1)(B)
Regulations under this section
Treasury regulations (26 CFR) issued under § 901
- § 1.901-1 Allowance of credit for foreign income taxes.
- § 1.901-2 Income, war profits, or excess profits tax paid or accrued.
- § 1.901-2A Dual capacity taxpayers.
- § 1.901-3 Reduction in amount of foreign taxes on foreign mineral income allowed as a credit.
- § 1.901(j)-1 Denial of foreign tax credit with respect to certain foreign countries.
- § 1.901(m)-1 Definitions.
- § 1.901(m)-2 Covered asset acquisitions and relevant foreign assets.
- § 1.901(m)-3 Disqualified tax amount and aggregate basis difference carryover.
- § 1.901(m)-4 Determination of basis difference.
- § 1.901(m)-5 Basis difference taken into account.
- § 1.901(m)-6 Successor rules.
- § 1.901(m)-7 De minimis rules.
- § 1.901(m)-8 Miscellaneous.
Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of Title 26 and 26 CFR.
This section cites 26 other sections
- § 904 Limitation on credit
- § 960 Deemed paid credit for subpart F inclusions
- § 26(b) Limitation based on tax liability; definition of tax liability
- § 876 Alien residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands
- § 906 Nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations
- § 672(f) Definitions and rules
- § 992(a) Requirements of a domestic international sales corporation
- § 613 Percentage depletion
- § 275(a) Certain taxes
- § 611(a) Allowance of deduction for depletion
- § 936 Repealed
- § 931 Income from sources within Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands
- § 957(c) Controlled foreign corporations; United States persons
- § 11 Tax imposed
- § 482 Allocation of income and deductions among taxpayers
- § 78 Gross up for deemed paid foreign tax credit
- § 853 Foreign tax credit allowed to shareholders
- § 246(c) Rules applying to deductions for dividends received
- § 1221(a)(1) Capital asset defined
- § 1235 Sale or exchange of patents
- § 338(d)(3) Certain stock purchases treated as asset acquisitions
- § 754 Manner of electing optional adjustment to basis of partnership property
- § 164 Taxes
- § 703(b) Partnership computations
Show 2 more
Cited by 30 Code sections
- § 27 Taxes of foreign countries and possessions of the United States
- § 56A(c)(5) Adjusted financial statement income
- § 59(l)(1)(A)(i) Other definitions and special rules
- § 243(b)(2)(B)(i) Dividends received by corporations
- § 245(a)(8) Dividends received from certain foreign corporations
- § 245A(d)(1) Deduction for foreign source-portion of dividends received by domestic corporations from specified 10-percent owned foreign corporations
- § 275(a)(4) Certain taxes
- § 515 Taxes of foreign countries and possessions of the United States
- § 642(a) Special rules for credits and deductions
- § 702(a)(6) Income and credits of partner
- § 703(a)(2)(B) Partnership computations
- § 841 Credit for foreign taxes
- § 853(a)(2) Foreign tax credit allowed to shareholders
- § 861(d)(3) Income from sources within the United States
- § 874(c) Allowance of deductions and credits
- § 882(c)(3) Tax on income of foreign corporations connected with United States business
- § 904(a) Limitation on credit
- § 905(c)(5) Applicable rules
- § 906(a) Nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations
- § 907(a) Special rules in case of foreign oil and gas income
- § 908(a) Reduction of credit for participation in or cooperation with an international boycott
- § 937(a) Residence and source rules involving possessions
- § 952(a)(5) Subpart F income defined
- § 960(c)(2)(B)(ii) Deemed paid credit for subpart F inclusions
Show 6 more
- § 965(g)(1) Treatment of deferred foreign income upon transition to participation exemption system of taxation
- § 1291(g)(1)(C)(i) Interest on tax deferral
- § 1363(c)(2)(B) Effect of election on corporation
- § 6038(c)(1)(A) Information reporting with respect to certain foreign corporations and partnerships
- § 6511(d)(3)(A) Limitations on credit or refund
- § 7874(e)(1) Rules relating to expatriated entities and their foreign parents
Cited in 87 regulations not issued under it
- § 1.58-8 Capital gains and stock options.
- § 1.78-1 Gross up for deemed paid foreign tax credit.
- § 1.164-2 Deduction denied in case of certain taxes.
- § 1.243-5 Effect of election.
- § 1.245A(d)-1 Disallowance of foreign tax credit or deduction.
- § 1.245A(e)-1 Special rules for hybrid dividends.
- § 1.336-0 Table of contents.
- § 1.336-2 Availability, mechanics, and consequences of section 336(e) election.
- § 1.338-4 Aggregate deemed sale price; various aspects of taxation of the deemed asset sale.
- § 1.338-9 International aspects of section 338.
- § 1.367(b)-3 Repatriation of foreign corporate assets in certain nonrecognition transactions.
- § 1.401(a)(35)-1 Diversification requirements for certain defined contribution plans.
- § 1.461-4 Economic performance.
- § 1.535-2 Adjustments to taxable income.
- § 1.545-2 Adjustments to taxable income.
- § 1.642(a)(2)-1 Foreign taxes.
- § 1.643(h)-1 Distributions by certain foreign trusts through intermediaries.
- § 1.669(a)-2 Rules applicable to section 669 computations.
- § 1.701-2 Anti-abuse rule.
- § 1.702-1 Income and credits of partner.
- § 1.703-1 Partnership computations.
- § 1.704-1 Partner's distributive share.
- § 1.853-1 Foreign tax credit allowed to shareholders.
- § 1.853-2 Effect of election.
Show 63 more
- § 1.853-3 Notice to shareholders.
- § 1.853-4 Manner of making election.
- § 1.861-3 Dividends and income inclusions under sections 951, 951A, and 1293 and associated section 78 dividends.
- § 1.861-8 Computation of taxable income from sources within the United States and from other sources and activities.
- § 1.861-13 Special rules for characterization of controlled foreign corporation stock.
- § 1.861-20 Allocation and apportionment of foreign income taxes.
- § 1.902-1 Credit for domestic corporate shareholder of a foreign corporation for foreign income taxes paid by the foreign corporation.
- § 1.902-3 Credit for domestic corporate shareholder of a foreign corporation for foreign income taxes paid with respect to accumulated profits of taxable years of the foreign corporation beginning before January 1, 1987.
- § 1.903-1 Taxes in lieu of income taxes.
- § 1.904-2 Carryback and carryover of unused foreign tax.
- § 1.904-4 Separate application of section 904 with respect to certain categories of income.
- § 1.904-6 Allocation and apportionment of foreign income taxes.
- § 1.904(b)-3 Disregard of certain dividends and deductions under section 904(b)(4).
- § 1.904(f)-2 Recapture of overall foreign losses.
- § 1.904(f)-7 Separate limitation loss and the separate limitation loss account.
- § 1.904(g)-2 Recapture of overall domestic losses.
- § 1.904(i)-1 Limitation on use of deconsolidation to avoid foreign tax credit limitations.
- § 1.904(j)-1 Certain individuals exempt from foreign tax credit limitation.
- § 1.905-1 When credit for foreign income taxes may be taken.
- § 1.905-3 Adjustments to U.S. tax liability and to current earnings and profits as a result of a foreign tax redetermination.
- § 1.905-4 Notification of foreign tax redetermination.
- § 1.907-0 Outline of regulation provisions for section 907.
- § 1.907(a)-1 Reduction in taxes paid on FOGEI (for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1982).
- § 1.907(c)-1 Definitions relating to FOGEI and FORI (for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1982).
- § 1.907(c)-3 FOGEI and FORI taxes (for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1982).
- § 1.907(f)-1 Carryback and carryover of credits disallowed by section 907(a) (for amounts carried between taxable years that each begin after December 31, 1982).
- § 1.909-1 Definitions and special rules.
- § 1.909-6 Pre-2011 foreign tax credit splitting events.
- § 1.932-1 Coordination of United States and Virgin Islands income taxes.
- § 1.934-1 Limitation on reduction in income tax liability incurred to the Virgin Islands.
- § 1.935-1 Coordination of individual income taxes with Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
- § 1.937-1 Bona fide residency in a possession.
- § 1.959-3 Allocation of distributions to earnings and profits of foreign corporations.
- § 1.960-1 Overview, definitions, and computational rules for determining foreign income taxes deemed paid under section 960(a), (b), and (d).
- § 1.960-4 Additional foreign tax credit in year of receipt of previously taxed earnings and profits.
- § 1.960-5 Credit for taxable year of inclusion binding for taxable year of exclusion.
- § 1.960-6 Overpayments resulting from increase in limitation for taxable year of exclusion.
- § 1.962-1 Limitation of tax for individuals on amounts included in gross income under section 951(a).
- § 1.963-3 Distributions counting toward a minimum distribution.
- § 1.963-6 Deficiency distribution.
- § 1.965-1 Overview, general rules, and definitions.
- § 1.965-5 Allowance of credit or deduction for foreign income taxes.
- § 1.986(a)-1 Translation of foreign income taxes for purposes of the foreign tax credit.
- § 1.987-3 Determination of section 987 taxable income or loss of an owner of a section 987 QBU.
- § 1.987-3T Determination of section 987 taxable income or loss of an owner of a section 987 QBU (temporary).
- § 1.988-1 Certain definitions and special rules.
- § 1.994-1 Inter-company pricing rules for DISC's.
- § 1.1248-1 Treatment of gain from certain sales or exchanges of stock in certain foreign corporations.
- § 1.1363-1 Effect of election on corporation.
- § 1.1366-1 Shareholder's share of items of an S corporation.
- § 1.1374-6 Credits and credit carryforwards.
- § 1.1411-1 General rules.
- § 1.1411-4 Definition of net investment income.
- § 1.1502-4 Consolidated foreign tax credit.
- § 1.1503(d)-7 Examples.
- § 1.6038-2 Information returns required of United States persons with respect to annual accounting periods of certain foreign corporations.
- § 1.6038-3 Information returns required of certain United States persons with respect to controlled foreign partnerships (CFPs).
- § 1.6045-2 Furnishing statement required with respect to certain substitute payments.
- § 3.3 Nontaxability of deposits.
- § 301.6114-1 Treaty-based return positions.
- § 301.6511(d)-3 Special rules applicable to credit against income tax for foreign taxes.
- § 509.118 Credit against United States tax for Swiss tax.
- § 601.201 Rulings and determinations letters.
Amendment history
From the source credit and the official notes, newest first.
- Amended by Pub. L. 115–141Parts changed in 2018: (g)(2)
- Amended by Pub. L. 115–97Parts changed in 2017: (a) (e)(2) (f) (j)(1)(A) (j)(1)(B) (k)(2) (k)(6) (m)(1)(B)
- Amended by Pub. L. 111–226Parts changed in 2010: (m)
- Amended by Pub. L. 110–172Parts changed in 2007: (h)
- Amended by Pub. L. 109–135Parts changed in 2005: (l)(2)(C)(i)
- Amended by Pub. L. 108–357Parts changed in 2004: (b)(5) (k) (k)(1)(A)(i) (k)(3)(B) (l)
- Amended by Pub. L. 108–311
- Amended by Pub. L. 106–200Parts changed in 2000: (j)(5)
- Amended by Pub. L. 105–206Parts changed in 1998: (k)(4)(A)
- Amended by Pub. L. 105–34Parts changed in 1997: (k) (l) (l)(4)
- Amended by Pub. L. 104–188Parts changed in 1996: (b)(5)
- Amended by Pub. L. 103–149Parts changed in 1993: (j)(2)(C)
- Amended by Pub. L. 100–647Parts changed in 1988: (g)(2) (j)(3)
- Amended by Pub. L. 100–203Parts changed in 1987: (j)(1) (j)(2)(C)
- Amended by Pub. L. 99–514Parts changed in 1986: (h) (i) (i)(3) (j) (k)
- Amended by Pub. L. 99–509
- Amended by Pub. L. 98–369Parts changed in 1984: (a) (h)
- Amended by Pub. L. 97–448
- Amended by Pub. L. 97–248Parts changed in 1982: (a)
- Amended by Pub. L. 95–600Parts changed in 1978: (g)(1) (g)(2)
- Amended by Pub. L. 94–455Parts changed in 1976: (a) (b) (d) (g)
- Amended by Pub. L. 94–12Parts changed in 1975: (f)
- Amended by Pub. L. 93–406Parts changed in 1974: (a)
- Amended by Pub. L. 92–178Parts changed in 1971: (d)
- Amended by Pub. L. 91–172Parts changed in 1969: (a) (e)
- Amended by Pub. L. 89–809Parts changed in 1966: (a) (b)(3) (b)(4) (c)
- Amended by Pub. L. 89–384
- Amended by Pub. L. 88–272Parts changed in 1964: (d)(1)
- Amended by Pub. L. 87–834Parts changed in 1962: (a) (d)(4)
- Enacted by Pub. L. 86–780Parts changed in 1960: (a) (b)
Where it sits in the Code
- Subtitle A Income Taxes
- Chapter 1 NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES
- Subchapter N Tax Based on Income From Sources Within or Without the United States
- Part III INCOME FROM SOURCES WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES
- Subpart A Foreign Tax Credit
Nearby sections
- § 901 Taxes of foreign countries and of possessions of United States
- § 902 Repealed
- § 903 Credit for taxes in lieu of income, etc., taxes
- § 904 Limitation on credit
- § 905 Applicable rules
Official notes
The Law Revision Counsel's notes for this section (amendments, effective dates and related laws) are long, so they have their own page.