Tag: Secondary adjustments

Adjustments that arises from imposing tax on a secondary transaction.

§ 1.482-1(g)(4)(iii)Example 2.

The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that, if P had reported $25,000 as rental income and $25,000 less as service income, it would have been subject to the tax on personal holding companies. Allocations will be made to reflect the correct amounts of rental income and service income ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(4)(iii)Example 1.

P, a U.S. corporation, renders construction services to S, its foreign subsidiary in Country Y, in connection with the construction of S’s factory. An arm’s length charge for such services determined under § 1.482-9 would be $100,000. During the same taxable year P makes available to S the use of a machine to be used in the construction of the factory, and the arm’s length rental value of the machine is $25,000. P bills S $125,000 for the services, but does not charge S for the use of the machine. No allocation will be made with respect to the undercharge for the machine if P notifies the district director of the basis of the claimed setoff within 30 days after the date of the letter from the district director transmitting the examination report notifying P of the proposed adjustment, establishes that the excess amount charged for services was equal to an arm’s length charge for the use of the machine and that ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(4)(ii) Requirements.

The district director will take a setoff into account only if the taxpayer – (A) Establishes that the transaction that is the basis of the setoff was not at arm’s length and the amount of the appropriate arm’s length charge; (B) Documents, pursuant to paragraph (g)(2) of this section, all correlative adjustments resulting from the proposed setoff; and (C) Notifies the district director of the basis of any claimed setoff within 30 days after the earlier of the date of a letter by which the district director transmits an examination report notifying the taxpayer of proposed adjustments or the date of the issuance of the notice of deficiency ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(4)(i) In general.

If an allocation is made under section 482 with respect to a transaction between controlled taxpayers, the Commissioner will take into account the effect of any other non-arm’s length transaction between the same controlled taxpayers in the same taxable year which will result in a setoff against the original section 482 allocation. Such setoff, however, will be taken into account only if the requirements of paragraph (g)(4)(ii) of this section are satisfied. If the effect of the setoff is to change the characterization or source of the income or deductions, or otherwise distort taxable income, in such a manner as to affect the U.S. tax liability of any member, adjustments will be made to reflect the correct amount of each category of income or deductions. For purposes of this setoff provision, the term arm’s length refers to the amount defined in paragraph (b) of this section (arm’s length standard), without regard to the rules in § 1.482-2(a) that treat certain interest rates as arm’s ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(3)(ii) Example.

Conforming cash accounts. (i) USD, a United States corporation, buys Product from its foreign parent, FP. In reviewing USD’s income tax return, the district director determines that the arm’s length price would have increased USD’s taxable income by $5 million. The district director accordingly adjusts USD’s income to reflect its true taxable income. (ii) To conform its cash accounts to reflect the section 482 allocation made by the district director, USD applies for relief under Rev. Proc. 65-17, 1965-1 C.B. 833 (see § 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b) of this chapter), to treat the $5 million adjustment as an account receivable from FP, due as of the last day of the year of the transaction, with interest accruing therefrom ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(3)(i) In general.

Appropriate adjustments must be made to conform a taxpayer’s accounts to reflect allocations made under section 482. Such adjustments may include the treatment of an allocated amount as a dividend or a capital contribution (as appropriate), or, in appropriate cases, pursuant to such applicable revenue procedures as may be provided by the Commissioner (see § 601.601(d)(2) of this chapter), repayment of the allocated amount without further income tax consequences ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(iv) Example 3.

In 1995, X, a U.S. corporation, makes a loan to Y, its foreign subsidiary not engaged in a U.S. trade or business. In 1997, the district director, upon determining that the interest charged on the loan was not arm’s length, proposes to adjust X’s income to reflect an arm’s length interest rate. X consents to an assessment reflecting such allocation by executing Form 870, and an assessment of the tax with respect to the section 482 allocation is made in 1997. The district director notifies X in writing of the amount and nature of the correlative allocation to be made with respect to Y. Although the correlative adjustment does not have an effect on Y’s U.S. income tax liability, the adjustment must be reflected in the documentation of Y that is maintained for U.S. tax purposes. Thus, the adjustment must be reflected in the determination of the amount of Y’s earnings and profits for 1995 and subsequent years, and the ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(iv) Example 2.

(i) In 1995, X, a U.S. construction company, provided engineering services to Y, a U.S. corporation, in the construction of Y’s factory. In 1997, the district director determines that the fees paid by Y to X for its services were not arm’s length and proposes to make an adjustment to the income of X. X consents to an assessment reflecting such adjustment by executing Form 870. An assessment of the tax with respect to such adjustment is made in 1997. The district director notifies X in writing of the amount and nature of the adjustment to be made with respect to Y. (ii) The fees paid by Y for X’s engineering services properly constitute a capital expenditure. Y does not place the factory into service until 1998. Therefore, a correlative adjustment increasing Y’s basis in the factory does not affect Y’s U.S. income tax liability for 1997. However, the correlative adjustment must be made in the books and records maintained ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(iv) Example 1.

(i) In 1996, Y, a U.S. corporation, rents a building owned by X, also a U.S. corporation. In 1998 the district director determines that Y did not pay an arm’s length rental charge. The district director proposes to increase X’s income to reflect an arm’s length rental charge. X consents to the assessment reflecting such adjustment by executing Form 870, a Waiver of Restrictions on Assessment and Collection of Deficiency in Tax and Acceptance of Overassessment. The assessment of the tax with respect to the adjustment is made in 1998. Thus, the primary allocation, as defined in paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section, is considered to have been made in 1998. (ii) The adjustment made to X’s income under section 482 requires a correlative allocation with respect to Y’s income. The district director notifies X in writing of the amount and nature of the adjustment made with respect to Y. Y had net operating losses in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997. Although ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(iv) Examples.

The following examples illustrate this paragraph (g)(2). In each example, X and Y are members of the same group of controlled taxpayers and each regularly computes its income on a calendar year basis ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(iii) Events triggering correlative allocation.

For purposes of this paragraph (g)(2), a primary allocation will not be considered to have been made (and therefore, correlative allocations are not required to be made) until the date of a final determination with respect to the allocation under section 482. For this purpose, a final determination includes – (A) Assessment of tax following execution by the taxpayer of a Form 870 (Waiver of Restrictions on Assessment and Collection of Deficiency in Tax and Acceptance of Overassessment) with respect to such allocation; (B) Acceptance of a Form 870-AD (Offer of Waiver of Restriction on Assessment and Collection of Deficiency in Tax and Acceptance of Overassessment); (C) Payment of the deficiency; (D) Stipulation in the Tax Court of the United States; or (E) Final determination of tax liability by offer-in-compromise, closing agreement, or final resolution (determined under the principles of section 7481) of a judicial proceeding ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(ii) Manner of carrying out correlative allocation.

The district director will furnish to the taxpayer with respect to which the primary allocation is made a written statement of the amount and nature of the correlative allocation. The correlative allocation must be reflected in the documentation of the other member of the group that is maintained for U.S. tax purposes, without regard to whether it affects the U.S. income tax liability of the other member for any open year. In some circumstances the allocation will have an immediate U.S. tax effect, by changing the taxable income computation of the other member (or the taxable income computation of a shareholder of the other member, for example, under the provisions of subpart F of the Internal Revenue Code). Alternatively, the correlative allocation may not be reflected on any U.S. tax return until a later year, for example when a dividend is paid ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(2)(i) In general.

When the district director makes an allocation under section 482 (referred to in this paragraph (g)(2) as the primary allocation), appropriate correlative allocations will also be made with respect to any other member of the group affected by the allocation. Thus, if the district director makes an allocation of income, the district director will not only increase the income of one member of the group, but correspondingly decrease the income of the other member. In addition, where appropriate, the district director may make such further correlative allocations as may be required by the initial correlative allocation ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(g)(1) In general.

The district director will take into account appropriate collateral adjustments with respect to allocations under section 482. Appropriate collateral adjustments may include correlative allocations, conforming adjustments, and setoffs, as described in this paragraph (g) ... Read more

TPG2022 Chapter IV paragraph 4.76

When the repatriation involves establishing an account receivable, the adjustments to actual cash flow will be made over time, although domestic law may limit the time within which the account can be satisfied. This approach is identical to using a constructive loan as a secondary transaction to account for excess profits in the hands of one of the parties to the controlled transaction. The accrual of interest on the account could have its own tax consequences, however, and this may complicate the process, depending upon when interest begins to accrue under domestic law (as discussed in paragraph 4.69). Some countries may be willing to waive the interest charge on these accounts as part of a competent authority agreement ... Read more

TPG2022 Chapter IV paragraph 4.69

Another example of a tax administration seeking to assert a secondary transaction may be where the tax administration making a primary adjustment treats the excess profits as being a constructive loan from one associated enterprise to the other associated enterprise. In this case, an obligation to repay the loan would be deemed to arise. The tax administration making the primary adjustment may then seek to apply the arm’s length principle to this secondary transaction to impute an arm’s length rate of interest. The interest rate to be applied, the timing to be attached to the making of interest payments, if any, and whether interest is to be capitalised would generally need to be addressed. The constructive loan approach may have an effect not only for the year to which a primary adjustment relates but to subsequent years until such time as the constructive loan is considered by the tax administration asserting the secondary adjustment to have been repaid ... Read more

TPG2022 Chapter IV paragraph 4.39

However, compensating adjustments are not recognised by most OECD member countries, on the grounds that the tax return should reflect the actual transactions. If compensating adjustments are permitted (or required) in the country of one associated enterprise but not permitted in the country of the other associated enterprise, double taxation may result because corresponding adjustment relief may not be available if no primary adjustment is made. The mutual agreement procedure is available to resolve difficulties presented by compensating adjustments, and competent authorities are encouraged to use their best efforts to resolve any double taxation which may arise from different country approaches to such year-end adjustments ... Read more

TPG2022 Chapter IV paragraph 4.38

At least one OECD member country has a procedure that may reduce the need for primary adjustments by allowing the taxpayer to report a transfer price for tax purposes that is, in the taxpayer’s opinion, an arm’s length price for a controlled transaction, even though this price differs from the amount actually charged between the associated enterprises. This adjustment, sometimes known as a “compensating adjustment”, would be made before the tax return is filed. Compensating adjustments may facilitate the reporting of taxable income by taxpayers in accordance with the arm’s length principle, recognising that information about comparable uncontrolled transactions may not be available at the time associated enterprises establish the prices for their controlled transactions. Thus, for the purpose of lodging a correct tax return, a taxpayer would be permitted to make a compensating adjustment that would record the difference between the arm’s length price and the actual price recorded in its books and records ... Read more
Slovenia vs "Benchmark Corp", January 2017, Administrative Court, Case No UPRS Sodba I U 632/2016-7

Slovenia vs “Benchmark Corp”, January 2017, Administrative Court, Case No UPRS Sodba I U 632/2016-7

The Court of Justice concluded that the tax authority had acted correctly when, in the course of a tax inspection, it adjusted the tax base on the basis of the transfer pricing documentation submitted by the taxpayer, even though the taxpayer subsequently requested that the entire case be re-examined after it had ascertained the tax consequences of the primary and secondary adjustments. The tax authority was also correct in following the comparability analysis and the taxable person’s proposal and in adopting the contested decision on that basis. “30. In its observations on the record, in the appeal and in the application, the applicant complains that the contested decision is not adequately reasoned and that the Appellate Body also failed to address the appellant’s objections in relation to transfer pricing. The reasons given by the appellate authority are indeed deficient in the light of the appellant’s objections, but, in the Court’s view, do not constitute a substantive breach of the procedural ... Read more
US vs. BMC Software. March 2015

US vs. BMC Software. March 2015

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued its ruling on the case of BMC Software, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The case discussed issues relating to § 965 regarding repatriation of dividends and § 482. Following an audit, BMC had entered into a Closing Agreement, making primary and secondary adjustments to its transfer pricing arrangements. The Commissioner argued that the secondary adjustment affected BMC’s application of § 965. The court ruled in favor of BMC, reversing the tax court’s previous ruling. US-vs-BMC-Appeal-from-a-Decision-of-the-U.S.-Tax-Court ... Read more