(a) Interest and penalties with respect to the reviewed year. Except to the extent provided in section 6226(c), in the case of a partnership adjustment (as defined in § 301.6241-1(a)(6)) for a reviewed year (as defined in § 301.6241-1(a)(8)), a partnership is liable for—

(1) Interest computed in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section; and

(2) Any penalty, addition to tax, or additional amount as provided under paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Computation of interest with respect to partnership adjustments for the reviewed year—(1) Interest on an imputed underpayment. The interest imposed on an imputed underpayment resulting from partnership adjustments for the reviewed year is the interest that would be imposed under chapter 67 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) if the imputed underpayment were treated as an underpayment of tax for the reviewed year. The interest imposed on an imputed underpayment under paragraph (b) of this section begins on the day after the due date of the partnership return (without regard to extension) for the reviewed year and ends on the earlier of—

(i) The date prescribed for payment (as described in § 301.6232-1(b));

(ii) The due date of the partnership return (without regard to extension) for the adjustment year (as defined in § 301.6241-1(a)(1)); or

(iii) The date the imputed underpayment is fully paid.

(2) Interest on penalties with respect to the reviewed year. The interest imposed on any penalties, additions to tax, and additional amounts determined under paragraph (c) of this section is the interest that would be imposed under chapter 67 of the Code treating the partnership return for the reviewed year as the return of tax with respect to which such penalty, addition to tax, or additional amount is imposed.

(c) Penalties with respect to partnership adjustments for the reviewed year—(1) In general. In accordance with section 6221(a), the applicability of any penalties, additions to tax, and additional amounts that relate to an adjustment to any partnership-related item for the reviewed year is determined at the partnership level as if the partnership had been an individual subject to tax imposed by chapter 1 of the Code for the reviewed year, and the imputed underpayment were an actual underpayment of tax or understatement for such year. Nothing in this paragraph (c)(1) affects the application of any penalty, addition to tax, or additional amount that may apply to the partnership or to any reviewed year partner (as defined in § 301.6241-1(a)(9)) or to any indirect partner (as defined in § 301.6241-1(a)(4)) that is unrelated to an adjustment to a partnership-related item under subchapter C of chapter 63 of the Code. Except as provided in § 301.6225-2(d), a partner-level defense (as described in § 301.6226-3(d)(3)) may not be raised in a proceeding of the partnership.

(2) Determination of the amount of accuracy-related penalty and fraud penalty—(i) In general. The amount of any penalty under part II of subchapter A of chapter 68 of the Code (accuracy-related or fraud penalties) that relates to any partnership adjustment for the reviewed year is determined in accordance with this paragraph (c)(2). If in determining the imputed underpayment under § 301.6225-1 (or § 301.6225-2 in the case of modification), any grouping or subgrouping contains a negative adjustment (as defined in § 301.6225-1(d)(2)(ii)) and at least one positive adjustment (as defined in § 301.6225-1(d)(2)(iii)) that is subject to penalty, first apply the rules for allocating negative adjustments in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section. Then, apply the rules in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section to calculate penalty amounts. If there are no negative adjustments, do not apply the rules in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section and instead apply only the rules in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section. For all purposes under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, adjustments that do not result in the imputed underpayment (as described in § 301.6225-1(f)) and adjustments excluded from the determination of the imputed underpayment under § 301.6225-2(b)(2) are disregarded.

(ii) Calculating the portion of an imputed underpayment subject to penalty and penalty amounts. To determine the portion of an imputed underpayment subject to a penalty and the amount of a particular penalty, apply the following steps to all adjustments subject to penalty remaining after application of negative adjustments (as described in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section) and to all adjustments subject to penalty contained in groupings or subgroupings that do not contain a negative adjustment.

(A) For purposes of applying this paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(A), disregard adjustments to credits or adjustments treated as adjustments to credits. Total all adjustments to which a particular penalty was imposed and to which the highest rate of tax in effect for the reviewed year under section 1 or 11 was applied when calculating the imputed underpayment. See § 301.6225-1(b)(1)(iv).

(B) Multiply the total in paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(A) of this section by the highest rate of tax in effect for the reviewed year under section 1 or 11.

(C) If the imputed underpayment was modified in accordance with § 301.6225-2(b)(3), repeat the steps in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii)(A) and (B) of this section for every tax rate applied in calculating the imputed underpayment by substituting the applicable tax rate determined under § 301.6225-2(b)(3) for the highest rate of tax in effect for the reviewed year under section 1 or 11.

(D) Total all amounts determined after completing the steps in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii)(A) through (C) of this section.

(E) Adjust the amount calculated in paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(D) of this section by:

(1) Increasing by the net adjustments subject to the penalty in the credit grouping (as described in paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(1) of this section) after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A) of this section; or

(2) Decreasing in accordance with the rules in paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(2) of this section by the amount of negative adjustments in the credit grouping if, after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A) of this section, only negative adjustments in the credit grouping remain.

(3) The result after completing the calculation in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii)(E)(1) and (2) of this section is the portion of the imputed underpayment to which the particular penalty was imposed.

(F) Multiply the total calculated in paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(E) of this section by the penalty rate applicable to the particular penalty. This is the total penalty amount for adjustments to which the particular penalty was imposed.

(iii) Allocating negative adjustments—(A) In general. Negative adjustments offset positive adjustments within the same grouping or, if the negative adjustment is in a subgrouping, within that same subgrouping. For purposes of applying this paragraph (c)(2)(iii), all adjustments to credits and adjustments treated as adjustments to credits are treated as grouped in the credit grouping without regard to whether the adjustments were subgrouped for purposes of § 301.6225-1 (or § 301.6225-2 in the case of modification). Adjustments that do not result in the imputed underpayment are disregarded as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Negative adjustments are allocated in accordance with the following rules:

(1) Negative adjustments are first applied to offset positive adjustments to which no penalties have been imposed.

(2) Any amount of negative adjustments remaining after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A)(1) of this section are applied to offset adjustments to which a penalty has been imposed at the lowest penalty rate.

(3) Any amount of negative adjustments remaining after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A)(2) of this section are applied to offset adjustments to which a penalty has been imposed at the next highest rate in ascending order of rate until no amount of negative adjustments remain or no positive adjustments to which a penalty has been imposed remain.

(B) Allocation of negative adjustment within a penalty rate. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may provide additional guidance regarding the ordering or allocation of negative adjustments for purposes of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A) of this section where more than one penalty is imposed at the same penalty rate.

(C) Adjustments remaining after allocation of negative adjustments—(1) In general. For purposes of paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, any positive adjustment to which a penalty has been imposed that has not been fully offset by a negative adjustment after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A) of this section is a net adjustment subject to penalty remaining after allocation of negative adjustments.

(2) Additional rules regarding allocation of negative credit amounts. If, after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(A) of this section, an amount of negative adjustments remain in the credit grouping, the amount of remaining negative adjustments may reduce the portion of the imputed underpayment that is subject to a penalty, but not below zero, in accordance with the following rules:

(i) The amount of remaining negative adjustments in the credit grouping are first applied to the portion of the imputed underpayment to which no penalty has been imposed, as calculated in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(3) of this section.

(ii) Any amount of negative adjustment in the credit grouping remaining after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(2)(i) of this section is applied to the portion of the imputed underpayment to which a penalty has been imposed at the lowest penalty rate as calculated in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section.

(iii) Any amount of negative adjustments in the credit grouping remaining after application of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(1)(ii) of this section is applied to the portion of the imputed underpayment to which a penalty has been imposed at the next highest rate in ascending order of rate in accordance with paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section until no negative amount remains.

(3) Calculating the portion of the imputed underpayment to which no penalty was imposed before the application of negative adjustments to credits. To determine the portion of the imputed underpayment that is not subject to penalty for purposes of paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(C)(2)(i) of this section, apply the rules in paragraphs (c)(2)(ii)(A) through (E) of this section of this section but substitute adjustment to which no penalty was imposed for adjustments to which a particular penalty was imposed.

(iv) Special rules—(A) Fraud penalties under section 6663. If any portion of an imputed underpayment is determined by the IRS to be attributable to fraud, the entire imputed underpayment is treated as attributable to fraud. This paragraph (c)(2)(iv)(A) does not apply to any portion of the imputed underpayment the partnership establishes by a preponderance of the evidence is not attributable to fraud.

(B) Substantial understatement penalty under section 6662(d)—(1) In general. For purposes of application of the penalty under section 6662(d) (substantial understatement of income tax), the imputed underpayment is treated as an understatement under section 6662(d)(2). To determine whether an imputed underpayment treated as an understatement under this paragraph (c)(2)(iv)(B)(1) is a substantial understatement under section 6662(d)(1), the rules of section 6662(d)(1)(A) apply by treating the amount described in paragraph (c)(2)(iv)(B)(2) of this section as the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year under section 6662(d)(1)(A)(i).

(2) Amount of tax required to be shown on the return. The amount described in this paragraph (c)(2)(iv)(B)(2) is the tax that would result by treating the net income or loss of the partnership for the reviewed year, reflecting any partnership adjustments as finally determined, as taxable income described in section 1(c) (determined without regard to section 1(h)).

(C) Reportable transaction understatement under section 6662A. For purposes of application of the penalty under section 6662A (reportable transaction understatement penalty), the portion of an imputed underpayment attributable to an item described under section 6662A(b)(2) is treated as a reportable transaction understatement under section 6662A(b).

(D) Reasonable cause and good faith. For purposes of determining whether a partnership satisfies the reasonable cause and good faith exception under section 6664(c) or (d) with respect to a penalty under section 6662, section 6662A, or section 6663, the partnership is treated as the taxpayer. See § 1.6664-4 of this chapter. Accordingly, the facts and circumstances taken into account to determine whether the partnership has established reasonable cause and good faith are the facts and circumstances applicable to the partnership.

(v) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of paragraph (c) of this section. For purposes of these examples, each partnership has a calendar taxable year, and the highest tax rate in effect for all taxpayers is 40 percent for all relevant periods.

(A) Example 1. In an administrative proceeding with respect to Partnership's 2018 partnership return, the IRS makes a positive adjustment to ordinary income of $100. The $100 adjustment is due to negligence or disregard of rules or regulations under section 6662(c), and a 20-percent accuracy-related penalty applies under section 6662(a). The IRS also makes a positive adjustment to long-term capital gain of $300, but no penalty applies with respect to that adjustment. These are the only adjustments. The portion of the imputed underpayment to which the 20-percent penalty applies is $40 ($100 × 40 percent), and the penalty is $8 ($40 × 20 percent).

(B) Example 2. The facts are the same as in Example 1 in paragraph (c)(2)(v)(A) of this section, except that the IRS makes a positive adjustment to credits of $10. The adjustment to credits is due to negligence or disregard of rules or regulations under section 6662(c), and a 20-percent accuracy-related penalty applies under section 6662(a). The portion of the imputed underpayment to which the 20-percent accuracy-related penalty applies is $50 (($100 × 40 percent) + $10), and the penalty is $10 ($50 × 20 percent).

(C) Example 3. The facts are the same as in Example 2 in paragraph (c)(2)(v)(B) of this section, except that there is also a negative adjustment to ordinary income of $50 that was subgrouped under § 301.6225-1 with the $100 positive adjustment to ordinary. Because the $50 negative adjustment to ordinary income was subgrouped under § 301.6225-1 with the $100 positive adjustment to ordinary income, in determining the portion of the imputed underpayment subject to penalty, the $50 negative adjustment is applied to offset part of the $100 positive adjustment to ordinary income ($100−$50 = $50). Accordingly, the portion of the imputed underpayment to which the 20-percent accuracy-related penalty applies is $30 (($50 × 40 percent) + $10), and the penalty is $6 ($30 × 20 percent).

(D) Example 4. The facts are the same as in Example 3 in paragraph (c)(2)(v)(C) of this section, except that the $300 adjustment to long-term capital gain is due to a gross valuation misstatement. A 40-percent accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a) and (h) applies to the portion of the imputed underpayment attributable to the gross valuation misstatement. The portion of the imputed underpayment to which the 20 percent accuracy-related penalty applies remains $30, and the 20-percent accuracy-related penalty remains $6. The portion of the imputed underpayment to which the 40-percent gross valuation misstatement penalty applies is $120 ($300 × 40 percent), and the gross valuation misstatement penalty is $48 ($120 × 40 percent). The total accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a) is $54.

(E) Example 5. Partnership has four equal partners during its 2019 taxable year: Two partners are partnerships, A and B; one partner is a tax-exempt entity, C; and the fourth partner is an individual, D. In an administrative proceeding with respect to Partnership's 2019 taxable year, the IRS timely mails a notice of proposed partnership adjustment (NOPPA) to Partnership for its 2019 taxable year proposing a single partnership positive adjustment to Partnership's ordinary income by $400,000. The $400,000 positive adjustment is due to negligence or disregard of rules or regulations under section 6662(c). A 20-percent accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a) and (c) applies to the portion of the imputed underpayment attributable to the negligence or disregard of the rules or regulations. In the NOPPA, the IRS determines an imputed underpayment of $160,000 ($400,000 × 40 percent) and that the 20-percent penalty applies to the entire imputed underpayment. The penalty is $32,000 ($160,000 × 20 percent). Partnership requests modification under § 301.6225-2(d)(3) (regarding tax-exempt partners) with respect to the amount of additional income allocated to C, and the IRS approves the modification request. As a result, Partnership's total netted partnership adjustment under § 301.6225-1(b)(2) is $300,000 ($400,000 less $100,000 allocable to C). The imputed underpayment is $120,000 (($300,000) × 40 percent), and the penalty is $24,000 ($120,000 × 20 percent).

(F) Example 6. The facts are the same as in Example 5 in paragraph (c)(2)(v)(E) of this section, except in addition to the modification with respect to C's tax-exempt status, Partnership requests a modification under § 301.6225-2(d)(2) (regarding amended returns) with respect to the $100,000 of additional income allocated to D. In accordance with the rules under § 301.6225-2(d)(2), D files an amended return for D's 2019 taxable year taking into account $100,000 of additional ordinary income. In addition, in accordance with § 301.6225-2(d)(2)(viii), D takes into account on D's return the 20-percent accuracy-related penalty for negligence or disregard of rules or regulations that relates to the ordinary income adjustment. D's tax attributes for other taxable years are not affected. The IRS approves the modification request. As a result, Partnership's total netted partnership adjustment under § 301.6225-1(b)(2) is $200,000 ($400,000 less $100,000 allocable to C and $100,000 taken into account by D). The imputed underpayment, after modification, is $80,000 ($200,000 × 40 percent), and the penalty is $16,000 ($80,000 × 20 percent).

(d) Applicability date—(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, this section applies to partnership taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and ending after August 12, 2018.

(2) Election under § 301.9100-22 in effect. This section applies to any partnership taxable year beginning after November 2, 2015, and before January 1, 2018, for which a valid election under § 301.9100-22 is in effect.

[T.D. 9844, 84 FR 6563, Feb. 27, 2019]