26 USC 481 - Adjustments required by changes in method of accounting

Collapse to view only § 481. Adjustments required by changes in method of accounting

§ 481. Adjustments required by changes in method of accounting
§ 482. Allocation of income and deductions among taxpayers
§ 483. Interest on certain deferred payments

§ 481. Adjustments required by changes in method of accounting

(a) General ruleIn computing the taxpayer’s taxable income for any taxable year (referred to in this section as the “year of the change”)—

(1) if such computation is under a method of accounting different from the method under which the taxpayer’s taxable income for the preceding taxable year was computed, then

(2) there shall be taken into account those adjustments which are determined to be necessary solely by reason of the change in order to prevent amounts from being duplicated or omitted, except there shall not be taken into account any adjustment in respect of any taxable year to which this section does not apply unless the adjustment is attributable to a change in the method of accounting initiated by the taxpayer.

(b) Limitation on tax where adjustments are substantial

(1) Three year allocationIf—

(A) the method of accounting from which the change is made was used by the taxpayer in computing his taxable income for the 2 taxable years preceding the year of the change, and

(B) the increase in taxable income for the year of the change which results solely by reason of the adjustments required by subsection (a)(2) exceeds $3,000,

then the tax under this chapter attributable to such increase in taxable income shall not be greater than the aggregate increase in the taxes under this chapter (or under the corresponding provisions of prior revenue laws) which would result if one-third of such increase in taxable income were included in taxable income for the year of the change and one-third of such increase were included for each of the 2 preceding taxable years.

(2) Allocation under new method of accountingIf—

(A) the increase in taxable income for the year of the change which results solely by reason of the adjustments required by subsection (a)(2) exceeds $3,000, and

(B) the taxpayer establishes his taxable income (under the new method of accounting) for one or more taxable years consecutively preceding the taxable year of the change for which the taxpayer in computing taxable income used the method of accounting from which the change is made,

then the tax under this chapter attributable to such increase in taxable income shall not be greater than the net increase in the taxes under this chapter (or under the corresponding provisions of prior revenue laws) which would result if the adjustments required by subsection (a)(2) were allocated to the taxable year or years specified in subparagraph (B) to which they are properly allocable under the new method of accounting and the balance of the adjustments required by subsection (a)(2) was allocated to the taxable year of the change.

(3) Special rules for computations under paragraphs (1) and (2)For purposes of this subsection—

(A) There shall be taken into account the increase or decrease in tax for any taxable year preceding the year of the change to which no adjustment is allocated under paragraph (1) or (2) but which is affected by a net operating loss (as defined in section 172) or by a capital loss carryback or carryover (as defined in section 1212), determined with reference to taxable years with respect to which adjustments under paragraph (1) or (2) are allocated.

(B) The increase or decrease in the tax for any taxable year for which an assessment of any deficiency, or a credit or refund of any overpayment, is prevented by any law or rule of law, shall be determined by reference to the tax previously determined (within the meaning of section 1314(a)) for such year.

(d) Adjustments attributable to conversion from S corporation to C corporation

(1) In general

(2) Eligible terminated S corporationFor purposes of this subsection, the term “eligible terminated S corporation” means any C corporation—

(A) which—

(i) was an S corporation on the day before the date of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and

(ii) during the 2-year period beginning on the date of such enactment makes a revocation of its election under section 1362(a), and

(B) the owners of the stock of which, determined on the date such revocation is made, are the same owners (and in identical proportions) as on the date of such enactment.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 160; Pub. L. 85–866, title I, § 29(a), (b), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1626–1628; Pub. L. 91–172, title V, § 512(f)(4), Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 641; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, §§ 1901(a)(70), 1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1776, 1834; Pub. L. 96–471, § 2(b)(3), Oct. 19, 1980, 94 Stat. 2254; Pub. L. 113–295, div. A, title II, § 221(a)(61), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4048; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 13543(a), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2155.)

§ 482. Allocation of income and deductions among taxpayers

In any case of two or more organizations, trades, or businesses (whether or not incorporated, whether or not organized in the United States, and whether or not affiliated) owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the same interests, the Secretary may distribute, apportion, or allocate gross income, deductions, credits, or allowances between or among such organizations, trades, or businesses, if he determines that such distribution, apportionment, or allocation is necessary in order to prevent evasion of taxes or clearly to reflect the income of any of such organizations, trades, or businesses. In the case of any transfer (or license) of intangible property (within the meaning of section 367(d)(4)), the income with respect to such transfer or license shall be commensurate with the income attributable to the intangible. For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall require the valuation of transfers of intangible property (including intangible property transferred with other property or services) on an aggregate basis or the valuation of such a transfer on the basis of the realistic alternatives to such a transfer, if the Secretary determines that such basis is the most reliable means of valuation of such transfers.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 162; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1834; Pub. L. 99–514, title XII, § 1231(e)(1), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2562; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 14221(b)(2), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2219; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(d)(1)(D)(viii)(III), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1207.)

§ 483. Interest on certain deferred payments

(a) Amount constituting interest

For purposes of this title, in the case of any payment—

(1) under any contract for the sale or exchange of any property, and

(2) to which this section applies,

there shall be treated as interest that portion of the total unstated interest under such contract which, as determined in a manner consistent with the method of computing interest under section 1272(a), is properly allocable to such payment.

(b) Total unstated interest

For purposes of this section, the term “total unstated interest” means, with respect to a contract for the sale or exchange of property, an amount equal to the excess of—

(1) the sum of the payments to which this section applies which are due under the contract, over

(2) the sum of the present values of such payments and the present values of any interest payments due under the contract.

For purposes of the preceding sentence, the present value of a payment shall be determined under the rules of section 1274(b)(2) using a discount rate equal to the applicable Federal rate determined under section 1274(d).

(1) In general

Except as provided in subsection (d), this section shall apply to any payment on account of the sale or exchange of property which constitutes part or all of the sales price and which is due more than 6 months after the date of such sale or exchange under a contract—

(A) under which some or all of the payments are due more than 1 year after the date of such sale or exchange, and

(B) under which there is total unstated interest.

(2) Treatment of other debt instruments

(3) Debt instrument defined

(d) Exceptions and limitations

(1) Coordination with original issue discount rules

(2) Sales prices of $3,000 or less

(3) Carrying charges

(4) Certain sales of patents

(e) Maximum rate of interest on certain transfers of land between related parties

(1) In general

(2) Qualified sale

(3) $500,000 limitation

(4) Nonresident alien individuals

(f) Regulations

The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section including regulations providing for the application of this section in the case of—

(1) any contract for the sale or exchange of property under which the liability for, or the amount or due date of, a payment cannot be determined at the time of the sale or exchange, or

(2) any change in the liability for, or the amount or due date of, any payment (including interest) under a contract for the sale or exchange of property.

(g) Cross references

(1) For treatment of assumptions, see section l274(c)(4).

(2) For special rules for certain transactions where stated principal amount does not exceed $2,800,000, see section 1274A.

(3) For special rules in case of the borrower under certain loans for personal use, see section 1275(b).

(Added Pub. L. 88–272, title II, § 224(a), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 77; amended Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, §§ 1901(b)(3)(B), 1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1792, 1834; Pub. L. 97–34, title I, § 126(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 202; Pub. L. 97–448, title I, § 101(g), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2367; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title I, § 41(b), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 553; Pub. L. 99–121, title I, §§ 101(a)(2), 102(c)(1)–(3), Oct. 11, 1985, 99 Stat. 505, 508; Pub. L. 99–514, title XVIII, § 1803(a)(14)(B), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2797.)