26 USC 446 - General rule for methods of accounting

Collapse to view only § 446. General rule for methods of accounting

§ 446. General rule for methods of accounting
§ 447. Method of accounting for corporations engaged in farming
§ 448. Limitation on use of cash method of accounting

§ 446. General rule for methods of accounting

(a) General rule

(b) Exceptions

Subject to the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), a taxpayer may compute taxable income under any of the following methods of accounting—

(1) the cash receipts and disbursements method;

(2) an accrual method;

(3) any other method permitted by this chapter; or

(4) any combination of the foregoing methods permitted under regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

(d) Taxpayer engaged in more than one business

(e) Requirement respecting change of accounting method

(f) Failure to request change of method of accounting

If the taxpayer does not file with the Secretary a request to change the method of accounting, the absence of the consent of the Secretary to a change in the method of accounting shall not be taken into account—

(1) to prevent the imposition of any penalty, or the addition of any amount to tax, under this title, or

(2) to diminish the amount of such penalty or addition to tax.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 151; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906 (b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1834; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title I, § 161(a), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 696.)

§ 447. Method of accounting for corporations engaged in farming

(a) General rule

Except as otherwise provided by law, the taxable income from farming of—

(1) a corporation engaged in the trade or business of farming, or

(2) a partnership engaged in the trade or business of farming, if a corporation is a partner in such partnership,

shall be computed on an accrual method of accounting. This section shall not apply to the trade or business of operating a nursery or sod farm or to the raising or harvesting of trees (other than fruit and nut trees).

(b) Preproductive period expenses

For purposes of subsection (a), a corporation shall be treated as not being a corporation for any taxable year if it is—

(1) an S corporation, or

(2) a corporation which meets the gross receipts test of section 448(c) for such taxable year.

(d) Coordination with section 481

(e) Certain annual accrual accounting methods

(1) In general

Notwithstanding subsection (a) or section 263A, if—

(A) for its 10 taxable years ending with its first taxable year beginning after December 31, 1975, a corporation or qualified partnership used an annual accrual method of accounting with respect to its trade or business of farming,

(B) such corporation or qualified partnership raises crops which are harvested not less than 12 months after planting, and

(C) such corporation or qualified partnership has used such method of accounting for all taxable years intervening between its first taxable year beginning after December 31, 1975, and the taxable year,

such corporation or qualified partnership may continue to employ such method of accounting for the taxable year with respect to its qualified farming trade or business.

(2) Annual accrual method of accounting defined

(3) Certain nonrecognition transfers

For purposes of this subsection, if—

(A) a corporation acquired substantially all the assets of a qualified farming trade or business from another corporation in a transaction in which no gain or loss was recognized to the transferor or transferee corporation, or

(B) a qualified partnership acquired substantially all the assets of a qualified farming trade or business from one of its partners in a transaction to which section 721 applies,

the transferee corporation or qualified partnership shall be deemed to have computed its taxable income on an annual accrual method of accounting during the period for which the transferor corporation or partnership computed its taxable income from such trade or business on an annual accrual method.

(4) Qualified partnership defined

For purposes of this subsection—

(A) Qualified partnership

The term “qualified partnership” means a partnership which is engaged in a qualified farming trade or business and each of the partners of which is a corporation other than—

(i) an S corporation, or

(ii) a personal holding company (within the meaning of section 542(a)).

(B) Qualified farming trade or business

(i) In general

The term “qualified farming trade or business” means the trade or business of farming—

(I) sugar cane,(II) any plant with a preproductive period (as defined in section 263A(e)(3)) of 2 years or less, and(III) any other plant (other than any citrus or almond tree) if an election by the corporation under this subparagraph is in effect.

In the case of a partnership and for purposes of paragraph (3)(A), subclauses (II) and (III) shall not apply.

(ii) Effect of election

(iii) Election

(Added Pub. L. 94–455, title II, § 207(c)(1)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1538; amended Pub. L. 95–600, title III, §§ 351(a), 353(a), title VII, §§ 701(l)(1), 703(d), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2846, 2847, 2906, 2939; Pub. L. 97–248, title II, § 230(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 495; Pub. L. 97–354, § 5(a)(28), (29), Oct. 19, 1982, 96 Stat. 1695; Pub. L. 99–514, title VIII, § 803(b)(7), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2356; Pub. L. 100–203, title X, § 10205(a)–(c), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–395 to 1330–397; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1008(b)(5), (6), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3438; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, § 11702(b), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–514; Pub. L. 105–34, title X, § 1081(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 949; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 13102(a)(5), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2102.)

§ 448. Limitation on use of cash method of accounting

(a) General ruleExcept as otherwise provided in this section, in the case of a—

(1) C corporation,

(2) partnership which has a C corporation as a partner, or

(3) tax shelter,

taxable income shall not be computed under the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting.

(b) Exceptions

(1) Farming business

(2) Qualified personal service corporations

(3) Entities which meet gross receipts test

(1) In general

(2) Aggregation rules

(3) Special rulesFor purposes of this subsection—

(A) Not in existence for entire 3-year period

(B) Short taxable years

(D) Treatment of predecessors

(4) Adjustment for inflationIn the case of any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2018, the dollar amount in paragraph (1) shall be increased by an amount equal to—

(A) such dollar amount, multiplied by

(B) the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, by substituting “calendar year 2017” for “calendar year 2016” in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.

If any amount as increased under the preceding sentence is not a multiple of $1,000,000, such amount shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1,000,000.

(d) Definitions and special rulesFor purposes of this section—

(1) Farming business

(A) In general

(B) Timber and ornamental trees

(2) Qualified personal service corporationThe term “qualified personal service corporation” means any corporation—

(A) substantially all of the activities of which involve the performance of services in the fields of health, law, engineering, architecture, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, or consulting, and

(B) substantially all of the stock of which (by value) is held directly (or indirectly through 1 or more partnerships, S corporations, or qualified personal service corporations not described in paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (a)) by—

(i) employees performing services for such corporation in connection with the activities involving a field referred to in subparagraph (A),

(ii) retired employees who had performed such services for such corporation,

(iii) the estate of any individual described in clause (i) or (ii), or

(iv) any other person who acquired such stock by reason of the death of an individual described in clause (i) or (ii) (but only for the 2-year period beginning on the date of the death of such individual).

To the extent provided in regulations which shall be prescribed by the Secretary, indirect holdings through a trust shall be taken into account under subparagraph (B).

(3) Tax shelter defined

(4) Special rules for application of paragraph (2)For purposes of paragraph (2)—

(A) community property laws shall be disregarded,

(B) stock held by a plan described in section 401(a) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a) shall be treated as held by an employee described in paragraph (2)(B)(i), and

(C) at the election of the common parent of an affiliated group (within the meaning of section 1504(a)), all members of such group may be treated as 1 taxpayer for purposes of paragraph (2)(B) if 90 percent or more of the activities of such group involve the performance of services in the same field described in paragraph (2)(A).

(5) Special rule for certain services

(A) In generalIn the case of any person using an accrual method of accounting with respect to amounts to be received for the performance of services by such person, such person shall not be required to accrue any portion of such amounts which (on the basis of such person’s experience) will not be collected if—

(i) such services are in fields referred to in paragraph (2)(A), or

(ii) such person meets the gross receipts test of subsection (c) for all prior taxable years.

(B) Exception

(6) Treatment of certain trusts subject to tax on unrelated business income

(7) Coordination with section 481

(8) Use of related parties, etc.

(Added Pub. L. 99–514, title VIII, § 801(a), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2345; amended Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1008(a)(1), (2), (7)–(9), title VI, § 6032(a), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3436, 3437, 3695;