26 USC 842 - Foreign companies carrying on insurance business

View all text of Part III [§ 841 - § 848]

§ 842. Foreign companies carrying on insurance business

(a) Taxation under this subchapter

(b) Minimum effectively connected net investment income

(1) In general

In the case of a foreign company taxable under part I or II of this subchapter for the taxable year, its net investment income for such year which is effectively connected with the conduct of an insurance business within the United States shall be not less than the product of—

(A) the required United States assets of such company, and

(B) the domestic investment yield applicable to such company for such year.

(2) Required U.S. assets

(A) In general

For purposes of paragraph (1), the required United States assets of any foreign company for any taxable year is an amount equal to the product of—

(i) the mean of such foreign company’s total insurance liabilities on United States business, and

(ii) the domestic asset/liability percentage applicable to such foreign company for such year.

(B) Total insurance liabilities

For purposes of this paragraph—

(i) Companies taxable under part I

(ii) Companies taxable under part II

The domestic asset/liability percentage applicable for purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii) to any foreign company for any taxable year is a percentage determined by the Secretary on the basis of a ratio—

(i) the numerator of which is the mean of the assets of domestic insurance companies taxable under the same part of this subchapter as such foreign company, and

(ii) the denominator of which is the mean of the total insurance liabilities of the same companies.

(3) Domestic investment yield

The domestic investment yield applicable for purposes of paragraph (1)(B) to any foreign company for any taxable year is the percentage determined by the Secretary on the basis of a ratio—

(A) the numerator of which is the net investment income of domestic insurance companies taxable under the same part of this subchapter as such foreign company, and

(B) the denominator of which is the mean of the assets of the same companies.

(4) Election to use worldwide yield

(A) In general

(B) Worldwide current investment yield

For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term “worldwide current investment yield” means the percentage obtained by dividing—

(i) the net investment income of the company from all sources, by

(ii) the mean of all assets of the company (whether or not held in the United States).

(5) Net investment income

For purposes of this subsection, the term “net investment income” means—

(A) gross investment income (within the meaning of section 834(b)), reduced by

(B) expenses allocable to such income.

(1) Reduction in section 881 taxes

(A) In general

The tax under section 881 (determined without regard to this paragraph) shall be reduced (but not below zero) by an amount which bears the same ratio to such tax as—

(i) the amount of the increase in effectively connected income of the company resulting from subsection (b), bears to

(ii) the amount which would be subject to tax under section 881 if the amount taxable under such section were determined without regard to sections 103 and 894.

(B) Limitation on reduction

(2) Data used in determining domestic asset/liability percentages and domestic investment yields

(d) Regulations

The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section, including regulations—

(1) providing for the proper treatment of segregated asset accounts,

(2) providing for proper adjustments in succeeding taxable years where the company’s actual net investment income for any taxable year which is effectively connected with the conduct of an insurance business within the United States exceeds the amount required under subsection (b)(1),

(3) providing for the proper treatment of investments in domestic subsidiaries, and

(4) which may provide that, in the case of companies taxable under part II of this subchapter, determinations under subsection (b) will be made separately for categories of such companies established in such regulations.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 267; Mar. 13, 1956, ch. 83, § 5(5), 70 Stat. 49; Pub. L. 86–69, § 3(f)(1), June 25, 1959, 73 Stat. 140; Pub. L. 89–809, title I, § 104(i)(1), Nov. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 1561; Pub. L. 99–514, title X, § 1024(c)(11), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2408; Pub. L. 100–203, title X, § 10242(a), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–420; Pub. L. 100–647, title II, § 2004(q)(2), (3), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3609; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, § 7821(d)(2), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2424; Pub. L. 108–218, title II, § 205(b)(6), Apr. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 610; Pub. L. 115–97, title I, § 13512(b)(7), Dec. 22, 2017, 131 Stat. 2143.)