22 August 2016

Treasury and IRS 2016-2017 Priority Guidance Plan contains items of interest to the real estate industry

Treasury and the IRS released the 2016-2017 Priority Guidance Plan, which contains 281 projects on which the Service and Treasury will be focusing their resources from July 2016 through June 2017.

Each year, the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy and the Service use the Priority Guidance Plan to identify and prioritize tax issues that should be addressed through regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices and other published administrative guidance. The Priority Guidance Plan focuses resources on guidance items that are most important to taxpayers and tax administration and is updated throughout the year to reflect additional items that have become priorities during the plan year and to reflect guidance that has been published.

The Priority Guidance Plan includes many items of interest to taxpayers across a broad range of industries and activities. The chart below identifies items that may be of particular or specific interest to the real estate industry.

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Code
Section

Abstract

General real estate items

61(a)(12) and 1001

Guidance under Sections 61(a)(12) and 1001 on whether a recourse purchase money home mortgage loan is treated as a nonrecourse loan from inception if, under a state anti-deficiency statute, the lender cannot pursue the homeowner for the difference between the amount of the loan and the amount realized on a foreclosure or short sale of the home.

 

Regulations relating to accruals of interest (including discount) on distressed debt.

460

Regulations under Section 460 addressing the application of the look-back interest rules to certain pass-through entities with tax-exempt owners.

460

Regulations under Section 460 regarding home construction contracts and rules for certain changes in method of accounting for long-term contracts.

446

Guidance under Sections 446, 1275 and 6050H to address the treatment and reporting of capitalized interest on modified home mortgages.

1001

Regulations under Section 1001 on the modification of debt instruments, including issues relating to disregarded entities.

163(h)(3)

Guidance under Section 163(h)(3) concerning qualified residence interest.

170

Guidance under Section 170 regarding charitable contributions of appropriative water rights.

170

Guidance under Section 170 regarding charitable contributions of conservation easements.

280A

Regulations under Section 280A regarding deductions for expenses attributable to the business use of homes and rental of vacation homes.

168 and 179

Guidance under Sections 168 and 179 necessitated by the Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015.

453A

Regulations under Section 453A regarding contingent payment sales.

453B

Final regulations under Section 453B regarding nonrecognition of gain or loss on the disposition of certain installment obligations. Proposed regulations were published on December 23, 2014.

167

Guidance under Section 167 regarding a safe harbor for normalization.

REIT items

856

Final regulations under Section 856 clarifying the definition of real property for purposes of the rules for REITs. Proposed regulations were published on May 14, 2014.

856(c)(3)

Guidance clarifying the definition of income in Section 856(c)(3) for purposes of the REIT qualification tests.

856(e)(6)(D)(ii)

Guidance defining congregate care for purposes of the definition of a REIT health care facility under Section 856(e)(6)(D)(ii) and (l)(4)(B).

446

Guidance under Section 446 relating to accounting for hedging transactions.

Partnership items

337

Final regulations under Section 1.337(d)-3 relating to partnership transactions involving a corporate partner's stock or other equity interests. Final and temporary, and proposed regulations were published on June 12, 2015.

469(h)(2)

Final regulations under Section 469(h)(2) concerning limited partners and material participation. Proposed regulations were published on November 28, 2011.

514(c)(9)

Regulations concerning the fractions rule under Section 514(c)(9).

704(b)

Guidance on targeted capital accounts under Section 704(b).

704(c)

Regulations to update the securities partnership aggregation rules under Section 704(c).

704, 707, 721

Guidance under Sections 704, 707 and 721 on management fee waivers. Proposed regulations were published on July 22, 2015.

704, 734, 743, and 755

Final regulations under Sections 704, 734, 743 and 755 arising from the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, regarding the disallowance of certain partnership loss transfers and no reduction of basis in stock held by a partnership in a corporate partner. Proposed regulations were published on January 16, 2014.

707,752

Regulations under Section 707 relating to disguised sales of property and regulations under Section 752 regarding a partner's share of liabilities. Proposed regulations were published on January 30, 2014.

732(f)

Final regulations under Section 732(f) regarding aggregation of basis for partnership distributions involving equity interests of a partner. Proposed regulations were published on June 12, 2015.

751(b)

Final regulations under Section 751(b) on unrealized receivables and inventory. Proposed regulations were published on November 3, 2014.

752

Final regulations under Section 752 on related-person rules. Proposed regulations were published on December 16, 2013.

761 and 1234

Final regulations under Sections 761 and 1234 on the tax treatment of noncompensatory partnership options. Proposed regulations were published on February 5, 2013.

7704(d)(1)(E)

Final regulations under Section 7704(d)(1)(E) regarding qualifying income for publicly traded partnerships. Proposed regulations were published on May 6, 2015.

7704(d)(1)(E)

Guidance under Section 7704(d)(1)(E) regarding qualifying income derived from fertilizer for publicly traded partnerships.

Corporations and their shareholders

355

Guidance relating to the requirements under Section 355, including the active trade or business and business purpose requirements and the prohibition on device for the distribution of earnings and profits. (Issued July 15, 2016 in the Federal Register as REG-134016-15.)

337(d)

Final regulations under Section 337(d) regarding certain transfers of C corporation property to real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on June 8, 2016.

 

Guidance regarding when a transfer by a person to a corporation and a transfer by that corporation to that person, ostensibly in two separate transactions, should be respected as two separate transactions for federal income tax purposes.

355

Guidance regarding whether a corporation is a controlled corporation under Section 355 if, in anticipation of the distribution of its stock, the distributing corporation acquires or retains putative control of the controlled corporation through the use of classes of shares having different voting powers. (Published August 8, 2016 in IRB 2016-32 as Revenue Procedure 2016-40.)

385

Final regulations under Section 385 regarding treatment of certain interests in corporations as stock. Proposed regulations were published on April 8, 2016.

General tax issues

167, 1031

Guidance under Sections 167 and 1031 regarding whether property held simultaneously for sale and for lease (also known as "dual-use property") is eligible for depreciation deductions and/or like-kind exchange treatment.

1411

Final regulations under Section 1411 regarding issues related to the net investment income tax. Proposed regulations were published on December 2, 2013.

7701

Final regulations under Section 7701 regarding Series LLCs and cell companies. Proposed regulations were published on September 14, 2010.

1.267(b)-1(b)

Regulations under Section 267 regarding the application of Reg. Section 1.267(b)-1(b) to partners and partnerships.

469

Guidance regarding material participation by trusts and estates for purposes of Section 469.

2704

Guidance under Section 2704 regarding restrictions on the liquidation of an interest in certain corporations and partnerships.

1446

Regulations regarding publicly traded partnerships under Section 1446 and Treas. Reg. Section 1.1446-4.

TEFRA

Guidance regarding partnership audit and adjustment procedures under TEFRA and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.

512

Guidance under Section 512 regarding methods of allocating expenses relating to dual-use facilities.

1411

Final regulations under Section 1411 regarding issues related to the net investment income tax. Proposed regulations were published on December 2, 2013.

International tax issues

864

Guidance under Section 864 implementing Revenue Ruling 91-32 relating to sales of certain partnership interests.

892

Regulations under Section 892. Proposed regulations were published on November 3, 2011.

1446

Regulations regarding publicly traded partnerships under Section 1446 and Treas. Reg. Section 1.1446-4.

7701

Regulations under Section 7701 coordinating the entity classification election with elections under subchapter M.

7874, 367, 956, 7701(l), and 304

Final regulations under Sections 7874, 367, 956, 7701(l) and 304 regarding inversions and related transactions. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on April 8, 2016.

956

Final regulations under Section 956 regarding the treatment of loans to foreign partnerships and related issues. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on September 2, 2015.

864

Guidance under Section 864 implementing Revenue Ruling 91-32 (which provides for look-through treatment for gain on certain partnership interest sales by a foreign person).

721(c)

Guidance on transfers of property to partnerships with related foreign partners and controlled transactions involving partnerships. Notice 2015-54 was released on August 6, 2015.

704(b)

Final regulations under Section 704(b) on the allocation by partnerships of foreign income tax. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on February 4, 2016.

901

Guidance under Section 901, including on the allocation of foreign tax imposed on disregarded entities and partnerships.

954(c)

Guidance under Section 954(c), including regarding foreign currency gains, and the active rents and royalties exception. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on September 2, 2015.

956

Final regulations on the treatment of upfront payments on swaps under Section 956. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on May 8, 2015.

959

Final regulations under Section 959 on previously taxed earnings and profits. Proposed regulations were published on August 29, 2006.

871(m)

Final regulations under Section 871(m) on dividend equivalent payments. Final, temporary, and proposed regulations were published on September 18, 2015.

897 and 1445

Regulations under Sections 897 and 1445 relating to changes in the PATH Act of 2015.

482

Guidance under Section 482, including with respect to the treatment and allocation of risk. Temporary and proposed regulations were published on September 16, 2015.

Executive compensation, health care and other benefits, and employment taxes

83(b)

Final regulations regarding election procedures under Section 83(b). Proposed regulations were published on July 17, 2015.

162(m)

Guidance under Section 162(m) addressing certain situations involving a short tax year.

Tax-exempt bonds

103

Regulations on the definition of political subdivision under Section 103 for purposes of the tax-exempt, tax credit, and direct-pay bond provisions. Proposed regulations were published on February 23, 2016.

Credits and Incentives

45D

Final regulations under Section 45D that revise and clarify certain rules relating to recapture of the new markets tax credit as well as other issues. Proposed regulations were published August 11, 2008.

48

Guidance on the definition of qualifying energy property under Section 48.

48

Guidance on the modification, extension and phase out of the investment tax credit for solar energy property under Section 48.

50(d)(5)

Guidance concerning the interaction of the rules in Section 50(d)(5) and subchapter K.

42

Guidance concerning renewable energy and maximum gross rent under Section 42.

Regulations under Section 42 on compliance monitoring, including issues identified in Notice 2012-18. Proposed and temporary regulations were published on February 25, 2016.

Implications

When considering tax issues in connection with proposed transactions, practitioners will want to monitor the release of Priority Guidance Plan items and also look for the addition of new items. Practitioners may want to take particular note of the new guidance items, including for example, regulations under Sections 897 and 1445 relating to changes enacted by the PATH Act, the changes to the partnership audit regime and changes under Sections 704, 707 and 721 to management fee waivers.

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Contact Information
For additional information concerning this Alert, please contact:
 
Real Estate Group
Mark Fisher(202) 327-6491
Jorge Sandoval(202) 327-7783
Federal Business Incentives and Credits Group
Michael Bernier(617) 585-0322

Document ID: 2016-1435