Code of Federal Regulations · Section
§ 1.304-4 — -4 Special Rules For The Use Of Related Corporations To Avoid The Application Of Section 304
26 C.F.R. § 1.304-4
(a) Scope and purpose. This section applies to determine the amount of a property distribution constituting a dividend (and the source thereof) under section 304(b)(2), for certain transactions involving controlled corporations. The purpose of this section is to prevent the avoidance of the application of section 304 to a controlled corporation.
(b) Amount and source of dividend. For purposes of determining the amount constituting a dividend (and source thereof) under section 304(b)(2), the following rules shall apply:
(1) Deemed acquiring corporation. A corporation (deemed acquiring corporation) shall be treated as acquiring for property the stock of a corporation (issuing corporation) acquired for property by another corporation (acquiring corporation) that is controlled by the deemed acquiring corporation, if a principal purpose for creating, organizing, or funding the acquiring corporation by any means (including through capital contributions or debt) is to avoid the application of section 304 to the deemed acquiring corporation. See paragraph (c) Example 1 of this section for an illustration of this paragraph.
(2) Deemed issuing corporation. The acquiring corporation shall be treated as acquiring for property the stock of a corporation (deemed issuing corporation) controlled by the issuing corporation if, in connection with the acquisition for property of stock of the issuing corporation by the acquiring corporation, the issuing corporation acquired stock of the deemed issuing corporation with a principal purpose of avoiding the application of section 304 to the deemed issuing corporation. See paragraph (c) Example 2 of this section for an illustration of this paragraph.
(c) Examples. The rules of this section are illustrated by the following examples:
(i) Facts. P, a domestic corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a controlled foreign corporation with substantial accumulated earnings and profits. CFC1 is organized in Country X, which imposes a high rate of tax on the income of CFC1. P also wholly owns CFC2, a controlled foreign corporation with accumulated earnings and profits of $200x. CFC2 is organized in Country Y, which imposes a low rate of tax on the income of CFC2. P wishes to own all of its foreign corporations in a direct chain and to repatriate the cash of CFC2. In order to avoid having to obtain Country X approval for the acquisition of CFC1 (a Country X corporation) by CFC2 (a Country Y corporation) and to avoid the dividend distribution from CFC2 to P that would result if CFC2 were the acquiring corporation, P causes CFC2 to form CFC3 in Country X and to contribute $100x to CFC3. CFC3 then acquires all of the stock of CFC1 from P for $100x.
(ii) Result. Because a principal purpose for creating, organizing, or funding CFC3 (acquiring corporation) is to avoid the application of section 304 to CFC2 (deemed acquiring corporation), under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, for purposes of determining the amount of the $100x distribution constituting a dividend (and source thereof) under section 304(b)(2), CFC2 shall be treated as acquiring the stock of CFC1 (issuing corporation) from P for $100x. As a result, P receives a $100x distribution out of the earnings and profits of CFC2 to which section 301(c)(1) applies.
(i) Facts. P, a domestic corporation, wholly owns CFC1, a controlled foreign corporation with substantial accumulated earnings and profits. The CFC1 stock has a basis of $100x. CFC1 is organized in Country X. P also wholly owns CFC2, a controlled foreign corporation with zero accumulated earnings and profits. CFC2 is organized in Country Y. P wishes to own all of its foreign corporations in a direct chain and to repatriate the cash of CFC2. In order to avoid having to obtain Country X approval for the acquisition of CFC1 (a Country X corporation) by CFC2 (a Country Y corporation) and to avoid a dividend distribution from CFC1 to P, P forms a new corporation (CFC3) in Country X and transfers the stock of CFC1 to CFC3 in exchange for CFC3 stock. P then transfers the stock of CFC3 to CFC2 in exchange for $100x.
(ii) Result. Because a principal purpose for the transfer of the stock of CFC1 (deemed issuing corporation) by P to CFC3 (issuing corporation) is to avoid the application of section 304 to CFC1, under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, for purposes of determining the amount of the $100x distribution constituting a dividend (and source thereof) under section 304(b)(2), CFC2 (acquiring corporation) shall be treated as acquiring the stock of CFC1 from P for $100x . As a result, P receives a $100x distribution out of the earnings and profits of CFC1 to which section 301(c)(1) applies.
(d) Effective/applicability date. This section applies to acquisitions of stock occurring on or after December 29, 2009.
Authorizing Statute
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Rules and regulations26 U.S.C. § 7805
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Advanced manufacturing production credit26 U.S.C. § 45X
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Alcohol, etc., used as fuel26 U.S.C. § 40
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Gross income defined26 U.S.C. § 61
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Transfers of excess pension assets to retiree health accounts26 U.S.C. § 420
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Partial exclusion for gain from certain small business stock26 U.S.C. § 1202
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Tax treatment of stripped bonds26 U.S.C. § 1286
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Current taxation of income from qualified electing funds26 U.S.C. § 1293
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Imposition of tax on certain foreign procurement26 U.S.C. § 5000C
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Returns regarding payments of interest26 U.S.C. § 6049
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Signing of returns and other documents26 U.S.C. § 6061
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General requirement of return, statement, or list26 U.S.C. § 6011
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Income from discharge of indebtedness26 U.S.C. § 108
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Indian general welfare benefits26 U.S.C. § 139E
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Bonds must be registered to be tax exempt; other requirements26 U.S.C. § 149
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Trade or business expenses26 U.S.C. § 162
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Accelerated cost recovery system26 U.S.C. § 168
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Amortizable bond premium26 U.S.C. § 171
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Golden parachute payments26 U.S.C. § 280G
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Distributions of stock and stock rights26 U.S.C. § 305
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Transfer to corporation controlled by transferor26 U.S.C. § 351
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Special rules for long-term contracts26 U.S.C. § 460
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Determination of basis of partner’s interest26 U.S.C. § 705
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Taxes of foreign countries and of possessions of United States26 U.S.C. § 901
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Controlled foreign corporations; United States persons26 U.S.C. § 957
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New energy efficient home credit26 U.S.C. § 45L
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2-percent floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions26 U.S.C. § 67
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Certain death benefits26 U.S.C. § 101
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Qualified business income26 U.S.C. § 199A
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Installment method26 U.S.C. § 453
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Certain payments for the use of property or services26 U.S.C. § 467
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Partners, not partnership, subject to tax26 U.S.C. § 701
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Extent of recognition of gain or loss on distribution26 U.S.C. § 731
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Capitalization of certain policy acquisition expenses26 U.S.C. § 848
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Special rules for determining source26 U.S.C. § 863
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Income of foreign governments and of international organizations26 U.S.C. § 892
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Definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 6241
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Computation and payment of tax26 U.S.C. § 1503
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Adjusted gross income defined26 U.S.C. § 62
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Treatment of loans with below-market interest rates26 U.S.C. § 7872
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Basis to distributees26 U.S.C. § 358
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Minimum participation standards26 U.S.C. § 410
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Other definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 860G
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Adjustments required by changes in method of accounting26 U.S.C. § 481
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Definitions26 U.S.C. § 7701
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Insurance income26 U.S.C. § 953
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Returns relating to actions affecting basis of specified securities26 U.S.C. § 6045B
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Information relating to certain trusts and annuity plans26 U.S.C. § 6047
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Enhanced oil recovery credit26 U.S.C. § 43
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Energy efficient commercial buildings deduction26 U.S.C. § 179D
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Redemption through use of related corporations26 U.S.C. § 304
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Certain stock purchases treated as asset acquisitions26 U.S.C. § 338
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Special limitations on certain excess credits, etc.26 U.S.C. § 383
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Optional treatment of elective deferrals as Roth contributions26 U.S.C. § 402A
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General rule for taxable year of inclusion26 U.S.C. § 451
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Qualified ABLE programs26 U.S.C. § 529A
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Charitable remainder trusts26 U.S.C. § 664
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Nonrecognition of gain or loss on contribution26 U.S.C. § 721
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Investment of earnings in United States property26 U.S.C. § 956
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Definitions and special rule26 U.S.C. § 1377
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Relief from joint and several liability on joint return26 U.S.C. § 6015
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Return of S corporation26 U.S.C. § 6037
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Notice of certain transfers to foreign persons26 U.S.C. § 6038B
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Information at source26 U.S.C. § 6041
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Imposition of accuracy-related penalty on underpayments26 U.S.C. § 6662
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Tax imposed26 U.S.C. § 1
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Railroad track maintenance credit26 U.S.C. § 45G
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Zero-emission nuclear power production credit26 U.S.C. § 45U
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Rehabilitation credit26 U.S.C. § 47
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Clean electricity investment credit26 U.S.C. § 48E
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Special rules26 U.S.C. § 52
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Election to expense certain depreciable business assets26 U.S.C. § 179
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Individual retirement accounts26 U.S.C. § 408
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Special rules for nondealers26 U.S.C. § 453A
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Deductions limited to amount at risk26 U.S.C. § 465
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Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.26 U.S.C. § 501
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Definition of regulated investment company26 U.S.C. § 851
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Source rules for personal property sales26 U.S.C. § 865
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Tax on nonresident alien individuals26 U.S.C. § 871
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Foreign base company income26 U.S.C. § 954
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S corporation defined26 U.S.C. § 1361
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Definitions26 U.S.C. § 1402
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Distributions of property26 U.S.C. § 301
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Life insurance contract defined26 U.S.C. § 7702
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Previously-owned clean vehicles26 U.S.C. § 25E
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Electricity produced from certain renewable resources, etc.26 U.S.C. § 45
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Clean fuel production credit26 U.S.C. § 45Z
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Taxation of employee annuities26 U.S.C. § 403
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Last-in, first-out inventories26 U.S.C. § 472
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Allocation of income and deductions among taxpayers26 U.S.C. § 482
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Definitions applicable to subparts A, B, C, and D26 U.S.C. § 643
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Taxable years of partner and partnership26 U.S.C. § 706
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Disposition of investment in United States real property26 U.S.C. § 897
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Administrative adjustment request by partnership26 U.S.C. § 6227
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Citizens or residents of the United States living abroad26 U.S.C. § 911
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Residence and source rules involving possessions26 U.S.C. § 937
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Rules relating to expatriated entities and their foreign parents26 U.S.C. § 7874
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Regulations26 U.S.C. § 1502
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Capitalization and inclusion in inventory costs of certain expenses26 U.S.C. § 263A
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Foreign corporations26 U.S.C. § 367
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Roth IRAs26 U.S.C. § 408A
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Minimum vesting standards26 U.S.C. § 411
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Partner’s distributive share26 U.S.C. § 704
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Unrealized receivables and inventory items26 U.S.C. § 751
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Taxation of residual interests26 U.S.C. § 860C
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Exclusions from gross income26 U.S.C. § 883
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Income affected by treaty26 U.S.C. § 894
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Other definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 989
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Special rules26 U.S.C. § 1474
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Returns of brokers26 U.S.C. § 6045
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Information returns of tax return preparers26 U.S.C. § 6060
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Authority to make credits or refunds26 U.S.C. § 6402
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Failure by individual to pay estimated income tax26 U.S.C. § 6654
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Interest on certain home mortgages26 U.S.C. § 25
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Credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles26 U.S.C. § 45W
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Interest on State and local bonds26 U.S.C. § 103
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Qualified lessee construction allowances for short-term leases26 U.S.C. § 110
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Losses26 U.S.C. § 165
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Charitable, etc., contributions and gifts26 U.S.C. § 170
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Incentive stock options26 U.S.C. § 422
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Deemed paid credit for subpart F inclusions26 U.S.C. § 960
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Election of mark to market for marketable stock26 U.S.C. § 1296
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Returns relating to certain life insurance contract transactions26 U.S.C. § 6050Y
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Clean vehicle credit26 U.S.C. § 30D
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Credit for carbon oxide sequestration26 U.S.C. § 45Q
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Amount of credit26 U.S.C. § 46
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Advanced manufacturing investment credit26 U.S.C. § 48D
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Arbitrage26 U.S.C. § 148
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Amortization of goodwill and certain other intangibles26 U.S.C. § 197
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Interest on education loans26 U.S.C. § 221
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Disallowance of certain entertainment, etc., expenses26 U.S.C. § 274
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Qualifications for tax credit employee stock ownership plans26 U.S.C. § 409
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Unrelated debt-financed income26 U.S.C. § 514
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Rules for allocation of basis26 U.S.C. § 755
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Rules for certain reserves26 U.S.C. § 807
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Special rules in case of foreign oil and gas income26 U.S.C. § 907
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Basis of property acquired from a decedent26 U.S.C. § 1014
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Special rules26 U.S.C. § 1298
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Definitions26 U.S.C. § 3401
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Extension of time for filing returns26 U.S.C. § 6081
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Renumbered § 45C]26 U.S.C. § 28
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Credit for production of clean hydrogen26 U.S.C. § 45V
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Energy credit26 U.S.C. § 48
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Limitation on credit26 U.S.C. § 904
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Qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans26 U.S.C. § 401
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Dependent care assistance programs26 U.S.C. § 129
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Special rules for nuclear decommissioning costs26 U.S.C. § 468A
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Mark to market accounting method for dealers in securities26 U.S.C. § 475
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Basis of distributed property other than money26 U.S.C. § 732
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Straddles26 U.S.C. § 1092
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Qualified electing fund26 U.S.C. § 1295
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Averaging of farm income26 U.S.C. § 1301
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Withholdable payments to foreign financial institutions26 U.S.C. § 1471
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Definitions26 U.S.C. § 1504
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Basis information to persons acquiring property from decedent26 U.S.C. § 6035
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Information with respect to certain foreign-owned corporations26 U.S.C. § 6038A
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Returns relating to cash received in trade or business, etc.26 U.S.C. § 6050I
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Credit for increasing research activities26 U.S.C. § 41
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Definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 150
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Passive activity losses and credits limited26 U.S.C. § 469
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Certain expenses for which credits are allowable26 U.S.C. § 280C
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Assumption of liability26 U.S.C. § 357
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Complete liquidations of subsidiaries26 U.S.C. § 332
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Distribution of stock and securities of a controlled corporation26 U.S.C. § 355
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Period for computation of taxable income26 U.S.C. § 441
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General rule for taxable year of deduction26 U.S.C. § 461
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Special rules for modified guaranteed contracts26 U.S.C. § 817A
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Treatment of variable contracts26 U.S.C. § 817
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Certain reinsurance agreements26 U.S.C. § 845
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Failure to file notice of redetermination of foreign tax26 U.S.C. § 6689
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Branch transactions26 U.S.C. § 987
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Qualified zone property defined26 U.S.C. § 1397D
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Withholdable payments to other foreign entities26 U.S.C. § 1472
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Liquidating, etc., transactions26 U.S.C. § 6043
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Verification of returns26 U.S.C. § 6065
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Mode or time of collection26 U.S.C. § 6302
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Transfer of certain credits26 U.S.C. § 6418
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American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits26 U.S.C. § 25A
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Refundable credit for coverage under a qualified health plan26 U.S.C. § 36B
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Clean electricity production credit26 U.S.C. § 45Y
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Other special rules26 U.S.C. § 50
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Treatment of community income26 U.S.C. § 66
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Basis to corporations26 U.S.C. § 362
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Election of taxable year other than required taxable year26 U.S.C. § 444
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Transactions between partner and partnership26 U.S.C. § 707
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Special allocation rules for certain asset acquisitions26 U.S.C. § 1060
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Discounted unpaid losses defined26 U.S.C. § 846
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Definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 864
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Capital asset defined26 U.S.C. § 1221
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Interest on tax deferral26 U.S.C. § 1291
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Passive foreign investment company26 U.S.C. § 1297
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Withholding of tax on nonresident aliens26 U.S.C. § 1441
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Returns as to interests in foreign partnerships26 U.S.C. § 6046A
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State and local income tax refunds26 U.S.C. § 6050E
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Returns relating to exchanges of certain partnership interests26 U.S.C. § 6050K
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Returns relating to higher education tuition and related expenses26 U.S.C. § 6050S
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Reporting of health insurance coverage26 U.S.C. § 6055
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Low-income housing credit26 U.S.C. § 42
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New markets tax credit26 U.S.C. § 45D
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Definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 414
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Qualified asset account; limitation on additions to account26 U.S.C. § 419A
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General rule for methods of accounting26 U.S.C. § 446
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Interest on certain deferred payments26 U.S.C. § 483
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Reserves for losses on loans of banks26 U.S.C. § 585
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Certain revocable trusts treated as part of estate26 U.S.C. § 645
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Insurance company taxable income26 U.S.C. § 832
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Income from sources within the United States26 U.S.C. § 861
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Treatment of certain foreign currency transactions26 U.S.C. § 988
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Functional currency26 U.S.C. § 985
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Other definitions and special rules26 U.S.C. § 1275
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Election to extend time for payment of tax on undistributed earnings26 U.S.C. § 1294
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Requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage26 U.S.C. § 5000A
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Returns by exempt organizations26 U.S.C. § 6033
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Information with respect to foreign financial assets26 U.S.C. § 6038D
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Returns relating to the cancellation of indebtedness by certain entities26 U.S.C. § 6050P
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Identifying numbers26 U.S.C. § 6109
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Elective payment of applicable credits26 U.S.C. § 6417
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Certain fringe benefits26 U.S.C. § 132
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Dependent defined26 U.S.C. § 152
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Interest26 U.S.C. § 163
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Bad debts26 U.S.C. § 166
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Special rules for credits and deductions26 U.S.C. § 642
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General rule for inventories26 U.S.C. § 471
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Political organizations26 U.S.C. § 527
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Special rules applicable to sections 661 and 66226 U.S.C. § 663
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Allowance of deductions and credits26 U.S.C. § 874
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Branch profits tax26 U.S.C. § 884
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Tax imposed on certain built-in gains26 U.S.C. § 1374
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Foreign tax-exempt organizations26 U.S.C. § 1443
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Valuation tables26 U.S.C. § 7520
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Losses on small business stock26 U.S.C. § 1244
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Distributions26 U.S.C. § 1368
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Definitions26 U.S.C. § 1473
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Information with respect to certain fines, penalties, and other amounts26 U.S.C. § 6050X
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Failure by corporation to pay estimated income tax26 U.S.C. § 6655