Code of Federal Regulations · Section

§ 1.964-2 — -2 Treatment Of Blocked Earnings And Profits

26 C.F.R. § 1.964-2

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(a) General rule. If, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, it is established to the satisfaction of the district director that any amount of the earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation for the taxable year (determined under § 1.964-1) was subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation imposed under the laws of any foreign country (within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section) on its distribution to United States shareholders who own (within the meaning of section 958(a)) stock of such corporation, such amount shall not be included in earnings and profits for purposes of sections 952, 955 (as in effect both before and after the enactment of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975), and 956 for such taxable year. For rules governing the treatment of amounts with respect to which such restriction or limitation is removed, see paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Rules of application. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section—

(1) Period of restriction or limitation. An amount of earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation for any taxable year shall not be included in earnings and profits for purposes of sections 952, 955 (as in effect both before and after the enactment of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975), and 956 only if such amount of earnings and profits is subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation (within the meaning of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph) throughout the 150-day period beginning 90 days before the close of the taxable year and ending 60 days after the close of such taxable year.

(2) Restriction or limitation defined. Whether earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation are subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation imposed under the laws of a foreign country must be determined on the basis of all the facts and circumstances in each case. Generally, such a restriction or limitation must prevent—

(i) The ready conversion (directly or indirectly) of such currency into United States dollars, or into property of a type normally owned by such corporation in the operation of its business or other money which is readily convertible into United States dollars; or

(ii) The distribution of dividends by such corporation to its United States shareholders.

For purposes of this subparagraph, if a United States shareholder owns (within the meaning of section 958(a)), or is considered as owning by applying the rules of ownership of section 958(b), 80 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation in a chain of ownership described in section 958(a), the distribution of dividends by such corporation to such shareholder will not be considered prevented solely by reason of the existence of a currency or other restriction or limitation at an intermediate tier in such chain if dividends may be distributed directly to such shareholders.

(3) Foreign laws. A currency or other restriction or limitation on the distribution of earnings and profits may be imposed in a foreign country by express statutory provisions, executive orders or decrees, rules or regulations of a governmental agency, court decisions, the actions of appropriate officials who are acting within the scope of their authority, or by any similar official action. A currency restriction will not be considered to exist unless export restrictions are also imposed which prevent the exportation of property of a type normally owned by the controlled foreign corporation in the operation of its business which could be readily converted into United States dollars.

(4) Voluntary restriction or limitation. A currency or other restriction or limitation arising from the voluntary act of the controlled foreign corporation or its United States shareholders during a taxable year beginning after December 31, 1962, will not be taken into account. For example, if a controlled foreign corporation—

(i) Issues a stock dividend which has the effect of capitalizing earnings and profits;

(ii) Elects to restrict its earnings and profits or to make certain investments as a means of avoiding current tax or securing a reduced rate of tax; or

(iii) Allocates earnings and profits to an optional or arbitrary reserve; such restriction is voluntary and will not be taken into account.

(5) Treatment of earnings and profits in cases of certain mandatory reserves—(i) In general. If a controlled foreign corporation is required under the laws of a foreign country to establish a reserve out of earnings and profits for the taxable year, such earnings and profits shall be considered subject to a restriction or limitation by reason of such requirement only to the extent that the amount required to be included in such reserve at the close of the taxable year exceeds the accumulated earnings and profits (determined in accordance with subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph) of such corporation at the close of the preceding taxable year.

(ii) Determination of earnings and profits. For purposes of determining the accumulated earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation under subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, such earnings and profits shall not include any amounts which are attributable to—

(a) Amounts which, for any prior taxable year, have been included in the gross income of a United States shareholder under section 951(a) and have not been distributed;

(b) Amounts which, for any prior taxable year, have been included in the gross income of a United States shareholder of such foreign corporation under section 551(b) and have not been distributed; or

(c) Amounts which become subject to a voluntary restriction or limitation (within the meaning of subparagraph (4) of this paragraph) during a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1963.

The rules of this subdivision apply only in determining the accumulated earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation for purposes of this subparagraph. See section 959 and the regulations thereunder for limitations on the exclusion from gross income of previously taxed earnings and profits.

(6) Exhaustion of procedures for distributing earnings and profits. Earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation for a taxable year will not be considered subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation on their distribution unless the United States shareholders of such corporation demonstrate either that the available procedures for distributing such earnings and profits have been exhausted or that the use of such procedures will be futile. As a general rule, such procedures will be considered to have been exhausted if the foreign corporation applies for dollars (or foreign currency readily convertible into dollars) at the appropriate rate of exchange and complies with the applicable laws and regulations governing the acquisition and transfer of such currency including submission of the necessary documentation to the exchange authority. The fact that available procedures for distributing earnings and profits were exhausted without success with respect to a prior year is not, of itself, sufficient evidence that such procedures would not be successful with respect to the current taxable year.

(c) Removal of restriction or limitation—(1) In general. If, during any taxable year, a currency or other restriction or limitation (within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section) imposed under the laws of a foreign country on the distribution of earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation to its United States shareholders is removed—

(i) Treatment of deferred income. Each United States shareholder of such corporation on the last day in such year that such corporation is a controlled foreign corporation shall include in his gross income for such taxable year the amounts attributable to such earnings and profits which would have been includible in his gross income under section 951(a) for prior taxable years but for the existence of the currency or other restriction or limitation except that the amounts included under this subdivision (i) shall not exceed his pro rata share of—

(a) The earnings and profits upon which the restriction was removed determined on the basis of his stock ownership on the last day of the immediately preceding taxable year, and

(b) The applicable limitations under paragraph (c) of § 1.952-1, paragraph (b)(2) of § 1.955-1, paragraph (b)(2) of § 1.955A-1, or paragraph (b) of § 1.956-1, determined as of the last day of the immediately preceding taxable year, taking into account the provisions of subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph.

(ii) Treatment of earnings and profits. For purposes of sections 952, 955 (as in effect both before and after the enactment of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975), and 956, the earnings and profits which are no longer subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation shall be treated as included in the corporation's earnings and profits for the year in which such earnings and profits were derived.

Amounts with respect to which a currency or other restriction or limitation is removed shall be translated into United States dollars at the appropriate exchange rate for the translation period during which such currency or other restriction or limitation is removed. See paragraph (d) of § 1.964-1. Amounts with respect to which a currency or other restriction or limitation is removed shall not be taken into account in determining whether a deficiency distribution (within the meaning of § 1.963-6 (applied as if section 963 had not been repealed by the Tax Reduction Act of 1975)) is required to be made for the year in which such earnings and profits were derived.

(2) Removal of restriction or limitation defined. An amount of earnings and profits shall be considered no longer subject to a limitation or restriction if and to the extent that—

(i) Money or property in such foreign country is readily convertible into United States dollars, or into other money or property of a type normally owned by such corporation in the operation of its business which is readily convertible into United States dollars;

(ii) Notwithstanding the existence of any laws or regulations forbidding the exchange of money or property into United States dollars, conversion is actually made into United States dollars, or other money or property of a type normally owned by such corporation in the operation of its business which is readily convertible into United States dollars; or

(iii) A mandatory reserve requirement (described in paragraph (b)(5) of this section) is removed either by a change in law of the foreign country imposing such requirement or by an accumulation of earnings and profits not subject to such requirement.

(3) Distribution in foreign country. If, during any taxable year, earnings and profits previously subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation are distributed in a foreign country to one or more United States shareholders of a controlled foreign corporation directly, or indirectly through a chain of ownership described in section 958(a), such earnings and profits shall be considered no longer subject to a restriction or limitation. However, distributed amounts may be excluded from such shareholder's gross income for the taxable year of receipt if such shareholder elects a method of accounting under which the reporting of blocked foreign income is deferred until the income ceases to be blocked.

(4) Source of distribution. If, during any taxable year, earnings and profits previously subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation is distributed to one or more United States shareholders of a controlled foreign corporation directly, or indirectly through a chain of ownership described in section 958(a), the source of such distribution shall be determined in accordance with the rules of § 1.959-3.

(5) Illustration. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:

(a) M, a United States person, owns all of the only class of stock of A Corporation, a foreign corporation incorporated under the laws of foreign country X on January 1, 1963. Both M and A Corporations use the calendar year as a taxable year and A Corporation is a controlled foreign corporation throughout the period here involved.

(b) During 1963, A Corporation derives income of $100,000 all of which is subpart F income and has earnings and profits of $100,000. Under the laws of X Country, currency cannot be exported without a license. During the last 90 days of 1963 and the first 60 days of 1964, A Corporation can obtain a license to distribute only an amount equivalent to $10,000. M must include $10,000 in his gross income for 1963 under section 951(a)(1)(A)(i) and $90,000 of A Corporation's earnings and profits for 1963 are not taken into account for purposes of sections 952, 955, and 956.

(c) During 1964, A Corporation has no income and no earnings and profits. On June 1, 1964, A Corporation converts an amount equivalent to $20,000 into property of a type normally owned by such corporation in the operation of its business which is readily convertible into United States dollars but does not distribute such amount. Corporation A must include $20,000 in its earnings and profits for 1963 for purposes of sections 952, 955, and 956. M must include $20,000 in his gross income for 1964.

(d) During 1965, A Corporation has no income and no earnings and profits. On December 15, 1965, A Corporation distributes an amount equivalent to $15,000 to M in X Country. Neither M nor A Corporation can obtain a license to export currency from X Country. In his return for the taxable year 1965, M elects a method of accounting under which the reporting of blocked foreign income is deferred until the income ceases to be blocked. Accordingly, M does not include the $15,000 in his gross income for 1965.

(e) During 1966, A Corporation has no income and no earnings and profits. On February 1, 1966, notwithstanding the laws and regulations of X Country which forbid the exchange of X Country's currency into United States dollars, M converts an amount equivalent to $15,000 into a currency which is readily convertible into United States dollars. Since the income has ceased to be blocked, M must include $15,000 in his gross income for 1966.

(d) Manner of claiming existence of restriction or limitation on distribution of earnings and profits. A United States shareholder claiming that an amount of the earnings and profits of a controlled foreign corporation for the taxable year was subject to a currency or other restriction or limitation imposed under the laws of a foreign country on its distribution shall file a statement with his return for the taxable year with or within which the taxable year of the foreign corporation ends which shall include—

(1) The name and address of the foreign corporation,

(2) A description of the classes of stock of the foreign corporation and a statement of the number of shares of each class owned (within the meaning of section 958(a)) or considered as owned (by applying the rules of ownership of section 958(b)) by the United States shareholder,

(3) A description of the currency or other restriction or limitation on the distribution of earnings and profits,

(4) The total earnings and profits of the foreign corporation for the taxable year (before any amount is excluded from earnings and profits under this section) and the United States shareholder's pro rata share of such total earnings and profits,

(5) The United States shareholder's pro rata share of the amount of earnings and profits subject to a restriction or limitation on distribution,

(6) The amounts which would be includible in the United States shareholder's gross income under section 951(a) but for the existence of the currency or other restriction or limitation,

(7) A description of the available procedures for distributing earnings and profits and a statement setting forth the steps taken to exhaust such procedures or a statement setting forth the reasons that the use of such procedures would be futile, and

(8) The amount of distributions made in a foreign country and a statement as to whether a method of accounting has been elected under which the reporting of blocked income is deferred until such income ceases to be blocked, including an identification of the taxable year and place of filing of such election.

In addition, such United States shareholder shall furnish to the district director such other information as he may require to verify the status of a currency or other restriction or limitation.

26 C.F.R. § 1.964-1 26 C.F.R. § 1.964-3

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