Announcement 2005-80 |
November 14, 2005 |
Settlement Initiative
This announcement provides a settlement initiative under which taxpayers
and the Internal Revenue Service (Service) may resolve the tax treatment of
certain tax transactions. Section 2 describes who is eligible to participate.
Section 3 describes eligible transactions. Section 4 describes the settlement
terms. Section 5 sets out the settlement procedures. Taxpayers have until
January 23, 2006, to notify the Service of their intent to participate in
this settlement initiative.
Section 2. Eligible Taxpayers
A person that claimed a federal tax benefit from a transaction described
in section 3, including a person that filed an amended return claiming a federal
tax benefit from such a transaction, may participate in this initiative unless
the person is an ineligible person as determined in this section. However,
a person described in paragraph 1, 2, or 3 that would like to settle under
this initiative may file an Election that identifies each reason the person
is an ineligible person, and request that the Service permit settlement under
this initiative.
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Promoters. A person who (i) organized, managed
or sold the transaction; (ii) participated in the organization, management,
or sale of the transaction; or (iii) received fees in connection with the
organization, management, or sale of the transaction is an ineligible person.
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Persons related to promoters. A partner in a
partnership that is described in paragraph 1 of this section, a five percent
or more shareholder of a corporation that is described in paragraph 1, or
a person otherwise related to a person described in paragraph 1 within the
meaning of § 267(b) (other than § 267(b)(1)) or § 707(b)
is an ineligible person.
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TEFRA partners of promoters. A partner in a disqualified
entity in which (a) an ineligible partner claimed more than two percent of
the improper tax benefits from the transaction at issue, or (b) ineligible
partners in the aggregate claimed five percent or more of the improper tax
benefits from the transaction, is an ineligible person. An ”ineligible
partner” is a person who is an ineligible person other than by reason
of this paragraph 3. A ”disqualified entity” is an entity that
(i) is subject to the unified partnership audit and litigation provisions
of §§ 6221 through 6234, as enacted by the Tax Equity and Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA partnership), (ii) engaged in a transaction
described in section 3 of this announcement, and (iii) includes one or more
ineligible partners. However, a partner who is not an ineligible partner
may settle if the ineligible partners that cause the TEFRA partnership to
be described in this paragraph 3 execute a waiver under § 6224(b)
of their right under § 6224(c)(2) to a consistent settlement agreement,
as provided in Form 13751, Waiver of Right to Consistent Agreement
of Partnership Items and Partner-level Determinations as to Penalties, Additions
to Tax, and Additional Amounts.
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Persons who engaged in a transaction that has been designated
for litigation. A person who directly or indirectly engaged in
a transaction and, before the date on which the Election is filed, the Service
has informed the person (or the tax matters partner or notice group of the
TEFRA partnership of which the person was a partner) that the Service has
designated or is considering designating the transaction for litigation is
an ineligible person.
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Persons in litigation. A person who, individually
or as a partner in a TEFRA partnership, is a party in a court proceeding to
determine the tax treatment of any aspect of the transaction is an ineligible
person.
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Fraud. A person against whom the Service has
imposed the fraud penalty under § 6663, or a person that has been
notified before the date on which the Election is filed that the Service is
considering imposing the fraud penalty against that person, is an ineligible
person.
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Persons under criminal investigation. A person
under tax-related criminal investigation by the Service or the Department
of Justice, or a person that has been notified, before the date on which the
Election is filed, that the Service or the Department of Justice intends to
commence a tax-related criminal investigation of that person is an ineligible
person.
Section 3. Eligible Transactions
The following transactions are eligible for settlement under this initiative.
Stated by each transaction is the accuracy-related penalty on the underpayment
attributable to the transaction that a person will be required to pay, unless
one of the exceptions listed in paragraph E of section 4 applies.
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Notice 2002-21, 2002-1 C.B. 730 (Tax Avoidance Using Inflated Basis)
(20%).
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Notice 2001-16, 2001-1 C.B. 730 (Intermediary Transactions Tax Shelter)
(20%).
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Notice 2003-55, 2003-2 C.B. 395 (Accounting for Lease Strips and Other
Stripping Transactions (10%), and transactions involving losses reported from
inflated basis assets from lease strips (20%)).
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Notice 2003-54, 2003-2 C.B. 363 (Common Trust Fund Straddle Tax Shelters)
(10%), but excluding transactions described in Notice 2002-50, 2002-2 C.B.
98, and Notice 2002-65, 2002-2 C.B. 690.
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Notice 2003-81, 2003-2 C.B. 1223 (Tax Avoidance Using Offsetting Foreign
Currency Option Contracts) (10%).
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Notice 99-59, 1999-2 C.B. 761 (Tax Avoidance Using Distributions of
Encumbered Property) (10%).
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Rev. Rul. 2004-98, 2004-2 C.B. 664 (”Reimbursements” for
parking expenses previously paid by an employer or previously paid by an employee
through salary reduction) (5%).
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Rev. Rul. 2004-20, 2004-1 C.B. 546, Situation 1 (Pension plan fails
to satisfy § 412(i) where amounts accumulated under life insurance
contracts and annuities held by the plan exceed benefits payable under plan
terms) and Situation 2 (Employer contributions to pension plan are not currently
deductible when used to pay premiums on life insurance contracts that provide
for death benefits in excess of the participant’s death benefit under
the terms of the plan), and Rev. Rul. 2004-21, 2004-1 C.B. 544 (Pension plan
fails to satisfy nondiscrimination requirements due to differences in the
value of participants’ rights to purchase life insurance contracts from
the plan) (5%).
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Notice 2004-8, 2004-1 C.B. 333 (Abusive Roth IRA Transactions) (5%).
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Rev. Rul. 2004-4, 2004-1 C.B. 414 (Transactions that involve segregating
the business profits of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)-owned S corporation
in a qualified subchapter S subsidiary, so that rank-and-file employees do
not benefit from participation in the ESOP) (5%).
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Notice 2003-77, 2003-2 C.B. 1182 (Transfers to Trusts to Provide for
the Satisfaction of Contested Liabilities) (5%).
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Notice 2003-24, 2003-1 C.B. 853 (Tax Problems Raised by Certain Trust
Arrangements Seeking to Qualify for Exception for Collectively Bargained Welfare
Benefit Funds under § 419A(f)(5)) (5%).
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Rev. Rul. 2003-6, 2003-1 C.B. 286 (Certain arrangements involving the
transfer of ESOPs that hold stock in an S corporation for the purpose of claiming
eligibility for the delayed effective date of § 409(p)) (5%).
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Rev. Rul. 2002-3, 2002-1 C.B. 316; Rev. Rul. 2002-80, 2002-2 C.B. 925
(”Reimbursements” of employees for salary reduction amounts previously
excluded from gross income under § 106; ”Advance reimbursements”
or ”loans” without regard to whether an employee has incurred
medical expenses) (5%).
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Notice 2000-60, 2000-2 C.B. 568 (Stock Compensation Corporate Tax Shelter)
(5%).
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Rev. Rul. 2000-12, 2000-1 C.B. 744 (Certain transactions involving the
acquisition of two debt instruments the values of which are expected to change
significantly at about the same time in opposite directions) (5%).
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Notice 95-34, 1995-1 C.B. 309 (Tax Problems Raised by Certain Trust
Arrangements Seeking to Qualify for Exemption from § 419) (5%).
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Treas. Reg. § 1.643(a)-8 (Certain Distributions by Charitable
Remainder Trusts) (5%).
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Certain abusive charitable contributions and conservation easements
(Deductions under § 170 improperly claimed as a result of: (a) open
space easements where the easement has no, or de minimis,
value; (b) historic land or façade easements that have no, or de
minimis, value; and (c) so-called conservation buyer transactions
where the charitable organization purchases property, places an easement on
it and then ”sells” the property with the easement to a buyer
at a price substantially less than that paid for it and the buyer also makes
a charitable contribution that approximates the price differential. See Notice
2004-41, 2004-2 C.B. 31.) (5%).[1]
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Certain abusive charitable contributions of patents and other intellectual
property (Transfers of patents or other intellectual property to charitable
organizations where the property transferred has no, or de minimis,
value. See Notice 2004-7, 2004-1 C.B. 310.) (5%).1
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Management S Corporation ESOP Transactions (Transactions where the taxpayer
has claimed that it is entitled to exclude income of an operating business
by asserting, incorrectly, that the taxpayer had established, on or before
March 14, 2001, an employee stock ownership plan entitled to an exemption
from unrelated business income and an S corporation that is a management corporation,
and whatever actions that were taken to attempt to establish an employee stock
ownership plan and a management S corporation were taken on or before
March 14, 2001) (5%).
Section 4. Settlement Terms
A. General Tax Adjustments.
The Service will settle with persons under this initiative by disallowing
the improperly claimed tax benefits associated with the transaction in a manner
consistent with relevant published guidance providing the Service’s
view of the transaction, the terms set forth in this announcement, and the
facts and circumstances surrounding the specific transaction. For certain
transactions, that may mean that the transaction will be treated as not having
occurred for tax purposes and the person must concede all claimed tax benefits
of the transaction for all taxable periods not barred by the period of limitations
on assessment. For other transactions, that may mean that the transaction
will be recharacterized in a manner consistent with its substance, and the
person must concede all claimed tax benefits inconsistent with that substance.
The person may also be required to make adjustments to basis, as appropriate,
may be required to unwind or dissolve entities formed for the purpose of facilitating
the transaction, and may have to pay applicable excise tax, employment tax,
and self-employment tax liabilities.
These settlement terms apply for resolution of these transactions only,
and do not constitute an interpretation of general rules to be applied in
transactions not settled under this initiative.
A person may be required to change its method(s) of accounting to resolve
a transaction. In such a situation, the settlement will impose the necessary
accounting method change(s) with the following terms and conditions. The
year of change will be the earliest taxable year in which the existing accounting
method was used by the person in connection with the transaction, or the first
taxable year for which the period of limitations has not expired. The Commissioner
will grant consent under § 446(e) to make the method change on a
retroactive basis. Where required, a § 481(a) adjustment will be
imposed and taken into account entirely in the year of change.
Additional transaction-specific provisions apply in resolving these
transactions. See Questions and Answers for Announcement 2005-80 at http://www.irs.gov for
those specific provisions.
B. Transaction Costs Generally Allowed as an Ordinary Loss.
A person settling under this initiative will be allowed to treat as an ordinary
loss those transaction costs, including promoter fees and fees paid for accounting,
appraisal, and legal services, actually paid by the taxpayer. If tax benefits,
including benefits attributable to transaction costs, were claimed in a year
barred by the period of limitations on assessment, then transaction costs
will be allowed as an ordinary loss only to the extent the transaction costs
exceed the tax benefits claimed in the barred years.
C. Tax-Exempt Entities. Where a transaction includes
a tax-exempt entity as a party, resolution for the taxpayer may require the
tax-exempt entity to disburse any funds received as a result of the transaction.
As noted in paragraph A of this section 4, excise taxes may also apply.
If an eligible taxpayer created a tax-exempt entity specifically for the purpose
of accommodating an abusive or tax-avoidance transaction, or if an entity
created by an eligible taxpayer has engaged in abusive transactions as a substantial
part of its activities, the entity may also be required to agree to revocation
of its exemption.
D. Multi-Party Transactions. The Service generally
expects that all parties to a transaction (e.g., an employer
and employee) will elect to resolve the transaction under this initiative.
The failure of all parties to the transaction to elect to resolve the transaction
under this initiative will not automatically preclude settlement for the electing
parties. If all parties do not elect to participate in this initiative, however,
the Service reserves the right to not settle with the electing parties if
it is not in the interest of sound tax administration to do so.
E. Penalties.
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Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph E, a person that settles
a transaction under this initiative will pay an accuracy-related penalty under
§ 6662 on the underpayment attributable to the transaction in the
percentage amount provided for the transaction above in section 3.
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A person that properly disclosed the transaction under Announcement
2002-2, 2002-1 C.B. 304, will not pay a penalty on the underpayment attributable
to the disclosed transaction.
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For purposes of this settlement initiative, at the discretion of the
Service, a person that received and relied on a written tax opinion with respect
to the treatment of the transaction under federal tax law before filing a
return affected by the transaction will not pay a penalty on the underpayment
attributable to that transaction if[2]—
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the tax opinion (i) concluded at a confidence level of at least ”more
likely than not” (a greater than 50% likelihood) that all significant
federal tax issues arising out of the transaction would be resolved in the
taxpayer’s favor, and (ii) considered all the relevant facts and did
not assume any unreasonable facts; and
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the tax advisor (i) was not a person described in section 2, paragraph
1 or 2, (ii) was not referred to the taxpayer by a person described in section
2, paragraph 1 or 2, and (iii) did not have a fee arrangement contingent
on the successful sustention of all or part of the intended tax benefit.
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All other applicable penalties and additions to tax will apply.
F. Statute Extensions. Where the period of limitations
on assessment of any applicable tax (e.g., income, excise,
and employment taxes) will otherwise expire within 12 months after a person
files an Election, the Service will ordinarily request that the person consent
to extend the applicable period of limitations. If, after a request by the
Service, the person does not consent to extend the applicable period of limitations
as requested, the Service will treat that person as having withdrawn from
this initiative.
Section 5. Application Process
A. Election. A person that wants to resolve a transaction
through this settlement initiative must send an Election (Form 13750, Election
to Participate in Announcement 2005-80 Settlement Initiative, and
all required attachments) on or before January 23, 2006, to:
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Attn: Announcement 2005-80 MS
1505 24000 Avila Rd Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Form 13750, as well as the required schedules and attachments, must
be used to elect to participate in this initiative and must be submitted to
the address listed above. The form will be available at http://www.irs.gov.
The Service reserves the right not to accept any Election not properly addressed
and timely mailed within the meaning of § 7502.
A person who is under examination (or in Appeals), or who is a partner
in a TEFRA partnership that is under examination (or in Appeals), must send
a copy of the Election to the IRS examiner (or IRS Appeals Officer).
B. Required Information. The Election requests
information necessary to process the election and determine the proper tax
liabilities. The Service may request additional information and documents
relating to the transaction, such as marketing materials and tax opinion letters.
All requested information must be submitted under penalties of perjury to
the Service within 30 days of the date of mailing of the request for additional
information by the Service. The Service may grant an extension for good cause
to persons who request additional time within the 30-day period. The Service
will treat a person who fails to provide the required information within the
applicable time period as having withdrawn from the initiative.
C. Passthrough Entities. If the participant in
the transaction was a partnership, subchapter S corporation, or some other
pass-through entity, then the person that would be liable for the tax (e.g.,
the partner or shareholder) who wants to participate in this initiative must
submit an Election on his or her own behalf.
D. Closing Agreement and Payment. After receiving
all the necessary information, the Service will prepare a closing agreement
under § 7121 reflecting the terms of the settlement. The Service
will send the closing agreement to the person (or the person’s corporate
parent or representative, if appropriate), who must sign and return it to
the Service within 30 days of the date of mailing by the Service. The Service
may grant an extension for good cause.
A person settling under this initiative must fully pay all taxes, interest,
and penalties due under the terms of the settlement when the signed closing
agreement is returned to the Service. Any person unable to make full payment
at that time must submit complete financial statements and agree to financial
arrangements acceptable to the Service before the Service will execute a closing
agreement. The Service will not execute a closing agreement under this initiative
with anyone unable to reach acceptable financial arrangements.
E. Other Dispute Resolution Procedures. This settlement
initiative does not affect conventional Service resolution procedures available
to eligible persons that do not settle under this initiative. For eligible
persons that forgo resolving eligible transactions under this settlement initiative
and take their issues to Appeals, Appeals will carefully consider both the
issue merits and the penalty, but such persons should not expect to receive
a better offer in Appeals than that offered under this settlement initiative
and may in fact receive a less favorable outcome.
Section 6. Paperwork Reduction Act
The collection of information in this announcement has been reviewed
and approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. § 3507) under control number 1545-1967. An agency
may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless the collection of information displays a
valid OMB number.
The collection of information in this announcement is in Section 5,
Application Process. This information is required to apply the terms of the
settlement and determine the suitable amount of any penalties. Collecting
information is required to obtain the benefit described in this announcement.
The likely respondents are individuals, businesses, other for-profit institutions,
and tax-exempt entities.
The estimated total annual reporting burden is 2,500 hours. The estimated
annual burden per respondent varies from 3 to 7 hours, depending on individual
circumstances, with an estimated average of 5 hours. The estimated number
of respondents is 500. The estimated frequency of responses is one time per
respondent.
Books or records about a collection of information must be retained
as long as their content may become material in administering any internal
revenue law. Generally tax returns and tax return information are confidential,
as required by 26 U.S.C § 6103.
Section 7. Contact Information
The principal author of this announcement is Joe Spires of the Office
of Chief Counsel. For further information regarding this announcement, questions
can be sent to Settlement.Initiative@irscounsel.treas.gov or
contact (202) 622-4284 (not a toll-free call).
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2005-46
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