§6038 — Information reporting with respect to certain foreign corporations and partnerships
21 citing cases
Statute Text — 26 U.S.C. §6038
Every United States person shall furnish, with respect to any foreign business entity which such person controls, such information as the Secretary may prescribe relating to—
the name, the principal place of business, and the nature of business of such entity, and the country under whose laws such entity is incorporated (or organized in the case of a partnership);
in the case of a foreign corporation, its post-1986 undistributed earnings (as defined in section 902(c));
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1 See References in Text note below.
a balance sheet for such entity listing assets, liabilities, and capital;
transactions between such entity and—
such person,
any corporation or partnership which such person controls, and
any United States person owning, at the time the transaction takes place—
in the case of a foreign corporation, 10 percent or more of the value of any class of stock outstanding of such corporation, and
in the case of a foreign partnership, at least a 10-percent interest in such partnership; and
in the case of a foreign corporation, a description of the various classes of stock outstanding, and a list showing the name and address of, and number of shares held by, each United States person who is a shareholder of record owning at any time during the annual accounting period 5 percent or more in value of any class of stock outstanding of such foreign corporation, and
information comparable to the information described in clause (i) in the case of a foreign partnership.
The Secretary may also require the furnishing of any other information which is similar or related in nature to that specified in the preceding sentence or which the Secretary determines to be appropriate to carry out the provisions of this title.
The information required under paragraph (1) shall be furnished for the annual accounting period of the foreign business entity ending with or within the United States person’s taxable year. The information so required shall be furnished at such time and in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe.
No information shall be required to be furnished under this subsection with respect to any foreign business entity for any annual accounting period unless the Secretary has prescribed the furnishing of such information on or before the first day of such annual accounting period.
If any foreign corporation is treated as a controlled foreign corporation for any purpose under subpart F of part III of subchapter N of chapter 1, the Secretary may require any United States person treated as a United States shareholder of such corporation for any purpose under subpart F to furnish the information required under paragraph (1).
In the case of a foreign partnership which is controlled by United States persons holding at least 10-percent interests (but not by any one United States person), the Secretary may require each United States person who holds a 10-percent interest in such partnership to furnish information relating to such partnership, including information relating to such partner’s ownership interests in the partnership and allocations to such partner of partnership items.
If any person fails to furnish, within the time prescribed under paragraph (2) of subsection (a), any information with respect to any foreign business entity required under paragraph (1) of subsection (a), such person shall pay a penalty of $10,000 for each annual accounting period with respect to which such failure exists.
If any failure described in paragraph (1) continues for more than 90 days after the day on which the Secretary mails notice of such failure to the United States person, such person shall pay a penalty (in addition to the amount required under paragraph (1)) of $10,000 for each 30-day period (or fraction thereof) during which such failure continues with respect to any annual accounting period after the expiration of such 90-day period. The increase in any penalty under this paragraph shall not exceed $50,000.
If a United States person fails to furnish, within the time prescribed under paragraph (2) of subsection (a), any information with respect to any foreign business entity required under paragraph (1) of subsection (a), then—
in applying section 901 (relating to taxes of foreign countries and possessions of the United States) to such United States person for the taxable year, the amount of taxes (other than taxes reduced under subparagraph (B)) paid or deemed paid (other than those deemed paid under section 904(c)) to any foreign country or possession of the United States for the taxable year shall be reduced by 10 percent, and
in the case of a foreign business entity which is a foreign corporation, in applying section 960 to any such United States person which is a corporation (or to any person who acquires from any other person any portion of the interest of such other person in any such foreign corporation, but only to the extent of such portion) for any taxable year, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by each foreign corporation with respect to which such person is required to furnish information during the annual accounting period or periods with respect to which such information is required under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall be reduced by 10 percent.
If such failure continues 90 days or more after notice of such failure by the Secretary to the United States person, then the amount of the reduction under this paragraph shall be 10 percent plus an additional 5 percent for each 3-month period, or fraction thereof, during which such failure to furnish information continues after the expiration of such 90-day period.
The amount of the reduction under paragraph (1) for each failure to furnish information with respect to a foreign business entity required under subsection (a)(1) shall not exceed whichever of the following amounts is the greater:
$10,000, or
the income of the foreign business entity for its annual accounting period with respect to which the failure occurs.
The amount of the reduction which (but for this paragraph) would be made under paragraph (1) with respect to any annual accounting period shall be reduced by the amount of the penalty imposed by subsection (b) with respect to such period.
No taxes shall be reduced under this subsection more than once for the same failure.
For purposes of this subsection and subsection (b), the time prescribed under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) to furnish information (and the beginning of the 90-day period after notice by the Secretary) shall be treated as being not earlier than the last day on which (as shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary) reasonable cause existed for failure to furnish such information.
Where, but for this subsection, two or more United States persons would be required to furnish information under subsection (a) with respect to the same foreign business entity for the same period, the Secretary may by regulations provide that such information shall be required only from one person. To the extent practicable, the determination of which person shall furnish the information shall be made on the basis of actual ownership of stock.
For purposes of this section—
The term “foreign business entity” means a foreign corporation and a foreign partnership.
A person is in control of a corporation if such person owns stock possessing more than 50 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote, or more than 50 percent of the total value of shares of all classes of stock, of a corporation. If a person is in control (within the meaning of the preceding sentence) of a corporation which in turn owns more than 50 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of another corporation, or owns more than 50 percent of the total value of the shares of all classes of stock of another corporation, then such person shall be treated as in control of such other corporation. For purposes of this paragraph, the rules prescribed by section 318(a) for determining ownership of stock shall apply; except that—
subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 318(a)(3) shall not be applied so as to consider a United States person as owning stock which is owned by a person who is not a United States person, and
in applying subparagraph (C) of section 318(a)(2), the phrase “10 percent” shall be substituted for the phrase “50 percent” used in subparagraph (C).
A person is in control of a partnership if such person owns directly or indirectly more than a 50 percent interest in such partnership.
For purposes of subparagraph (A), a 50-percent interest in a partnership is—
an interest equal to 50 percent of the capital interest, or 50 percent of the profits interest, in such partnership, or
to the extent provided in regulations, an interest to which 50 percent of the deductions or losses of such partnership are allocated.
For purposes of the preceding sentence, rules similar to the rules of section 267(c) (other than paragraph (3)) shall apply.
A 10-percent interest in a partnership is an interest which would be described in subparagraph (B) if “10 percent” were substituted for “50 percent” each place it appears.
The annual accounting period of a foreign business entity is the annual period on the basis of which such foreign business entity regularly computes its income in keeping its books. In the case of a specified foreign business entity (as defined in section 898), the taxable year of such foreign business entity shall be treated as its annual accounting period.
For provisions relating to penalties for violations of this section, see section 7203.
For definition of the term “United States person”, see section 7701(a)(30).
Treasury Regulations
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1Information returns required of domestic corporations with respect to annual accounting periods of certain foreign corporations beginning before January 1, 1963
(a) Requirement of return. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1960, every domestic corporation shall make a separate annual information return on Form 2952, in duplicate, with respect to each foreign corporation which it controls, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, and with respect to each foreign subsidiary, as defined in paragraph (c) of this section, for each annual accounting period (described in paragraph (d) of this section) of each such controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary beginning after December 31, 1960, and before January 1, 1963. Such information shall not be required to be furnished, however, with respect to a corporation defined in section 1504(d) of the Code which makes a consolidated return for the taxable year. For annual accounting periods beginning after December 31, 1962, see § 1.6038-2.
(b) Control. A domestic corporation shall be deemed to be in control of a foreign corporation if at any time during its taxable year it owns more than 50 percent of the voting stock of such foreign corporation.
(c) Foreign subsidiary. A foreign corporation more than 50 percent of the voting stock of which is owned by a controlled foreign corporation at any time during the annual accounting period of such controlled foreign corporation shall be considered a foreign subsidiary.
(d) Period covered by return—(1) Controlled foreign corporation. The information with respect to a controlled foreign corporation shall be furnished for its annual accounting period ending with or within the domestic corporation's taxable year.
(2) Foreign subsidiary. The information with respect to a foreign subsidiary shall be furnished for such subsidiary's annual accounting period ending with or within the controlled foreign corporation's annual accounting period.
(3) Annual accounting period defined. For purposes of this section, the annual accounting period of a controlled foreign corporation or of a foreign subsidiary is the annual period on the basis of which the controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary regularly computes its income in keeping its books. The term “annual accounting period” may refer to a period of less than 1 year, where for example the foreign income, war profits, and excess profits taxes are determined on the basis of an accounting period of less than 1 year as described in section 902(c)(2).
(e) Contents of return. The return on Form 2952 shall contain the following information with respect to each controlled corporation and each foreign subsidiary:
(1) The name and address of the corporation;
(2) The principal place of business of the corporation;
(3) The date of incorporation and the country under whose laws incorporated;
(4) The nature of the corporation's business;
(5) As regards the outstanding stock of the corporation:
(i) A description of each class of the corporation's stock, and
(ii) The number of shares of each class outstanding at the beginning and the end of the annual accounting period;
(6) A list showing the name and address of, and the number of shares of each class of the corporation's stock held by, each citizen or resident of the United States, and each domestic corporation, who is a shareholder of record owning at any time during the annual accounting period 5 percent or more in value of any class of the corporation's outstanding stock;
(7) The amount of the corporation's gross receipts, net profits before taxes and provision for foreign income taxes, for the annual accounting period, as reflected on the financial statements required under paragraph (f) of this section to be filed with the return; and
(8) A summary showing the total amount of each of the following types of transactions of the corporation, which took place during the annual accounting period, with the domestic corporation or any shareholder of the domestic corporation owning at the time of the transaction 10 percent or more of the value of any class of stock outstanding of the domestic corporation:
(i) Sales and purchases of stock in trade;
(ii) Purchases of property of a character which is subject to the allowance for depreciation;
(iii) Compensation paid and compensation received for the rendition of technical, managerial, engineering, construction, scientific, or like services;
(iv) Commissions paid and commissions received;
(v) Rents and royalties paid and rents and royalties received;
(vi) Amounts loaned and amounts borrowed (other than open accounts which arise and are collected in the ordinary course of business);
(vii) Dividends paid and dividends received;
(viii) Interest paid and interest received; and
(ix) Premiums received for insurance or reinsurance.
If the domestic corporation is a bank, as defined in section 581, or is controlled within the meaning of section 368(c) by a bank, the term “transactions” shall not, as to a corporation with respect to which a return is filed, include banking transactions entered into on behalf of customers; in any event, however, deposits in accounts between a controlled foreign corporation or a foreign subsidiary and the domestic corporation or a 10-percent shareholder described in this subparagraph and withdrawals from such accounts shall be summarized by reporting end-of-month balances.
(f) Financial statements. The following information with respect to each controlled foreign corporation and each foreign subsidiary shall be attached to and filed as part of the return required by this section:
(1) A statement of the corporation's profit and loss for the annual accounting period;
(2) A balance sheet as of the end of the annual accounting period of the corporation showing:
(i) The corporation's assets,
(ii) The corporation's liabilities, and
(iii) The corporation's net worth; and
(3) An analysis of changes in the corporation's surplus accounts during the annual accounting period including both opening and closing balances.
The statements listed in subparagraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this paragraph shall be prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and in such form and detail as is customary for the corporation's accounting records.
(g) Method of reporting. All amounts furnished under paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section shall be expressed in United States currency with a statement of the exchange rates used.
(h) Time and place for filing return. Returns on Form 2952 required under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed with the domestic corporation's income tax return on or before the fifteenth day of the third month following the close of such corporation's taxable year.
(i) Extensions of time for filing. District directors are authorized to grant reasonable extensions of time for filing returns on Form 2952 in accordance with the applicable provisions of § 1.6081-1. An application by a domestic corporation for an extension of time for filing a return of income shall also be considered as an application for an extension of time for filing returns on Form 2952.
(j) Failure to furnish information—(1) Effect on foreign tax credit. (i) Failure by a domestic corporation to furnish, in accordance with the provisions of this section, any return or any information in any return, required to be filed for a taxable year under authority of section 6038 on or before the date prescribed in paragraph (h) of this section (determined with regard to any extension of time for such filing) shall affect the application of section 902 as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. Such failure shall affect the application of section 902 to such domestic corporation or to any person who acquires from any person any portion (but only to the extent of such portion) of the interest of such domestic corporation in any controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary.
(ii) Where the domestic corporation, having filed the return required by this section except for an omission of, or error with respect to, some of the information referred to in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, establishes to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that such omission or error was inadvertent or for reasonable cause and that such domestic corporation has substantially complied with this section, such omission or error shall not constitute a failure under this section.
(2) Reduction of foreign taxes. In the application of section 902 to the domestic corporation or person referred to in subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph for any taxable year, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by each controlled foreign corporation and each foreign subsidiary for the accounting period or periods for which the domestic corporation was required for the taxable year of the failure to furnish information under this section shall be reduced by 10 percent. The 10 percent reduction is not limited to the taxes paid or deemed paid by the controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary with respect to which there is a failure to file information but shall apply to the taxes paid or deemed paid by all controlled foreign corporations and foreign subsidiaries.
(3) Reduction for continued failure. (i) If the failure, referred to in subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph, continues for 90 days or more after date of written notice by the district director to the domestic corporation, then the amount of the reduction referred to in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph shall be 10 percent plus an additional 5 percent for each 3-month period, or fraction thereof, during which such failure continues after the expiration of such 90-day period.
(ii) Taxes paid by a foreign subsidiary when once reduced for a failure shall not be reduced again for the same failure in their status as taxes deemed paid by a controlled foreign corporation. Where a failure continues, each additional periodic 5 percent reduction, referred to in subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, shall be considered as part of the one reduction.
(4) Reasonable cause. (i) For purposes of subsection (b) of section 6038 and this section the time prescribed for furnishing information under this paragraph, and the beginning of the 90-day period after notice by the district director, shall be treated as being not earlier than the last day on which (as shown to the satisfaction of the district director) reasonable cause existed for failure to furnish such information.
(ii) A domestic corporation, which wishes to avoid a reduction in foreign tax credit as provided in subparagraphs (2) and (3) of this paragraph for failure to furnish information in accordance with this section, must make an affirmative showing of all facts alleged as a reasonable cause for such failure in the form of a written statement containing a declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury.
(5) Penalties. The information required by section 6038 of the Code must be furnished even though there are no foreign taxes which would be reduced under the provisions of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. For criminal penalties for failure to file a return and filing a false or fraudulent return, see sections 7203, 7206, and 7207 of the Code.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(a)Requirement of return.
Requirement of return. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1960, every domestic corporation shall make a separate annual information return on Form 2952, in duplicate, with respect to each foreign corporation which it controls, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, and with respect to each foreign subsidiary, as defined in paragraph (c) of this section, for each annual accounting period (described in paragraph (d) of this section) of each such controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary beginning after December 31, 1960, and before January 1, 1963. Such information shall not be required to be furnished, however, with respect to a corporation defined in section 1504(d) of the Code which makes a consolidated return for the taxable year. For annual accounting periods beginning after December 31, 1962, see § 1.6038-2.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(b)Control.
Control. A domestic corporation shall be deemed to be in control of a foreign corporation if at any time during its taxable year it owns more than 50 percent of the voting stock of such foreign corporation.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(c)Foreign subsidiary.
Foreign subsidiary. A foreign corporation more than 50 percent of the voting stock of which is owned by a controlled foreign corporation at any time during the annual accounting period of such controlled foreign corporation shall be considered a foreign subsidiary.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(d)Period covered by return—(1) Controlled foreign corporation.
Period covered by return—(1) Controlled foreign corporation. The information with respect to a controlled foreign corporation shall be furnished for its annual accounting period ending with or within the domestic corporation's taxable year.
(2) Foreign subsidiary. The information with respect to a foreign subsidiary shall be furnished for such subsidiary's annual accounting period ending with or within the controlled foreign corporation's annual accounting period.
(3) Annual accounting period defined. For purposes of this section, the annual accounting period of a controlled foreign corporation or of a foreign subsidiary is the annual period on the basis of which the controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary regularly computes its income in keeping its books. The term “annual accounting period” may refer to a period of less than 1 year, where for example the foreign income, war profits, and excess profits taxes are determined on the basis of an accounting period of less than 1 year as described in section 902(c)(2).
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(e)Contents of return.
Contents of return. The return on Form 2952 shall contain the following information with respect to each controlled corporation and each foreign subsidiary:
(1) The name and address of the corporation;
(2) The principal place of business of the corporation;
(3) The date of incorporation and the country under whose laws incorporated;
(4) The nature of the corporation's business;
(5) As regards the outstanding stock of the corporation:
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(f)Financial statements.
Financial statements. The following information with respect to each controlled foreign corporation and each foreign subsidiary shall be attached to and filed as part of the return required by this section:
(1) A statement of the corporation's profit and loss for the annual accounting period;
(2) A balance sheet as of the end of the annual accounting period of the corporation showing:
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(g)Method of reporting.
Method of reporting. All amounts furnished under paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section shall be expressed in United States currency with a statement of the exchange rates used.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(h)Time and place for filing return.
Time and place for filing return. Returns on Form 2952 required under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed with the domestic corporation's income tax return on or before the fifteenth day of the third month following the close of such corporation's taxable year.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(i)Extensions of time for filing.
Extensions of time for filing. District directors are authorized to grant reasonable extensions of time for filing returns on Form 2952 in accordance with the applicable provisions of § 1.6081-1. An application by a domestic corporation for an extension of time for filing a return of income shall also be considered as an application for an extension of time for filing returns on Form 2952.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(j)Failure to furnish information—(1) Effect on foreign tax credit.
Failure to furnish information—(1) Effect on foreign tax credit. (i) Failure by a domestic corporation to furnish, in accordance with the provisions of this section, any return or any information in any return, required to be filed for a taxable year under authority of section 6038 on or before the date prescribed in paragraph (h) of this section (determined with regard to any extension of time for such filing) shall affect the application of section 902 as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. Such failure shall affect the application of section 902 to such domestic corporation or to any person who acquires from any person any portion (but only to the extent of such portion) of the interest of such domestic corporation in any controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary.
(ii) Where the domestic corporation, having filed the return required by this section except for an omission of, or error with respect to, some of the information referred to in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section, establishes to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that such omission or error was inadvertent or for reasonable cause and that such domestic corporation has substantially complied with this section, such omission or error shall not constitute a failure under this section.
(2) Reduction of foreign taxes. In the application of section 902 to the domestic corporation or person referred to in subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph for any taxable year, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by each controlled foreign corporation and each foreign subsidiary for the accounting period or periods for which the domestic corporation was required for the taxable year of the failure to furnish information under this section shall be reduced by 10 percent. The 10 percent reduction is not limited to the taxes paid or deemed paid by the controlled foreign corporation or foreign subsidiary with respect to which there is a failure to file information but shall apply to the taxes paid or deemed paid by all controlled foreign corporations and foreign subsidiaries.
(3) Reduction for continued failure. (i) If the failure, referred to in subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph, continues for 90 days or more after date of written notice by the district director to the domestic corporation, then the amount of the reduction referred to in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph shall be 10 percent plus an additional 5 percent for each 3-month period, or fraction thereof, during which such failure continues after the expiration of such 90-day period.
(ii) Taxes paid by a foreign subsidiary when once reduced for a failure shall not be reduced again for the same failure in their status as taxes deemed paid by a controlled foreign corporation. Where a failure continues, each additional periodic 5 percent reduction, referred to in subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, shall be considered as part of the one reduction.
(4) Reasonable cause. (i) For purposes of subsection (b) of section 6038 and this section the time prescribed for furnishing information under this paragraph, and the beginning of the 90-day period after notice by the district director, shall be treated as being not earlier than the last day on which (as shown to the satisfaction of the district director) reasonable cause existed for failure to furnish such information.
(ii) A domestic corporation, which wishes to avoid a reduction in foreign tax credit as provided in subparagraphs (2) and (3) of this paragraph for failure to furnish information in accordance with this section, must make an affirmative showing of all facts alleged as a reasonable cause for such failure in the form of a written statement containing a declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury.
(5) Penalties. The information required by section 6038 of the Code must be furnished even though there are no foreign taxes which would be reduced under the provisions of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. For criminal penalties for failure to file a return and filing a false or fraudulent return, see sections 7203, 7206, and 7207 of the Code.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-1(v)§1.6038-1(v)
Rents and royalties paid and rents and royalties received;
(vi) Amounts loaned and amounts borrowed (other than open accounts which arise and are collected in the ordinary course of business);
(vii) Dividends paid and dividends received;
(viii) Interest paid and interest received; and
(ix) Premiums received for insurance or reinsurance.
If the domestic corporation is a bank, as defined in section 581, or is controlled within the meaning of section 368(c) by a bank, the term “transactions” shall not, as to a corporation with respect to which a return is filed, include banking transactions entered into on behalf of customers; in any event, however, deposits in accounts between a controlled foreign corporation or a foreign subsidiary and the domestic corporation or a 10-percent shareholder described in this subparagraph and withdrawals from such accounts shall be summarized by reporting end-of-month balances.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2Information returns required of United States persons with respect to annual accounting periods of certain foreign corporations
(a) Requirement of return. Every U.S. person shall make a separate annual information return with respect to each annual accounting period (described in paragraph (e) of this section) of each foreign corporation which that person controls (as defined in paragraph (b) of this section) at any time during such annual accounting period.
(1) Form 2952, “Information Return with Respect to Controlled Foreign Corporations,” if such taxable year ends before December 31, 1982;
(2) Form 5471, “Information Return of U.S. Persons with Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations,” if such taxable year ends on or after December 31, 1983; or
(3) Either Form 5471 or Form 2952 if such taxable year ends on or after December 31, 1982 and before December 31, 1963.
(b) Control. A person shall be deemed to be in control of a foreign corporation if at any time during that person's taxable year it owns stock possessing more than 50 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote, or more than 50 percent of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of the foreign corporation. A person in control of a corporation which, in turn, owns more than 50 percent of the combined voting power, or of the value, of all classes of stock of another corporation is also treated as being in control of such other corporation. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:
(c) Attribution rules. For the purpose of determining control of domestic or foreign corporations the constructive ownership rules of section 318(a) shall apply except that:
(1) Stock owned by or for a partner or a beneficiary of an estate or trust shall not be considered owned by the partnership, estate, or trust when the effect is to consider a United States person as owning stock owned by a person who is not a United States person;
(2) A corporation will not be considered as owning stock owned by or for a 50 percent or more shareholder when the effect is to consider a United States person as owning stock owned by a person who is not a United States person; and
(3) If 10 percent or more in value of the stock in a corporation is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for any person, section 318(a)(2)(C) shall apply.
The constructive ownership rules of section 318(a) apply only for purposes of determining control as defined in paragraph (b) of this section.
(d) U.S. person—(1) In general. For purposes of section 6038 and this section, the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by section 7701(a)(30), except as provided in paragraphs (d)(2) and (3) of this section.
(2) Special rule for individuals residing in certain possessions. (i) With respect to an individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico, the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by § 1.957-3 except that the rules of § 1.937-2(g)(1) will apply.
(ii) With respect to an individual who is a bona fide resident of any section 931 possession, as defined in § 1.931-1(c)(1), the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by § 1.957-3.
(3) Special rule for certain nonresident aliens. An individual for whom an election under section 6013(g) or (h) is in effect will, subject to the exceptions contained in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, be considered a United States person for purposes of section 6038 and this section.
(e) Period covered by return. The information required under paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section with respect to a foreign corporation shall be furnished for the annual accounting period of the foreign corporation ending with or within the United States person's taxable year. For purposes of this section, the annual accounting period of a foreign corporation is the annual period on the basis of which that corporation regularly computes its income in keeping its books. In the case of a specified foreign corporation (as defined in section 898), the taxable year of such corporation shall be treated as its annual accounting period. The term annual accounting period may refer to a period of less than one year, where, for example, the foreign income, war profits, and excess profits taxes are determined on the basis of an accounting period of less than one year as described in section 902(c)(5). If more than one annual accounting period ends with or within the United States person's taxable year, separate annual information returns shall be submitted for each annual accounting period.
(f) Contents of return. The return on Form 5471 shall contain so much of the following information, and in such form or manner, as the form shall prescribe with respect to each foreign corporation:
(1) The name, address, and employer identification number, if any, of the corporation;
(2) The principal place of business of the corporation;
(3) The date of incorporation and the country under whose laws incorporated;
(4) The name and address of the foreign corporation's statutory or resident agent in the country of incorporation;
(5) The name, address, and identifying number of any branch office or agent of the foreign corporation located in the United States;
(6) The name and address of the person (or persons) having custody of the books of account and records of the foreign corporation, and the location of such books and records if different from such address;
(7) The nature of the corporation's business and the principal places where conducted;
(8) As regards the outstanding stock of the corporation—
(i) A description of each class of the corporation's stock, and
(ii) The number of shares of each class outstanding at the beginning and end of the annual accounting period;
(9) A list showing the name, address, and identifying number of, and the number of shares of each class of the corporation's stock held by, each United States person who is a shareholder owning at any time during the annual accounting period 5 percent or more in value of any class of the corporation's outstanding stock;
(10) For the annual accounting period, the amount of the corporation's:
(i) Current earnings and profits;
(ii) Foreign income, war profits, and excess profits taxes paid or accrued;
(iii) Distributions out of current earnings and profits for the period;
(iv) Distributions other than those described in paragraph (f)(10)(iii) of this section and the source thereof; and
(v) For Forms 5471 filed for taxable years ending after December 15, 1990, such earnings and profits information as the form shall prescribe, including post-1986 undistributed earnings described in section 902(c)(1), pre-1987 amounts, total earnings and profits, and previously taxed earnings and profits described in section 959(c); and
(11) Transactions with certain related parties. (i) A summary showing the total amount of each of the following types of transactions of the corporation, which took place during the annual accounting period, with the person required to file this return, any other corporation or partnership controlled by that person, or any United States person owning at the time of the transaction 10 percent or more in value of any class of stock outstanding of the foreign corporation, or of any corporation controlling that foreign corporation—
(A) Sales and purchases of stock in trade;
(B) Sales and purchases of tangible property other than stock in trade;
(C) Sales and purchases of patents, inventions, models, or designs (whether or not patented), copyrights, trademarks, secret formulas or processes, or any other similar property rights;
(D) Compensation paid and compensation received for the rendition of technical, managerial, engineering, construction, scientific, or like services;
(E) Commissions paid and commissions received;
(F) Rents and royalties paid and rents and royalties received;
(G) Amounts loaned and amounts borrowed (except open accounts resulting from sales and purchases reported under other items listed in this paragraph (f)(11) that arise and are collected in full in the ordinary course of business);
(H) Dividends paid and dividends received;
(I) Interest paid and interest received; and
(J) Premiums paid and premiums received for insurance or reinsurance.
(ii) Special rule for banks. For purposes of this paragraph (f)(11), if the United States person is a bank, as defined in section 581, or is controlled within the meaning of section 368(c) by a bank, the term transactions shall not, as to a corporation with respect to which a return is filed, include banking transactions entered into on behalf of customers; in any event, however, deposits in accounts between a foreign corporation, controlled (within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section) by a United States person, and a person described in this paragraph (f)(11) and withdrawals from such accounts shall be summarized by reporting end-of-month balances.
(12) Accrued payments and receipts. For purposes of the required summary under paragraph (f)(11) of this section, a corporation that uses an accrual method of accounting shall use accrued payments and accrued receipts for purposes of computing the total amount of each of the types of transactions listed.
(13) Amounts involving hybrid transactions or hybrid entities under section 267A. If for the annual accounting period, the corporation pays or accrues interest or royalties for which a deduction is disallowed under section 267A and the regulations in this part under section 267A of the Internal Revenue Code, then Form 5471 (or successor form) must contain such information about the disallowance in the form and manner and to the extent prescribed by the form, instruction, publication, or other guidance.
(14) Hybrid dividends under section 245A(e). If for the annual accounting period, the corporation pays or receives a hybrid dividend or a tiered hybrid dividend under section 245A(e) and the regulations in this part under section 245A(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, then Form 5471 (or successor form) must contain such information about the hybrid dividend or tiered hybrid dividend in the form and manner and to the extent prescribed by the form, instruction, publication, or other guidance. Form 5471 (or successor form) must also contain any other information relating to the rules of section 245A(e) and the regulations in this part under section 245A(e) of the Internal Revenue Code (including information related to a specified owner's hybrid deduction account), as prescribed by the form, instruction, publication, or other guidance.
(15) Information reporting under section 250. If the person required to file Form 5471 (or any successor form) claims a deduction under section 250(a) that is determined, in whole or part, by reference to its foreign-derived intangible income, and any amount required to be reported under paragraph (f)(11) of this section is included in its computation of foreign-derived deduction eligible income, such person will provide on Form 5471 (or any successor form) such information that is prescribed by the form, instructions to the form, publication, or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
(16) Amounts related to extraordinary dispositions and extraordinary reductions. The corporation must report the information in the form and manner and to the extent prescribed by the form, instructions to the form, publication, or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin if any of the following conditions are met during the corporation's annual accounting period—
(i) The corporation distributes or receives a dividend that gives rise to an ineligible amount (as defined in § 1.245A-5(i)(12)), a tiered extraordinary disposition amount (as defined in § 1.245A-5(i)(25)), or a tiered extraordinary reduction amount (as defined in § 1.245A-5(i)(26));
(ii) A section 245A shareholder with respect to the corporation has an extraordinary disposition account (as defined in § 1.245A-5(i)(6)); or
(iii) The corporation would have been deemed to have undertaken an extraordinary disposition (as defined in § 1.245A-5(i)(5)) but for the application of § 1.245A-5(c)(3)(ii)(C)(2).
(17) Reporting of disqualified basis and disqualified payments. If for the annual accounting period of a corporation it holds an item of property having disqualified basis within the meaning of § 1.951A-3(h)(2)(ii) or § 1.951A-2(c)(5), or incurs an item of deduction or loss related to a disqualified payment (within the meaning of § 1.951A-2(c)(6)(ii)(A)), then Form 5471 (or successor form) must contain such information about the disqualified basis, or such information relating to the disqualified payment, in the form and manner and to the extent prescribed by the form, instructions to the form, publication, or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
(18) Adjustments to extraordinary disposition accounts and disqualified basis. If for the annual accounting period a section 245A shareholder of the corporation reduces its extraordinary disposition account pursuant to § 1.245A-7(c) or § 1.245A-8(c), as applicable, or the corporation reduces the disqualified basis in an item of specified property pursuant to § 1.245A-7(b) or § 1.245A-8(b), as applicable, then Form 5471 (or a successor form) must contain such information about the reduction to the extraordinary disposition account or disqualified basis, as applicable, in the form and manner and to the extent prescribed by the form, instructions to the form, publication, or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
(g) Financial statements. The following information with respect to the foreign corporation shall be attached to and filed as part of the return required by this section. Forms 5471 filed after September 30, 1991, shall contain this information in such form or manner as the form shall prescribe with respect to each foreign corporation:
(1) A statement of the corporation's profit and loss for the annual accounting period;
(2) A balance sheet as of the end of the annual accounting period of the corporation showing—
(i) The corporation's asset;
(ii) The corporation's liabilities; and
(iii) The corporation's net worth; and
(3) An analysis of changes in the corporation's surplus accounts during the annual accounting period including both opening and closing balances.
The information listed in this paragraph (g) shall be prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and in such detail as is customary for the corporation's accounting records.
(h) Method of reporting. Except as provided in this paragraph (h), all amounts furnished under paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section shall be expressed in United States dollars with a statement of the exchange rates used. The following rules shall apply for taxable years ending after December 31, 1994, with respect to returns filed after December 31, 1995. All amounts furnished under paragraph (g) of this section shall be expressed in United States dollars computed and translated in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles. Amounts furnished under paragraph (g)(1) of this section shall also be furnished in the foreign corporation's functional currency as required on the form. Earnings and profits amounts furnished under paragraphs (f)(10) (i), (iii), (iv), and (v) of this section shall be expressed in the foreign corporation's functional currency except to the extent the form requires specific items to be translated into United States dollars. Tax amounts furnished under paragraph (f)(10)(ii) of this section shall be furnished in the foreign currency in which the taxes are payable and in United States dollars translated in accordance with section 986(a). All amounts furnished under paragraph (f)(11) of this section shall be expressed in U.S. dollars translated from functional currency at the weighted average exchange rate for the year as defined in § 1.989(b)-1. The foreign corporation's functional currency is determined under section 985. All statements submitted on or with the return required under this section shall be rendered in the English language.
(i) Time and place for filing return. Returns on Form 5471 required under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed with the United States person's income tax return on or before the date required by law for the filing of that person's income tax return. Directors of Field Operations and Field Directors are authorized to grant reasonable extensions of time for filing returns on Form 5471 in accordance with the applicable provisions of § 1.6081-1 of this chapter. An application for an extension of time for filing a return of income shall also be considered as an application for an extension of time for filing returns on Form 5471.
(j) Two or more persons required to submit the same information—(1) Return jointly made. If two or more persons are required to furnish information with respect to the same foreign corporation for the same period, such persons may, in lieu of making separate returns, jointly make one return. Such joint return shall be filed with the income tax return of any one of the persons making such joint return.
(2) Persons excepted from furnishing information—(i) Conditions. Any person required to furnish information under this section with respect to a foreign corporation need not furnish that information provided all of the following conditions are met:
(A) Such person does not directly own an interest in the foreign corporation;
(B) Such person is required to furnish the information solely by reason of attribution of stock ownership from a United States person under paragraph (c) of this section; and
(C) The person from whom the stock ownership is attributed furnishes all of the information required under this section of the person to whom the stock ownership is attributed. (For a rule regarding attribution from a nonresident alien, see paragraph (l) of this section).
(ii) If an individual who is a United States person required to furnish information with respect to a foreign corporation under section 6038 is entitled under a treaty to be treated as a nonresident of the United States, and if the individual claims this treaty benefit, and if there are no other United States persons that are required to furnish information under section 6038 with respect to the foreign corporation, then the individual may satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (f)(10), (f)(11), (g), and (h) of this section by filing the audited foreign financial statements of the foreign corporation with the individual's return required under section 6038.
(iii) Illustrations. The rule of this paragraph (j)(2) is illustrated by the following examples:
(3) Statement required. Any United States person required to furnish information under this section with his return who does not do so by reason of the provisions of paragraph (j)(1) of this section shall file a statement with his income tax return indicating that such requirement has been (or will be) satisfied and identifying the return with which the information was or will be filed and the place of filing.
(k) Failure to furnish information—(1) Dollar amount penalty—(i) In general. If any person required to file Form 5471 under section 6038 and this section fails to furnish any information described in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section within the time prescribed by paragraph (i) of this section, such person shall pay a penalty of $10,000 for each annual accounting period of each foreign corporation with respect to which such failure occurs.
(ii) Increase in penalty for continued failure after notification. If a failure described in paragraph (k)(1)(i) of this section continues for more than 90 days after the date on which the Director of Field Operations, Area Director, or Director of Compliance Campus Operations mails notice of such failure to the person required to file Form 5471, such person shall pay a penalty of $10,000, in addition to the penalty imposed by section 6038(b)(1) and paragraph (k)(1)(i) of this section, for each 30-day period (or a fraction of) during which such failure continues after such 90-day period has expired. The additional penalty imposed by section 6038(b)(2) and this paragraph (k)(1)(ii) shall be limited to a maximum of $50,000 for each failure.
(2) Penalty of reducing foreign tax credit—(i) Effect on foreign tax credit. Failure of a United States person to furnish, in accordance with the provisions of this section, any return or any information in any return, required to be filed for a taxable year under authority of section 6038 on or before the date prescribed in paragraph (i) of this section may affect the application of section 901 as provided in paragraph (k)(2)(ii) of this section and may affect the application of sections 902 and 960 as provided in paragraph (k)(2)(iii) of this section. Such failure may affect the application of sections 902 and 960 to any such United States person which is a corporation or to any person who acquires from any other person any portion (but only to the extent of such portion) of the interest of such other person in any such foreign corporation.
(ii) Application of section 901. In the application of section 901 to a United States person referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by such person for any taxable year, with or within which the annual accounting period of a foreign corporation for which such person failed to furnish information required under this section ended, may be reduced by 10 percent. However, no tax reduced under paragraph (k)(2)(iii) of this section or deemed paid under section 904(c) shall be reduced under the provisions of this paragraph (k)(2)(ii).
(iii) Application of sections 902 and 960. In the application of sections 902 and 960 to a United States person referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section for any taxable year, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by each foreign corporation for the accounting period or periods for which such person was required for the taxable year of the failure to furnish information under this section may be reduced by 10 percent. The 10-percent reduction is not limited to the taxes paid or deemed paid by the foreign corporation with respect to which there is a failure to file information but may apply to the taxes paid or deemed paid by all foreign corporations controlled by that person. In applying subsections (a) and (b) of section 902, and in applying subsection (a) of section 960, the reduction provided by this paragraph (k)(2) shall not apply for purposes of determining the amount of accumulated profits in excess of income, war profits, and excess profits taxes.
(iv) Reduction for continued failure after notice. (A) If the failure referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section continues for more than 90 days after the date on which the Director of Field Operations mails notice of such failure to such United States person, then the amount of the reduction referred to in paragraphs (k)(2) (ii) and (iii) of this section may be 10 percent plus an additional 5 percent for each 3-month period, or fraction thereof, during which such failure continues after the expiration of such 90-day period.
(B) No taxes shall be reduced under this paragraph (k)(2) more than once for the same failure. Taxes paid by a foreign corporation when once reduced for a failure shall not be reduced again for the same failure in their status as taxes deemed paid by a corporate shareholder. Where a failure continues, each additional periodic 5-percent reduction, referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(iv)(A) of this section, shall be considered as part of the one reduction.
(v) Limitation on reduction of foreign tax credit. The amount of the reduction under this paragraph (k)(2) for each failure to furnish information with respect to a foreign corporation as required under this section shall not exceed the greater of:
(A) $10,000, or
(B) The income of the foreign corporation for its annual accounting period with respect to which the failure occurs. For purposes of this section if a person is required to furnish information with respect to more than one foreign corporation, controlled (within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section) by that person, each failure to submit information for each such corporation constitutes a separate failure.
(vi) Offset for dollar amount penalty imposed. The total amount of the reduction or reductions which, but for this paragraph (k)(2)(vi), may be made under this paragraph (k)(2) with respect to any separate failure, shall not exceed the maximum amount of such reductions which may be imposed, reduced (but not below zero) by the amount of the dollar amount penalty imposed by paragraph (k)(1) of this section with respect to such separate failure.
(3) Reasonable cause. (i) For purposes of section 6038 (b) and (c) and this section, the time prescribed for furnishing information under paragraph (i) of this section, and the beginning of the 90-day period after mailing of notice by the Director of Field Operations under paragraphs (k)(1)(ii) and (2)(iv)(A) of this section, shall be treated as being not earlier than the last day on which reasonable cause existed for failure to furnish the information.
(ii) To show that reasonable cause existed for failure to furnish information as required by section 6038 and this section, the person required to report such information must make an affirmative showing of all facts alleged as reasonable cause for such failure in a written statement containing a declaration that it is made under the penalties of prejury. The statement must be filed with the district director for the district or the director of the service center where the return is required to be filed. The district director or the director of the service center shall determine whether the failure to furnish information was due to reasonable cause, and if so, the period of time for which such reasonable cause existed. In the case of a return that has been filed as required by this section except for an omission of, or error with respect to, some of the information required, if the person who filed the return establishes to the satisfaction of the district director or the director of the service center that the person has substantially complied with this section, then the omission or error shall not constitute a failure under this section.
(4) Other penalties. The information required by section 6038 and this section must be furnished even though there are no foreign taxes which would be reduced under the provisions of this section, and even though the information required may not affect the amount of any tax due under the Internal Revenue Code. For criminal penalties for failure to file a return and filing a false or fraudulent return, see sections 7203, 7206, and 7207 of the Code.
(5) Illustrations. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following examples.
(l) Other persons excepted from filing. For tax years of foreign corporations ending on or after December 29, 1999, any person required to furnish information under this section with respect to a foreign corporation does not have to furnish that information if the following conditions are met—
(1) Such person does not own a direct or indirect interest in the foreign corporation; and
(2) Such person is required to furnish information solely by reason of attribution of stock ownership from a nonresident alien(s) under paragraph (c) of this section.
(m) Applicability dates—(1) In general. This section applies to taxable years of foreign corporations beginning on or after October 3, 2018. See 26 CFR 1.6038-2 (revised as of April 1, 2018) for rules applicable to taxable years of foreign corporations beginning before such date.
(2) Special rule for paragraph (f)(16) of this section. Paragraph (f)(16) of this section applies with respect to information for annual accounting periods to which § 1.245A-5 applies.
(3) Rules relating to certain hybrid arrangements. Paragraphs (f)(13) and (14) of this section apply with respect to information for annual accounting periods beginning on or after December 20, 2018.
(4) Paragraph (f)(15) of this section applies with respect to information for annual accounting periods beginning on or after March 4, 2019.
(5) Special rule for paragraphs (f)(17) and (18) of this section. Paragraphs (f)(17) and (18) of this section apply with respect to information for annual accounting periods beginning after December 1, 2020. In addition, as provided in § 1.245A-11(b), paragraph (f)(18) of this section applies with respect to information for an annual accounting period that includes a taxable year for which a taxpayer has chosen to apply §§ 1.245A-6 through 1.245A-11 pursuant to § 1.245A-11(b).
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(a)Requirement of return.
Requirement of return. Every U.S. person shall make a separate annual information return with respect to each annual accounting period (described in paragraph (e) of this section) of each foreign corporation which that person controls (as defined in paragraph (b) of this section) at any time during such annual accounting period.
(1) Form 2952, “Information Return with Respect to Controlled Foreign Corporations,” if such taxable year ends before December 31, 1982;
(2) Form 5471, “Information Return of U.S. Persons with Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations,” if such taxable year ends on or after December 31, 1983; or
(3) Either Form 5471 or Form 2952 if such taxable year ends on or after December 31, 1982 and before December 31, 1963.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(b)Control.
Control. A person shall be deemed to be in control of a foreign corporation if at any time during that person's taxable year it owns stock possessing more than 50 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote, or more than 50 percent of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of the foreign corporation. A person in control of a corporation which, in turn, owns more than 50 percent of the combined voting power, or of the value, of all classes of stock of another corporation is also treated as being in control of such other corporation. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(c)Attribution rules.
Attribution rules. For the purpose of determining control of domestic or foreign corporations the constructive ownership rules of section 318(a) shall apply except that:
(1) Stock owned by or for a partner or a beneficiary of an estate or trust shall not be considered owned by the partnership, estate, or trust when the effect is to consider a United States person as owning stock owned by a person who is not a United States person;
(2) A corporation will not be considered as owning stock owned by or for a 50 percent or more shareholder when the effect is to consider a United States person as owning stock owned by a person who is not a United States person; and
(3) If 10 percent or more in value of the stock in a corporation is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for any person, section 318(a)(2)(C) shall apply.
The constructive ownership rules of section 318(a) apply only for purposes of determining control as defined in paragraph (b) of this section.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(d)U.
U.S. person—(1) In general. For purposes of section 6038 and this section, the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by section 7701(a)(30), except as provided in paragraphs (d)(2) and (3) of this section.
(2) Special rule for individuals residing in certain possessions. (i) With respect to an individual who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico, the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by § 1.957-3 except that the rules of § 1.937-2(g)(1) will apply.
(ii) With respect to an individual who is a bona fide resident of any section 931 possession, as defined in § 1.931-1(c)(1), the term United States person has the meaning assigned to it by § 1.957-3.
(3) Special rule for certain nonresident aliens. An individual for whom an election under section 6013(g) or (h) is in effect will, subject to the exceptions contained in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, be considered a United States person for purposes of section 6038 and this section.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(e)Period covered by return.
Period covered by return. The information required under paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section with respect to a foreign corporation shall be furnished for the annual accounting period of the foreign corporation ending with or within the United States person's taxable year. For purposes of this section, the annual accounting period of a foreign corporation is the annual period on the basis of which that corporation regularly computes its income in keeping its books. In the case of a specified foreign corporation (as defined in section 898), the taxable year of such corporation shall be treated as its annual accounting period. The term annual accounting period may refer to a period of less than one year, where, for example, the foreign income, war profits, and excess profits taxes are determined on the basis of an accounting period of less than one year as described in section 902(c)(5). If more than one annual accounting period ends with or within the United States person's taxable year, separate annual information returns shall be submitted for each annual accounting period.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(f)Contents of return.
Contents of return. The return on Form 5471 shall contain so much of the following information, and in such form or manner, as the form shall prescribe with respect to each foreign corporation:
(1) The name, address, and employer identification number, if any, of the corporation;
(2) The principal place of business of the corporation;
(3) The date of incorporation and the country under whose laws incorporated;
(4) The name and address of the foreign corporation's statutory or resident agent in the country of incorporation;
(5) The name, address, and identifying number of any branch office or agent of the foreign corporation located in the United States;
(6) The name and address of the person (or persons) having custody of the books of account and records of the foreign corporation, and the location of such books and records if different from such address;
(7) The nature of the corporation's business and the principal places where conducted;
(8) As regards the outstanding stock of the corporation—
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(g)Financial statements.
Financial statements. The following information with respect to the foreign corporation shall be attached to and filed as part of the return required by this section. Forms 5471 filed after September 30, 1991, shall contain this information in such form or manner as the form shall prescribe with respect to each foreign corporation:
(1) A statement of the corporation's profit and loss for the annual accounting period;
(2) A balance sheet as of the end of the annual accounting period of the corporation showing—
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(h)Method of reporting.
Method of reporting. Except as provided in this paragraph (h), all amounts furnished under paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section shall be expressed in United States dollars with a statement of the exchange rates used. The following rules shall apply for taxable years ending after December 31, 1994, with respect to returns filed after December 31, 1995. All amounts furnished under paragraph (g) of this section shall be expressed in United States dollars computed and translated in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles. Amounts furnished under paragraph (g)(1) of this section shall also be furnished in the foreign corporation's functional currency as required on the form. Earnings and profits amounts furnished under paragraphs (f)(10) (i), (iii), (iv), and (v) of this section shall be expressed in the foreign corporation's functional currency except to the extent the form requires specific items to be translated into United States dollars. Tax amounts furnished under paragraph (f)(10)(ii) of this section shall be furnished in the foreign currency in which the taxes are payable and in United States dollars translated in accordance with section 986(a). All amounts furnished under paragraph (f)(11) of this section shall be expressed in U.S. dollars translated from functional currency at the weighted average exchange rate for the year as defined in § 1.989(b)-1. The foreign corporation's functional currency is determined under section 985. All statements submitted on or with the return required under this section shall be rendered in the English language.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(i)Time and place for filing return.
Time and place for filing return. Returns on Form 5471 required under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed with the United States person's income tax return on or before the date required by law for the filing of that person's income tax return. Directors of Field Operations and Field Directors are authorized to grant reasonable extensions of time for filing returns on Form 5471 in accordance with the applicable provisions of § 1.6081-1 of this chapter. An application for an extension of time for filing a return of income shall also be considered as an application for an extension of time for filing returns on Form 5471.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(j)Two or more persons required to submit the same information—(1) Return jointly made.
Two or more persons required to submit the same information—(1) Return jointly made. If two or more persons are required to furnish information with respect to the same foreign corporation for the same period, such persons may, in lieu of making separate returns, jointly make one return. Such joint return shall be filed with the income tax return of any one of the persons making such joint return.
(2) Persons excepted from furnishing information—(i) Conditions. Any person required to furnish information under this section with respect to a foreign corporation need not furnish that information provided all of the following conditions are met:
(A) Such person does not directly own an interest in the foreign corporation;
(B) Such person is required to furnish the information solely by reason of attribution of stock ownership from a United States person under paragraph (c) of this section; and
(C) The person from whom the stock ownership is attributed furnishes all of the information required under this section of the person to whom the stock ownership is attributed. (For a rule regarding attribution from a nonresident alien, see paragraph (l) of this section).
(ii) If an individual who is a United States person required to furnish information with respect to a foreign corporation under section 6038 is entitled under a treaty to be treated as a nonresident of the United States, and if the individual claims this treaty benefit, and if there are no other United States persons that are required to furnish information under section 6038 with respect to the foreign corporation, then the individual may satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (f)(10), (f)(11), (g), and (h) of this section by filing the audited foreign financial statements of the foreign corporation with the individual's return required under section 6038.
(iii) Illustrations. The rule of this paragraph (j)(2) is illustrated by the following examples:
(3) Statement required. Any United States person required to furnish information under this section with his return who does not do so by reason of the provisions of paragraph (j)(1) of this section shall file a statement with his income tax return indicating that such requirement has been (or will be) satisfied and identifying the return with which the information was or will be filed and the place of filing.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(k)Failure to furnish information—(1) Dollar amount penalty—(i) In general.
Failure to furnish information—(1) Dollar amount penalty—(i) In general. If any person required to file Form 5471 under section 6038 and this section fails to furnish any information described in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section within the time prescribed by paragraph (i) of this section, such person shall pay a penalty of $10,000 for each annual accounting period of each foreign corporation with respect to which such failure occurs.
(ii) Increase in penalty for continued failure after notification. If a failure described in paragraph (k)(1)(i) of this section continues for more than 90 days after the date on which the Director of Field Operations, Area Director, or Director of Compliance Campus Operations mails notice of such failure to the person required to file Form 5471, such person shall pay a penalty of $10,000, in addition to the penalty imposed by section 6038(b)(1) and paragraph (k)(1)(i) of this section, for each 30-day period (or a fraction of) during which such failure continues after such 90-day period has expired. The additional penalty imposed by section 6038(b)(2) and this paragraph (k)(1)(ii) shall be limited to a maximum of $50,000 for each failure.
(2) Penalty of reducing foreign tax credit—(i) Effect on foreign tax credit. Failure of a United States person to furnish, in accordance with the provisions of this section, any return or any information in any return, required to be filed for a taxable year under authority of section 6038 on or before the date prescribed in paragraph (i) of this section may affect the application of section 901 as provided in paragraph (k)(2)(ii) of this section and may affect the application of sections 902 and 960 as provided in paragraph (k)(2)(iii) of this section. Such failure may affect the application of sections 902 and 960 to any such United States person which is a corporation or to any person who acquires from any other person any portion (but only to the extent of such portion) of the interest of such other person in any such foreign corporation.
(ii) Application of section 901. In the application of section 901 to a United States person referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by such person for any taxable year, with or within which the annual accounting period of a foreign corporation for which such person failed to furnish information required under this section ended, may be reduced by 10 percent. However, no tax reduced under paragraph (k)(2)(iii) of this section or deemed paid under section 904(c) shall be reduced under the provisions of this paragraph (k)(2)(ii).
(iii) Application of sections 902 and 960. In the application of sections 902 and 960 to a United States person referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section for any taxable year, the amount of taxes paid or deemed paid by each foreign corporation for the accounting period or periods for which such person was required for the taxable year of the failure to furnish information under this section may be reduced by 10 percent. The 10-percent reduction is not limited to the taxes paid or deemed paid by the foreign corporation with respect to which there is a failure to file information but may apply to the taxes paid or deemed paid by all foreign corporations controlled by that person. In applying subsections (a) and (b) of section 902, and in applying subsection (a) of section 960, the reduction provided by this paragraph (k)(2) shall not apply for purposes of determining the amount of accumulated profits in excess of income, war profits, and excess profits taxes.
(iv) Reduction for continued failure after notice. (A) If the failure referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section continues for more than 90 days after the date on which the Director of Field Operations mails notice of such failure to such United States person, then the amount of the reduction referred to in paragraphs (k)(2) (ii) and (iii) of this section may be 10 percent plus an additional 5 percent for each 3-month period, or fraction thereof, during which such failure continues after the expiration of such 90-day period.
(B) No taxes shall be reduced under this paragraph (k)(2) more than once for the same failure. Taxes paid by a foreign corporation when once reduced for a failure shall not be reduced again for the same failure in their status as taxes deemed paid by a corporate shareholder. Where a failure continues, each additional periodic 5-percent reduction, referred to in paragraph (k)(2)(iv)(A) of this section, shall be considered as part of the one reduction.
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Treas. Reg. §1.6038-2(l)Other persons excepted from filing.
Other persons excepted from filing. For tax years of foreign corporations ending on or after December 29, 1999, any person required to furnish information under this section with respect to a foreign corporation does not have to furnish that information if the following conditions are met—
(1) Such person does not own a direct or indirect interest in the foreign corporation; and
(2) Such person is required to furnish information solely by reason of attribution of stock ownership from a nonresident alien(s) under paragraph (c) of this section.
21 Citing Cases
Vettel’s ownership of foreign financial assets pursuant to section 6038D on the Vettels’ 2014 joint income tax return.
As additional support for its conclusion that the section 6038(b) penalty is assessable, the D.C. Circuit reasoned that Congress adopted the IRS’s interpretation that it had authority to assess the section 6038(b)(1) penalty by reenacting section 6038 without significant amendment to the text. Farhy v. Commissioner, 100 F.4th at 236. Again, we note that where the text of a statute is unambiguous, our analysis ends. Brown v. Gardner, 513 U.S. 115, 120–21 (1994) (“There is an obvious trump to the
Section 6501(c)(8) provides as follows: In the case of any information which is required to be reported to the Secretary under section 6038, 6038A, 6038B, 6046, 6046A, or 6048, the time for assessment of any tax imposed by this title with respect to any event or period to which such information relates shall not expire before the date which is 3 years after the date on which the 28 For a return filed before the due date, the filing date of the return is deemed to be the re
Petitioner contends that section 6038(b), unlike a bevy of other penalty sections in the Code (discussed below), contains no provision authorizing assessment of the penalty it provides for. Therefore, petitioner argues, a section 6038(b) penalty is not an assessable penalty, although it may be collected through a civil action.
We held that section 6038 penalties are not assessable (absent judgment) because Congress, unlike for myriad other penalties in the Code, did not explicitly grant the Commissioner assessment authority for those penalties. See Farhy, 160 T.C., slip op. at 7–8. Our Court’s jurisdiction under section 6213(a) is predicated on the issuance and mailing of a notice of deficiency as outlined in section 6212(a). The record here does not contain such a notice of deficiency relating to the section 6038 pen
For rules concerning the reporting requirements under section 6038B for certain transfers of property to a foreign corporation, see § 1.6038B-1.
Foreign corporations are subject to special rules regarding enforcement of IRS requests for records. Id. subsec. (d). Foreign persons holding direct invest- ments in U.S. real property are required to file detailed information returns. Sec. 6039C. Such administrative provisions “reflect[] the different circumstances of foreign-owned
ber 1, 2014, entered into an amended and restated deficiency agreement. The amounts owed under this agreement were paid in full. Mr. Kelly’s sole ownership of KY&C rendered it a controlled foreign corporation subject to the reporting requirements of section 6038. No Form 5471 - 33 - [*33] was timely filed for KY&C for tax year 2008 or 2009. In October 2019 respondent informed Mr. Kelly about the missing Forms 5471, and Mr. Kelly filed the forms shortly thereafter. On the Schedules C filed for KY
- 13 - information required by section 6038D. These differences between the statutory wording and the reporting regimes require a different result in the case before us. Conclusion We conclude that the six-year limitations period under section 6501(e)(1)(A)(ii) does not apply for 2006, 2007, and 2008.
6038D) is inapplicable.
Form 5471 and the accompanying schedules are used to satisfy the section 6038 reporting requirements.
Petitioner nevertheless maintains that section 6038A is inapplicable for the reasons set forth below.
n to compel Manver N.V. to produce the requested tax returns. * * * On June 2, 1992, Greg Cox, an international examiner with the IRS, sent to MDT a notice stating that MDT had been assessed a penalty for not filing certain Forms 5472 as required by section 6038A(b). The notice also stated that further penalties would be assessed if the forms were not submitted for transactions between MDT and MABV, Calinvest, RC, Eurotor, Manver, and Gatetown. Kim submitted the forms on behalf of MDT. Some of t
n to compel Manver N.V. to produce the requested tax returns. * * * On June 2, 1992, Greg Cox, an international examiner with the IRS, sent to MDT a notice stating that MDT had been assessed a penalty for not filing certain Forms 5472 as required by section 6038A(b). The notice also stated that further penalties would be assessed if the forms were not submitted for transactions between MDT and MABV, Calinvest, RC, Eurotor, Manver, and Gatetown. Kim submitted the forms on behalf of MDT. Some of t
n to compel Manver N.V. to produce the requested tax returns. * * * On June 2, 1992, Greg Cox, an international examiner with the IRS, sent to MDT a notice stating that MDT had been assessed a penalty for not filing certain Forms 5472 as required by section 6038A(b). The notice also stated that further penalties would be assessed if the forms were not submitted for transactions between MDT and MABV, Calinvest, RC, Eurotor, Manver, and Gatetown. Kim submitted the forms on behalf of MDT. Some of t
n to compel Manver N.V. to produce the requested tax returns. * * * On June 2, 1992, Greg Cox, an international examiner with the IRS, sent to MDT a notice stating that MDT had been assessed a penalty for not filing certain Forms 5472 as required by section 6038A(b). The notice also stated that further penalties would be assessed if the forms were not submitted for transactions between MDT and MABV, Calinvest, RC, Eurotor, Manver, and Gatetown. Kim submitted the forms on behalf of MDT. Some of t