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Sec. 1.963-0 Repeal of section 963; effective dates.

(a) Repeal of section 963.

Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the provisions of section 963 and sections 1.963-1 through 1.963-7 are repealed for taxable years of foreign corporations beginning after December 31, 1975, and for taxable years of United States shareholders (within the meaning of section 951(b), within which or with which such taxable years of such foreign corporations end.

(b) Transitional rules for chain or group election

(1) In general.

If a United States shareholder (within the meaning of section 951(b) makes either a chain election pursuant to section 1.963-1(e) or a group election pursuant to section 1.963-1(f) for a taxable year of such shareholder beginning after December 31, 1975, then a foreign corporation shall be includible in such election only if--

(i) It has a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1976, which ends within such taxable year of the United States shareholder, and

(ii) It is either--

(A) A controlled foreign corporation or

(B) A foreign corporation by reason of ownership of stock in which such shareholder indirectly owns (within the meaning of section 958(a)(2)) stock in a controlled foreign corporation to which this subparagraph applies.

(2) Series rule.

If any foreign corporation in a series of foreign corporations is excluded by subparagraph (i) of this paragraph from a chain or group election of a United States shareholder for its taxable year, then any foreign corporation in which the United States shareholder owns stock indirectly by reason of ownership of stock in such excluded corporation shall also be excluded from such election to the extent of such indirect ownership regardless of when its taxable year begins.

(3) Illustration.

The application of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:

Example. (a) M is a domestic corporation, A, B, D, and E are controlled foreign corporations, and C is a foreign corporation other than a controlled foreign corporation. All five foreign corporations, each have only one class of stock outstanding. M owns directly all of the stock of A, which in turn owns directly all of the stock of B, which in turn owns directly 60 percent of the stock of D, which in turn owns directly all of the stock of E. M also owns directly 40 percent of the stock of C, which in turn owns directly the remaining 40 percent of the stock of D. M is a United States shareholder with respect to no other foreign corporation. M and B each use the calendar year as the taxable year. A, C, D, and E each use a fiscal year ending on November 30 as the taxable year. For calendar year 1976, M may make either a first-tier election with respect to A, a chain election with respect to C and D (to the extent of M's indirect 16-percent stock interest in D by reason of its direct ownership of 40 percent of the stock of C) or a group election with respect to A, C, D (to the extent of such 16-percent stock interest) and E (to the extent of M's indirect 16-percent stock interest in E).

(b) M's indirect 100 percent stock interest in B will be excluded from any chain or group election made by M for calendar year 1976 since B is a controlled foreign corporation which does not have a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1976, which ends within the taxable year of M beginning after December 31, 1975, for which M has made either a chain or group election.

(c) M's indirect 60 percent stock interest through A and B in D and E will be excluded from any chain or group election made by M for calendar year 1976 since such 60 percent interests are indirectly owned by M by reason of its indirect ownership of stock in B, which is a foreign corporation which does not have a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1976, which ends within the taxable year of M beginning after December 31, 1975, for which M has made either a chain or group election.

(d) If C used the calendar year as its taxable year and was therefore excluded from a chain election made with respect to it and D, then D would also be excluded from such an election, since D would then be a foreign corporation in which M owns stock indirectly by reason of ownership of stock in C, which is excluded from such election.

(c) Deficiency distributions.

The rules relating to deficiency distributions under section 963(e)(2) and section 1.963-6 shall continue to apply to a taxable year beginning after the effective date of the repeal of section 963 in which it is determined that a deficiency distribution must be made for an earlier taxable year for which a United States shareholder made an election to secure the exclusion under section 963 but failed to receive a minimum distribution.

(d) Special adjustments pursuant to section 963 to be taken into account for taxable years subsequent to the repeal of section 963.

If a United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation elects to receive a minimum distribution under section 963 for a taxable year, section 963 and the regulations thereunder may require certain elections and adjustments to be made in subsequent taxable years. These elections and adjustments shall be taken into account for subsequent taxable years as if section 963 were still in effect and no election to receive a minimum distribution were made after the effective date of the repeal of section 963. Examples of these elections and special adjustments include, but are not limited to, the election which may be made pursuant to section 1.963-3(g)(2), relating to the special extended distribution period, and the special adjustments to be made pursuant to section 1.963-4, relating to the minimum overall tax burden test.

[T.D. 7545, 43 FR 19652, May 8, 1978]

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