Extension Granted to Elect Success-Based Fee Safe Harbor

Third Party Communication: None
Date of Communication: Not Applicable
Person To Contact: * * * ID No. * * *
Telephone Number: * * *

Index Number: 263.15-03, 9100.00-00
Release Date: 5/28/2021

Date: February 18, 2021

Refer Reply To: CC:IT&A:01 - PLR-114120-20

In Re: * * *

LEGEND:

Taxpayer = * * *
Year 1 = * * *
Year 2 = * * *
Year 3 = * * *
Year 4 = * * *
Year 5 = * * *
Country A = * * *
State A = * * *
Advisors = * * *
Parent = * * *
Target = * * *
Accounting Firm A = * * *
Accounting Firm B = * * *
Date 1 = * * *
Date 2 = * * *
Date 3 = * * *
$a = * * *
a% = * * *

Dear * * *:

This letter responds to your correspondence dated June 11, 2020, and January 6, 2021, requesting an extension of time under §§ 301.9100-1 and 301.9100-3 of the Procedure and Administration Regulations for Taxpayer to make the safe harbor election for success-based fees described in Rev. Proc. 2011-29, 2011-18 I.R.B. 746.

FACTS

Taxpayer is a C corporation incorporated on Date 1 under the laws of State A and uses an accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes and has a calendar tax year. Taxpayer is a holding company for Parent's U.S. operations. Parent is a Country A corporation. Taxpayer's EIN is * * *.

On Date 2, Taxpayer, in a taxable acquisition, acquired a% of the stock of Target (Transaction). Taxpayer represents that the Transaction is a covered transaction described in § 1.263(a)-5(e)(ii) of the Income Tax Regulations.

Parent engaged Advisors to perform advisory services in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing the Transaction. Parent paid $a in success-based fees to Advisors at the time of the closing of the Transaction. Taxpayer's tax department was newly formed and subject to high turnover among its leadership and was thus unaware of the success-based fee relating to Taxpayer's acquisition of Target and filed its Year 1 return without making the safe harbor election pursuant to Rev. Proc. 2011-29.

In Year 2, the financial department of Parent desired to reach a final position regarding the financial reporting of the Transaction. Parent determined that the costs of the Transaction, including its transaction costs, should be borne by the acquiring entity, i.e., Taxpayer. Taxpayer represents that it incurred a liability of $a for success-based fees in Year 1.

Taxpayer represents that it failed to make the safe harbor election under Rev. Proc. 2011-29, in part, because of limited staff and high turnover in its tax department during the relevant years. Taxpayer represents that in Year 1, it was not aware of the availability or the need to make an election under Rev. Proc. 2011-29.

During the 4th quarter of Year 4, Accounting Firm A informed Taxpayer of the availability of the election for success-based fees under Rev. Proc. 2011-29.

In Year 3, the Internal Revenue Service began an examination of Taxpayer's Year 1 return. Taxpayer agreed to extend the period of assessment for its Year 1 return to Date 3. Thus, Taxpayer's Year 1 return is not barred by the statute of limitation. Taxpayer's Year 2 return is presently under examination. Taxpayer also agreed to extend the period of assessment for its Year 2 return.

In Year 5, Taxpayer hired Accounting Firm B and asked them to determine whether the success-based fees incurred by Taxpayer in the Transaction are the type of fees contemplated by Rev. Proc. 2011-29. Accounting Firm B informed Taxpayer that the fees are of the type contemplated by Rev. Proc. 2011-29 and that Taxpayer may request relief to make a late election under §§ 301.9100-1(c) and 301.9100-3, for Year 1. Taxpayer filed this request to make a late election of the safe harbor under Rev. Proc. 2011-29, by filing an amended return for Year 1 treating 70 percent of the success-based fees as deductible nonfacilitative costs and the remainder as capitalizable facilitative costs and attaching the required election statement to the return.

LAW & ANALYSIS

Section 263(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and § 1.263(a)-2(a) provide that no deduction shall be allowed for any amount paid for property having a useful life substantially beyond the taxable year. In the case of an acquisition or reorganization of a business entity, costs that are incurred in the process of acquisition and that produce significant long-term benefits must be capitalized. INDOPCO, Inc. v. Commissioner, 503 U.S. 79, 89-90 (1992); Woodward v. Commissioner, 397 U.S. 572, 575-576 (1970).

Under § 1.263(a)-5, a taxpayer must capitalize an amount paid to facilitate a business acquisition or reorganization transaction described in § 1.263(a)-5(a). In general, an amount is paid to facilitate a transaction described in § 1.263(a)-5(a) if the amount is paid in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing the transaction. Whether an amount is paid in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing the transaction is determined based on all the facts and circumstances. See § 1.263(a)-5(b)(1).

Section 1.263(a)-5(f) provides that an amount paid that is contingent on the successful closing of a transaction described in § 1.263(a)-(5)(a) (“success-based fee”) is presumed to facilitate the transaction. A taxpayer may rebut this presumption by maintaining sufficient documentation to establish that a portion of the fee is allocable to activities that do not facilitate the transaction.

Rev. Proc. 2011-29, provides a safe harbor election for taxpayers that pay or incur success-based fees for services performed in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing a covered transaction described in § 1.263(a)-5(e)(3).

Section 4.01 of Rev. Proc. 2011-29, provides that the Service will not challenge a taxpayer's allocation of success-based fees between activities that facilitate a transaction described in § 1.263(a)-5(e)(3) and activities that do not facilitate the transaction if the taxpayer satisfies three requirements. First, the taxpayer must treat seventy percent of the amount of the success-based fee as an amount that does not facilitate the transaction. Second, the taxpayer must capitalize the remaining amount of the success-based fee as an amount which does facilitate the transaction. Third, the taxpayer must attach a statement to its original federal income tax return for the taxable year the success-based fee is paid or incurred. This statement must: (a) state that the taxpayer is electing the safe harbor; (b) identify the transaction; and (c) state the success-based fee amounts deducted and capitalized. Taxpayer requests permission to amend its Year 1 return and attach the statement required by section 4.01(3) of Rev. Proc. 2011-29.

Sections 301.9100-1 through 301.9100-3 provide the standards the Commissioner will use to determine whether to grant an extension of time to make an election.

Section 301.9100-1(b) defines a "regulatory election" as an election whose due date is prescribed by a regulation published in the Federal Register, or a revenue ruling, revenue procedure, notice or announcement published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

Section 301.9100-3(a) provides that requests for relief under § 301.9100-3 will be granted when the taxpayer provides evidence to establish to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the taxpayer acted reasonably and in good faith and that granting relief will not prejudice the interests of the Government.

Section 301.9100-3(b)(1) provides that a taxpayer is deemed to have acted reasonably and in good faith if the taxpayer:

Section 301.9100-3(b)(3) provides that a taxpayer will not be deemed to have acted reasonably and in good faith if the taxpayer:

Section 301.9100-3(c)(1) provides that an extension of time to make a regulatory election will be granted only when the interests of the Government are not prejudiced by the granting of relief. The interests of the Government are prejudiced if granting relief would result in a taxpayer having a lower tax liability in the aggregate for all taxable years affected by the election than the taxpayer would have had if the election had been timely made (taking into account the time value of money). Section 301.9100-3(c)(1)(i).

The interests of the Government are ordinarily prejudiced if the taxable year in which the regulatory election should have been made or any taxable years that would have been affected by the election had it been timely made are closed by the period of limitations under § 6501(a) before the taxpayer's receipt of a ruling granting relief under this section. Section 301.9100-3(c)(1)(ii).

Taxpayer's election is a regulatory election as defined in § 301.9100-1(b) because the due date of the election is prescribed in section 4.01(3) of Rev. Proc. 2011-29. The Commissioner has the authority under §§ 301.9100-1 and 301.9100-3 to grant an extension of time to file a late regulatory election.

CONCLUSION

Based solely on the information provided and representations made, we conclude that Taxpayer acted reasonably and in good faith and granting relief will not prejudice the interests of the Government. Accordingly, Taxpayer has met the requirements of §§ 301.9100-1 and 301.9100-3.

Subject to the requirements of § 6511, Taxpayer is granted an extension of 45 days from the date of this letter ruling to amend its Year 1 return to elect the safe harbor for success-based fees pursuant to Rev. Proc. 2011-29.

CAVEATS

The ruling contained in this letter is based upon information and representations submitted by Taxpayer and accompanied by a penalty of perjury statement executed by an appropriate party. Although this office has not verified any of the material submitted in support of the request for the ruling, it is subject to verification on examination.

Except as expressly set forth herein, no opinion is expressed or implied concerning the tax consequences of any aspect of any transaction or item discussed or referenced in this letter, including whether: (1) Taxpayer incurred a liability of $a, as success-based fees in Year 1; (2) Transaction was within the scope of Rev. Proc. 2011-29; or (3) Taxpayer satisfied the requirements to file an amended return for Year 1. The relief provided in this letter is conditioned on proper adjustments to affected returns and tax attributes for Taxpayer and its affiliates.

A copy of this ruling should be attached to Taxpayer's Federal tax returns for the tax years affected. Alternatively, taxpayers filing their returns electronically may satisfy this requirement by attaching a statement to their returns that provides the date and control number of the letter ruling.

Enclosed is a copy of the letter ruling showing the deletions proposed to be made in the letter when it is disclosed under § 6110 of the Code.

This ruling is directed only to Taxpayer that is requesting it. Section 6110(k)(3) provides that it may not be used or cited as precedent.

In accordance with the provisions of the power of attorney currently on file with this office, we are sending a copy of this letter ruling to your authorized representative. We are also sending a copy of this letter ruling to the appropriate operating division director.

Sincerely,

Sean M. Dwyer
Senior Technician Reviewer
Branch 1
Office of Associate Chief Counsel
(Income Tax & Accounting)

Enclosure:
Copy § 6110 purposes

cc:
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