Collapse to view only § 1504. Definitions

§ 1501. Privilege to file consolidated returns

An affiliated group of corporations shall, subject to the provisions of this chapter, have the privilege of making a consolidated return with respect to the income tax imposed by chapter 1 for the taxable year in lieu of separate returns. The making of a consolidated return shall be upon the condition that all corporations which at any time during the taxable year have been members of the affiliated group consent to all the consolidated return regulations prescribed under section 1502 prior to the last day prescribed by law for the filing of such return. The making of a consolidated return shall be considered as such consent. In the case of a corporation which is a member of the affiliated group for a fractional part of the year, the consolidated return shall include the income of such corporation for such part of the year as it is a member of the affiliated group.

(
§ 1502. Regulations

The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as he may deem necessary in order that the tax liability of any affiliated group of corporations making a consolidated return and of each corporation in the group, both during and after the period of affiliation, may be returned, determined, computed, assessed, collected, and adjusted, in such manner as clearly to reflect the income-tax liability and the various factors necessary for the determination of such liability, and in order to prevent avoidance of such tax liability. In carrying out the preceding sentence, the Secretary may prescribe rules that are different from the provisions of chapter 1 that would apply if such corporations filed separate returns.

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 367; Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, § 1906(b) (13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1834; Pub. L. 108–357, title VIII, § 844(a), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1600.)
§ 1503. Computation and payment of tax
(a) [General rule] 1
1 Subsec. (a) span editorially supplied.
[(b) Repealed. Pub. L. 94–455, title X, § 1052(c)(5), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1648]
(c) Special rule for application of certain losses against income of insurance companies taxed under section 801
(1) In general
(2) Losses of recent nonlife affiliates
(d) Dual consolidated loss
(1) In general
(2) Dual consolidated loss
For purposes of this section—
(A) In general
(B) Special rule where loss not used under foreign law
(3) Treatment of losses of separate business units
(4) Income on assets acquired after the loss
(e) Special rule for determining adjustments to basis
(1) In general
Solely for purposes of determining gain or loss on the disposition of intragroup stock and the amount of any inclusion by reason of an excess loss account, in determining the adjustments to the basis of such intragroup stock on account of the earnings and profits of any member of an affiliated group for any consolidated year (and in determining the amount in such account)—
(A) such earnings and profits shall be determined as if section 312 were applied for such taxable year (and all preceding consolidated years of the member with respect to such group) without regard to subsections (k) and (n) thereof, and
(B) earnings and profits shall not include any amount excluded from gross income under section 108 to the extent the amount so excluded was not applied to reduce tax attributes (other than basis in property).
(2) Definitions
For purposes of this subsection—
(A) Intragroup stock
The term “intragroup stock” means any stock which—
(i) is in a corporation which is or was a member of an affiliated group of corporations, and
(ii) is held by another corporation which is or was a member of such group.
Such term includes any other property the basis of which is determined (in whole or in part) by reference to the basis of stock described in the preceding sentence.
(B) Consolidated year
(C) Application of section 312(n)(7) not affected
(3) Adjustments
Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, proper adjustments shall be made in the application of paragraph (1)—
(A) in the case of any property acquired by the corporation before consolidation, for the difference between the adjusted basis of such property for purposes of computing taxable income and its adjusted basis for purposes of computing earnings and profits, and
(B) in the case of any property, for any basis adjustment under section 50(c).
(4) Elimination of election to reduce basis of indebtedness
(f) Limitation on use of group losses to offset income of subsidiary paying preferred dividends
(1) In general
In the case of any subsidiary distributing during any taxable year dividends on any applicable preferred stock—
(A) no group loss item shall be allowed to reduce the disqualified separately computed income of such subsidiary for such taxable year, and
(B) no group credit item shall be allowed against the tax imposed by this chapter on such disqualified separately computed income.
(2) Group items
For purposes of this subsection—
(A) Group loss item
The term “group loss item” means any of the following items of any other member of the affiliated group which includes the subsidiary:
(i) Any net operating loss and any net operating loss carryover or carryback under section 172.
(ii) Any loss from the sale or exchange of any capital asset and any capital loss carryover or carryback under section 1212.
(B) Group credit item
(3) Other definitions
For purposes of this subsection—
(A) Disqualified separately computed income
(B) Separately computed taxable income
The term “separately computed taxable income” means the separate taxable income of the subsidiary for the taxable year determined—
(i) by taking into account gains and losses from the sale or exchange of a capital asset and section 1231 gains and losses,
(ii) without regard to any net operating loss or capital loss carryover or carryback, and
(iii) with such adjustments as the Secretary may prescribe.
Subsidiary
(D) Applicable preferred stock
The term “applicable preferred stock” means stock described in section 1504(a)(4) in the subsidiary which is—
(i) issued after November 17, 1989, and
(ii) held by a person other than a member of the same affiliated group as the subsidiary.
(4) Regulations
The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this subsection, including regulations—
(A) to prevent the avoidance of this subsection through the transfer of built-in losses to the subsidiary,
(B) to provide rules for cases in which the subsidiary owns (directly or indirectly) stock in another member of the affiliated group, and
(C) to provide for the application of this subsection where dividends are not paid currently, where the redemption and liquidation rights of the applicable preferred stock exceed the issue price for such stock, or where the stock is otherwise structured to avoid the purposes of this subsection.
(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 367; Pub. L. 86–780, § 2, Sept. 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 1011; Pub. L. 88–272, title II, § 234(a), (b)(1), (2), Feb. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 113; Pub. L. 94–455, title X, §§ 1031(b)(4), 1052(c)(5), title XV, § 1507(b)(3), title XIX, § 1901(b)(1)(Y), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1623, 1648, 1740, 1792; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title II, § 211(b)(19), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 756; Pub. L. 99–514, title XII, § 1249(a), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2584; Pub. L. 100–203, title X, § 10222(a)(1), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–410; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1012(u), title II, § 2004(j)(1)(A), (2), (3)(A), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3528, 3604, 3605; Pub. L. 101–239, title VII, §§ 7201(a), 7207(a), 7821(c), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2328, 2337, 2424; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, §§ 11802(f)(4), 11813(b)(25), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–530, 1388–555.)
§ 1504. Definitions
(a) Affiliated group definedFor purposes of this subtitle—
(1) In generalThe term “affiliated group” means—
(A) 1 or more chains of includible corporations connected through stock ownership with a common parent corporation which is an includible corporation, but only if—
(B)
(i) the common parent owns directly stock meeting the requirements of paragraph (2) in at least 1 of the other includible corporations, and
(ii) stock meeting the requirements of paragraph (2) in each of the includible corporations (except the common parent) is owned directly by 1 or more of the other includible corporations.
(2) 80-percent voting and value testThe ownership of stock of any corporation meets the requirements of this paragraph if it—
(A) possesses at least 80 percent of the total voting power of the stock of such corporation, and
(B) has a value equal to at least 80 percent of the total value of the stock of such corporation.
(3) 5 years must elapse before reconsolidation
(A) In generalIf—
(i) a corporation is included (or required to be included) in a consolidated return filed by an affiliated group, and
(ii) such corporation ceases to be a member of such group,
with respect to periods after such cessation, such corporation (and any successor of such corporation) may not be included in any consolidated return filed by the affiliated group (or by another affiliated group with the same common parent or a successor of such common parent) before the 61st month beginning after its first taxable year in which it ceased to be a member of such affiliated group.
(B) Secretary may waive application of subparagraph (A)
(4) Stock not to include certain preferred stockFor purposes of this subsection, the term “stock” does not include any stock which—
(A) is not entitled to vote,
(B) is limited and preferred as to dividends and does not participate in corporate growth to any significant extent,
(C) has redemption and liquidation rights which do not exceed the issue price of such stock (except for a reasonable redemption or liquidation premium), and
(D) is not convertible into another class of stock.
(5) RegulationsThe Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection, including (but not limited to) regulations—
(A) which treat warrants, obligations convertible into stock, and other similar interests as stock, and stock as not stock,
(B) which treat options to acquire or sell stock as having been exercised,
(C) which provide that the requirements of paragraph (2)(B) shall be treated as met if the affiliated group, in reliance on a good faith determination of value, treated such requirements as met,
(D) which disregard an inadvertent ceasing to meet the requirements of paragraph (2)(B) by reason of changes in relative values of different classes of stock,
(E) which provide that transfers of stock within the group shall not be taken into account in determining whether a corporation ceases to be a member of an affiliated group, and
(F) which disregard changes in voting power to the extent such changes are disproportionate to related changes in value.
(b) Definition of “includible corporation”As used in this chapter, the term “includible corporation” means any corporation except—
(1) Corporations exempt from taxation under section 501.
(2) Insurance companies subject to taxation under section 801.
(3) Foreign corporations.
(4) Regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts subject to tax under subchapter M of chapter 1.
(5) A DISC (as defined in section 992(a)(1)).
(6) An S corporation.
(c) Includible insurance companiesNotwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection (b)—
(1) Two or more domestic insurance companies each of which is subject to tax under section 801 shall be treated as includible corporations for purposes of applying subsection (a) to such insurance companies alone.
(2)
(A) If an affiliated group (determined without regard to subsection (b)(2)) includes one or more domestic insurance companies taxed under section 801, the common parent of such group may elect (pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary) to treat all such companies as includible corporations for purposes of applying subsection (a) except that no such company shall be so treated until it has been a member of the affiliated group for the 5 taxable years immediately preceding the taxable year for which the consolidated return is filed.
(B) If an election under this paragraph is in effect for a taxable year—
(i) section 243(b)(3) and the exception provided under section 243(b)(2) with respect to subsections (b)(2) and (c) of this section,
(ii) section 542(b)(5), and
(iii) subsection (a)(4) and (b)(2)(D) of section 1563, and the reference to section 1563(b)(2)(D) contained in section 1563(b)(3)(C),
shall not be effective for such taxable year.
(d) Subsidiary formed to comply with foreign law
(e) Includible tax-exempt organizations
(f) Special rule for certain amounts derived from a corporation previously treated as a DISCIn determining the consolidated taxable income of an affiliated group for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 1984, a corporation which had been a DISC and which would otherwise be a member of such group shall not be treated as such a member with respect to—
(1) any distribution (or deemed distribution) of accumulated DISC income which was not treated as previously taxed income under section 805(b)(2)(A) of the Tax Reform Act of 1984, and
(2) any amount treated as received under section 805(b)(3) of such Act.
(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 369; Mar. 13, 1956, ch. 83, § 5(8), 70 Stat. 49; Pub. L. 85–866, title I, § 64(d)(3), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1657; Pub. L. 86–69, § 3(f)(1), June 25, 1959, 73 Stat. 140; Pub. L. 86–376, § 2(c), Sept. 23, 1959, 73 Stat. 699; Pub. L. 86–779, § 10(j), Sept. 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 1009; Pub. L. 89–389, § 4(b)(3), Apr. 14, 1966, 80 Stat. 116; Pub. L. 91–172, title I, § 121(a)(4), Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 537; Pub. L. 92–178, title V, § 502(e), Dec. 10, 1971, 85 Stat. 550; Pub. L. 94–455, title VIII, § 803(b)(3), title X, §§ 1051(g), 1053(d)(2), title XV, § 1507(a), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1584, 1646, 1649, 1739; Pub. L. 95–600, title I, § 141(f)(4), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2795; Pub. L. 96–222, title I, § 101(a)(7)(L)(i)(VIII), (iv)(II), Apr. 1, 1980, 94 Stat. 199, 200; Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title I, § 60(a), title II, § 211(b)(20), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 577, 756; Pub. L. 99–514, title X, § 1024(c)(15), (16), title XVIII, §§ 1804(e)(1), (10), 1899A(35), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2408, 2800, 2804, 2960; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1018(d)(10), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3581; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, § 11814(b), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–557; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, §§ 1308(d)(2), 1702(h)(6), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1783, 1874; Pub. L. 113–295, div. A, title II, § 221(a)(93), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4050; Pub. L. 115–141, div. U, title IV, § 401(d)(1)(D)(xvii)(I), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1208.)
§ 1505. Cross references
(1) For suspension of running of statute of limitations when notice in respect of a deficiency is mailed to one corporation, see section 6503(a)(1).
(2) For allocation of income and deductions of related trades or businesses, see section 482.
(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 370.)