(a) In general.
(1) Section 58(c)(1) provides that the sum of the items of tax preference of an estate or trust shall be apportioned between the estate or trust and the beneficiary on the basis of the income of the estate or trust allocable to each. Income for this purpose is the income received or accrued by the trust or estate which is not subject to current taxation either in the hands of the trust or estate or the beneficiary by reason of an item of tax preference. The character of the amounts distributed is determined under section 652(b) or 662(b) and the regulations thereunder.
(2) Additional computations required by reason of excess distributions are to be made in accordance with the principles of sections 665 through 669 and the regulations thereunder.
(3) In the case of a charitable remainder annuity trust (as defined in section 664(d)(1) and § 1.664-2) or a charitable remainder unitrust (as defined in section 664(d)(2) and § 1.664-3), the determination of the income not subject to current taxation by reason of an item of tax preference is to be made as if such trust were generally subject to taxation. Where income of such a trust is not subject to current taxation in accordance with this section and is distributed to a beneficiary in a taxable year subsequent to the taxable year in which the trust received or accrued such income, the items of tax preference relating to such income are apportioned to the beneficiary in such subsequent year (without credit for minimum tax paid by the trust with respect to items of tax preference which are subject to the minimum tax by reason of section 664(c)).
(4) Items of tax preference apportioned to a beneficiary pursuant to this section are to be taken into account by the beneficiary in his taxable year within or with which ends the taxable year of the estate or trust during which it has such items of tax preference.
(5) Where a trust or estate has items of income or deduction which enter into the computation of the excess investment interest item of tax preference, but such items do not result in an item of tax preference at the trust or estate level, each beneficiary must take into account, in computing his excess investment interest, the portion of such items distributed to him. The determination of the portion of such items distributed to each beneficiary is made in accordance with the character rules of section 652(b) or 662(b) and the regulations thereunder.
(6) Where, pursuant to subpart E of part 1 of subchapter J (sections 671 through 678), the grantor of a trust or another person is treated as the owner of any portion of the trust, there shall be included in computing the items of tax preference of such person those items of income, deductions, and credits against tax of the trust which are attributable to that portion of the trust to the extent such items are taken into account under section 671 and the regulations thereunder. Any remaining portion of the trust is subject to the provisions of this section.
(b) Examples. The principles of this section may be illustrated by the following examples in each of which it is assumed that none of the distributions are accumulation distributions (see sections 665 through 669 and the regulations thereunder):
Example 1.
Trust A, with one income beneficiary, has the following items of income and deduction without regard to the deduction for distributions:
| Income:
|
|
| Business income |
$200,000
|
| Investment income |
20,000
|
|
220,000
|
| Deductions:
|
|
| Business deductions (nonpreference) |
100,000
|
| Investment interest expense |
80,000
|
|
180,000 |
Based on the above figures, the trust has $100,000 of taxable income without regard to items which enter into the computation of excess investment interest and the deduction for distributions. The trust also has $60,000 of excess investment interests, resulting in $40,000 of distributable net income. Thus, $60,000 of the $100,000 of noninvestment income is not subject to current taxation by reason of the excess investment interest.
(a) If $40,000 is distributed to the beneficiary, the beneficiary will normally be subject to tax on the full amount received and the “sheltered” portion of the income will remain at the trust level. Thus, none of the excess investment interest item of tax preference is apportioned to the beneficiary.
(b) If the beneficiary receives $65,000 from the trust, the beneficiary is still subject to tax on only $40,000 (the amount of the distributable net income) and thus, is considered to have received $25,000 of business income “sheltered” by excess investment interest. Thus, $25,000 of the $60,000 of excess investment interest of the trust is apportioned to the beneficiary.
Example 2.
Trust B has $150,000 of net section 1201 gain.
(a) If none of the gain is distributed to the beneficiaries, none of the capital gains item of tax preference is apportioned to the beneficiaries.
(b) If all or a part of the gain is distributed to the beneficiaries, a proportionate part of the capital gains item of tax preference is apportioned to the beneficiaries. If any of the beneficiaries are corporations the capital gains item of tax preference is adjusted in the hands of the corporations as provided in § 1.58-2(a).
Example 3.
Trust C has taxable income of $200,000 computed without regard to depreciation on section 1250 property and the deduction for distributions. The depreciation on section 1250 property held by the trust is $160,000. The trust instrument provides for income to be retained by the trust in an amount equal to the depreciation on the property determined under the straight line method (which method has been used for this purpose for the entire period the trust has held the property) which, in this case is equal to $100,000. The $60,000 excess of the accelerated depreciation of $160,000 over the straight line amount which would have resulted had the property been depreciated under that method for the entire period for which the trust has held the property is an item of tax preference pursuant to section 57(a)(2). Of the remaining $100,000 of net income of the trust (after the reserve for depreciation), 80 percent is distributed to the beneficiaries. Pursuant to sections 167(h) and 642(e), 80 percent of the remaining $60,000 of depreciation deduction (or $48,000) is taken as a deduction directly by the beneficiaries and “shelters” the income received by the beneficiaries. Thus, the full $48,000 deduction taken by the beneficiaries is “excess accelerated depreciation” on section 1250 property and is an item of tax preference in the hands of the beneficiaries. None of the remaining $12,000 of “excess accelerated depreciation” is apportioned to the beneficiaries since this amount “shelters” income retained at the trust level.
Example 4.
G creates a trust the ordinary income of which is payable to his adult son. Ten years from the date of the transfer, corpus is to revert to G. G retains no other right or power which would cause him to be treated as an owner under subpart E of part 1 of subchapter J (section 671 and following). Under the terms of the trust instrument and applicable local law capital gains must be applied to corpus. During the taxable year 1970 the trust has $200,000 income from dividends and interest and a net long-term capital gain of $100,000. Since the capital gain is held or accumulated for future distribution to G, he is treated under section 677(a)(2) as an owner of a portion of the trust to which the gain is attributable. Therefore, he must include the capital gain in the computation of his taxable income in 1970 and the capital gain item of tax preference is treated as being directly received by G. Accordingly, no adjustment is made to the trust's minimum tax exemption by reason of the capital gain.
Example 5.
For its taxable year 1971 the trust referred to in example (4) has taxable income of $200,000 computed without regard to depreciation on section 1250 property and the deduction for distributions. The depreciation on section 1250 property held by the trust is $160,000. The trust instrument provides for income to be retained by the trust in an amount equal to the depreciation on the property determined for purposes of the Federal income tax. If the property had been depreciated under the straight line method for the entire period for which the trust held the property the resulting depreciation deduction would have been $100,000. The $60,000 excess is, therefore, an item of tax preference pursuant to section 57(a)(2) and
§ 1.57-1(d). Since this amount of “income” is held or accumulated for future distributions to G, he is treated under section 677(a)(2) as an owner of a portion of the trust to which such income is attributable. Therefore, section 671 requires that in computing the tax liability of the grantor the income, deductions, and credits against tax of the trust which are attributable to such portion shall be taken into account. Thus, the grantor has received $160,000 of income and is entitled to a depreciation deduction in the same amount. The $60,000 item of tax preference resulting from the excess depreciation is treated as being directly received by G as he has directly received the income sheltered by that preference. Accordingly, no adjustment is made to the trust's minimum tax exemption by reason of such depreciation.
