(a) Recapture event. A recapture event occurs when qualified carbon oxide for which a section 45Q credit has been previously claimed ceases to be disposed of in secure geological storage (as described in § 1.45Q-3(b)), or used as a tertiary injectant during the recapture period. Recapture events are determined separately for each project involving the disposal or use of qualified carbon oxide as a tertiary injectant. A recapture event does not occur if some portion of qualified carbon oxide disposed of in the current year does not remain in secure storage at the end of the year. The amount of such carbon oxide that is securely stored in the current year is determined according to the applicable requirements of 40 CFR part 98 subpart RR or CSA/ANSI ISO 27916:2019.
(b) Ceases to be disposed of in secure geological storage or used as a tertiary injectant. Qualified carbon oxide for which a section 45Q credit has been previously claimed ceases to be disposed of in secure geological storage (as described in § 1.45Q-3(b)), or used as a tertiary injectant, if the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide in the taxable year exceeds the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored in that same taxable year.
(c) Leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide. When a taxpayer that claimed a section 45Q credit with respect to qualified carbon oxide stored at a secure storage site, operator of the secure storage site, or regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the site determines that the qualified carbon oxide that was disposed of in secure geological storage has leaked to the atmosphere, the taxpayer or the party with whom the taxpayer contracted to ensure the secure geological storage of the qualified carbon oxide must quantify the metric tons of qualified carbon oxide that has leaked to the atmosphere pursuant to the requirements of 40 CFR part 98 subpart RR or CSA/ANSI ISO 27916:2019. The quantity determined pursuant to CSA/ANSI ISO 27916:2019 must be certified by a qualified independent engineer or geologist, including a statement that the quantity was determined in accordance with sound engineering principles in the same manner as required in § 1.45Q-3. The IRS will consider all available facts and circumstances, and may consult with the relevant regulatory agency with jurisdiction over such site, in verifying the amount of qualified carbon oxide that has leaked to the atmosphere. The verified amount is the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide.
(d) Qualified carbon oxide subject to recapture. The quantity of recaptured qualified carbon oxide (in metric tons) subject to recapture is the amount by which the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide exceeds the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored in the taxable year. The leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide shall be subtracted from the amount of qualified carbon oxide that is securely stored in the taxable year. If the leaked amount does not exceed the amount of qualified carbon oxide that is securely stored in the taxable year, then the taxpayer is entitled to a credit equal to the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored less the leaked amount in the taxable year, multiplied by the appropriate statutory credit rate.
(e) Recapture amount. The recapture amount is equal to the product of the quantity of recaptured qualified carbon oxide (in metric tons) subject to recapture and the appropriate statutory credit rate.
(f) Recapture period. The recapture period begins on the date of first injection of qualified carbon oxide for disposal in secure geological storage or use as a tertiary injectant for which a section 45Q credit was claimed. The recapture period ends on the earlier of three years after the last taxable year in which the taxpayer claimed a section 45Q credit or was eligible to claim a credit that it elected to carry forward or the date monitoring ends under the requirements of the standards described in § 1.45Q-3(b)(1) or (2).
(g) Application of recapture—(1) In general. Any recapture amount must be taken into account in the taxable year in which it is identified and reported. If the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide does not exceed the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored in the taxable year reported, there is no recapture amount and no further adjustments to prior taxable years are needed. If the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide does exceed the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored in the taxable year reported, then the taxpayer must add the recapture amount to the amount of tax due in the taxable year in which the recapture event occurs.
(2) Calculation. Recapture amounts are calculated on a last-in-first-out basis (LIFO), such that the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide that exceeds the amount of qualified carbon oxide securely stored in the current taxable year will be deemed attributable first to the prior taxable year, then to taxable year before that, and then up to a maximum of the third preceding year.
(3) Multiple units. In the event of a recapture event in which the leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide had been captured from multiple units of carbon capture equipment that were not under common ownership, the recapture amount must be allocated on a pro rata basis among the multiple units of carbon capture equipment. All taxpayers that claimed a section 45Q credit with respect to one or more of such units of carbon capture equipment are responsible for adding the recapture amount to their amount of tax due in the taxable year in which the recapture event occurs.
(4) Multiple taxpayers—(i) In general. In the event of a recapture event involving a leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide that is deemed attributable to qualified carbon oxide for which multiple taxpayers claimed section 45Q credits (for example, if ownership of the carbon capture equipment was transferred, or if a taxpayer made an election under section 45Q(f)(3)(B) to allow one or more credit claimants to claim a portion of the section 45Q credit), the recapture amount must be allocated on a pro rata basis among the taxpayers that claimed the section 45Q credits.
(ii) Partnerships—(A) General rule. For purposes of paragraph (g)(4)(i) of this section, if a partnership is one of the multiple taxpayers that claimed section 45Q credit amounts, the partnership and not its partners will be the taxpayer to which the pro rata recapture amount must be allocated. The partnership must allocate its pro rata recapture amount among its partners under § 1.704-1(b)(4)(ii).
(B) Terminated partnerships. If a partnership described in paragraph (g)(4)(ii)(A) of this section terminates under section 708(b)(1) prior to a recapture event, the partners of that terminated partnership at the time the section 45Q credit was claimed will be the taxpayers to which the pro rata recapture amount must be allocated.
(5) Reporting. If a recapture event occurs during a project's recapture period, any taxpayer that claimed a section 45Q credit for that project must report the following information on a Form 8933 filed with that taxpayer's Federal income tax return or Form 1065 for the taxable year for which the recapture event occurred—
(A) The recapture amount (as defined in 1.45Q-5(e));
(B) The leaked amount of qualified carbon oxide (in metric tons) (as defined in 1.45Q-5(c));
(C) The statutory credit rate(s) at which the section 45Q credits were previously calculated; and
(D) A statement that describes how the taxpayer became aware of the recapture event, how the leaked amount was determined, and the identity and involvement of any regulatory agencies.
(6) Examples. The following examples illustrate the principles of this paragraph (g):
(i) Example 1. (A) A owns direct air capture Facility X. No other taxpayer has owned Facility X, and A has never allowed another taxpayer to claim any section 45Q credits with respect to qualified carbon oxide captured by Facility X. Facility X captured 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in each of 2021, 2022, and 2023. All captured carbon dioxide was sold to B for use a tertiary injectant in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. B provided contractual assurance that the carbon dioxide would be disposed of in secure geological storage. A claimed section 45Q credit amounts of $2,268,000 in 2021, $2,515,000 in 2022, and $2,761,000 in 2023 using the statutory rates in § 1.45Q-1(d)(3). In 2024, A captured and sold another 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide to B, which B used as a tertiary injectant in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. In late 2024, B determined that 10,000 metric tons of qualified carbon dioxide injected during 2021 had leaked from the containment area of the reservoir and were released into the atmosphere.
(B) Because the leakage determined in 2024 (10,000 metric tons) did not exceed the presumed amount stored in 2024 (100,000 metric tons), a recapture event did not occur in 2024. B's actual storage in 2024 is 90,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide. A's section 45Q credit for 2024 is $2,706,300 (net 90,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide captured, disposed of in secure geological storage, and used as a tertiary injectant multiplied by the statutory credit rate for 2024 of $30.07).
(ii) Example 2. (A) Assume same facts as in Example 1. Additionally, in 2025, B determines that 190,000 metric tons of qualified carbon dioxide injected in 2021 and 2022 had leaked and were released into the atmosphere. No injection of carbon dioxide takes place in 2025.
(B) Because the leakage determined in 2025 (190,000 metric tons) exceeds the amount stored in 2025 (0 metric tons), a recapture event occurred in 2025. A's credit for 2025 is $0 because the net amount of carbon dioxide captured, disposed of in secure geological storage, and used as a tertiary injectant in 2025 was 0 metric tons. The 2025 recapture amount is calculated by multiplying the 190,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide by the appropriate statutory credit rate using the LIFO method. The first 90,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2024, and is recaptured at the 2024 statutory rate of $30.07 per metric ton. The remaining 100,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide are deemed attributable to 2023. The credits attributable to 2023 are recaptured at the 2023 statutory rate of $27.61 per metric ton. Thus, the total recapture amount is $5,467,300, and is added to A's tax due for 2025.
(iii) Example 3. (A) Assume the same facts as in Example 2, except that A sells Facility X to C on January 1, 2024. C sells 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide captured by Facility X to B for use as a tertiary injectant in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. C claims a section 45Q credit in 2024 of $2,706,300 (net 90,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide captured, disposed of in secure geological storage, and used as a tertiary injectant multiplied by the statutory credit rate for 2024 of $30.07).
(B) The total recapture amount in 2025 is the same $5,467,300 as in Example 2, but is allocated between A and C. The first 90,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide are deemed attributable to 2024. The credits that are attributable to 2024 are recaptured at the 2024 statutory rate of $30.07 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,706,300). Because C claimed that amount of section 45Q credit in 2024, a recapture amount of $2,706,300 is added to C's tax due for 2025. The remaining 100,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide are deemed attributable to 2023. The credits that are attributable to 2023 are recaptured at the 2023 statutory rate of $27.61 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,761,000). Because A claimed that amount of section 45Q credit in 2023, a recapture amount of $2,761,000 is added to A's tax due for 2025.
(iv) Example 4. (A) Assume the same facts as in Example 2, except that in 2023, A made a section 45Q(f)(3)(B) election to allow B to claim one-half of the section 45Q credit for 2023. A and B each claimed $1,380,500 of section 45Q credit in 2023 (50,000 metric tons each multiplied by the 2023 statutory rate of $27.61).
(B) The total recapture amount in 2025 is the same $5,467,300 as in Example 2, but is allocated among A and B. The first 90,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2024. The section 45Q credit amounts attributable to 2024 are recaptured at the 2024 statutory rate of $30.07 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,706,300). Because A claimed that amount of section 45Q credit in 2024, $2,706,300 is added to A's tax due for 2025. The remaining 100,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2023. The section 45Q credit amounts attributable to 2023 are recaptured at the 2023 statutory rate of $27.61 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,761,000). Because A and B each claimed half of that amount ($1,380,500) of section 45Q credit in 2023, $1,380,500 is added to both A's and B's tax due for 2025. Thus, a recapture amount of $4,086,800 is added to A's tax due for 2025, and a recapture amount of $1,380,500 is added to B's tax due for 2025.
(v) Example 5. (A) Assume the same facts as in Example 2, except that the 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide sold to B in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 for use as a tertiary injectant in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project were captured equally (50,000 metric tons per year) from qualified facilities owned by J and K. Neither J nor K made a section 45Q(f)(3)(B) election to allow B to claim the credit.
(B) Because the leakage determined in 2024 (10,000 metric tons) did not exceed the presumed amount stored in 2024 (100,000 metric tons) a recapture event did not occur in 2024. The total amount of section 45Q credit for 2024 is $2,706,300 (net 90,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide captured, disposed of in secure geological storage, and used as a tertiary injectant multiplied by the statutory credit rate for 2024 of $30.07). J and K may each claim half of this amount of section 45Q credit ($1,353,150) in 2024.
(C) The total recapture amount in 2025 is the same $5,467,300 as in Example 2, but is allocated between J and K. The section 45Q credit amounts relating to the first 90,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide are deemed attributable to 2024 and are recaptured at the 2024 statutory rate of $30.07 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,706,300). Because J and K each claimed half of that amount ($1,353,150) of section 45Q credit in 2024, $1,353,150 is added to both J's and K's tax due for 2025. The section 45Q credit amounts relating to the remaining 100,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide are deemed attributable to 2023 and are recaptured at the 2023 statutory rate of $27.61 per ton (for a recapture amount of $2,761,000). Because J and K each claimed half of that amount ($1,380,500) of section 45Q credit in 2023, an additional $1,380,500 is added to both J's and Ks tax due for 2025. Thus, a total recapture amount of $2,733,650 is added to both J's and K's tax due for 2025.
(vi) Example 6. (A) M owns Industrial Facility Z. No other taxpayer has ever owned Z, and M has never allowed another taxpayer to claim any section 45Q credits with respect to qualified carbon oxide captured from Z. M captured 1,000,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually in each of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All captured carbon dioxide was sold to N for use a tertiary injectant in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. N provided contractual assurance that the carbon dioxide would be sequestered in secure geological storage. M claimed section 45Q credit amounts of $12,830,000 in 2017, $15,209,000 in 2018, $17,760,000 in 2019, $20,220,000 in 2020, $22,680,000 in 2021, $25,150,000 in 2022, $27,610,000 in 2023, $30,070,000 in 2024, and $32,540,000 in 2025 using the statutory rates in § 1.45Q-1(d)(3). No injection of carbon oxides takes place in 2026. In 2026, N determined that 6,200,000 metric tons of qualified carbon dioxide previously injected had leaked from the containment area of the reservoir and were released into the atmosphere.
(B) Because the leakage determined in 2025 (6,200,000 metric tons) exceed the amount stored in 2026 (0 metric tons) a recapture event occurred in 2026. A's credit for 2026 is $0 because the net amount of carbon dioxide captured and used as a tertiary injectant in 2026 was 0 metric tons. The 2026 recapture amount is calculated by multiplying the 6,200,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide by the appropriate statutory credit rate using the LIFO method. The first 1,000,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2025, and is recaptured at the 2025 statutory rate of $32.54 per metric ton. The next 1,000,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2024, and is recaptured at the 2024 statutory rate of $30.07 per metric ton. The next 1,000,000 metric tons of recaptured qualified carbon oxide is deemed attributable to 2023, and is recaptured at the 2023 statutory rate of $27.16 per metric ton. The remaining 3,200,000 metric tons are not subject to recapture because of the three-year lookback limit in § 1.45Q-1(g)(2). Thus, the total recapture amount is $89,770,000, and is added to A's tax due for 2026.
(h) Recapture in the event of deliberate removal from storage—(1) In general. If qualified carbon oxide for which a credit has been claimed is deliberately removed from a secure geological storage site, then a recapture event would occur in the year in which the qualified carbon oxide is removed from the storage site pursuant to 1.45Q-5(a).
(2) Recycled qualified carbon oxide. If qualified carbon oxide for which a credit has been claimed is recaptured, recycled, and reinjected as part of the enhanced oil and natural gas recovery project, that qualified carbon oxide will be considered recycled carbon oxide under section 45Q(c)(2). If recycled carbon oxide is reinjected into the same qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project it was originally injected into, it will not be considered deliberately removed from a secure geological storage site for purposes of paragraph (h)(1) of this section. If recycled carbon oxide is reinjected into a different qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project from the one it was initially injected into, or used for any other purpose, that qualified carbon oxide will be considered deliberately removed from a secure geological storage site for purposes of paragraph (h)(1) of this section.
(i) Limited exceptions. A recapture event is not triggered in the event of a loss of containment of qualified carbon oxide resulting from actions not related to the selection, operation, or maintenance of the storage facility, such as volcanic activity or terrorist attack.
(j) Applicability date. This section applies to taxable years beginning on or after January 13, 2021. Taxpayers may choose to apply this section for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, provided the taxpayer applies this section and §§ 1.45Q-1, 1.45Q-2, 1.45Q-3, and 1.45Q-4 in their entirety and in a consistent manner.
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