(a) Nature of election. In lieu of determining the increase for a taxable year of a foreign corporation beginning before January 1, 1976, under the provisions of section 954(f) and paragraph (a) of § 1.954-5, or the decrease under the provisions of section 955(a)(2) and paragraph (b) of § 1.955-1, in a controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries for a taxable year in the manner provided in such provisions, a United States shareholder of such controlled foreign corporation may elect, under the provisions of section 955(b)(3) and this section, to determine such increase in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of § 1.954-5 and to determine such decrease by ascertaining the amount by which—
(1) Such controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at the close of such taxable year exceed its qualified investments in less developed countries at the close of the taxable year immediately following such taxable year, and reducing such excess by
(2) The amount determined under paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of § 1.955-1 for such taxable year,
(b) Time and manner of making election—(1) Without consent. An election under this section with respect to a controlled foreign corporation shall be made without the consent of the Commissioner by a United States shareholder's filing a statement to such effect with his return for his taxable year in which or with which ends the first taxable year of such controlled foreign corporation in which—
(i) Such shareholder owns, within the meaning of section 958(a), or is considered as owning by applying the rules of ownership of section 958(b), 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of such controlled foreign corporation, and
(ii) Such controlled foreign corporation realizes foreign base company income from which amounts are excluded under section 954(b)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.954-1.
(2) With consent. An election under this section with respect to a controlled foreign corporation may be made by a United States shareholder at any time with the consent of the Commissioner. Consent will not be granted unless the United States shareholder and the Commissioner agree to the terms, conditions, and adjustments under which the election will be effected. Consent will not be granted if the first taxable year of the controlled foreign corporation with respect to which the shareholder desires to compute an amount described in section 954(b)(1) in accordance with the election provided in this section begins after December 31, 1975. The application for consent to elect shall be made by the United States shareholder's mailing a letter for such purpose to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Washington, DC 20224. The application shall be mailed before the close of the first taxable year of the controlled foreign corporation with respect to which the shareholder desires to compute an amount described in section 954(b)(1) in accordance with the election provided in this section. The application shall include the following information:
(i) The name, address, and taxable year of the United States shareholder;
(ii) The name and address of the controlled foreign corporation;
(iii) The first taxable year of the controlled foreign corporation for which income is to be computed under the election;
(iv) The amount of the controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at the close of its preceding taxable year; and
(v) The sum of the amounts excluded under section 954(b)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.954-1 from the foreign base company income of the controlled foreign corporation for all prior taxable years during which such shareholder was a United States shareholder of such corporation and the sum of the amounts of its previously excluded subpart F income withdrawn from investment in less developed countries for all prior taxable years during which such shareholder was a United States shareholder of such corporation.
(c) Effect of election—(1) General. Except as provided in subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph, an election under this section with respect to a controlled foreign corporation shall be binding on the United States shareholder and shall apply to all qualified investments in less developed countries acquired, or disposed of, by such controlled foreign corporation during the taxable year following its taxable year for which income is first computed under the election and during all succeeding taxable years of such corporation.
(2) Returns. Any return of a United States shareholder required to be filed before the completion of a period with respect to which determinations are to be made as to a controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries for purposes of computing such shareholder's taxable income shall be filed on the basis of an estimate of the amount of the controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at the close of the period. If the actual amount of such investments is not the same as the amount of the estimate, the United States shareholder shall immediately notify the Commissioner. The Commissioner will thereupon redetermine the amount of tax of such United States shareholder for the year or years with respect to which the incorrect amount was taken into account. The amount of tax, if any, due upon such redetermination shall be paid by the United States shareholder upon notice and demand by the district director. The amount of tax, if any, shown by such redetermination to have been overpaid shall be credited or refunded to the United States shareholder in accordance with the provisions of sections 6402 and 6511 and the regulations thereunder.
(3) Revocation. Upon application by the United States shareholder, the election made under this section may, subject to the approval of the Commissioner, be revoked. Approval will not be granted unless the United States shareholder and the Commissioner agree to the terms, conditions, and adjustments under which the rev- ocation will be effected. Unless such agreement provides otherwise, the change in the controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries for its first taxable year for which income is computed without regard to the election previously made will be considered to be zero for purposes of effectuating the revocation. The application for consent to revocation shall be made by the United States shareholder's mailing a letter for such purpose to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Washington, DC 20224. The application shall be mailed before the close of the first taxable year of the controlled foreign corporation with respect to which the shareholder desires to compute the amounts described in section 954(b)(1) or 955(a) without regard to the election provided in this section. The application may also be filed in a taxable year beginning after December 31, 1975. The application shall include the following information:
(i) The name, address, and taxpayer identification number of the United States shareholder;
(ii) The name and address of the controlled foreign corporation;
(iii) The taxable year of the controlled foreign corporation for which such amounts are to be so computed;
(iv) The amount of the controlled foreign corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at the close of its preceding taxable year;
(v) The sum of the amounts excluded under section 954(b)(1) and paragraph (b)(1) of § 1.954-1 from the foreign base company income of the controlled foreign corporation for all prior taxable years during which such shareholder was a United States shareholder of such corporation and the sum of the amounts of its previously excluded subpart F income withdrawn from investment in less developed countries for all prior taxable years during which such shareholder was a United States shareholder of such corporation; and
(vi) The reasons for the request for consent to revocation.
(4) Transfer of stock. If during any taxable year of a controlled foreign corporation—
(i) A United States shareholder who has made an election under this section with respect to such controlled foreign corporation sells, exchanges, or otherwise disposes of all or part of his stock in such controlled foreign corporation, and
(ii) The foreign corporation is a controlled foreign corporation immediately after the sale, exchange, or other disposition,
(d) Illustrations. The application of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:
Foreign corporation A is a wholly owned subsidiary of domestic corporation M. Both corporations use the calendar year as a taxable year. In a statement filed with its return for 1963, M Corporation makes an election under section 955(b)(3) and the election remains in force for the taxable year 1964. At December 31, 1964, A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries amount to $100,000; and, at December 31, 1965, to $80,000. For purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, A Corporation's decrease in qualified investments in less developed countries for the taxable year 1964 is $20,000 and is determined by ascertaining the amount by which A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1964 ($100,000) exceed its qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1965 ($80,000).
The facts are the same as in example 1 except that A Corporation experiences no changes in qualified investments in less developed countries during its taxable years 1966 and 1967. If M Corporation's election were to remain in force, A Corporation's acquisitions and dispositions of qualified investments in less developed countries during A Corporation's taxable year 1968 would be taken into account in determining whether A Corporation has experienced an increase or a decrease in qualified investments in less developed countries for its taxable year 1967. However, M Corporation duly files before the close of A Corporation's taxable year 1967 an application for consent to revocation of M Corporation's election under section 955(b)(3), and, pursuant to an agreement between the Commissioner and M Corporation, consent is granted by the Commissioner. Assuming such agreement does not provide otherwise, A Corporation's change in qualified investments in less developed countries for its taxable year 1967 is zero because the effect of the revocation of the election is to treat acquisitions and dispositions of qualified investments in less developed countries actually occurring in 1968 as having occurred in such year rather than in 1967.
The facts are the same as in example 2 except that A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1968, amount to $70,000. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1)(i) of § 1.955-1, the decrease in A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries for the taxable year 1968 is $10,000 and is determined by ascertaining the amount by which A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1967 ($80,000) exceed its qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1968 ($70,000).
The facts are the same as in example 1 except that on September 30, 1965, M Corporation sells 40 percent of the only class of stock of A Corporation to N Corporation, a domestic corporation. Corporation N uses the calendar year as a taxable year. Corporation A remains a controlled foreign corporation immediately after such sale of its stock. Corporation A's qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1966, amount to $90,000. The changes in A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries occurring in its taxable year 1965 are considered to be zero with respect to the 40-percent stock interest acquired by N Corporation. The entire $20,000 reduction in A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries which occurs during the taxable year 1965 is taken into account by M Corporation for purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section in determining its tax liability for the taxable year 1964. Corporation A's increase in qualified investments in less developed countries for the taxable year 1965 with respect to the 60-percent stock interest retained by M Corporation is $6,000 and is determined by ascertaining M Corporation's pro rata share (60 percent) of the amount by which A Corporation's qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1968 ($90,000) exceed its qualified investments in less developed countries at December 31, 1965 ($80,000). Corporation N does not make an election under section 955(b)(3) in its return for its taxable year 1966. Corporation A's increase in qualified investments in less developed countries for the taxable year 1966 with respect to the 40-percent stock interest acquired by N Corporation is $4,000.
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