Sec. 1.547-2 Requirements for deficiency dividends.
(a) In general.
There are certain requirements which must be fulfilled before a deduction is allowed for a deficiency dividend under section 547 and this section. These are:
(1) The taxpayer's liability for personal holding company tax shall be determined only in the manner provided in section 547(c) and paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
(2) The deficiency dividend shall be paid by the corporation on, or within 90 days after, the date of such determination and prior to the filing of a claim under section 547(e) and paragraph (b)(2) of this section for deduction for deficiency dividends. This claim must be filed within 120 days after such determination.
(3) The deficiency dividend must be of such a nature as would have permitted its inclusion in the computation of a deduction for dividends paid under section 561 for the taxable year with respect to which the liability for personal holding company tax exists, if it had been distributed during such year. See section 562 and sections 1.562-1 through 1.562-3. In this connection, it should be noted that under section 316(b)(2), the term dividend means (in addition to the usual meaning under section 316(a)) any distribution of property (whether or not a dividend as defined in section 316(a)) made by a corporation to its shareholders, to the extent of its undistributed personal holding company income (determined under section 545 and sections 1.545-1 and 1.545-2 without regard to section 316(b)(2)) for the taxable year in respect of which the distribution is made.
(b) Special rules
(1) Nature and details of determination.
(i) A determination of a taxpayer's liability for personal holding company tax shall, for the purposes of section 547 , be established in the manner specified in section 547(c) and this subparagraph.
(ii) The date of determination by a decision of the Tax Court of the United States is the date upon which such decision becomes final, as prescribed in section 7481.
(iii) The slate upon which a judgment of a court becomes final, which is the date of the determination in such cases, must be determined upon the basis of the facts in the particular case. Ordinarily, a judgment of a United States district court becomes final upon the expiration of the time allowed for taking an appeal, if no such appeal is duly taken within such time; and a judgment of the United States Court of Claims becomes final upon the expiration of the time allowed for filing a petition for certiorari if no such petition is duly filed within such time.
(iv) The date of determination by a closing agreement, made under section 7121, is the date such agreement is approved by the Commissioner.
(v) A determination under section 547(c)(3) may be made by an agreement signed by the district director or such other official to whom authority to sign the agreement is delegated, and by or on behalf of the taxpayer. The agreement shall set forth the total amount of the liability for personal holding company tax for the taxable year or years. An agreement under this subdivision which is signed by the district director (or such other official to whom authority to sign the agreement is delegated) on or after July 15, 1963, shall be sent to the taxpayer at his last known address by either registered or certified mail. For further guidance regarding the definition of last known address, see section 301.6212-2 of this chapter. If registered mail is used for such purpose, the date of registration shall be treated as the date of determination; if certified mail is used for such purpose, the date of the postmark on the sender's receipt for such mail shall be treated as the date of determination. However, if a dividend is paid by the corporation before such registration or postmark date but on or after the date such agreement is signed by the district director or such other official to whom authority to sign the agreement is delegated, the date of determination shall be such date of signing. The date of determination with respect to an agreement which is signed by the district director (or such other official to whom authority to sign the agreement is delegated) before July 15, 1963, shall be the date of the postmark on the cover envelope in which such agreement is sent by ordinary mail, except that if a dividend is paid by the corporation before such postmark date but on or after the date such agreement is signed by the district director or such other official to whom authority to sign the agreement is delegated, the date of determination shall be such date of signing.
(2) Claim for deduction
(i) Contents of claim.
A claim for deduction for a deficiency dividend shall be made with the requisite declaration, on Form 976 and shall contain the following information:
(A) The name and address of the corporation;
(B) The place and date of incorporation;
(C) The amount of the deficiency determined with respect to the tax imposed by section 541 (or a corresponding provision of a prior income tax law) and the taxable year or years involved; the amount of the unpaid deficiency or, if the deficiency has been paid in whole or in part, the date of payment and the amount thereof; a statement as to how the deficiency was established, if unpaid; or if paid in whole or in part, how it was established that any portion of the amount paid was a deficiency at the time when paid and, in either case whether it was by an agreement under section 547(c)(3), by a closing agreement under section 7121, or by a decision of the Tax Court or court judgment and the date thereof; if established by a final judgment in a suit against the United States for refund, the date of payment of the deficiency, the date the claim for refund was filed, and the date the suit was brought; if established by a Tax Court decision or court judgment, a copy thereof shall be attached, together with an explanation of how the decision became final; if established by an agreement under section 547(c)(3), a copy of such agreement shall be attached;
(D) The amount and date of payment of the dividend with respect to which the claim for the deduction for deficiency dividends is filed;
(E) A statement setting forth the various classes of stock outstanding, the name and address of each shareholder, the class and number of shares held by each on the date of payment of the dividend with respect to which the claim is filed, and the amount of such dividend paid to each shareholder;
(F) The amount claimed as a deduction for deficiency dividends; and
(G) Such other information as may be required by the claim form.
(ii) Filing of claim and corporate resolution.
The claim together with a certified copy of the resolution of the board of directors or other authority, authorizing the payment of the dividend with respect to which the claim is filed, shall be filed with the district director for the internal revenue district in which the return is filed.
(iii) Carryover of deficiency dividends paid by acquiring corporation.
In the case of the acquisition of assets of a corporation by another corporation in a distribution or transfer described in section 381(a), the distributor or transferor corporation shall be entitled to a deduction for any deficiency dividends (as defined in section 547(d)) paid by the acquiring corporation with respect to such distributor or transferor corporation. See section 381(c)(17).
(68A Stat. 192, 917; 26 U.S.C. 547(c), 7805)
[Adopted by T.D. 6308, 23 FR 6976, Sept. 10, 1958; republished by T.D. 6500, 25 FR 11737, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 6657, 28 FR 5720, June 12, 1963; T.D. 7604, 44 FR 18661, Mar. 29, 1979; T.D. 8939, 66 FR 2817-2821, Jan. 12, 2001.]
