(a) In general. A taxpayer shall recapture a separate limitation loss account as provided in this section. If the taxpayer has a separate limitation loss account or accounts in any separate category (the “loss category”) and the loss category has income in a subsequent taxable year, the income shall be recharacterized as income in that other category or categories. The amount of income recharacterized shall not exceed the aggregate balance in all separate limitation loss accounts for the loss category as determined under § 1.904(f)-7. If the taxpayer has more than one separate limitation loss account in a loss category, and there is not enough income in the loss category to recapture all of the loss accounts, then separate limitation income in the loss category shall be recharacterized as separate limitation income in the other separate categories on a proportionate basis. This is determined by multiplying the total separate limitation income subject to recharacterization by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount in a particular separate limitation loss account and the denominator of which is the total amount in all separate limitation loss accounts for the loss category.

(b) Effect of recharacterization of separate limitation income on associated taxes. Recharacterization of income under paragraph (a) of this section shall not result in the recharacterization of any tax. The rules of § 1.904-6, including the rules that the taxes are allocated on an annual basis and that foreign taxes paid on U.S. source income shall be allocated to the separate category that includes that U.S. source income (see § 1.904-6(a)), shall apply for purposes of allocating taxes to separate categories. Allocation of taxes pursuant to § 1.904-6 shall be made before the recapture of any separate limitation loss accounts of the taxpayer pursuant to the rules of this section.

(c) Effective/applicability date. This section applies to taxpayers that sustain separate limitation losses in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2012. Taxpayers may choose to apply this section to separate limitation losses sustained in other taxable years beginning after December 21, 2007, including periods covered by 26 CFR § 1.904(f)-8T (revised as of April 1, 2010). For rules relating to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1986, and on or before December 21, 2007, see section 904(f)(5).