(a) In general. Under section 857(a)(2) a real estate investment trust is required to keep such records as will disclose the actual ownership of its outstanding stock. Thus, every real estate investment trust shall maintain in the internal revenue district in which it is required to file its income tax return permanent records showing the information relative to the actual owners of its stock contained in the written statements required by this section to be demanded from its shareholders. Such records shall be kept at all times available for inspection by any internal revenue officer or employee, and shall be retained so long as the contents thereof may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law.

(b) Actual owner of stock. The actual owner of stock of a real estate investment trust is the person who is required to include in gross income in his return the dividends received on the stock. Generally, such person is the shareholder of record of the real estate investment trust. However, where the shareholder of record is not the actual owner of the stock, the stockholding record of the real estate investment trust may not disclose the actual ownership of such stock. Accordingly, the real estate investment trust shall demand written statements from shareholders of record disclosing the actual owners of stock as required in paragraph (d) of this section.

(c) Stock ownership for personal holding company determination. For the purpose of determining under section 856(a)(6) whether a trust, claiming to be a real estate investment trust, is a personal holding company, the permanent records of the trust shall show the maximum number of shares of the trust (including the number and face value of securities convertible into stock of the trust) to be considered as actually or constructively owned by each of the actual owners of any of its stock at any time during the last half of the trust's taxable year, as provided in section 544.

(d) Statements to be demanded from shareholders. The information required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section shall be set forth in written statements which shall be demanded from shareholders of record as follows:

(1) In the case of a trust having 2,000 or more shareholders of record of its stock on any dividend record date, from each record holder of 5 percent or more of its stock; or

(2) In the case of a trust having less than 2,000 and more than 200 shareholders of record of its stock on any dividend record date, from each record holder of 1 percent or more of its stock; or

(3) In the case of a trust having 200 or less shareholders of record of its stock on any dividend record date, from each record holder of one-half of 1 percent or more of its stock.

(e) Demands for statements. The written statements from shareholders of record shall be demanded by the real estate investment trust in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section within 30 days after the close of the real estate investment trust's taxable year (or before June 1, 1962, whichever is later). When making demand for such written statements, the trust shall inform each such shareholder of his duty to submit at the time he files his income tax return (or before July 1, 1962, whichever is later) the statements which are required by § 1.857-9 if he fails or refuses to comply with such demand. A list of the persons failing or refusing to comply in whole or in part with the trust's demand for statements under this section shall be maintained as a part of the trust's records required by this section. A trust which fails to keep such records to show, to the extent required by this section, the actual ownership of its outstanding stock shall be taxable as an ordinary corporation and not as a real estate investment trust.