(a) Ordinary income or loss. Section 987 gain or loss is ordinary income or loss for Federal income tax purposes.

(b) Character and source of section 987 gain or loss. With respect to each section 987 QBU, the character and source of section 987 gain or loss is determined under this paragraph (b) for all purposes of the Internal Revenue Code, including sections 904(d), 907, and 954.

(1) Timing of character and source determination. The character and source of section 987 gain or loss is determined based on the initial assignment pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section and may be reassigned in the year in which the section 987 gain or loss is recognized pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section. The initial assignment is made in the earliest of the taxable years described in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(i) The taxable year in which net unrecognized section 987 gain or loss is recognized.

(ii) The taxable year in which net unrecognized section 987 loss or pretransition loss becomes suspended section 987 loss.

(iii) The taxable year in which net unrecognized section 987 gain or loss becomes deferred section 987 gain or loss.

(iv) In the case of pretransition gain or loss that is recognized ratably over the transition period pursuant to the election under § 1.987-10(e)(5)(ii), the taxable year that includes the transition date.

(2) Method for determining the character and source of section 987 gain or loss—(i) Initial assignment—(A) In general. In the taxable year of the initial assignment, determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the owner assigns gross section 987 gain or loss to the statutory and residual groupings in the same proportions as the proportions in which the tax book value of the assets of the section 987 QBU are assigned to the groupings under the asset method in §§ 1.861-9(g) and 1.861-9T(g), as modified by this paragraph (b)(2)(i). For purposes of applying the asset method, the owner takes into account only the assets that are attributable to the section 987 QBU under § 1.987-2(b). See § 1.987-11(e) and (f) (grouping of section 987 gain and loss and applying the loss-to-the-extent-of-gain rule on basis of the initial assignment of section 987 gain and loss under this paragraph (b)(2)(i)).

(B) Special rules for applying the asset method to assign section 987 gain or loss. For purposes of assigning gross section 987 gain or loss to the statutory and residual groupings under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) of this section, the proportions in which the tax book value of the assets of the section 987 QBU are assigned to the groupings described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) of this section are determined without regard to section 987 gain or loss. Further, the section 987 gain or loss is assigned after any reattribution of gross income required under § 1.904-4(f)(2)(vi) or § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(ii)(B)(2) (or the principles thereof, as applicable), but before the allocation and apportionment of expenses or the application of provisions that are based on a net income computation, such as the high-tax exception to passive category income in § 1.904-4(c), the high-tax exception to foreign base company income in § 1.954-1(d), and the high-tax exclusion from tested income in § 1.951A-2(c)(7).

(C) Election to treat section 987 gain or loss that is assigned to subpart F income groups relating to foreign personal holding company income as attributable to section 988 transactions—(1) In general. If an election is made under this paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C)(1), section 987 gain or loss assigned under paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B) of this section to any grouping of passive foreign personal holding company income, as described in § 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(B)(2)(i), is treated as foreign currency gain of the owner attributable to section 988 transactions not directly related to the business needs of the controlled foreign corporation, or as loss allocated and apportioned to such foreign currency gain. See § 1.987-1(g) for rules that apply to section 987 elections.

(2) Coordination with § 1.954-2(g). The rules of § 1.954-2(g)(2), (3) and (4) apply without regard to any section 987 gain treated as gain from section 988 transactions, or loss allocated and apportioned to such gain, by reason of an election under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C)(1) of this section.

(D) Section 987 gain or loss assigned to tentative tested income rather than tested income—(1) In general. In the case of a controlled foreign corporation, section 987 gain or loss is initially assigned to tentative tested income within a section 904 category (a tentative tested income group) under paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B) of this section as though the election described in § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) is in effect for the taxable year. As a result, section 987 gain or loss that would have initially been characterized as tested income if no election under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) was in effect is initially characterized as tentative tested income.

(2) For purposes of the GILTI high-tax exclusion, section 987 gain or loss is not attributable to any tested unit. In the case of a controlled foreign corporation, the initial assignment of section 987 gain or loss is made as though the section 987 gain or loss was not attributable to any tested unit for purposes of applying § 1.951A-2(c)(7) (GILTI high-tax exclusion). See paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section (applying the GILTI high-tax exclusion by treating all section 987 gain or loss in the same tentative tested income group as composing a single tentative tested income item).

(ii) Reassignment of section 987 gain or loss. In the taxable year in which section 987 gain or loss is recognized (determined by taking into account §§ 1.987-5, 1.987-11(e), 1.987-12(c), and 1.987-13(b) through (d), if applicable), the section 987 gain or loss is sourced and characterized based on the initial assignment in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, but with appropriate changes to account for the application of provisions that apply to the section 987 gain or loss based on a net income computation such as the high-tax exception to passive category income in § 1.904-4(c), the high-tax exception to foreign base company income in § 1.954-1(d), and the high-tax exclusion to tested income in § 1.951A-2(c)(7). Thus, for example, if an election under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) is in effect for the taxable year, section 987 gain or loss initially assigned to a tentative tested income group will be reassigned to a tested income group (as defined in § 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(C)) or to the residual income group (as defined in § 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(D)), as applicable, depending on whether the item of income (as described in paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section) is subject to a high rate of tax (as determined under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(vi)). If no election is made under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) for a taxable year, all of the section 987 gain or loss that is recognized in the taxable year that was initially assigned to tentative tested income under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, is reassigned to the appropriate tested income group (as defined in § 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(C)).

(iii) Special rule for the application of the GILTI high-tax exclusion to section 987 gain or loss. Section 987 gain in a tentative tested income group that is recognized by a controlled foreign corporation in a taxable year comprises a single tentative gross tested income item (as if it were allocable to its own tested unit) within the meaning of § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(ii), and section 987 loss in a tentative tested income group that is recognized by a controlled foreign corporation in the taxable year is allocated and apportioned to the corresponding tentative gross tested income item for purposes of calculating the tentative tested income item within the meaning of § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(iii). Thus, for purposes of applying the high-tax exclusion in § 1.951A-2(c)(7), all of the section 987 gain and loss in a tentative tested income group that is recognized by the controlled foreign corporation in a taxable year is a single tentative tested income item.

(3) Allocation and apportionment of foreign income tax to section 987 items under section 861. For purposes of applying the definition of a corresponding U.S. item in § 1.861-20(b), an item of foreign gross income and an item of section 987 gain or loss are treated as arising from the same transaction or other realization event only if the requirements in both paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section are satisfied.

(i) The foreign gross income is an item of foreign currency gain or loss. The owner of the section 987 QBU, original deferral QBU owner, or original suspended loss QBU owner includes the foreign gross income under the laws of the foreign country in which it is a tax resident because under that foreign law it is required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss with respect to its interest in the section 987 QBU or with respect to a successor deferral QBU or successor suspended loss QBU.

(ii) The same event or events give rise to both the foreign gross income and the section 987 gain or loss. The remittance under § 1.987-5(c) that gave rise to the item of section 987 gain or loss comprises one or more of the events that gave rise to the item of foreign gross income described in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section.

(c) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this section. For purposes of the examples, except as otherwise indicated, assume that no section 987 elections are in effect.

(1) Example 1: Initial assignment and reassignment of section 987 gain or loss—(i) Facts. CFC is a controlled foreign corporation with the Swiss franc (Sf) as its functional currency. CFC is the owner of Business A, a section 987 QBU that has the euro as its functional currency. For year 1, CFC does not have an election described in § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) in effect but is subject to an election under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C) of this section. CFC recognizes section 987 gain of Sf10,000 under § 1.987-5. Business A has average total assets of Sf1,000,000 in year 1, which generate income (other than section 987 gain) as follows: Sf750,000 of assets that produce gross income in the statutory grouping for foreign source general category tested income under sections 904(d)(1)(A) and 951A; and Sf250,000 of assets that produce foreign source passive gross income in one of the groupings described in §§ 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(B)(2)(i) and 1.954-1(c)(1)(iii)(B) (subpart F income groups relating to passive foreign personal holding company income).

(ii) Analysis. Under paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A), (B), and (D) of this section, Sf7,500 (Sf750,000/Sf1,000,000 x Sf10,000) of the section 987 gain is initially assigned to the statutory grouping of foreign source general category tentative tested income. Because an election under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) is not in effect for the taxable year in which the section 987 gain is recognized, the section 987 gain is reassigned under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section to foreign source general category tested income. The remaining Sf2,500 (Sf250,000/Sf1,000,000 × Sf10,000) is characterized under paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B) of this section by reference to assets that give rise to foreign source passive gross income in one of the groupings described in § 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(B)(2)(i) (subpart F income groups relating to passive foreign personal holding company income) and is therefore generally treated under the election in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C) of this section as foreign source foreign currency gain of CFC attributable to section 988 transactions not directly related to the business needs of the controlled foreign corporation. All of the section 987 gain is treated as ordinary income under paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) Example 2: Effect of GILTI high-tax exclusion—(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(1) of this section (Example 1) except that CFC does have an election described in § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) in effect. Without regard to the section 987 gain or loss, CFC has two tentative gross tested income items: Sf100,000 of gross tentative tested income attributable to a CFC tested unit (the CFC item) and Sf5,000,000 of gross tentative tested income attributable to a Business A tested unit (the Business A item). CFC accrues Sf1,010,000 of current year taxes and has no other current year deductions. CFC is not required by its country of tax residence to include in foreign gross income foreign currency gain or loss with respect to its interest in a foreign QBU. For purposes of § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(iii)(A), Sf1,000,000 of current year tax is allocated and apportioned to the Business A item and Sf10,000 is allocated and apportioned to the CFC item. At all relevant times Sf1 = $1.

(ii) Analysis. As in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section (Example 1), Sf7,500 of section 987 gain is initially assigned to the statutory grouping of foreign source general category tentative tested income. Under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, the section 987 gain comprises a single tentative gross tested income item of the CFC (the section 987 item). Therefore, the CFC has three tentative gross tested income items: the section 987 item, the CFC item, and the Business A item. No tax is allocated and apportioned to the section 987 item. See paragraph (b)(3) of this section. Applying § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(vi), the effective tax rate of the section 987 item is 0% ($0/$7,500), the effective tax rate of the CFC item is 10% ($10,000/$100,000), and the effective tax rate of the Business A item is 20% ($1,000,000/$5,000,000). An election under § 1.951A-2(c)(7)(viii) is in effect; therefore, the section 987 gain is reassigned based on the application of § 1.951A-2(c)(7). Because the section 987 item was not subject to an effective tax rate of greater than 90 percent of the maximum rate of tax specified in section 11, it is reassigned under paragraph (b)(2) of this section to foreign source general category tested income. The remaining Sf2,500 of section 987 gain is foreign source foreign currency gain of CFC attributable to section 988 transactions not directly related to the business needs of the controlled foreign corporation for the reasons stated in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section (Example 1).

(3) Example 3: Section 987 gain or loss treated as attributable to section 988 transactions—(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(1) of this section (Example 1) except that CFC recognizes section 987 loss of Sf40,000, Sf5,000 of which is characterized under paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A) and (B) of this section by reference to assets that give rise to foreign source passive gross income in a separate subpart F income group for non-related party interest income of Business A and Sf5,000 of which is characterized by reference to assets that give rise to foreign source passive gross income in a separate subpart F income group for gains from certain property transactions of Business A not derived from the active conduct of a trade or business. CFC otherwise has Sf12,000 of net foreign currency gain determined under § 1.954-2(g) that is taken into account in determining the excess of foreign currency gain over foreign currency losses characterized as foreign personal holding company income under section 954(c)(1)(D).

(ii) Analysis. Under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C) of this section, the Sf10,000 total section 987 loss characterized by reference to assets that give rise to foreign source passive gross income in one of the groupings described in §§ 1.960-1(d)(2)(ii)(B)(2)(i) and 1.954-1(c)(1)(iii)(B) (subpart F income groups relating to passive foreign personal holding company income) is treated as foreign source foreign currency loss of CFC attributable to section 988 transactions. Accordingly, CFC will aggregate the Sf10,000 section 987 loss with the Sf12,000 net foreign currency gain and will have Sf2,000 of net foreign currency gain characterized as passive foreign personal holding company income under section 954(c)(1)(D).

(4) Example 4: Section 987 gain or loss assigned to passive foreign personal holding company income—(i) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (c)(3) of this section (Example 3) except that CFC is not subject to an election under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C) of this section.

(ii) Analysis. As the CFC is not subject to an election under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(C) of this section, Sf5,000 of section 987 loss is initially assigned to the statutory grouping for foreign source passive gross income in a separate subpart F income group for non-related party interest income of Business A, and Sf5,000 is initially assigned to the statutory grouping for foreign source passive gross income in a separate subpart F income group for gains from certain property transactions of Business A not derived from the active conduct of a trade or business. The Sf12,000 net foreign currency gain is foreign source passive gross income in a separate subpart F income group for foreign currency gain of CFC attributable to section 988 transactions of CFC. As a result, if the net income in a subpart F income group to which either section 987 loss is assigned is less than zero, that loss will not reduce any other category of subpart F income, including CFC's foreign currency gain from section 988 transactions, except by reason of the earnings and profit limitation in section 952(c)(1). See § 1.954-1(c)(1)(ii).