(a) Scope. This section provides rules regarding the termination of a section 987 QBU. Paragraph (b) of this section provides general rules for determining when a termination occurs. Paragraph (c) of this section provides exceptions to the general termination rules for certain transactions described in section 381(a). Paragraph (d) of this section is reserved. Paragraph (e) of this section describes certain effects of terminations. Paragraph (f) of this section contains examples that illustrate the principles of this section.

(b) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a section 987 QBU terminates if the conditions described in any one of paragraphs (b)(1) through (6) of this section are satisfied.

(1) Trade or business ceases. A section 987 QBU ceases its trade or business. When a section 987 QBU ceases its trade or business is determined based on all the facts and circumstances, provided that an owner may continue to treat a section 987 QBU as a section 987 QBU for a reasonable period during the winding up of such trade or business, which period may in no event exceed two years from the date on which such QBU ceases its activities carried on for profit. See paragraph (f)(1) of this section (Example 1).

(2) Substantially all assets transferred. The section 987 QBU transfers substantially all (within the meaning of section 368(a)(1)(C)) of its assets to its owner. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(2), the amount of assets transferred from the section 987 QBU to its owner as a result of a transaction is reduced by the amount of assets transferred from the owner to the section 987 QBU pursuant to the same transaction. See paragraphs (f)(2), (6), and (7) of this section (Examples 2, 6, and 7).

(3) Owner no longer a CFC. A foreign corporation that is a controlled foreign corporation that is the owner of a section 987 QBU ceases to be a controlled foreign corporation as a result of a transaction or series of transactions after which persons that were related to the corporation within the meaning of section 267(b) immediately before the transaction or series of transactions collectively own sufficient interests in the corporation such that the corporation would continue to be considered a controlled foreign corporation if such persons were United States shareholders within the meaning of section 951(b). See paragraph (f)(3) of this section (Example 3).

(4) Owner ceases to exist. The owner of the section 987 QBU ceases to exist (including in connection with a transaction described in section 381(a)). See paragraph (f)(4) of this section (Example 4).

(5) Section 987 QBU ceases to be an eligible QBU with a functional currency different from its owner. The section 987 QBU ceases to be an eligible QBU that has a functional currency different from its owner. See § 1.985-5(d)(2) and (e)(4)(iii) (providing that a termination resulting from a change in functional currency occurs on the last day of the last taxable year ending before the year of change).

(6) Change in form of ownership. An individual or corporation that was the direct owner of a section 987 QBU ceases to be the direct owner of the section 987 QBU (for example, because the assets of the section 987 QBU are transferred to a partnership).

(c) Transactions described in section 381(a)—(1) Liquidations. Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, a termination does not occur when the owner (distributor) of a section 987 QBU ceases to exist in a liquidation described in section 332 pursuant to which it transfers the section 987 QBU to another corporation (distributee), except in the following cases:

(i) The distributor is a domestic corporation and the distributee is a foreign corporation.

(ii) The distributor is a foreign corporation and the distributee is a domestic corporation.

(iii) The distributor and the distributee are both foreign corporations and the functional currency of the distributee is the same as the functional currency of the distributor's section 987 QBU.

(2) Reorganizations. Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, a termination does not occur when the owner (transferor) of the section 987 QBU ceases to exist in a reorganization described in section 381(a)(2) pursuant to which it transfers the section 987 QBU to another corporation (acquiring corporation), except in the following cases:

(i) The transferor is a domestic corporation and the acquiring corporation is a foreign corporation.

(ii) The transferor is a foreign corporation and the acquiring corporation is a domestic corporation.

(iii) The transferor is a controlled foreign corporation immediately before the transfer, the acquiring corporation is a foreign corporation that is not a controlled foreign corporation immediately after the transfer, and the acquiring corporation was related to the transferor within the meaning of section 267(b) immediately before the transfer.

(iv) The transferor and the acquiring corporation are foreign corporations and the functional currency of the acquiring corporation is the same as the functional currency of the transferor's section 987 QBU.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Effect of terminations. A termination of a section 987 QBU as determined in this section is treated as a remittance of all the gross assets of the section 987 QBU to its owner immediately before the section 987 QBU terminates. Thus, except as otherwise provided in the section 987 regulations, a termination generally results in the recognition of any net unrecognized section 987 gain or loss of the section 987 QBU (unless it is treated as deferred section 987 gain or loss or suspended section 987 loss). See § 1.987-5(c)(3) (generally recognizing section 987 gain or loss on a termination) and §§ 1.987-11 through 1.987-13 (suspending section 987 gain or loss and deferring section 987 loss in certain instances).

(f) Examples. The following examples illustrate the principles of this section. Except as otherwise provided, U.S. Corp is a domestic corporation that has the U.S. dollar as its functional currency, and Business A is a section 987 QBU.

(1) Example 1: Cessation of operations—(i) Facts. U.S. Corp is the owner of Business A, a sales office of U.S. Corp in Country X. Business A ceases sales activities on December 31, year 1. During year 2, Business A sells all of the assets used in its sales activities and winds up its business, settling outstanding accounts.

(ii) Analysis. Business A's trade or business ceases on December 31, year 1. The cessation of Business A's trade or business causes a termination of the Business A section 987 QBU under paragraph (b)(1) of this section on December 31, year 1, unless U.S. Corp chooses to continue to treat Business A as a section 987 QBU until completion of the wind-up activities in year 2. If U.S. Corp chooses to continue to treat Business A as a section 987 QBU during the wind-up of Business A, the Business A section 987 QBU would terminate under paragraph (b)(1) of this section upon completion of the wind-up in year 2.

(2) Example 2: Transfer of a section 987 QBU to a member of a consolidated group—(i) Facts. U.S. Corp, the owner of Business A, transfers all the assets and liabilities of Business A to DS, a domestic corporation all of the stock of which is owned by U.S. Corp, in a transaction qualifying under section 351. U.S. Corp and DS are members of the same consolidated group.

(ii) Analysis. Pursuant to § 1.987-2(c)(2)(i) and (ii), as a result of the deemed exchange of the assets and liabilities of Business A for DS stock in a section 351 transaction, Business A is treated as transferring its assets and liabilities to U.S. Corp immediately before the transfer by U.S. Corp of the assets and liabilities to DS. Because a section 351 transaction is not a transaction described in section 381(a)(2), the transfer of all of the assets of Business A to U.S. Corp causes a termination of the Business A section 987 QBU under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(3) Example 3: Cessation of controlled foreign corporation status—(i) Facts. Foreign parent (FP) is a foreign corporation that owns all the stock of U.S. Corp, a domestic corporation. U.S. Corp owns all of the stock of FC, a controlled foreign corporation as defined in section 957. FC is the owner of Business A. U.S. Corp liquidates into FP. FC no longer constitutes a controlled foreign corporation after the liquidation.

(ii) Analysis. Because FC ceases to qualify as a controlled foreign corporation as a result of a transaction after which persons that were related to FC within the meaning of section 267(b) immediately before the transaction collectively own sufficient interests in FC such that FC would continue to be considered a controlled foreign corporation if such persons were United States shareholders within the meaning of section 951(b), the Business A section 987 QBU terminates pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(4) Example 4: Section 332 liquidation—(i) Facts. U.S. Corp owns all of the stock of FC, a foreign corporation. FC is the owner of Business A. Pursuant to a liquidation described in section 332, FC distributes all of its assets and liabilities to U.S. Corp.

(ii) Analysis. FC's liquidation causes a termination of the Business A section 987 QBU as provided in paragraph (b)(4) of this section because FC ceases to exist as a result of the liquidation. The exception for certain section 332 liquidations provided under paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply because U.S. Corp is a domestic corporation and FC is a foreign corporation. See paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section.

(5) [Reserved]

(6) Example 6: Deemed transfers to a CFC upon a check-the-box election—(i) Facts. In year 1, U.S. Corp forms an entity in a foreign country, Entity A. Entity A owns Business A, which has the pound as its functional currency. Entity A forms Entity B in another foreign country. Entity B owns Business B, a section 987 QBU that has the euro as its functional currency. At the time of formation, Entity A and Entity B elect to be DEs. In year 6, Entity A files an election on Form 8832 to be classified as a corporation under § 301.7701-3(g)(1)(iv) of this chapter and becomes a CFC (FC) owned directly by U.S. Corp. FC has the pound as its functional currency.

(ii) Analysis—(A) Under § 1.987-1(b)(5), U.S. Corp is the owner of Business A and Business B. In year 6, when Entity A elects to be classified as a corporation, U.S. Corp is deemed to contribute the assets and liabilities of Business A and Business B to FC under section 351 in exchange for FC stock. Pursuant to § 1.987-2(c)(2)(i) and (ii), as a result of the deemed exchange of the assets and liabilities of Business A and Business B for FC stock in a section 351 transaction, Business A and Business B are each treated as transferring their assets and liabilities to U.S. Corp immediately before U.S. Corp's transfer of such assets and liabilities to FC. The transfer of assets from Business A and Business B to U.S. Corp causes terminations of those section 987 QBUs under paragraph (b)(2) of this section. The assets and liabilities of Business A and Business B are now owned by FC, but because FC and Business A have the same functional currency, only Business B qualifies as a section 987 QBU to which section 987 applies.

(B) Terminations also would have occurred in year 6 if U.S. Corp had contributed Entity A and Entity B to an existing foreign corporation owned by U.S. Corp or to a newly created foreign corporation owned by U.S. Corp pursuant to a section 351 exchange because the transfer of all of the assets of Business A and Business B would cause terminations of those section 987 QBUs under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(7) Example 7: Sale of a section 987 QBU to a member of a consolidated group—(i) Facts. U.S. Corp, the owner of Business A, sells all of the assets and liabilities of Business A to DS, a domestic corporation, in exchange for cash. U.S. Corp and DS are members of the same consolidated group. The cash received on the sale is recorded on the books of U.S. Corp.

(ii) Analysis. Pursuant to § 1.987-2(c)(2)(i) and (ii), Business A is treated as transferring all of its assets and liabilities to U.S. Corp immediately before the sale by U.S. Corp to DS. As a result of this deemed transfer from Business A to U.S. Corp, the Business A section 987 QBU terminates under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.