(a) Treatment of unrealized gain or loss that arose before a position becomes part of an identified mixed straddle. Except as otherwise provided, if one or more positions of a straddle that is an identified mixed straddle described in section 1092(b)(2)(A)(i)(I) (identified mixed straddle) were held by the taxpayer on the day prior to the day the identified mixed straddle is established, any unrealized gain or loss on the day prior to the day the identified mixed straddle is established with respect to such position or positions is taken into account at the time, and has the character, provided by the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that would apply to the gain or loss if the identified mixed straddle were not established. Thus, if a non-section 1256 capital asset was held for the long-term capital gain holding period before the identified mixed straddle was established, any unrealized gain or loss on that asset on the day prior to the day the identified mixed straddle was established will be long-term capital gain or loss when that asset is sold or otherwise disposed of in a taxable transaction. Unrealized gain or loss on a section 1256 contract that accrued prior to the day the contract became part of an identified mixed straddle will be recognized no later than the last business day of the taxpayer's taxable year. For each position, unrealized gain or loss is the difference between the fair market value of the position at the close of the day before the day the identified mixed straddle is established and the taxpayer's basis in that position. See § 1.1092(b)-2T and paragraph (b) of this section for the treatment of holding periods with respect to such positions. Changes in value of the position or positions that occur on or after the identified mixed straddle is established are accounted for under the provisions of § 1.1092(b)-3T (other than § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(6)). The definitions in § 1.1092(b)-5T apply for purposes of this section.
(b) Holding period after a position becomes part of an identified mixed straddle. Section 1.1092(b)-2T(a)(1) applies to any position that becomes part of an identified mixed straddle, and the long-term or short-term character of any gain or loss on that position that arises on or after the day the position has become a position in an identified mixed straddle will be determined by beginning the taxpayer's holding period on the day after the identified mixed straddle ceases to exist.
(c) Application of the loss deferral rules of section 1092(a). When applying section 1092(a) and § 1.1092(b)-3T(b) (other than § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(6)) to any loss that arises while a position is part of an identified mixed straddle, the amount of unrecognized gain includes both unrecognized gains described in paragraph (a) of this section that accrued prior to the day the identified mixed straddle is established and unrecognized gains that arise on or after the day the identified mixed straddle identification was made for the position.
(d) Examples. The rules of this section may be illustrated by the following examples. It is assumed in each example that the positions described are the only positions held directly or indirectly (through a related person or flowthrough entity) by an individual calendar year taxpayer during the taxable year, and no successor positions are acquired or entered into. It is also assumed that gain or loss recognized on any position in the straddle would be capital gain or loss. The following examples assume that the identified mixed straddle is established after the applicability date of this section.
Example 1.(i) Facts. On January 13, Year 1, A enters into a section 1256 contract. As of the close of the day on January 15, Year 1, there is $500 of unrealized loss on the section 1256 contract. On January 16, Year 1, A enters into an offsetting non-section 1256 position and makes a valid election to treat the straddle as an identified mixed straddle. A continues to hold both positions of the identified mixed straddle on January 1, Year 2, and there are no further changes to the value of either position in Year 1.
(ii) Analysis. On the last business day of Year 1, A recognizes the $500 loss on the section 1256 contract that accrued prior to establishing the identified mixed straddle because the section 1256 contract is treated as sold on December 31, Year 1 (the last business day of the taxable year) under section 1256(a). The loss recognized in Year 1 will be treated as 60% long-term capital loss and 40% short-term capital loss. All gains and losses that arise on or after the identified mixed straddle is established are accounted for under the rules of §§ 1.1092(b)-2T (and paragraph (b) of this section), 1.1092(b)-3T(b) (other than § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(6)), and paragraph (c) of this section.
Example 2.(i) Facts. On December 3, Year 1, A purchases a non-section 1256 position for $100. As of the close of the day on January 22, Year 2, the non-section 1256 position has a fair market value of $500. On January 23, Year 2, A enters into an offsetting section 1256 contract and makes a valid election to treat the straddle as an identified mixed straddle. On February 10, Year 2, A closes out the section 1256 contract at a $500 loss and disposes of the non-section 1256 position for $975.
(ii) Analysis of pre-straddle gain. A has $400 of unrealized short-term capital gain attributable to the non-section 1256 position prior to the day the identified mixed straddle was established. This $400 gain is recognized on February 10, Year 2, when the non-section 1256 position is disposed of. Under paragraph (a) of this section, the gain is short-term capital gain because that would have been the character of the gain if the non-section 1256 position had been disposed of on the day prior to establishing the identified mixed straddle.
(iii) Analysis of straddle gain and loss. On February 10, Year 2, the gain of $475 ($975 proceeds minus $500 fair market value on the day prior to entering into the identified mixed straddle) on the non-section 1256 position attributable to the identified mixed straddle period is offset by the $500 loss on the section 1256 contract. The net loss of $25 from the identified mixed straddle is recognized and treated as 60% long-term capital loss and 40% short-term capital loss because it is attributable to the section 1256 contract. See § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(4).
Example 3.(i) Facts. On January 3, Year 1, A purchases 100 shares of Index Fund for $1,000 ($10 per share). The Index Fund shares are actively traded personal property and are not section 1256 contracts. As of the close of the day on June 24, Year 2, the fair market value of 100 shares of Index Fund is $1,200. On June 25, Year 2, A enters into a short regulated futures contract (Futures Contract) referenced to the same index referenced by Index Fund. Futures Contract is a section 1256 contract and A makes a valid election to treat the shares of Index Fund and Futures Contract as an identified mixed straddle. On December 31, Year 2, the fair market value of A's shares of Index Fund is $1,520 and Futures Contract has lost $300. On January 10, Year 3, A closes out Futures Contract at a loss of $400 when the fair market value of 100 shares of Index Fund is $1,590. On November 20, Year 3, A disposes of all 100 shares of Index Fund for $1,600.
(ii) Year 2 analysis. On June 24, Year 2, A has held the Index Fund shares for longer than the long-term holding period, and the $200 of unrecognized gain on the Index Fund shares as of June 24, Year 2, will be characterized as long-term gain under paragraph (a) of this section when the gain is recognized. On December 31, Year 2, Futures Contract is marked to market under section 1256(a)(1). Under paragraph (a) of this section and § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(4), the loss on Futures Contract of $300 is netted with the $320 unrecognized gain on the Index Fund shares that arose while the identified mixed straddle was in place. Because this unrecognized gain is greater than the deemed realized section 1256 loss, the loss on Futures Contract is treated as a short-term capital loss. The loss, however, will be disallowed in Year 2 under paragraph (c) of this section and the loss deferral rules of section 1092(a) because the unrecognized gain in the Index Fund shares that arose while the identified mixed straddle was in place exceeds the deemed realized loss. Even if this gain were only $250 on December 31, Year 2, the deemed realized loss on Futures Contract would be disallowed because there is $200 of unrecognized gain in the Index Fund shares from the time A held the shares prior to establishing the identified mixed straddle.
(iii) Year 3 analysis. When A closes out the Futures Contract on January 10, Year 3, the entire amount of the section 1256 $300 loss that was disallowed on December 31, Year 2, continues to be deferred under paragraph (c) of this section. On November 20, Year 3, A recognizes $200 long-term capital gain from the pre-identified mixed straddle period, and $400 short-term capital gain, $390 of which arose during the identified mixed straddle period and $10 of which arose after the identified mixed straddle was closed. See § 1.1092(b)-2T(a)(1) and paragraph (b) of this section. In Year 3, A recognizes the $300 short-term capital loss from Futures Contract disallowed in Year 2 and the $100 loss accrued on Futures Contract in Year 3 because A no longer holds any positions that were part of an identified mixed straddle.
Example 4.(i) Facts. On March 1, Year 1, A purchases a 10-year U.S. Treasury Note (Note) at original issue for $100, which is the stated redemption price at maturity of Note. As of the close of the day on March 1, Year 3, Note has a fair market value of $105. On March 2, Year 3, A enters into a regulated futures contract (Futures Contract) that provides A with a short position in U.S. Treasury Notes and A makes a valid election to treat Note and Futures Contract as an identified mixed straddle. A closes her position in Futures Contract on April 15, Year 3, at a $2 loss. On April 15, Year 3, Note has a fair market value of $108. On December 31, Year 3, Note has a fair market value of $106. A holds Note until it matures on February 28, Year 10.
(ii) Year 3 analysis. A has $5 of unrealized gain attributable to Note prior to the day the identified mixed straddle was established. Because A acquired a long-term holding period in Note by March 1, Year 3, the $5 of gain will be characterized as long-term capital gain under paragraph (a) of this section when it is recognized. Under § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(4), when A closes out Futures Contract on April 15, Year 3, the loss of $2 on Futures Contract is netted with the gain of $3 on Note that arose while the identified mixed straddle was in place. Because this gain on Note exceeds the realized loss on Futures Contract, the loss on Futures Contract is disallowed in Year 3 under paragraph (c) of this section. Further, under paragraph (c) of this section and section 1092(a)(1), on December 31, Year 3, the disallowed loss of $2 on Futures Contract cannot be recognized because it is less than the total unrecognized gain of $6 on Note on December 31, Year 3.
(iii) Year 10 analysis. When Note matures in Year 10, the $5 of unrecognized long-term capital gain that arose prior to the identified mixed straddle is recognized. Because A receives $100 upon the maturity of Note, A also recognizes a $5 long-term capital loss on Note, for a net gain of $0 (zero). In addition, the termination of all positions in the identified mixed straddle releases the $2 loss disallowed in Year 3 on Futures Contract. The loss on Futures Contract is treated as short-term capital loss in Year 10 under § 1.1092(b)-3T(b)(4).
(e) Effective/applicability date. The rules of this section apply to all section 1092(b)(2) identified mixed straddles established after August 18, 2014.
[T.D. 9678, 79 FR 41888, July 18, 2014]