(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (h)(4) of § 1.101-4, the provisions of section 101 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and §§ 1.101-1, 1.101-2, 1.101-3, and 1.101-4 are applicable only with respect to amounts received by reason of the death of an insured or an employee occurring after August 16, 1954. In the case of such amounts, these sections are applicable even though the receipt of such amounts occurred in a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1954, to which the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 applies.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, for purposes of determining whether a transfer of an interest in a life insurance contract is a reportable policy sale or a payment of death benefits is a payment of reportable death benefits subject to the reporting requirements of section 6050Y and §§ 1.6050Y-1 through 1.6050Y-4, § 1.101-1(b) through (g) apply to reportable policy sales made after December 31, 2018, and to reportable death benefits paid after December 31, 2018. For any other purpose, including for purposes of determining the amount of the proceeds of life insurance contracts payable by reason of death excluded from gross income under section 101, § 1.101-1(b) through (g) apply to amounts paid by reason of the death of the insured under a life insurance contract, or interest therein, transferred after October 31, 2019. However, under section 7805(b)(7), a taxpayer may apply the rules set forth in § 1.101-1(b) through (g) of the final regulations, in their entirety, with respect to all amounts paid by reason of the death of the insured under a life insurance contract, or interest therein, transferred after December 31, 2017, and on or before October 31, 2019.