(a) Introduction—(1) Scope. This section prescribes temporary question and answer regulations under section 267(a) and related provisions as amended by section 174 of the Tax Reform Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-369.

(2) Effective date. Except as otherwise provided by Answer 2 or Answer 3 in paragraph (c) of this section, the effective date set forth in section 174(c) of the Tax Reform Act of 1984 applies to this section.

(b) Questions applying section 267(a)(2) and (b) generally. The following questions and answers deal with the application of section 267(a)(2) and (b) generally:

Question 1: Does section 267(a)(2) ever apply to defer the deduction of an otherwise deductible amount if the person to whom the payment is to be made properly uses the completed contract method of accounting with respect to such amount?

Answer 1: No. Section 267(a)(2) applies only if an otherwise deductible amount is owed to a related person under whose method of accounting such amount is not includible in income unless paid to such person. Regardless of when payment is made, an amount owed to a contractor using the completed contract method of accounting is includible in the income of the contractor in accordance with § 1.451-3(d) in the year in which the contract is completed or in which certain disputes are resolved.

Question 2: Does section 267(a)(2) ever apply to defer the deduction of otherwise deductible original issue discount as defined in sections 163(e) and 1271 through 1275 (“the OID rules”)?

Answer 2. No. Regardless of when payment is made, an amount owed to a lender that constitutes original issue discount is included in the income of the lender periodically in accordance with the OID rules. Similarly, section 267(a)(2) does not apply to defer an otherwise deductible amount to the extent section 467 or section 7872 requires periodic inclusion of such amount in the income of the person to whom payment is to be made, even though payment has not been made.

Question 3: Does section 267(a)(2) ever apply to defer the deduction of otherwise deductible unstated interest determined to exist under section 483?

Answer 3: Yes. If section 483 recharacterizes any amount as unstated interest and the other requirements of section 267(a)(2) are met, a deduction for such unstated interest will be deferred under section 267.

Question 4: Does section 267(a)(2) ever apply to defer the deduction of otherwise deductible cost recovery, depreciation, or amortization?

Answer 4: Yes, in certain cases. In general, section 267(a)(2) does not apply to defer the deduction of otherwise deductible cost recovery, depreciation, or amortization. Notwithstanding this general rule, if the other requirements of section 267(a)(2) are met, section 267(a)(2) does apply to defer deductions for cost recovery, depreciation, or amortization of an amount owed to a related person for interest or rent or for the performance or nonperformance of services, which amount the taxpayer payor capitalized or treated as a deferred expense (unless the taxpayer payor elected to capitalize or defer the amount and section 267(a)(2) would not have deferred the deduction of such amount if the taxpayer payor had not so elected). Amounts owed for services that may be subject to this provision include, for example, amounts owed for acquisition, development, or organizational services or for covenants not to compete. In applying this rule, payments made between persons described in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (as modified by section 267(e)) will be closely scrutinized to determine whether they are made in respect of capitalized costs (or costs treated as deferred expenses) that are subject to deferral under section 267(a)(2), or in respect of other capitalized costs not so subject.

Question 5: If a deduction in respect of an otherwise deductible amount is deferred by section 267(a)(2) and, prior to the time the amount is includible in the gross income of the person to whom payment is to be made, such person and the payor taxpayer cease to be persons specified in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (as modified by section 267(e)), is the deduction allowable as of the day on which the relationship ceases?

Answer 5: No. The deduction is not allowable until the day as of which the amount is includible in the gross income of the person to whom payment of the amount is made, even though the relationship ceases to exist at an earlier time.

Question 6: Do references in other sections to persons described in section 267(b) incorporate changes made to section 267(b) by section 174 of the Tax Reform Act of 1984?

Answer 6: Yes. References in other sections to persons described in section 267(b) take into account changes made to section 267(b) by section 174 of the Tax Reform Act of 1984 (without modification by section 267(e)(1)). For example, a transfer after December 31, 1983 (the effective date of the new section 267(b)(3) relationship added by the Tax Reform Act of 1984) of section 1245 class property placed in service before January 1, 1981, from one corporation to another corporation, 11 percent of the stock of which is owned by the first corporation, will not constitute recovery property (as defined in section 168) in the hands of the second corporation by reason of section 168(e)(4) (A)(i) and (D).

(c) Questions applying section 267(a) to partnerships. The following questions and answers deal with the application of section 267(a) to partnerships:

Question 1: Does section 267(a) disallow losses and defer otherwise deductible amounts at the partnership (entity) level?

Answer 1: Yes. If a loss realized by a partnership from a sale or exchange of property is disallowed under section 267(a)(1), that loss shall not enter into the computation of the partnership's taxable income. If an amount that otherwise would be deductible by a partnership is deferred by section 267(a)(2), that amount shall not enter into the computation of the partnership's taxable income until the taxable year of the partnership in which falls the day on which the amount is includible in the gross income of the person to whom payment of the amount is made.

Question 2: Does section 267(a)(1) ever apply to disallow a loss if the sale or exchange giving rise to the loss is between two partnerships even though the two partnerships are not persons specified in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b)?

Answer 2: Yes. If the other requirements of section 267(a)(1) are met, section 267(a)(1) applies to such losses arising as a result of transactions entered into after December 31, 1984 between partnerships not described in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) as follows, and § 1.267(b)-1(b) does not apply. If the two partnerships have one or more common partners (i.e., if any person owns directly, indirectly, or constructively any capital or profits interest in each of such partnerships), or if any partner in either partnership and one or more partners in the other partnership are persons specified in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (without modification by section 267(e)), a portion of the selling partnership's loss will be disallowed under section 267(a)(1). The amount disallowed under this rule is the greater of: (1) The amount that would be disallowed if the transaction giving rise to the loss had occurred between the selling partnership and the separate partners of the purchasing partnership (in proportion to their respective interests in the purchasing partnership); or (2) the amount that would be disallowed if such transaction had occurred between the separate partners of the selling partnership (in proportion to their respective interests in the selling partnership) and the purchasing partnership. Notwithstanding the general rule of this paragraph (c) Answer 2, no disallowance shall occur if the amount that would be disallowed pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence is less than 5 percent of the loss arising from the sale or exchange.

Question 3: Does section 267(a)(2) ever apply to defer an otherwise deductible amount if the taxpayer payor is a partnership and the person to whom payment of such amount is to be made is a partnership even though the two partnerships are not persons specified in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (as modified by section 267(e))?

Answer 3: Yes. If the other requirements of section 267(a)(2) are met, section 267(a)(2) applies to such amounts arising as a result of transactions entered into after December 31, 1984 between partnerships not described in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (as modified by section 267(e)) as follows, and § 1.267(b)-1(b) does not apply. If the two partnerships have one or more common partners (i.e., if any person owns directly, indirectly, or constructively any capital or profits interest in each of such partnerships), or if any partner in either partnership and one or more partners in the other partnership are persons specified in any of the paragraphs of section 267(b) (without modification by section 267(e)), a portion of the payor partnership's otherwise allowable deduction will be deferred under section 267(a)(2). The amount deferred under this rule is the greater of: (1) The amount that would be deferred if the transaction giving rise to the otherwise allowable deduction had occurred between the payor partnership and the separate partners of the payee partnership (in proportion to their respective interests in the payee partnership); or (2) the amount that would be deferred if such transaction had occurred between the separate partners of the payor partnership (in proportion to their respective interests in the payor partnership) and the payee partnership. Notwithstanding the general rule of this paragraph (c) Answer 3, no deferral shall occur if the amount that would be deferred pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence is less than 5 percent of the otherwise allowable deduction.

Question 4: What does the phrase incurred at an annual rate not in excess of 12 percent mean as used in section 267(e)(5)(C)(ii)?

Answer 4: The phrase refers to interest that accrues but is not includible in the income of the person to whom payment is to be made during the taxable year of the payor. Thus, in determining whether the requirements of section 267(e)(5) (providing an exception to certain provisions of section 267 for certain expenses and interest of partnerships owning low income housing) are met with respect to a transaction, the requirement of section 267(e)(5)(C)(ii) will be satisfied, even though the total interest (both stated and unstated) paid or accrued in any taxable year of the payor taxpayer exceeds 12 percent, if the interest in excess of 12 percent per annum, compounded semi-annually, on the outstanding loan balance (principal and accrued but unpaid interest) is includible in the income of the person to whom payment is to be made no later than the last day of such taxable year of the payor taxpayer.