(a) General rule—(1) Application of the general rule. Section 672(f)(1) provides that subpart E of part I, subchapter J, chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code (the grantor trust rules) shall apply only to the extent such application results in an amount (if any) being currently taken into account (directly or through one or more entities) in computing the income of a citizen or resident of the United States or a domestic corporation. Accordingly, the grantor trust rules apply to the extent that any portion of the trust, upon application of the grantor trust rules without regard to section 672(f), is treated as owned by a United States citizen or resident or domestic corporation. The grantor trust rules do not apply to any portion of the trust to the extent that, upon application of the grantor trust rules without regard to section 672(f), that portion is treated as owned by a person other than a United States citizen or resident or domestic corporation, unless the person is described in § 1.672(f)-2(a) (relating to certain foreign corporations treated as domestic corporations), or one of the exceptions set forth in § 1.672(f)-3 is met, (relating to: trusts where the grantor can revest trust assets; trusts where the only amounts distributable are to the grantor or the grantor's spouse; and compensatory trusts). Section 672(f) applies to domestic and foreign trusts. Any portion of the trust that is not treated as owned by a grantor or another person is subject to the rules of subparts A through D (section 641 and following), part I, subchapter J, chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(2) Determination of portion based on application of the grantor trust rules. The determination of the portion of a trust treated as owned by the grantor or other person is to be made based on the terms of the trust and the application of the grantor trust rules and section 671 and the regulations thereunder.
(b) Example. The following example illustrates the rules of this section:
Example.(i) A, a nonresident alien, funds an irrevocable domestic trust, DT, for the benefit of his son, B, who is a United States citizen, with stock of Corporation X. A's brother, C, who also is a United States citizen, contributes stock of Corporation Y to the trust for the benefit of B. A has a reversionary interest within the meaning of section 673 in the X stock that would cause A to be treated as the owner of the X stock upon application of the grantor trust rules without regard to section 672(f). C has a reversionary interest within the meaning of section 673 in the Y stock that would cause C to be treated as the owner of the Y stock upon application of the grantor trust rules without regard to section 672(f). The trustee has discretion to accumulate or currently distribute income of DT to B.
(ii) Because A is a nonresident alien, application of the grantor trust rules without regard to section 672(f) would not result in the portion of the trust consisting of the X stock being treated as owned by a United States citizen or resident. None of the exceptions in § 1.672(f)-3 applies because A cannot revest the X stock in A, amounts may be distributed during A's lifetime to B, who is neither a grantor nor a spouse of a grantor, and the trust is not a compensatory trust. Therefore, pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section, A is not treated as an owner under subpart E of part I, subchapter J, chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code, of the portion of the trust consisting of the X stock. Any distributions from such portion of the trust are subject to the rules of subparts A through D (641 and following), part I, subchapter J, chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(iii) Because C is a United States citizen, paragraph (a)(1) of this section does not prevent C from being treated under section 673 as the owner of the portion of the trust consisting of the Y stock.
(c) Effective date. The rules of this section are applicable to taxable years of a trust beginning after August 10, 1999.
[T.D. 8831, 64 FR 43275, Aug. 10, 1999]