Title 26

SECTION 1.250(b)-3

1.250(b)-3 Foreign-derived deduction eligible income (FDDEI) transactions.

§ 1.250(b)-3 Foreign-derived deduction eligible income (FDDEI) transactions.

(a) Scope. This section provides rules related to the determination of whether a sale of property or provision of a service is a FDDEI transaction. Paragraph (b) of this section provides definitions related to the determination of whether a sale of property or provision of a service is a FDDEI transaction. Paragraph (c) of this section provides rules regarding a sale of property or provision of a service to a foreign government or an agency or instrumentality thereof. Paragraph (d) of this section provides a rule for characterizing a transaction with both sales and services elements. Paragraph (e) of this section provides a rule for determining whether a sale of property or provision of a service to a partnership is a FDDEI transaction. Paragraph (f) of this section provides rules for substantiating certain FDDEI transactions.

(b) Definitions. This paragraph (b) provides definitions that apply for purposes of this section and §§ 1.250(b)-4 through 1.250(b)-6.

(1) Digital content. The term digital content means a computer program or any other content in digital format. For example, digital content includes books in digital format, movies in digital format, and music in digital format. For purposes of this section, a computer program is a set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer or other electronic device in order to bring about a certain result, and includes any media, user manuals, documentation, data base, or similar item if the media, user manuals, documentation, data base, or other similar item is incidental to the operation of the computer program.

(2) End user. Except as modified by § 1.250(b)-4(d)(2)(ii), the term end user means the person that ultimately uses or consumes property or a person that acquires property in a foreign retail sale. A person that acquires property for resale or otherwise as an intermediary is not an end user.

(3) FDII filing date. The term FDII filing date means, with respect to a sale of property by a seller or provision of a service by a renderer, the date, including extensions, by which the seller or renderer is required to file an income tax return (or in the case of a seller or renderer that is a partnership, a return of partnership income) for the taxable year in which the gross income from the sale of property or provision of a service is included in the gross income of the seller or renderer.

(4) Finished goods. The term finished goods means general property that is acquired by an end user.

(5) Foreign person. The term foreign person means a person (as defined in section 7701(a)(1)) that is not a United States person and includes a foreign government or an international organization.

(6) Foreign related party. The term foreign related party means, with respect to a seller or renderer, any foreign person that is a related party of the seller or renderer.

(7) Foreign retail sale. The term foreign retail sale means a sale of general property to a recipient that acquires the general property at a physical retail location (such as a store or warehouse) outside the United States.

(8) Foreign unrelated party. The term foreign unrelated party means, with respect to a seller, a foreign person that is not a related party of the seller.

(9) Fungible mass of general property. The term fungible mass of general property means multiple units of property for sale with similar or identical characteristics for which the seller does not know the specific identity of the recipient or the end user for a particular unit.

(10) General property. The term general property means any property other than: Intangible property (as defined in paragraph (b)(11) of this section); a security (as defined in section 475(c)(2)); an interest in a partnership, trust, or estate; a commodity described in section 475(e)(2)(A) that is not a physical commodity; or a commodity described in section 475(e)(2)(B) through (D). A physical commodity described in section 475(e)(2)(A) is treated as general property, including if it is sold pursuant to a forward or option contract (including a contract described in section 475(e)(2)(C), but not a section 1256 contract as defined in section 1256(b) or other similar contract that is traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. regulated exchange and cleared by a central clearing organization in a manner similar to a section 1256 contract) that is physically settled by delivery of the commodity (provided that the taxpayer physically settled the contract pursuant to a consistent practice adopted for business purposes of determining whether to cash or physically settle such contracts under similar circumstances).

(11) Intangible property. The term intangible property has the meaning set forth in section 367(d)(4). For purposes of section 250, intangible property does not include a copyrighted article as defined in § 1.861-18(c)(3).

(12) International transportation property. The term international transportation property means aircraft, railroad rolling stock, vessel, motor vehicle, or similar property that provides a mode of transportation and is capable of traveling internationally.

(13) IP address. The term IP address means a device's internet Protocol address.

(14) Recipient. The term recipient means a person that purchases property or services from a seller or renderer.

(15) Renderer. The term renderer means a person that provides a service to a recipient.

(16) Sale. The term sale means any sale, lease, license, sublicense, exchange, or other disposition of property, and includes any transfer of property in which gain or income is recognized under section 367. In addition, the term sell (and any form of the word sell) means any transfer by sale.

(17) Seller. The term seller means a person that sells property to a recipient.

(18) United States. The term United States has the meaning set forth in section 7701(a)(9), as expanded by section 638(1) with respect to mines, oil and gas wells, and other natural deposits.

(19) United States person. The term United States person has the meaning set forth in section 7701(a)(30), except that the term does not include an individual that is a bona fide resident of a United States territory within the meaning of section 937(a).

(20) United States territory. The term United States territory means American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(c) Foreign military sales and services. If a sale of property or a provision of a service is made to the United States or an instrumentality thereof pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq. under which the United States or an instrumentality thereof purchases the property or service for resale or on-service to a foreign government or agency or instrumentality thereof, then the sale of property or provision of a service is treated as a FDDEI sale or FDDEI service without regard to § 1.250(b)-4 or § 1.250(b)-5.

(d) Transactions with multiple elements. A transaction is classified according to its overall predominant character for purposes of determining whether the transaction is a FDDEI sale under § 1.250(b)-4 or a FDDEI service under § 1.250(b)-5. For example, whether a transaction that includes both a sales component and a service component is subject to § 1.250(b)-4 or § 1.250(b)-5 is determined based on whether the overall predominant character, taking into account all relevant facts and circumstances, is a sale or service. In addition, whether a transaction that includes both a sale of general property and a sale of intangible property is subject to § 1.250(b)-4(d)(1) or § 1.250(b)-4(d)(2) is determined based on whether the overall predominant character, taking into account all relevant facts and circumstances, is a sale of general property or a sale of intangible property.

(e) Treatment of partnerships - (1) In general. For purposes of determining whether a sale of property to or by a partnership or a provision of a service to or by a partnership is a FDDEI transaction, a partnership is treated as a person. Accordingly, for example, a partnership may be a seller, renderer, recipient, or related party, including a foreign related party (as defined in paragraph (b)(6) of this section).

(2) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph (e).

(i) Example 1: Domestic partner sale to foreign partnership with a foreign branch - (A) Facts. DC, a domestic corporation, is a partner in PRS, a foreign partnership. DC and PRS are not related parties. PRS has a foreign branch within the meaning of § 1.904-4(f)(3)(iii). DC and PRS both use the calendar year as their taxable year. For the taxable year, DC recognizes $20x of gain on the sale of general property to PRS for a foreign use (as determined under § 1.250(b)-4(d)). During the same taxable year, PRS recognizes $20x of gain on the sale of other general property to a foreign person for a foreign use (as determined under § 1.250(b)-4(d)). PRS's income on the sale of the property is attributable to its foreign branch.

(B) Analysis. DC's sale of property to PRS, a foreign partnership, is a FDDEI sale because it is a sale to a foreign person for a foreign use. Therefore, DC's gain of $20x on the sale to PRS is included in DC's gross DEI and gross FDDEI. However, PRS's gain of $20x is not included in the gross DEI or gross FDDEI of PRS because the gain is foreign branch income within the meaning of § 1.250(b)-1(c)(11). Accordingly, none of PRS's gain on the sale of property is included in DC's gross DEI or gross FDDEI under § 1.250(b)-1(e)(1).

(ii) Example 2: Domestic partner sale to domestic partnership without a foreign branch - (A) Facts. The facts are the same as in paragraph (e)(2)(i)(A) of this section (the facts in Example 1), except PRS is a domestic partnership that does not have a foreign branch within the meaning of § 1.904-4(f)(3)(iii).

(B) Analysis. DC's sale of property to PRS, a domestic partnership, is not a FDDEI sale because the sale is to a United States person. Therefore, the gross income from DC's sale to PRS is included in DC's gross DEI but is not included in its gross FDDEI. However, PRS's sale of other general property is a FDDEI sale, and therefore the gain of $20x is included in the gross DEI and gross FDDEI of PRS. Accordingly, DC includes its distributive share of PRS's gain from the sale in determining DC's gross DEI and gross FDDEI for the taxable year under § 1.250(b)-1(e)(1).

(f) Substantiation for certain FDDEI transactions - (1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2) of this section, for purposes of § 1.250(b)-4(d)(1)(ii)(C) (foreign use for sale of general property for resale), § 1.250(b)-4(d)(1)(iii) (foreign use for sale of general property subject to manufacturing, assembly, or processing outside the United States), § 1.250(b)-4(d)(2) (foreign use for sale of intangible property), and § 1.250(b)-5(e) (general services provided to business recipients located outside the United States), a transaction is a FDDEI transaction only if the taxpayer substantiates its determination of foreign use (in the case of sales of property) or location outside the United States (in the case of general services provided to a business recipient) as described in the applicable paragraph of § 1.250(b)-4(d)(3) or § 1.250(b)-5(e)(4). The substantiating documents must be in existence as of the FDII filing date with respect to the FDDEI transaction, and a taxpayer must provide the required substantiating documents within 30 days of a request by the Commissioner or another period as agreed between the Commissioner and the taxpayer.

(2) Exception for small businesses. Paragraph (f)(1) of this section, and the specific substantiation requirements described in the applicable paragraph of § 1.250(b)-4(d)(3) or § 1.250(b)-5(e)(4), do not apply to a taxpayer if the taxpayer and all related parties of the taxpayer, in the aggregate, receive less than $25,000,000 in gross receipts during the taxable year prior to the FDDEI transaction. If the taxpayer's prior taxable year was less than 12 months (a short period), gross receipts are annualized by multiplying the gross receipts for the short period by 365 and dividing the result by the number of days in the short period.

(3) Treatment of certain loss transactions - (i) In general. If a domestic corporation fails to satisfy the substantiation requirements described in the applicable paragraph of § 1.250(b)-4(d)(3) or § 1.250(b)-5(e)(4) with respect to a transaction (including in connection with a related party transaction described in § 1.250(b)-6), the gross income from the transaction will be treated as gross FDDEI if -

(A) In the case of a sale of property, the seller knows or has reason to know that property is sold to a foreign person for a foreign use (within the meaning of § 1.250(b)-4(d)(1) or (2));

(B) In the case of the provision of a general service to a business recipient, the renderer knows or has reason to know that a service is provided to a business recipient located outside the United States; and

(C) Not treating the transaction as a FDDEI transaction would increase the amount of the corporation's FDDEI for the taxable year relative to its FDDEI that would be determined if the transaction were treated as a FDDEI transaction.

(ii) Reason to know - (A) Sales to a foreign person for a foreign use. For purposes of paragraph (f)(3)(i)(A) of this section, a seller has reason to know that a sale is to a foreign person for a foreign use if the information received as part of the sales process contains information that indicates that the recipient is a foreign person or that the sale is for a foreign use, and the seller fails to obtain evidence establishing that the recipient is not in fact a foreign person or that the sale is not in fact for a foreign use. Information that indicates that a recipient is a foreign person or that the sale is for a foreign use includes, but is not limited to, a foreign phone number, billing address, shipping address, or place of residence; and, with respect to an entity, evidence that the entity is incorporated, formed, or managed outside the United States.

(B) General services provided to a business recipient located outside the United States. For purposes of paragraph (f)(3)(i)(B) of this section, a renderer has reason to know that the provision of a general service is to a business recipient located outside the United States if the information received as part of the sales process contains information that indicates that the recipient is a business recipient located outside the United States and the seller fails to obtain evidence establishing that the recipient is not in fact a business recipient located outside the United States. Information that indicates that a recipient is a business recipient includes, but is not limited to, indicia of a business status (such as “LLC” or “Company,” or similar indicia under applicable domestic or foreign law, in the name) or statements by the recipient indicating that it is a business. Information that indicates that a business recipient is located outside the United States includes, but is not limited to, a foreign phone number, billing address, and evidence that the entity or business is incorporated, formed, or managed outside the United States.

(iii) Multiple transactions. If a seller or renderer engages in more than one transaction described in paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section in a taxable year, paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section applies by comparing the corporation's FDDEI if each such transaction were not treated as a FDDEI transaction to its FDDEI if each such transaction were treated as a FDDEI transaction.

(iv) Example. The following example illustrates the application of this paragraph (f)(3).

(A) Facts. During a taxable year, DC, a domestic corporation, manufactures products A and B in the United States. DC sells product A and product B to Y, a foreign person that is a distributor, for $200x and $800x, respectively. DC knows or has reason to know that all of its sales of product A and product B will ultimately be sold to end users located outside the United States. Y provides DC with a statement that satisfies the substantiation requirement of paragraph (f)(1) of this section and § 1.250(b)-4(d)(3)(ii) that establishes that its sales of product B are for a foreign use but does not obtain substantiation establishing that any sales of product A are for a foreign use. DC's cost of goods sold is $450x. For purposes of determining gross FDDEI, under § 1.250(b)-1(d)(1) DC attributes $250x of cost of goods sold to product A and $200x of cost of goods sold to product B, and then attributes the cost of goods sold for each product ratably between the gross receipts of such product sold to foreign persons and the gross receipts of such product not sold to foreign persons. The manner in which DC attributes the cost of goods sold is a reasonable method. DC has no other items of income, loss, or deduction.

(B) Analysis. By not treating the sales of product A as FDDEI sales, the amount of DC's FDDEI would increase by $50x relative to its FDDEI if the sales of product A were treated as FDDEI sales. Accordingly, because DC knows or has reason to know that its sales of product A are to foreign persons for a foreign use, the sales of product A constitute FDDEI sales under paragraph (f)(3) of this section, and thus the $50x loss from the sale of product A is included in DC's gross FDDEI.

[T.D. 9901, 85 FR 43080, July 15, 2020]

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