[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.53-2]

[Page 440-442]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
     CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 1--INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.53-2  Carryback and carryover of unused credit.

    (a) Allowance of unused credit as a carryback or carryover--(1) In 
general. Section 53(b) (formerly designated as section 53(c) for taxable 
years beginning before 1979) provides for carrybacks and carryovers of 
unused targeted jobs credit (new jobs credit in the case of wages paid 
before 1979). An unused credit is the excess of the credit determined 
under section 51 for the taxable year over the limitation provided by 
Sec. 1.53-1 for such taxable year. Subject to the limitations contained 
in paragraph (b) of this section and paragraph (f) of Sec. 1.53-3, an 
unused credit shall be added to the amount allowable as a credit under 
section 44B for the years to which an unused credit can be carried. The 
year with respect to which an unused credit arises shall be referred to 
in this section as the ``unused credit year.''
    (2) Taxable years to which unused credit may be carried. An unused 
targeted jobs credit (new jobs credit in the case of wages paid before 
1979) shall be a new employee credit carryback to each of the 3 taxable 
years preceding the unused credit year and a new employee credit 
carryover to each of the 15 taxable years succeeding the unused credit

[[Page 441]]

year. An unused credit must be carried first to the earliest of the 
taxable years to which it may be carried, and then to each of the other 
taxable years (in order of time) to the extent that the unused credit 
may not be added (because of the limitation contained in paragraph (b) 
of this section) to the amount allowable as a credit under section 44B 
for a prior taxable year.
    (b) Limitations on allowance of unused credit--(1) In general. The 
amount of the unused targeted jobs credit (new jobs credit in the case 
of wages paid before 1979) from any particular unused credit year which 
may be added under section 53(b)(1) (section 53(c)(1) in the case of a 
new jobs credit) to the amount allowable as a credit under section 44B 
for any of the preceding or succeeding taxable years to which such 
credit may be carried shall not exceed the amount by which the 
limitation in Sec. 1.53-1 for such preceding or succeeding taxable year 
exceeds the sum of (i) the credit allowable under section 44B for such 
preceding or succeeding taxable year, and (ii) other unused credits 
carried to such preceding or succeeding taxable year which are 
attributable to unused credit years prior to the particular unused 
credit year. Thus, in determining the amount, if any, of an unused 
credit from a particular unused credit year which shall be added to the 
amount allowable as a credit for any preceding or succeeding taxable 
year, the credit earned for such preceding or succeeding taxable year, 
plus any unused credits originating in taxable years prior to the 
particular unused credit year, shall first be applied against the 
limitation based on amount of tax for such preceding or succeeding 
taxable year. To the extent the limitation based on amount of tax for 
the preceding or succeeding year exceeds the sum of the credit earned 
for such year and other unused credits attributable to years prior to 
the particular unused credit year, the unused credit from the particular 
unused credit year shall be added to the amount allowable as a credit 
under section 44B for such preceding or succeeding year. If any portion 
of the unused credit is a carryback to a taxable year beginning before 
January 1, 1977, section 44B shall be deemed to have been in effect for 
such taxable year for purposes of allowing such carryback as a credit 
under section 44B. To the extent that an unused credit cannot be added 
for a particular preceding or succeeding taxable year because of the 
limitation contained in this paragraph, such unused credit shall be 
available as a carryback or carryover to the next succeeding taxable 
year to which it may be carried.
    (2) Special rules for an electing small business corporation. An 
unused targeted jobs credit (new jobs credit in the case of wages paid 
before 1979) under section 44B of a corporation which arises in an 
unused credit year for which the corporation is not an electing small 
business corporation (as defined in section 1371(b)) and which is a 
carryback or carryover to a taxable year for which the corporation is an 
electing small business corporation shall not be added to the amount 
allowable as a credit under section 44B to the shareholders of such 
corporation for any taxable year. However, a taxable year for which the 
corporation is an electing small business corporation shall be counted 
as a taxable year for purposes of determining the taxable years to which 
such unused credit may be carried.
    (3) Corporate acquisitions. For the carryover of unused credits 
under section 44B in the case of certain corporate acquisitions, see 
section 381(c)(26) and Sec. 1.381(c)(26)-1.
    (4) Examples. This paragraph may be illustrated by the following 
examples.

    Example 1. In 1978, A, a calendar year taxpayer, had an unused new 
jobs credit of $2,000. In 1979, A has a targeted jobs credit of $2,000 
and a tax liability imposed by chapter 1 of the Code of $4,000 after all 
credits listed in section 53(a) have been taken into account. The amount 
of A's targeted jobs credit allowable under section 44B for 1979 is 90 
percent of A's tax liability. The amount of the new jobs credit that may 
be carried to 1979 is limited to $1,600 ($3,600 [90% of $4,000]-$2,000).
    Example 2. In 1979, B, a calendar year taxpayer, has a tax liability 
imposed by chapter 1 of the Code of $10,000 after all credits listed in 
section 53(a) have been taken. B's targeted jobs credit for that taxable 
year is limited to 90 percent of his income tax liability or $9,000. B 
had a $15,000 targeted jobs credit in 1979 resulting in an unused 
targeted jobs credit of $5,000 for that year. In 1976 and 1977 B had tax 
liabilities imposed by chapter 1 of

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the Code of $3,000 and $4,000 respectively after all credits listed in 
section 53(a) had been taken. For purposes of carrying back an unused 
targeted jobs credit to a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1977, 
section 44B as amended by the Revenue Act of 1978 is deemed to have been 
in effect for such taxable year. Accordingly, the applicable tax 
liability limitation for 1976 would be governed by section 53(a) (as 
amended by the Revenue Act of 1978) which limits the amount of targeted 
jobs credit allowed to 90 percent of the tax imposed by chapter 1 of the 
Code after all credits listed in section 53(a) have been taken. B may 
carry back $2,700 (90% of $3,000) of the 1979 unused targeted jobs 
credit to 1976. B may carry back $4,000 of the unused targeted jobs 
credit to 1977 because section 53(a) as it applied to the 1977 taxable 
year limited the amount of the credit to 100 percent of the taxpayer's 
tax liability imposed by chapter 1 of the Code after all credits listed 
in section 53(a) had been taken.

(Secs. 44B, 381, and 7805 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (92 Stat. 
2834, 26 U.S.C. 44B); 91 Stat. 148, 26 U.S.C. 381(c)(26); 68A Stat. 917, 
26 U.S.C. 7805)

[T.D. 7921, 48 FR 52906, Nov. 23, 1983]