[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 11]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.1252-1]

[Page 481-484]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.1252-1  General rule for treatment of gain from disposition of 
farm land.

    (a) Ordinary income--(1) General rule. (i) Except as otherwise 
provided in this section and Sec. 1.1252-2, if farm land is disposed of 
during a taxable year beginning after December 31, 1969, then under 
section 1252(a)(1) there shall be treated as gain from the sale or 
exchange of property which is neither a capital asset nor property 
described in section 1231 (that is, shall be recognized as ordinary 
income) the lower of:
    (a) The applicable percentage of the amount computed in subdivision 
(ii) of this subparagraph, or
    (b) The amount computed in subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph.
    (ii) The amount computed in this subdivision is an amount equal to:
    (a) The aggregate of the deductions allowed, in any taxable year any 
day of which falls within the period the taxpayer held (or is considered 
to have held) the farm land, under sections 175 (relating to soil and 
water conservation expenditures) and 182 (relating to expenditures by 
farmers for clearing land) for expenditures paid or incurred after 
December 31, 1969, with respect to the farm land disposed of, minus

[[Page 482]]

    (b) The amount of gain recognized as ordinary income under section 
1251(c)(1) (relating to gain from disposition of property used in 
farming where farm losses offset nonfarm income) upon such disposition 
of such land.
    (iii) The amount computed in this subdivision is an amount equal to:
    (a) The gain realized, that is, the excess of the amount realized 
(in the case of a sale, exchange, or involuntary conversion) or the fair 
market value of the farm land (in the case of any other disposition), 
over the adjusted basis of the farm land, minus
    (b) The amount of gain recognized as ordinary income under section 
1251(c)(1) upon such disposition of such land.
    (iv) If a deduction under section 175 is allowed in respect of the 
farm land disposed of for a taxable year every day of which falls within 
the period after the taxpayer held (or is considered to have held) the 
farm land, and if the deduction is attributable to expenditures paid or 
incurred after December 31, 1969, with respect to such land during the 
period the taxpayer held (or is considered to have held) the land, then 
the amount of such deduction shall be applied to increase the amount 
computed (without regard to this subdivision) under subdivision (ii)(a) 
of this subparagraph.
    (2) Application of section. Any gain treated as ordinary income 
under section 1252(a)(1) shall be recognized as ordinary income 
notwithstanding any other provision of subtitle A of the Code. For 
special rules with respect to the application of section 1252, see Sec. 
1.1252-2. For the relation of section 1252 to other provisions see 
paragraph (d) of this section.
    (3) Meaning of terms. For purposes of section 1252:
    (i) The term farm land means any land with respect to which 
deductions have been allowed under section 175 or 182. See section 
1252(a)(2).
    (ii) The period for which farm land shall be considered to be held 
shall be determined under section 1223.
    (iii) The term disposition shall have the same meaning as in 
paragraph (a)(3) of Sec. 1.1245-1.
    (iv) The applicable percentage shall be determined as follows:

If the farm land is disposed of--           The applicable percentage
                                             is--
Within 5 years after the date it was         100 percent.
 acquired
Within the sixth year after it was           80 percent.
 acquired
Within the seventh year after it was         60 percent.
 acquired
Within the eighth year after it was          40 percent.
 acquired.
Within the ninth year after it was           20 percent.
 acquired.
Within the 10th year after it was acquired   0 percent.
 and thereafter.


    (4) Portion of parcel. The amount of gain to be recognized as 
ordinary income under section 1252(a)(1) shall be determined separately 
for each parcel of farm land in a manner consistent with the principles 
of subparagraphs (4) and (5) of Sec. 1.1245-1(a) (relating to gain from 
disposition of certain depreciable property). If (i) only a portion of a 
parcel of farm land is disposed of in a transaction, or if two or more 
portions of a single parcel are disposed of in one transaction, and (ii) 
the aggregate of the deductions allowed under sections 175 and 182 with 
respect to any such portion cannot be established to the satisfaction of 
the Commissioner or his delegate, then the aggregate of the deductions 
in respect of the entire parcel shall be allocated to each portion in 
proportion to the fair market value of each at the time of the 
disposition.
    (b) Instances of non-application--(1) In general. Section 1252 does 
not apply if a taxpayer disposes of farm land for which the holding 
period is in excess of 9 years or with respect to which no deductions 
have been allowed under sections 175 and 182.
    (2) Losses. Section 1252(a)(1) does not apply to losses. Thus, 
section 1252(a)(1) does not apply if a loss is realized upon a sale, 
exchange, or involuntary conversion of property, all of which is farm 
land, nor does the section apply to a disposition of such property other 
than by way of sale, exchange, or involuntary conversion if at the time 
of the disposition the fair market value of such property is not greater 
than its adjusted basis.
    (c) Treatment of partnerships and partners. [Reserved]
    (d) Relation of section 1252 to other provisions--(1) General. The 
provisions of section 1252 apply notwithstanding any other provisions of 
subtitle A of the

[[Page 483]]

Code. Thus, unless an exception or limitation under Sec. 1.1252-2 
applies, gain under section 1252(a)(1) is recognized notwithstanding any 
contrary nonrecognition provision or income characterizing provision. 
For example, since section 1252 overrides section 1231 (relating to 
property used in the trade or business), the gain recognized under 
section 1252(a)(1) upon a disposition of farm land will be treated as 
ordinary income and only the remaining gain, if any, from the 
disposition may be considered as gain from the sale or exchange of a 
capital asset if section 1231 is applicable. See example (1) of 
paragraph (e) of this section.
    (2) Nonrecognition sections overridden. The nonrecognition of gain 
provisions of subtitle A of the Code which section 1252 overrides 
include, but are not limited to, sections 267(d), 311(a), 336, 337, and 
512(b)(5). See Sec. 1.1252-2 for the extent to which section 1252(a)(1) 
overrides sections 332, 351, 361, 371(a), 374(a), 721, 731, 1031, and 
1033.
    (3) Installment method. Gain from a disposition to which section 
1252(a)(1) applies may be reported under the installment method if such 
method is otherwise available under section 453 of the Code. In such 
case, the income (other than interest) on each installment payment shall 
(i) first be deemed to consist of gain to which section 1251(c)(1) 
applies (if applicable) until all such gain has been reported, (ii) the 
next portion (if any) of such income shall be deemed to consist of gain 
to which section 1252(a)(1) applies until all such gain has been 
reported, and (iii) finally the remaining portion (if any) of such 
income shall be deemed to consist of gain to which neither section 
1251(c)(1) nor 1252(a)(1) applies. For treatment of amounts as interest 
on certain deferred payments, see section 483.
    (4) Exempt income. With regard to exempt income, the principles of 
paragraph (e) of Sec. 1.1245-6 shall be applicable.
    (5) Treatment of gain not recognized under section 1252(a)(1). For 
treatment of gain not recognized under this section, the principles of 
paragraph (f) of Sec. 1.1245-6 shall be applicable.
    (e) Examples. The provisions of this section may be illustrated by 
the following examples:

    Example 1. Individual A uses the calendar year as his taxable year. 
On April 10, 1975, he sells for $75,000 a parcel of farm land which he 
had acquired on January 5, 1970, with an adjusted basis of $52,500 for a 
realized gain of $22,500. The aggregate of the deductions allowed under 
sections 175 and 182 with respect to such land is $18,000 and all of 
such amount was allowed for 1970. Under the stated facts, none of the 
$22,500 gain realized is recognized as ordinary income under section 
1251(c)(1) as there is no potential gain (as defined in section 
1251(e)(5)) with respect to the farm land. Since no gain is recognized 
as ordinary income under section 1251(c)(1), and since the applicable 
percentage, 80 percent, of the aggregate of the deductions allowed under 
sections 175 and 182, $18,000, or $14,400, is lower than the gain 
realized, $22,500, the amount of gain recognized as ordinary income 
under section 1252(a)(1) is $14,400. The remaining $8,100 of the gain 
may be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of property described 
in section 1231.
    Example 2. Assume the same facts as in example (2) of paragraph 
(b)(6) of Sec. 1.1251-1. Assume further that the aggregate of the 
amount of sections 175 and 182 deductions allowable to the M corporation 
is equal to the amount allowed. Under paragraph (a)(1) of the section, 
$5,000 is recognized as ordinary income under section 1252(a)(1) upon 
the disposition of the land as a dividend, computed as follows:

(1) Aggregate of deductions allowed under sections 175 and       $18,000
 182.........................................................
(2) Minus: Gain recognized as ordinary income under section      $13,000
 1251(c)(1)..................................................
                                                              ----------
(3) Difference...............................................     $5,000
(4) Multiply: Applicable percentage for property disposed of        100%
 within the fifth year after it was acquired.................
                                                              ----------
(5) Amount in paragraph (a)(1)(i)(a) of this section.........     $5,000
                                                              ----------
(6) Gain realized (fair market value $67,500, less adjusted      $22,500
 basis, $45,000).............................................
(7) Minus: Amount in line (2)................................    $13,000
                                                              ----------
(8) Amount in paragraph (a)(1)(i)(b) of this section.........     $9,500
                                                              ==========
(9) Lower of line (5) or line (8)............................     $5,000
                                                              ==========



The gain realized, $22,500, minus the sum of the gain recognized as 
ordinary income under section 1251(c)(1), $13,000, and under section 
1252(a)(1), $5,000, equals $4,500. Assuming section 311(d) (relating to 
certain distributions of appreciated property to redeem stock) does not 
apply, under section 311(a) the corporation does not recognize gain on 
account of the $4,500.

[[Page 484]]

    Example 3. Assume the same facts as in example (2) of this 
paragraph, except that M contracted to sell the land for $67,500 which 
would be paid in 10 equal payments of $6,750 each, plus a sufficient 
amount of interest so that section 483 does not apply. Assume further 
that the remaining gain of $4,500 is treated as gain from the sale or 
exchange of property described in section 1231. M properly elects under 
section 453 to report under the installment method gain of $13,000 to 
which section 1251(c)(1) applies, gain of $5,000 to which section 
1252(a)(1) applies, and gain of $4,500 to which section 1231 applies. 
Since the total gain realized on the sale was $22,500, the gross profit 
realized on each installment payment is $2,250, i.e., $6,750x($67,500). 
Accordingly, the treatment of the income to be reported on each 
installment payment is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Applicable sections
              Payment No.               --------------------------------
                                            1251       1252       1231
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1......................................     $2,250  .........  .........
2......................................      2,250  .........  .........
3......................................      2,250  .........  .........
4......................................      2,250  .........  .........
5......................................      2,250  .........  .........
6......................................      1,750       $500  .........
7......................................  .........      2,250  .........
8......................................  .........      2,250  .........
9......................................  .........  .........     $2,250
10.....................................  .........  .........      2,250
                                        ------------
  Totals...............................     13,000      5,000      4,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[T.D. 7418, 41 FR 18831, May 7, 1976; 41 FR 23669, June 11, 1976]