[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: 26CFR1.1291-10]

[Page 595-597]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.1291-10  Deemed sale election.

    (a) Deemed sale election. This section provides rules for making the 
election under section 1291(d)(2)(A) (deemed sale election). Under that 
section, a shareholder (as defined in Sec. 1.1291-9(j)(3)) of a PFIC 
that is an unpedigreed QEF may elect to recognize gain with respect to 
the stock of the unpedigreed QEF held on the qualification date (as 
defined in paragraph (e) of this section). If the shareholder makes the 
deemed sale election, the PFIC will become a pedigreed QEF with respect 
to the shareholder. A shareholder that makes the deemed sale election is 
treated as having sold, for its fair market value, the stock of the PFIC 
that the shareholder held on the qualification date. The gain recognized 
on the deemed sale is taxed under section 1291 as an excess distribution 
received on the qualification date. In the case of an election made by 
an indirect shareholder, the amount of gain to be recognized and taxed 
as an excess distribution is the amount of gain that the direct owner of 
the stock of the PFIC would have realized on an actual sale or other 
disposition of the stock of the PFIC indirectly owned by the 
shareholder. Any loss realized on the deemed sale is not recognized. For 
the definitions of PFIC, QEF, unpedigreed QEF, and pedigreed QEF, see 
Sec. 1.1291-9(j) (1) and (2).
    (b) Who may make the election. A shareholder of an unpedigreed QEF 
may make the deemed sale election provided the shareholder held stock of 
that PFIC on the qualification date. A shareholder is treated as holding 
stock of the PFIC on the qualification date if its holding period with 
respect to that stock under section 1223 includes the qualification 
date. A deemed sale election may be made by a shareholder

[[Page 596]]

that would realize a loss on the deemed sale.
    (c) Time for making the election. The shareholder makes the deemed 
sale election in the shareholder's return for the taxable year that 
includes the qualification date. If the shareholder and the PFIC have 
the same taxable year, the shareholder makes the deemed sale election in 
either the original return for the taxable year for which the 
shareholder makes the section 1295 election, or in an amended return for 
that year. If the shareholder and the PFIC have different taxable years, 
the deemed sale election must be made in an amended return for the 
taxable year that includes the qualification date. If the deemed sale 
election is made in an amended return, the amended return must be filed 
by a date that is within three years of the due date, as extended under 
section 6081, of the original return for the taxable year that includes 
the qualification date.
    (d) Manner of making the election. A shareholder makes the deemed 
sale election by filing Form 8621 with the return for the taxable year 
of the shareholder that includes the qualification date, reporting the 
gain as an excess distribution pursuant to section 1291(a), and paying 
the tax and interest due on the excess distribution. A shareholder that 
makes the deemed sale election after the due date of the return 
(determined without regard to extensions) for the taxable year that 
includes the qualification date must pay additional interest, pursuant 
to section 6601, on the amount of the underpayment of tax for that year. 
A shareholder that realizes a loss on the deemed sale reports the loss 
on Form 8621, but does not recognize the loss.
    (e) Qualification date--(1) In general. Except as otherwise provided 
in this paragraph (e), the qualification date is the first day of the 
PFIC's first taxable year as a QEF (first QEF year).
    (2) Elections made after March 31, 1995, and before January 27, 
1997--(i) In general. The qualification date for deemed sale elections 
made after March 31, 1995, and before January 27, 1997, is the first day 
of the shareholder's election year. The shareholder's election year is 
the taxable year of the shareholder for which it made the section 1295 
election.
    (ii) Exception. A shareholder who made the deemed sale election 
after May 1, 1992, and before January 27, 1997, may elect to change its 
qualification date to the first day of the first QEF year, provided the 
periods of limitations on assessment for the taxable year that includes 
that date and for the shareholder's election year have not expired. A 
shareholder changes the qualification date by filing amended returns, 
with revised Forms 8621, for the shareholder's election year and the 
shareholder's taxable year that includes the first day of the first QEF 
year, and making all appropriate adjustments and payments.
    (f) Adjustments to basis--(1) In general. A shareholder that makes 
the deemed sale election increases its adjusted basis of the PFIC stock 
owned directly by the amount of gain recognized on the deemed sale. If 
the shareholder makes the deemed sale election with respect to a PFIC of 
which it is an indirect shareholder, the shareholder's adjusted basis of 
the stock or other property owned directly by the shareholder, through 
which ownership of the PFIC is attributed to the shareholder, is 
increased by the amount of gain recognized by the shareholder. In 
addition, solely for purposes of determining the subsequent treatment 
under the Code and regulations of a shareholder of the stock of the 
PFIC, the adjusted basis of the direct owner of the stock of the PFIC is 
increased by the amount of gain recognized on the deemed sale. A 
shareholder shall not adjust the basis of any stock with respect to 
which the shareholder realized a loss on the deemed sale.
    (2) Adjustment of basis for section 1293 inclusion with respect to 
deemed sale election made after March 31, 1995, and before January 27, 
1997. For purposes of determining the amount of gain recognized with 
respect to a deemed sale election made after March 31, 1995, and before 
January 27, 1997, by a shareholder that treats the first day of the 
shareholder's election year as the qualification date, the adjusted 
basis of the stock deemed sold includes the shareholder's section 
1293(a) inclusion attributable to the period beginning with the first 
day of the PFIC's first QEF year and ending on the day before the 
qualification date.

[[Page 597]]

    (g) Treatment of holding period. For purposes of applying sections 
1291 through 1297 to the shareholder after the deemed sale, the 
shareholder's holding period of the stock of the PFIC begins on the 
qualification date, without regard to whether the shareholder recognized 
gain on the deemed sale. For other purposes of the Code and regulations, 
this holding period rule does not apply.
    (h) Election inapplicable to shareholder of former PFIC. A 
shareholder may not make the section 1295 and deemed sale elections if 
the foreign corporation is a former PFIC (as defined in Sec. 1.1291-
9(j)(2)(iv)) with respect to the shareholder. For the rules regarding 
the election by a shareholder of a former PFIC, see Sec. 1.1297-3T.
    (i) Effective date. The rules of this section are applicable as of 
April 1, 1995.

[T.D. 8701, 61 FR 68153, Dec. 27, 1996]