[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 6]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.465-27]

[Page 284-286]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.465-27  Qualified nonrecourse financing.

    (a) In general. Notwithstanding any provision of section 465(b) or 
the regulations under section 465(b), for an activity of holding real 
property, a taxpayer is considered at risk for the taxpayer's share of 
any qualified nonrecourse financing which is secured by real property 
used in such activity.
    (b) Qualified nonrecourse financing secured by real property--(1) In 
general. For purposes of section 465(b)(6) and this section, the term 
qualified nonrecourse financing means any financing--
    (i) Which is borrowed by the taxpayer with respect to the activity 
of holding real property;
    (ii) Which is borrowed by the taxpayer from a qualified person or 
represents a loan from any federal, state, or local government or 
instrumentality thereof, or is guaranteed by any federal, state, or 
local government;
    (iii) For which no person is personally liable for repayment, taking 
into account paragraphs (b)(3), (4), and (5) of this section; and
    (iv) Which is not convertible debt.
    (2) Security for qualified nonrecourse financing--(i) Types of 
property. For a taxpayer to be considered at risk under section 
465(b)(6), qualified nonrecourse financing must be secured only by real 
property used in the activity of holding real property. For this 
purpose, however, property that is incidental to the activity of holding 
real property will be disregarded. In addition, for this purpose, 
property that is neither real property used in the activity of holding 
real property nor incidental property will be disregarded if the 
aggregate gross fair market value of such property is less than 10 
percent of the aggregate gross fair market value of all the property 
securing the financing.
    (ii) Look-through rule for partnerships. For purposes of paragraph 
(b)(2)(i) of this section, a borrower shall be treated as owning 
directly its proportional share of the assets in a partnership in which 
the borrower owns (directly or indirectly through a chain of 
partnerships) an equity interest.
    (3) Personal liability; partial liability. If one or more persons 
are personally liable for repayment of a portion of a financing, the 
portion of the financing for which no person is personally liable may 
qualify as qualified nonrecourse financing.
    (4) Partnership liability. For purposes of section 465(b)(6) and 
this paragraph (b), the personal liability of any partnership for 
repayment of a financing is disregarded and, provided the requirements 
contained in paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section are 
satisfied, the financing will be treated as qualified nonrecourse 
financing secured by real property if--
    (i) The only persons personally liable to repay the financing are 
partnerships;
    (ii) Each partnership with personal liability holds only property 
described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section (applying the 
principles of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section in determining the 
property held by each partnership); and
    (iii) In exercising its remedies to collect on the financing in a 
default or default-like situation, the lender may proceed only against 
property that is described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section and 
that is held by the partnership or partnerships (applying the principles 
of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section in determining the property held 
by the partnership or partnerships).
    (5) Disregarded entities. Principles similar to those described in 
paragraph (b)(4) of this section shall apply in determining whether a 
financing of an entity that is disregarded for federal tax purposes 
under Sec. 301.7701-3 of this

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chapter is treated as qualified nonrecourse financing secured by real 
property.
    (6) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this 
section:

    Example 1. Personal liability of a partnership; incidental property. 
(i) X is a limited liability company that is classified as a partnership 
for federal tax purposes. X engages only in the activity of holding real 
property. In addition to real property used in the activity of holding 
real property, X owns office equipment, a truck, and maintenance 
equipment that it uses to support the activity of holding real property. 
X borrows $500 to use in the activity. X is personally liable on the 
financing, but no member of X and no other person is liable for 
repayment of the financing under local law. The lender may proceed 
against all of X's assets if X defaults on the financing.
    (ii) Under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, the personal 
property is disregarded as incidental property used in the activity of 
holding real property. Under paragraph (b)(4) of this section, the 
personal liability of X for repayment of the financing is disregarded 
and, provided the requirements contained in paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), 
and (iv) of this section are satisfied, the financing will be treated as 
qualified nonrecourse financing secured by real property.
    Example 2. Bifurcation of a financing. The facts are the same as in 
Example 1, except that A, a member of X, is personally liable for 
repayment of $100 of the financing. If the requirements contained in 
paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section are satisfied, then 
under paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the portion of the financing for 
which A is not personally liable for repayment ($400) will be treated as 
qualified nonrecourse financing secured by real property.
    Example 3. Personal liability; tiered partnerships. (i) UTP1 and 
UTP2, both limited liability companies classified as partnerships, are 
the only general partners in Y, a limited partnership. Y borrows $500 
with respect to the activity of holding real property. The financing is 
a general obligation of Y. UTP1 and UTP2, therefore, are personally 
liable to repay the financing. Under section 752, UTP1's share of the 
financing is $300, and UTP2's share is $200. No person other than Y, 
UTP1, and UTP2 is personally liable to repay the financing. Y, UTP1, and 
UTP2 each hold only real property.
    (ii) Under paragraph (b)(4) of this section, the personal liability 
of Y, UTP1, and UTP2 to repay the financing is disregarded and, provided 
the requirements of paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section 
are satisfied, UTP1's $300 share of the financing and UTP2's $200 share 
of the financing will be treated as qualified nonrecourse financing 
secured by real property.
    Example 4. Personal liability; tiered partnerships. The facts are 
the same as in Example 3, except that Y's general partners are UTP1 and 
B, an individual. Because B, an individual, is also personally liable to 
repay the $500 financing, the entire financing fails to satisfy the 
requirement in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section. Accordingly, 
UTP1's $300 share of the financing will not be treated as qualified 
nonrecourse financing secured by real property.
    Example 5. Personal liability; tiered partnerships. The facts are 
the same as in Example 3, except that Y is a limited liability company 
and UTP1 and UTP2 are not personally liable for the debt. However, UTP1 
and UTP2 each pledge property as security for the loan that is other 
than real property used in the activity of holding real property and 
other than property that is incidental to the activity of holding real 
property. The fair market value of the property pledged by UTP1 and UTP2 
is greater than 10 percent of the sum of the aggregate gross fair market 
value of the property held by Y and the aggregate gross fair market 
value of the property pledged by UTP1 and UTP2. Accordingly, the 
financing fails to satisfy the requirement in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of 
this section by virtue of its failure to satisfy paragraph (b)(4)(iii) 
of this section. Therefore, the financing is not qualified nonrecourse 
financing secured by real property.
    Example 6. Personal liability; Disregarded entity. (i) X is a single 
member limited liability company that is disregarded as an entity 
separate from its owner for federal tax purposes under Sec. 301.7701-3 
of this chapter. X owns certain real property and property that is 
incidental to the activity of holding the real property. X does not own 
any other property. For federal tax purposes, A, the sole member of X, 
is considered to own all of the property held by X and is engaged in the 
activity of holding real property through X. X borrows $500 and uses the 
proceeds to purchase additional real property that is used in the 
activity of holding real property. X is personally liable to repay the 
financing, but A is not personally liable for repayment of the financing 
under local law. The lender may proceed against all of X's assets if X 
defaults on the financing.
    (ii) X is disregarded so that the assets and liabilities of X are 
treated as the assets and liabilities of A. However, A is not personally 
liable for the $500 liability. Provided that the requirements contained 
in paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section are satisfied, 
the financing will be treated as qualified nonrecourse financing secured 
by real property with respect to A.

    (c) Effective date. This section is effective for any financing 
incurred on or

[[Page 286]]

after August 4, 1998. Taxpayers, however, may apply this section 
retroactively for financing incurred before August 4, 1998.

[T.D. 8777, 63 FR 41421, Aug. 4, 1998]