[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: 26CFR1.469-3T]

[Page 434-436]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.469-3T  Passive activity credit (temporary).

    (a) Computation of passive activity credit. The taxpayer's passive 
activity credit for the taxable year is the amount (if any) by which--
    (1) The sum of all of the taxpayer's credits that are subject to 
section 469 for such year; exceeds
    (2) The taxpayer's regular tax liability allocable to all passive 
activities for such year.
    (b) Credits subject to section 469--(1) In general. Except as 
otherwise provided in this paragraph (b), a credit is subject to section 
469 for a taxable year if and only if--
    (i) Such credit--
    (A) Is attributable to such taxable year and arises in connection 
with the conduct of an activity that is a passive activity for such 
taxable year; and
    (B) Is described in--
    (1) Section 38(b) (1) through (5) (relating to general business 
credits);
    (2) Section 27(b) (relating to corporations described in section 
936);
    (3) Section 28 (relating to clinical testing of certain drugs); or
    (4) Section 29 (relating to fuel from nonconventional sources); or
    (ii) Such credit is allocable to an activity for such taxable year 
under Sec. 1.469-1T(f)(4).
    (2) Treatment of credits attributable to qualified progress 
expenditures. Any credit attributable to an increase in qualified 
investment under section 46(d)(1)(A) (relating to qualified progress 
expenditures) with respect to progress expenditure property (as defined 
in section 46(d)(2)) is subject to section 469 for a taxable year if--
    (i) Such credit is attributable to such taxable year;
    (ii) Such credit is described in paragraph (b)(1)(i)(B) of this 
section; and
    (iii) It is reasonable to believe that such progress expenditure 
property will be used in a passive activity of the taxpayer when it is 
placed in service.
    (3) Special rule for partners and S corporation shareholders. The 
character of a credit of a taxpayer arising in connection with an 
activity conducted by a partnership or S corporation (as a credit 
subject to section 469) shall be determined, in any case in which 
participation is relevant, by reference to the participation of the 
taxpayer in such activity. Such participation is determined for the 
taxable year of the partnership or S corporation (and not the taxable 
year of the taxpayer). See Sec. 1.469-2T(e)(1).
    (4) Exception for pre-1987 credits. A credit is not subject to 
section 469 if it is attributable to a taxable year of the taxpayer 
beginning prior to January 1, 1987.
    (c) Taxable year to which credit is attributable. A credit is 
attributable to the taxable year in which such credit would be (or would 
have been) allowed if the credits regard to the limitations contained in 
sections 26(a), 28(d)(2), 29(b)(5), 38(c), and 469.
    (d) Regular tax liability allocable to passive activities--(1) In 
general. For purposes of paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the 
taxpayer's regular tax liability allocable to all passive activities

[[Page 435]]

for the taxable year is the excess (if any) of--
    (i) The taxpayer's regular tax liability for such taxable year; over
    (ii) The amount of such regular tax liability determined by reducing 
the taxpayer's taxable income for such year by the excess (if any) of 
the taxpayer's passive activity gross income for such year over the 
taxpayer's passive activity deductions for such year.
    (2) Regular tax liability. For purposes of this section, the term 
``regularly tax liability'' has the meaning given such term in section 
26(b).
    (e) Coordination with section 38(b). [Reserved]. See Sec. 1.469-
3(e) for rules relating to this paragraph.
    (f) Coordination with section 50. [Reserved]. See Sec. 1.469-3(f) 
for rules relating to this paragraph.
    (g) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of 
this section:

    Example (1). (i) A, a calendar year individual, is a general partner 
in calendar year partnership P. P purchases a building in 1987 and, in 
1987, 1988, and 1989, incurs rehabilitation costs with respect to the 
building. The building is placed in service in the rental activity in 
1989. P's rehabilitation costs are qualified rehabilitation expenditures 
(within the meaning of section 48(g)(2)) and are taken into account in 
determining the amount of the investment credit for rehabilitation 
expenditures. P's qualified rehabilitation expenditures are not 
qualified progress expenditures (within the meaning of section 46(d)).
    (ii) Because, under section 46(c)(1), the credit is allowable for 
the taxable year in which the rehabilitated property is placed in 
service, the credit allowable for P's qualified rehabilitation 
expenditures arises in connection with the activity in which the 
property is placed in service. In addition, the credit is attributable 
to 1989, the year in which the property is placed in service, because it 
would be allowed for such year if A's credits allowed for all taxable 
years were determined without regard to the limitations contained in 
sections 26(a), 28(d)(2), 29(b)(5), 38(c), and 469. Accordingly, under 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, A's distributive share of the credit 
is subject to section 469 for 1989 because the credit arises in 
connection with a rental activity for such year.
    Example (2). The facts are the same as in example (1), except that 
the rehabilitation costs are incurred in anticipation of placing the 
building in service in a rental activity, the qualified rehabilitation 
expenditures in 1987 and 1988 are qualified progress expenditures 
(``QPEs'') (within the meaning of section 46(d)(3)), the improvements 
resulting from the expenditures are progress expenditure property 
(within the meaning of paragraph (d)(2) of this section), and it is 
reasonable to expect that such property will be transition property 
(within the meaning of section 49(e)) when the property is placed in 
service. Therefore, under section 46(d)(1)(A), the qualified investment 
for 1987 and 1988 is increased by an amount equal to the aggregate of 
the applicable percentage of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures 
incurred in such years. The credits that are based on these expenditures 
are attributable (under paragraph (c) of this section) to 1987 and 1988, 
respectively. It is reasonable to believe in 1987 and 1988 that the 
progress expenditure property will be used in a rental activity when it 
is placed in service. Accordingly, under paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section, A's distributive share of the credit for 1987 and 1988 is 
subject to section 469. Under paragraph (b)(1) of this section (as in 
example (1)), A's distributive share of the credit for 1989 is also 
subject to section 469.
    Example (3). (i) B, a single individual, acquires an interest in a 
partnership that, in 1988, rehabilitates a building and places it in 
service in a trade or business activity in which B does not materially 
participate. For 1988, B has the following items of gross income, 
deduction, and credit:

Gross income:
  Income other than passive activity gross income.   $110,000
  Passive activity gross income...................     20,000   $130,000
                                                   -----------
Deductions:
  Deductions other than passive activity               23,950
   deductions.....................................
  Passive activity deductions.....................     18,000   (41,950)
                                                   -----------==========
  Taxable income..................................  .........     88,050
                                                              ==========
Credits:
  Rehabilitation credit from the passive activity.  .........      8,000


    (ii) For 1988, the amount by which B's passive activity gross income 
exceeds B's passive activity deductions (B's net passive income) is 
$2,000. Under paragraph (d) of this section, B's regular tax liability 
allocable to passive activities for 1988 is determined as follows:

  (A) Taxable income.............................   $88,050
  (B) Regular tax liability......................  ........   $24,578.50
  (C) Taxable income minus net passive income....    86,050

[[Page 436]]


  (D) Regular tax liability for taxable income of  ........    23,918.50
   $86,050.00....................................
                                                            ------------
  (E) Regular tax liability allocable to passive   ........      $660.00
   activities ((B) minus (D))....................


    (iii) Under paragraph (a) of this section, B's passive activity 
credit for 1988 is the amount by which B's credits that are subject to 
section 469 for 1988 ($8,000) exceed B's regular tax liability allocable 
to passive activities for 1988 ($660.00). Accordingly, B's passive 
activity credit for 1988 is $7,340.
    Example (4). (i) The facts are the same as in example (3) except 
that, in 1988, B also has additional deductions of $100,000 from a trade 
or business activity in which B materially participates for 1988. Thus, 
B has a taxable loss for 1988 of $11,950, determined as follows:

Gross income:
  Income other than passive activity gross income   $110,000
  Passive activity gross income..................     20,000   $130,000
                                                  -----------
Deductions:
  Deductions other than passive activity             123,950
   deductions....................................
  Passive activity deductions....................     18,000   (141,950)
                                                  ----------------------
  Taxable income.................................  .........    (11,950)


    (ii) Under section 26(b) and paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the 
regular tax liability for a taxable year cannot exceed the tax imposed 
by chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code for the taxable 
year. Therefore, under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, B's regular tax 
liability allocable to passive activities for 1988 is zero. Although B's 
net operating loss for the taxable year is reduced by B's net passive 
income, and B's regular tax liability for other taxable years may 
increase as a result of the reduction, such an increase does not change 
B's regular tax liability allocable to passive activities for 1988. 
Accordingly, B's passive activity credit for 1988 is $8,000.

[T.D. 8175, 53 FR 5724, Feb. 25, 1988; 53 FR 15494, Apr. 29, 1988; T.D. 
8253, 54 FR 20542, May 12, 1989; T.D. 8417, 57 FR 20758, May 15, 1992]