[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 7]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.513-2]

[Page 171-172]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.513-2  Definition of unrelated trade or business applicable to 
taxable years beginning before December 13, 1967.

    (a) In general. (1) As used in section 512(a), the term unrelated 
business taxable income includes only income from an unrelated trade or 
business regularly carried on, and the term trade or business has the 
same meaning as it has in section 162.
    (2) The income of an exempt organization is subject to the tax on 
unrelated business income only if two conditions are present with 
respect to such income. The first condition is that the income must be 
from a trade or business which is regularly carried on by the 
organization. The second condition is that the trade or business must 
not be substantially related (aside from the need of the organization 
for income or funds or the use it makes of the profits derived) to the 
exercise or performance by such organization of its charitable, 
educational, or other purpose or function constituting the basis for its 
exemption under section 501, or in the case ofan organization described 
in section 511(a)(2)(B) (governmental colleges, etc.) to the exercise or 
performance of any purpose or function described in section 501(c)(3). 
Whether or not an organization is subject to the tax imposed by section 
511 shall be determined by the application of these tests to the 
particular circumstances involved in each individual case. For certain 
exceptions from the term unrelated trade or business, see paragraph (b) 
of this section.
    (3) A trade or business is regularly carried on when the activity is 
conducted with sufficient consistency to indicate a continuing purpose 
of the organization to derive some of its income from such activity. An 
activity may be regularly carried on even though its performance is 
infrequent or seasonal.
    (4) Ordinarily, a trade or business is substantially related to the 
activities for which an organization is granted exemption if the 
principal purpose of such trade or business is to further (other than 
through the production of income) the purpose for which the organization 
is granted exemption. In the usual case the nature and size of the trade 
or business must be compared with the nature and extent of the 
activities for which the organization is granted exemption in order to 
determine whether the principal purpose of such trade or business is to 
further (other than through the production of income) the purpose for 
which the organization is granted exemption. For example, the operation 
of a wheat farm is substantially related to the exempt activity of an 
agricultural college if the wheat farm isoperated as a part of the 
educational program of the college, and is not operated on a scale 
disproportionately large when compared with the educational program of 
the college. Similarly, a university radio station or press is 
considered a related trade or business if operated primarily as an 
integral part of the educational program of the university, but is 
considered an unrelated trade or business if operated in substantially 
the same manner as a commercial radio station or publishing house. A 
trade or business not otherwise related does not become substantially 
related to an organization's exempt purpose merely because incidental 
use is made of the trade or business in order to further the exempt 
purpose. For example, the manufacture and sale of a product by an exempt 
college would not become

[[Page 172]]

substantially related merely because students as part of their 
educational program perform clerical or bookkeeping functions in the 
business. In some cases, the business may be substantially related 
because it is a necessary part of the exempt activity. For example, in 
the case of an organization described in section 501(c)(3) and engaged 
in the rehabilitation of handicapped persons, the business of selling 
articles made by such persons as a part of their rehabilitation training 
would not be considered an unrelated business since such business is a 
necessary part of the rehabilitation program.
    (5) If an organization receives a payment pursuant to a contract or 
agreement under which such organization is to perform research which 
constitutes an unrelated trade or business, the entire amount of such 
payment is income from an unrelated trade or business. See, however, 
section 512(b), (7), (8), and (9), relating to the exclusion from 
unrelated business taxable income of income derived from research for 
the United States, or any State, and of income derived from research 
performed for any person by a college, university, hospital, or 
organization operated primarily for the purpose of carrying on 
fundamental research the results of which are freely available to the 
general public.
    (b) Exceptions. Section 513(a) specifically states that the term 
unrelated trade or business does not include:
    (1) Any trade or business in which substantially all the work in 
carrying on such trade or business is performed for the organization 
without compensation; or
    (2) Any trade or business carried on by an organization described in 
section 501(c)(3) or by a governmental college or university described 
in section 511(a)(2)(B), primarily for the convenience of its members, 
students, patients, officers, or employees; or
    (3) Any trade or business which consists of selling merchandise, 
substantially all of which has been received by the organization as 
gifts or contributions.

An example of the operation of the first of the exceptions mentioned 
above would be an exempt orphanage operating a retail store and selling 
to the general public, where substantially all the work in carrying on 
such business is performed for the organization by volunteers without 
compensation. An example of the second exception would be a laundry 
operated by a college for the purpose of laundering dormitory linens and 
the clothing of students. The third exception applies to so-called 
thrift shops operated by a tax-exempt organization where those desiring 
to benefit such organization contribute old clothes, books, furniture, 
etc., to be sold to the general public with the proceeds going to the 
exempt organization.
    (c) Special rules respecting publishing businesses. For a special 
rule with respect to publishing businesses carried on by an 
organization, see section 513(c) of the Code prior to its amendment by 
section 121(c) of the Tax Reform Act of 1969 (83 Stat. 542).
    (d) Effective date. Except as provided in paragraph (g) of Sec. 
1.513-1, this section is applicable with respect to taxable years 
beginning before December 13, 1967.

[Sec. 513 as amended by sec. 4, Act of July 14, 1960 (P.L. 86-667, 74 
Stat. 536); secs. 121 (b)(4) and (c), Tax Reform Act of 1969 (83 Stat. 
536, 542)]

[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 11737, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 6525, 26 FR 
190, Jan. 11, 1961; T.D. 6939, 32 FR 17657, Dec. 12, 1967; T.D. 7392, 40 
FR 58643, Dec. 18, 1975; 40 FR 60053, Dec. 31, 1975]