[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 13]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR]

[Page 494-497]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
Procedure and Administration--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  1.6662-5  Substantial and gross valuation misstatements under 
chapter 1.

    (a) In general. If any portion of an underpayment, as defined in 
section 6664(a) and Sec.  1.6664-2, of any income tax imposed under 
chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Code that is required to be shown on a 
return is attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement under 
chapter 1 (``substantial valuation misstatement''), there is added to 
the tax an amount equal to 20 percent of such portion. Section 6662(h) 
increases the penalty to 40 percent in the case of a gross valuation 
misstatement under chapter 1 (``gross valuation misstatement''). No 
penalty under section 6662(b)(3) is imposed, however, on a portion of an 
underpayment that is attributable to a substantial or gross

[[Page 495]]

valuation misstatement unless the aggregate of all portions of the 
underpayment attributable to substantial or gross valuation 
misstatements exceeds the applicable dollar limitation ($5,000 or 
$10,000), as provided in section 6662(e)(2) and paragraphs (b) and 
(f)(2) of this section. This penalty also does not apply to the extent 
that the reasonable cause and good faith exception to this penalty set 
forth in Sec.  1.6664-4 applies. There is no disclosure exception to 
this penalty.
    (b) Dollar limitation. No penalty may be imposed under section 
6662(b)(3) for a taxable year unless the portion of the underpayment for 
that year that is attributable to substantial or gross valuation 
misstatements exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 in the case of a corporation other 
than an S corporation (as defined in section 1361(a)(1)) or a personal 
holding company (as defined in section 542)). This limitation is applied 
separately to each taxable year for which there is a substantial or 
gross valuation misstatement.
    (c) Special rules in the case of carrybacks and carryovers--(1) In 
general. The penalty for a substantial or gross valuation misstatement 
applies to any portion of an underpayment for a year to which a loss, 
deduction or credit is carried that is attributable to a substantial or 
gross valuation misstatement for the year in which the carryback or 
carryover of the loss, deduction or credit arises (the ``loss or credit 
year''), provided that the applicable dollar limitation set forth in 
section 6662(e)(2) is satisfied in the carryback or carryover year.
    (2) Transition rule for carrybacks to pre-1990 years. The penalty 
under section 6662(b)(3) is imposed on any portion of an underpayment 
for a carryback year, the return for which is due (without regard to 
extensions) before January 1, 1990, if--
    (i) That portion is attributable to a substantial or gross valuation 
misstatement for a loss or credit year; and
    (ii) The return for the loss or credit year is due (without regard 
to extensions) after December 31, 1989.

The preceding sentence applies only if the underpayment for the 
carryback year exceeds the applicable dollar limitation ($5,000, or 
$10,000 for most corporations). See Example 3 in paragraph (d) of this 
section.
    (d) Examples. The following examples illustrate the provisions of 
paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. These examples do not take into 
account the reasonable cause exception under Sec.  1.6664-4.

    Example 1. Corporation Q is a C corporation. In 1990, the first year 
of its existence, Q had taxable income of $200,000 without considering 
depreciation of a particular asset. On its calendar year 1990 return, Q 
overstated its basis in this asset by an amount that caused a 
substantial valuation misstatement. The overstated basis resulted in 
depreciation claimed of $350,000, which was $250,000 more than the 
$100,000 allowable. Thus, on its 1990 return, Q showed a loss of 
$150,000. In 1991, Q had taxable income of $450,000 before application 
of the loss carryover, and Q claimed a carryover loss deduction under 
section 172 of $150,000, resulting in taxable income of $300,000 for 
1991. Upon audit of the 1990 return, the basis of the asset was 
corrected, resulting in an adjustment of $250,000. For 1990, the 
underpayment resulting from the $100,000 taxable income (-
$150,000+$250,000) is attributable to the valuation misstatement. 
Assuming the underpayment resulting from the $100,000 taxable income 
exceeds the $10,000 limitation, the penalty will be imposed in 1990. For 
1991, the elimination of the loss carryover results in additional 
taxable income of $150,000. The underpayment for 1991 resulting from 
that adjustment is also attributable to the substantial valuation 
misstatement on the 1990 return. Assuming the underpayment resulting 
from the $150,000 additional taxable income for 1991 exceeds the $10,000 
limitation, the substantial valuation misstatement penalty also will be 
imposed for that year.
    Example 2. (i) Corporation T is a C corporation. In 1990, the first 
year of its existence, T had a loss of $3,000,000 without considering 
depreciation of its major asset. On its calendar year 1990 return, T 
overstated its basis in this asset in an amount that caused a 
substantial valuation misstatement. This overstatement resulted in 
depreciation claimed of $3,500,000, which was $2,500,000 more than the 
$1,000,000 allowable. Thus, on its 1990 return, T showed a loss of 
$6,500,000. In 1991, T had taxable income of $4,500,000 before 
application of the carryover loss, but claimed a carryover loss 
deduction under section 172 in the amount of $4,500,000, resulting in 
taxable income of zero for that year and leaving a $2,000,000 carryover 
available. Upon audit of the 1990 return, the basis of the asset was 
corrected, resulting in an adjustment of $2,500,000.

[[Page 496]]

    (ii) For 1990, the underpayment is still zero (-
$6,500,000+$2,500,000=-$4,000,000). Thus, the penalty does not apply in 
1990. The loss for 1990 is reduced to $4,000,000.
    (iii) For 1991, there is additional taxable income of $500,000 as a 
result of the reduction of the carryover loss ($4,500,000 reported 
income before carryover loss minus corrected carryover loss of 
$4,000,000=$500,000). The underpayment for 1991 resulting from reduction 
of the carryover loss is attributable to the valuation misstatement on 
the 1990 return. Assuming the underpayment resulting from the $500,000 
additional taxable income exceeds the $10,000 limitation, the 
substantial valuation misstatement penalty will be imposed in 1991.
    Example 3. Corporation V is a C corporation. In 1990, V had a loss 
of $100,000 without considering depreciation of a particular asset which 
it had fully depreciated in earlier years. V had a depreciable basis in 
the asset of zero, but on its 1990 calendar year return erroneously 
claimed a basis in the asset of $1,250,000 and depreciation of $250,000. 
V reported a $350,000 loss for the year 1990, and carried back the loss 
to the 1987 and 1988 tax years. V had reported taxable income of 
$300,000 in 1987 and $200,000 in 1988, before application of the 
carryback. The $350,000 carryback eliminated all taxable income for 
1987, and $50,000 of the taxable income for 1988. After disallowance of 
the $250,000 depreciation deduction for 1990, V still had a loss of 
$100,000. Because there is no underpayment for 1990, no valuation 
misstatement penalty is imposed for 1990. However, as a result of the 
1990 depreciation adjustment, the carryback to 1987 is reduced from 
$350,000 to $100,000. After absorption of the $100,000 carryback, V has 
taxable income of $200,000 for 1987. This adjustment results in an 
underpayment for 1987 that is attributable to the valuation misstatement 
on the 1990 return. The valuation misstatement for 1990 is a gross 
valuation misstatement because the correct adjusted basis of the 
depreciated asset was zero. (See paragraph (e)(2) of this section.) 
Therefore, the 40 percent penalty rate applies to the 1987 underpayment 
attributable to the 1990 misstatement, provided that this underpayment 
exceeds $10,000. The adjustment also results in the elimination of any 
loss carryback to 1988 resulting in an increase in taxable income for 
1988 of $50,000. Assuming the underpayment resulting from this 
additional $50,000 of income exceeds $10,000, the gross valuation 
misstatement penalty is imposed on the underpayment for 1988.

    (e) Definitions--(1) Substantial valuation misstatement. There is a 
substantial valuation misstatement if the value or adjusted basis of any 
property claimed on a return of tax imposed under chapter 1 is 200 
percent or more of the correct amount.
    (2) Gross valuation misstatement. There is a gross valuation 
misstatement if the value or adjusted basis of any property claimed on a 
return of tax imposed under chapter 1 is 400 percent or more of the 
correct amount.
    (3) Property. For purposes of this section, the term ``property'' 
refers to both tangible and intangible property. Tangible property 
includes property such as land, buildings, fixtures and inventory. 
Intangible property includes property such as goodwill, covenants not to 
compete, leaseholds, patents, contract rights, debts and choses in 
action.
    (f) Multiple valuation misstatements on a return--(1) Determination 
of whether valuation misstatements are substantial or gross. The 
determination of whether there is a substantial or gross valuation 
misstatement on a return is made on a property-by-property basis. 
Assume, for example, that property A has a value of 60 but a taxpayer 
claims a value of 110, and that property B has a value of 40 but the 
taxpayer claims a value of 100. Because the claimed and correct values 
are compared on a property-by-property basis, there is a substantial 
valuation misstatement with respect to property B, but not with respect 
to property A, even though the claimed values (210) are 200 percent or 
more of the correct values (100) when compared on an aggregate basis.
    (2) Application of dollar limitation. For purposes of applying the 
dollar limitation set forth in section 6662(e)(2), the determination of 
the portion of an underpayment that is attributable to a substantial or 
gross valuation misstatement is made by aggregating all portions of the 
underpayment attributable to substantial or gross valuation 
misstatements. Assume, for example, that the value claimed for property 
C on a return is 250 percent of the correct value, and that the value 
claimed for property D on the return is 400 percent of the correct 
value. Because the portions of an underpayment that are attributable to 
a substantial or gross valuation misstatement on a return are aggregated 
in applying the dollar limitation, the dollar limitation

[[Page 497]]

is satisfied if the portion of the underpayment that is attributable to 
the misstatement of the value of property C, when aggregated with the 
portion of the underpayment that is attributable to the misstatement of 
the value of property D, exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 in the case of most 
corporations).
    (g) Property with a value or adjusted basis of zero. The value or 
adjusted basis claimed on a return of any property with a correct value 
or adjusted basis of zero is considered to be 400 percent or more of the 
correct amount. There is a gross valuation misstatement with respect to 
such property, therefore, and the applicable penalty rate is 40 percent.
    (h) Pass-through entities--(1) In general. The determination of 
whether there is a substantial or gross valuation misstatement in the 
case of a return of a pass-through entity (as defined in Sec.  1.6662-
4(f)(5)) is made at the entity level. However, the dollar limitation 
($5,000 or $10,000, as the case may be) is applied at the taxpayer level 
(i.e., with respect to the return of the shareholder, partner, 
beneficiary, or holder of a residual interest in a REMIC).
    (2) Example. The rules of paragraph (h)(1) of this section may be 
illustrated by the following example.

    Example. Partnership P has two partners, individuals A and B. P 
claims a $40,000 basis in a depreciable asset which, in fact, has a 
basis of $15,000. The determination that there is a substantial 
valuation misstatement is made solely with reference to P by comparing 
the $40,000 basis claimed by P with P's correct basis of $15,000. 
However, the determination of whether the $5,000 threshold for 
application of the penalty has been reached is made separately for each 
partner. With respect to partner A, the penalty will apply if the 
portion of A's underpayment attributable to the passthrough of the 
depreciation deduction, when aggregated with any other portions of A's 
underpayment also attributable to substantial or gross valuation 
misstatements, exceeds $5,000 (assuming there is not reasonable cause 
for the misstatements (see Sec.  1.6664-4(c)).

    (i) [Reserved]
    (j) Transactions between persons described in section 482 and net 
section 482 transfer price adjustments. [Reserved]
    (k) Returns affected. Except in the case of rules relating to 
transactions between persons described in section 482 and net sections 
482 transfer price adjustments, the provisions of section 6662(b)(3) 
apply to returns due (without regard to extensions of time to file) 
after December 31, 1989, notwithstanding that the original substantial 
or gross valuation misstatement occurred on a return that was due 
(without regard to extensions) before January 1, 1990. Assume, for 
example, that a calendar year corporation claimed a deduction on its 
1990 return for depreciation of an asset with a basis of X. Also assume 
that it had reported the same basis for computing depreciation on its 
returns for the preceding 5 years and that the basis shown on the return 
each year was 200 percent or more of the correct basis. The corporation 
may be subject to a penalty for substantial valuation misstatements on 
its 1989 and 1990 returns, even though the original misstatement 
occurred prior to the effective date of sections 6662(b)(3) and (e).

[T.D. 8381, 56 FR 67504, Dec. 31, 1991; T.D. 8381, 57 FR 6165, Feb. 20, 
1992]