[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 8]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.707-5]

[Page 479-486]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
Determination of Tax Liability--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.707-5  Disguised sales of property to partnership; special rules 
relating to liabilities.

    (a) Liability assumed or taken subject to by partnership--(1) In 
general. For purposes of this section and Sec. Sec. 1.707-3 and 1.707-
4, if a partnership assumes or takes property subject to a qualified 
liability (as defined in paragraph (a)(6) of this section) of a partner, 
the partnership is treated as transferring consideration to the partner 
only to the extent provided in paragraph (a)(5) of this section. By 
contrast, if the partnership assumes or takes property subject to a 
liability of the partner other than a qualified liability, the 
partnership is treated as transferring consideration to the partner to 
the extent that the amount of the liability exceeds the partner's share 
of that liability immediately after the partnership assumes or takes 
subject to the liability as provided in paragraphs (a) (2), (3) and (4) 
of this section.
    (2) Partner's share of liability. A partner's share of any liability 
of the partnership is determined under the following rules:
    (i) Recourse liability. A partner's share of a recourse liability of 
the partnership equals the partner's share of the liability under the 
rules of section 752 and the regulations thereunder. A partnership 
liability is a recourse liability to the extent that the obligation is a 
recourse liability under Sec. 1.752-1(a)(1) or would be treated as a 
recourse liability

[[Page 480]]

under that section if it were treated as a partnership liability for 
purposes of that section.
    (ii) Nonrecourse liability. A partner's share of a nonrecourse 
liability of the partnership is determined by applying the same 
percentage used to determine the partner's share of the excess 
nonrecourse liability under Sec. 1.752-3(a)(3). A partnership liability 
is a nonrecourse liability of the partnership to the extent that the 
obligation is a nonrecourse liability under Sec. 1.752-1(a)(2) or would 
be a nonrecourse liability of the partnership under Sec. 1.752-1(a)(2) 
if it were treated as a partnership liability for purposes of that 
section.
    (3) Reduction of partner's share of liability. For purposes of this 
section, a partner's share of a liability, immediately after a 
partnership assumes or takes subject to the liability, is determined by 
taking into account a subsequent reduction in the partner's share if--
    (i) At the time that the partnership assumes or takes subject to a 
liability, it is anticipated that the transferring partner's share of 
the liability will be subsequently reduced; and
    (ii) The reduction of the partner's share of the liability is part 
of a plan that has as one of its principal purposes minimizing the 
extent to which the assumption of or taking subject to the liability is 
treated as part of a sale under Sec. 1.707-3.
    (4) Special rule applicable to transfers of encumbered property to a 
partnership by more than one partner pursuant to a plan. For purposes of 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section, if the partnership assumes or takes 
property or properties subject to the liabilities of more than one 
partner pursuant to a plan, a partner's share of the liabilities assumed 
or taken subject to by the partnership pursuant to that plan immediately 
after the transfers equals the sum of that partner's shares of the 
liabilities (other than that partner's qualified liabilities, as defined 
in paragraph (a)(6) of this section) assumed or taken subject to by the 
partnership pursuant to the plan. This paragraph (a)(4) does not apply 
to any liability assumed or taken subject to by the partnership with a 
principal purpose of reducing the extent to which any other liability 
assumed or taken subject to by the partnership is treated as a transfer 
of consideration under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
    (5) Special rule applicable to qualified liabilities. (i) If a 
transfer of property by a partner to a partnership is not otherwise 
treated as part of a sale, the partnership's assumption of or taking 
subject to a qualified liability in connection with a transfer of 
property is not treated as part of a sale. If a transfer of property by 
a partner to the partnership is treated as part of a sale without regard 
to the partnership's assumption of or taking subject to a qualified 
liability (as defined in paragraph (a)(6) of this section) in connection 
with the transfer of property, the partnership's assumption of or taking 
subject to that liability is treated as a transfer of consideration made 
pursuant to a sale of such property to the partnership only to the 
extent of the lesser of--
    (A) The amount of consideration that the partnership would be 
treated as transferring to the partner under paragraph (a)(1) of this 
section if the liability were not a qualified liability; or
    (B) The amount obtained by multiplying the amount of the qualified 
liability by the partner's net equity percentage with respect to that 
property.
    (ii) A partner's net equity percentage with respect to an item of 
property equals the percentage determined by dividing--
    (A) The aggregate transfers of money or other consideration to the 
partner by the partnership (other than any transfer described in this 
paragraph (a)(5)) that are treated as proceeds realized from the sale of 
the transferred property; by
    (B) The excess of the fair market value of the property at the time 
it is transferred to the partnership over any qualified liability 
encumbering the property or, in the case of any qualified liability 
described in paragraph (a)(6)(i) (C) or (D) of this section, that is 
properly allocable to the property.
    (6) Qualified liability of a partner defined. A liability assumed or 
taken subject to by a partnership in connection with a transfer of 
property to the partnership by a partner is qualified liability of the 
partner only to the extend--
    (i) The liability is--

[[Page 481]]

    (A) A liability that was incurred by the partner more than two years 
prior to the earlier of the date the partner agrees in writing to 
transfers the property or the date the partner transfers the property to 
the partnership and that has encumbered the transferred property 
throughout that two-year period;
    (B) A liability that was not incurred in anticipation of the 
transfer of the property to a partnership, buy that was incurred by the 
partner within the two-year period prior to the earlier of the date the 
partner agrees in writing to transfer the property or the date the 
partner transfers the property to the partnership and that has 
encumbered the transferred property since it was incurred (see paragraph 
(a)(7) of this section for further rules regarding a liability incurred 
within two years of a property transfer or of a written agreement to 
transfer);
    (C) A liability that is allocable under the rules of Sec. 1.163-8T 
to capital expenditures with respect to the property; or
    (D) A liability that was incurred in the ordinary course of the 
trade or business in which property transferred to the partnership was 
used or held but only if all the assets related to that trade or 
business are transferred other than assets that are not material to a 
continuation of the trade or business; and
    (ii) If the liability is a recourse liability, the amount of the 
liability does not exceed the fair market value of the transferred 
property (less the amount of any other liabilities that are senior in 
priority and that either encumber such property or are liabilities 
described in paragraph (a)(6)(i) (C) or (D) of this section) at the time 
of the transfer.
    (7) Liability incurred within two years of transfer presumed to be 
in anticipation of the transfer--(i) In general. For purposes of this 
section, if within a two-year period a partner incurs a liability (other 
than a liability described in paragraph (a)(6)(i) (C) or (D) of this 
section) and transfers property to a partnership or agrees in writing to 
transfer the property, and in connection with the transfer the 
partnership assumes or takes the property subject to the liability, the 
liability is presumed to be incurred in anticipation of the transfer 
unless the facts and circumstances clearly establish that the liability 
was not incurred in anticipation of the transfer.
    (ii) Disclosure of transfers of property subject to liabilities 
incurred within two years of the transfer. If a partner treats a 
liability assumed or taken subject to by a partnership as a qualified 
liability under paragraph (a)(6)(i)(B) of this section, such treatment 
is to be disclosed to the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with 
Sec. 1.707-8.
    (b) Treatment of debt-financed transfers of consideration by 
partnerships--(1) In general. For purposes of Sec. 1.707-3, if a 
partner transfers property to a partnership, and the partnership incurs 
a liability and all or a portion of the proceeds of that liability are 
allocable under Sec. 1.163-8T to a transfer of money or other 
consideration to the partner made within 90 days of incurring the 
liability, the transfer of money or other consideration to the partner 
is taken into account only to the extent that the amount of money or the 
fair market value of the other consideration transferred exceeds that 
partner's allocable share of the partnership liability.
    (2) Partner's allocable share of liability--(i) In general. A 
partner's allocable share of a partnership liability for purposes of 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section equals the amount obtained by 
multiplying the partner's share of the liability as described in 
paragraph (a)(2) of this section by the fraction determined by 
dividing--
    (A) The portion of the liability that is allocable under Sec. 
1.163-8T to the money or other property transferred to the partner; by
    (B) The total amount of the liability.
    (ii) Debt-financed transfers made pursuant to a plan--(A) In 
general. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, if 
a partnership transfers to more than one partner pursuant to a plan all 
or a portion of the proceeds of one or more partnership liabilities, 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section is applied by treating all of the 
liabilities incurred pursuant to the plan as one liability, and each 
partner's allocable share of those liabilities equals the amount 
obtained by multiplying the sum of the partner's shares of each of

[[Page 482]]

the respective liabilities (as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section) by the fraction obtained by dividing--
    (1) The portion of those liabilities that is allocable under Sec. 
1.163-8T to the money or other consideration transferred to the partners 
pursuant to the plan; by
    (2) The total amount of those liabilities.
    (B) Special rule. Paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) of this section does not 
apply to any transfer of money or other property to a partner that is 
made with a principal purpose of reducing the extent to which any 
transfer is taken into account under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (iii) Reduction of partner's share of liability. For purposes of 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a partner's share of a liability, 
immediately after the partnership assumes or takes subject to the 
liability, is determined by taking into account a subsequent reduction 
in the partner's share if--
    (A) It is anticipated that the partner's share of the liability that 
is allocable to a transfer of money or other consideration to the 
partner will be reduced subsequent to the transfer; and
    (B) The reduction of the partner's share of the liability is part of 
a plan that has as one of its principal purposes minimizing the extent 
to which the partnership's distribution of the proceeds of the borrowing 
is treated as part of a sale.
    (c) Refinancings. To the extent that the proceeds of a partner or 
partnership liability (the refinancing debt) are allocable under the 
rules of Sec. 1.163-8T to payments discharging all or part of any other 
liability of that partner or of the partnership, as the case may be, the 
refinancing debt is treated as the other liability for purposes of 
applying the rules of this section.
    (d) Share of liability where assumption accompanied by transfer of 
money. For purposes of Sec. Sec. 1.707-3 through 1.707-5, if pursuant 
to a plan a partner pays or contributes money to the partnership and the 
partnership assumes or takes subject to one or more liabilities (other 
than qualified liabilities) of the partner, the amount of those 
liabilities that the partnership is treated as assuming or taking 
subject to is reduced (but not below zero) by the money transferred.
    (e) Tiered partnerships and other related persons. If a lower-tier 
partnership succeeds to a liability of an upper-tier partnership, the 
liability in the lower-tier partnership retains the characterization as 
qualified or nonqualified that it had under these rules in the upper-
tier partnership. A similar rule applies to other related party 
transactions involving liabilities to the extent provided by guidance 
published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
    (f) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of 
this section.
    Example 1. Partnership's assumption of nonrecourse liability 
encumbering transferred property. (i) A and B form partnership AB, which 
will engage in renting office space. A transfers $500,000 in cash to the 
partnership, and B transfers an office building to the partnership. At 
the time it is transferred to the partnership, the office building has a 
fair market value of $1,000,000, an adjusted basis of $400,000, and is 
encumbered by a $500,000 liability, which B incurred 12 months earlier 
to finance the acquisition of other property. No facts rebut the 
presumption that the liability was incurred in anticipation of the 
transfer of the property to the partnership. Assume that this liability 
is a nonrecourse liability of the partnership within the meaning of 
section 752 and the regulations thereunder. The partnership agreement 
provides that partnership items will be allocated equally between A and 
B, including excess nonrecourse deductions under Sec. 1.752-3(a)(3). 
The partnership agreement complies with the requirements of Sec. 1.704-
1(b)(2)(ii)(b).
    (ii) The nonrecourse liability secured by the office building is not 
a qualified liability within the meaning of paragraph (a)(6) of this 
section. B would be allocated 50 percent of the excess nonrecourse 
liability under the partnership agreement. Accordingly, immediately 
after the partnership's assumption of that liability, B's share of the 
liability equals $250,000, which is equal to B's 50 percent share of the 
excess nonrecourse liability of the partnership as determined in 
accordance with B's share of partnership profits under Sec. 1.752-
3(a)(3).
    (iii) The partnership's taking subject to the liability encumbering 
the office building is treated as a transfer of $250,000 of 
consideration to B (the amount by which the liability ($500,000) exceeds 
B's share of that liability immediately after taking subject to 
$250,000)). B is treated as having sold $250,000 of the fair market 
value of the office building to the partnership in exchange for the

[[Page 483]]

partnership's taking subject to a $250,000 liability. This results in a 
gain of $150,000 ($250,000 minus ($250,000/$1,000,000 multiplied by 
$400,000)).
    Example 2. Partnership's assumption of recourse liability 
encumbering transferred property. (i) C transfers property Y to a 
partnership. At the time of its transfer to the partnership, property Y 
has a fair market value of $10,000,000 and is subject to an $8,000,000 
liability that C incurred, immediately before transferring property Y to 
the partnership, in order to finance other expenditures. Upon the 
transfer of property Y to the partnership, the partnership assumed the 
liability encumbering that property. The partnership assumed this 
liability solely to acquire property Y. Under section 752 and the 
regulations thereunder, immediately after the partnership's assumption 
of the liability encumbering property Y, the liability is a recourse 
liability of the partnership and C's share of that liability is 
$7,000,000.
    (ii) Under the facts of this example, the liability encumbering 
property Y is not a qualified liability.
    Accordingly, the partnership's assumption of the liability results 
in a transfer of consideration to C in connection with C's transfer of 
property Y to the partnership in the amount of $1,000,000 (the excess of 
the liability assumed by the partnership ($8,000,000) over C's share of 
the liability immediately after the assumption ($7,000,000)). See 
paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section.
    Example 3. Subsequent reduction of transferring partner's share of 
liability. (i) The facts are the same as in Example 2. In addition, 
property Y is a fully leased office building, the rental income from 
property Y is sufficient to meet debt service, and the remaining term of 
the liability is ten years. It is anticipated that, three years after 
the partnership's assumption of the liability, C's share of the 
liability under section 752 will be reduced to zero because of a shift 
in the allocation of partnership losses pursuant to the terms of the 
partnership agreement. Under the partnership agreement, this shift in 
the allocation of partnership losses is dependent solely on the passage 
of time.
    (ii) Under paragraph (a)(3) of this section, if the reduction in C's 
share of the liability was anticipated at the time of C's transfer, and 
the reduction was part of a plan that has as one of its principal 
purposes minimizing the extent of sale treatment under Sec. 1.707-3 
(i.e., a principal purpose of allocating a large percentage of losses to 
C in the first three years when losses were not likely to be realized 
was to minimize the extent to which C's transfer would be treated as 
part of a sale), C's share of the liability immediately after the 
assumption is treated as equal to C's reduced share.
    Example 4. Trade payables as qualified liabilities. (i) D and E form 
partnership DE which will engage in a consulting business that requires 
no overhead and minimal cash on hand for daily operating expenses. 
Previously, D and E, as individual sole proprietors, operated separate 
consulting businesses. D and E each transfer to the partnership 
sufficient cash to cover daily operating expenses together with the 
goodwill and trade payables related to each sole proprietorship. Due to 
uncertainty over the collection rate on the trade receivables related to 
their sole proprietorships, D and E agree that none of the trade 
receivables will be transferred to the partnership.
    (ii) Under the facts of this example, all the assets related to the 
consulting business (other than the trade receivables) together with the 
trade payables were transferred to partnership DE. The trade receivables 
retained by D and E are not material to a continuation of the trade or 
business by the partnership because D and E contributed sufficient cash 
to cover daily operating expenses. Accordingly, the trade payables 
transferred to the partnership constitute qualified liability under 
paragraph (a)(6) of this section.
    Example 5. Partnership's assumption of a qualified liability as sole 
consideration. (i) F transfers property Z to a partnership. At the time 
of its transfer to the partnership, property Z has a fair market value 
of $165,000 and an adjusted tax basis of $75,000. Also, at the time of 
the transfer, property Z is subject to a $75,000 liability that F 
incurred more than two years before transferring property Z to the 
partnership. The liability has been secured by property Z since it was 
incurred by F. Upon the transfer of property Z to the partnership, the 
partnership assumed the liability encumbering that property. The 
partnership made no other transfers to F in consideration for the 
transfer of property Z to the partnership. Assume that, under section 
752 and the regulations thereunder, immediately after the partnership's 
assumption of the liability encumbering property Z, the liability is a 
recourse liability of the partnership and F's share of that liability is 
$25,000.
    (ii) The $75,000 liability secured by property Z is a qualified 
liability of F because F incurred the liability more than two years 
prior to the assumption of the liability by the partnership and the 
liability has encumbered property Z for more than two years prior to 
that assumption. See paragraph (a)(6) of this section. Therefore, since 
no other transfer to F was made as consideration for the transfer of 
property Z, under paragraph (a)(5) of this section, the partnership's 
assumption of the qualified liability of F encumbering property Z is not 
treated as part of a sale.
    Example 6. Partnership's assumption of a qualified liability in 
addition to other consideration. (i) The facts are the same as in 
Example 5, except that the partnership makes a

[[Page 484]]

transfer to D of $30,000 in money that is consideration for F's transfer 
of property Z to the partnership under Sec. 1.707-3.
    (ii) As in Example 5, the $75,000 liability secured by property Z is 
a qualified liability of F. Since the partnership transferred $30,000 to 
F in addition to assuming the qualified liability under paragraph (a)(5) 
of this section, the partnership's assumption of this qualified 
liability is treated as a transfer of additional consideration to F to 
the extent of the lesser of--
    (A) The amount that the partnership would be treated as transferring 
to F if the liability were not a qualified liability ($50,000 (i.e., the 
excess of the $75,000 qualified liability over F's $25,000 share of that 
liability)); or
    (B) The amount obtained by multiplying the qualified liability 
($75,000) by F's net equity percentage with respect to property Z (one-
third).
    (iii) F's net equity percentage with respect to property Z equals 
the fraction determined by dividing--
    (A) The aggregate amount of money or other consideration (other than 
the qualified liability) transferred to F and treated as part of a sale 
of property Z under Sec. 1.707-3(a) ($30,000 transfer of money); by
    (B) F's net equity in property Z ($90,000 (i.e., the excess of the 
$165,000 fair market value over the $75,000 qualified liability)).
    (iv) Accordingly, the partnership's assumption of the qualified 
liability of F encumbering property Z is treated as a transfer of 
$25,000 (one-third of $75,000) of consideration to F pursuant to a sale. 
Therefore, F is treated as having sold $55,000 of the fair market value 
of property Z to the partnership in exchange for $30,000 in money and 
the partnership's assumption of $25,000 of the qualified liability. 
Accordingly, F must recognize $30,000 of gain on the sale (the excess of 
the $55,000 amount realized over $25,000 of F's adjusted basis for 
property, Z (i.e., one-third of F's adjusted basis for the property, 
because F is treated as having sold one-third of the property to the 
partnership)).
    Example 7. Partnership's assumptions of liabilities encumbering 
properties transferred pursuant to a plan. (i) Pursuant to a plan, G and 
H transfer property 1 and property 2, respectively, to an existing 
partnership in exchange for interests in the partnership. At the time 
the properties are transferred to the partnership, property 1 has a fair 
market value of $10,000 and an adjusted tax basis of $6,000, and 
property 2 has a fair market value of $10,000 and an adjusted tax basis 
of $4,000. At the time properties 1 and 2 are transferred to the 
partnership, a $6,000 nonrecourse liability (liability 1) is secured by 
property 1 and a $7,000 recourse liability of F (liability 2) is secured 
by property 2. Properties 1 and 2 are transferred to the partnership, 
and the partnership takes subject to liability 1 and assumes liability 
2. G and H incurred liabilities 1 and 2 immediately prior to 
transferring properties 1 and 2 to the partnership and used the proceeds 
for personal expenditures. The liabilities are not qualified 
liabilities. Assume that G and H are each allocated $2,000 of liability 
1 in accordance with Sec. 1.707-5(a)(2)(ii) (which determines a 
partner's share of a nonrecourse liability). Assume further that G's 
share of liability 2 is $3,500 and H's share is $0 in accordance with 
Sec. 1.707-5(a)(2)(i) (which determines a partner's share of a recourse 
liability).
    (ii) G and H transferred properties 1 and 2 to the partnership 
pursuant to a plan. Accordingly, the partnership's taking subject to 
liability 1 is treated as a transfer of only $500 of consideration to G, 
(the amount by which liability 1 ($6,000) exceeds G's share of 
liabilities 1 and 2 ($5,500)), and the partnership's assumption of 
liability 2 is treated as a transfer of only $5,000 of consideration to 
H (the amount by which liability 2 ($7,000) exceeds H's share of 
liabilities 1 and 2 ($2,000)). G is treated under the rule in Sec. 
1.707-3 as having sold $500 of the fair market value of property 1 in 
exchange for the partnership's taking subject to liability 1 and H is 
treated as having sold $5,000 of the fair market value of property 2 in 
exchange for the assumption of liability 2.
    Example 8. Partnership's assumption of liability pursuant to a plan 
to avoid sale treatment of partnership assumption of another liability. 
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 7, except that--
    (A) H transferred the proceeds of liability 2 to the partnership; 
and
    (B) H incurred liability 2 in an attempt to reduce the extent to 
which the partnership's taking subject to liability 1 would be treated 
as a transfer of consideration to G (and thereby reduce the portion of 
G's transfer of property 1 to the partnership that would be treated as 
part of a sale).
    (ii) Because the partnership assumed liability 2 with a principal 
purpose of reducing the extent to which the partnership's taking subject 
to liability 1 would be treated as a transfer of consideration to G, 
liability 2 is ignored in applying paragraph (a)(3) of this section. 
Accordingly, the partnership's taking subject to liability 1 is treated 
as a transfer of $4,000 of consideration to G (the amount by which 
liability 1 ($6,000) exceeds G's share of liability 1 ($2,000)). On the 
other hand, the partnership's assumption of liability 2 is not treated 
as a transfer of any consideration to H because H's share of that 
liability equals $7,000 as a result of H's transfer of $7,000 in money 
to the partnership.
    Example 9. Partnership's assumptions of qualified liabilities 
encumbering properties transferred pursuant to a plan in addition to 
other consideration. (i) Pursuant to a plan, I transfers property 1 and 
J transfers property 2 plus $10,000 in cash to partnership IJ in 
exchange for equal interests in the partnership.

[[Page 485]]

At the time the properties are transferred to the partnership, property 
1 has a fair market value of $100,000, an adjusted tax basis of $5,000, 
and is encumbered by a qualified liability of $50,000 (liability 1). 
Property 2 has a fair market value of $100,000, an adjusted tax basis of 
$5,000, and is encumbered by a qualified liability of $70,000 (liability 
2). Pursuant to the plan, the partnership transferred to I $10,000 in 
cash. That amount is consideration for I's transfer of property 1 to the 
partnership under Sec. 1.707-3. In accordance with Sec. 1.707-5(a)(2), 
I and J are each allocated $25,000 of liability 1 and $35,000 of 
liability 2.
    (ii) Because the partnership transferred $10,000 to I as 
consideration for the transfer of property, under Sec. 1.707-5(a)(5), 
the partnership's assumption of liability 1 is treated as a transfer of 
additional consideration to I, even though liability 1 is a qualified 
liability, to the extent of the lesser of--
    (A) The amount that the partnership would be treated as transferring 
to I if the liability were not a qualified liability; or
    (B) The amount obtained by multiplying the qualified liability by 
I's net equity percentage with respect to property 1.
    (iii) Because I and J transferred properties 1 and 2 to the 
partnership pursuant to a plan, treating I's qualified liability as a 
nonqualified liability under Sec. 1.707-5(a)(5)(i)(A) enables I to 
apply the special rule applicable to transfers of encumbered property to 
a partnership by more than one partner pursuant to a plan under Sec. 
1.707-5(a)(4). Under this alternative test, the partnership's assumption 
of liability 1 encumbering property 1 is treated as a transfer of zero 
($0) additional consideration to I pursuant to a sale. This is because 
the amount of liability 1 ($50,000) does not exceed the sum of I's share 
of liability 1 treated as a nonqualified liability ($25,000) and I's 
share of liability 2 ($35,000)).
    (iv) The alternative under Sec. 1.707-5(a)(5)(i)(B) is the amount 
obtained by multiplying the qualified liability ($50,000) by I's net 
equity percentage with respect to property 1. I's net equity percentage 
with respect to property 1 equals one-fifth, the fraction determined by 
dividing--
    (A) The aggregate amount of money or other consideration (other than 
the qualified liability) transferred to I and treated as part of a sale 
of property 1 under Sec. 1.707-3(a) (the $10,000 transfer of money; by
    (B) I's net equity in property 1 ($50,000 i.e., the excess of the 
$100,000 fair market value over the $50,000 qualified liability).
    (v) Under this alternative test, the partnership's assumption of the 
qualified liability encumbering property 1 is treated as a transfer of 
$10,000 (one-fifth of the $50,000 qualified liability) of additional 
consideration to I pursuant to a sale.
    (vi) Applying Sec. 1.707-5(a)(5) to these facts, the partnership's 
assumption of liability 1 is treated as a transfer of additional 
consideration to I to the extent of the lesser of--
    (A) zero; or
    (B) $10,000.
    (vii) Therefore, the partnership's assumption of I's qualified 
liability encumbering property 1 is not treated as a transfer of any 
additional consideration to I pursuant to a sale, and I is treated as 
having only received $10,000 of the fair market value of property 1 to 
the partnership in exchange for $10,000 in cash. Accordingly, I must 
recognize $9,500 of gain on the sale, that is, the excess of the $10,000 
amount realized over $500 of I's adjusted tax basis for property 1 (one-
tenth of I's adjusted tax basis for the property, because I is treated 
as having sold one-tenth of the property to the partnership). Since no 
other transfer to J was made as consideration for the transfer of 
property 2, the partnership's assumption of the qualified liability of J 
encumbering property 2 is not treated as part of a sale.
    Example 10. Treatment of debt-financed transfers of consideration by 
partnership. (i) K transfers property Z to partnership KL in exchange 
for an interest therein on April 9, 1992. On September 13, 1992, the 
partnership incurs a liability of $20,000. On November 17, 1992, the 
partnership transfers $20,000 to K, and $10,000 of this transfer is 
allocable under the rules of Sec. 1.163-8T to proceeds of the 
partnership liability incurred on September 13, 1992. The remaining 
$10,000 is paid from other partnership funds. Assume that, under section 
752 and the corresponding regulations, the $20,000 liability incurred on 
September 13, 1992, is a recourse liability of the partnership and K's 
share of that liability is $10,000 on November 17, 1992.
    (ii) Because a portion of the transfer made to K on November 17, 
1992, is allocable under Sec. 1.163-8T to proceeds of a partnership 
liability that was incurred by the partnership within 90 days of that 
transfer, K is required to take the transfer into account in applying 
the rules of this section and Sec. 1.707-3 only to the extent that the 
amount of the transfer exceeds K's allocable share of the liability used 
to fund the transfer. K's allocable share of the $20,000 liability used 
to fund $10,000 of the transfer to K is $5,000 (K's share of the 
liability ($10,000) multiplied by the fraction obtained by dividing--
    (A) The amount of the liability that is allocable to the 
distribution to K ($10,000); by
    (B) The total amount of such liability ($20,000)).
    (iii) Therefore, K is required to take into account only $15,000 of 
the $20,000 partnership transfer to K for purposes of this section and 
Sec. 1.707-3. Under these facts, assuming the within-two-year 
presumption is not rebutted, this $15,000 transfer will be treated under 
the rule in Sec. 1.707-3 as part of a sale by K of property Z to the 
partnership.

[[Page 486]]

    Example 11. Borrowing against pool of receivables. (i) M generates 
receivables which have an adjusted basis of zero in the ordinary course 
of its business. For M to use receivables as security for a loan, a 
commercial lender requires M to transfer the receivables to a 
partnership in which M has a 90 percent interest. In January, 1992, M 
transfers to the partnership receivables with a face value of $100,000. 
N (who is not related to M) transfers $10,000 cash to the partnership in 
exchange for a 10 percent interest. The partnership borrows $80,000, 
secured by the receivables, and makes a distribution of $72,000 of the 
proceeds to M and $8,000 of the proceeds to N within 90 days of 
incurring the liability. M's share of the liability under Sec. 1.707-
5(a)(2) is $72,000 (90 percentx$80,000).
    (ii) Because the transfer of the loan proceeds to M is allocable 
under Sec. 1.163-8T to proceeds of a partnership loan that was incurred 
by the partnership within 90 days of that transfer, M is required to 
take the transfer into account in applying the rules of this section and 
Sec. 1.707-3 only to the extent that the amount of the transfer 
($72,000) exceeds M's allocable share of the liability used to fund the 
transfer. Because the distribution was a debt-financed transfer pursuant 
to a plan, M's allocable share of the liability is $72,000 
($72,000x$80,000/80,000) under Sec. 1.707-5(b)(2)(ii). Therefore, M is 
not required to take into account any of the loan proceeds for purposes 
of this section and Sec. 1.707-3.
    (iii) When the receivables are collected, M must be allocated the 
gain on the contributed receivables under section 704(c). However, the 
lender permits the partnership to distribute cash to the partners only 
to the extent of the value of new receivables contributed to the 
partnership. In 1993, M contributes additional receivables and receives 
a distribution of cash. The taxable income recognized by the partnership 
on the receivables is taxable income of the partnership arising in the 
ordinary course of the partnership's activities. To the extent the 
distribution does not exceed 90 percent (M's percentage interest in 
overall partnership profits) of the partnership's operating cash flow 
under Sec. 1.707-4(b), the distribution to M is presumed not to be a 
part of a sale of receivables by M to the partnership, and the 
presumption is not rebutted under these facts.

[T.D. 8439, 57 FR 44983, Sept. 30, 1992]