[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 14]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR25.2511-3]

[Page 538-539]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 25_GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  25.2511-3  Transfers by nonresidents not citizens.

    (a) In general. Sections 2501 and 2511 contain rules relating to the 
taxation of transfers of property by gift by a donor who is a 
nonresident not a citizen of the United States. (See paragraph (b) of 
Sec.  25.2501-1 for the definition of the term ``resident'' for purposes 
of the gift tax.) As combined these rules are:
    (1) The gift tax applies only to the transfer of real property and 
tangible personal property situated in the United States at the time of 
the transfer if either--
    (i) The gift was made on or after January 1, 1967, by a nonresident 
not a citizen of the United States who was not an expatriate to whom 
section 2501(a)(2) was inapplicable on the date of the gift by reason of 
section 2501(a)(3) and paragraph (a)(3) of Sec.  25.2501-1, or
    (ii) The gift was made before January 1, 1967, by a nonresident not 
a citizen of the United States who was not engaged in business in the 
United States during the calendar year in which the gift was made.
    (2) The gift tax applies to the transfer of all property (whether 
real or personal, tangible or intangible) situated in the United States 
at the time of the transfer if either--
    (i) The gift was made on or after January 1, 1967, by a nonresident 
not a citizen of the United States who was an expatriate to whom section 
2501(a)(2) was inapplicable on the date of the gift by reason of section 
2501(a)(3) and paragraph (a)(3) of Sec.  25.2501-1, or
    (ii) The gift was made before January 1, 1967, by a nonresident not 
a citizen of the United States who was engaged in business in the United 
States during the calendar year in which the gift was made.
    (b) Situs of property. For purposes of applying the gift tax to the 
transfer of property owned and held by a nonresident not a citizen of 
the United States at the time of the transfer--
    (1) Real property and tangible personal property. Real property and 
tangible personal property constitute property within the United States 
only if they are physically situated therein.
    (2) Intangible personal property. Except as provided otherwise in 
subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph, intangible personal 
property constitutes property within the United States if it consists of 
a property right issued by or enforceable against a resident of the 
United States or a domestic corporation (public or private), 
irrespective of where the written evidence of the property is physically 
located at the time of the transfer.

[[Page 539]]

    (3) Shares of stock. Irrespective of where the stock certificates 
are physically located at the time of the transfer--
    (i) Shares of stock issued by a domestic corporation constitute 
property within the United States, and
    (ii) Shares of stock issued by a corporation which is not a domestic 
corporation constitute property situated outside the United States.
    (4) Debt obligations. (i) In the case of gifts made on or after 
January 1, 1967, a debt obligation, including a bank deposit, the 
primary obligor of which is a United States person (as defined in 
section 7701(a)(30)), the United States, a State, or any political 
subdivision thereof, the District of Columbia, or any agency or 
instumentality of any such government constitutes property situated 
within the United States. This subdivision applies--
    (a) In the case of a debt obligation of a domestic corporation, 
whether or not any interest on the obligation would be treated under 
section 862(a)(1) as income from sources without the United States by 
reason of section 861(a)(1)(B) (relating to interest received from a 
domestic corporation less than 20 percent of whose gross income for a 3-
year period was derived from sources within the United States) and the 
regulations thereunder;
    (b) In the case of an amount described in section 861(c) (relating 
to certain bank deposits, withdrawable accounts, and amounts held by an 
insurance company under an agreement to pay interest), whether or not 
any interest thereon would be treated under section 862(a)(1) as income 
from sources without the United States by reason of section 861(a)(1)(A) 
(relating to interest on amounts described in section 861(c) which is 
not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within 
the United States) and the regulations thereunder;
    (c) In the case of a deposit with a domestic corporation or domestic 
partnership, whether or not the deposit is with a foreign branch thereof 
engaged in the commercial banking business; and
    (d) Irrespective of where the written evidence of the debt 
obligation is physically located at the time of the transfer.

For purposes of this subdivision, a debt obligation on which there are 
two or more primary obligors shall be apportioned among such obligors, 
taking into account to the extent appropriate under all the facts and 
circumstances any choate or inchoate rights of contribution existing 
among such obligors with respect to the indebtedness. The term ``agency 
or instrumentality'', as used in this subdivision, does not include a 
possession of the United States or an agency or instrumentality of a 
possession.
    (ii) In the case of gifts made on or after January 1, 1967, a debt 
obligation, including a bank deposit, not deemed under subdivision (i) 
of this subparagraph to be situated within the United States, 
constitutes property situated outside the United States.
    (iii) In the case of gifts made before January 1, 1967, a debt 
obligation the written evidence of which is treated as being the 
property itself constitutes property situated within the United States 
if the written evidence of the obligation is physically located in the 
United States at the time of the transfer, irrespective of who is the 
primary obligor on the debt. If the written evidence of the obligation 
is physically located outside the United States, the debt obligation 
constitutes property situated outside the United States.
    (iv) Currency is not a debt obligation for purposes of this 
subparagraph.

[T.D. 7296, 38 FR 34202, Dec. 12, 1973]