Sec. 1.994-1 Inter-company pricing rules for DISCs.

(i) The term "related party" means a person which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the same interests as the DISC within the meaning of section 482 and section 1.482-1(a) .

(ii) The term "related supplier" means a related party which singly engages in a transaction directly with the DISC which is subject to the rules of section 994 and this section. However, a DISC may have different related suppliers with respect to different transactions. If, for example, X owns all the stock of Y, a corporation, and of Z, a DISC, and sells a product to Y which is resold to Z, only Y is the related supplier of Z, and, thus, only the resale from Y to Z is subject to section 994 and this section. If, however, X sells directly to Z and Y also sells directly to Z, then, as to the transactions involving direct sales to Z, each of X and Y is a related supplier of Z.

(i) For purposes of the gross receipts and combined taxable income methods, where property (encompassed within a transaction or group chosen under subparagraph (7) of this paragraph) is transferred by a related supplier to a DISC during a taxable year of either the DISC or related supplier, but some or all of such property is not sold by the DISC during such year--

(ii) For purposes of this paragraph, a DISC may determine the year in which it receives property from a related supplier and the year in which it sells property in accordance with the method of identifying goods in its inventory properly used under section 471 or 472 (relating respectively to general rule for inventories and to LIFO inventories). Transportation expense of the related supplier in connection with a transaction to which this subparagraph applies shall be treated as an item of cost of goods sold with respect to the property if the related supplier includes the cost of intracompany transportation between its branches, divisions, plants, or other units in its cost of goods sold (see subparagraph (6)(ii) of this paragraph).

(i) Subject to subdivisions (ii) through (v) of this subparagraph, the taxpayer's method of accounting used in computing taxable income will be accepted for purposes of determining amounts and the taxable year for which items of income and expense (including depreciation) are taken into account. See section 1.991-1(b)(2) with respect to the method of accounting which may be used by a DISC.

(ii) Cost of goods sold shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of section 1.61-3. See sections 471 and 472 and the regulations thereunder with respect to inventories. With respect to property to which an election under section 631 applies (relating to cutting of timber considered as a sale or exchange), cost of goods sold shall be determined by applying section 1.631-1(d)(3) and (e) (relating to fair market value as of the beginning of the taxable year of the standing timber cut during the year considered as its cost).

(iii) Costs (other than cost of goods sold) which shall be treated as relating to gross receipts from sales of export property are (a) the expenses, losses, and other deductions definitely related, and therefore allocated and apportioned, thereto, and (b) a ratable part of any other expenses, losses, or other deductions which are not definitely related to a class of gross income, determined in a manner consistent with the rules set forth in section 1.861-8.

(iv) The taxpayer's choice in accordance with subparagraph (7) of this paragraph as to the grouping of transactions shall be controlling, and costs deductible in a taxable year shall be allocated and apportioned to the items or classes of gross income of such taxable year resulting from such grouping.

(v) If an account receivable arising with respect to a sale of export property is transferred by the related supplier to a DISC which is a member of the same controlled group within the meaning of section 1.993-1(k) for an amount reflecting a discount from the selling price taken into account in computing (without regard to this subdivision) combined taxable income of the DISC and its related supplier, then the combined taxable income from such sale shall be reduced by the amount of the discount.

(i) Generally, the determinations under this section are to be made on a transaction-by-transaction basis. However, at the annual choice of the taxpayer some or all of these determinations may be made on the basis of groups consisting of products or product lines.

(ii) A determination by a taxpayer as to a product or a product line will be accepted by a district director if such determination conforms to any one of the following standards: (a) A recognized industry or trade usage, or (b) the 2-digit major groups (or any inferior classifications or combinations thereof, within a major group) of the Standard Industrial Classification as prepared by the Statistical Policy Division of the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President.

(iii) A choice by the taxpayer to group transactions for a taxable year on a product or product line basis shall apply to all transactions with respect to that product or product line consummated during the taxable year. However, the choice of a product or product line grouping applies only to transactions covered by the grouping and, as to transactions not encompassed by the grouping, the determinations are made on a transaction-by-transaction basis. For example, the taxpayer may choose a product grouping with respect to one product and use the transaction-by-transaction method for another product within the same taxable year.

(iv) For rules as to grouping certain related and subsidiary services, see paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section.

(i) The amount of the income that may be earned by the DISC in any year is the amount, computed in a manner consistent with paragraph (c) of this section, which the DISC would have been permitted to earn under the gross receipts method, the combined taxable income method, or section 482 method if the related supplier had sold (or leased) the property or service to the DISC and the DISC in turn sold (or subleased) to a third party, whether or not a related party, and

(ii) The maximum commission the DISC may charge the related supplier is the sum of the amount of income determined under subdivision (i) of this subparagraph plus the DISC's total costs for the transaction as determined under paragraph (c)(6) of this section.

(i) Related and subsidiary services attributable to the year of the export transaction.

The gross receipts for related and subsidiary services described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section shall be treated as part of the receipts from the export transaction to which such services are related and subsidiary, but only if, under the arrangement between the DISC and its related supplier and the accounting method otherwise employed by the DISC, the income from such services is includible for the same taxable year as income from such export transaction.

(ii) Other services.

In the case of related and subsidiary services to which subdivision (i) of this subparagraph does not apply and other services described in paragraph (b)(4) or (5) of this section performed by a related supplier (relating respectively to engineering and architectural services and certain managerial services), the amount of taxable income which the DISC may derive for any taxable year shall be determined under the arrangement between the DISC and its related supplier and shall be computed in a manner consistent with the rules in paragraph (c) of this section for computing the transfer price in the case of sales for resale of export property under the gross receipts method or combined taxable income method. Related and subsidiary services to which subdivision (i) of this subparagraph does not apply may be grouped, under the rules for grouping of transactions in paragraph (c)(7) of this section, with the products or product lines to which they are related and subsidiary, so long as the grouping of services chosen is consistent with the grouping of products or product lines chosen for the taxable year in which either the product or product lines were sold or in which payment for such services is received or accrued. The rules for grouping of transactions in paragraph (c)(7) of this section shall not apply with respect to the determination of taxable income which the DISC may derive from other services described in paragraph (b)(4) or (5) of this section performed by a related supplier or commissions on such services, and such determination shall be made only on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

(i) In general.

Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, neither the gross receipts method nor the combined taxable income method may be applied to cause in any taxable year a loss to the related supplier, but either method may be applied to the extent it does not cause a loss. A loss to a related supplier would result if the taxable income of the DISC would exceed the combined taxable income of the related supplier and the DISC. If, however, there is no combined taxable income of the DISC and the related supplier (because, for example, a combined loss is incurred), a transfer price (or commission) will not be deemed to cause a loss to the related supplier if it allows the DISC to recover an amount not in excess of its costs (if any).

(ii) Special rule for applying "4 percent" gross receipts method to sales.

A transfer price or commission, determined under the "4 percent" gross receipts method (determined without regard to subdivision (i) of this subparagraph), for a sale of export property referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, will not be considered to cause a loss for the related supplier if for the DISC's taxable year, the ratio that (a) the taxable income of the DISC derived from such sale by using such price or commission bears to (b) the DISC's gross receipts from such sale is not greater than the ratio that (c) all of the taxable income of the related supplier and the DISC from all sales of the same product or product line (domestic and foreign) to third parties whether or not related parties bears to (d) the total gross receipts of the related supplier and the DISC from such sales. For purposes of the preceding sentence, sales between the DISC and its related suppliers shall not be taken into account under (c) or (d) of this subdivision. For example, assume that for a taxable year of a DISC the total costs of the related supplier and the DISC with respect to all sales ($150 for domestic and $44 for foreign) of a product line are $194 and the total gross receipts of the related supplier and the DISC with respect to such sales are $200 so that the total taxable income of the related supplier and the DISC with respect to such sales is $6. The parties would thus be entitled to compute a transfer price determined under the gross receipts method on any given sale of product A of such product line by the related supplier to the DISC which would allocate to the DISC taxable income equal to not more than 3 percent (i.e., $6/$200) of its gross receipts derived from its resale of such product. If the DISC were to resell an item of product A for $10, the transfer price paid by the DISC to the related supplier determined under the gross receipts method could be as low as $9.70.

(iii) Grouping transactions.

For purposes of subdivision (i) of this subparagraph, the basis for grouping transactions chosen by the taxpayer under paragraph (c)(7) of this section for the taxable year shall be applied. For purposes of making the computations of subdivision (ii)(c) and (d) of this subparagraph, however, the taxpayer may choose any basis for grouping transactions permissible under paragraph (c)(7) of this section, even though it may not be the same basis as that already chosen under paragraph (c)(7) of this section for computing transfer prices or commissions to a DISC. If, for example, the taxpayer has chosen to group transactions on a product basis for computing transfer prices or commissions to a DISC for a taxable year, the taxpayer may still group transactions on a product line basis for purposes of computing taxable income and total gross receipts under subdivision (ii)(c) and (d) of this subparagraph. For a further example, if the taxpayer computes taxable income for one group of transactions under the gross receipts method and computes taxable income for a second group of transactions under the combined taxable income method, the taxpayer may aggregate these transactions for purposes of computing taxable income and total gross receipts under subdivision (ii)(c) and (d) of this subparagraph.

(i) The amount of a transfer price (or reasonable estimate thereof) actually charged by a related supplier to a DISC, or a sales commission (or reasonable estimate thereof) actually charged by a DISC to a related supplier, in a transaction to which section 994 applies must be paid no later than 60 days following the close of the taxable year of the DISC during which the transaction occurred.

(ii) Payment must be in the form of money, property (including accounts receivable from sales by or through the DISC), a written obligation which qualifies as debt under the safe harbor rule of section 1.992-1(d)(2)(ii), or an accounting entry offsetting the account receivable against an existing debt owed by the person in whose favor the account receivable was established to the person with whom it engaged in the transaction. The form of the payment to a DISC need not be a qualified export asset under section 1.993-2. However, for the requirement that the adjusted basis of the qualified export assets of the DISC at the close of its taxable year must equal or exceed 95 percent of the sum of the adjusted bases of all assets of the DISC at the close of its taxable year, see section 992(a)(1)(B).

(iii) If the district director can demonstrate, based upon the data available as of the 60th day after the close of such taxable year, that the amount actually paid did not represent a reasonable estimate of the transfer price or commission (as the case may be) to be determined under section 994 and this section, an indebtedness will be deemed to arise, from the person required to make the payment in favor of the person to whom the payment is required to be made, in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of the transfer price or commission determined under section 994 and this section and the amount (if any) actually paid and received. Such indebtedness will be deemed to arise as of the date the transaction occurred which gave rise to the indebtedness, except that, if such transaction occurred in a taxable year of the DISC ending on or before August 15, 1975, at the taxpayer's option, the indebtedness will be deemed to arise as of the date by which payment was required under subdivision (i) of this paragraph (e)(3). Such indebtedness owed to a DISC shall be treated as an asset but shall not be treated as a trade receivable or other qualified export asset (see section 1.993-2(d)(3)) as of the end of the taxable year of the DISC in which the indebtedness is deemed to arise.

(iv)

(v) An indebtedness arising under subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph shall bear interest at an arm's length rate, computed in the manner provided by section 1.482-2(a)(2) from the 61st day after the close of the DISC's taxable year in which the transaction occurred which gave rise to the indebtedness to the date of payment. The interest so computed shall be accrued and included in the taxable income of the person to whom the indebtedness is owed for each taxable year during which the indebtedness is unpaid.

(i)

(ii) Payment must be in a form specified in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph.

(iii) If an account receivable of a DISC described in subdivision (i) of this paragraph (e)(5) is not paid within 90 days of the date it is established (or deemed established), then, as of the end of the taxable year of the DISC in which the transaction occurred which gives rise to the indebtedness, the account receivable shall be treated as an asset except that, if the account receivable is established (or deemed established) in a taxable year of the DISC ending on or before August 15, 1975, at the taxpayer's option, the account receivable shall be treated as an asset as of the end of such taxable year. However, under section 1.993-2(d)(3), an account receivable referred to in the preceding sentence shall not be treated as a trade receivable or other qualified export asset.

(iv) An account receivable established in accordance with subdivision (i) of this subparagraph shall bear interest at an arm's length rate, computed in the manner provided by section 1.482-2(a)(2) from the day after the date the account receivable is deemed established to the date of payment. The interest so computed shall be accrued and included in the taxpayer's taxable income for each taxable year during which the account receivable is outstanding.

(v)

(vi) The procedure for adjustments to transfer price provided by this subparagraph does not apply to incomplete transactions described in paragraph (c)(5)(i)(b) of this section. Such procedure will, however, be applied to any such transaction with respect to the taxable year in which the transaction is completed.

Example (1).

(i) During 1975, a DISC which uses the calendar year as its taxable year purchased a product from its related supplier and made an initial payment of $8,500. If $8,500 were determined to be the transfer price under section 994 , the DISC's taxable income from the transaction would be $1,000. Immediately before the DISC filed its return for 1975, under section 994 it is determined that the transfer price is $8,000 and the DISC's taxable income is $1,500. Thus, the requirement of a reasonable estimate under subparagraph (3) of this paragraph was met because the amount ($8,500) actually paid resulted in the DISC realizing taxable income of $1,000 which is not less than 50 percent of the DISC's taxable income ($1,500) from the transaction as determined under section 994 .

(ii) Pursuant to subparagraph (5) of this paragraph, an account receivable due the DISC for $500, i.e., $8,500-$8,000, is established on September 15, 1976, the date the DISC files its return for 1975, and is paid on December 1, 1976. The account receivable for $500 will be considered to relate to the taxable year (1975) in which the transaction occurred which gave rise thereto and will be a qualified export asset under section 1.993-2(d)(3) for the last day of such year.

Example (2). Assume the same facts as in example (1) except that the account receivable for $500 is paid on January 1, 1977. The account receivable for $500 will still be considered to relate to the taxable year (1975) in which the transaction occurred which gave rise thereto. However, such account receivable will be treated as an asset which is not a qualified export asset under section 1.993-2(d)(3) for the last day of such year.

(i) In order for an expense or cost of a type described in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph to be an export promotion expense, the expense or cost must be incurred or treated as incurred by the DISC (under subparagraph (7) of this paragraph) to advance the sale, lease, or other distribution of export property for use, consumption, or distribution outside the United States. Costs of services in performing installation (but not assembly) on the site and for meeting warranty commitments if such services are related and subsidiary (within the meaning of section 1.993-1(d) ) to any qualified sale, lease, or other distribution of export property by the DISC (or with respect to which the DISC received a commission) will be considered to advance the sale, lease, or other distribution of export property. General and administrative expenses attributable to billing customers, other clerical functions of the DISC, or generally operating the DISC, will also be considered to advance the sale, lease, or other distribution of export property. (ii) Where an expense or cost incurred or treated as incurred by the DISC qualifies only in part as an export promotion expense, such expense or cost must be allocated between the qualified portion and such other portion on a reasonable basis. See section 1.994-2(b)(2) for the option of the related supplier not to claim expenses as export promotion expenses.

(i) Ordinary and necessary expenses of the DISC paid or incurred during the DISC's taxable year in carrying on any trade or business, allowable as deductions under section 162 , such as expenses for market studies, advertising, salaries and wages (including contributions or compensations deductible under section 404 ) of sales, clerical, and other personnel, rentals on property, sales commissions, warehousing, and other selling expenses,

(ii) A reasonable allowance under section 167 for exhaustion, wear and tear, or obsolescence of the property of the DISC,

(iii) Costs of freight (subject to the limitations of subparagraph (4) of this paragraph),

(iv) Costs of packaging for export (as defined in subparagraph (5) of this paragraph), or

(v) Costs of designing and labeling packages exclusively for export markets (under subparagraph (6) of this paragraph).

(i) In general.

Export promotion expenses include one-half of the freight expense (not including insurance) for shipping export property aboard a U.S.-flag carrier in those cases where law or regulation of the United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof or of any agency or instrumentality of any of these does not require that the export property be shipped aboard a U.S.-flag carrier. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "freight expense" includes charges paid for c.o.d. service, miscellaneous ground charges, such as charges incurred for services normally performed by U.S.-flag carriers, charges for services of loading aboard U.S.-flag carriers normally performed by such carriers, freight forwarders, or independent contractors engaged in loading property, and charges attributable to a freight consolidation function normally performed by freight forwarders. In order for one-half of freight expenses paid to the owner (or the agent of the owner) of a U.S.-flag carrier to be claimed as an export promotion expense, the DISC must obtain a written statement (such as, for example, a bill of lading) from the owner (or the agent) disclosing that the export property was shipped aboard the owner's U.S.-flag carrier or another U.S.-flag carrier, and the DISC must have no reasonable basis for disbelieving such statement of the owner (or the agent). For the requirement of a written statement from a freight forwarder, see subdivision (iv) of this subparagraph.

(ii) U.S.-flag carrier defined.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term "U.S.-flag carrier" is an airplane owned and operated by a U.S. person or persons (as defined in section 7701(a)(30)) or a ship documented under the laws of the United States. Shipment initiated by delivery to the U.S. Postal Service shall be considered shipment aboard a U.S.-flag carrier, but not if shipped to a place to which mail shipments from the United States are ordinarily accomplished by land transportation, such as to Canada or Mexico, unless airmail is specified.

(iii) Shipment pursuant to law or regulation.

Shipment pursuant to law or regulation includes instances where a U.S.-flag carrier must be used in order to obtain permission from the Government to make the export. If the law or regulation requires a fixed portion of the export property to be shipped aboard a U.S.-flag carrier, the freight expense on that portion of such export property that was so shipped in order to satisfy such requirement cannot qualify as an export promotion expense.

(iv) Freight forwarders.

A payment to a freight forwarder shall be considered freight expense within the meaning of this paragraph to the extent the forwarder utilizes a U.S.-flag carrier. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "freight forwarder" includes air freight consolidators and carriers owned and operated by U.S. persons utilizing U.S.- flag carriers such as non-vessel-owning common carriers. In order for one-half of freight expenses paid to a freight forwarder to be claimed as export promotion expenses, the DISC must obtain a written statement (such as, for example, a bill of lading) from the freight forwarder disclosing that the export property was shipped aboard a U.S.-flag carrier, and the DISC must have no reasonable basis for disbelieving such statement of the freight forwarder.

(v) Freight within the United States.

A DISC may not claim as export promotion expense any amount that is attributable to carriage of export property between points within the United States. If, however, export property is carried from the United States to a foreign country on a through shipment pursuant to a single bill of lading or similar document aboard one or more U.S.-flag carriers, the freight expense of such carriage shall not be apportioned between the domestic and foreign portions of such carriage, even though a carrier may stop en route within the United States or the export property may be shifted from one carrier to another, and one-half of such freight expense may be claimed as an export promotion expense. Freight expense does not include the cost of transporting the export property to the depot of the U.S.-flag carrier or freight forwarder for shipment abroad. The expense of shipment of export property initiated by delivery to the U.S. Postal Service for ultimate delivery outside the United States shall be considered as attributable entirely to carriage of such property outside the United States.

(i) Export promotion expenses include the direct and indirect cost of packaging export property (including the cost of the package) for export whether or not the packaging is the same as domestic packaging. Such packaging costs do not include costs of manufacturing (as defined in the regulations under section 993 ) and assembly. Thus, if a DISC buys and packages export property for resale, its costs of packaging the export property are export promotion expenses. If, however, the process of such packaging by the DISC is physically integrated with the process of manufacturing the export property by the related supplier, the costs of such packaging are not export promotion expenses.

(ii) The cost of containers leased from a shipping company to which the DISC also pays freight for the property packaged is not a cost of packaging. However, in such circumstances, one-half of the rental charge may be allowable as a freight expense if permitted under subparagraph (4) of this paragraph.

(i) In general.

In order for an expense to be an export promotion expense it must be incurred or treated as incurred under this subparagraph by the DISC. For example, an expense is incurred by a DISC if the expense results from (a) the DISC incurring an obligation to pay compensation to its employees, (b) depreciation of property owned by the DISC and used by its employees, (c) the DISC incurring an obligation to pay for office supplies used by its employees, (d) the DISC incurring an obligation to pay space costs for use by its employees, or (e) the DISC incurring an obligation to pay other costs supporting efforts by its employees.

(ii) Payments to independent contractors.

A payment to an independent contractor, directly or indirectly, is treated as incurred by the DISC if the cost of performing the function performed by the independent contractor would be considered an export promotion expense described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this paragraph if performed by the DISC, and if, in a case where the services of the independent contractor were engaged by a party related to the DISC, such related party and such DISC agreed in writing before the contract was entered into that a specified portion or all of the contract was for the benefit of the DISC and that all of the expenses of the contract (eligible to be considered as export promotion expenses) with respect to such portion would be borne by the DISC.

(iii) Expenses incurred by related parties.

Reimbursements or other payments by a DISC to a related party are export promotion expenses only if the expenses of the related party for which reimbursement is made are for space in a building actually used by employees of the DISC or for export property owned by the DISC. Except as otherwise provided in the preceding sentence, expenses incurred by a foreign international sales corporation (FISC) or a real property holding company (as defined in section 993(e)(1) and (2), respectively) shall not be treated as export promotion expenses of its DISC.

(iv) Selling commissions paid by a DISC.

A commission paid by a DISC to a person other than a related person, with respect to a transaction which gives rise to qualified export receipts of the DISC, is an export promotion expense of the DISC. A commission paid by a DISC to a related person is not an export promotion expense.

(v) Sales of promotional material.

If a DISC sells promotional material to a buyer of export property from the DISC at a price which is greater than the costs of the DISC for such material, such costs are not export promotion expenses. If, however, the DISC sells promotional material at a price which is less than its costs for such material, the excess of such costs over such price is an export promotion expense. For rules relating to the status of promotional material as qualified export assets and export property, see sections 1.993-2 and 1.993-3, respectively.

(vi) An expense may be incurred by the DISC under subdivisions (i) through (v) of this subparagraph even if the accounting for and payment of such expense is handled by a related party and the DISC reimburses the related party for such expenses.