Sec. 927 Other definitions and special rules
(a) Export property. For purposes of this subpart--
(1) In general. The term "export property" means property--
(A) manufactured, produced, grown, or extracted in the United States by a person other than a FSC,
(B) held primarily for sale, lease, or rental, in the ordinary course of trade or business, by, or to, a FSC, for direct use, consumption, or disposition outside the United States, and
(C) not more than 50 percent of the fair market value of which is attributable to articles imported into the United States.
For purposes of subparagraph (C), the fair market value of any article imported into the United States shall be its appraised value, as determined by the Secretary under section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401a) in connection with its importation.
(2) Excluded property. The term "export property" shall not include--
(A) property leased or rented by a FSC for use by any member of a controlled group of corporations of which such FSC is a member,
(B) patents, inventions, models, designs, formulas, or processes whether or not patented, copyrights (other than films, tapes, records, or similar reproductions, and other than computer software (whether or not patented), for commercial or home use), good will, trademarks, trade brands, franchises, or other like property,
(C) oil or gas (or any primary product thereof),
(D) products the export of which is prohibited or curtailed to effectuate the policy set forth in paragraph (2)(C) of section 3 of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (relating to the protection of the domestic economy), or
(E) any unprocessed timber which is a softwood.
For purposes of subparagraph (E), the term "unprocessed timber" means any log, cant, or similar form of timber.
(3) Property in short supply. If the President determines that the supply of any property described in paragraph (1) is insufficient to meet the requirements of the domestic economy, he may by Executive order designate the property as in short supply. Any property so designated shall not be treated as export property during the period beginning with the date specified in the Executive order and ending with the date specified in an Executive order setting forth the President's determination that the property is no longer in short supply.
(4) Qualified cooperative. The term "qualified cooperative" means any organization to which part I of subchapter T applies which is engaged in the marketing of agricultural or horticultural products.
(b) Gross receipts.
(1) In general. For purposes of this subpart, the term "gross receipts" means--
(A) the total receipts from the sale, lease, or rental of property held primarily for sale, lease, or rental in the ordinary course of trade or business, and
(B) gross income from all other sources.
(2) Gross receipts taken into account in case of commissions. In the case of commissions on the sale, lease, or rental of property, the amount taken into account for purposes of this subpart as gross receipts shall be the gross receipts on the sale, lease, or rental of the property on which such commissions arose.
(c) Investment income. For purposes of this subpart, the term "investment income" means--
(1) dividends,
(2) interest,
(3) royalties,
(4) annuities,
(5) rents (other than rents from the lease or rental of export property for use by the lessee outside of the United States),
(6) gains from the sale or exchange of stock or securities,
(7) gains from futures transactions in any commodity on, or subject to the rules of, a board of trade or commodity exchange (other than gains which arise out of a bona fide hedging transaction reasonably necessary to conduct the business of the FSC in the manner in which such business is customarily conducted by others),
(8) amounts includible in computing the taxable income of the corporation under part I of subchapter J, and
(9) gains from the sale or other disposition of any interest in an estate or trust.
(d) Other definitions. For purposes of this subpart--
(1) Carrying charges. The term "carrying charges" means--
(A) carrying charges, and
(B) under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, any amount in excess of the price for an immediate cash sale and any other unstated interest.
(2) Transaction.
(A) In general. The term "transaction" means--
(i) any sale, exchange, or other disposition,
(ii) any lease or rental, and
(iii) any furnishing of services.
(B) Grouping of transactions. To the extent provided in regulations, any provision of this subpart which, but for this subparagraph, would be applied on a transaction-by-transaction basis may be applied by the taxpayer on the basis of groups of transactions based on product lines or recognized industry or trade usage. Such regulations may permit different groupings for different purposes.
(3) United States defined. The term "United States" includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(4) Controlled group of corporations. The term "controlled group of corporations" has the meaning given to such term by section 1563(a), except that--
(A) "more than 50 percent" shall be substituted for "at least 80 percent" each place it appears therein, and
(B) section 1563(b) shall not apply.
(5) Possessions. The term "possession of the United States" means Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
(6) Section 923(a)(2) non-exempt income. The term "section 923(a)(2) non-exempt income" means any foreign trade income from a transaction with respect to which paragraph (1) or (2) of section 925(a) does not apply and which is not exempt foreign trade income. Such term shall not include any income which is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States (determined without regard to this subpart).
(e) Special rules.
(1) Source rules for related persons. Under regulations, the income of a person described in section 482 from a transaction giving rise to foreign trading gross receipts of a FSC which is treated as from sources outside the United States shall not exceed the amount which would be treated as foreign source income earned by such person if the pricing rule under section 994 which corresponds to the rule used under section 925 with respect to such transaction applied to such transaction.
(2) Participation in international boycotts, etc. Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, the exempt foreign trade income of a FSC for any taxable year shall be limited under rules similar to the rules of clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 995(b)(1)(F).
(3) Exchange of information requirements. For purposes of this title, the term "FSC" shall not include any corporation which was created or organized under the laws of any foreign country unless there is in effect between such country and the United States--
(A) a bilateral or multilateral agreement described in section 274(h)(6)(C) (determined by treating any reference to a beneficiary country as being a reference to any foreign country and by applying such section without regard to clause (ii) thereof), or
(B) an income tax treaty which contains an exchange of information program--
(i) which the Secretary certifies (and has not revoked such certification) is satisfactory in practice for purposes of this title, and
(ii) to which the FSC is subject.
(4) Disallowance of treaty benefits. Any corporation electing to be treated as a FSC under subsection (f)(1) may not claim any benefits under any income tax treaty between the United States and any foreign country.
(5) Coordination with possessions taxation.
(A) Exemption. No tax shall be imposed by any possession of the United States on any foreign trade income derived before January 1, 1987. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any income attributable to the sale of property or the performance of services for ultimate use, consumption, or disposition within the possession.
(B) Clarification that possession may exempt certain income from tax. Nothing in any provision of law shall be construed as prohibiting any possession of the United States from exempting from tax any foreign trade income of a FSC or any other income of a FSC described in paragraph (2) or (3) of section 921(d).
(C) No cover over of taxes imposed on FSC. Nothing in any provision of law shall be construed as requiring any tax imposed by this title on a FSC to be covered over (or otherwise transferred) to any possession of the United States.
(f) Election of status as FSC (and as small FSC).
(1) Election.
(A) Time for making. An election by a corporation under section 922(a)(2) to be treated as a FSC, and an election under section 922(b)(1) to be a small FSC, shall be made by such corporation for a taxable year at any time during the 90-day period immediately preceding the beginning of the taxable year, except that the Secretary may give his consent to the making of an election at such other times as he may designate.
(B) Manner of election. An election under subparagraph (A) shall be made in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe and shall be valid only if all persons who are shareholders in such corporation on the first day of the first taxable year for which such election is effective consent to such election.
(2) Effect of election. If a corporation makes an election under paragraph (1), then the provisions of this subpart shall apply to such corporation for the taxable year of the corporation for which made and for all succeeding taxable years.
(3) Termination of election.
(A) Revocation. An election under this subsection made by any corporation may be terminated by revocation of such election for any taxable year of the corporation after the first taxable year of the corporation for which the election is effective. A termination under this paragraph shall be effective with respect to such election--
(i) for the taxable year in which made, if made at any time during the first 90 days of such taxable year, or
(ii) for the taxable year following the taxable year in which made, if made after the close of such 90 days, and
for all succeeding taxable years of the corporation. Such termination shall be made in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulations.
(B) Continued failure to be a FSC. If a corporation is not a FSC for each of any 5 consecutive taxable years of the corporation for which an election under this subsection is effective, the election to be a FSC shall be terminated and not be in effect for any taxable year of the corporation after such 5th year.
(g) Treatment of shared FSC's.
(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (2), each separate account referred to in paragraph (3) maintained by a shared FSC shall be treated as a separate corporation for purposes of this subpart.
(2) Certain requirements applied at shared FSC level. Paragraph (1) shall not apply--
(A) for purposes of--
(i) subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), and (E) of section 922(a)(1),
(ii) paragraph (2) of section 922(a),
(iii) subsections (b), (c), and (e) of section 924, and
(iv) subsection (f) of this section, and
(B) for such other purposes as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe.
(3) Shared FSC. For purposes of this subsection, the term "shared FSC" means any corporation if--
(A) such corporation maintains a separate account for transactions with each shareholder (and persons related to such shareholder),
(B) distributions to each shareholder are based on the amounts in the separate account maintained with respect to such shareholder, and
(C) such corporation meets such other requirements as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe.
