Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle D— - Miscellaneous Excise Taxes › Chapter CHAPTER 45— - PROVISIONS RELATING TO EXPATRIATED ENTITIES › § 4985
Imposes a tax on certain insiders when a company becomes an “expatriated” corporation. The tax equals the rate in section 1(h)(1)(D) times the value of stock-based pay the insider or their family held at any time during the 12 months that start six months before the company’s expatriation date. Options and stock appreciation rights are valued at their fair value. Other stock pay is valued at fair market value. Values are taken on the expatriation date, on the day before a cancellation that happens in the six months before expatriation, or on the grant date for awards made after expatriation. The rule only applies if shareholders recognize gain because of the acquisition described in section 7874(a)(2)(B)(i). It does not apply to options exercised on or in the six months before expatriation if income was reported under section 83 on or before the expatriation date, or to other stock pay that was fully taxed when sold, cashed out, or paid during that period. Cancellation treated as a new grant, any company payment of this tax counts as stock pay and is not deductible, restrictions that could lapse are ignored except those that never lapse, transfers count as payments, and Treasury must issue rules to carry this out. Definitions (one line each): Disqualified individual — an insider who is covered by section 16(a) rules during the 12‑month window. Expatriated corporation — a corporation that meets the expatriated entity test in section 7874(a)(2). Expatriation date — the date the corporation first becomes expatriated. Specified stock compensation — pay or rights whose value is tied to the company’s stock, excluding certain options under part II of subchapter D and payments from plans in section 280G(b)(6). Expanded affiliated group — an affiliated group of companies controlled by more than 50 percent ownership.
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Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 4985
Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73