§6225 — Title 26 Internal Revenue Code | U.S. Code

Summary

When the IRS audits a partnership and changes items on its return, the partnership itself usually pays the resulting tax bill, called an imputed underpayment. The IRS figures this amount by netting all the adjustments for the audited year and applying the highest tax rate for individuals or corporations in effect that year. The partnership pays it in the year the audit wraps up, not the year that was audited. If the changes do not create an underpayment, the partnership simply takes them into account in that later year. These rules apply to partnership tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The partnership can ask the IRS to lower the bill. The amount can be reduced if partners file their own returns and pay the tax on their share of the changes, if some partners are tax-exempt and would owe nothing, or if a lower rate applies because a partner is a corporation or the income is capital gain or qualified dividends taxed at individual rates. Special relief also exists for publicly traded partnerships with certain passive losses. Requests to modify the amount must reach the IRS within 270 days after it mails the proposed adjustment notice, unless the IRS agrees to more time, and any reduction needs IRS approval.

Title 26, §6225

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In the case of any adjustments by the Secretary to any partnership-related items with respect to any reviewed year of a partnership—

(1)if such adjustments result in an imputed underpayment, the partnership shall pay an amount equal to such imputed underpayment in the adjustment year as provided in section 6232, and

(2)if such adjustments do not result in an imputed underpayment, such adjustments shall be taken into account by the partnership in the adjustment year.

(b)For purposes of this subchapter—

(1)Except as otherwise provided in this section, any imputed underpayment with respect to any reviewed year shall be determined by the Secretary by—

(A)appropriately netting all partnership adjustments with respect to such reviewed year, and

(B)applying the highest rate of tax in effect for the reviewed year under section 1 or 11.

(2)In the case of any adjustment which reallocates the distributive share of any item from one partner to another, such adjustment shall be taken into account by disregarding so much of such adjustment as results in a decrease in the amount of the imputed underpayment.

(3)For purposes of paragraph (1)(A), partnership adjustments for any reviewed year shall first be separately determined (and netted as appropriate) within each category of items that are required to be taken into account separately under section 702(a) or other provision of this title.

(4)If any adjustment would (but for this paragraph)—

(A)result in a decrease in the amount of the imputed underpayment, and

(B)could be subject to any additional limitation under the provisions of this title (or not allowed, in whole or in part, against ordinary income) if such adjustment were taken into account by any person,

(c)(1)The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the imputed underpayment amount may be modified consistent with the requirements of this subsection.

(2)(A)Such procedures shall provide that if—

(i)one or more partners file returns for the taxable year of the partners which includes the end of the reviewed year of the partnership (and for any taxable year with respect to which any tax attribute is affected by reason of any adjustment referred to in clause (ii)),

(ii)such returns take into account all adjustments under subsection (a) properly allocable to such partners (and the effect of such adjustments on any tax attributes), and

(iii)payment of any tax due is included with such returns,

(B)Such procedures shall provide that, with respect to any partner referred to in subparagraph (A), the requirements of subparagraph (A) shall be treated as satisfied with respect to adjustments properly allocable to such partner if, in lieu of filing the returns described in such subparagraph—

(i)the amounts described in subparagraph (A)(iii) are paid by the partner,

(ii)the partner agrees to take into account, in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary, the adjustments to the tax attributes of such partner referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii), and

(iii)such partner provides, in the form and manner specified by the Secretary (including, if the Secretary so specifies, in the same form as on an amended return), such information as the Secretary may require to carry out this subparagraph.

(C)In the case of any adjustment which reallocates the distributive share of any item from one partner to another, this paragraph shall apply with respect to any such partner only if the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) are satisfied with respect to all partners affected by such adjustment.

(D)In the case of adjustments referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii), section 6501 and 6511 shall not apply with respect to any return filed for purposes of subparagraph (A)(i) or any amount paid under subparagraph (A)(iii) or (B)(i).

(E)The adjustments to the tax attributes of any partner provided for in subparagraph (A)(ii) or (B)(ii) shall be binding with respect to the taxable year of the partner which includes the end of the reviewed year of the partnership and any taxable years for which any tax attribute is affected by such adjustment. Any failure to so treat any such tax attribute shall be treated for purposes of this title in the same manner as a failure to treat a partnership-related item in a manner which is consistent with the treatment of such item on the partnership return within the meaning of section 6222.

(F)(i)In the case of any partnership any partner of which is a partnership, subparagraph (A) or (B) may apply with respect to any partner (hereafter in this subparagraph referred to as the “relevant partner”) in the chain of ownership of such partnerships if—

(I)such information as the Secretary may require is furnished to the Secretary for purposes of carrying out this paragraph with respect to such partnerships (including any information the Secretary may require with respect to any chain of ownership of the relevant partner), and

(II)to such extent as the Secretary may require, each partnership in the chain of ownership between the relevant partner and the audited partnership satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B).

(ii)For purposes of clause (i), an S corporation and its shareholders shall be treated in the same manner as a partnership and its partners.

(F)An administrative adjustment request under section 6227 and a partnership adjustment tracking report under section 6226(b)(4)(A) shall not be treated as a return for purposes of this paragraph.

(3)Such procedures shall provide for determining the imputed underpayment without regard to the portion of the adjustment that the partnership demonstrates is allocable to a partner that would not owe tax by reason of its status as a tax-exempt entity (as defined in section 168(h)(2)).

(4)(A)Such procedures shall provide for taking into account a rate of tax lower than the rate of tax described in subsection (b)(1)(A) with respect to any portion of the adjustment that the partnership demonstrates is allocable to a partner which—

(i)is a C corporation, or

(ii)in the case of a capital gain or qualified dividend, is an individual.

(B)(i)Except as provided in clause (ii), the portion of the imputed underpayment to which the lower rate applies with respect to a partner under subparagraph (A) shall be determined by reference to the partners’ distributive share of items to which the imputed underpayment relates.

(ii)If the imputed underpayment is attributable to the adjustment of more than 1 item, and any partner’s distributive share of such items is not the same with respect to all such items, then the portion of the imputed underpayment to which the lower rate applies with respect to a partner under subparagraph (A) shall be determined by reference to the amount which would have been the partner’s distributive share of net gain or loss if the partnership had sold all of its assets at their fair market value as of the close of the reviewed year of the partnership.

(5)(A)In the case of a publicly traded partnership (as defined in section 469(k)(2)), such procedures shall provide—

(i)for determining the imputed underpayment without regard to the portion of the adjustment that the partnership demonstrates is attributable to a net decrease in a specified passive activity loss which is allocable to a specified partner, and

(ii)for the partnership to take such net decrease into account as an adjustment in the adjustment year with respect to the specified partners to which such net decrease relates.

(B)For purposes of this paragraph, the term “specified passive activity loss” means, with respect to any specified partner of such publicly traded partnership, the lesser of—

(i)the passive activity loss of such partner which is separately determined with respect to such partnership under section 469(k) with respect to such partner’s taxable year in which or with which the reviewed year of such partnership ends, or

(ii)such passive activity loss so determined with respect to such partner’s taxable year in which or with which the adjustment year of such partnership ends.

(C)For purposes of this paragraph, the term “specified partner” means any person if such person—

(i)is a partner of the publicly traded partnership referred to in subparagraph (A),

(ii)is described in section 469(a)(2), and

(iii)has a specified passive activity loss with respect to such publicly traded partnership,

(6)The Secretary may by regulations or guidance provide for additional procedures to modify imputed underpayment amounts on the basis of such other factors as the Secretary determines are necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

(7)Anything required to be filed or submitted under this subsection shall be submitted to the Secretary not later than the close of the 270-day period beginning on the date on which the notice of a proposed partnership adjustment is mailed under section 6231 unless such period is extended with the consent of the Secretary.

(8)Any modification of the imputed underpayment amount under this subsection shall be made only upon approval of such modification by the Secretary.

(9)The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the adjustments described in subsection (a)(2) may be modified in such manner as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(d)For purposes of this subchapter—

(1)The term “reviewed year” means the partnership taxable year to which the item being adjusted relates.

(2)The term “adjustment year” means the partnership taxable year in which—

(A)in the case of an adjustment pursuant to the decision of a court in a proceeding brought under section 6234, such decision becomes final,

(B)in the case of an administrative adjustment request under section 6227, such administrative adjustment request is made, or

(C)in any other case, notice of the final partnership adjustment is mailed under section 6231.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6225, added Pub. L. 97–248, title IV, § 402(a), Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 652; amended Pub. L. 105–34, title XII, § 1239(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 1027, allowing assessments to be made only after partnership level proceedings were completed, was repealed by Pub. L. 114–74, title XI, § 1101(a), Nov. 2, 2015, 129 Stat. 625.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(c)(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) related to adjustment by the Secretary in the amount of any item of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of a partnership, or any partner’s distributive share thereof. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(a), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) consisted of pars. (1) and (2) relating to determination of imputed underpayments in general and adjustments to distributive shares of partners not netted, respectively. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–141, § 203(a), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) related to amended returns of partners. Subsec. (c)(2)(F). Pub. L. 115–141, § 206(b), added subpar. (F) relating to adjustments not treated as amended return. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(b)(1), substituted “without regard to the portion of the adjustment” for “without regard to the portion thereof”. Subsec. (c)(4)(A). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(b)(2), substituted “with respect to any portion of the adjustment” for “with respect to any portion of the imputed underpayment” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(5)(A)(i). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(b)(3), substituted “without regard to the portion of the adjustment” for “without regard to the portion thereof”. Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 115–141, § 206(p)(1), substituted “filed or submitted under this subsection” for “submitted pursuant to paragraph (1)”. Subsec. (c)(9). Pub. L. 115–141, § 202(c)(2), added par. (9). 2015—Subsec. (c)(4)(A)(i). Pub. L. 114–113, § 411(a)(1), struck out “in the case of ordinary income,” before “is a C corporation”. Subsec. (c)(5) to (8). Pub. L. 114–113, § 411(a)(2), added par. (5) and redesignated former pars. (5) to (7) as (6) to (8), respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–141 effective as if included in section 1101 of Pub. L. 114–74, see section 207 of Pub. L. 115–141, set out as a note under section 6031 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–113 effective as if included in section 1101 of Pub. L. 114–74, see section 411(e) of Pub. L. 114–113, set out as a note under section 6031 of this title.

Effective Date

Section applicable to returns filed for partnership taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017, with certain exceptions, see section 1101(g) of Pub. L. 114–74, set out as a note under section 6221 of this title.

§6225 Partnership Adjustment by Secretary

Summary

Title 26, §6225

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata