Strategizing International Tax Best Practices – by Keith Brockman

Posts tagged ‘OIRA’

TCJA guidance

Treasury is now fairly confident that all TCJA guidance will be finalized by October 1st.

Treasury deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, Lafayette G. “Chip” Harter III, recently shared his ambitious agenda, including the following:

  • Section 901(m) regulations, imminent
  • Section 163(j) interest, OIRA received proposed regulations February 7th; final reg review is complete
  • FDII regulations, spring; documentation requirements have been reworked
  • GILTI regulations, summer
  • Foreign tax credit regulations and others, in the pipeline

 

  • Treaties with Chile, Hungary and Poland; may be reworked, as there are concerns that the BEAT violates Articles 23 (relief from double taxation) and 24 (nondiscrimination) of the U.S. model income tax treaty

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TJCA

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OIRA: Primer / TCJA status

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA, pronounced “oh-eye-ruh”) is a Federal office that Congress established in the 1980 Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C Chapter 35). OIRA is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is an agency within the Executive Office of the President. In addition to reviewing government collections of information from the public under the Paperwork Reduction Act, OIRA reviews draft proposed and final regulations under Executive Order 12866 and develops and oversees the implementation of government-wide policies in the areas of information policy, privacy, and statistical policy. OIRA also oversees agency implementation of the Information Quality Act, including the peer review practices of agencies.

Current items, listed under Dept. of Treasury towards the bottom of the first referenced link, include a Final rule on Sec. 267A Hybrid payments, Proposed rule on Section 1502 guidance, and a Final rule on applying Sec. 163(j) interest limitation.

Regulatory actions include:

  • Notice  –  These are documents that announce new programs (such as grant programs) or agency policies.
  • Pre-rule (or advance notice of proposed rulemaking)  –  Agencies undertake this type of action to solicit public comment on whether or not, or how best, to initiate a rulemaking. Such actions occur prior to the proposed rule stage.
  • Proposed rule  –  This is the rulemaking stage in which an agency proposes to add to or change its existing regulations and solicits public comment on this proposal.
  • Final rule  –  This is the last step of the rulemaking process in which the agency responds to public comment on the proposed rule and makes appropriate revisions before publishing the final rule in the Federal Register to become effective.
  • Interim Final Rule  –  These interim rules are typically issued in conformity with statutory provisions allowing agencies to publish a final rule that becomes effective soon after publication, without going through the proposed rule stage. The “good cause” exception in the Administrative Procedure Act allows agencies to bypass public notice and comment on a rule when it would be impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. This process typically allows for public comment after the rule is published so that the agency still has an opportunity to consider public input and revise the rule accordingly.
  • Direct Final Rule  –  These rules are similar to interim final rules, except that there is no comment period after publication, on the ground that they are uncontroversial. Such rules are categorized simply as “final rules” for display purposes on the dashboard.

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoReviewSearch

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/

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TJCA

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US: Int’l update/FTC Reg’s

  • The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its review of final and temporary foreign tax credit (FTC) regulations on 29 October, including R&D expense allocation.  These rules are imminent.
  • Final Sec. 385 regulations were issued, removing the final documentation requirements
  • Sec. 385 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was issued re: Distribution Regulations
  • The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation staff released the General Explanation of Certain Tax Legislation Enacted in the 115th Congress (JCS-2-19) on 31 October. Colloquially known as the Blue Book, the publication includes a description of all tax legislation enacted in the 115th Congress, with the exception of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97), which was covered in a separate General Explanation released in December 2018.
  • A Brexit extension was approved this week, with the UK’s Article 50 period (after which the UK will leave the EU) legally extended by the EU until 31 January 2020.

EY’s Global Tax Alert provides more details, with a reference link.

The FTC regulations, to be issued in final and proposed form, will be complex, long and will provide certainty, as well as more questions into this complex area.

Click to access 2019G_004918-19Gbl_Report%20on%20recent%20US%20intl%20tax%20developments%20-%201%20Nov%202019.pdf

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TJCA

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US: FTC Reg’s on the way

Final and proposed Foreign Tax Credit (FTC) regulations are in review by OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

These regulations join the pending BEAT regulations in OIRA.

We should expect both sets of regulations in the very near future.

https://home.kpmg/us/en/home/insights/2019/10/tnf-regulations-pending-oira-review-foreign-tax-credit-guidance.html

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TJCA

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US: The BEAT goes on

As news of final Base Erosion and Anti-abuse Tax (BEAT) regulations are to be released by OIRA and issued, there are also new proposed BEAT regulations to accompany them.

So, the BEAT goes on, while everyone is still awaiting final foreign tax credit regulations.

As we are approaching the end of the third quarter, this may be a significant development to digest for material changes to the proposed regulations, in addition to some unknowns and uncertainties.

Click to access 2019G_004223-19Gbl_Report%20on%20recent%20US%20intl%20tax%20developments%20-%2020%20Sept%202019.pdf

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TJCA

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US Reg update: 987/954/958/PTI/GILTI

Alot of regulation activity is taking place, in advance of the June 22nd date that would allow provisions of the Tax Act to be retroactive to date of enactment.  Additionally, the regulations will clarify tax return reporting for calendar year US-based multinationals.  

The IRS issued final regulations (T.D. 9857), effective 13 May 2019, that address the recognition and deferral of foreign currency gain or loss with respect to qualified business units (QBUs) subject to Section 987 (Section 987 QBUs) in connection with certain QBU terminations and other transactions involving partnerships.

The IRS released, on 17 May, proposed regulations under Sections 954 and 958 on the attribution of ownership of stock or other interests for purposes of determining whether a person is a related person with respect to a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) under Section 954(d)(3). The IRS also released proposed regulations that provide rules for determining whether a CFC is considered to derive rents in the active conduct of a trade or business in computing foreign personal holding company income.

Eagerly-anticipated final GILTI regulations moved closer to release this week, having been received for review by the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on 16 May.

Proposed regulations under Sections 951(b) and Section 951A were also sent to OIRA for review on the same day.

In addition, interim final regulations under Sections 91 and 245A were received by OIRA on 15 May.

EY’s Global Tax Alert provides details on the above actions, for reference.

Click to access 2019G_002432-19Gbl_Report%20on%20recent%20US%20international%20tax%20developments%20-%2017%20May%202019.pdf

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Tax Risk Management, TJCA

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