26 C.F.R. § 1.338-11 Effect of section 338 election on insurance company targets.
Title 26 - Internal Revenue
(a) In general. This section provides rules that apply when an election under section 338 is made for a target that is an insurance company. The rules in this section apply in addition to those generally applicable upon the making of an election under section 338. In the case of a conflict between the provisions of this section and other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or regulations, the rules set forth in this section determine the Federal income tax treatment of the parties and the transaction when a section 338 election is made for an insurance company target. (b) Computation of ADSP and AGUB—(1) Reserves taken into account as a liability. Old target's tax reserves are the reserves for Federal income tax purposes for any insurance, annuity, and reinsurance contracts deemed sold by old target to new target in the deemed asset sale. The amount of old target's tax reserves is the amount that is properly taken into account by old target for the contracts at the close of the taxable year that includes the deemed sale tax consequences (before giving effect to the deemed asset sale and assumption reinsurance transaction). Old target's tax reserves are a liability of old target taken into account in determining ADSP under §1.338–4 and a liability of new target taken into account in determining AGUB under §1.338–5. (2) Allocation of ADSP and AGUB to specific insurance contracts. For purposes of allocating AGUB and ADSP under §§1.338–6 and 1.338–7, the fair market value of a specific insurance, reinsurance or annuity contract or group of insurance, reinsurance or annuity contracts (insurance contracts) is the amount of the ceding commission a willing reinsurer would pay a willing ceding company in an arm's length transaction for the reinsurance of the contracts if the gross reinsurance premium for the contracts were equal to old target's tax reserves for the contracts. See §1.197–2(g)(5) for rules concerning the treatment of the amount allocable to insurance contracts acquired in the deemed asset sale. (c) Application of assumption reinsurance principles—(1) In general. If a target is an insurance company, the deemed sale of insurance contracts is treated for Federal income tax purposes as an assumption reinsurance transaction between old target, as the reinsured or ceding company, and new target, as the reinsurer or acquiring company, at the close of the acquisition date. The Federal income tax treatment of the assumption reinsurance transaction is determined under the applicable provisions of subchapter L, chapter 1, subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code, as modified by the rules set forth in this section. (2) Reinsurance premium. Old target is deemed to pay a gross amount of premium in the assumption reinsurance transaction equal to the amount of old target's tax reserves for the insurance contracts that are acquisition date assets (acquired contracts). New target is deemed to receive a reinsurance premium in the amount of old target's tax reserves for the acquired contracts. See paragraph (d) of this section for circumstances in which new target is deemed to receive additional premium. See §1.817–4(d)(2) for old target's and new target's treatment of the premium. (3) Ceding commission. Old target is deemed to receive a ceding commission in an amount equal to the amount of ADSP allocated to the acquired contracts, as determined under §§1.338–6 and 1.338–7 and paragraph (b) of this section. New target is deemed to pay a ceding commission in an amount equal to the amount of AGUB allocated to the acquired contracts, as determined under §§1.338–6 and 1.338–7 and paragraph (b) of this section. See §1.817–4(d)(2) for old target's and new target's treatment of the ceding commission. (4) Examples. The following examples illustrate this paragraph (c): Example 1. (i) Facts. On January 1, 2003, T, an insurance company, has the following assets with the following fair market values: $10 cash, $30 of securities, $10 of equipment, a life insurance contract having a value, under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, of $17, and goodwill and going concern value. T has tax reserves of $50 and no other liabilities. On January 1, 2003, P purchases all of the stock of T for $16 and makes a section 338 election for T. For purposes of the capitalization requirements of section 848, assume new T has $20 of general deductions in its first taxable year ending on December 31, 2003, and earns no other premiums during the year.
(ii) Analysis. (A) For Federal income tax purposes, the section 338 election results in a deemed sale of the assets of old T to new T. Old T's ADSP is $66 ($16 amount realized for the T stock plus $50 liabilities). New T's AGUB also is $66 ($16 basis for the T stock plus $50 liabilities). See paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Each of the AGUB and ADSP is allocated under the residual method of §1.338–6 to determine the purchase or sale price of each asset transferred. Each of the AGUB and ADSP is allocated as follows: $10 to cash (Class I), $30 to the securities (Class II), $10 to equipment (Class V), $16 to the life insurance contract (Class VI), and $0 to goodwill and going concern value (Class VII). (B) Under section 1001, old T's amount realized for the securities is $30 and for the equipment is $10. As a result of the deemed asset sale, there is an assumption reinsurance transaction between old T (as ceding company) and new T (as reinsurer) at the close of the acquisition date for the life insurance contract issued by old T. See paragraph (c)(1) of this section. Although the assumption reinsurance transaction results in a $50 decrease in old T's reserves, which is taxable income to old T, the reinsurance premium paid by old T is deductible by old T. Under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, old T is deemed to pay a reinsurance premium equal to the reserve for the life insurance contract immediately before the deemed asset sale ($50) and is deemed to receive a ceding commission from new T. Under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the portion of the ADSP allocated to the life insurance contract is $16; thus, the ceding commission is $16. Old T, therefore, is deemed to pay new T a reinsurance premium of $34 ($50 − $16 = $34). Old T also has $34 of net negative consideration for purposes of section 848. See paragraph (f) of this section for rules relating to the effect of a section 338 election on the capitalization of amounts under section 848. (C) New T obtains an initial basis of $30 in the securities and $10 in the equipment. New T is deemed to receive a reinsurance premium from old T in an amount equal to the $50 of reserves for the life insurance contract and to pay old T a $16 ceding commission for the contract. See paragraphs (c)(2) and (3) of this section. Accordingly, new T includes $50 of premium in income and deducts $50 for its increase in reserves. For purposes of section 848, new T has $34 of net positive consideration for the deemed assumption reinsurance transaction. Because the only contract involved in the deemed assumption reinsurance transaction is a life insurance contract, new T must capitalize $2.62 ($34 × 7.7% = $2.62) under section 848. New T will amortize the $2.62 as provided under section 848. New T's adjusted basis in the life insurance contract, which is an amortizable section 197 intangible, is $13.38, the excess of the $16 ceding commission over the $2.62 capitalized under section 848. See section 197 and §1.197–2(g)(5). New T deducts the $2.62 of the ceding commission that is not amortizable under section 197 because it is reflected in the amount capitalized under section 848 and also deducts the remaining $17.38 of its general deductions. Example 2. (i) Facts. Assume the same facts as in Example 1, except the life insurance contract has a value of $0 and the fair market value of T's securities are $60. Thus, to reinsure the contract in an arm's length transaction, T would have to pay the reinsurer a reinsurance premium in excess of T's $50 of tax reserves for the contract.
(ii) Analysis. (A) For Federal income tax purposes, the section 338 election results in a deemed sale of the assets of old T to new T. Old T's ADSP is $66 ($16 amount realized for the T stock plus $50 liabilities). New T's AGUB also is $66 ($16 basis for the T stock plus $50 liabilities). See paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Each of the AGUB and ADSP is allocated under the residual method of §1.338–6 to determine the purchase or sale price of each asset transferred. Each of the AGUB and ADSP is allocated as follows: $10 to cash (Class I), $56 to the securities (Class II), $0 to the equipment (Class V), $0 to the life insurance contract (Class VI), and $0 to goodwill and going concern value (Class VII). (B) Under section 1001, old T's amount realized for the securities is $56 and for the equipment is $0. As a result of the deemed asset sale, there is an assumption reinsurance transaction between old T (as ceding company) and new T (as reinsurer) at the close of the acquisition date for the life insurance contract issued by old T. See paragraph (c)(1) of this section. Although the assumption reinsurance transaction results in a $50 decrease in old T's reserves, which is taxable income to old T, the reinsurance premium deemed paid by old T to new T is deductible by old T. Under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, old T is deemed to pay a reinsurance premium equal to the reserve for the life insurance contract immediately before the deemed asset sale ($50), and is deemed to receive from new T a ceding commission equal to the amount of AGUB allocated to the life insurance contract ($0), as provided in paragraph (c)(3) of this section. Old T also has $50 of net negative consideration for purposes of section 848. See paragraph (f) of this section for rules relating to the effect of a section 338 election on capitalization amounts under section 848. (C) New T obtains an initial basis of $56 in the securities (with a fair market value of $60) and $0 in the equipment (with a fair market value of $10). New T is deemed to receive a reinsurance premium from old T in an amount equal to the $50 of reserves for the life insurance contract. Accordingly, new T includes $50 of premium in income and deducts $50 for its increase in reserves. For purposes of section 848, new T has $50 of net positive consideration for the deemed assumption reinsurance transaction. Because the only contract involved in the assumption reinsurance transaction is a life insurance contract, new T must capitalize $3.85 ($50 × 7.7%) under section 848 from the transaction and deducts the remaining $16.15 of its general deductions. Because new T allocates $0 of the AGUB to the insurance contract, no amount is amortizable under section 197 with respect to the insurance contract. See §1.338–11T(d) for rules on adjustments required if new T increases its reserves for, or reinsures at a loss, the acquired life insurance contract. (d) Reserve increases by new target after the deemed asset sale. For further guidance, see §1.338–11T(d). (e) Effect of section 338 election on section 846(e) election. For further guidance, see §1.338–11T(e) (f) Effect of section 338 election on old target's capitalization amounts under section 848—(1) Determination of net consideration for specified insurance contracts. For purposes of applying section 848 and §1.848–2(f) to the deemed assumption reinsurance transaction, old target's net consideration (either positive or negative) for each category of specified insurance contracts is an amount equal to— (i) The allocable portion of the ceding commission (if any) relating to contracts in that category; less (ii) The amount by which old target's tax reserves for contracts in that category has been reduced as a result of the deemed assumption reinsurance transaction. (2) Determination of capitalization amount. Except as provided in §1.381(c)(22)–1(b)(13)— (i) If, after the deemed asset sale, old target has an amount otherwise required to be capitalized under section 848 for the taxable year or an unamortized balance of specified policy acquisition expenses from prior taxable years, then old target deducts such remaining amount or unamortized balance as an expense incurred in the taxable year that includes the deemed sale tax consequences; and (ii) If, after the deemed asset sale, the negative capitalization amount resulting from the reinsurance transaction exceeds the amount that old target can deduct under section 848(f)(1), then old target's capitalization amount is treated as zero at the close of the taxable year that includes the deemed sale tax consequences. (3) Section 381 transactions. For transactions described in section 381, see §1.381(c)(22)–1(b)(13). (g) Effect of section 338 election on policyholders surplus account. Except as specifically provided in §1.381(c)(22)–1(b)(7), the deemed asset sale effects a distribution of old target's policyholders surplus account to the extent the grossed-up amount realized on the sale to the purchasing corporation of the purchasing corporation's recently purchased target stock (as defined in §1.338–4(c)) exceeds old target's shareholders surplus account under section 815(c). (h) Effect of section 338 election on section 847 special estimated tax payments. If old target had elected to claim an additional deduction under section 847 for the taxable year that includes the deemed sale tax consequences or any earlier years, the amount remaining in old target's special loss discount account under section 847(3) must be reduced to the extent it relates to contracts transferred to new target and the amount of such reduction must be included in old target's gross income for the taxable year that includes the deemed sale tax consequences. Old target may apply the balance of its special estimated tax account as a credit against any tax resulting from such inclusion in gross income. Any special estimated tax payments remaining after this credit are voided and, therefore, are not available for credit or refund. Under section 847(1), new target is permitted to claim a section 847 deduction for losses incurred before the deemed asset sale, subject to the general requirement that new target makes timely special estimated tax payments equal to the tax benefit resulting from this deduction. See §1.381(c)(22)–1(c)(14) regarding the carryover of the special loss discount account attributable to contracts transferred in a section 381 transaction. [T.D. 9257, 71 FR 18000, Apr. 10, 2006]
Title 26: Internal Revenue
PART 1—INCOME TAXES
effects on corporation
§ 1.338-11 Effect of section 338 election on insurance company targets.
