Alston & Bird Tax Blog

engaged in a US trade or business

IRS Private Letter Ruling Holds that Pass-Through Interests in Mortgages Can Qualify as Registered Form Obligations

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In late January, the IRS issued a private letter ruling (P.L.R. 201504004) dealing with whether interests in a non-grantor trust and a partnership are considered to be in registered form, a precursor to qualification for payments thereon to the portfolio interest exemption. Although the ruling answers in the affirmative, it does not ultimately state whether the particular payments addressed in the ruling would be eligible for the portfolio interest exemption. To qualify for the portfolio interest exemption, and avoid U.S. withholding tax on payments of U.S.-source interest to a foreign person, [...]Read more

When Do a Foreign Fund’s Lending & Underwriting Activities Constitute a U.S. Trade or Business?

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In Chief Counsel Advice 201501013, the IRS determined that a foreign fund was engaged in a U.S. trade or business ("ETBUS") based on lending and underwriting activities conducted on the fund's behalf by a U.S. resident fund manager under a management agreement. The IRS attributed the manager's activities to the fund, for purposes of the ETBUS analysis, finding the activities to be "considerable, continuous, and regular." The CCA further concluded that the foreign fund's activities did not qualify for the "trading safe harbors" under Section 864, exploring the fine distinction between "traders" [...]Read more