§ 847. Special estimated tax payments

In the case of taxable years beginning after December 31, 1987, of an insurance company required to discount unpaid losses (as defined in section 846)—

(1) Additional deduction

There shall be allowed as a deduction for the taxable year, if special estimated tax payments are made as required by paragraph (2), an amount not to exceed the excess of—

(A) the amount of the undiscounted, unpaid losses (as defined in section 846 (b)) attributable to losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 1986, over

(B) the amount of the related discounted, unpaid losses determined under section 846,

to the extent such amount was not deducted under this paragraph in a preceding taxable year. Section 6655 shall be applied to any taxable year without regard to the deduction allowed under the preceding sentence.

(2) Special estimated tax payments

The deduction under paragraph (1) shall be allowed only to the extent that such deduction would result in a tax benefit for the taxable year for which such deduction is allowed or any carryback year and only to the extent that special estimated tax payments are made in an amount equal to the tax benefit attributable to such deduction on or before the due date (determined without regard to extensions) for filing the return for the taxable year for which the deduction is allowed. If a deduction would be allowed but for the fact that special estimated tax payments were not timely made, such deduction shall be allowed to the extent such payments are made within a reasonable time, as determined by the Secretary, if all interest and penalties, computed as if this sentence did not apply, are paid. If amounts are included in gross income under paragraph (5) or (6) for any taxable year and an additional tax is due for such year (or any other year) as a result of such inclusion, an amount of special estimated tax payments equal to such additional tax shall be applied against such additional tax. If, after any such payment is so applied, there is an adjustment reducing the amount of such additional tax, in lieu of any credit or refund for such reduction, a special estimated tax payment shall be treated as made in an amount equal to the amount otherwise allowable as a credit or refund. To the extent that a special estimated tax payment is not used to offset additional tax due for any of the first 15 taxable years beginning after the year for which the payment was made, such special estimated tax payment shall be treated as an estimated tax payment made under section 6655 for the 16th year after the year for which the payment was made.

(3) Special loss discount account

Each company which is allowed a deduction under paragraph (1) shall, for purposes of this part, establish and maintain a special loss discount account.

(4) Additions to special loss discount account

There shall be added to the special loss discount account for each taxable year an amount equal to the amount allowed as a deduction for the taxable year under paragraph (1).

(5) Subtractions from special loss discount account and inclusion in gross income

After applying paragraph (4), there shall be subtracted for the taxable year from the special loss discount account and included in gross income:

(A) The excess (if any) of the amount in the special loss discount account with respect to losses incurred in each taxable year over the amount of the excess referred to in paragraph (1) with respect to losses incurred in that year, and

(B) Any amount improperly subtracted from the special loss discount account under subparagraph (A) to the extent special estimated tax payments were used with respect to such amount.

To the extent that any amount added to the special loss discount account is not subtracted from such account before the 15th year after the year for which the amount was so added, such amount shall be subtracted from such account for such 15th year and included in gross income for such 15th year.

(6) Rules in the case of liquidation or termination of taxpayer’s insurance business

(A) In general

If a company liquidates or otherwise terminates its insurance business and does not transfer or distribute such business in an acquisition of assets referred to in section 381 (a), the entire amount remaining in such special loss discount account shall be subtracted and included in gross income. Except in the case where a company transfers or distributes its insurance business in an acquisition of assets, referred to in section 381 (a), if the company is not subject to the tax imposed by section 801 or section 831 for any taxable year, the entire amount in the account at the close of the preceding taxable year shall be subtracted from the account in such preceding taxable year and included in gross income.

(B) Elimination of balance of payments

In any case to which subparagraph (A) applies, any special estimated tax payment remaining after the credit attributable to the inclusion under subparagraph (A) shall be voided.

(7) Modification of the amount of special estimated tax payments in the event of subsequent marginal rate reduction or increase

In the event of a reduction in any tax rate provided under section 11 for any tax year after the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations providing for a reduction in the amount of any special estimated tax payments made for years before the effective date of such section 11 rate reductions. Such reduction in the amount of such payments shall reduce the amount of such payments to the amount that they would have been if the special deduction permitted under paragraph (1) had occurred during a year that the lower marginal rate under section 11 applied. Similar rules shall be applied in the event of a marginal rate increase.

(8) Tax benefit determination

The tax benefit attributable to the deduction under paragraph (1) shall be determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, by taking into account tax benefits that would arise from the carryback of any net operating loss for the year, as well as current year tax benefits. Tax benefits for the current year and carryback years shall include those that would arise from the filing of a consolidated return with another insurance company required to determine discounted, unpaid losses under section 846 without regard to the limitations on consolidation contained in section 1503 (c). The limitations on consolidation contained in section 1503 (c) shall not apply to the deduction allowed under paragraph (1).

(9) Effect on earnings and profits

In determining the earnings and profits—

(A) any special estimated tax payment made for any taxable year shall be treated as a payment of income tax imposed by this title for such taxable year, and

(B) any deduction or inclusion under this section shall not be taken into account.

Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to affect the application of section 56 (g) (relating to adjustments based on adjusted current earnings).

(10) Regulations

The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section, including regulations—

(A) providing for the separate application of this section with respect to each accident year,

(B) such adjustments in the application of this section as may be necessary to take into account the tax imposed by section 55, and

(C) providing for the application of this section in cases where the deduction allowed under paragraph (1) for any taxable year is less than the excess referred to in paragraph (1) for such year.

U.S. Code

§ 847. Special estimated tax payments