§ 1351. Treatment of recoveries of foreign expropriation losses

(a) Election

(1) In general

This section shall apply only to a recovery, by a domestic corporation subject to the tax imposed by section 11 or 801, of a foreign expropriation loss sustained by such corporation and only if such corporation was subject to the tax imposed by section 11 or 801, as the case may be, for the year of the loss and elects to have the provisions of this section apply with respect to such loss.

(2) Time, manner, and scope

An election under paragraph (1) shall be made at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. An election made with respect to any foreign expropriation loss shall apply to all recoveries in respect of such loss.

(b) Definition of foreign expropriation loss

For purposes of this section, the term “foreign expropriation loss” means any loss sustained by reason of the expropriation, intervention, seizure, or similar taking of property by the government of any foreign country, any political subdivision thereof, or any agency or instrumentality of the foregoing. For purposes of the preceding sentence, a debt which becomes worthless shall, to the extent of any deduction allowed under section 166 (a), be treated as a loss.

(1) General rule

The amount of any recovery of a foreign expropriation loss is the amount of money and the fair market value of other property received in respect of such loss, determined as of the date of receipt.

(2) Special rule for life insurance companies

The amount of any recovery of a foreign expropriation loss includes, in the case of a life insurance company, the amount of decrease of any item taken into account under section 807 (c), to the extent such decrease is attributable to the release, by reason of such loss, of its liabilities with respect to such item.

(d) Adjustment for prior tax benefits

(1) In general

That part of the amount of a recovery of a foreign expropriation loss to which this section applies which, when added to the aggregate of the amounts of previous recoveries with respect to such loss, does not exceed the allowable deductions in prior taxable years on account of such loss shall be excluded from gross income for the taxable year of the recovery for purposes of computing the tax under this subtitle; but there shall be added to, and assessed and collected as a part of, the tax under this subtitle for such taxable year an amount equal to the total increase in the tax under this subtitle for all taxable years which would result by decreasing, in an amount equal to such part of the recovery so excluded, the deductions allowable in the prior taxable years on account of such loss. For purposes of this paragraph, if the loss to which the recovery relates was taken into account as a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset, the amount of the loss shall be treated as an allowable deduction even though there were no gains against which to allow such loss.

(2) Computation

The increase in the tax for each taxable year referred to in paragraph (1) shall be computed in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary. Such regulations shall give effect to previous recoveries of any kind (including recoveries described in section 111, relating to recovery of tax benefit items) with respect to any prior taxable year, but shall otherwise treat the tax previously determined for any taxable year in accordance with the principles set forth in section 1314 (a) (relating to correction of errors). Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3), all credits allowable against the tax for any taxable year, and all carryovers and carrybacks affected by so decreasing the allowable deductions, shall be taken into account in computing the increase in the tax.

(3) Foreign taxes

For purposes of this subsection, any choice made under subpart A of part III of subchapter N (relating to foreign tax credit) for any taxable year may be changed.

(4) Substitution of current tax rate

For purposes of this subsection, the rates of tax specified in section 11 (b) for the taxable year of the recovery shall be treated as having been in effect for all prior taxable years.

(e) Gain on recovery

That part of the amount of a recovery of a foreign expropriation loss to which this section applies which is not excluded from gross income under subsection (d)(1) shall be considered for the taxable year of the recovery as gain on the involuntary conversion of property as a result of its destruction or seizure and shall be recognized or not recognized as provided in section 1033.

(f) Basis of recovered property

The basis of property (other than money) received as a recovery of a foreign expropriation loss to which this section applies shall be an amount equal to its fair market value on the date of receipt, reduced by such part of the gain under subsection (e) which is not recognized as provided in section 1033.

(g) Restoration of value of investments

For purposes of this section, if the value of any interest in, or with respect to, property (including any interest represented by a security, as defined in section 165 (g)(2))—

(1) which became worthless by reason of the expropriation, intervention, seizure, or similar taking of such property by the government of any foreign country, any political subdivision thereof, or any agency or instrumentality of the foregoing, and

(2) which was taken into account as a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset or with respect to which a deduction for a loss was allowed under section 165 or a deduction for a bad debt was allowed under section 166,

is restored in whole or in part by reason of any recovery of money or other property in respect of the property which became worthless, the value so restored shall be treated as property received as a recovery in respect of such loss or such bad debt.

(h) Special rule for evidences of indebtedness

Bonds or other evidences of indebtedness received as a recovery of a foreign expropriation loss to which this section applies shall not be considered to have any original issue discount within the meaning of section 1273 (a).

(i) Adjustments for succeeding years

For purposes of this subtitle, proper adjustment shall be made, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, in—

(1) the credit under section 27 (relating to foreign tax credit),

(2) the credit under section 38 (relating to general business credit),

(3) the net operating loss deduction under section 172, or the operations loss deduction under section 810,

(4) the capital loss carryover under section 1212 (a), and

(5) such other items as may be specified by such regulations,

for the taxable year of a recovery of a foreign expropriation loss to which this section applies, and for succeeding taxable years, to take into account items changed in making the computations under subsection (d) for taxable years prior to the taxable year of such recovery.

U.S. Code

§ 1351. Treatment of recoveries of foreign expropriation losses