V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation Flashcards
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
II. Partnership Definition
C. Certain publicly traded partnerships (i.e., master limited partnerships) are taxed as corporations.
VI. Formations
B. Deferred Gain or Loss
- No deferral is available for contributions to a partnership in exchange for property—deferral is only available for exchanges of property for a partnership interest.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
VII. Basis Issues at Formation
Each partner calculates his or her personal adjusted basis (outside basis) in the partnership, and the partnership calculates the adjusted basis of the assets (inside basis) held by the partnership.
- Inside Basis of Property: The aggregate basis of assets in the hands of the partnership.
- Outside Basis of Property: The adjusted basis of each partners’ interest in the partnership.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
IX. Computation of Basis of Partnership Interest—Partners continually adjust their outside basis for partnership transactions, including the deduction of their share of partnership losses.
A. Increases—A partner’s basis is increased by contributions of property, income, and increases in liabilities.
- A partner’s proportionate share of income includes gains and exempt income.
- A partner’s proportionate share includes increases in liabilities (treated like a contribution).
B. Decreases—A partner’s basis is decreased by distributions, expenses, and deemed distributions.
- A partner’s proportionate share of expenses, including deductions, losses, and nondeductible expenses (not capital expenditures)
- A partner’s proportionate share of decreases in liabilities (deemed distributions)
Example
Partner R, a 25% partner, contributes property to the partnership with an adjusted basis of $20, FMV of $50, and a liability of $30 which the partnership assumes. R’s basis is first increased by $20 for the basis of the property, then decreased by $30 for the debt assumption. However, since the partnership debt increased by $30, and R is responsible for 25% of the debt, or $7.50, his basis is increased by $7.50. The net effect on basis is a decrease of $2.50 (basis of $20 less $22.50 of debt shifted to other partners).
If R’s basis before this contribution was $0, he would recognize $2.50 of gain to avoid negative basis. If R’s basis before the contribution was $10, his ending basis would be $7.50 ($10 − $2.50).
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
IX. Computation of Basis of Partnership Interest—Partners continually adjust their outside basis for partnership transactions, including the deduction of their share of partnership losses.
C. Debt Allocations—Changes in Liabilities Affect a Partner’s Basis.
- An increase in the partnership’s liabilities (e.g., loan from a bank, increase in accounts payable) increases each partner’s basis in the partnership by each partner’s share of the increase.
- Any decrease in the partnership’s liabilities is considered to be a distribution of money to each partner and reduces each partner’s basis in the partnership by each partner’s share of the decrease.
- Any decrease in a partner’s individual liability by reason of the assumption by the partnership of such individual liabilities is considered to be a distribution of money to the partner by the partnership (i.e., partner’s basis is reduced).
- Any increase in a partner’s individual liability by reason of the assumption by the partner of partnership liabilities is considered to be a contribution of money to the partnership by the partner. Thus, the partner’s basis is increased.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
IX. Computation of Basis of Partnership Interest—Partners continually adjust their outside basis for partnership transactions, including the deduction of their share of partnership losses.
C. Debt Allocations—Changes in Liabilities Affect a Partner’s Basis.
Example
The XYZ partnership owns a warehouse with an adjusted basis of $120,000 subject to a mortgage of $90,000. Partner X (one of three equal partners) has a basis for his partnership interest of $75,000. If the partnership transfers the warehouse and mortgage to Partner X as a current distribution, X’s basis for his partnership interest immediately following the distribution would be $15,000, calculated as follows:
Beginning basis $75,000
Individual assumption of mortgage +90,000
$165,000
Distribution of warehouse -120,000
Partner’s share of decrease
in partnership’s liabilities - 30,000
Basis after distribution$15,000
Assume that one of the other one-third partners had a basis of $75,000 immediately before the distribution. What would the partner’s basis be immediately after the distribution to Partner X? The partner’s basis would be $45,000 (i.e., $75,000 less one-third of the $90,000 decrease in partnership liabilities).
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
IX. Computation of Basis of Partnership Interest
C. Debt Allocations—Changes in Liabilities Affect a Partner’s Basis.
- Recourse debt—For recourse debt, each partner’s share of debt is measured by his or her economic risk of loss assuming a constructive liquidation scenario occurred. While this material is likely too complex for the exam, you should be aware that limited partners are not allocated any share of recourse debt.
- Nonrecourse debt—This is debt for which the lender’s only recourse, in the event of default, is to take back the property. As above, the allocation of nonrecourse debt is likely too complex for the exam. However, you should be aware that nonrecourse debt is often allocated based on the partners’ profit sharing ratios. Also, contrasted with recourse debt, both general and limited partners are allocated nonrecourse debt.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
IX. Computation of Basis of Partnership Interest
E. Summary—See the following calculation of outside basis.
Beginning Basis
Plus:
Contributions
Partner’s share of: Debt Increases
Partnership Income
Exempt Income
Less:
Distributions: Cash Distributions
Property Distributions
Partner’s share of: Nondeductible Expenses
Expenses and Losses
Debt Decreases
Ending basis
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
X. Capital Account
- While basis represents one’s investment in a partnership for tax purposes, capital account represents the amount a partner should receive when the partnership is liquidated.
- Basis and capital account are computed in a similar fashion, except:
- Liabilities of the partnership do not affect the capital account.
- The fair market value of contributions and distributions impact the capital account, rather than the tax basis.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
XI. Permitted Tax Years—Partners report income in the year that the partnership tax year ends.
- Since the partnership and the partners may not have the same year-ends, the partners only report income once the partnership closes its books at the partnership year-end.
Example
ABC is a partnership with a June 30 fiscal year-end. Partner A, however, has a calendar year-end. This year ABC earned $24,000 for the fiscal year and also earned an additional $9,000 from July through December. If A is an equal partner in ABC, he should report $8,000 of income this year (one-third of $24,000). A’s share of the income from July through December will not be taxed until ABC closes its books next year.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
Able and Baker are equal members in Apple, an LLC. Apple has elected not to be treated as a corporation. Able contributes $7,000 cash and Baker contributes a machine with a basis of $5,000 and a fair market value of $10,000, subject to a liability of $3,000. What is Apple’s basis for the machine?
- $ 2,000
- $ 5,000
- $ 8,000
- $ 10,000
B.
Upon a partnership formation the partnership’s basis in the assets received from the contributing partners is the basis in the hands of the partner. Thus, Apple’s basis is $5,000.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
Under Section 444 of the Internal Revenue Code, certain partnerships can elect to use a tax year different from their required tax year. One of the conditions for eligibility to make a Section 444 election is that the partnership must
- Be a limited partnership.
- Be a member of a tiered structure.
- Choose a tax year where the deferral period is no longer than three months.
- Have less than 35 partners.
C.
Under Code Section 444, partnerships, S corporations and personal service companies may elect to have a tax year that differs from their required tax year, provided the tax year chosen does not have a deferral period of longer than three months.
Partnerships and S corporations making the election must approximate the amount of tax to partners and S corporations that is attributable to income earned in the short period and make required payments of that amount.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
A partner received a partnership interest with a fair market value (FMV) of $55,000 in exchange for the following items:
Basis FMV
Cash $20,000 $20,000
Property 10,000 30,000
Services rendered 0 5,000
What is the partner’s basis in the partnership interest?
- $55,000
- $50,000
- $35,000
- $30,000
C.
The partner received a partnership interest in return for property and services. His basis in his partnership for the property contributed is equal to the basis of the property he contributed, or $30,000 ($20,000 + $10,000). For the services rendered he must recognize $5,000 of income for the interest received, so he has a $5,000 basis in that portion of his partnership interest. His total basis in the partnership interest is $35,000 ($30,000 + $5,000).
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
Juan contributed land with a basis of $10,000 and a fair market value of $15,000 to the Sounds Partnership. He also contributed services with a value of $25,000. In return, he received a partnership interest in Sounds with a value of $40,000.
What is Juan’s basis in his partnership interest?
- $0
- $10,000
- $35,000
- $40,000
C.
Juan receives basis in his partnership interest equal to the basis of the property contributed. He also must recognize $25,000 of wage income for receiving a portion of the partnership interest in return for services rendered. Therefore, he also receives $25,000 of basis for this income recognition. Thus, his total basis is $10,000 + $25,000, or $35,000.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
A $100,000 increase in partnership liabilities is treated in which of the following ways?
- Increases each partner’s basis in the partnership by $100,000.
- Increases the partners’ bases only if the liability is nonrecourse.
- Increases each partner’s basis in proportion to their ownership.
- Does not change any partner’s basis in the partnership regardless of whether the liabilities are recourse or nonrecourse.
C.
Partners increase their bases in their partnership interests by their respective share of the partnership’s debt, both recourse and nonrecourse.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Formation and Basis
On June 1, 2019, Kelly received a 10% interest in Rock Co., a partnership, for services contributed to the partnership. Rock’s net assets at that date had a basis of $70,000 and a fair market value of $100,000.
In Kelly’s 2019 income tax return, what amount must Kelly include as income from transfer of partnership interest?
- $7,000 ordinary income
- $7,000 capital gain
- $10,000 ordinary income
- $10,000 capital gain
C.
When an individual contributes services to a partnership for a capital interest in the partnership, the individual reports taxable income equal to the fair market value of the transferred capital interest.
Capital interests received are treated as guaranteed payments, which means the capital interest is viewed a salary payment and, as such, reported as ordinary income by the partner.
Since the fair market value of the partnership’s net assets is $100,000 and Kelly contributed services for a 10% interest in the partnership, Kelly must recognize $10,000 of ordinary income.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
II. Distributive Share
common examples of separately stated items to each partner on Schedule K-1.
- Capital gains and losses
- Section 1231 gains and losses
- Charitable contributions
- Foreign income taxes
- Section 179 expense deduction
- Interest, dividend, and royalty income
- Interest expense on investment indebtedness
- Net income (loss) from rental real estate activity
- Net income (loss) from other rental activity
- Tax-exempt income
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
II. Distributive Share
ordinary income and deductions (non-separately stated items)
- Sales less cost of goods sold
- Business expenses such as wages, rents, bad debts, and repairs
- Deduction for guaranteed payments to partners
- Depreciation
- Amortization (over 180 months) of partnership organization and start-up expenditures
- Section 1245 and 1250, recapture
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
II. Distributive Share
- The character of any gain or loss recognized on the disposition of property is generally determined by the nature of the property in the hands of the partnership. However, for contributed property, the character may be based on the nature of the property to the contributing partner before contribution.
- If a partner contributes unrealized receivables, the partnership will recognize ordinary income or loss on the subsequent disposition of the unrealized receivables.
- If the property contributed was inventory property to the contributing partner, any gain or loss recognized by the partnership on the disposition of the property within five years will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
- If the contributed property was a capital asset, any loss later recognized by the partnership on the disposition of the property within five years will be treated as a capital loss to the extent of the contributing partner’s unrecognized capital loss at the time of contribution. This rule applies to losses only, not to gains.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
II. Distributive Share
- Partnerships may use the cash basis of accounting unless the partnership is a “tax shelter” or at least one partner is a C corporation. Exceptions allow the cash method for farming and where the partnership (or corporate partner) is a small business (average annual gross receipts of $25 million or less for the three prior years ending with the current tax year).
C. Loss Limitations
Example
Robin is single and has the following results from her trades and businesses:
Horse-breeding sole proprietorship ($275,000)
Partnership distributive share ($ 75,000)
S corporation distributive share $ 50,000
The aggregate new loss from all of Robin’s trades and businesses is $300,000, which exceeds the maximum deductible loss of $250,000. Her deduction is limited to $250,000, and the remaining $50,000 loss is added to her NOL carryforward for the year.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
What is the tax treatment of net losses in excess of the at-risk amount for an activity?
- Any loss in excess of the at-risk amount is suspended and is deductible in the year in which the activity is disposed of in full.
- Any losses in excess of the at-risk amount are suspended and carried forward without expiration and are deductible against income in future years from that activity.
- Any losses in excess of the at-risk amount are deducted currently against income from other activities; the remaining loss, if any, is carried forward without expiration.
- Any losses in excess of the at-risk amount are carried back two years against activities with income and then carried forward for 20 years.
2.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
Dale’s distributive share of income from the calendar-year partnership of Dale & Eck was $50,000 in 2019. On December 15, 2019, Dale, who is a cash-basis taxpayer, received a $27,000 distribution of the partnership’s 2019 income, with the $23,000 balance paid to Dale in May 2020.
In addition, Dale received a $10,000 interest-free loan from the partnership in 2019.
This $10,000 is to be offset against Dale’s share of 2019 partnership income.
What total amount of partnership income is taxable to Dale in 2019?
- $23,000
- $37,000
- $50,000
- $60,000
3.
Partners must report their share of the partnership’s income, deductions and other items on the partner’s income tax return in the calendar year in which the partnership’s tax year ends. Dale’s share of Dale and Eck’s 2019 income was $50,000. Thus, Dale must report $50,000 of partnership income in 2019.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
Don Wolf became a general partner in Gata Associates on January 1, 2019, with a 5% interest in Gata’s profits, losses, and capital.
Gata is a distributor of auto parts. Wolf does not materially participate in the partnership business. For the year ended December 31, 2019, Gata had an operating loss of $100,000. In addition, Gata earned interest of $20,000 on a temporary investment. Gata has kept the principal temporarily invested while awaiting delivery of equipment that is presently on order. The principal will be used to pay for this equipment.
Wolf’s passive loss for 2019 is
- $0.
- $4,000.
- $5,000.
- $6,000.
3.
Passive activity losses are the amount that total losses from passive activities exceed total gains from passive activities. The characterization of a partner’s share of the partnership’s income as passive or nonpassive depends on the partner’s participation in the partnership’s income earning activities.
Since Wolf did not materially participate in the partnership business, his share of the partnership’s operating loss, $5,000, is considered a loss from a passive activity. Passive income does not include portfolio income.
As a result, Wolf’s share of the $20,000 in interest income would not be passive. Therefore, since Wolf had no gains from passive activities to offset the loss from his share of the partnership’s operating loss, Wolf would have a passive loss of $5,000, equal to his share of the partnership’s operating loss.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Flow-Through of Income and Losses
An individual is a 50% partner who materially participates in Stone Partnership. The individual’s adjusted basis at the beginning of the year was $0. Stone had a $70,000 loss from its business. Stone borrowed $30,000 from a bank of which $20,000 remained unpaid at year-end. What amount of loss is the individual allowed in the current year from Stone?
- $35,000
- $15,000
- $10,000
- $0
3.
Beginning basis jn partnership interest$ 0
Share of partnership debt ($20,000 × 50%)10,000
Basis before loss flow-through$10,000
Portion of $35,000 ($70,000 × 50%) loss allowed(10,000)
Ending basis in partnership interest$ 0
Loss allowed to be deducted on Form 1040 is limited to basis in partnership interest.
V. Federal Taxation of Entities - 4. Partnership Taxation
- Transactions with Partners
II. Precontribution (Built-In) Gains and Losses—These are allocated back to the original contributing partners when the property is sold.
- Sales of contributed ordinary income or loss property (e.g., inventory and accounts receivable) generate ordinary income or loss to the contributing partner. The characterization of income or loss as ordinary from a sale of inventory is limited to five years (five years after the property was contributed to the partnership). There is no time limit for the ordinary income characterization for accounts receivables.
Note that all gain or loss on the sale is treated as ordinary if the above rule is met. It is not limited to the built-in gain or loss at the time of contribution.
Example
Partner A is an art dealer and a partner in ABC Partners, a consulting firm. A contributes a painting (he held as inventory) to ABC to decorate the ABC office (a Section 1231 asset). The painting has a FMV of $10,000 and an adjusted basis of $6,000. If ABC sells the painting within five years of the contribution, any gain or loss will be allocated to A (up to the built-in gain or loss) and will be characterized as ordinary income. Thus, if the painting is sold four year later for $11,000, the $5,000 gain ($11,000 − $6,000) is characterized as ordinary income. If ABC sells the painting after five years, then the $5,000 gain is Section 1231 gain. Note that in both cases, since the built-in gain was only $4,000 ($10,000 − $6,000), the first $4,000 of gain is allocated to Partner A. The remaining $1,000 of gain is allocated to A and the other partners based on their profit-sharing ratios.