British Car Auctions, Inc. v. United States

35 Fed. Cl. 123, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1441, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 40, 1996 WL 125789
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMarch 20, 1996
DocketNos. 94-373T, 95-36T
StatusPublished

This text of 35 Fed. Cl. 123 (British Car Auctions, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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British Car Auctions, Inc. v. United States, 35 Fed. Cl. 123, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1441, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 40, 1996 WL 125789 (uscfc 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

YOCK, Judge.

This tax refund ease comes before the Court on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”). The plaintiff in this case is seeking to invalidate an Internal Revenue Service regulation, arguing that the regulation at issue is inconsistent with the authorizing statute and is unreasonable. For the following reasons, and after careful consideration of the record and the parties’ respective briefs, it is concluded that the defendant prevails in this liability decision.

Factual Background

In the United States, a corporation is deemed a resident, and therefore subject to tax on its worldwide income, if it is incorporated under the laws of the United States or [125]*125of any state of the United States. However, some countries, in particular the United Kingdom, allow a corporation to be a resident of that country if it is simply managed or controlled there, without regard to the place of incorporation. Thus, a corporation can be incorporated in the United States and, if it is managed or controlled in a foreign country, simultaneously be a full tax resident of both the United States and the foreign tax jurisdiction. Such corporations are referred to as dual resident corporations.

A. Statutory and Regulatory Background of 26 U.S.C. § 1503(d)

A dual resident corporation can cause particular problems, in instances such as the case at bar, when it is a member of two consolidated groups of corporations located in two separate countries. In general, countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom allow affiliated corporations to file consolidated returns, thereby allowing the losses of one affiliate to offset the income of the other members of the consolidated group. Accordingly, a dual resident corporation could be a member of a United States consolidated group, with affiliates taxable only in the United States, as well as a member of a United Kingdom consolidated group, with members taxable only in the United Kingdom. In such a case, a loss incurred by the dual resident corporation can reduce the income of both consolidated groups. This practice is frequently referred to as “double dipping.”

In the mid-1980’s, Congress became concerned by the possible tax consequences of double dipping and responded with the passage of 26 U.S.C. § 1503(d) as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Congress’s intent to eliminate double dipping through the enactment of section 1503(d) is made clear in the legislative history of the Act:

Losses that a corporation uses to offset foreign tax on income that the United States does not subject to tax should not also be used to reduce any other corporation’s U.S. tax. Disallowing such losses will allow foreign and U.S. investors to compete in the U.S. economy under tax rules that put them in the same competitive position. By allowing “double dipping” (use of a deduction by two different groups), the current treatment of dual resident companies gives an undue tax advantage to certain foreign investors that make U.S. investments. The committee believes that elimination of double dipping for foreign-owned businesses will tend to put U.S.-owned and foreign-owned businesses on a competitive par.

Senate Report No. 99-313, 99th Cong., 2d Sess. 419, 420 (1986, U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1986, pp. 4075, 4507, 4508). Section 1503(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (“I.R.C.”) specifies that “[t]he dual consolidated loss for any taxable year of any corporation shall not be allowed to reduce the taxable income of any other member of the affiliated group for the taxable year or any other taxable year.” 26 U.S.C. § 1503(d)(1) (1994). The I.R.C. continues by defining “dual consolidated loss” as “any net operating loss of a domestic corporation which is subject to an income tax of a foreign country on its income without regard to whether such income is from sources in or outside of such foreign country, or is subject to such tax on a residence basis.” 26 U.S.C. § 1503(d)(2)(A) (1994). Thus, section 1503(d) enunciates the general rule that the losses of a domestic corporation subject to the income tax of a foreign country — in other words, a dual resident corporation — cannot be used to offset the income of any of its domestic affiliates. Of course, the dual resident corporation can still use its losses to reduce its own income.

The I.R.C., however, does provide for the promulgation by regulations of exceptions to the general rule that a dual resident corporation’s losses cannot reduce the income of its affiliates. 26 U.S.C. § 1503(d)(2)(B), entitled “Special rule where loss not used under foreign law,” notes that “[t]o the extent provided in regulations,” a dual consolidated loss “shall not include any loss which, under the foreign income tax law, does not offset the income of any foreign corporation.” 26 U.S.C: § 1503(d)(2)(B) (1994) (emphasis added). In other words, section 1503(d)(2)(B) stipulates that “to the extent provided in regulations” the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could promulgate regulations except[126]*126ing corporations from the general rule denying use of dual consolidated losses when, under foreign tax laws, no foreign corporation can use the dual resident corporation’s losses. Pursuant to the I.R.C.’s directive that this exception shall apply “to the extent provided in regulations,” the IRS promulgated temporary regulations on September 7, 1989 (the “Temporary Regulations”).1 The Temporary Regulations provide three exceptions under which an affiliate of a dual resident corporation can use the dual resident corporation’s losses to offset its income. For the purposes of this litigation, the most pertinent exception is the so-called “stand-alone” exception. The regulations provide that the stand-alone exception applies if: (1) “[a]t no time after December 31,1986, has there been any other person, corporation, or entity which, under the income tax laws of the foreign country, is permitted to use by any means the losses, expenses, or deductions of the dual resident corporation to offset income”; and (2) “[u]nder the income tax laws of the foreign country, the losses, expenses, or deductions of the dual resident corporation incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31,1986, cannot be carried over or back to be used, by any means, to offset the income of any other person, corporation, or entity in other years.” Treas.Reg. §§ 1.1503-2A(e)(l)(i)(A) and (B). In other words, the stand-alone requirement is satisfied if pursuant to the tax laws of a foreign jurisdiction, no “person, corporation, or entity” other than the dual resident corporation is permitted to use, cany back, or carry over the dual resident corporation’s losses. However, the Temporary Regulations also include a proviso to the stand-alone exception in the so-called “mirror legislation” rule.

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35 Fed. Cl. 123, 77 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1441, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 40, 1996 WL 125789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/british-car-auctions-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-1996.