Reporting on the transfer of partnership interests: PwC

Withholding and information reporting on the transfer of private partnership interests

November 2020

Overview

Treasury and the IRS released on October 7 Final Regulations (the Final Regulations) under Sections 1446(f) and 864(c)(8). Section 1446(f), added to the Code by the 2017 tax reform legislation, provides rules for withholding on the transfer or disposition of a partnership interest. Proposed Regulations were issued in May 2019, which laid the framework for guidance on withholding and reporting obligations under Section 1446(f) (the Proposed Regulations). The Proposed Regulations also addressed information reporting under Section 864(c)(8); these rules were finalized in September 2020. The Final Regulations retain the basic structure and guidance of the Proposed Regulations, but with various modifications.

The Final Regulations apply to both publicly traded partnerships (PTPs) and private partnerships. This insight summarizes some of the changes applicable to PTPs but primarily focuses on private partnerships. A separate detailed Insight will be circulated with respect to PTPs.

The Final Regulations generally are applicable to transfers occurring on or after the date that is 60 days after their publication in the Federal Register. However, the backstop withholding rules only apply to transfers that occur on or after January 1, 2022.

PTPs. Significantly, beginning January 1, 2022, the Final Regulations will require withholding under Section 1446(f) on both dispositions of and distributions by PTPs. This is a significant evolution of these rules, which to date have not been extended to PTPs due to the informational and operational challenges associated with imposing withholding taxes in respect of publicly traded securities. As will be discussed in more detail in the separate alert, these challenges result from the expansion of withholding obligations to new parties (e.g., executing brokers) that traditionally may not have been withholding agents and a substantial expansion of the qualified intermediary (QI) obligations.

Other partnerships. The Final Regulations retain the presumption that withholding is required unless an applicable certification is provided. However, they now provide a limitation on the transferee’s liability to the extent the transferee can establish the transferor had no tax liability under Section 864(c)(8). The Final Regulations also include new or expanded exceptions to the withholding requirements. These include the ability to rely on a valid Form W-9 to prove US status as well as a new exception from withholding for partnerships that are not engaged in a US trade or business.

The takeaway

The Final Regulation package retains the basic approach and structure of the Proposed Regulations, with some modifications. Taxpayers (particularly minority partners and taxpayers in tiered structures) who are intending to either eliminate or reduce the withholding tax should be mindful of the time restrictions in order to be compliant with a reduction or elimination of withholding and the potential difficulty in obtaining information from a partnership and should plan accordingly.