rp-17-45.pdf

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Part III

Administrative, Procedural, and Miscellaneous

26 CFR 601.105: Examination of returns and claims for refund, credit, or abatement;
determination of correct tax liability.
(Also: Part I, §§ 301, 305, 852, 857; 1.305-1, 1.305-2)

Rev. Proc. 2017-45

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

This revenue procedure provides guidance regarding certain stock distributions by
real estate investment trusts (REITs) and regulated investment companies (RICs).
Specifically, pursuant to section 4 of this revenue procedure, if a Publicly Offered REIT
or Publicly Offered RIC (each as defined in section 3 of this revenue procedure)
distributes stock in a transaction meeting the requirements of section 5 of this revenue
procedure, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will treat the distribution of stock as a
distribution of property to which § 301 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) applies by
reason of § 305(b).

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SECTION 2. BACKGROUND
.01 Section 301(a) provides that, except as otherwise provided in Chapter 1 of the
Code, a distribution of property (defined in § 317(a)) made by a corporation to a
shareholder with respect to its stock is treated in the manner provided in § 301(c).
.02 Section 301(c) provides that the portion of a distribution which is a dividend (as
defined in § 316) is included in gross income, and that the remaining portion of the
distribution is applied first against the adjusted basis of the stock and then is treated as
gain from the sale or exchange of property.
.03 Section 305(a) provides that, except as otherwise provided in § 305, gross
income does not include the amount of any distribution of the stock of a corporation
made by such corporation to its shareholders with respect to its stock.
.04 Section 305(b)(1) provides that § 305(a) does not apply to a distribution by a
corporation of its stock, and the distribution is treated as a distribution of property to
which § 301 applies, if the distribution is, at the election of any of the shareholders
(whether exercised before or after the declaration thereof), payable either in its stock or
in property.
.05 Section 305(b)(2) provides that § 305(a) does not apply to a distribution by a
corporation of its stock, and the distribution is treated as a distribution of property to
which § 301 applies, if the distribution (or a series of distributions of which such
distribution is one) has the result of the receipt of property by some shareholders, and
an increase in the proportionate interests of other shareholders in the assets or
earnings and profits of the corporation.

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.06 Section 1.305-2(a) of the Income Tax Regulations provides that, under
§ 305(b)(1), if any shareholder has the right to an election or option with respect to
whether a distribution is to be made either in cash or any other property, or in stock or
rights to acquire stock of the distributing corporation, then, with respect to all
shareholders, the distribution of stock or rights to acquire stock is treated as a
distribution of property to which § 301 applies regardless of--
(1) Whether the distribution is actually made in whole or in part in stock or in stock
rights;
(2) Whether the election or option is exercised or exercisable before or after the
declaration of the distribution;
(3) Whether the declaration of the distribution provides that the distribution will be
made in one medium unless the shareholder specifically requests payment in the other;
(4) Whether the election governing the nature of the distribution is provided in the
declaration of the distribution or in the corporate charter or arises from the
circumstances of the distribution; or
(5) Whether all or part of the shareholders have the election.
.07 Section 1.305-1(b)(2) provides that, if a corporation that regularly distributes its
earnings and profits, such as a RIC, declares a dividend pursuant to which the
shareholders may elect to receive either cash or stock of the distributing corporation of
equivalent value, the amount of the distribution of the stock received by any shareholder
electing to receive stock will be considered to equal the amount of the cash which could
have been received instead.

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.08 Section 852(a) provides, in part, that, except for § 852(c), the provisions of Part I
of Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of the Code generally do not apply to a RIC for a taxable
year unless the deduction for dividends paid (as defined in § 561 with certain
modifications) with respect to the taxable year equals or exceeds a calculated minimum
amount.
.09 Section 857(a) provides, in part, that, except for §§ 857(d) and 856(g), the
provisions of Part II of Subchapter M of Chapter 1 of the Code generally do not apply to
a REIT for a taxable year unless the deduction for dividends paid during the taxable
year (as defined in § 561 with certain modifications) equals or exceeds a specified
amount.
.10 Section 561(a) provides generally that the deduction for dividends paid is the
sum of the dividends paid during the taxable year, including dividends treated or
considered as paid during the taxable year.
.11 Section 561(b) provides that, in determining the deduction for dividends paid, the
rules provided in § 562 (relating to rules applicable in determining dividends eligible for
the dividends paid deduction) and § 563 (relating to dividends paid after the close of the
taxable year) apply.
.12 Section 562(c)(1) provides that, except in the case of a publicly offered RIC (as
defined in § 67(c)(2)(B)) or a publicly offered REIT (as defined in § 562(c)(2)), the
amount of any distribution is not considered as a dividend for purposes of computing the
dividends paid deduction under § 561, unless such distribution is pro rata, with no
preference to any share of stock as compared with other shares of the same class, and
with no preference to one class of stock as compared with another class except to the

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extent that the former is entitled (without reference to waivers of their rights by
shareholders) to such preference.
.13 Section 67(c)(2)(B)(i) generally defines a publicly offered RIC as a RIC the
shares of which are continuously offered pursuant to a public offering (within the
meaning of section 4 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77a to
77aa)), regularly traded on an established securities market, or held by or for no fewer
than 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. Section 67(c)(2)(B)(ii) authorizes
the Secretary of the Treasury to issue regulations that reduce the 500-shareholder
requirement in certain situations.
.14 Section 562(c)(2) defines a publicly offered REIT as a REIT which is required to
file annual and periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. §§ 78a et seq.).
SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this revenue procedure, the following definitions apply in the context
of a Publicly Offered REIT’s or a Publicly Offered RIC’s distribution with respect to its
stock as to which each shareholder has a Cash-or-Stock Election (as defined in this
section 3).
.01 The All-Cash-Distribution Amount is the amount of cash that would be distributed
if every shareholder’s Elected Cash Amount were 100 percent of that Shareholder’s
Entire Affected Distribution, and every shareholder had received that shareholder’s
Elected Cash Amount in cash. (The All-Cash-Distribution Amount cannot be computed
until the number of shares outstanding on the record date is determined.)

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.02 Available Cash means—
(1) Any excess of—
(a) The Cash Limitation Amount, over—
(b) The Basic Cash Distribution, or
(2) If there is no excess, zero.
.03 The Basic Cash Distribution is the sum of—
(1) The aggregate Elected Cash Amounts of all shareholders that are not Excess
Cash Claimants, and
(2) An amount equal to the product of—
(a) The Cash Limitation Percentage, and
(b) The aggregate Entire Affected Distributions for all Excess Cash Claimants.
.04 The Cash Limitation Amount is the maximum aggregate amount of cash to be
distributed to all shareholders as limited by the declaration of the distribution. (If the
declaration expresses the limitation in terms of a maximum percentage of the total
distribution that may be made in cash, the Cash Limitation Amount will not be known
until the number of shares outstanding on the record date is determined.)
.05 The Cash Limitation Percentage is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of—
(1) The Cash Limitation Amount, to
(2) The All-Cash-Distribution Amount.
.06 A Cash-or-Stock Election is an election each shareholder may make to receive
up to all of the shareholder’s Entire Affected Distribution either—
(1) In cash, or

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(2) In stock of the distributing corporation of equivalent value as determined under
section 5.07 of this revenue procedure.
.07 The Elected Cash Amount is the amount, if any, of each shareholder’s Entire
Affected Distribution that the shareholder elects to receive in cash, without regard to any
limitation that the declaration of the distribution imposes on the maximum aggregate
amount of cash to be distributed to all shareholders.
.08 A shareholder’s Elected Cash Percentage is the ratio, expressed as a
percentage, of—
(1) The shareholder’s Elected Cash Amount, to
(2) The shareholder’s Entire Affected Distribution.
.09 The Entire Affected Distribution is a shareholder’s entire entitlement under the
declaration of the distribution to the extent that the entitlement is subject to a Cash-or-
Stock Election.
.10 An Excess Cash Claimant is any shareholder whose Elected Cash Percentage
exceeds the Cash Limitation Percentage.
.11 An Excess Cash Claim is the excess of—
(1) The Elected Cash Amount of an Excess Cash Claimant, over
(2) The product of—
(a) The Entire Affected Distribution of the Excess Cash Claimant, and
(b) The Cash Limitation Percentage.
.12 Publicly Offered REIT has the meaning provided in § 562(c)(2).
.13 Publicly Offered RIC has the meaning provided in § 67(c)(2)(B).

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SECTION 4. APPLICATION
If a Publicly Offered REIT or a Publicly Offered RIC makes a distribution of stock in a
transaction that is described in section 5 of this revenue procedure, then the IRS will
treat the distribution of stock as a distribution of property to which § 301 applies by
reason of § 305(b). The value of the stock received by any shareholder in lieu of cash
will be considered to be equal to the amount of cash for which the stock is substituted,
as described in section 5.07 of this revenue procedure. For purposes of this revenue
procedure, if a shareholder participates in a dividend reinvestment plan, the stock
received by that shareholder pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan is treated as
received in exchange for cash received in the distribution.
This APPLICATION section does not apply to situations that are not described in the
SCOPE section of this revenue procedure, and, except as explicitly provided in this
APPLICATION section, all otherwise applicable provisions of law continue to apply to
transactions that are so described.
SECTION 5. SCOPE
A transaction is described in this section 5 if it satisfies all of the requirements in
sections 5.01–5.07 of this revenue procedure.
.01 A Publicly Offered REIT or a Publicly Offered RIC makes a distribution to its
shareholders with respect to its stock.
.02 Pursuant to the declaration of the distribution, each shareholder has a Cash-or-
Stock Election with respect to part or all of the distribution. The existence of a Cash-or-
Stock Election does not affect the federal income tax treatment of the portion, if any, of
the declared dividend that is not subject to the election.

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.03 The Cash Limitation Percentage is not less than 20 percent.
.04 Every shareholder that is not an Excess Cash Claimant receives cash equal to
the shareholder’s Elected Cash Amount.
.05 If the aggregate of all shareholders’ Elected Cash Amounts does not exceed the
Cash Limitation Amount, then every Excess Cash Claimant receives cash equal to that
shareholder’s Elected Cash Amount.
.06 If the aggregate of all shareholders’ Elected Cash Amounts exceeds the Cash
Limitation Amount, then each Excess Cash Claimant receives an amount of cash that is
as close in amount as practicable to the sum of—
(1) The product of the Cash Limitation Percentage and that shareholder’s Entire
Affected Distribution; and
(2) The product of the Available Cash and the ratio of—
(a) That shareholder’s Excess Cash Claim to
(b) The aggregate of the Excess Cash Claims of all Excess Cash Claimants.
.07 The calculation of the number of shares to be received by a shareholder is
determined based upon a formula that—
(1) Utilizes the market price of the shares;
(2) Is designed so that the value of the number of shares to be received in lieu of
cash with respect to a share corresponds as closely as practicable to the amount of
cash to be received under the declaration with respect to that share; and
(3) Uses data from a period of no more than two weeks ending as close as
practicable to the payment date.

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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE
This revenue procedure is effective with respect to distributions declared on or after
August 11, 2017.
SECTION 7. DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this revenue procedure is Justin O. Kellar of the Office of
Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate). For further information regarding this revenue
procedure contact Justin O. Kellar on (202) 317-6847 (not a toll free call).