Corporation receives relief after trust misses QSST election

Plain-English summary

An estate transferred S corporation shares under a will to a trust that was temporarily eligible to hold the shares for two years. The trust met the substantive requirements of a qualified subchapter S trust, but its beneficiary failed to make the QSST election before the temporary eligibility period ended, terminating the corporation's S election. The IRS treated the termination as inadvertent under IRC § 1362(f) and allowed the corporation to continue as an S corporation. The relief is conditioned on the beneficiary filing a QSST election effective as of the termination date within 120 days.

Ruling snapshot

• Question: Can the corporation preserve its S status after a trust beneficiary missed the QSST election deadline?
• Outcome: Approved. The S election remains effective if the beneficiary files the required QSST election within 120 days.
• Key authorities: IRC §§ 1361(c), 1361(d), 1362(d), 1362(f); Treas. Reg. § 1.1361-1(j)(6)

Full text (IRS public release)

Internal Revenue Service Department of the Treasury
Washington, DC 20224

Number: 201723011 Third Party Communication: None
Release Date: 6/9/2017 Date of Communication: Not Applicable
Index Number: 1362.04-00
Person To Contact:
----------------------------------- -------------------------------- -------------
------------------------------------------------------------ Telephone Number:
---------------- ---------------------
------------------------ Refer Reply To:
--------------------------- CC:PSI:B01
PLR-131283-16
Date:
February 28, 2017

LEGEND:

X = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------

A = ------------------

Trust = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------

State = -------------

Date 1 = -------------------------

Date 2 = ---------------------

Date 3 = ----------------------

Date 4 = -----------------------

Date 5 = -----------------------

Dear--------------

This responds to a letter dated September 16, 2016, and subsequent correspondence,
submitted on behalf of X, requesting inadvertent termination relief pursuant to § 1362(f)
of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code).

PLR-131283-16 2

Facts

The information submitted states that X was incorporated on Date 1, under the laws of
State. Effective Date 2, X elected to be taxed as an S corporation.

On Date 3, A, a shareholder of X, died. On Date 4, A’s estate transferred shares of X to
Trust pursuant to the terms of A’s will. Trust qualified under § 1361(c)(2)(A)(iii) as an
eligible S corporation shareholder for a two-year period beginning on the day X stock
was transferred to it. X represents that Trust has, at all times since the transfer of X
stock to Trust, met the requirements of a qualified subchapter S trust (QSST), within the
meaning of § 1361(d)(3). However, the beneficiary of Trust failed to timely file an
election under § 1361(d)(2) for Trust to be a QSST.

X represents that the failure to file the QSST election for Trust and the resulting
termination of X’s S corporation election was not motivated by tax avoidance or
retroactive tax planning. X and its shareholders have agreed to make any adjustments
consistent with the treatment of X as an S corporation as may be required by the
Commissioner with respect to the period specified by § 1362(f).

Law and Analysis

Section 1361(a)(1) provides that the term “S corporation” means, with respect to any
taxable year, a small business corporation for which an election under § 1362(a) is in
effect for such year.

Section 1361(b)(1) defines a “small business corporation” as a domestic corporation
that is not an ineligible corporation and that does not (A) have more than 100
shareholders, (B) have as a shareholder a person (other than an estate, a trust
described in § 1361(c)(2), or an organization described in § 1361(c)(6)) who is not an
individual, (C) have a nonresident alien as a shareholder, and (D) have more than one
class of stock.

Section 1361(c)(2)(A)(i) provides that a trust, all of which is treated (under subpart E of
part I of subchapter J of chapter 1) as owned by an individual who is a citizen or
resident of the United States, may be an S corporation shareholder.

Section 1361(c)(2)(A)(iii) provides that, for purposes of § 1361(b)(1)(B), a trust with
respect to stock transferred to it pursuant to the terms of a will is a permitted
shareholder, but only for the 2-year period beginning on the day on which such stock is
transferred to it.

Section 1361(d)(1) provides that a QSST whose beneficiary makes an election under
§ 1361(d)(2) will be treated as a trust described in § 1361(c)(2)(A)(i), and the QSST’s

PLR-131283-16 3

beneficiary will be treated as the owner (for purposes of § 678(a)) of that portion of the
QSST’s S corporation stock to which the election under § 1362(d)(2) applies.

Section 1361(d)(2)(A) provides that a beneficiary of a QSST (or his legal representative)
may elect to have § 1361(d) apply. Section 1361(d)(2)(D) provides that an election
under § 1361(d)(2) shall be effective up to 15 days and 2 months before the date of the
election.

Section 1361(d)(3) defines a QSST as a trust (A) the terms of which require that (i)
during the life of the current income beneficiary, there shall be only one income
beneficiary of the trust; (ii) any corpus distributed during the life of the current income
beneficiary may be distributed only to such beneficiary; (iii) the income interest of the
current beneficiary in the trust shall terminate on the earlier of the beneficiary's death or
the termination of the trust; and (iv) upon the termination of the trust during the life of the
current income beneficiary, the trust shall distribute all of its assets to that beneficiary;
and (B) all of the income (with the meaning of § 643(b)) of which is distributed (or
required to be distributed) currently to one individual who is a citizen or resident of the
United States.

Section 1.1361-1(j)(6)(ii) of the Income Tax Regulations, provides that the current
income beneficiary of the trust must make the election by signing and filing with the
service center with which the corporation files its income tax the applicable form or a
statement including the information listed in § 1.1361-1(j)(6)(ii).

Section 1362(d)(2)(A) provides that an election under § 1362(a) shall be terminated
whenever the corporation ceases to be a small business corporation.

Section 1362(f) provides, in relevant part, that if (1) an election under § 1362(a) by any
corporation was terminated under paragraph (2) or (3) of § 1362(d), (2) the Secretary
determines that the circumstances resulting in such termination were inadvertent, (3) no
later than a reasonable period of time after discovery of the circumstances resulting in
termination, steps were taken so that the corporation is once more a small business
corporation, and (4) the corporation and each person who was a shareholder of the
corporation at any time during the period specified pursuant to § 1362(f), agrees to
make any adjustments (consistent with the treatment of the corporation as an S
corporation) as may be required by the Secretary with respect to the period, then,
notwithstanding the circumstances resulting in the termination, the corporation will be
treated as continuing to be an S corporation during the period specified by the
Secretary.

Conclusion

Based solely on the facts submitted and representations made, we conclude that X’s S
corporation election was terminated on Date 5 and that the termination was inadvertent

PLR-131283-16 4

within the meaning of § 1362(f). Consequently, we rule that X will be treated as an S
corporation from Date 5 and thereafter provided that X’s S corporation election was
otherwise valid and not otherwise terminated under § 1362(d).

This ruling is contingent on the beneficiary of Trust filing a QSST election for Trust
effective Date 5 with the appropriate service center within 120 days of the date of this
letter. A copy of this letter should be attached to the QSST election.

Except as specifically ruled above, we express or imply no opinion concerning the
federal tax consequences of the facts described above under any other provision of the
Code, including whether Trust is a valid QSST.

This ruling is directed only to the taxpayer who requested it. Section 6110(k)(3)
provides that it may not be used or cited as precedent.

In accordance with the power of attorney on file with this office, a copy of this letter is
being sent to X’s authorized representative.

                                    Sincerely,


                                    David R. Haglund
                                    David R. Haglund
                                    Branch Chief, Branch 1
                                    (Passthroughs & Special Industries)

Enclosures (2)
Copy of this letter
Copy for § 6110 purposes

cc: