SECTION 16. HOW DOES EP

OR EO TECHNICAL PREPARE THE TAM OR THE TEAM?

Delegates authority to group managers

Determines whether request has been properly made

Contacts the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office to discuss issues

Informs the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office if any matters in the request have been referred to another group or office

Informs the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office if additional information is needed

.01 The authority to issue a TAM or a TEAM on issues under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division has largely been delegated to the managers of the Employee Plans Rulings & Agreements Technical and Actuarial groups, and the Technical Guidance and Quality Assurance group (collectively referred to as “EP Technical”); and of the Exempt Organizations Rulings & Agreements Technical groups and the Technical Guidance and Quality Assurance group (collectively referred to as “EO Technical”)

.02 A request for a TAM or a TEAM generally is given priority and processed expeditiously. As soon as the request for a TAM or a TEAM is assigned, the technical employee analyzes the file to see whether it meets all of the requirements of sections 7, 8, and 10 of this revenue procedure.

However, if the request does not comply with the requirements of section 10.04 of this revenue procedure relating to the deletions statement, the Service will follow the procedure in the last paragraph of section 11.05 of this revenue procedure.

.03 Upon receipt of a request for a TAM or a TEAM, a representative of the group assigned the TAM or the TEAM will telephone the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office to acknowledge receipt of the TAM or the TEAM and to establish a point of contact. Within 21 calendar days from the receipt of a TAM or within five calendar days for a TEAM, the tax law specialist or actuary should contact the EP or EO specialist or appeals officer to discuss the procedural and substantive issues in the request that come within the group’s jurisdiction.

.04 If the technical advice request concerns matters within the jurisdiction of more than one group or office, a representative of the group that received the original technical advice request generally informs the EP or EO Examinations office or EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office within 21 calendar days of receiving the request that—

(1) the matters within the jurisdiction of another group or office have been referred to the other group or office for consideration, and

(2) a representative of the other group or office will contact the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office about the referral of the technical advice request within 21 calendar days after receiving it in accordance with section 16.03 above.

If the request for a TEAM involves more than one office, all of the offices involved should have had the opportunity to participate in the pre-submission conference. Within five calendar days of receipt, the office with the primary responsibility over the TEAM will confirm that all of the offices have received copies of the TEAM request and will advise the submitting office as to who is assigned the TEAM among the various offices. If, after receiving the TEAM request, the office with jurisdiction over the TEAM determines that coordination with another office is required, the tax law specialist or actuary will also notify of the new coordination within five calendar days of the receipt of the TEAM.

.05 The group representative will inform the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office that the case is being returned if substantial additional information is required to resolve an issue. Cases also should be returned for additional information when significant unresolved factual variances exist between the statement of facts submitted by the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations or the appeals office and the taxpayer. They should also be returned if major procedural problems cannot be resolved by telephone. The EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office should promptly notify the taxpayer of the decision to return the case for further factual development or other reasons.

January 5, 2004 186 2004-1 I.R.B.

Informs the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office of the tentative conclusion

If a tentative conclusion has not been reached, gives date estimated for tentative conclusion

Advises the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office that preliminary conclusion not final

Advises the EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or appeals office of final conclusions

If needed, requests additional information

Request for additional information by fax

If only minor procedural deficiencies exist, the group will request the additional information in the most expeditious manner without returning the case.

.06 If all necessary information has been provided, the group representative informs the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office within 21-calendar days after receiving the information for a TAM and within five calendar days after receiving the information for a TEAM of his or her tentative conclusion.

.07 If a tentative conclusion has not been reached because of the complexity of the issue, the group representative informs the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office of the estimated date the tentative conclusion will be made.

.08 Because the group representative’s tentative conclusion may change during the preparation and review of the TAM or the TEAM, the tentative conclusion should not be considered final. Therefore, neither the group representative nor the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations or the appeals office should advise the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s representative of the tentative conclusion before the scheduling of the adverse conference or between the scheduling and the commencement of the adverse conference.

.09 In all cases, the group representative should inform the EP or EO specialist or appeals officer of EP or EO Technical’s final conclusions. The EP or EO specialist or the appeals officer should be offered the opportunity to discuss the issues and EP or EO Technical’s final conclusions before the TAM or the TEAM is issued.

.10 If, following the initial contact referenced in section 16.03 of this revenue procedure, it is determined, after discussion with the appropriate group manager or reviewer, that additional information is needed, a group representative will obtain the additional information from the taxpayer, the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the Appeals Area Director, Area 7, in the most expeditious manner possible. Any additional information requested from the taxpayer by EP or EO Technical must be submitted by letter, accompanied by a penalties of perjury statement, within 21 calendar days after the request for information is made. In the case of a TEAM, any additional information requested from the taxpayer by the Headquarter’s office must be submitted by letter with a penalties of perjury statement within five calendar days after the request for information is made.

(1) To facilitate prompt action on TAM and TEAM requests, the Service may request any additional information from the taxpayer by fax.

A request to fax a copy of additional information to the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s authorized representative must be made in writing, either as part of the original TAM or TEAM request or prior to the mailing of the request for additional information. The request to fax must contain the fax number of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s authorized representative to and from whom the document is to be faxed.

Because of the unsecured nature of a fax transmission, the Service will take certain precautions to protect confidential information. For example, the Service will use a cover sheet that identifies the intended recipient of the fax and the number of pages transmitted, that does not identify the taxpayer by name or identifying and that contains a statement prohibiting unauthorized disclosure of the document if a recipient of the faxed document is not the intended recipient of the fax. Also, for example, the cover sheet should be faxed in an order in which it will become the first page covering the faxed document.

Penalties of perjury statement (2) Additional information submitted to EP or EO Technical must be accompanied by the following declaration: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this information, including accompanying documents, and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information contains all the relevant facts relating to the request, for the in- formation and such facts are true, correct, and complete.” This declaration must be signed and dated by the taxpayer, not the taxpayer’s representative. A stamped signature or a faxed signature is not permitted.

2004-1 I.R.B. 187 January 5, 2004

Requests taxpayer to send additional information to EP or EO Technical and a copy to EP or EO Examinations or EP or EO Determinations or Appeals Area Director, Area 7

Informs the taxpayer when requested deletions will not be made

(3) A written request for an extension of time to submit additional information must be received by EP or EO Technical within the 21-day period for TAMs (5-day period for TEAMs), giving compelling facts and circumstances to justify the proposed extension. The group manager (or his or her delegate) of the office to which the case is assigned will determine whether to grant or deny the request for an extension. Except in rare and unusual circumstances, EP or EO Technical will not agree to an extension of more than 10 working days beyond the end of the 21-day period in the case of a TAM or a 5-day period in the case of a TEAM. There is no right to appeal the denial of a request for an extension.

(4) If EP or EO Technical does not receive the additional information within 21 calendar days, plus any extensions granted by the appropriate group manager (or his or her delegate), EP or EO Technical will process the TAM or the TEAM based on the existing record.

.11 Whether or not requested by the Service, any additional information submitted by the taxpayer should be sent to the headquarters office. Generally, the taxpayer needs only to submit the original of the additional information to EP or EO Technical. However, in appropriate cases, EP or EO Technical may request additional copies of the information.

Also, the taxpayer must send a copy to either the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the Appeals Area Director, Area 7, for comment. Any comments must be furnished promptly to the appropriate group in EP or EO Technical. If the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the Appeals Area Director, Area 7, does not have any comments, he or she must notify the group representative promptly.

.12 Generally, before replying to the request for a TAM or a TEAM, EP or EO Technical informs the taxpayer orally or in writing of the material likely to appear in the TAM or the TEAM that the taxpayer proposed be deleted but that the Service has determined should not be deleted.

If so informed, the taxpayer may submit within 10 calendar days any further information or other arguments supporting the taxpayer’s proposed deletions.

The Service will attempt to resolve all disagreements about proposed deletions before EP or EO Technical replies to the request for a TAM or a TEAM. However, the taxpayer does not have the right to a conference to resolve any disagreements about material to be deleted from the text of the TAM or the TEAM. These matters, however, may be considered at any conference otherwise scheduled for the request.

Prepares reply in two parts .13 EP or EO Technical’s replies to a TAM or a TEAM request is in two parts. Each part identifies the taxpayer by name, address, identification number, and year or years involved.

The first part of the reply is a transmittal memorandum. In unusual cases, it is a way of giving the EP or EO Examinations office or the EP or EO Determinations office or the appeals office administrative or other information that under the nondisclosure statutes or for other reasons may not be discussed with the taxpayer.

The second part is the TAM or the TEAM, which contains—

(1) a statement of the issues;

(2) a statement of the facts pertinent to the issues;

(3) a statement of the pertinent law, tax treaties, regulations, revenue rulings, and other precedents published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and court decisions;

(4) a discussion of the rationale underlying the conclusions reached by EP or EO Technical; and

(5) the conclusions of EP or EO Technical.

January 5, 2004 188 2004-1 I.R.B.

Routes replies to appropriate office