SECTION 3. AREAS IN WHICH

RULINGS OR DETERMINATION LETTERS WILL NOT BE ISSUED

.01 Specific Questions and Problems.

(1) Section 42.—Low-Income Housing Credit.—Whether under § 42(j)(4)(E) a casualty loss has been restored by reconstruction or replacement within a reasonable period of time. The Service may issue a determination letter in this case. See section 12 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin.

(2) Section 45.—Electricity Produced from Certain Renewable Resources, Etc.—Determination as to who is the producer of refined coal for purposes of claiming the renewable electricity production credit.

(3) Section 45.—Electricity Produced from Certain Renewable Resources, Etc.—The allocation by a partnership of the § 45 credit, the validity of the partner

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ship, or whether any taxpayer is a valid partner in the partnership.

(4) Sections 45 and 48.—Electricity Produced from Certain Renewable Resources, Etc.; Energy Credit.—The application of the beginning of construction requirement under § 45(d) and § 48(a)(5).

(5) Section 47.—Rehabilitation Credit.—The allocation by a partnership of the § 47 rehabilitation credit, the validity of the partnership, or whether any taxpayer is a valid partner in the partnership.

(6) Section 48.—See section 3.01(4), above.

(7) Section 61.—Gross Income Defined.—Whether amounts voluntarily deferred by a taxpayer under a deferredcompensation plan maintained by an organization described in § 501 (other than an eligible plan maintained by an eligible employer pursuant to the provisions of § 457(b)) are currently includible in the taxpayer’s gross income.

(8) Section 61.—Gross Income Defined.—Whether a split-dollar life insurance arrangement is “materially modified” within the meaning of § 1.61–22(j)(2) of the Income Tax Regulations. (Also §§ 83, 301, 1401, 2501, 3121, 3231, 3306, 3401, and 7872.)

(9) Sections 61, 451, and 1001.—Gross Income Defined; General Rule for Taxable Year of Inclusion; Determination of Amount of and Recognition of Gain or Loss.—Whether, under authorization by an appropriate state agency to recover certain costs pursuant to state specified cost recovery legislations, any investor-owned utility company realizes income upon: (i) the creation of an intangible property right; (ii) the transfer of that intangible property right; or (iii) the securitization of the intangible property right.

(10) Section 79.—Group-Term Life Insurance Purchased for Employees.— Whether a group insurance plan for 10 or more employees qualifies as group-term insurance, if the amount of insurance is not computed under a formula that would meet the requirements of § 1.79– 1(c)(2)(ii) of the Income Tax Regulations had the group consisted of fewer than 10 employees.

(11) Section 83.—Property Transferred in Connection with Performance of Services.—Whether a restriction constitutes a substantial risk of forfeiture, if the em

ployee is a controlling shareholder. Also, whether a transfer has occurred, if the amount paid for the property involves a nonrecourse obligation.

(12) Section 83.—Property Transferred in Connection with Performance of Services.—Which corporation is entitled to the deduction under § 83(h) in cases in which a corporation undergoes a corporate division, if the facts are not similar to those described in Rev. Rul. 2002–1, 2002–1 C.B. 268. (13) Section 101.—Certain Death Benefits.—Whether there has been a transfer for value for purposes of § 101(a) in situations involving a grantor and a trust when (i) substantially all of the trust corpus consists or will consist of insurance policies on the life of the grantor or the grantor’s spouse, (ii) the trustee or any other person has a power to apply the trust’s income or corpus to the payment of premiums on policies of insurance on the life of the grantor or the grantor’s spouse, (iii) the trustee or any other person has a power to use the trust’s assets to make loans to the grantor’s estate or to purchase assets from the grantor’s estate, and (iv) there is a right or power in any person that would cause the grantor to be treated as the owner of all or a portion of the trust under §§ 673 to 677.

(14) Sections 101, 761, and 7701.— Certain Death Benefits; Terms Defined; Definitions.—Whether, in connection with the transfer of a life insurance policy to an unincorporated organization, (i) the organization will be treated as a partnership under §§ 761 and 7701, or (ii) the transfer of the life insurance policy to the organization will be exempt from the transfer for value rules of § 101, when substantially all of the organization’s assets consist or will consist of life insurance policies on the lives of the members.

(15) Section 102.—Gifts and Inheritances.—Whether a transfer is a gift within the meaning of § 102(a).

(16) Section 105(h).—Amount Paid to Highly Compensated Individuals Under a Discriminatory Self-Insured Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan.—Whether a self-insured medical reimbursement plan satisfies the requirements of § 105(h) for a plan year.

(17) Section 107.—Rental Value of Parsonages.—Whether amounts distrib

uted to a retired minister from a pension or annuity plan should be excludible from the minister’s gross income as a parsonage allowance under § 107.

(18) Section 107.—Rental Value of Parsonages.—Whether an individual is a “minister of the gospel” for Federal tax purposes. (Also §§ 1402(a)(8), (c)(4), and (e), 3121(b)(8)(A), and 3401(a)(9).)

(19) Section 115.—Income of States, Municipalities, Etc.—The results of transactions pursuant to a plan or arrangement created by state statute a primary objective of which is to enable participants to pay for the costs of a post-secondary education for themselves or a designated beneficiary, including: (i) whether the plan or arrangement, itself, is an entity separate from a state and, if so, how the plan or arrangement is treated for Federal tax purposes; and (ii) whether any contract under the plan or arrangement is a debt instrument and, if so, how interest or original issue discount attributable to the contract is treated for Federal tax purposes. (Also §§ 61, 163, 1275, 2501, and 7701.) (20) Section 115.—Income of States, Municipalities, Etc.—Whether the income of membership organizations established by states exclusively to reimburse members for losses arising from workmen’s compensation claims is excluded from gross income under § 115.

(21) Section 117.—Qualified Scholarships.—Whether amounts paid to research fellows and research associates are scholarships or fellowships excluded from wages for FICA tax purposes.

(22) Section 117.—Qualified Scholarships.—Whether an employer-related scholarship or fellowship grant is excludible from the employee’s gross income, if there is no intermediary private foundation distributing the grants, as described in Rev. Proc. 76–47, 1976–2 C.B. 670.

(23) Section 119.—Meals or Lodging Furnished for the Convenience of the Employer.—Whether the value of meals or lodging is excludible from gross income by an employee who is a controlling shareholder of the employer.

(24) Section 121.—Exclusion of Gain from Sale of Principal Residence.— Whether property qualifies as the taxpayer’s principal residence.

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(25) Section 125.—Cafeteria Plans.— Whether amounts used to provide groupterm life insurance under § 79, accident and health benefits under §§ 105 and 106, and dependent care assistance programs under § 129 are includible in the gross income of participants and considered “wages” for purposes of §§ 3401, 3121, and 3306 when the benefits are offered through a cafeteria plan.

(26) Section 162.—Trade or Business Expenses.—Whether compensation is reasonable in amount.

(27) Section 163.—Interest.—The income tax consequences of transactions involving “shared appreciation mortgage” (SAM) loans in which a taxpayer, borrowing money to purchase real property, pays a fixed rate of interest on the mortgage loan below the prevailing market rate and will also pay the lender a percentage of the appreciation in value of the real property upon termination of the mortgage. This applies to all SAM arrangements in which the loan proceeds are used for commercial or business activities, or to finance a personal residence, if the facts are not similar to those described in Rev. Rul. 83–51, 1983–1 C.B. 48. (Also §§ 61, 451, 461, 856, 1001, and 7701.) (28) Section 170.—Charitable, Etc., Contributions and Gifts.—Whether a charitable contribution deduction under § 170 is allowed for a transfer of an interest in a limited partnership or a limited liability company taxed as a partnership to an organization described in § 170(c).

(29) Section 170.—Charitable, Etc., Contributions and Gifts.—Whether a taxpayer who advances funds to a charitable organization and receives therefor a promissory note may deduct as contributions, in one taxable year or in each of several years, amounts forgiven by the taxpayer in each of several years by endorsement on the note.

(30) Section 181.—Treatment of Certain Qualified Film and Television Productions.—The determination under § 1.181–1(a)(1) and (2) as to who is the owner of a qualified film or television production.

(31) Section 199.—Income Attributable to Domestic Production Activities.— The determination under § 1.199–3(f)(1) as to who is the taxpayer that has the benefits and burdens of ownership under

Federal income tax principles of any qualifying production property (as defined in § 1.199–3(j)(1)), qualified film (as defined in § 1.199–3(k)), or utilities (as defined in § 1.199–3(l)) during the period in which a qualifying activity under § 199 occurs.

(32) Section 213.—Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses.—Whether a capital expenditure for an item that is ordinarily used for personal, living, or family purposes, such as a swimming pool, has as its primary purpose the medical care of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse or dependent, or is related directly to such medical care.

(33) Section 216.—Deduction of Taxes, Interest, and Business Depreciation by Cooperative Housing Corporation Tenant-Stockholder.—Whether a unit constitutes an “apartment in a building” under § 216(b)(1)(B).

(34) Section 264.—Certain Amounts Paid in Connection with Insurance Contracts.—Whether § 264(d)(1) applies.

(35) Section 264(c)(1).—Contracts Treated as Single Premium Contracts.— Whether “substantially all” the premiums of a contract of insurance are paid within a period of 4 years from the date on which the contract is purchased. Also, whether an amount deposited is in payment of a “substantial number” of future premiums on such a contract.

(36) Sections 267, 304, 331, 332, 351, and 1502.—Losses, Expenses, and Interest with Respect to Transactions Between Related Taxpayers; Redemption Through Use of Related Corporations; Gain or Loss to Shareholders in Corporate Liquidations; Complete Liquidations of Subsidiaries; Transfer to Corporation Controlled by Transferor; Regulations.—The treatment of transactions in which stock of a corporation is transferred with a plan or intention that the corporation be liquidated in a transaction intended to qualify under § 331.

(37) Section 269.—Acquisitions Made to Evade or Avoid Income Tax.— Whether an acquisition is within the meaning of § 269.

(38) Section 274.—Disallowance of Certain Entertainment, Etc., Expenses.— Whether a taxpayer who is traveling away from home on business may, in lieu of substantiating the actual cost of meals, deduct a fixed per-day amount for meal

expenses that differs from the amount authorized by the revenue procedure providing optional rules for substantiating the amount of travel expenses for the period in which the expense was paid or incurred.

(39) Section 302.—Distributions in Redemption of Stock.—Whether § 302(b) applies when the consideration given in redemption by a corporation consists entirely or partly of its notes payable, and the shareholder’s stock is held in escrow or as security for payment of the notes with the possibility that the stock may or will be returned to the shareholder in the future, upon the happening of specific defaults by the corporation.

(40) Section 302.—Distributions in Redemption of Stock.—Whether § 302(b) applies when the consideration given in redemption by a corporation in exchange for a shareholder’s stock consists entirely or partly of the corporation’s promise to pay an amount based on, or contingent on, future earnings of the corporation, when the promise to pay is contingent on working capital being maintained at a certain level, or any other similar contingency.

(41) Section 302.—Distributions in Redemption of Stock.—Whether § 302(b) applies to a redemption of stock, if, after the redemption, the distributing corporation uses property that is owned by the shareholder from whom the stock is redeemed and the payments by the corporation for the use of the property are dependent upon the corporation’s future earnings or are subordinate to the claims of the corporation’s general creditors. Payments for the use of property will not be considered to be dependent upon future earnings merely because they are based on a fixed percentage of receipts or sales.

(42) Section 302.—Distributions in Redemption of Stock.—Whether the acquisition or disposition of stock described in § 302(c)(2)(B) has, or does not have, as one of its principal purposes the avoidance of Federal income taxes within the meaning of that section, unless the facts and circumstances are materially identical to those set forth in Rev. Rul. 85–19, 1985–1 C.B. 94; Rev. Rul. 79–67, 1979–1 C.B. 128; Rev. Rul. 77–293, 1977–2 C.B. 91; Rev. Rul. 57–387, 1957–2 C.B. 225; Rev. Rul. 56–584, 1956–2 C.B. 179; or Rev. Rul. 56–556, 1956–2 C.B. 177.

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(43) Section 302(b)(4) and (e).—Redemption from Noncorporate Shareholder in Partial Liquidation; Partial Liquidation Defined.—The amount of working capital attributable to a business or portion of a business terminated that may be distributed in partial liquidation.

(44) Section 304.—See section 3.01(36), above. (45) Section 312.—Effect on Earnings and Profits.—The determination of the amount of earnings and profits of a corporation.

(46) Sections 331, 453, and 1239.— Gain or Loss to Shareholders in Corporate Liquidations; Installment Method; Gain from Sale of Depreciable Property Between Certain Related Taxpayers.—The tax effects of a transaction in which there is a transfer of property by a corporation to a partnership or other noncorporate entity (or the transfer of stock to such entity followed by a liquidation of the corporation) when more than a nominal amount of the stock of such corporation and the capital or beneficial interests in the purchasing entity (that is, more than 20 percent in value) is owned by the same persons, and the consideration to be received by the selling corporation or the selling shareholders includes an installment obligation of the purchasing entity.

(47) Section 331.—See section 3.01(36), above. (48) Sections 332, 351, 355, 368, and 1036.—Complete Liquidations of Subsidiaries; Transfer to Corporation Controlled by Transferor; Distribution of Stock and Securities of a Controlled Corporation; Definitions Relating to Corporate Reorganizations; Stock for Stock of Same Corporation.—Whether a transaction qualifies under § 332, 351, 355, or 1036 for nonrecognition treatment or whether it constitutes a corporate reorganization within the meaning of § 368, and whether various tax consequences (such as nonrecognition and basis) result from the application of that section. The Service will instead rule only on significant issues presented in a transaction described in § 332, 351, 355, 368, or 1036. Additionally, the Service will rule on one or more significant issues under the Code sections that address the tax consequences (such as nonrecognition and basis) that result from the qualification of a transaction under

§ 332, 351, 355, 368, or 1036. See section 6.03 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin. SIGNIFICANT ISSUE: A significant issue is an issue of law the resolution of which is not essentially free from doubt and that is germane to determining the tax consequences of the transaction. A change of circumstances arising after a transaction ordinarily does not present a significant issue with respect to the transaction.

OBTAINING A LETTER RULING: To obtain a letter ruling on a significant issue presented in a transaction, the taxpayer in its letter ruling request must comply with all the requirements set forth in section 6.03 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, as well as Rev. Proc. 2015–1, in general.

(49) Section 332.—See section 3.01(36) and (48), above. (50) Section 351.—See section 3.01(36) and (48), above. (51) Section 355.—Distribution of Stock and Securities of a Controlled Corporation.—Whether the distribution of the stock of a controlled corporation is being carried out for one or more corporate business purposes, whether the transaction is used principally as a device, and whether the distribution and an acquisition are part of a plan under § 355(e). See Rev. Proc. 2003–48, 2003–2 C.B. 86. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Service may issue a ruling regarding the effect of redemptions under § 355(e) pending the issuance of temporary or final regulations regarding redemptions under § 355(e) if an adverse ruling on such question would result in there being a direct or indirect acquisition by one or more persons of stock representing a 50-percent or greater interest in the distributing corporation or the controlled corporation that is part of a plan under § 355(e).

(52) Section 355.—See section 3.01(48), above. (53) Section 358.—Basis to Distributees.—The acceptability of an estimation procedure or the acceptability of a specific sampling procedure to determine the basis of stock acquired by an acquiring corporation in a reorganization described in § 368(a)(1)(B).

(54) Section 368.—See section 3.01(48), above. (55) Section 403(b).—Taxability of Beneficiary Under Annuity Purchased by Section 501(c)(3) Organization or Public

School.—Whether the form of a plan satisfies the requirements of § 403(b) as noted in Announcement 2009–89, 2009–52 I.R.B. 1009. (56) Section 409A.—Inclusion in Gross Income of Deferred Compensation Under Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans.—The income tax consequences of establishing, operating, or participating in a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of § 1.409A–1(a); whether a plan is described in § 1.409A–1(a)(3)(iv) or (v); whether a plan is a bona fide vacation leave, sick leave, or compensatory time plan described in § 1.409A–1(a)(5); and whether a plan provides for the deferral of compensation under § 1.409A–1(b).

(57) Section 411(d)(3).—Termination or Partial Termination; Discontinuance of Contributions.—Whether there has been a partial termination of an employee plan. The Service may issue a determination letter involving the partial termination of an employee plan. See Rev. Proc. 2015–6, this Bulletin.

(58) Section 414(d).—Governmental Plan.—Whether a plan is a governmental plan under § 414(d).

(59) Section 424.—Definitions and Special Rules.—Whether the substitution of a new Incentive Stock Option (ISO) for an old ISO, or the assumption of an old ISO, by an employer by reason of a corporate transaction constitutes a modification which results in the issuance of a new option by reason of failing to satisfy the spread test requirement of § 424(a)(1) or the ratio test requirement of § 1.425– 1(a)(4). The Service will continue to rule on the issue of whether the new ISO or the assumption of the old ISO gives the employee additional benefits not present under the old option within the meaning of § 424(a)(2).

(60) Section 451.—General Rule for Taxable Year of Inclusion.—The tax consequences of a nonqualified unfunded deferred-compensation arrangement with respect to a controlling shareholderemployee eligible to participate in the arrangement.

(61) Section 451.—General Rule for Taxable Year of Inclusion.—The tax consequences of nonqualified unfunded deferred-compensation arrangements in which the arrangements fail to meet the

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requirements of Rev. Proc. 92–65, 1992–2 C.B. 428, and Rev. Proc. 71–19, 1971–1 C.B. 698. (62) Sections 451 and 457.—General Rule for Taxable Year of Inclusion; Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans of State and Local Governments and TaxExempt Organizations.—The tax consequences to unidentified independent contractors in nonqualified unfunded deferred compensation plans. This applies to plans established under § 451 by employers in the private sector and to plans of state and local governments and tax-exempt organizations under § 457. However, a ruling with respect to a specific independent contractor’s participation in such a plan may be issued.

(63) Section 451.—See section 3.01(9), above. (64) Section 453.—See section 3.01(46), above. (65) Section 457.—See section 3.01(62), above. (66) Section 457A.—Nonqualified Deferred Compensation from Certain Tax Indifferent Parties.—The income tax consequences of establishing, operating, or participating in a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of § 457A(d)(3).

(67) Sections 501, 511, 512, 513, and 514.—Exemption from Tax on Corporations, Certain Trusts, Etc.; Imposition of Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Charitable, Etc., Organizations; Unrelated Business Taxable Income; Unrelated Trade or Business; Unrelated DebtFinanced Income.—Whether a joint venture between a tax-exempt organization and a for-profit organization affects an organization’s exempt status or results in unrelated business income.

(68) Sections 507, 664, 4941, and 4945.—Termination of Private Foundation Status; Charitable Remainder Trusts; Taxes on Self-Dealing; Taxes on Taxable Expenditures.—Issues pertaining to the tax consequences of the termination of a charitable remainder trust (as defined in § 664) before the end of the trust term as defined in the trust’s governing instrument in a transaction in which the trust beneficiaries receive their actuarial shares of the value of the trust assets.

(69) Sections 511, 512, 513, and 514.—Imposition of Tax on Unrelated

Business Income of Charitable, Etc., Organizations; Unrelated Business Taxable Income; Unrelated Trade or Business; Unrelated Debt-Financed Income.—Whether unrelated business income tax issues arise when charitable lead trust assets are invested with charitable organizations.

(70) Sections 511, 512, 513, and 514.—See section 3.01(67), above. (71) Section 529.—Qualified Tuition Programs.—Whether a state-run tuition program qualifies under § 529.

(72) Sections 542, 543, and 544.—Definition of Personal Holding Company; Personal Holding Company Income; Rules for Determining Stock Ownership.—Whether the application of § 544(a) causes a corporation to meet the stock ownership requirements under § 542(a)(2), § 543(a)(7), § 543(a)(6), or § 543(a)(4).

(73) Section 641.—Imposition of Tax.—Whether the period of administration or settlement of an estate or a trust (other than a trust described in § 664) is reasonable or unduly prolonged.

(74) Section 642(c).—Deduction for Amounts Paid or Permanently Set Aside for a Charitable Purpose.—Allowance of an unlimited deduction for amounts set aside by a trust or estate for charitable purposes when there is a possibility that the corpus of the trust or estate may be invaded.

(75) Section 664.—Charitable Remainder Trusts.—Whether the settlement of a charitable remainder trust upon the termination of the noncharitable interest is made within a reasonable period of time.

(76) Section 664.—See section 3.01(68), above. (77) Section 671.—Trust Income, Deductions, and Credits Attributable to Grantors and Others as Substantial Owners.—Whether the grantor will be considered the owner of any portion of a trust when (i) substantially all of the trust corpus consists or will consist of insurance policies on the life of the grantor or the grantor’s spouse, (ii) the trustee or any other person has a power to apply the trust’s income or corpus to the payment of premiums on policies of insurance on the life of the grantor or the grantor’s spouse, (iii) the trustee or any other person has a power to use the trust’s assets to make loans to the grantor’s estate or to purchase

assets from the grantor’s estate, and (iv) there is a right or power in any person that would cause the grantor to be treated as the owner of all or a portion of the trust under §§ 673 to 677.

(78) Section 704(b).—Determination of Distributive Share.—Whether the allocation to a partner under the partnership agreement of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit (or an item thereof) has substantial economic effect or is in accordance with the partner’s interest in the partnership.

(79) Section 704(e).—Family Partnerships.—Matters relating to the validity of a family partnership when capital is not a material income producing factor.

(80) Section 761.—See section 3.01(14), above. (81) Section 856.—Definition of Real Estate Investment Trust.—Whether a corporation whose stock is “paired” with or “stapled” to stock of another corporation will qualify as a real estate investment trust under § 856, if the activities of the corporations are integrated.

(82) Section 1001.—Determination of Amount of and Recognition of Gain or Loss.—Whether the termination of a charitable remainder trust before the end of the trust term as defined in the trust’s governing instrument, in a transaction in which the trust beneficiaries receive their actuarial shares of the value of the trust assets, is treated as a sale or other disposition by the beneficiaries of their interests in the trust.

(83) Section 1001.—See section 3.01(9), above. (84) Section 1033.—Involuntary Conversions.—Whether the replacement or proposed replacement of compulsorily or involuntarily converted property does or does not qualify under § 1033(a), if the taxpayer has already filed a Federal tax return for the taxable year in which the property was converted. The Service may issue a determination letter in this case. See section 12.01 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin.

(85) Section 1036.—See section 3.01(48), above. (86) Section 1221.—Capital Asset Defined.—Whether specialty stock allocated to an investment account by a registered specialist on a national securities exchange is a capital asset.

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(87) Section 1221.—Capital Asset Defined.—Whether the termination of a charitable remainder trust before the end of the trust term as defined in the trust’s governing instrument, in a transaction in which the trust beneficiaries receive their actuarial shares of the value of the trust assets, is treated as a sale or exchange of a capital asset by the beneficiaries.

(88) Section 1239.—See section 3.01(46), above. (89) Section 1502.—Regulations.—If a member of an affiliated group fails to file Form 1122 or fails to join in the making of a consolidated return due to a mistake of law or fact, or inadvertence, whether such member will be treated as if it had filed a Form 1122. The Service may issue a determination letter in this case. See section 12.01 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin. But see also section 6.07 of this revenue procedure.

(90) Section 1502.—See section 3.01(36), above. (91) Section 1551.—Disallowance of the Benefits of the Graduated Corporate Rates and Accumulated Earnings Credit.—Whether a transfer is within § 1551.

(92) Section 2031.—Definition of Gross Estate.—Actuarial factors for valuing interests in the prospective gross estate of a living person.

(93) Section 2055.—Transfers for Public, Charitable, and Religious Uses.— Whether a charitable contribution deduction under § 2055 is allowed for the transfer of an interest in a limited partnership or a limited liability company taxed as a partnership to an organization described in § 2055(a).

(94) Section 2512.—Valuation of Gifts.—Actuarial factors for valuing prospective or hypothetical gifts of a donor.

(95) Section 2522.—Charitable and Similar Gifts.—Whether a charitable contribution deduction under § 2522 is allowable for a transfer of an interest in a limited partnership or a limited liability company taxed as a partnership to an organization described in § 2522(a).

(96) Section 2601.—Tax Imposed.— Whether a trust exempt from generationskipping transfer (GST) tax under § 26.2601–1(b)(1), (2), or (3) of the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Regulations will retain its GST exempt status when there is a modification of a trust,

change in the administration of a trust, or a distribution from a trust in a factual scenario that is similar to a factual scenario set forth in one or more of the examples contained in § 26.2601– 1(b)(4)(i)(E). (97) Sections 3121, 3306, and 3401.— Definitions.—For purposes of determining prospective employment status, whether an individual will be an employee or an independent contractor. A ruling with regard to prior employment status may be issued.

(98) Sections 3121, 3306, and 3401.— Definitions.—Who is the employer of an “employee-owner” as defined in § 269A(b)(2).

(99) Sections 3121, 3306, and 3401.— Definitions.—For purposes of determining employment classification pursuant to the filing of Form SS–8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax With- holding, whether a worker is a bona fide partner and, therefore, not an employee of the business.

(100) Section 4191.—Medical Devices.—Whether a device (as defined in section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) intended for humans is not a “taxable medical device” within the meaning of § 4191(b)(1) due to the application of the exemption provided in § 4191(b)(2) for eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, and any other medical device determined by the Secretary to be of a type which is generally purchased by the general public at retail for individual use.

(101) Sections 4375, 4376, and 4377.—Health Insurance; Self-Insured Health Plans; Definitions and Special Rules.—Whether an arrangement is a specified health insurance policy or an applicable self-insured health plan that is subject to the fee applicable to such arrangements.

(102) Section 4941.—Taxes on SelfDealing.—Whether transactions during the administration of an estate or trust meet the requirements of the exception to § 4941 set forth in § 53.4941(d)–1(b)(3) of the Private Foundation Excise Tax Regulations, in cases in which a disqualified person issues a promissory note in exchange for property of an estate or trust.

(103) Section 4941.—See section 3.01(68), above. (104) Section 4945.—See section 3.01(68), above. (105) Section 4958.—Taxes on Excess Benefit Transactions.—Whether a compensation or property transaction satisfies the rebuttable presumption that the transaction is not an excess benefit transaction as described in § 53.4958–6 of the Excess Benefit Transactions Excise Tax Regulations.

(106) Section 4975(d).—Exemptions.—Whether the renewal, extension, or refinancing of an exempt loan satisfies the requirements of § 4975(d)(3). Also, whether the pre-payment of employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) loans satisfies the requirements of § 4975(d)(3) other than with respect to plan termination.

(107) Section 4980B.—Failure to Satisfy Continuation Coverage Requirements of Group Health Plans.—Whether an action is “gross misconduct” within the meaning of § 4980B(f)(3)(B). (See section 3.05 of Rev. Proc. 87–28, 1987–1 C.B. 770, 771.) (108) Section 4980H.—Shared Responsibility for Employers Regarding Health Coverage.—Whether an employer is required to make an assessable payment under § 4980(H)(a) or (b).

(109) Section 6166.—Extension of Time for Payment of Estate Tax Where Estate Consists Largely of Interest in Closely Held Business.—Requests involving § 6166 if there is no decedent.

(110) Section 6901.—Transferred Assets.—Whether a taxpayer is liable for tax as a transferee.

(111) Section 7701.—Definitions.— The classification of an instrument that has certain voting and liquidation rights in an issuing corporation but whose dividend rights are determined by reference to the earnings of a segregated portion of the issuing corporation’s assets, including assets held by a subsidiary.

(112) Section 7701.—Definitions.— The classification for Federal tax purposes of a fideicomiso or other land trust created under local law, applying the principles of Rev. Rul. 2013–14, 2013–26 I.R.B. 1267, or Rev. Rul. 92–105, 1992–2 C.B. 204.

(113) Section 7701.—See section 3.01(14), above.

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(114) Section 7704.—Certain Publicly Traded Partnerships Treated as Corporations.—Whether interests in a partnership that are not traded on an established securities market (within the meaning of § 7704(b) and § 1.7704–1(b) of the Procedure and Administration Regulations) are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof under § 1.7704–1(c)(1).

(115) Section 9815.—Additional Market Reforms.—Whether an insured group health plan satisfies the requirements of § 2716 of the Public Health Service Act, Prohibition on Discrimination in Favor of Highly Compensated Individuals, as incorporated into the Code by § 9815.

.02 General Areas.

(1) Whether the economic substance doctrine is relevant to any transaction or whether any transaction complies with the requirements of § 7701(o).

(2) The results of transactions that lack a bona fide business purpose or have as their principal purpose the reduction of Federal taxes.

(3) A matter upon which a court decision adverse to the Government has been handed down and the question of following the decision or litigating further has not yet been resolved.

(4) A matter involving alternate plans of proposed transactions or involving hypothetical situations.

(5) Whether under Subtitle F (Procedure and Administration) reasonable cause, due diligence, good faith, clear and convincing evidence, or other similar terms that require a factual determination exist.

(6) A matter involving the regulations governing practice before the Service under 31 CFR Part 10 (reprinted as Treasury Department Circular No. 230).

(7) Whether a proposed transaction would subject the taxpayer to a criminal penalty.

(8) Whether a completed transaction can be rescinded for Federal income tax purposes.

(9) The income tax (including unrelated business income tax) or excise tax consequences of the contribution of stock options to, or their subsequent exercise from, plans described in Part 1 of Sub

chapter D of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Code.

(10) Questions that the Service determines, in its discretion, should not be answered in the general interests of sound tax administration, including due to resource constraints.

(11) Any frivolous issue, as that term is defined in section 6.10 of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin. (12) A request that does not comply with the provisions of Rev. Proc. 2015–1, this Bulletin.