§ 1.187-1 - Amortization of certain coal mine safety equipment.

§ 1.187-1 Amortization of certain coal mine safety equipment.

(a) Allowance of deduction -

(1) In general. Under section 187(a), every person, at his election, shall be entitled to a deduction with respect to the amortization of the adjusted basis (for determining gain) of any certified coal mine safety equipment (as defined in § 1.187-2), based on a period of 60 months. Such 60-month period shall, at the election of the taxpayer, begin either with the month following the month in which such equipment was placed in service or with the succeeding taxable year. For rules as to making or discontinuing the election, see paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. For the computation of the adjusted basis (for determining gain) of any certified coal mine safety equipment, see paragraph (b) of § 1.187-2.

(2) Amount of deduction.

(i) Such amortization deduction shall be an amount, with respect to each month of such 60-month period which falls within the taxable year, equal to the adjusted basis for determining gain of the certified coal mine safety equipment at the end of such month divided by the number of months (including the month for which the deduction is computed) remaining in such 60-month period. Such adjusted basis at the end of any month shall be computed without regard to the amortization deduction for such month. The total amortization deduction with respect to any certified coal mine safety equipment for a particular taxable year is the sum of the amortization deductions allowable for each month of the 60-month period which falls within such taxable year.

(ii) If any certified coal mine safety equipment is sold or exchanged or otherwise disposed of during a particular month, then the amortization deduction (if any) allowable to the transferor in respect of that month shall be that portion of the amount to which such person would be entitled for a full month which the number of days in such month during which the equipment was held by such person bears to the total number of days in such month.

(3) Effect on other deductions.

(i) The amortization deduction provided by section 187(a) with respect to any month shall be in lieu of the depreciation deduction which would otherwise be allowable with respect to such equipment under section 167 for such month.

(ii) If the adjusted basis of such coal mine safety equipment as computed under section 1011 for purposes other than the amortization deduction provided by section 187(a) is in excess of the adjusted basis, as computed under paragraph (b) of § 1.187-2, then such excess shall be recovered through depreciation deductions under the rules of section 167. See section 187(e), and paragraph (b)(2) of § 1.187-2.

(iii) See section 179 and paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of § 1.179-1 for additional first-year depreciation in respect of certified coal mine safety equipment.

(4) Special rules.

(i) If the assets of a corporation which has elected to take the amortization deduction under section 187(a) are acquired by another corporation in a transaction to which section 381 (relating to carryovers in certain corporate acquisitions) applies, the acquiring corporation is to be treated as if it were the transferor or distributor corporation for purposes of this section.

(ii) For the right of estates and trusts to take the amortization deduction provided by section 187 see section 642(f) and § 1.642(f)-1.

(iii) For the allowance of the amortization deduction in the case of coal mine safety equipment of partnerships see section 703 and § 1.703-1.

(iv) In the case of certified coal mine safety equipment held by one person for life with the remainder to another person, the amortization deduction under section 187(a) shall be computed as if the life tenant were the absolute owner of the property and shall be allowable to the life tenant during his life.

(5) Effective date. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to taxable years ending after December 31, 1969.

(6) Meaning of terms. Except as otherwise provided in § 1.187-2, all terms used in section 187 and the regulations thereunder shall have the meaning provided by this section and § 1.187-2.

(b) Election of amortization -

(1) In general. Under section 187(b), an election by the taxpayer to make amortization deductions with respect to any certified coal mine safety equipment and to begin the 60-month amortization period shall be made by a statement to that effect attached to his return for the taxable year in which falls the first month of the 60-month amortization period so elected. Such statement shall include the following information:

(i) A description clearly identifying each piece of certified coal mine safety equipment for which an amortization deduction is claimed;

(ii) The date on which such equipment was “placed in service” (see paragraph (a)(2)(i) of § 1.187-2);

(iii) The date on which the amortization period began;

(iv) The total costs paid or incurred in the acquisition and installation of such equipment;

(v) A computation showing the adjusted basis (as defined in paragraph (b) of § 1.187-2) of the equipment as of the beginning of the amortization period;

(vi) In the case of electric face equipment which is newly acquired by the taxpayer, a statement that the equipment has been certified by the Secretary of the Interior or the Director of the Bureau of Mines as being permissible within the meaning of section 305(a)(2) of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969; and

(vii) In the case of property placed in service in connection with used electric face equipment (within the meaning of paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of § 1.187-2), a statement that such property has resulted in the used electric face equipment becoming permissible and a copy of the notification that such property is permissible.

(2) Late certification. If, 90 days before the date on which the return described in this paragraph is due, a piece of coal mine safety equipment has not been certified as permissible by the Secretary of the Interior or the Director of the Bureau of Mines, then the election may be made by a statement in an amended income tax return for the taxable year in which falls the first month of the 60-month amortization period so elected. The statement and amended return in such case must be filed not later than 90 days after the date the equipment is certified as permissible by the Secretary of the Interior or the Director of the Bureau of Mines. Amended income tax returns or claims for credit or refund should also be filed at this time for other taxable years which are within the amortization period and which are subsequent to the taxable year for which the election is made. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as extending the time specified in section 6511 within which a claim for credit or refund may be filed.

(3) Other requirements and considerations. No method of making the election provided for in section 187(a) other than that prescribed in this section shall be permitted on or after August 11, 1971. A taxpayer who does not elect in the manner prescribed in this section to take amortization deductions with respect to certified coal mine safety equipment shall not be entitled to such deductions. In the case of a taxpayer who has elected prior to August 11, 1971 the statement required by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph shall be attached to his income tax return for his taxable year in which August 11, 1971 occurs.

(c) Election to discontinue or revoke amortization -

(1) Election to discontinue.

(i) Under section 187(c), if a taxpayer has elected to take the amortization deduction provided by section 187(a) with respect to any certified coal mine safety equipment, he may, after such election and prior to the expiration of the 60-month amortization period, elect to discontinue the amortization deduction for the remainder of the 60-month period for such equipment.

(ii) An election to discontinue the amortization deduction shall be made by a statement in writing filed with the District Director or with the director of the Internal Revenue Service center with whom the return of the taxpayer is required to be filed for its taxable year in which falls the first month for which the election terminates. In addition, a copy of such statement shall be attached to the taxpayer's income tax return filed for such taxable year. Such statement shall specify the month as of the beginning of which the taxpayer elects to discontinue such deductions, and shall be filed before the beginning of the month specified therein. In addition, such notice shall contain a description clearly identifying the certified coal mine safety equipment with respect to which the taxpayer elects to discontinue the amortization deduction. If the taxpayer so elects to discontinue the amortization deduction, he shall not be entitled to any further amortization deductions under section 187 with respect to such equipment.

(2) Revocation of elections made prior to August 11, 1971. If before August 11, 1971 an election under section 187(a) has been made, consent is hereby given for the taxpayer to revoke such election without the consent of the Commissioner. Such election may be revoked by filing a notice of revocation on or before November 9, 1971. Such notice shall be in the form and shall be filed in the manner required by subparagraph (1)(ii) of this paragraph. If such revocation is for a period which falls within one or more taxable years for which an income tax return has been filed, an amended income tax return shall be filed for any taxable year in which a deduction was taken under section 187 on or before November 9, 1971.

(3) Depreciation subsequent to discontinuance or in the case of revocation of amortization.

(i) A taxpayer who elects in the manner prescribed under subparagraph (1) of this section to discontinue amortization deductions under section 187(a) or under subparagraph (2) of this paragraph to revoke an election made prior to August 11, 1971 with respect to an item of certified coal mine safety equipment may be entitled to a deduction for depreciation with respect to such equipment. See section 167 and the regulations thereunder.

(ii) In the case of an election to discontinue an amortization deduction under section 187, the deduction for depreciation shall be computed beginning with the first month as to which such amortization deduction is not applicable, and shall be based upon the adjusted basis (see section 1011 and the regulations thereunder) of the property as of the beginning of such month. Such depreciation deduction shall be based upon the remaining portion of the period authorized under section 167 for the facility, as determined as of the first day of the first month as of which the amortization deduction is not applicable.

(iii) In the case of a revocation of an election under section 187 referred to in paragraph (c)(2) of this section the deduction for depreciation shall begin as of the time such depreciation deduction would have been taken but for the election under section 187. See subparagraph (2) of this section for rules as to filing amended returns for years for which amortization deductions have been taken.

(d) Examples. This section may be illustrated by the following examples:

Example 1.

On September 30, 1970, the X Corporation, which uses the calendar year as its taxable year, places in service a piece of coal mine safety equipment required as a result of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 which is certified as indicated in paragraph (a) of § 1.187-2. The cost of the equipment is $120,000. On its income tax return filed for 1970, the corporation elects to take the amortization deductions allowed by section 187(a) with respect to the equipment and to begin the 60-month amortization period with October 1970, the month following the month in which it was placed in service. The adjusted basis at the end of October 1970 (determined without regard to the amortization deduction allowed by section 187(a) for that month) is $120,000. The allowable amortization deduction with respect to such equipment for the taxable year 1970 is $6,000, computed as follows:

Monthly amortization deductions:
October: $120,000 divided by 60	$2,000
November: $118,000 ($120,000 minus $2,000) divided by 59	2,000
December: $116,000 ($118,000 minus $2,000) divided by 58	2,000
Total amortization deduction for 1970	6,000

Example 2.

Assume the same facts as in Example 1. Assume further that on May 20, 1972, X properly files notice of its election to discontinue the amortization deductions with the month of June 1972. The adjusted basis of the equipment as of June 1, 1972 (assuming no capital additions or improvements) is $80,000, computed as follows: Yearly amortization deductions computed in accordance with Example 1:

1970	$6,000
1971	24,000
1972 (for the first 5 months)	10,000
Total amortization deductions for 20 months	40,000
Adjusted basis at beginning of amortization period	120,000
Less: Amortization deductions	40,000
Adjusted basis as of June 1, 1972	80,000

Beginning as of June 1, 1972, the deduction for depreciation under section 167 is allowable with respect to the property on its adjusted basis of $80,000.

Example 3.

Assume the same facts as in Example 1, except that on its income tax return filed in 1970, X does not elect to take amortization deductions allowed by section 187(a) but that on its income tax return filed for 1971 X elects to begin the amortization period as of January 1, 1971, the taxable year succeeding the taxable year the equipment was placed in service. Assume further that the only adjustment to basis for the period October 1, 1970, to January 1, 1971, is $3,000 for depreciation (the amount allowable, of which $2,000 is for additional first year depreciation under section 179) for the last 3 months of 1970. The adjusted basis (for determining gain) for purposes of section 187 as of that date is $120,000 less $3,000 or $117,000.

[T.D. 7137, 36 FR 14733, Aug. 11, 1971; 36 FR 16656, Aug. 25, 1971]