§ 1.338-11T - Effect of section 338 election on insurance company targets (temporary).

(a) through (c) [Reserved] For further guidance, see § 1.338-11(a) through (c).

(d) Reserve increases by new target after the deemed asset sale—(1) In general. If in new target's first taxable year or any subsequent year, new target increases its reserves for any acquired contracts, new target is treated as receiving an additional premium, which is computed under paragraph (d)(3), in the assumption reinsurance transaction described in § 1.338-11(c)(1). New target includes the additional premium in gross income for the taxable year in which new target increases its reserves for acquired contracts. New target's increase in reserves for the insurance contracts acquired in the deemed asset sale is a liability of new target not originally taken into account in determining AGUB that is subsequently taken into account. Thus, AGUB is increased by the amount of the additional premium included in new target's gross income. See §§ 1.338-5(b)(2)(ii) and 1.338-7. Old target has no deduction under this paragraph (d) and makes no adjustments under §§ 1.338-4(b)(2)(ii) and 1.338-7.

(2) Exceptions. New target is not treated as receiving additional premium under paragraph (d)(1) if—

(i) It is under state receivership as of the close of the taxable year for which the increase in reserves occurs; or

(ii) It is required by section 807(f) to spread the reserve increase over the 10 succeeding taxable years.

(3) Amount of additional premium—(i) In general. The additional premium taken into account under this paragraph (d) is an amount equal to the sum of the positive amounts described in paragraphs (d)(3)(ii) and (d)(3)(iii). However, the additional premium cannot exceed the limitation described in paragraph (d)(4).

(ii) Increases in unpaid loss reserves. The positive amount with respect to unpaid loss reserves is computed using the formula A/B × (C−[D + E]) where—

(1) A equals old target's discounted unpaid losses (determined under section 846) included in AGUB under § 1.338-11(b)(1);

(2) B equals old target's undiscounted unpaid losses (determined under section 846(b)(1) as of the close of the acquisition date;

(3) C equals new target's undiscounted unpaid losses (determined under section 846(b)(1) at the end of the taxable year that are attributable to losses incurred by old target on or before the acquisition date; and

(4) D (which may be a negative number) equals old target's undiscounted unpaid losses as of the close of the acquisition date, reduced by the cumulative amount of losses, loss adjustment expenses, and reinsurance premiums paid by new target through the end of the taxable year for losses incurred by old target on or before the acquisition date; and

(5) E equals the amount obtained by dividing the cumulative amount of reserve increases taken into account under this paragraph (d) in prior taxable years by A/B.

(iii) Increases in other reserves. The positive amount with respect to reserves other than discounted unpaid loss reserves is the net increase of those reserves due to changes in estimate, methodology, or other assumptions used to compute the reserves (including the adoption by new target of a methodology or assumptions different from those used by old target).

(4) Limitation on additional premium. The additional premium taken into account by new target under paragraph (d)(1) is limited to the excess, if any, of—

(i) The fair market value of old target's assets acquired by new target in the deemed asset sale (other than Class VI and Class VII assets), over

(ii) The AGUB allocated to those assets (including increases in AGUB allocated to those assets as the result of reserve increases by new target in prior taxable years).

(5) Treatment of additional premium under section 848. If a portion of the positive amounts described in paragraphs (d)(3)(ii) and (iii) are attributable to an increase in reserves for specified insurance contracts (as defined in section 848(e)), new target takes an allocable portion of the additional premium in determining its specified policy acquisition expenses under section 848(c) for the taxable year of the reserve increase.

(6) Examples. The following examples illustrate this paragraph (d):

Example 1.

(i) Facts On January 1, 2006, P purchases all of the stock of T, a non-life insurance company, for $120 and makes a section 338 election for T. On the acquisition date, old T has total reserve liabilities under state law of $725, consisting of undiscounted unpaid losses of $625 and unearned premiums of $100. Old T's tax reserves on the acquisition date are $580, which consist of discounted unpaid losses (as defined in section 846) of $500 and unearned premiums (as computed under section 832(b)(4)(B)) of $80. Old T has Class I through Class V assets with a fair market value of $800. Old T also has a Class VI asset with a fair market value of $75, consisting of the future profit stream of certain insurance contracts. During 2006, new T makes loss and loss adjustment expense payments of $200 with respect to the unpaid losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date. As of December 31, 2006, new T reports undiscounted unpaid losses of $475 attributable to losses incurred before the acquisition date. The related amount of discounted unpaid losses (as defined in section 846) for those losses is $390.

(ii) Computation and allocation of AGUB. Under § 1.338-5 and § 1.338-11(b)(1), as of the acquisition date, AGUB is $700, reflecting the sum of the amount paid for old T's stock ($120) and the tax reserves assumed by new T in the transaction ($580). The fair market value of old T's Class I through V assets is $800, whereas the AGUB available for such assets under § 1.338-6 is $700. There is no AGUB available for old T's Class VI assets, even though such assets have a fair market value of $75 on the acquisition date.

(iii) Adjustments for increases in reserves for unpaid losses. Under paragraph (d) of this section, new T must determine whether there are any amounts by which it increased its unpaid loss reserves that will be treated as an additional premium and an increase in AGUB. New T applies the formula of paragraph (d)(3) of this section, where A equals $500, B equals $625, C equals $475, D equals $425 ($625-$200), and E equals $0. Under this formula, new T is treated as having increased its reserves for discounted unpaid losses attributable to losses incurred by old T by $40 ($500/$625 × ($475 −[$425+0]). The limitation under paragraph (d)(5) based on the difference between the fair market value of old T's Class I through Class V assets and the AGUB allocated to such assets is $100. Accordingly, new T includes an additional premium of $40 in gross income for 2006, and increases the AGUB allocated to old T's Class I through Class V assets to reflect this additional premium.

Example 2.

(i) Facts. Assume the same facts as in Example 1. Further assume that during 2007 new T deducts total loss and loss expense payments of $375 with respect to losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date. On December 31, 2007, new T reports undiscounted unpaid losses of $150 with respect to losses incurred before the acquisition date. The related amount of discounted unpaid losses (as defined in section 846) for those unpaid losses is $125.

(ii) Analysis. New T must determine whether any amounts by which it increased its unpaid losses during 2007 will be treated as an additional premium under paragraph (d)(3) of this section. New T applies the formula under paragraph (d)(3) of this section, where A equals $500, B equals $625, C equals $150, D equals $50 ($625-$575), and E equals $50 ($40 divided by .8). Under paragraph (d)(3) of this section, new T is treated as increasing its reserves for discounted unpaid losses by $40 during 2007 with respect to losses incurred by old T ($500/$625 × ($150 − [$50 + $50]). New T determines the limitation of paragraph (d)(5) of this section by comparing the $800 fair market value of the Class I through V assets on the acquisition date to the $740 AGUB allocated to such assets (which includes the $40 addition to AGUB included during 2006). Thus, new T recognizes $40 of additional premium as a result of the increase in reserves during 2007, and adjusts the AGUB allocable to the Class I through V assets acquired from old T to reflect such additional premium.

Example 3.

(i) Facts. The facts are the same as Example 2, except that on January 1, 2008, new T reinsures the outstanding liability with respect to losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date through a portfolio reinsurance transaction with R, another non-life insurance company. R agrees to assume any remaining liability relating to losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date in exchange for a reinsurance premium of $200. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2008, new T reports no undiscounted unpaid losses with respect to losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date.

(ii) Analysis. New T must determine whether any amount by which it increased its unpaid loss reserves will be treated as an additional premium under paragraph (d) of this section. New T applies the formula of paragraph (d)(3) of this section, where A equals $500, B equals $625, C equals $0, and D equals-$150 ($625 − ($575 + $200), and E equals $100 ($80 divided by .8). Thus, new T is treated as having increased its discounted unpaid losses by $40 in 2008 with respect to losses incurred by old T before the acquisition date ($500/$625 × (0 − [−$150 + $100]). New T includes this positive amount in gross income, subject to the limitation of paragraph (d)(4). The limitation of paragraph (d)(4) equals $20, which is computed by comparing the $800 fair market value of the Class I through V assets acquired from old T with the $780 AGUB allocated to such assets (which includes the $40 addition to AGUB in 2006 and the $40 addition to AGUB in 2007). Thus, New T includes $20 in additional premium, and increases the AGUB allocated to the Class I through V assets acquired from old T by $20. As a result of these adjustments, the limitation under paragraph (d)(4) is reduced to zero.

(7) Effective dates—(i) In general. This section applies to increases to reserves made by new target after a deemed asset sale occurring on or after April 10, 2006. The applicability of the section expires on or before April 7, 2009.

(ii) Application to pre-effective date increases to reserves. If either new target makes an election under § 1.338(i)-1(c)(2) or old target makes an election under § 1.338(i)-1(c)(3) to apply the rules of § 1.338-11, in whole, to a qualified stock purchase occurring before April 10, 2006 then the rules contained in this section shall apply in whole to the qualified stock purchase.

(e) Effect of section 338 election on section 846(e) election—(1) In general. New target and old target are treated as the same corporation for purposes of an election by old target to use its historical loss payment pattern under section 846(e). See § 1.338-1T(b)(2)(vii). Therefore, if old target has a section 846(e) election in effect on the acquisition date, new target will continue to use the historical loss payment pattern of old target to discount unpaid losses incurred in accident years covered by the election, unless new target elects to revoke the section 846(e) election. In addition, new target may consider old target's historical loss payment pattern when determining whether to make the section 846(e) election for a determination year that includes or is subsequent to the acquisition date.

(2) Revocation of existing section 846(e) election. New target may revoke old target's section 846(e) election to use its historical loss payment pattern to discount unpaid losses. If new target elects to revoke old target's section 846(e) election, new target will use the industry-wide patterns determined by the Secretary to discount unpaid losses incurred in accident years beginning on or after the acquisition date through the subsequent determination year. New target may revoke old target's section 846(e) election by attaching a statement to new target's original tax return for its first taxable year.

(f) through (h) [Reserved] For further guidance, see § 1.338-11(f) through (h).