2011-17224. Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Form 8621

AGENCY:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8621, Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund.

DATES:

Written comments should be received on or before September 9, 2011 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Yvette Lawrence, Internal Revenue Service, Room 6129, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the form and instructions should be directed to R. Joseph Durbala, [phone], Internal Revenue Service, Room 6129, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224, or through the Internet at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund.

OMB Number: 1545-1002.

Form Number: 8621.

Abstract: Form 8621 is filed by a U.S. shareholder who owns stock in a foreign investment company. The form is used to report income, make an election to extend the time for payment of tax, and to pay an additional tax and interest amount. The IRS uses Form 8621 to determine if these shareholders have correctly reported amounts of income, made the election correctly, and have correctly computed the additional tax and interest amount.

Current Actions: Changes have been made to the form to comply with regulations. Taxpayers can now indicate, in Part I, a timely deemed dividend election with respect to a Section 1297(e) PFIC or former PFIC. Part III of the form is being modified to enable the reporting of dispositions of section 1296 stock during the tax year. The result of these changes will increase the total burden by 20,169 hours.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations and individuals.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,333.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 46 hr. 38 min.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 62,172.

The following paragraph applies to all of the collections of information covered by this notice:

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a collection of information must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and tax return information are confidential, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

Request For Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Approved: June 27, 2011.

Yvette Lawrence,

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.