R.C.S.A. § 12-708-9
Change from accrual to installment method of accounting
Cite as Conn. Agencies Regs. § 12-708-9
(a) General. If a person has changed the method of accounting from the accrual to the installment
method for federal income tax purposes, any installment payments actually received
in the year of change or in subsequent taxable years (such year or years being referred
to as "adjustment years"), on account of sales or other disposition of property made
in any taxable year prior to the year of the change, are required to be included in
federal adjusted gross income and consequently are included in Connecticut adjusted
gross income. Therefore, profits attributable to installment sales which were taxed
in the year of sale, because the person was then on the accrual method of accounting,
would also be taxed in the adjustment years (i.e. during the years the installments
are actually received after the change to the installment method of accounting). To
avoid such duplication of Connecticut income tax, any additional Connecticut income
tax for the adjustment years attributable to the receipt of installment payments properly
accrued in a prior year shall be reduced by an amount equal to the portion of Connecticut
income tax, for any year or years preceding the year of change, attributable to the
prior accrual of income from installment sales included in Connecticut income in the
adjustment years.
(b) Reduction in Connecticut income tax for adjustment. The Connecticut income tax for an adjustment year shall be reduced by the lesser of
the following amounts:
Method 1:that proportion of the Connecticut income tax for the prior year (in which the installment
sales were reported on the accrual basis) which the amount of installment sales gross
profits reportable in the prior year of sale and in the adjustment year bears to the
Connecticut adjusted gross income for such prior year of sale; or
Method 2:the excess, if any, of the amount of the Connecticut income tax for the adjustment
year on the entire Connecticut taxable income over the amount of Connecticut income
tax for such year, computed without regard to the amount of the installment sales
gross profits reported in both the prior year of accrual and in the adjustment year.
Where previously reported installments received in an adjustment year include installments
on sales made in more than one prior year, the reduction allowable with respect to
the installments for each prior year shall be computed separately. In such a case,
the excess Connecticut income tax, calculated under Method 2 above, computed with
respect to the installments from all prior years shall be prorated over the several
prior years in proportion to the amount of the duplicated installment sales profits
attributable to each such prior year.
Example:The computation of the reduction of Connecticut income tax of a resident individual
for adjustment years is illustrated by the following example (assume that the tax
rate remains at 4.5% for all taxable years involved):
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
(accrual basis)
(adjustment year)
(adjustment year)
Gross profit from installment sales (receivable in 5 installments)
$10,000
$ 2,000
(from year 1 sales)
$ 2,000
(from year 1 sales)
$3 ,000
$ 3,000
(from year 2 sales)
(from year 2 sales)
$ 5,000
(from year 3 sales)
Other gross income
$ 8,000
$15,000
$11,000
Total gross income
$18,000
$20,000
$21,000
Personal exemption
$12,000
$12,000
$12,000
Connecticut taxable income
$ 6,000
$ 8,000
$ 9,000
x 4.5%
x 4.5%
x 4.5%
Connecticut income tax
$ 270
$ 360
$ 405
Computation of adjustment-year 2: Connecticut income tax attributable to year 1 installment payments in year 2 (first
adjustment year), the year in which the change was made from the accrual basis to
the installment basis:
Method 1:
Connecticut income tax attributable to prior inclusion in year 1:
Method 2:
Connecticut income tax on Connecticut taxable income, including
Connecticut income tax on Connecticut taxable income, including gross
profit from year 1 sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
$360
Connecticut income tax on Connecticut taxable income, excluding such
gross profit: Connecticut taxable income as above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
$8,000
Less gross profit from year 1 sales accrued in prior year . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
$2,000
Revised Connecticut taxable income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
$6,000
Connecticut income tax on revised Connecticut taxable income . . . . . . . . . .
$270
Additional Connecticut income tax attributable to prior year installment
payments ($360–$270) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
$90
Therefore, the Connecticut income tax for year 2 (first adjustment year) may be reduced
by $30, the lesser of the two amounts computed above.
Computation of adjustment—year 3: Connecticut income tax attributable to year 1 installment payments in year 3 (second
adjustment year):
Method 1:
Connecticut income tax attributable to prior inclusion in year 1:
Method 2:
Connecticut income tax on Connecticut taxable income, including gross
profit from year 1 sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
$405
Connecticut income tax on Connecticut taxable income, excluding such
gross profit: Connecticut taxable income as above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
$9,000
Less gross profit from year 1 sales accrued in prior year . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
$2,000
Connecticut income tax on revised Connecticut taxable income . . . . . . . . . .
$315
Additional Connecticut income tax attributable to prior year installment
payments ($405–$315) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
$90
Therefore, the Connecticut income tax for year 3 (second adjustment year) may be reduced
by $30, the lesser of the two amounts computed above.
(c) Change by a partnership from accrual to installment method of accounting. In the case of a change by a partnership from the accrual method of accounting to
the installment method, partnership income includes for each adjustment year any installment
payments actually received in such year, even though such amounts were included in
partnership income from prior years under the accrual method. Each partner shall determine
separately such partner’s distributive share of profits attributable to installment
payments included in partnership income in the year of sale and in any adjustment
year, and shall compute the partner’s Connecticut income tax reduction with respect
thereto in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(d) Statement to be attached to Connecticut income tax return. A taxpayer who changes
from the accrual method to the installment method shall attach a statement to the
Connecticut income tax return for each adjustment year showing:
(1) the pertinent facts as to sales in each year preceding the year of change;
(2) the number of remaining taxable years over which it shall be necessary to compute
adjustments; and
(3) a schedule showing the computation, as prescribed by this section, of the adjustment
for the taxable year.