ELECTION TO DETERMINE CORPORATE TAX ON CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ACTIVITIES USING PER TON RATE.

SEC. 248. ELECTION TO DETERMINE CORPORATE TAX ON CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ACTIVITIES USING PER TON RATE.(a) In General.—Chapter 1 is amended by inserting after subchapter Q the following new subchapter:118 STAT. 1450 “Subchapter R—Election To Determine Corporate Tax on Certain International Shipping Activities Using Per Ton Rate “Sec. 1352. Alternative tax on qualifying shipping activities. “Sec. 1353. Notional shipping income. “Sec. 1354. Alternative tax election; revocation; termination. “Sec. 1355. Definitions and special rules. “Sec. 1356. Qualifying shipping activities. “Sec. 1357. Items not subject to regular tax; depreciation; interest. “Sec. 1358. Allocation of credits, income, and deductions. “Sec. 1359. Disposition of qualifying vessels. “SEC. 1352. ALTERNATIVE TAX ON QUALIFYING SHIPPING ACTIVITIES. “In the case of an electing corporation, the tax imposed by section 11 shall be the amount equal to the sum of—“(1) the tax imposed by section 11 determined after the application of this subchapter, and“(2) a tax equal to—“(A) the highest rate of tax specified in section 11, multiplied by“(B) the notional shipping income for the taxable year. “SEC. 1353. NOTIONAL SHIPPING INCOME.“(a) In General.—For purposes of this subchapter, the notional shipping income of an electing corporation shall be the sum of the amounts determined under subsection (b) for each qualifying vessel operated by such electing corporation.“(b) Amounts.—“(1) In general.—For purposes of subsection (a), the amount of notional shipping income of an electing corporation for each qualifying vessel for the taxable year shall equal the product of—“(A) the daily notional shipping income, and“(B) the number of days during the taxable year that the electing corporation operated such vessel as a qualifying vessel in United States foreign trade.“(2) Treatment of vessels the income from which is not otherwise subject to tax.—In the case of a qualifying vessel any of the income from which is not included in gross income by reason of section 883 or otherwise, the amount of notional shipping income from such vessel for the taxable year shall be the amount which bears the same ratio to such shipping income (determined without regard to this paragraph) as the gross income from the operation of such vessel in the United States foreign trade bears to the sum of such gross income and the income so excluded.“(c) Daily Notional Shipping Income.—For purposes of subsection (b), the daily notional shipping income from the operation of a qualifying vessel is—“(1) 40 cents for each 100 tons of so much of the net tonnage of the vessel as does not exceed 25,000 net tons, and“(2) 20 cents for each 100 tons of so much of the net tonnage of the vessel as exceeds 25,000 net tons.“(d) Multiple Operators of Vessel.—If for any period 2 or more persons are operators of a qualifying vessel, the notional shipping income from the operation of such vessel for such period 118 STAT. 1451 shall be allocated among such persons on the basis of their respective ownership and charter interests in such vessel or on such other basis as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. “SEC. 1354. ALTERNATIVE TAX ELECTION; REVOCATION; TERMINATION.“(a) In General.—A qualifying vessel operator may elect the application of this subchapter.“(b) Time and Manner; Years for Which Effective.—An election under this subchapter—“(1) shall be made in such form as prescribed by the Secretary, and“(2) shall be effective for the taxable year for which made and all succeeding taxable years until terminated under subsection (d). Such election may be effective for any taxable year only if made before the due date (including extensions) for filing the corporation’s return for such taxable year.“(c) Consistent Elections By Members of Controlled Groups.—An election under subsection (a) by a member of a controlled group shall apply to all qualifying vessel operators that are members of such group.“(d) Termination.—“(1) By revocation.—“(A) In general.—An election under subsection (a) may be terminated by revocation.“(B) When effective.—Except as provided in subparagraph (C)—“(i) a revocation made during the taxable year and on or before the 15th day of the 3d month thereof shall be effective on the 1st day of such taxable year, and“(ii) a revocation made during the taxable year but after such 15th day shall be effective on the 1st day of the following taxable year.“(C) Revocation may specify prospective date.—If the revocation specifies a date for revocation which is on or after the day on which the revocation is made, the revocation shall be effective for taxable years beginning on and after the date so specified.“(2) By person ceasing to be qualifying vessel operator.—“(A) In general.—An election under subsection (a) shall be terminated whenever (at any time on or after the 1st day of the 1st taxable year for which the corporation is an electing corporation) such corporation ceases to be a qualifying vessel operator.“(B) When effective.—Any termination under this paragraph shall be effective on and after the date of cessation.“(C) Annualization.—The Secretary shall prescribe such annualization and other rules as are appropriate in the case of a termination under this paragraph.“(e) Election After Termination.—If a qualifying vessel operator has made an election under subsection (a) and if such election has been terminated under subsection (d), such operator (and any successor operator) shall not be eligible to make an election under 118 STAT. 1452 subsection (a) for any taxable year before its 5th taxable year which begins after the 1st taxable year for which such termination is effective, unless the Secretary consents to such election.“SEC. 1355. DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.“(a) Definitions.—For purposes of this subchapter—“(1) Electing corporation.—The term ‘electing corporation’ means any corporation for which an election is in effect under this subchapter.“(2) Electing group; controlled group.—“(A) Electing group.—The term ‘electing group’ means a controlled group of which one or more members is an electing corporation.“(B) Controlled group.—The term ‘controlled group’ means any group which would be treated as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) of section 52 if paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 52(a) did not apply.“(3) Qualifying vessel operator.—The term ‘qualifying vessel operator’ means any corporation—“(A) who operates one or more qualifying vessels, and“(B) who meets the shipping activity requirement in subsection (c).“(4) Qualifying vessel.—The term ‘qualifying vessel’ means a self-propelled (or a combination self-propelled and non-self-propelled) United States flag vessel of not less than 10,000 deadweight tons used exclusively in the United States foreign trade during the period that the election under this subchapter is in effect.“(5) United states flag vessel.—The term ‘United States flag vessel’ means any vessel documented under the laws of the United States.“(6) United states domestic trade.—The term ‘United States domestic trade’ means the transportation of goods or passengers between places in the United States.“(7) United states foreign trade.—The term ‘United States foreign trade’ means the transportation of goods or passengers between a place in the United States and a foreign place or between foreign places.“(8) Charter.—The term ‘charter’ includes an operating agreement.“(b) Operating a Vessel.—For purposes of this subchapter—“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a person is treated as operating any vessel during any period if such vessel is—“(A) owned by, or chartered (including a time charter) to, the person, and“(B) is in use as a qualifying vessel during such period.“(2) Bareboat charters.—A person is treated as operating and using a vessel that it has chartered out on bareboat charter terms only if—“(A)(i) the vessel is temporarily surplus to the person’s requirements and the term of the charter does not exceed 3 years, or“(ii) the vessel is bareboat chartered to a member of a controlled group which includes such person or to an unrelated person who sub-bareboats or time charters the 118 STAT. 1453 vessel to such a member (including the owner of the vessel), and“(B) the vessel is used as a qualifying vessel by the person to whom ultimately chartered.“(c) Shipping Activity Requirement.—For purposes of this section—“(1) In general.—Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a corporation meets the shipping activity requirement of this subsection for any taxable year only if the requirement of paragraph (4) is met for each of the 2 preceding taxable years.“(2) Special rule for 1st year of election.—A corporation meets the shipping activity requirement of this subsection for the first taxable year for which the election under section 1354(a) is in effect only if the requirement of paragraph (4) is met for the preceding taxable year.“(3) Controlled groups.—A corporation who is a member of a controlled group meets the shipping activity requirement of this subsection only if such requirement is met determined—“(A) by treating all members of such group as 1 person, and“(B) by disregarding vessel charters between members of such group.“(4) Requirement.—The requirement of this paragraph is met for any taxable year if, on average during such year, at least 25 percent of the aggregate tonnage of qualifying vessels used by the corporation were owned by such corporation or chartered to such corporation on bareboat charter terms.“(d) Activities Carried on Partnerships, Etc.—In applying this subchapter to a partner in a partnership—“(1) each partner shall be treated as operating vessels operated by the partnership,“(2) each partner shall be treated as conducting the activities conducted by the partnership, and“(3) the extent of a partner’s ownership or charter interest in any vessel owned by or chartered to the partnership shall be determined on the basis of the partner’s interest in the partnership. A similar rule shall apply with respect to other pass-thru entities.“(e) Effect of Temporarily Ceasing To Operate a Qualifying Vessel.—“(1) In general.—For purposes of subsections (b) and (c), an electing corporation shall be treated as continuing to use a qualifying vessel during any period of temporary cessation if the electing corporation gives timely notice to the Secretary stating—“(A) that it has temporarily ceased to operate the qualifying vessel, and“(B) its intention to resume operating the qualifying vessel.“(2) Notice.—Notice shall be deemed timely if given not later than the due date (including extensions) for the corporation’s tax return for the taxable year in which the temporary cessation begins.“(3) Period disregard in effect.—The period of temporary cessation under paragraph (1) shall continue until the earlier of the date on which—118 STAT. 1454“(A) the electing corporation abandons its intention to resume operation of the qualifying vessel, or“(B) the electing corporation resumes operation of the qualifying vessel.“(f) Effect of Temporarily Operating a Qualifying Vessel in the United States Domestic Trade.—“(1) In general.—For purposes of this subchapter, an electing corporation shall be treated as continuing to use a qualifying vessel in the United States foreign trade during any period of temporary use in the United States domestic trade if the electing corporation gives timely notice to the Secretary stating—“(A) that it temporarily operates or has operated in the United States domestic trade a qualifying vessel which had been used in the United States foreign trade, and“(B) its intention to resume operation of the vessel in the United States foreign trade.“(2) Notice.—Notice shall be deemed timely if given not later than the due date (including extensions) for the corporation’s tax return for the taxable year in which the temporary cessation begins.“(3) Period disregard in effect.—The period of temporary use under paragraph (1) continues until the earlier of the date of which—“(A) the electing corporation abandons its intention to resume operations of the vessel in the United States foreign trade, or“(B) the electing corporation resumes operation of the vessel in the United States foreign trade.“(4) No disregard if domestic trade use exceeds 30 days.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any qualifying vessel which is operated in the United States domestic trade for more than 30 days during the taxable year.“(g) Regulations.—The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section.“SEC. 1356. QUALIFYING SHIPPING ACTIVITIES.“(a) Qualifying Shipping Activities.—For purposes of this subchapter, the term ‘qualifying shipping activities’ means—“(1) core qualifying activities,“(2) qualifying secondary activities, and“(3) qualifying incidental activities.“(b) Core Qualifying Activities.—For purposes of this subchapter, the term ‘core qualifying activities’ means activities in operating qualifying vessels in United States foreign trade.“(c) Qualifying Secondary Activities.—For purposes of this section—“(1) In general.—The term ‘qualifying secondary activities’ means secondary activities but only to the extent that, without regard to this subchapter, the gross income derived by such corporation from such activities does not exceed 20 percent of the gross income derived by the corporation from its core qualifying activities.“(2) Secondary activities.—The term ‘secondary activities’ means—118 STAT. 1455“(A) the active management or operation of vessels other than qualifying vessels in the United States foreign trade,“(B) the provision of vessel, barge, container, or cargo-related facilities or services to any person,“(C) other activities of the electing corporation and other members of its electing group that are an integral part of its business of operating qualifying vessels in United States foreign trade, including—“(i) ownership or operation of barges, containers, chassis, and other equipment that are the complement of, or used in connection with, a qualifying vessel in United States foreign trade,“(ii) the inland haulage of cargo shipped, or to be shipped, on qualifying vessels in United States foreign trade, and“(iii) the provision of terminal, maintenance, repair, logistical, or other vessel, barge, container, or cargo-related services that are an integral part of operating qualifying vessels in United States foreign trade, and“(D) such other activities as may be prescribed by the Secretary pursuant to regulations.“(3) Coordination with core activities.—“(A) In general.—Such term shall not include any core qualifying activities.“(B) Nonelecting corporations.—In the case of a corporation (other than an electing corporation) which is a member of an electing group, any core qualifying activities of the corporation shall be treated as qualifying secondary activities (and not as core qualifying activities).“(d) Qualifying Incidental Activities.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘qualified incidental activities’ means shipping-related activities if—“(1) they are incidental to the corporation’s core qualifying activities,“(2) they are not qualifying secondary activities, and“(3) without regard to this subchapter, the gross income derived by such corporation from such activities does not exceed 0.1 percent of the corporation’s gross income from its core qualifying activities.“(e) Application of Gross Income Tests in Case of Electing Group.—In the case of an electing group, subsections (c)(1) and (d)(3) shall be applied as if such group were 1 entity, and the limitations under such subsections shall be allocated among the corporations in such group. “SEC. 1357. ITEMS NOT SUBJECT TO REGULAR TAX; DEPRECIATION; INTEREST.“(a) Exclusion From Gross Income.—Gross income of an electing corporation shall not include its income from qualifying shipping activities.“(b) Electing Group Member.—Gross income of a corporation (other than an electing corporation) which is a member of an electing group shall not include its income from qualifying shipping activities conducted by such member.“(c) Denial of Losses, Deductions, and Credits.—118 STAT. 1456“(1) General rule.—Subject to paragraph (2), each item of loss, deduction (other than for interest expense), or credit of any taxpayer with respect to any activity the income from which is excluded from gross income under this section shall be disallowed.“(2) Depreciation.—“(A) In general.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the adjusted basis (for purposes of determining gain) of any qualifying vessel shall be determined as if the deduction for depreciation had been allowed.“(B) Method.—“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clause (ii), the straight-line method of depreciation shall apply to qualifying vessels the income from operation of which is excluded from gross income under this section.“(ii) Exception.—Clause (i) shall not apply to any qualifying vessel which is subject to a charter entered into before the date of the enactment of this subchapter.“(3) Interest.—“(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the interest expense of an electing corporation shall be disallowed in the ratio that the fair market value of such corporation’s qualifying vessels bears to the fair market value of such corporation’s total assets.“(B) Electing group.—In the case of a corporation which is a member of an electing group, the interest expense of such corporation shall be disallowed in the ratio that the fair market value of such corporation’s qualifying vessels bears to the fair market value of the electing groups total assets. “SEC. 1358. ALLOCATION OF CREDITS, INCOME, AND DEDUCTIONS.“(a) Qualifying Shipping Activities.—For purposes of this chapter, the qualifying shipping activities of an electing corporation shall be treated as a separate trade or business activity distinct from all other activities conducted by such corporation.“(b) Exclusion of Credits or Deductions.—“(1) No deduction shall be allowed against the notional shipping income of an electing corporation, and no credit shall be allowed against the tax imposed by section 1352(a)(2).“(2) No deduction shall be allowed for any net operating loss attributable to the qualifying shipping activities of any person to the extent that such loss is carried forward by such person from a taxable year preceding the first taxable year for which such person was an electing corporation.“(c) Transactions Not at Arm’s Length.—Section 482 applies in accordance with this subsection to a transaction or series of transactions—“(1) as between an electing corporation and another person, or“(2) as between an person’s qualifying shipping activities and other activities carried on by it. “SEC. 1359. DISPOSITION OF QUALIFYING VESSELS.“(a) In General.—If any qualifying vessel operator sells or disposes of any qualifying vessel in an otherwise taxable transaction, at the election of such operator, no gain shall be recognized 118 STAT. 1457 if any replacement qualifying vessel is acquired during the period specified in subsection (b), except to the extent that the amount realized upon such sale or disposition exceeds the cost of the replacement qualifying vessel. “(b) Period Within Which Property Must Be Replaced.—The period referred to in subsection (a) shall be the period beginning one year prior to the disposition of the qualifying vessel and ending—“(1) 3 years after the close of the first taxable year in which the gain is realized, or“(2) subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by the Secretary, on such later date as the Secretary may designate on application by the taxpayer. Such application shall be made at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe.“(c) Application of Section to Noncorporate Operators.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘qualifying vessel operator’ includes any person who would be a qualifying vessel operator were such person a corporation.“(d) Time for Assessment of Deficiency Attributable to Gain.—If a qualifying vessel operator has made the election provided in subsection (a), then—“(1) the statutory period for the assessment of any deficiency, for any taxable year in which any part of the gain is realized, attributable to such gain shall not expire prior to the expiration of 3 years from the date the Secretary is notified by such operator (in such manner as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe) of the replacement qualifying vessel or of an intention not to replace, and“(2) such deficiency may be assessed before the expiration of such 3-year period notwithstanding the provisions of section 6212(c) or the provisions of any other law or rule of law which would otherwise prevent such assessment.“(e) Basis of Replacement Qualifying Vessel.—In the case of any replacement qualifying vessel purchased by the qualifying vessel operator which resulted in the nonrecognition of any part of the gain realized as the result of a sale or other disposition of a qualifying vessel, the basis shall be the cost of the replacement qualifying vessel decreased in the amount of the gain not so recognized; and if the property purchased consists of more than one piece of property, the basis determined under this sentence shall be allocated to the purchased properties in proportion to their respective costs.”.(b) Technical Amendments.—(1) The second sentence of section 56(g)(4)(B)(i), as amended by this Act, is further amended by inserting “or 1357” after “section 139A”.(2) The table of subchapters for chapter 1 is amended by inserting after the item relating to subchapter S the following new item: “Subchapter R. Election to determine corporate tax on certain international shipping activities using per ton rate.”. (c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.118 STAT. 1458