💰Federal Income Tax Accounting Unit 14 – Taxation of Partnerships

Partnership Basics

• Partnerships are unincorporated businesses jointly owned by two or more individuals or entities called partners
• Partners share profits, losses, and management responsibilities based on their partnership agreement
• Partnerships are pass-through entities meaning income and losses flow through to the partners' individual tax returns
• Partners are personally liable for the debts and obligations of the partnership
• Partnerships file an informational tax return (Form 1065) but do not pay income taxes at the entity level
• Partners report their share of partnership income, deductions, and credits on their individual tax returns (Form 1040)
• Partnerships offer flexibility in terms of management structure and profit sharing compared to other business entities (corporations, sole proprietorships)

Formation of Partnerships

• Formation of a partnership requires an agreement between two or more persons or entities to carry on a trade or business
• Partnership agreements can be oral or written, but written agreements are recommended to avoid disputes
• Partnership agreements outline each partner's contributions, responsibilities, and share of profits and losses
• Partners can contribute cash, property, or services in exchange for their partnership interest
• Contributions of property are generally tax-free, but partners must recognize gain if they contribute property subject to liabilities in excess of their basis
• Partners receive a capital account representing their equity investment in the partnership
  • Capital accounts are increased by contributions and the partner's share of partnership income
  • Capital accounts are decreased by distributions and the partner's share of partnership losses
• Partnerships must obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for tax filing purposes

Partnership Income and Losses

• Partnership income and losses are determined at the partnership level but are passed through to the partners
• Partnerships calculate their taxable income similarly to individuals, with certain modifications (guaranteed payments, special allocations)
• Partners report their share of partnership income, deductions, and credits on their individual tax returns (Form 1040, Schedule E)
• Partnership losses are limited by the partner's basis in their partnership interest
  • Basis represents the partner's investment in the partnership and is adjusted annually
  • Partners cannot deduct losses in excess of their basis to prevent them from deducting losses funded by non-recourse debt
• Passive activity loss rules may further limit a partner's ability to deduct partnership losses
  • Passive activities are trades or businesses in which the partner does not materially participate
  • Passive losses can only offset passive income, with excess losses carried forward until the partner has sufficient passive income or disposes of their entire interest in the passive activity
• Partners are subject to self-employment taxes on their share of partnership income from active participation in the business

Partner's Basis and At-Risk Rules

• Partner's basis in their partnership interest is a crucial concept for determining the taxability of distributions and the deductibility of losses
• Initial basis is equal to the partner's capital contributions (cash plus the adjusted basis of contributed property)
• Basis is increased by the partner's share of partnership income and additional capital contributions
• Basis is decreased by the partner's share of partnership losses and distributions
• Partners cannot deduct losses in excess of their basis to prevent them from deducting losses funded by non-recourse debt
• At-risk rules further limit a partner's ability to deduct losses to the amount they have at risk in the partnership
  • Amount at risk includes cash contributions, the adjusted basis of contributed property, and certain partnership liabilities for which the partner is personally liable
  • Partners cannot deduct losses in excess of their at-risk amount to prevent them from deducting losses funded by non-recourse debt or protected by guarantees or stop-loss agreements
• Basis and at-risk amount are adjusted annually based on the partner's share of income, losses, contributions, and distributions

Special Allocations

• Special allocations are allocations of partnership income, deductions, or credits that differ from the partners' overall profit and loss sharing ratios
• Special allocations must have substantial economic effect to be respected for tax purposes
  • Substantial economic effect requires that the allocation affects the dollar amount of the partners' shares of partnership income or loss independently of tax consequences
  • Allocations must be reflected in the partners' capital accounts and must be consistent with the underlying economic arrangement of the partners
• Partnerships can use special allocations to optimize the tax benefits of partnership items among the partners
  • For example, allocating depreciation deductions to partners in higher tax brackets or allocating tax credits to partners who can utilize them
• Special allocations that lack substantial economic effect are reallocated according to the partners' interests in the partnership
• Partnerships must carefully structure and document special allocations to ensure they meet the substantial economic effect requirements

Partnership Distributions

• Partnership distributions are transfers of cash or property from the partnership to its partners
• Distributions are generally tax-free to the extent of the partner's basis in their partnership interest
  • Basis is reduced by the amount of cash distributed and the partnership's adjusted basis in property distributed
  • Distributions in excess of basis result in capital gain to the partner
• Distributions of property generally do not result in recognized gain or loss to the partnership
  • The partnership's adjusted basis in the property carries over to the receiving partner
  • The partner's basis in their partnership interest is reduced by the partnership's adjusted basis in the distributed property
• Certain types of distributions may trigger gain recognition at the partnership level
  • Distributions of marketable securities are treated as distributions of cash equal to the fair market value of the securities
  • Distributions of property with a fair market value exceeding its adjusted basis (built-in gain property) may trigger gain recognition if the property is distributed to a partner other than the contributing partner within seven years of contribution
• Distributions may also affect the partner's capital account and the partnership's book-tax differences

Sale or Exchange of Partnership Interest

• Partners can sell or exchange their partnership interest to third parties or back to the partnership
• Gain or loss on the sale or exchange of a partnership interest is generally capital in nature
  • Gain is taxed at the appropriate capital gains rate (short-term or long-term) based on the partner's holding period
  • Loss is subject to the capital loss limitations ($3,000 annual deduction against ordinary income for individuals, with excess losses carried forward)
• The selling partner's gain or loss is calculated as the difference between the amount realized and the adjusted basis of their partnership interest
  • Amount realized includes cash and the fair market value of property received, as well as any liabilities assumed by the buyer
  • Adjusted basis is the partner's original basis adjusted for income, losses, contributions, and distributions
• The selling partner must also account for any "hot assets" (unrealized receivables and inventory items) of the partnership
  • Gain attributable to hot assets is treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain
• The buyer of a partnership interest generally steps into the selling partner's shoes, assuming their capital account and share of partnership liabilities
• Section 754 election allows the partnership to adjust the basis of its assets to reflect the buyer's purchase price, preventing duplication of gain or loss

Partnership Terminations and Liquidations

• Partnership terminations occur when the partnership ceases to carry on business operations
  • Technical terminations (sale or exchange of 50% or more of partnership interests within a 12-month period) were eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
• Partnership liquidations involve the distribution of all partnership assets to the partners in complete redemption of their interests
• Liquidating distributions are generally tax-free to the partners to the extent of their basis in the partnership interest
  • Gain is recognized to the extent the fair market value of distributed assets exceeds the partner's adjusted basis
  • Loss is generally not recognized unless the partner receives only cash, unrealized receivables, and inventory in the liquidation
• The partnership itself does not recognize gain or loss on liquidating distributions, except for distributions of installment obligations and certain distributions to retiring or deceased partners
• Partners who receive property in a liquidating distribution generally take a basis in the property equal to their adjusted basis in the partnership interest, reduced by any cash received
• Partnership terminations and liquidations may also trigger the recognition of certain deferred items (e.g., built-in gain or loss on contributed property, deferred gain on installment sales)
• Careful planning is required to minimize the tax consequences of partnership terminations and liquidations for both the partnership and its partners