This document contains the annual report to the public concerning Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) and the experience of the APA program during calendar year 2005. This document does not provide guidance regarding the application of the arm’s length standard. Instead, it reports on the structure and activities of the APA program.

This notice provides relief for persons who have rehabilitation credit property in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Wilma. First, the notice provides a safe harbor period of three years for repair of rehabilitation credit property placed in service prior to the hurricanes and damaged by the hurricanes during which time the property is not subject to rehabilitation credit recapture under Code section 50(a)(1) provided that repairs to the property are actively ongoing. Second, for property on which the rehabilitation had begun but has not yet been placed in service on the date that the President declared a major disaster in the area in which the property is located, the running of the 24-month or 60-month period is tolled for a period of 12 months.

Final regulations under section 417 of the Code concern content requirements applicable to explanations of qualified joint and survivor annuities and qualified preretirement survivor annuities payable under certain retirement plans.

Consumer Guidance Corp., of Sun Valley, CA, and Next Step Foundation, Inc., of Little Rock, AR, no longer qualify as organizations to which contributions are deductible under section 170 of the Code.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

Final regulations.

This document contains final regulations under section 417(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code concerning content requirements applicable to explanations of qualified joint and survivor annuities and qualified preretirement survivor annuities payable under certain retirement plans. These regulations affect sponsors, administrators, participants, and beneficiaries of certain retirement plans.

Effective Date: These regulations are effective March 24, 2006.

Applicability Dates: The changes to §1.401(a)-20, A-36, and §1.417(a)(3)-1 apply as if they had been included in T.D. 9099, 2004-1 C.B. 255 [68 FR 70141]. The change to §1.401(a)-20, Q&A-16, applies as if it had been included in T.D. 8219, 1988-2 C.B. 48 [53 FR 31837].

Bruce Perlin or Linda Marshall at (202) 622-6090 (not a toll-free number).

Accordingly, 26 CFR part 1 is amended as follows:

The principal authors of these regulations are Bruce Perlin and Linda S.F. Marshall of the Office of the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities). However, other personnel from the IRS and Treasury participated in their development.

* * * * *

This notice is to advise taxpayers of certain relief provided by the Secretary to taxpayers having rehabilitation credit property located within the Gulf Opportunity Zone (GO Zone), the Rita GO Zone, or the Wilma GO Zone affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Wilma in 2005.

Section 38(b) of the Internal Revenue Code provides a credit against income taxes for certain business credits, including the investment credit determined under § 46.

Section 46 provides that, for purposes of § 38, the amount of the investment credit includes the rehabilitation credit.

Section 47(a)(1) provides that the rehabilitation credit for any taxable year includes an amount equal to 10 percent of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures with respect to any qualified building other than a certified historic structure. Section 1400N(h)(1), added by section 101 of the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-135, 119 Stat. 2577, increases the credit percentage to 13 percent for qualified rehabilitation expenditures paid or incurred during the period beginning on August 28, 2005, and ending on December 31, 2008, with respect to any qualified rehabilitated building located in the Gulf Opportunity Zone.

Section 47(a)(2) provides that the rehabilitation credit for any taxable year includes an amount equal to 20 percent of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures with respect to any certified historic structure. Section 1400N(h)(2) increases the credit percentage to 26 percent for qualified rehabilitation expenditures paid or incurred during the period beginning on August 28, 2005, and ending on December 31, 2008, with respect to any certified historic structure located in the Gulf Opportunity Zone.

Section 47(b) provides that qualified rehabilitation expenditures with respect to any qualified rehabilitated building shall be taken into account for the taxable year in which the qualified rehabilitated building is placed in service.

Under § 47(c)(1) a qualified rehabilitated building must be a building that has been substantially rehabilitated. Under § 47(c)(1)(C), the term substantially rehabilitated means that the qualified rehabilitation expenditures during the 24-month period selected by the taxpayer must exceed the greater of the taxpayer’s adjusted basis in the building or $5,000. For certain rehabilitations to be completed in phases, the taxpayer may use a 60-month period rather than a 24-month period if the taxpayer completes architectural plans and specifications for the phases of the project before the rehabilitation begins.

Section 50 provides generally that, if investment credit property (including a qualified rehabilitated building) is disposed of or otherwise ceases to be investment credit property with respect to the taxpayer before the close of the recapture period, a percentage of the credit allowed under § 38 must be recaptured. Casualty losses are dispositions under the recapture provisions.

Section 1.48-1(a) of the Income Tax regulations generally requires “section 38 property” to be property for which depreciation is allowable to the taxpayer. Generally, under § 1.48-1(b), depreciation is allowable to the taxpayer if the property is of a character subject to the allowance for depreciation under § 167.

Section 167 provides generally that depreciation is allowed for property used in a trade or business or held for the production of income. Section 1.167(a)-10(b) provides that the period for depreciation of an asset begins when the asset is placed in service and ends when the asset is retired from service.

Depreciation is not allowed for property that is permanently retired either from service in a trade or business or from being held for the production of income, whether retired because of casualty or otherwise. § 1.167(a)-8(a). Depreciation, however, continues to be allowed for property which has been damaged and is not currently in actual use in a trade or business (or in the production of income) but is not permanently retired from the trade or business (or being held for the production of income) for a reasonable period during which the property is being repaired or restored to service.See § 1.167(a)-8(a). If a qualified rehabilitated building is permanently retired less than five full years after it was placed in service, the § 47 credit taken by the taxpayer with respect to that property is subject to recapture as provided in § 50. The § 47 credit taken by a taxpayer on a property that is damaged and not currently in actual use does not cease to be section 38 property because of the lack of actual use during a reasonable period in which the property is being repaired or restored.

This notice applies to rehabilitation projects located in the GO Zone, the Rita GO Zone, and the Wilma GO Zone, as defined below.

Section 1400M(1) defines the GO Zone as that portion of the Hurricane Katrina disaster area determined by the President to warrant individual or individual and public assistance from the Federal Government under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) by reason of Hurricane Katrina. Section 1400M(2) defines the Hurricane Katrina disaster area as an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared by the President before September 14, 2005, under section 401 of the Stafford Act by reason of Hurricane Katrina.

Section 1400M(3) defines the Rita GO Zone as that portion of the Hurricane Rita disaster area determined by the President to warrant individual or individual and public assistance from the Federal Government under the Stafford Act by reason of Hurricane Rita. Section 1400M(4) defines the Hurricane Rita disaster area as an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared by the President before October 6, 2005, under section 401 of the Stafford Act by reason of Hurricane Rita.

Section 1400M(5) defines the Wilma GO Zone as that portion of the Hurricane Wilma disaster area determined by the President to warrant individual or individual and public assistance from the Federal Government under the Stafford Act by reason of Hurricane Wilma. Section 1400M(6) defines the Hurricane Wilma disaster area as an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared by the President before November 14, 2005, under section 401 of the Stafford Act by reason of Hurricane Wilma.

The principal author of this notice is Patrick S. Kirwan of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries). For further information regarding this notice, contact Patrick S. Kirwan at (202) 622-3110 (not a toll-free call).

March 31, 2006

This Announcement is issued pursuant to § 521(b) of Pub. L. 106-170, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually to the public concerning Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) and the APA Program. The first report covered calendar years 1991 through 1999. Subsequent reports covered calendar years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. This seventh report describes the experience, structure and activities of the APA Program during calendar year 2005. It does not provide guidance regarding the application of the arm’s length standard.

Matthew W. Frank Director, Advance Pricing Agreement Program

Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 482 provides that the Secretary may distribute, apportion, or allocate gross income, deductions, credits, or allowances between or among two or more commonly controlled businesses if necessary to reflect clearly the income of such businesses. Under the § 482 regulations, the standard to be applied in determining the true taxable income of a controlled business is that of a business dealing at arm’s length with an unrelated business. The arm’s length standard has also been adopted by the international community and is incorporated into the transfer pricing guidelines issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). OECD, TRANSFER PRICING GUIDELINES FOR MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND TAX ADMINISTRATORS (1995). Transfer pricing issues by their nature are highly factual and have traditionally been one of the largest issues identified by the IRS in its audits of multinational corporations. The APA Program is designed to resolve actual or potential transfer pricing disputes in a principled, cooperative manner, as an alternative to the traditional examination process. An APA is a binding contract between the IRS and a taxpayer by which the IRS agrees not to seek a transfer pricing adjustment under IRC § 482 for a Covered Transaction if the taxpayer files its tax return for a covered year consistent with the agreed transfer pricing method (TPM). In 2005, the IRS and taxpayers executed 53 APAs and amended 1 APA.

Since 1991, with the issuance of Rev. Proc. 91-22, 1991-1 C.B. 526, the IRS has offered taxpayers, through the APA Program, the opportunity to reach an agreement in advance of filing a tax return on the appropriate TPM to be applied to related party transactions. In 1996, the IRS issued internal procedures for processing APA requests. Chief Counsel Directives Manual (CCDM), ¶¶ 42.10.10 — 42.10.16 (November 15, 1996). Also in 1996, the IRS updated Rev. Proc. 91-22 with the release of Rev. Proc. 96-53, 1996-2 C.B. 375. In 1998, the IRS published Notice 98-65, 1998-2 C.B. 803, which set forth streamlined APA procedures for Small Business Taxpayers. Then on July 1, 2004, the IRS updated and superseded both Rev. Proc. 96-53 and Notice 98-65 by issuing Rev. Proc. 2004-40, 2004-2 C.B. 50 (July 19, 2004), effective for all APA requests filed on or after August 19, 2004.

On December 19, 2005, the IRS again updated the procedural rules for processing and administering APAs with the release of Rev. Proc. 2006-9, 2006-2 I.R.B. 278 (Jan. 9, 2006). Rev. Proc. 2006-9 supersedes Rev. Proc. 2004-40 and is effective for all APA requests filed on or after February 1, 2006.

Also in 2005, the Office of Chief Counsel held two days of public hearings to solicit comments on the state of, and ideas for improving, the APA Program. These hearings were announced in IRS Announcement 2004-98, 2004-2 C.B. 983 (December 13, 2004), and were held on February 1 and February 22, 2005. Twenty-three persons representing corporations, taxpayer groups, and professional firms spoke. Written comments from these and other persons are available on the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/corporations/article/0,,id=134735,00.html.

Following these hearings, a number of steps were announced in May 2005 to strengthen APA Program operations. These steps include (i) new case management procedures designed to minimize delays in case processing; (ii) the formation of industry/issue coordination teams within the APA Office to promote efficiency, quality, and consistency; (iii) enhancement of APA Office resources; and (iv) improving the APA Program’s ability to monitor compliance by requiring disclosure of standardized summary information as part of the annual report process. These steps have been implemented or are being implemented currently.

An APA generally combines an agreement between a taxpayer and the IRS on an appropriate TPM for the transactions at issue (Covered Transactions) with an agreement between the U.S. and one or more foreign tax authorities (under the authority of the mutual agreement process of our income tax treaties) that the TPM is correct. With such a “bilateral” APA, the taxpayer ordinarily is assured that the income associated with the Covered Transactions will not be subject to double taxation by the IRS and the foreign tax authority. It is the policy of the United States, as reflected in §§ 2.08 and 7 of Rev. Proc. 2006-9, to encourage taxpayers that enter the APA Program to seek bilateral or multilateral APAs when competent authority procedures are available with respect to the foreign country or countries involved. However, the IRS may execute an APA with a taxpayer without reaching a competent authority agreement (a “unilateral” APA).

A unilateral APA is an agreement between a taxpayer and the IRS establishing an approved TPM for U.S. tax purposes. A unilateral APA binds the taxpayer and the IRS, but does not prevent foreign tax administrations from taking different positions on the appropriate TPM for a transaction. As stated in § 7.07 of Rev. Proc. 2006-9, should a transaction covered by a unilateral APA be subject to double taxation as the result of an adjustment by a foreign tax administration, the taxpayer may seek relief by requesting that the U.S. Competent Authority consider initiating a mutual agreement proceeding, provided there is an applicable income tax treaty in force with the other country.

When a unilateral APA involves taxpayers operating in a country that is a treaty partner, information relevant to the APA (including a copy of the APA and APA annual reports) may be provided to the treaty partner under normal rules and principles governing the exchange of information under income tax treaties.

An IRS team headed by an APA team leader is responsible for the consideration of each APA. As of December 31, 2005, the APA Program had 17 team leaders. The team leader is responsible for organizing the IRS APA team. The IRS APA team leader arranges meetings with the taxpayer, secures whatever information is necessary from the taxpayer to analyze the taxpayer’s related party transactions and the available facts under the arm’s length standard of IRC § 482 and the regulations thereunder (Treas. Reg.), and leads the discussions with the taxpayer.

The APA team generally includes an economist, an international examiner, LMSB field counsel, and, in a bilateral case, a U.S. Competent Authority analyst who leads the discussions with the treaty partner. The economist may be from the APA Program or the IRS field organization. As of December 31, 2005, the APA Program had five economists. The APA team may also include an LMSB International Technical Advisor, other LMSB exam personnel, and an Appeals Officer.

The APA process is voluntary. Taxpayers submit an application for an APA, together with a user fee as set forth in Rev. Proc. 2006-9, § 4.12. The APA process can be broken into five phases: (1) application; (2) due diligence; (3) analysis; (4) discussion and agreement; and (5) drafting, review, and execution.

Attachment A contains the current version of the model APA language. As part of its continuing effort to improve its work product, the APA Program recently revised the model language to reflect the program’s collective experience with substantive and drafting issues. The most significant revisions are designed primarily to clarify how TPMs typically employed in APAs, and adjustments that may be necessary to conform to such TPMs, are to be applied and reflected in the taxpayer’s tax returns. Other significant revisions include those intended (a) to clarify that the common parent of a US consolidated return group is the appropriate signatory for APAs covering members of the group, (b) to establish more clearly the taxpayer’s obligation to file returns, or otherwise report results, consistent with the APA, particularly for APA years that close before or near the APA execution date; (c) to provide fixed, identified dates for filing annual reports, and (d) to reflect the new procedure requiring disclosure of standardized summary information as part of the annual report process.

In 2005, the APA office consisted of four branches with Branches 1 and 3 staffed with APA team leaders and Branch 2 staffed with economists and a paralegal. Branch 4, the APA West Coast branch, is headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with an additional office in San Francisco, and is presently staffed with both team leaders and economists.

Overall, the APA staff increased by one, to 33 from 32, from the end of 2004 to the end of 2005. A second Special Counsel was added to the Program, while the number of APA team leaders stayed constant at 17, and the number of APA economists stayed constant at five.

As of December 31, 2005, the APA staff was as follows:

The statistical information required under § 521(b)(2)(C) is contained in Tables 1 and 9 below; the information required under § 521(b)(2)(E) is contained in Tables 2 and 3 below:

The nature of the relationships between the related organizations, trades, or businesses covered by APAs executed in 2005 is set forth in Table 12 below:

The controlled transactions covered by APAs executed in 2005 are set forth in Table 13 and Table 14 below:

The general descriptions of the business functions performed and risks assumed by the organizations, trades, or businesses whose results are tested in the Covered Transactions in the APAs executed in 2005 are set forth in Tables 15 and 16 below:

The vast majority of APAs have Covered Transactions that involve numerous business functions and risks. For instance, with respect to functions, companies that manufacture products have typically conducted research and development, engaged in product design and engineering, manufactured the product, marketed and distributed the product, and performed support functions such as legal, finance, and human resources services. Regarding risks, companies have been subject to market risks, R&D risks, financial risks, credit and collection risks, product liability risks, and general business risks. In the APA evaluation process, a significant amount of time and effort is devoted to understanding how the functions and risks are allocated among the controlled group of companies that are party to the Covered Transactions.

In its APA submission, the taxpayer must provide a functional analysis. The functional analysis identifies the economic activities performed, the assets employed, the economic costs incurred, and the risks assumed by each of the controlled parties. The importance of the functional analysis derives from the fact that economic theory posits that there is a positive relationship between risk and expected return and that different functions provide different value and have different opportunity costs associated with them. It is important that the functional analysis go beyond simply categorizing the tested party as, say, a distributor. It should provide more specific information because, in the example of distributors, not all distributors undertake similar functions and risks.

Thus, the functional analysis is critical in determining the TPM (including the selection of comparables). Although functional comparability is an essential factor in evaluating the reliability of the TPM (including the selection of comparables), the APA evaluation process also involves consideration of economic conditions such as the economic condition of the particular industry.

In evaluating the functional analysis, the APA Program considers contractual terms between the controlled parties and the consistency of the conduct of the parties with respect to the allocation of risk. In accordance with the section 482 regulations, the APA Program also gives consideration to the ability of controlled parties to fund losses that might be expected to occur as a result of the assumption of risk. Another relevant factor considered in evaluating the functional analysis is the extent to which a controlled party exercises managerial or operational control over the business activities that directly influence the amount of income or loss realized. The section 482 regulations posit that parties at arm’s length will ordinarily bear a greater share of those risks over which they have relatively more control.

The related organizations, trades, or businesses whose prices or results are tested to determine compliance with TPMs prescribed in APAs executed in 2005 are set forth in Table 17 below:

The TPMs used in APAs executed in 2005 are set forth in Tables 18-20 below:

The TPMs used in APAs completed during 2005 were based on the section 482 regulations. Under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-3, the arm’s length amount for controlled transfers of tangible property may be determined using the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) method, the Resale Price Method, the Cost Plus Method, the Comparable Profits Method (CPM), or the Profit Split Method. Under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-4, the arm’s length amount for controlled transfers of intangible property may be determined using the Comparable Uncontrolled Transaction (CUT) method, CPM, or the Profit Split Method. An “Unspecified Method” may be used for both tangible and intangible property if it provides a more reliable result than the enumerated methods under the best method rule of Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(c). For transfers involving the provision of services, Treas. Reg. § 1.482-2(b) provides that services performed for the benefit of another member of a controlled group should bear an arm’s length charge, either deemed to be equal to the cost of providing the services (when non-integral, see Treas. Reg. § 1.482-2(b)(3)) or which should be an amount that would have been charged between independent parties.

In addition, Treas. Reg. § 1.482-2(a) provides rules concerning the proper treatment of loans or advances, and Treas. Reg. § 1.482-7 provides rules for qualified cost sharing arrangements under which the parties agree to share the costs of development of intangibles in proportion to their shares of reasonably anticipated benefits. APAs involving cost sharing arrangements generally address both the method of allocating costs among the parties as well as determining the appropriate amount of the “buy-in” payment due for the transfer of pre-existing intangibles to the controlled participants.

In reviewing the TPMs applicable to transfers of tangible and intangible property reflected in Table 18, the majority of the APAs followed the specified methods. However, several points should be made. The § 482 regulations note that for transfers of tangible property, the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) method will generally be the most direct and reliable measure of an arm’s length price for the Controlled Transaction if sufficiently reliable comparable transactions can be identified. Treas. Reg. § 1.482-3(b)(2)(ii)(A). It was the experience of the APA Program in 2005, that in the cases that came into the APA Program, sufficiently reliable CUP transactions were difficult to find. In APAs executed in 2005, no Covered Transaction used the CUP method.

Similar to the CUP method, for transfers of intangible property, the CUT method will generally provide the most reliable measure of an arm’s length result if sufficiently reliable comparables may be found. Treas. Reg. § 1.482-4(c)(2)(ii). It has generally been difficult to identify external comparables, and APAs using the CUT method tend to rely on internal transactions between the taxpayer and unrelated parties. In 2005, six Covered Transactions utilized the CUT TPM.

The Cost Plus Method (tangibles only) and Resale Price Method were applied in 2005 in zero and five APAs, respectively. See Treas. Reg. § 1.482-3(c), (d).

The CPM is frequently applied in APAs. This is because reliable public data on comparable business activities of independent companies may be more readily available than potential CUP data, and comparability of resources employed, functions, risks, and other relevant considerations are more likely to exist than comparability of product. The CPM also tends to be less sensitive than other methods to differences in accounting practices between the tested party and comparable companies, e.g., classification of expenses as cost of goods sold or operating expenses. Treas. Reg. § 1.482-3(c)(3)(iii)(B), and -3(d)(3)(iii)(B). In addition, the degree of functional comparability required to obtain a reliable result under the CPM is generally less than required under the Resale Price or Cost Plus methods, because differences in functions performed often are reflected in operating expenses, and thus taxpayers performing different functions may have very different gross profit margins but earn similar levels of operating profit. Treas. Reg. § 1.482-5(c)(2).

Table 18 reflects more than 32 uses of the CPM (with varying PLIs) in Covered Transactions involving tangible or intangible property. In some APAs, the CPM was also used concurrently with other methods.

The CPM has proven to be versatile in part because of the various PLIs that can be used in connection with the method. Reaching agreement on the appropriate PLI has been the subject of much discussion in many of the cases, and it depends heavily on the facts and circumstances. Some APAs have called for different PLIs to apply to different parts of the Covered Transactions or with one PLI used as a check against the primary PLI.

The CPM was also used regularly with services as the Covered Transactions in APAs executed in 2005. There were at least 12 services Covered Transactions using the CPM method with various PLIs according to the specific facts of the taxpayers involved. Table 19 reflects the methods used to determine the arm’s length results for APAs involving services transactions.

In 2005, six APAs involving tangible or intangible property used the Residual Profit Split Method, Treas. Reg. § 1.482-6(c)(3). In residual profit split cases, routine contributions by the controlled parties are allocated routine market returns, and the residual income is allocated among the controlled taxpayers based upon the relative value of their contributions of non-routine intangible property to the relevant business activity.

Profit splits have also been used in a number of financial product APAs in which the primary income-producing functions are performed in more than one jurisdiction. Three or fewer financial product APAs executed in 2005 applied a profit split method.

Critical Assumptions used in APAs executed in 2005 are described in Table 21 below:

APAs include critical assumptions upon which their respective TPMs depend. A critical assumption is any fact (whether or not within the control of the taxpayer) related to the taxpayer, a third party, an industry, or business and economic conditions, the continued existence of which is material to the taxpayer’s proposed TPM. Critical assumptions might include, for example, a particular mode of conducting business operations, a particular corporate or business structure, or a range of expected business volume. Rev. Proc. 2006-9, § 4.05. Failure to meet a critical assumption may render an APA inappropriate or unworkable.

A critical assumption may change (and/or fail to materialize) due to uncontrollable changes in economic circumstances, such as a fundamental and dramatic change in the economic conditions of a particular industry. In addition, a critical assumption may change (and/or fail to materialize) due to a taxpayer’s actions that are initiated for good faith business reasons, such as a change in business strategy, mode of conducting operations, or the cessation or transfer of a business segment or entity covered by the APA.

If a critical assumption has not been met, the APA may be revised by agreement of the parties. If such an agreement cannot be achieved, the APA may be canceled. If a critical assumption has not been met, it requires taxpayer’s notice to and discussion with the Service, and, in the case of a bilateral APA, competent authority consideration. Rev. Proc. 2006-9, § 11.05.

The sources of comparables, selection criteria, and rationale used in determining the selection criteria for APAs executed in 2005 are described in Tables 22 through 24 below. Various formulas for making adjustments to comparables are included as Attachment B.

At the core of most APAs are comparables. The APA Program works closely with taxpayers to find the best and most reliable comparables for each Covered Transaction. In some cases, CUPs or CUTs can be identified. In other cases, comparable business activities of independent companies are utilized in applying the CPM or a profit split method. Generally, in the APA Program’s experience since 1991, CUPs and CUTs have been most often derived from the internal transactions of the taxpayer.

For profit-based methods in which comparable business activities or functions of independent companies are sought, the APA Program typically has applied a three-part process. First, a pool of potential comparables has been identified through broad searches. From this pool, companies having transactions that are clearly not comparable to those of the tested party have been eliminated through the use of quantitative and qualitative analyses, i.e., quantitative screens and business descriptions. Then, based on a review of available descriptive and financial data, a set of comparable transactions or business activities of independent companies has been finalized. The comparability of the finalized set has then been enhanced through the application of adjustments.

Comparables used in APAs can be U.S. or foreign, depending on the relevant market, the type of transaction being evaluated, and the results of the functional and risk analyses. In general, comparables have been located by searching a variety of databases that provide data on U.S. publicly traded companies and on a combination of public and private non-U.S. companies. Table 22 shows the various databases and other sources used in selecting comparables for the APAs executed in 2005.

Although comparables were most often identified from the databases cited in Table 22, in some cases comparables were found from other sources, such as comparables derived internally from taxpayer transactions with third parties.

Initial pools of potential comparables generally are derived from the databases using a combination of industry and keyword identifiers. Then, the pool is refined using a variety of selection criteria specific to the transaction or business activity being tested and the TPM being used.

The listed databases allow for searches by industrial classification, by keywords, or by both. These searches can yield a number of companies whose business activities may or may not be comparable to those of the entity being tested. Therefore, comparables based solely on industry classification or keyword searches are rarely used in APAs. Instead, the pool of comparables is examined closely, and companies are selected based on a combination of screens, business descriptions, and other information found in the companies’ Annual Reports to shareholders and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Business activities are required to meet certain basic comparability criteria to be considered comparables. Functions, risks, economic conditions, and the property (product or intangible) and services associated with the transaction must be comparable. Determining comparability can be difficult — the goal has been to use comparability criteria restrictive enough to eliminate business activities that are not comparable, but yet not so restrictive as to have no comparables remaining. The APA Program normally has begun with relatively strict comparability criteria and then has relaxed them slightly if necessary to derive a pool of reliable comparables. A determination on the appropriate size of the comparables set, as well as the business activities that comprise the set, is highly fact specific and depends on the reliability of the results.

In addition, the APA Program, consistent with the section 482 regulations, generally has looked at the results of comparables over a multi-year period. Sometimes this has been a three-year period, but it has been more or less, depending on the circumstances of the controlled transaction. Using a shorter period might result in the inclusion of comparables in different stages of economic development or use of atypical years of a comparable due to cyclical fluctuations in business conditions.

Many Covered Transactions have been tested with comparables that have been chosen using additional criteria and/or screens. These include sales level criteria and tests for financial distress and product comparability. These common selection criteria and screens have been used to increase the overall comparability of a group of companies and as a basis for further research. The sales level screen, for example, has been used to remove companies that, due to their size, might face fundamentally different economic conditions from those of the transaction or business activities being tested. In addition, APA analyses have incorporated selection criteria related to removing companies experiencing “financial distress” due to concerns that companies in financial distress often have experienced unusual circumstances that render them not comparable to the business activity being tested. These criteria include an unfavorable auditor’s opinion, bankruptcy, and, in certain circumstances, operating losses in a given number of years.

An additional important class of selection criteria is the development and ownership of intangible property. In some cases in which the business activity being tested is a manufacturer, several criteria have been used to ensure, for example, that if the controlled entity does not own significant manufacturing intangibles or conduct research and development (R&D), then neither will the comparables. These selection criteria have included determining the importance of patents to a company or screening for R&D expenditures as a percentage of sales. Again, quantitative screens related to identifying comparables with significant intangible property generally have been used in conjunction with an understanding of the comparable derived from publicly available business information.

Selection criteria relating to asset comparability and operating expense comparability have also been used at times. A screen of property, plant, and equipment (PP&E) as a percentage of sales or assets, combined with a reading of a company’s SEC filings, has been used to help ensure that distributors (generally lower PP&E) were not compared with manufacturers (generally higher PP&E), regardless of their industry classification. Similarly, a test involving the ratio of operating expenses to sales has helped to determine whether a company undertakes a significant marketing and distribution function.

Table 25 shows the number of times various screens were used in APAs executed in 2005:

After the comparables have been selected, the regulations require that “[i]f there are material differences between the controlled and uncontrolled transactions, adjustments must be made if the effect of such differences on prices or profits can be ascertained with sufficient accuracy to improve the reliability of the results.” Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(d)(2). In almost all cases involving income-statement-based PLIs, certain “asset intensity” or “balance sheet” adjustments for factors that have generally agreed-upon effects on profits are calculated. In addition, in specific cases, additional adjustments are performed to improve reliability.

The most common balance sheet adjustments used in APAs are adjustments for differences in accounts receivable, inventories, and accounts payable. The APA Program generally has required adjustments for receivables, inventory, and payables based on the principle that there is an opportunity cost for holding assets. For these assets, it is generally assumed that the cost is a short-term debt interest rate.

To compare the profits of two business activities with different relative levels of receivables, inventory, or payables, the APA Program estimates the carrying costs of each item and adjusts profits accordingly. Although different formulas have been used in specific APA cases, Attachment B presents one set of formulas used in many APAs. Underlying these formulas are the notions that (1) balance sheet items should be expressed as mid-year averages, (2) formulas should try to avoid using data items that are being tested by the TPM (for example, if sales are controlled, then the denominator of the balance sheet ratio should not be sales), (3) a short term interest rate should be used, and (4) an interest factor should recognize the average holding period of the relevant asset.

The APA Program also requires that data be compared on a consistent accounting basis. For example, although financial statements may be prepared on a first-in first-out (FIFO) basis, cross-company comparisons are less meaningful if one or more of the comparables use last-in first-out (LIFO) inventory accounting methods. This adjustment directly affects costs of goods sold and inventories, and therefore affects both profitability measures and inventory adjustments.

Still important in some cases is the adjustment for differences in relative levels of PP&E between a tested business activity and the comparables. Ideally, comparables and the business activity being tested will have fairly similar relative levels of PP&E, since major differences can be a sign of fundamentally different functions and risks. Typically, the PP&E adjustment is made using a medium term interest rate.

Additional adjustments used less frequently include those for differences in other balance sheet items, operating expenses, R&D, or currency risk. Accounting adjustments, such as reclassifying items from cost of goods sold to operating expenses, are also made when warranted to increase reliability. Often, data are not available for both the controlled and uncontrolled transactions in sufficient detail to allow for these types of adjustments.

The adjustments made to comparables or tested parties in APAs executed in 2005 are reflected in Table 24 above.

The types of ranges and adjustment mechanisms used in APAs executed in 2005 are described in Table 26 and 27 below.

Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(1) states that sometimes a pricing method will yield “a single result that is the most reliable measure of an arm’s length result.” Sometimes, however, a method may yield “a range of reliable results,” called the “arm’s length range.” A taxpayer whose results fall within the arm’s length range will not be subject to adjustment.

Under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(2)(i), such a range is normally derived by considering a set of more than one comparable uncontrolled transaction of similar comparability and reliability. If these comparables are of very high quality, as defined in the § 482 regulations, then under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(2)(iii)(A), the arm’s length range includes the results of all of the comparables (from the least to the greatest). However, the APA Program has only rarely identified cases meeting the requirements for the full range. If the comparables are of lesser quality, then under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(2)(iii)(B), “the reliability of the analysis must be increased, when it is possible to do so, by adjusting the range through application of a valid statistical method to the results of all of the uncontrolled comparables.” One such method, the “interquartile range,” is ordinarily acceptable, although a different statistical method “may be applied if it provides a more reliable measure.” The “interquartile range” is defined as, roughly, the range from the 25th to the 75th percentile of the comparables’ results. See Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(2)(iii)(C). The interquartile range was used 52 times in 2005.

Nineteen Covered Transactions reflected on Table 26 specified a single, specific result. Four of these Covered Transactions involved a CPM in which the taxpayer agreed to a “point.” Some APAs specify not a point or a range, but a “floor” or a “ceiling”. When a floor is used, the tested party’s result must be greater than or equal to some particular value. When a ceiling is used, the tested party’s result must be less than or equal to some particular value. Four APAs executed in 2005 used a floor and none used a ceiling.

Some APAs look to a tested party’s results over a period of years (multi-year averaging) to determine whether a taxpayer has complied with the APA. In 2005, rolling multi-year averaging was used for eleven Covered Transactions. Ten of those used three-year averages. Three or fewer Covered Transactions used a cumulative multi-year average, while eight Covered Transactions used term averages and three or fewer Covered Transactions used partial term averages.

Under Treas. Reg. § 1.482-1(e)(3), if a taxpayer’s results fall outside the arm’s length range, the Service may adjust the result “to any point within the arm’s length range.” Accordingly, an APA may permit or require a taxpayer and its related parties to make an adjustment after the year’s end to put the year’s results within the range, or at the point specified by the APA. Similarly, to enforce the terms of an APA, the Service may make such an adjustment. When the APA specifies a range, the adjustment is sometimes to the closest edge of the range, and sometimes to another point such as the median of the interquartile range. Depending on the facts of each case, automatic adjustments are not always permitted. APAs may specify that in such a case there will be a negotiation between the competent authorities involved to determine whether and to what extent an adjustment should be made. APAs may permit automatic adjustments unless the result is far outside the range specified in the APA. Thus, APAs provide flexibility and efficiency, permitting adjustments when normal business fluctuations and uncertainties push the result somewhat outside the range.

Where a taxpayer’s actual transactions do not comply with the TPM, a taxpayer must nonetheless report its taxable income in an amount consistent with the TPM (an APA primary adjustment), as further discussed in § 11.02 of Rev. Proc. 2006-9.

The various term lengths for APAs executed in 2005 are set forth in Table 28 below:

APAs executed in 2005 required that taxpayers provide various documents with their annual reports. These documents are described in Table 30 below:

During 2005, there were 32 tested parties that faced financial risks, including interest rate and currency risks. In appropriate cases, APAs may provide specific approaches for dealing with currency risk, such as adjustment mechanisms and/or critical assumptions.

As described in Rev. Proc. 2006-9, § 11.01, APA taxpayers are required to file annual reports to demonstrate compliance with the terms and conditions of the APA. The filing and review of annual reports is a critical part of the APA process. Through annual report review, the APA program monitors taxpayer compliance with the APA on a contemporaneous basis. Annual report review provides current information on the success or problems associated with the various TPMs adopted in the APA process.

All reports received by the APA office are tracked by one designated APA team leader who also has the primary responsibility for annual report review. Other APA team leaders and economists assist in this review, especially when the team leader who negotiated the case is available, since that person will already be familiar with the relevant facts and terms of the agreement. Once received by the APA office, the annual report is sent out to the district personnel with exam jurisdiction over the taxpayer.

The statistics for the review of APA annual reports are reflected in Table 31 below. As of December 31, 2005, there were 350 pending annual reports. In 2005, 146 reports were closed.

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, an attorney, certified public accountant, enrolled agent, or enrolled actuary, in order to avoid the institution or conclusion of a proceeding for his or her disbarment or suspension from practice before the Internal Revenue Service, may offer his or her consent to suspension from such practice. The Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, in his discretion, may suspend an attorney, certified public accountant, enrolled agent, or enrolled actuary in accordance with the consent offered.

The following individuals have been placed under consent suspension from practice before the Internal Revenue Service:

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, the Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, is authorized to immediately suspend from practice before the Internal Revenue Service any practitioner who, within five years from the date the expedited proceeding is instituted (1) has had a license to practice as an attorney, certified public accountant, or actuary suspended or revoked for cause or (2) has been convicted of certain crimes.

The following individuals have been placed under suspension from practice before the Internal Revenue Service by virtue of the expedited proceeding provisions:

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, after notice and an opportunity for a proceeding before an administrative law judge, the following individuals have been placed under suspension from practice before the Internal Revenue Service:

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, after notice and an opportunity for a proceeding before an administrative law judge, the following individuals have been disbarred from practice before the Internal Revenue Service:

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, in lieu of a proceeding being instituted or continued, an attorney, certified public accountant, enrolled agent, or enrolled actuary, may offer his or her consent to the issuance of a censure. Censure is a public reprimand.

The following individuals have consented to the issuance of a Censure:

Under Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 10, an enrolled agent, in order to avoid the institution or conclusion of a proceeding for his or her disbarment or suspension from practice before the Internal Revenue Service, may offer his or her resignation as an enrolled agent. The Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, in his discretion, may accept the offered resignation.

The Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, has accepted offers of resignation as an enrolled agent from the following individuals:

The names of organizations that no longer qualify as organizations described in section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 are listed below.

Generally, the Service will not disallow deductions for contributions made to a listed organization on or before the date of announcement in the Internal Revenue Bulletin that an organization no longer qualifies. However, the Service is not precluded from disallowing a deduction for any contributions made after an organization ceases to qualify under section 170(c)(2) if the organization has not timely filed a suit for declaratory judgment under section 7428 and if the contributor (1) had knowledge of the revocation of the ruling or determination letter, (2) was aware that such revocation was imminent, or (3) was in part responsible for or was aware of the activities or omissions of the organization that brought about this revocation.

If on the other hand a suit for declaratory judgment has been timely filed, contributions from individuals and organizations described in section 170(c)(2) that are otherwise allowable will continue to be deductible. Protection under section 7428(c) would begin on March 20, 2006, and would end on the date the court first determines that the organization is not described in section 170(c)(2) as more particularly set forth in section 7428(c)(1). For individual contributors, the maximum deduction protected is $1,000, with a husband and wife treated as one contributor. This benefit is not extended to any individual, in whole or in part, for the acts or omissions of the organization that were the basis for revocation.