Amortization of Lease Acquisition Costs

§ 178. Amortization of cost of acquiring a lease(a) General ruleIn determining the amount of the deduction allowable to a lessee for exhaustion, wear and tear, obsolescence, or amortization in respect of any cost of acquiring the lease, the term of the lease shall be treated as including all renewal options (and any other period for which the parties reasonably expect the lease to be renewed) if less than 75 percent of such cost is attributable to the period of the term of the lease remaining on the date of its acquisition. (b) Certain periods excludedFor purposes of subsection (a), in determining the period of the term of the lease remaining on the date of acquisition, there shall not be taken into account any period for which the lease may subsequently be renewed, extended, or continued pursuant to an option exercisable by the lessee. (Added Pub. L. 85–866, title I, § 15(a), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1612; amended Pub. L. 99–514, title II, § 201(d)(2)(A), title XVIII, § 1812(c)(4)(B), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2139, 2835; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, § 1002(a)(9), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3354.) Editorial Notes Amendments1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–647 substituted “the deduction allowable to a lessee for exhaustion, wear and tear, obsolescence, or amortization” for “the deduction allowable to a lessee of a lease for any taxable year for amortization under section 167, 169, 179, 185, 190, 193, or 194”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–514, § 201(d)(2)(A), in amending section generally, substituted provision relating to amortization of cost of acquiring a lease, subsec. (a) setting out a general rule and subsec. (b) excluding certain periods, for former provision for depreciation or amortization of improvements made by lessee on lessor’s property, subsec. (a) setting out a general rule, subsec. (b), in case of related lessee and lessor, setting out a general rule in par. (1) and defining related persons in par. (2), and subsec. (c) setting out a reasonable certainty test. Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1812(c)(4)(B), inserted before the period “and subsection (f)(1)(A) of such section shall not apply”. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries Effective Date of 1988 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–647 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, to which such amendment relates, see section 1019(a) of Pub. L. 100–647, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.