Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Railroad Shareholder Income Exclusion?
Applies to shareholders of terminal railroad corporations that have a qualifying written agreement in place regarding the distribution of terminal income.
How does the Railroad Shareholder Income Exclusion work?
Shareholders of terminal railroad corporations do not recognize income when their service liabilities are reduced or discharged by the terminal corporation using its related terminal income.
What law authorizes the Railroad Shareholder Income Exclusion?
The Railroad Shareholder Income Exclusion is authorized under IRC §281 of the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26, United States Code).
Statutory Text — IRC §281
Source: Internal Revenue Code, Title 26, United States Code
§ 281. Terminal railroad corporations and their shareholders(a) Computation of taxable income of terminal railroad corporations(1) In generalIn computing the taxable income of a terminal railroad corporation—(A) such corporation shall not be considered to have received or accrued—(i) the portion of any liability of any railroad corporation, with respect to related terminal services provided by such corporation, which is discharged by crediting such liability with an amount of related terminal income, or
(ii) the portion of any charge which would be made by such corporation for related terminal services provided by it, but which is not made as a result of taking related terminal income into account in computing such charge; and
(B) no deduction otherwise allowable under this chapter shall be disallowed as a result of any discharge of liability described in subparagraph (A)(i) or as a result of any computation of charges in the manner described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
(2) LimitationIn the case of any taxable year ending after the date of the enactment of this section, paragraph (1) shall not apply to the extent that it would (but for this paragraph) operate to create (or increase) a net operating loss for the terminal railroad corporation for the taxable year.
(b) Computation of taxable income of shareholdersSubject to the limitation in subsection (a)(2), in computing the taxable income of any shareholder of a terminal railroad corporation, no amount shall be considered to have been received or accrued or paid or incurred by such shareholder as a result of any discharge of liability described in subsection (a)(1)(A)(i) or as a result of any computation of charges in the manner described in subsection (a)(1)(A)(ii).
(c) Agreement requiredIn the case of any taxable year, subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to any discharge of liability described in subsection (a)(1)(A)(i), and to any computation of charges in the manner described in subsection (a)(1)(A)(ii), only if such discharge or computation (as the case may be) was provided for in a written agreement, to which all of the shareholders of the terminal railroad corporation were parties, entered into before the beginning of such taxable year.
(d) DefinitionsFor purposes of this section—(1) Terminal railroad corporationThe term “terminal railroad corporation” means a domestic railroad corporation which is not a member, other than as a common parent corporation, of an affiliated group (as defined in section 1504) and—(A) all of the shareholders of which are rail carriers subject to part A of subtitle IV of title 49;
(B) the primary business of which is the providing of railroad terminal and switching facilities and services to rail carriers subject to part A of subtitle IV of title 49 and to the shippers and passengers of such railroad corporations;
(C) a substantial part of the services of which for the taxable year is rendered to one or more of its shareholders; and
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