25113
. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (f), for taxable years
beginning on or after January 1, 2003, the election provided for in
Section 25110 shall be made on an original, timely filed return for
the year of the election. The election will be considered valid if
both of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The tax is computed in a manner consistent with a water's-edge
election.
(2) A written notification of election is filed with the return on
a form prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board. Pursuant to
regulations promulgated under this section, the Franchise Tax Board
may accept the filing of other objective evidence that supports the
conclusion that a water's-edge election was intended in lieu of
notification on the designated form.
(b) Except as otherwise provided, a water's-edge election shall be
effective only if made by every member of the self-assessed combined
reporting group that is subject to taxation under this part.
(1) An election made on a group return of a self-assessed combined
reporting group shall constitute an election by each taxpayer member
included in that group return, unless one of those taxpayers files a
separate return in which no election is made and paragraph (2) does
not apply.
(2) A taxpayer that fails to make an election on its own timely
filed original return shall be deemed to have elected if either of
the following applies:
(A) It has a parent corporation that is an electing taxpayer that
included the income and apportionment factors of the nonelecting
taxpayer in the self-assessed combined reporting group reflected in
the electing parent's timely filed original return, including a group
return.
(B) The income and apportionment factors of the nonelecting
taxpayer are reflected in the self-assessed combined reporting group
of a timely filed original return of an electing taxpayer, and the
notification of election filed by the electing taxpayer pursuant to
paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) is signed by an officer or other
authorized agent of either a parent corporation of the nonelecting
taxpayer or another corporation with authority to bind the
nonelecting taxpayer to an election.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, a "parent corporation" of
the taxpayer is a corporation that owns or constructively owns stock
possessing more than 50 percent of the voting power of the taxpayer
as determined under subdivisions (e) and (f) of Section 25105.
(4) If a corporation that is a member of a combined reporting
group is not itself subject to taxation under this part in the year
for which the water's-edge election is made, but subsequently becomes
subject to taxation under this part, that corporation shall be
deemed to have elected with the other taxpayer members of the
combined reporting group.
(5) A taxpayer that is engaged in more than one apportioning trade
or business as defined in paragraph (6) of subdivision (d) of
Section 25128 may make a separate election for each apportioning
trade or business.
(c) A water's-edge election shall remain in effect or be
terminated in accordance with this subdivision.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, if one or
more electing taxpayer members of a combined reporting group later
become disaffiliated or otherwise cease to be included in the
combined reporting group, the water's-edge election shall remain in
effect as to both the departing taxpayer members and any remaining
taxpayer members.
(2) If an electing taxpayer and a nonelecting taxpayer become
members of a new unitary affiliate group, the nonelecting taxpayer
shall be deemed to have elected if the value of the total business
assets of the electing taxpayer, and its component unitary group, if
any, is larger than the value of the total business assets of the
nonelecting taxpayer, and its component unitary group, if any.
Otherwise, the water's-edge election shall be automatically
terminated at the time the electing members become part of the
combined report. For purposes of applying paragraphs (9) and (10),
the commencement date of the deemed election shall be the same as the
commencement date of the electing taxpayers.
(3) If taxpayers filing under water's-edge elections with
different commencement dates become members of a new unitary
affiliate group, the earliest election date shall be deemed to apply
to all electing taxpayers if the total business assets of the earlier
electing taxpayer, and its component unitary group, if any, is
larger than the value of the total business assets of the later
electing taxpayer, and its component unitary group, if any.
Otherwise, the later election commencement date shall apply to all
electing taxpayers.
(4) (A) If a taxpayer with an election that has been terminated
under paragraph (9) or (10) becomes a member of a new unitary
affiliate group that includes another electing or nonelecting
taxpayer not affected by those paragraphs, any water's-edge election
of the other taxpayer member, if applicable, shall terminate, and any
restrictions on making a new water's-edge election, relating to an
election terminated under those paragraphs, shall apply to all
taxpayer members of the new unitary affiliate group if the total
business assets of the taxpayer with the terminated election, and its
component unitary group, if any, is larger than the other taxpayer,
and its component unitary group, if any. Otherwise, paragraph (2)
shall apply, if applicable. If paragraph (2) does not apply, all
taxpayer members of the new unitary affiliate group will be treated
as nonelecting taxpayers that are not subject to any restrictions on
making a new water's-edge election.
(B) If two nonelecting taxpayers with different termination dates
under paragraph (9) or (10) become members of a new unitary affiliate
group, the earliest termination date shall be deemed to apply to all
nonelecting taxpayers, as well as any restrictions on making a new
water's-edge election relating to that termination, if the total
business assets of the earlier terminating taxpayer, and its
component unitary group, if any, is larger than the value of the
total business assets of the later terminating taxpayer, and its
component unitary group, if any. Otherwise, the later termination
date, and the related restrictions on making a new water's-edge
election, shall apply to all taxpayer members of the new unitary
affiliate group.
(5) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), if one or more
electing taxpayers did not report their income and apportionment
factors as members of a combined reporting group with one or more
nonelecting taxpayers, and, pursuant to a Franchise Tax Board audit
determination, the nonelecting taxpayers, are properly in the same
combined reporting group as the electing taxpayers, the water's-edge
election of the electing taxpayers shall remain in effect and the
nonelecting taxpayers shall be deemed to have made a water's-edge
election. The commencement date of the deemed water's-edge election
shall be the same as the commencement date of the electing taxpayers.
(B) Subparagraph (A) may not apply if the value of total business
assets of the electing taxpayers does not exceed the value of total
business assets of the nonelecting taxpayers. In that event, the
water's-edge election of each electing taxpayer is terminated as of
the date the nonelecting taxpayers are, pursuant to the audit
determination described in subparagraph (A), properly included in the
same combined reporting group as the electing taxpayers.
(C) For purposes of applying the business asset test of this
paragraph, the term "business assets" shall have the same meaning as
subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6), except that the business assets of
other members of the unitary affiliate group that are not taxpayers
shall not be taken into account.
(D) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), nonelecting taxpayers may
not be deemed to have made a water's-edge election if the Franchise
Tax Board audit determination described in subparagraph (A) is
withdrawn or otherwise overturned.
(6) For purposes of paragraphs (2) to (5), inclusive, the
following shall apply:
(A) "Business assets" are assets, including intangible assets,
other than stock of a member of the unitary affiliate group, which
are used in the conduct of the business of the unitary affiliate
group or would produce business income to the unitary affiliate
group, if an election were not in place, if the assets were sold.
Business assets shall be valued at net book value.
(B) The phrase "unitary affiliate group" refers to all of those
corporations that would constitute a unitary group if a water's-edge
election were not made.
(C) The phrase "new unitary affiliate group" refers to a unitary
affiliate group that is created by a new affiliation of two or more
corporations, or by the addition of one or more new members to an
existing unitary affiliate group.
(D) The phrase "component unitary group" means that portion of a
group of corporations that have become members of a new unitary
affiliate group that were members of their own respective unitary
affiliate group prior to entering the new unitary affiliate group,
disregarding any corporations that did not become part of the new
unitary group.
(7) In the application of paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, a
series of acquisitions as steps of a single transaction shall be
aggregated as a single change of membership.
(8) In the event of a merger or consolidation, the water's-edge
status and election commencement date or termination date of the
surviving corporation shall be consistent with the result that would
have been obtained under paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, if the
surviving corporation had acquired the stock of the transferor
corporation.
(9) A water's-edge election may be terminated without the consent
of the Franchise Tax Board after it has been in effect for at least
84 months. The termination shall be made on an original, timely filed
return for the first year in which the water's-edge election is to
be terminated. To be effective, the termination shall be made by
every taxpayer that is a member of the water's-edge group in the same
manner as the election provided under subdivisions (a) and (b).
(10) A water's-edge election may be terminated before the 84-month
period described in paragraph (9) has elapsed, but only with the
consent of the Franchise Tax Board. A request for termination shall
be made at the time and in the manner specified by the Franchise Tax
Board.
(A) The request may be granted for good cause. For purposes of
this section, good cause shall have the same meaning as specified in
Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-75(c).
(B) The Franchise Tax Board shall consent to a termination
requested by all members of a water's-edge group, if the purpose of
the request is to permit the state to contract with an expatriate
corporation, or its subsidiary, pursuant to paragraph (2) of
subdivision (b) of Section 10286 of the Public Contract Code. A water'
s-edge election terminated pursuant to this subparagraph shall,
however, be effective for the year in which the expatriate
corporation, or its subsidiary, enters into the contract with the
state.
(11) Except for deemed elections as provided in paragraphs (2),
(4), and (5), if a water's-edge election is terminated under
paragraph (9) or (10), another election may not be made under this
section for any taxable year that begins within the 84-month period
following the last day of the election period that was terminated.
The Franchise Tax Board may waive the application of this prohibition
period for good cause.
(12) A water's-edge election shall remain in effect until
terminated.
(d) For purposes of this section, the following shall apply:
(1) A "combined reporting group" means those corporations whose
income and apportionment factors are properly considered pursuant to
this chapter in computing the income of the individual taxpayer that
is derived from or attributable to sources within this state, taking
into account a valid water's-edge election.
(2) A "group return" refers to the single return which taxpayer
members of a combined reporting group may elect by contract to file,
in the form and manner prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board, in lieu
of filing their own respective returns.
(3) A "self-assessed combined reporting group" means that group of
corporations whose income and apportionment factors are reflected in
a combined report prepared pursuant to this chapter in a timely
filed return, taking into account the effects of a purported water'
s-edge election, whether or not the membership of the corporations in
that combined report was correctly determined.
(e) The Franchise Tax Board may prescribe any regulations as may
be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this
section.
(f) To the extent that a taxpayer would have been required to file
on a water's-edge basis in its first taxable year beginning on or
after January 1, 2003, pursuant to a water's-edge election made in a
prior year under Section 25111, the terms of Section 25111 may not
apply and the election shall be deemed to have been made under the
terms of this section. However, the commencement date of the election
made in a prior year under Section 25111 shall continue to be
treated as the commencement date of the water's-edge election period
for purposes of applying this section.