What Is Foreign Base Company Sales Income and Why Is the Whirlpool Case So Controversial?

I. Introduction Prior to 1962, U.S. tax regime generally allowed multinational corporations to defer tax on the income earned by their foreign subsidiaries until the income was repatriated to the [...]
There are several categories of income under the umbrella of Subpart F that is subject to U.S taxes in the year in which it is earned by a controlled foreign corporation ("CFC"). One of the categories is Foreign Base Company Sales Income ("FBCSI"). Code Sec. 954(d)(1) sets forth the general rule defining FBCSI and identifies four types of personal property transactions that a CFC derives FBCSI involving related persons outside the CFC's country of organization. Code Sec. 954(d)(2) provides a special branch rule that applies in situations where the carrying on of activities by a CFC through a branch outside the country of incorporation of the CFC has substantially the same tax effect as if such branch were a wholly owned subsidiary corporation deriving such income} The branch rule prevents a U.S. shareholder from avoiding Code Sec. 954(d)(1) by having its CFC conduct activity through a branch rather than a related person. Reg. [section]1.954-3 further defines FBCSI and provides exceptions where a CFC can exclude its sales income from FBCSI. The focus of this article is to discuss the purpose of Code Sec. 954(d)(1) and (d)(2) and Reg. [section]1.954-3 and examine how the courts applied these statutes and regulations in making judgment in Whirlpool Financial Corporation v. Commissioner (2) and analyze why this case is so controversial.