INTL-485-89sup

Supporting Statement

1. CIRCUMSTANCES NECESSITATING COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

Section 988 concerns the taxation of exchange gain or loss on certain foreign currency denominated transactions. Such gains and losses are characterized as ordinary income or loss. However, under section 988(a)(1)(B) taxpayers may elect to characterize exchange gain or loss on certain transactions as capital gain or loss. Section 1.988-3(b) of the attached regulations provides the procedure for making the election. Under section 988(c)(1)(D)(ii), taxpayers may elect to have regulated futures contracts and certain options (which generally are not subject to section 988) treated as section 988 transactions. Sections 1.988-1(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) provide the procedure for making that election. Under section 988(c)(1)(E)(iii), a commodity fund may elect special treatment under section 988. Section 1.988-1(a)(5)(iv) provides the procedure for making that election. Under section 988(d) taxpayers may receive special treatment if they identify certain transactions. The identification rules are in sections 1.988-5(a)(8), 1.988-5(b)(3), 1.988-5(c)(2) and 1.988-5(d)(2)(i)(A).

2. USE OF DATA

The data obtained by the IRS from the various elections and identifications is used to verify that taxpayers have, in fact, elected special treatment under section 988.

3. USE OF IMPROVED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE BURDEN

IRS Publications, Regulations, Notices and Letters are to be electronically enabled on an as practicable basis in accordance with the IRS Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998.

4. EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATION

We have attempted to eliminate duplication within the agency wherever possible.

5. METHODS TO MINIMIZE BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESSES OR OTHER SMALL ENTITIES

Not applicable.

6. CONSEQUENCES OF LESS FREQUENT COLLECTION ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS OR POLICY ACTIVITIES

Not applicable.

7. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRING DATA COLLECTION TO BE INCONSISTENT WITH GUIDELINES IN 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)

Not applicable.

8. CONSULTATION WITH INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THE AGENCY ON AVAILABILITY OF DATA, FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION, CLARITY OF INSTRUCTIONS AND FORMS, AND DATA ELEMENTS

A notice of proposed rulemaking was published simultaneously with temporary regulations on September 21, 1989. A public hearing was not requested by the public but numerous comments were received, copies of which have been forwarded to OMB. The final regulation was published in the Federal Register on March 17, 1992 (57 FR 9172).

We received no comments during the comment period in response to the Federal Register Notice dated October 1, 2012, (77 FR 60025).

9. EXPLANATION OF DECISION TO PROVIDE ANY PAYMENT OR GIFT TO RESPONDENTS

Not applicable.

10. ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY OF RESPONSES

Generally, tax returns and tax return information are confidential as required by 26 USC 6103.

11. JUSTIFICATION OF SENSITIVE QUESTIONS

Not applicable.

12. ESTIMATED BURDEN OF INFORMATION COLLECTION

Section 1.988-3(b) generally provides that a taxpayer may elect to treat gain or loss on a section 988 transaction as capital gain or loss by identifying the transaction on its books and records on the day it was entered into and verifying the election in a statement attached to the taxpayer’s return. Sections 1.988-1(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) and 1.988-1(a)(5) (iv) provide that a taxpayer makes the relevant election by mailing a statement regarding such election to the Kansas City IRS Service Center. This election is generally a lifetime election. The rules of section 1.988-5T(a), (b), (c) and (d) provide that a taxpayer elects hedging treatment by clearly identifying a hedging transaction on its books and records on the day the transaction is entered into. The total burden for these requirements is estimated to be 3,333 hours. This includes the time needed to make the elections and to comply with the identification rules.

Reporting respondents 5,000

Time per response .6666hr.

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Total burden 3,333

Estimates of the annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens shown are not available at this time.

13. ESTIMATED TOTAL ANNUAL COST BURDEN TO RESPONDENTS

As suggested by OMB, our Federal Register notice dated October 1, 2012, requested public comments on estimates of cost burden that are not captured in the estimates of burden hours, i.e., estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. However, we did not receive any responses from taxpayers on this subject. As a result, estimates of these cost burdens are not available at this time.

14. ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Not applicable.

15. REASONS FOR CHANGE IN BURDEN

There is no change in the paperwork burden previously approved by OMB. We are making this submission to renew the OMB approval.

16. PLANS FOR TABULATION, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND PUBLICATION

Not applicable.

17. REASONS WHY DISPLAYING THE OMB EXPIRATION DATE IS INAPPROPRIATE

We believe that displaying the OMB expiration date is inappropriate because it could cause confusion by leading taxpayers to believe that the regulation sunsets as of the expiration date. Taxpayers are not likely to be aware that the Service intends to request renewal of the OMB approval and obtain a new expiration date before the old one expires.

18. EXCEPTION TO THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT ON OMB FORM 83-I

Not applicable.

Note: The following paragraph applies to all of the collections of information in this submission:

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a collection of information must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and tax return information are confidential, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

OMB EXPIRATION DATE

We believe the public interest will be better served by not printing an expiration date on the form(s) in this package.

Printing the expiration date on the form will result in increased costs because of the need to replace inventories that become obsolete by passage of the expiration date each time OMB approval is renewed. Without printing the expiration date, supplies of the form could continue to be used.

The time period during which the current edition of the form(s) in this package will continue to be usable cannot be predicted. It could easily span several cycles of review and OMB clearance renewal. In addition, usage fluctuates unpredictably. This makes it necessary to maintain a substantial inventory of forms in the supply line at all times. This includes supplied owned by both the Government and the public. Reprinting of the form cannot be reliably scheduled to coincide with an OMB approval expiration date. This form may be privately printed by users at their own expense. Some businesses print complex and expensive marginally punched continuous versions, their expense, for use in their computers. The form may be printed by commercial printers and stocked for sale. In such cases, printing the expiration date on the form could result in extra costs to the users.

Not printing the expiration date on the form(s) will also avoid confusion among taxpayers who may have identical forms with different expiration dates in their possession.

For the above reasons we request authorization to omit printing the expiration date on the form(s) in this package.