Instructions for F Instructions for Form 8886-T, Disclosure by Tax-Exempt E

Instructions for Form 8886-T

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

(September 2007)
Disclosure by Tax-Exempt Entity Regarding Prohibited Tax Shelter Transaction
Section references are to the Internal
Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.

General Instructions
Purpose of Form
Certain tax-exempt entities (defined
below) are required to file Form
8886-T to disclose information with
respect to each prohibited tax shelter
transaction to which the entity is a
party. See Prohibited tax shelter
transaction below. See Party to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction
below to determine if the tax-exempt
entity is a party to a prohibited tax
shelter transaction. See Temporary
Regulations section 1.6033-5T for
more information. Form 8886-T is
available for public inspection.
A separate Form 8886-T must be
filed for each prohibited tax shelter
transaction.
In addition to filing Form 8886-T, a
tax-exempt entity and/or entity
manager(s) may be liable for excise
taxes in connection with the
prohibited tax shelter transaction. For
more information, see the instructions
for Form 4720, Return of Certain
Excise Taxes Under Chapters 41 and
42 of the Internal Revenue Code, and
the Instructions for Form 5330,
Return of Excise Taxes Related to
Employee Benefit Plans.
A taxable party to a prohibited tax
shelter transaction must provide a
statement to any tax-exempt entity
that is party to the transaction that the
transaction is a prohibited tax shelter
transaction. See Tax-exempt entity
below.
If a tax-exempt entity participates
in any reportable transaction (defined
in Regulations section 1.6011-4), the
tax-exempt entity also may be
required to file Form 8886,
Reportable Transaction Disclosure
Statement. For more information, see
the Instructions for Form 8886.
Frequency of disclosure. A single
disclosure is required for each
prohibited tax shelter transaction.

Who Must File
If the tax-exempt entity is a non-plan
entity (defined below), Form 8886-T

must be filed by the entity. If the
tax-exempt entity is a plan entity
(defined below), Form 8886-T must
be filed by the entity manager
(defined on page 2).
Note. If the entity is a fully
self-directed qualified plan, IRA, or
other savings arrangement, the entity
manager is the plan participant,
beneficiary, or owner who approved
or caused the entity to be a party to
the prohibited tax shelter transaction.

Definitions
Tax-exempt entity. A tax-exempt
entity is an entity which is either a
plan entity (defined below) or a
non-plan entity (defined below).
Non-plan entity. Non-plan
entities are tax-exempt entities
described in section 4965(c)(1),
(c)(2), or (c)(3). The following
tax-exempt entities are non-plan
entities:
• An organization described in
section 501(c) or 501(d).
• Entities described in section 170(c)
including a state, a possession of the
United States, the District of
Columbia, or a political subdivision of
a state or possession of the United
States (but not including the United
States).
• An Indian tribal government.
See Temporary Regulations
section 1.6033-5T for more
information.
Plan entity. Plan entities are
tax-exempt entities described in
section 4965(c)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), or
(c)(7). The following tax-exempt
entities are plan entities:
• A plan described in section 401(a)
which includes a trust exempt from
tax under section 501(a).
• An annuity plan described in
section 403(a) or annuity contract
described in section 403(b).
• A qualified tuition program
described in section 529.
• An eligible deferred compensation
plan described in section 457(b) that
is maintained by a governmental
employer described in section
457(e)(1)(A).
• An individual retirement account.
• An individual retirement annuity.
Cat. No. 49104P

• An Archer medical savings
account.
• A custodial account treated as an
annuity contract under section
403(b)(7)(A).
• A Coverdell education savings
account.
• A health savings account.
See Temporary Regulations section
1.6033-5T for more information.
Party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction. A tax-exempt entity is
a party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction if it:
• Facilitates the transaction by
reason of its tax-exempt, tax
indifferent or tax-favored status;
• Enters into a listed transaction and
the tax-exempt entity’s return (original
or amended) reflects a reduction or
elimination of liability for applicable
federal employment, excise, or
unrelated business income taxes that
is derived directly or indirectly from
tax consequences or tax strategy
described in the published guidance
that lists the transaction; or
• Is identified in published guidance,
by type, class or role, as a party to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction.
Prohibited tax shelter transaction.
Generally, a prohibited tax shelter
transaction is a transaction that is a
listed transaction (including
subsequently listed transaction), a
confidential transaction, or a
transaction with contractual
protection. See definitions of these
terms on pages 1 and 2.
Note. In general, if the IRS
determines by published guidance
that a transaction will be excluded
from the definition of listed
transaction, confidential transaction,
or transaction with contractual
protection, the transaction will not be
considered a prohibited tax shelter
transaction.
Listed transaction. A listed
transaction is a transaction that is the
same as or substantially similar to
any of the types of transactions that
the IRS has determined to be a tax
avoidance transaction and are
identified by notice, regulation, or
other form of published guidance as a
listed transaction. For existing
guidance see:

• Notice 2004-67, 2004-41 I.R.B.

600;
• Notice 2005-13, 2005-9 I.R.B. 630;
and
• Notice 2007-57, 2007-29 I.R.B. 87.
For updates to this list go to the IRS
web page at www.irs.gov/businesses/
corporations and click on Abusive
Tax Shelters and Transactions. The
IRS may issue new or update the
existing notice, regulation,
announcement, or other forms of
published guidance that identify
transactions as listed transactions.
You can find a notice or ruling in the
Internal Revenue Bulletin at
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/
irbXX-YY.pdf, where XX is the
two-digit year and YY is the two-digit
bulletin number. For example, you
can find Notice 2004-67, 2004-41
I.R.B. 600, at www.irs.gov/pub/
irs-irbs/irb04-41.pdf.
Subsequently listed transaction.
A subsequently listed transaction is a
transaction that is identified in
published guidance as a listed
transaction after the tax-exempt entity
has entered into the transaction and
that was not a confidential transaction
or transaction with contractual
protection at the time the entity
entered into the transaction. See
section 4965(e)(2) for more
information.
Substantially similar. A
transaction is substantially similar to
another transaction if it is expected to
obtain the same or similar types of
tax consequences and is either
factually similar or based on the same
or similar tax strategy. Receipt of an
opinion regarding the tax
consequences of the transaction is
not relevant to the determination of
whether the transaction is the same
as or substantially similar to another
transaction. Further, the term
substantially similar must be broadly
construed in favor of disclosure. See
Regulations section 1.6011-4(c)(4) for
examples.
Confidential transaction. A
confidential transaction is a
transaction this is offered under
conditions of confidentiality and for
which a minimum fee (defined below)
was paid. A transaction is considered
to be offered under conditions of
confidentiality if the advisor places a
limitation on disclosure of the tax
treatment or tax structure of the
transaction and the limitation on
disclosure protects the confidentiality
of the advisor’s tax strategies. The
transaction is treated as confidential

even if the conditions of
confidentiality are not legally binding.
See Regulations section
1.6011-4(b)(3) for more information.
Minimum fee. For a corporation,
or a partnership or trust in which all of
the owners or beneficiaries are
corporations (looking through any
partners or beneficiaries that are
themselves partners or trusts), the
minimum fee is $250,000. For all
others, the minimum fee is $50,000.
The minimum fee includes all fees
paid directly or indirectly for the tax
strategy, advice or analysis of the
transaction (whether or not related to
the tax consequences of the
transaction), implementation and
documentation of the transaction, and
tax preparation fees to the extent they
exceed customary return preparation
fees. Fees do not include amounts
paid to a person, including an
advisor, in that person’s capacity as a
party to the transaction.
Transaction with contractual
protection. A transaction with
contractual protection is a transaction
for which a participant (or related
party as defined under section 267(b)
or 707(b)) has the right to a full
refund or partial refund of fees if all or
part of the intended tax
consequences from the transaction
are not sustained. It also includes a
transaction for which fees are
contingent on the realization of tax
benefits from the transaction. For
exceptions and other details, see
Regulations section 1.6011-4(b)(4)
and Rev. Proc. 2007-20, 2007-7
I.R.B. 517.
Entity manager. In the case of a
plan entity, entity manager means the
person who approves or otherwise
causes the tax-exempt entity to be a
party to the prohibited tax shelter
transaction. See section 4965(d)(2).

Recordkeeping
The entity or entity manager must
keep a copy of all documents and
other records related to a prohibited
tax shelter transaction. See
Regulations section 1.6001-1(c) and
53.6001-1 for more details.

When To File
General rules. Generally, the due
date for filing Form 8886-T depends
on whether the tax-exempt entity is a
party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction to reduce its own federal
tax liability or, alternatively, whether it
is a party to such a transaction to
facilitate the transaction by reason of
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its tax-exempt, tax indifferent, or
tax-favored status.
• In the case of a tax-exempt entity
that is a party to a prohibited tax
shelter transaction because it
facilitates the transaction by reason of
its tax-exempt, tax indifferent, or
tax-favored status, Form 8886-T must
be filed on or before May 15 of the
year following the close of the
calendar year during which the
tax-exempt entity entered into the
prohibited tax shelter transaction. See
Temporary Regulations section
1.6033-5T(e) for more details.
• In the case of a tax-exempt entity
that became a party to a prohibited
tax shelter transaction that is a listed
transaction to reduce or eliminate its
own tax liability, Form 8886-T must
be filed on or before the date the first
tax return (whether an original or an
amended return) is filed on which the
tax-exempt entity reflects a reduction
or elimination of its liability for
applicable federal employment,
excise, or unrelated business income
taxes that is derived directly or
indirectly from tax consequences or
tax strategy described in published
guidance that lists the transaction.
See Temporary Regulations section
1.6033-5T(e) for more details.
Entities identified as a party to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction
by published guidance. In the case
of a tax-exempt entity that becomes a
party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction because it is identified in
published guidance by type, class, or
roles as a party to a prohibited tax
shelter transaction, the published
guidance will specify the due date of
Form 8886-T.
Subsequently listed transaction.
In the case of a tax-exempt entity that
is a party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction because the transaction
was subsequently listed, Form
8886-T must be filed by May 15 of
the year following the close of the
calendar year during which the
transaction was identified as a listed
transaction. See Temporary
Regulations section 1.6033-5T(e) for
more details.
Special transition rules. In the
case of a tax-exempt entity that
entered into a prohibited tax shelter
transaction after May 17, 2006, but
before January 1, 2007, and that is a
party to the transaction by reason of
its tax-exempt, tax indifferent, or
tax-favored status, Form 8886-T is
due on or before November 5, 2007.
In the case of a tax-exempt entity
that entered into a listed transaction

after May 17, 2006, but before
January 1, 2007, to reduce its own
federal tax liability, Form 8886-T is
due on or before the later of
November 5, 2007, or the date the
first tax return (whether an original or
an amended return) is filed reflecting
a reduction or elimination of the
tax-exempt entity’s liability for
applicable federal employment,
excise, or unrelated business income
taxes derived directly or indirectly
from tax consequences or tax
strategy described in published
guidance that lists the transaction.
No disclosure is required for any
prohibited tax shelter transaction
entered into by a tax-exempt entity on
or before May 17, 2006. Although
there is no disclosure requirement for
transactions entered into before May
18, 2006, certain tax-exempt entities
may be liable for an excise tax. See
Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise
Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of
the Internal Revenue Code and
accompanying instructions.

Where To File
Send the return to the:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Ogden, UT 84201-0027

Penalties
There is a monetary penalty under
section 6652(c) for the failure to
disclose information required under
section 6033(a)(2) with respect to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction. The
penalty for failure to include
information with respect to a
prohibited tax shelter transaction is
$100 for each day during which such
failure continues, not to exceed
$50,000 for each required disclosure.
In addition, the IRS is authorized to
make a written demand on the entity
or entity manager specifying a future
date by which the required disclosure
must be filed. If there is a failure to
comply with this demand, there is an
additional penalty in the amount of
$100 per day after the expiration of
the time specified in the demand, not
to exceed $10,000 for each required
disclosure. In the case of a non-plan
entity (defined on page 1), the penalty
is imposed on the tax-exempt entity.
In the case of a plan entity (defined
on page 1), the penalty is imposed on
the entity manager. See section
6652(c) for more information.
A penalty is assessed to the
tax-exempt entity (for a non-plan
entity) or to the entity manager (for a

plan entity) for each failure to timely
file Form 8886-T in accordance with
its instructions and Temporary
Regulations section 1.6033-5T. Form
8886-T must be completed in its
entirety with all required attachments
to be considered complete. Do not
enter “Information provided upon
request” or “Details available upon
request,” or any similar statement in
the space provided. Inclusion of any
such statements subjects the
tax-exempt entity (for a non-plan
entity) or the entity manager (for a
plan entity) to penalty. See section
6652(c) for more information.

Public Inspection
A completed Form 8886-T is
available for public inspection as
required under section 6104(b).

Specific Instructions
Name and Address
Enter the name and address of the
tax-exempt entity. Include the suite,
room, or other unit number after the
street address. If the Post Office does
not deliver mail to the street address,
show the P.O. box number instead of
the street address. The name and
address should be the same as
shown on other forms filed with the
IRS.

Employer Identification
Number (EIN)
Enter the employer identification
number of the tax-exempt entity. In
the case of a fully self-directed
qualified plan, or an IRA (or other
savings arrangement) that does not
have and is not required to obtain an
EIN, leave the EIN box blank. Do not
enter a social security number.

Who Must Sign
Non-plan entity. The director,
trustee, officer, or other official
authorized to sign for the non-plan
entity (defined on page 1) must sign
Form 8886-T.
Plan entity. For plan entities
(defined on page 1), the entity
manager (defined on page 2) must
sign Form 8886-T.

How To Complete
Form 8886-T
In order to be considered complete,
Form 8886-T must be completed in
its entirety with all required
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attachments. Do not simply write
“See Attached.” If the information
required exceeds the space provided,
complete as much information as
possible in the available space and
attach the remaining information on
additional sheets. The additional
sheets must be in the same order as
the lines to which they correspond.
You must also include the entity
name and identifying number at the
top of each additional sheet.

Line 1
Check the box which indicates the
type of tax-exempt entity that is a
party to a prohibited tax shelter
transaction.

Line 2
Check the box for all categories that
apply to the transaction being
reported. The categories of prohibited
tax shelter transactions (listed,
confidential, and transaction with
contractual protection) are described
on pages 1 and 2. Do not report more
than one transaction on this form. If
the transaction is substantially similar
to a listed transaction, check the box
next to “listed transaction.” See
Substantially similar on page 2. If you
checked the listed transaction box,
you must also identify the transaction
on line 3.
If the transaction is a listed
transaction or substantially
CAUTION similar to a listed transaction,
you must check the listed transaction
box in addition to any others that may
apply.

!

Line 3
If you selected “listed transaction” on
line 2, provide a brief identifying
description of the listed transaction
and identify the notice, revenue
ruling, regulation (for example,
Regulations section 1.643(a)-8 or
Notice 2003-81 modified and
supplemented by Notice 2007-71,
2007-35 I.R.B 472), announcement,
or other published guidance that
identified the listed transaction. See
the notices below or later IRS
guidance identifying listed
transactions.
• Notice 2004-67, 2004-41 I.R.B.
600;
• Notice 2005-13, 2005-9 I.R.B. 630;
and
• Notice 2007-57, 2007-29 I.R.B. 87.

Line 4
Provide the complete names and
addresses of all other parties

(whether taxable or tax-exempt) to
the transaction, if known. If you need
additional space, attach separate
sheets. At the top of each additional
sheet, write “Line 4” and enter the
tax-exempt entity’s name and
identifying number.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.
You are not required to provide the
information requested on a form that
is subject to the Paperwork Reduction
Act unless the form displays a valid
OMB control number. Books or
records relating to a form or its
instructions must be retained as long
as their contents may become
material in the administration of any
Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax
returns and return information are
confidential, as required by section
6103.

The time needed to complete and
file this form will vary depending on
individual circumstances. The
estimated burden for individual
taxpayers filing this form is approved
under OMB control number
1545-0074 and is included in the
estimates shown in the instructions
for their individual income tax return.
The estimated burden for all other
taxpayers who file this form is shown
below.
Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . .
4 hr., 4 min.
Learning about the law or the
form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 hr., 16 min.
Preparing, copying,
assembling, and sending the
form to the IRS . . . . . . . . . . . 3 hr., 28 min.

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If you have comments concerning
the accuracy of these time estimates
or suggestions for making this form
simpler, we would be happy to hear
from you. You can write to the
Internal Revenue Service, Tax
Products Coordinating Committee,
SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111
Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526,
Washington, DC 20224. Do not send
the form to this address. Instead, see
Where To File, on page 3.