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Click to read Green’s blog post in Forbes.
According to Tax Notes article “IRS Considering ‘Freeze and Mark’ for Trader Election” dated Jan. 20, 2016, Robert Williams, branch 3 senior counsel, IRS Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Institutions and Products), said he was optimistic, though cautious, that updated Section 475 regulations will come out by June 30, 2016.
The Tax Notes article mentioned a few significant potential changes that would affect traders in making a new Section 475 election. If codified by the IRS, I expect these changes won’t apply retroactively, so traders who made a 2016 Section 475 election by April 18 should not be affected.
Clarification of the character of income or loss of a Section 481(a) adjustment: The IRS may clarify that it’s a capital gain or loss, rather than an ordinary income or loss, which is the current interpretation. Many traders have benefited from ordinary loss treatment, especially when a Section 481(a) adjustment included wash sale loss deferrals on open trading business positions.
No election deadline: The changes may allow existing taxpayers to make a new Section 475 election throughout the tax year. Currently, the election deadline is April 15 for existing partnerships and individuals and March 15 for S-Corps. Many existing taxpayers will appreciate doing away with the deadline.
No retroactive application: Williams discussed applying ordinary income or loss treatment on the election date and going forward, and doing away with retroactive application of ordinary income or loss to Jan. 1.
Under current law, when a trader elected Section 475 by April 18, 2016 for 2016 (normally April 15), the election was retroactive to Jan. 1, 2016, so all 2016 trading gains and losses are ordinary income and loss. If a trader qualified for trader tax status (TTS) at year-end 2015, he also makes a Section 481(a) adjustment on Jan. 1, 2016 for unrealized gains or losses on open trading positions on Dec. 31, 2015.
Traders have been able to use hindsight between Jan. 1 and April 15 to make a last-minute decision about electing Section 475. For example, if they have a large trading loss in Q1, they may elect Section 475 to lock in ordinary loss treatment for that loss, and plan to revoke Section 475 in the subsequent year to get back to capital gains treatment to use up capital loss carryovers. That type of hindsight may be lost with these potential updates in the law.