Consent Plan and Apportionment Schedule for a Controlled Group

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Instructions for Schedule O (Form 1120)

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Instructions for Schedule O
(Form 1120)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

(December 2006)
Consent Plan and Apportionment Schedule for a Controlled Group
Section references are to the Internal
Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.

General Instructions
Purpose of Schedule
Use Schedule O to report the
apportionment of taxable income,
income tax, and certain tax benefits
between the members of a controlled
group.
Also, use Schedule O to indicate
that all members of the controlled
group:
• Are not adopting an apportionment
plan,
• Already have an apportionment
plan in effect,
• Are amending a previously adopted
apportionment plan,
• Are adopting an apportionment
plan, or
• Are terminating the existing
apportionment plan.

Who Must File
A corporation must file Schedule O
with its income tax return, amended
return, or claim for refund (if
appropriate) for each tax year that the
corporation is a member of a
controlled group, even if no
apportionment plan in effect.
By filing this schedule, the
corporation consents to the adoption
or amendment of an apportion plan
by the controlled group and to the
allocation by the members of the
controlled group of certain tax
benefits. The apportionment plan
(including an amended plan) remains
in effect until it is terminated.
See sections 1561 and 1563 and
the related regulations for more
information.
Note. The common parent of a
consolidated group can file one
Schedule O for all the members of
the consolidated group, with that
Schedule O containing the required
information for each member.

Definitions and Special
Rules
Types of Controlled Groups
Parent-subsidiary group. A
parent-subsidiary group is one or
more chains of corporations
connected through stock ownership
with a common parent corporation if:
• Stock possessing at least 80% of
the total combined voting power of all
classes of stock entitled to vote or at
least 80% of the total value of shares
of all classes of stock of each of the
corporations, except the common
parent corporation, is directly or
indirectly owned by one or more of
the other corporations; and
• The common parent corporation
directly or indirectly owns stock
possessing at least 80% of the total
combined voting power of all classes
of stock entitled to vote or at least
80% of the total value of shares of all
classes of stock of at least one of the
other corporations, excluding, in
computing such voting power or
value, stock owned directly by such
other corporations.
For purposes of determining
whether a corporation is a member of
a parent-subsidiary controlled group
of corporations, within the meaning of
section 1563(a)(1), stock owned by a
corporation means:
• Stock owned directly by the
corporation, and
• Stock owned with the application of
section 1563(e)(1), (2), and (3).
Brother-sister group. A
brother-sister group is two or more
corporations if the same five or fewer
persons who are individuals, estates,
or trusts directly or indirectly own
stock possessing:
1. At least 80% of the total
combined voting power of all classes
of stock entitled to vote or at least
80% of the total value of shares of all
classes of the stock of each
corporation, and
2. More than 50% of the total
combined voting power of all classes
of stock entitled to vote or more than
Cat. No. 48211V

50% of the total value of shares of all
classes of stock of each corporation,
taking into account the stock
ownership of each such person only
to the extent such stock ownership is
identical with respect to each such
corporation.
For purposes of determining and
allocating the following, the definition
of brother-sister group does not
include (1) above.
• Taxable income brackets,
• Accumulated earnings credit,
• Alternative minimum tax exemption
amount,
• Phaseout of the alternative
minimum tax exemption amount, or
• The additional tax.
For purposes of determining
whether a corporation is a member of
a brother-sister controlled group of
corporations, within the meaning of
section 1563(a)(2), stock owned by a
person who is an individual, estate, or
trust means:
• Stock owned directly by such
person, and
• Stock owned with the application of
section 1563(e).
Combined group. A combined
group is three or more corporations
each of which is a member of a
parent-subsidiary group or a
brother-sister group, and one of
which is:
• A common parent corporation
included in a group of corporations in
a parent-subsidiary group, and also
• Included in a group of corporations
in a brother-sister group.
Life insurance companies. Two or
more insurance companies subject to
tax under section 801 which are
members of a parent-subsidiary,
brother-sister, or combined group of a
controlled group of corporations, will
be treated as a controlled group of
corporations separate from any other
corporations which are members of
the controlled group of corporations
as a parent-subsidiary, brother-sister,
or combined group. However, this
does not apply to any life insurance
company that is a member (whether
eligible or ineligible) of a life-nonlife

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Instructions for Schedule O (Form 1120)

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affiliated group for which a section
1504(c)(2) election is effective.
Instead, such life insurance company
will be treated as a member of the
life-nonlife controlled group (a
deemed parent-subsidiary controlled
group).

Component Member
A corporation is a component
member of a controlled group of
corporations on a December 31 of
any tax year (and with respect to the
tax year which includes such
December 31) if the corporation:
• Is a member of such controlled
group of corporations on the
December 31 included in the year
and is not treated as an excluded
member (defined below), or
• Is not a member of the controlled
group of corporations on the
December 31 included in such year
but is treated as an additional
member (defined below).
If any component members of a
controlled group of corporations are
also members of a consolidated
group, such members will be treated
as separate component members of
the controlled group.

Excluded Members
A corporation which is a member of a
controlled group of corporations on
December 31 of any tax year will be
treated as an excluded member of
such group for the tax year including
such December 31 if such
corporation is:
• A member of such group for less
than one-half the number of days in
such tax year which precede such
December 31;
• Exempt from tax under section
501(a) (except a corporation which is
subject to tax on its unrelated
business taxable income under
section 511) for such tax year;
• A foreign corporation subject to tax
under section 881 for such tax year;
• An insurance company subject to
tax under section 801 (other than an
insurance company which is a
member of a controlled group
described above under Types of
Controlled Groups);
• A franchised corporation, as
defined in section 1563(f)(4); or
• An S corporation, as defined in
section 1361.
In determining how many days a
corporation has been a member of a
controlled group, the group must take
into account the day it is sold or
liquidated, but does not take into
account either: (a) the day such

corporation is acquired or created, or
(b) the December 31 of such
corporation’s tax year.

Additional Members
A corporation (other than an S
corporation) which (a) was a member
of a controlled group of corporations
at any time during a calendar year,
(b) is not a member of such group on
December 31 of such calendar year,
and (c) is not described, with respect
to such group, in section
1563(b)(2)(B),(C),(D), or (E), will be
treated as an additional member of
such group on December 31 for its
tax year including such December 31
if it was a member of such group for
one-half (or more) of the number of
days in such tax year which precede
such December 31.

Overlapping Groups
If a corporation is a component
member of more than one controlled
group of corporations with respect to
any tax year, that corporation will be
treated as a component member of
only one controlled group. The
determination as to the group of
which such corporation is a
component member shall be made
under regulations prescribed by the
Secretary.

Excluded Stock
The term “stock” does not include:
• Nonvoting stock which is limited
and preferred as to dividends,
• Treasury stock, and
• Stock which is treated as “excluded
stock” under section 1563(c)(2)(A) in
the case of a parent-subsidiary
controlled group or section
1563(c)(2)(B) in the case of a
brother-sister controlled group.

Unequal Apportionment Plan
Members of a controlled group can
elect an unequal apportionment plan
and divide the taxable income
brackets as they want. If any
members are also members of a
consolidated group, the consolidated
group will be treated as one
component member of the controlled
group for purposes of apportionment.
There is no need for consistency
among taxable income brackets. The
controlled group may apportion all,
some, or none of the taxable income
bracket amounts between its
members. However, the total amount
for all members cannot be more than
the total amount in each taxable
income bracket.
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Equal Apportionment Plan
If no apportionment plan is adopted
(or in effect), members of a controlled
group must divide the amount in each
taxable income bracket equally
among themselves (regardless of
whether any member is a member of
a consolidated group). For example,
Controlled Group AB consists of
Corporation A and Corporation B.
They do not elect an apportionment
plan. Therefore, each corporation is
entitled to:
• $25,000 (one-half of $50,000) on
Part II, column (c),
• $12,500 (one-half of $25,000) on
Part II, column (d), and
• $4,962,500 (one-half of
$9,925,000) on Part II, column (e).
See the instructions for Part II.

Specific Instructions
Identifying Information
On page 1, enter the name and
employer identification number (EIN)
of the component member filing this
Schedule O.
In Parts II, III, and IV, enter the
name and EIN (if applicable) of the
member filing this Schedule O on line
1. Enter the name and EIN (if
applicable) of the other members of
the controlled group on lines 2
through 10. Attach additional sheets if
more space is needed. If several
component members are also
members of a consolidated group,
then with respect to those members,
provide only the name, EIN (and if
necessary the tax year) of the
common parent of the group (and not
of the other members of that
consolidated group). See Temporary
Regulations section 1.1561-3T(a)(2).

Part I. Apportionment
Plan Information
Line 1. Type of controlled group. A
member of a controlled group must
check the applicable box to indicate
the type of group. For more
information, see Types of Controlled
Groups earlier.
Line 4. Status of apportionment
plan. Check the applicable box to
indicate the status of the controlled
group’s apportionment plan. If the
group is adopting an apportionment
plan or amending the current
apportionment plan for a prior tax
year, there must be at least one year
remaining on the statute of limitations

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Instructions for Schedule O (Form 1120)

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for each member of the group for
assessing any resulting deficiency.
See the instructions for line 5, below.
Note. The corporation is required to
provide information regarding the
status of the group’s apportionment
plan. In connection with the
information provided, the corporation
may be required to indicate whether
all of the component members of the
controlled group are adopting,
amending, or terminating an
apportionment plan. If all the
members of a controlled group
complete a written agreement setting
forth the terms of the adopted or
amended apportionment plan (or an
agreement to terminate the previously
adopted plan), each member of the
group may rely on this agreement as
a basis for its answers. The
agreement must be signed by an
authorized person on behalf of each
component member of the controlled
group. Each member must retain as
part of its records either the original
or a copy of such agreement. The
agreement should contain the group’s
apportionment methodology (e.g.,
percentages) for each tax benefit
item.
Line 5. Statute of limitations. An
apportionment plan may not be
adopted for a particular tax year
unless there is at least one year
remaining in the statutory period
(including any extensions) for
assessing a deficiency against the
corporation, the tax liability of which
would be increased by adopting such
plan.
If there is less than one year
remaining in the statutory period, the
corporation must have entered into
an agreement with the IRS extending
the statutory period for the limited
purpose of assessing any deficiency
against that corporation attributable to
the adoption of the apportionment
plan. See Temporary Regulations
section 1.1561-3T(c)(2).

Members of a controlled group are
entitled to one $50,000, one $25,000,
and one $9,925,000 taxable income
bracket amount (in that order) on
columns (c), (d), and (e). See Equal
Apportionment Plan and Unequal
Apportionment Plan earlier.
Column (c). Enter taxable income
(Form 1120, page 1, line 30, or the
comparable line of the corporation’s
income tax return) or the
corporation’s share of the $50,000
taxable income bracket, whichever is
less.
Column (d). Enter taxable income
(Form 1120, page 1, line 30, or the
comparable line of the corporation’s
income tax return) minus the
corporation’s share of column (c) or
the corporation’s share of the
$25,000 taxable income bracket,
whichever is less.
Column (e). Enter taxable income
(Form 1120, page 1, line 30, or the
comparable line of the corporation’s
income tax return) minus the
corporation’s share of columns (c)
and (d) or the corporation’s share of
the $9,925,000 taxable income
bracket, whichever is less.
Column (f). Enter taxable income
(Form 1120, page 1, line 30, or the
comparable line of the corporation’s
income tax return) minus the
corporation’s share of columns (c)
through (e).
Column (g). Enter the total of
columns (c) through (f) for each
component member. Each total in
Part II, column (g) for each member
must agree with Form 1120, page 1,
line 30, or the comparable line of
such member’s income tax return.

Part III. Income Tax
Apportionment
Members of a controlled group are
treated as one group to figure the
applicability of the additional 5% tax
and the additional 3% tax. If an

Part II. Taxable Income
Apportionment
Enter each member’s share of each
taxable income bracket as applicable.

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additional tax applies, each member
will pay that tax based on the part of
the amount used in each taxable
income bracket to reduce that
member’s tax. See section 1561(a).
Column (f). If the taxable income of
the controlled group exceeds
$100,000, enter each member’s
share of the smaller of: 5% of the
taxable income in excess of
$100,000, or $11,750.
Column (g). If the taxable income of
the controlled group exceeds $15
million, enter each member’s share of
the smaller of: 3% of the taxable
income in excess of $15 million, or
$100,000.

Part IV. Other
Apportionments
Column (b). The component
members of a controlled group of
corporations may allocate the
$250,000 accumulated earnings
credit unequally if they adopt an
apportionment plan or have an
apportionment plan in effect.
If any component member of the
controlled group is a corporation
described in section 535(c)(2)(B), the
amount to be apportioned among the
component members is $150,000
(rather than $250,000). See section
1561(a).
Columns (c) and (d). In applying the
$40,000 AMT exemption amount, the
alternative minimum taxable income
of all component members shall be
taken into account. Any decrease in
the exemption amount shall be
allocated to the component members
of the group in the same manner as
the exemption amount was allocated
to the members. See sections
55(d)(3) and 1561(a).
Column (f). Enter each member’s
share of any other tax benefits not
included in columns (b) through (e).