.01 For purposes of this revenue procedure—

(1) the term “Service” includes the four operating divisions of the Internal Revenue Service and the Associate offices. The four operating divisions are:

(a) Large and Mid-Size Business Division (LMSB), which generally serves corporations, including S corporations, and partnerships, with assets in excess of $10 million;

(b) Small Business/Self-Employed Division (SB/SE), which generally serves corporations, including S corporations, and partnerships, with assets less than or equal to $10 million; estates and trusts; individuals filing an individual Federal income tax return with accompanying Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)), Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss), Schedule F (Profit or Loss From Farming), Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses, or Form 2106-EZ, Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses; and individuals with international tax returns;

(c) Wage and Investment Division (W&I), which generally serves individuals with wage and investment income only (and with no international tax returns) filing an individual Federal income tax return without accompanying Schedule C, E, or F, or Form 2106 or Form 2106-EZ; and

(d) Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division (TE/GE), which serves three distinct taxpayer segments: employee plans, exempt organizations, and government entities.

(2) the term “Associate office” refers to the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate), the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Institutions and Products), the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting), the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International), the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries), the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration), or the Office of Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities), as appropriate.

(3) the term “Director” refers to the Director, Field Operations, LMSB; Area Director, Field Examination, SB/SE; Chief, Estate & Gift Tax Operations, SB/SE; Chief, Employment Tax Operations, SB/SE; Chief, Excise Tax Operations, SB/SE; Director, Compliance, W&I; Director, International Compliance, Strategy and Policy; Director, Employee Plans Examinations; Director, Exempt Organizations Examinations; Director, Federal, State & Local Governments; Director, Tax Exempt Bonds; or Director, Indian Tribal Governments, as appropriate.

(4) the term “field office” refers to the respective offices of the Directors, as appropriate.

(5) the term “taxpayer” includes all persons subject to any provision of the Internal Revenue Code (including issuers of § 103 obligations) and, when appropriate, their representatives.

.02 This revenue procedure is updated annually as the first revenue procedure of the year, but it may be modified or amplified during the year.

.01 A “letter ruling” is a written determination issued to a taxpayer by an Associate office in response to the taxpayer’s written inquiry, filed prior to the filing of returns or reports that are required by the tax laws, about its status for tax purposes or the tax effects of its acts or transactions. A letter ruling interprets the tax laws and applies them to the taxpayer’s specific set of facts. A letter ruling is issued when appropriate in the interest of sound tax administration. One type of letter ruling is an Associate Office’s response to a request for a change in a taxpayer’s accounting method or accounting period. Once issued, a letter ruling may be revoked or modified for a number of reasons. See sections 11 and 9.19 of this revenue procedure. A letter ruling may be issued with a closing agreement, however, and a closing agreement is final unless fraud, malfeasance, or misrepresentation of a material fact can be shown. See section 2.02 of this revenue procedure.

.02 A “closing agreement” is a final agreement between the Service and a taxpayer on a specific issue or liability. It is entered into under the authority in § 7121, and it is final unless fraud, malfeasance, or misrepresentation of a material fact can be shown.

A taxpayer may request a closing agreement with a letter ruling or in lieu of a letter ruling, with respect to a transaction that would be eligible for a letter ruling. In such situations, the Associate Chief Counsel with subject matter jurisdiction signs the closing agreement on behalf of the Service.

A closing agreement may be entered into when it is advantageous to have the matter permanently and conclusively closed or when a taxpayer can show that there are good reasons for an agreement and that making the agreement will not prejudice the interests of the Government. In appropriate cases, a taxpayer may be asked to enter into a closing agreement as a condition for the issuance of a letter ruling.

If, in a single case, a closing agreement is requested for each person or entity in a class of taxpayers, separate agreements are entered into only if the class consists of 25 or fewer taxpayers. If the issue and holding are identical for the class and there are more than 25 taxpayers in the class, a “mass closing agreement” will be entered into with the taxpayer who is authorized by the others to represent the class.

.03 A “determination letter” is a written determination issued by a Director that applies the principles and precedents previously announced by the Service to a specific set of facts. It is issued only when a determination can be made based on clearly established rules in a statute, a tax treaty, the regulations, a conclusion in a revenue ruling, or an opinion or court decision that represents the position of the Service.

.04 An “information letter” is a statement issued by an Associate office or Director that calls attention to a well-established interpretation or principle of tax law (including a tax treaty) without applying it to a specific set of facts. An information letter may be issued if the taxpayer’s inquiry indicates a need for general information or if the taxpayer’s request does not meet the requirements of this revenue procedure and the Service concludes that general information will help the taxpayer. An information letter is advisory only and has no binding effect on the Service. If the Associate office issues an information letter in response to a request for a letter ruling that does not meet the requirements of this revenue procedure, the information letter is not a substitute for a letter ruling. The taxpayer should provide a daytime telephone number with the taxpayer’s request for an information letter.

Information letters that are issued by the Associate offices to members of the public are made available to the public. Information letters that are issued by the field offices are not made available to the public.

Because information letters do not constitute written determinations as defined in § 6110, they are not subject to public inspection under § 6110. The Service makes the information letters available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). Before any information letter is made available to the public, an Associate office will redact any information exempt from disclosure under the FOIA. See, e.g., 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6) (exemption for information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy); 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(3) in conjunction with § 6103 (exemption for returns and return information as defined in § 6103(b)).

The following documents also will not be available for public inspection as part of this process:

(1) transmittal letters in which the Service furnishes publications or other publicly available material to taxpayers, without any significant legal discussion;

(2) responses to taxpayer or third party contacts that are inquiries with respect to a pending request for a letter ruling, technical advice memorandum, or Chief Counsel Advice (which are subject to public inspection under § 6110 after their issuance); and

(3) responses to taxpayer or third party communications with respect to any investigation, audit, litigation, or other enforcement action.

.01 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate) include those that involve consolidated returns, corporate acquisitions, reorganizations, liquidations, redemptions, spinoffs, transfers to controlled corporations, distributions to shareholders, corporate bankruptcies, the effect of certain ownership changes on net operating loss carryovers and other tax attributes, debt vs. equity determinations, allocation of income and deductions among taxpayers, acquisitions made to evade or avoid income tax, and certain earnings and profits questions.

.02 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Institutions and Products) include those that involve income taxes and accounting method changes of banks, savings and loan associations, real estate investment trusts (REITs), regulated investment companies (RICs), real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), insurance companies and products, tax-exempt obligations, mortgage credit certificates, qualified zone academy bonds (QZABS), and financial products.

.03 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting) include those that involve recognition and timing of income and deductions of individuals and corporations, sales and exchanges, capital gains and losses, installment sales, equipment leasing, long-term contracts, inventories, the alternative minimum tax, net operating losses generally, including accounting method changes for these issues, and accounting periods.

.04 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (International) include the tax treatment of nonresident aliens and foreign corporations, withholding of tax on nonresident aliens and foreign corporations, foreign tax credit, determination of sources of income, income from sources without the United States, subpart F questions, domestic international sales corporations (DISCs), foreign sales corporations (FSCs), exclusions under § 114 for extraterritorial income (ETI) pursuant to § 941(a)(5)(A), international boycott determinations, treatment of certain passive foreign investment companies, income affected by treaty, and other matters relating to the activities of non-U.S. persons within the United States or U.S.-related persons outside the United States, and accounting method changes for these persons.

For the procedures to obtain advance pricing agreements under § 482, see Rev. Proc. 2006-9, 2006-1 C.B. 278.

For competent authority procedures related to bilateral and multilateral advance pricing agreements, see Rev. Proc. 2006-54, 2006-2 C.B. 1035.

.05 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) include those that involve income taxes of S corporations (except accounting periods and methods) and certain noncorporate taxpayers (including partnerships, common trust funds, and trusts), entity classification, estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, and certain excise taxes, amortization, depreciation, depletion, and other engineering issues, accounting method changes for depreciation and amortization, cooperative housing corporations, farmers’ cooperatives under § 521, the low-income housing, disabled access, and qualified electric vehicle credits, research and experimental expenditures, shipowners’ protection and indemnity associations under § 526, and certain homeowners associations under § 528.

.06 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration) include those that involve Federal tax procedure and administration, disclosure and privacy law, reporting and paying taxes, assessing and collecting taxes (including interest and penalties), abating, crediting, or refunding overassessments or overpayments of tax, and filing information returns.

.07 Issues under the jurisdiction of the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities) include those that involve income tax and other tax aspects of executive compensation and employee benefit programs, including accounting method changes for these issues (other than those within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division), § 457 arrangements, employment taxes, taxes on self-employment income, and Federal, state, local, and Indian tribal governments.

.01 The procedures for obtaining letter rulings, etc., that apply to Federal alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes under subtitle E of the Code are under the jurisdiction of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury.

.02 The procedures for obtaining letter rulings, determination letters, etc., on employee plans and exempt organizations are under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. See Rev. Proc. 2008-4, this Bulletin. See also Rev. Proc. 2008-6, this Bulletin, for the procedures for issuing determination letters on the qualified status of pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, annuity, and employee stock ownership plans under §§ 401, 403(a), 409, and 4975(e)(7), and the status for exemption of any related trusts or custodial accounts under § 501(a).

For the user fee requirements applicable to requests for letter rulings, determination letters, etc., under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, see Rev. Proc. 2008-8, this Bulletin.

.01 In income and gift tax matters, an Associate office generally issues a letter ruling on a proposed transaction or on a completed transaction if the letter ruling request is submitted before the return is filed for the year in which the transaction is completed.

.02 In lieu of requesting a letter ruling under this revenue procedure, a taxpayer may obtain relief for certain late S corporation and related elections by following the procedures in Rev. Proc. 2004-49, 2004-2 C.B. 210; Rev. Proc. 2004-48, 2004-2 C.B. 172; Rev. Proc. 2003-43, 2003-1 C.B. 998, or Rev. Proc. 97-48, 1997-2 C.B. 521. These procedures are in lieu of the letter ruling process and do not require payment of any user fee. See section 4.04 of Rev. Proc. 2004-49, section 3.01 of Rev. Proc. 2004-48, section 3.01 of Rev. Proc. 2003-43, section 3 of Rev. Proc. 97-48, and section 15.03(3) of this revenue procedure.

.03 An Associate office will consider a request for an extension of time for making an election or other application for relief under § 301.9100-3 of the Regulations on Procedure and Administration, even if submitted after the return covering the issue presented in the § 301.9100 request has been filed, an examination of the return has begun, or the issues in the return are being considered by Appeals or a Federal court. A § 301.9100 request is a letter ruling request. Therefore, the § 301.9100 request should be submitted pursuant to this revenue procedure. An election made pursuant to § 301.9100-2 for an automatic extension of time is not a letter ruling request and does not require payment of any user fee. See § 301.9100-2(d) and section 15.03(1) of this revenue procedure.

(1) Format of request. A § 301.9100 request (other than an election made pursuant to § 301.9100-2) must be in the general form of, and meet the general requirements for, a letter ruling request. These requirements are given in section 7 of this revenue procedure. In addition, a § 301.9100 request must include the information required by § 301.9100-3(e).

(2) Period of limitations. The filing of a request for relief under § 301.9100 does not suspend the running of any applicable period of limitations. See § 301.9100-3(d)(2). The Associate office ordinarily will not issue a § 301.9100 ruling if the period of limitation on assessment under § 6501(a) for the taxable year in which an election should have been made, or for any taxable year that would have been affected by the election had it been timely made, will expire before receipt of a § 301.9100 letter ruling. See § 301.9100-3(c)(1)(ii). If, however, the taxpayer consents to extend the period of limitations on assessment under § 6501(c)(4), the Associate office may issue the letter ruling. Note that the filing of a claim for refund under § 6511 does not extend the period of limitation on assessment. If § 301.9100 relief is granted, the Associate office may require the taxpayer to consent to an extension of the period of limitation on assessment. See § 301.9100-3(d)(2).

(3) Taxpayer must notify the Associate office if examination of its return begins while the request is pending. The taxpayer must notify the Associate office if the Service begins an examination of the taxpayer’s return for the taxable year in which an election should have been made, or for any taxable year that would have been affected by the election had it been timely made, while a § 301.9100 request is pending. This notification must include the name and telephone number of the examining agent. See § 301.9100-3(e)(4)(i) and section 7.04(1)(b) of this revenue procedure.

(4) Associate office will notify examination agent, appeals officer, or counsel attorney of a § 301.9100 request if the taxpayer’s return is being examined by a field office or is being considered by Appeals or a Federal court. If the taxpayer’s return for the taxable year in which an election should have been made, or for any taxable year that would have been affected by the election had it been timely made, is being examined by a field office or considered by Appeals or a Federal court, the Associate office will notify the appropriate examination agent, appeals officer, or counsel attorney that a § 301.9100 request has been submitted to the Associate office. The examination agent, appeals officer, or counsel attorney is not authorized to deny consideration of a § 301.9100 request. The letter ruling will be mailed to the taxpayer and a copy will be sent to the appeals officer, counsel attorney, or appropriate Service official in the operating division that has examination jurisdiction over the taxpayer’s tax return.

(5) Relief for late initial classification election. In lieu of requesting a letter ruling under § 301.9100-1 through § 301.9100-3 and this revenue procedure, an entity newly formed under local law may apply for late classification election relief under Rev. Proc. 2002-59, 2002-2 C.B. 615. Requests for such relief are not subject to user fees. See section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2002-59 and section 15.03(2) of this revenue procedure.

.04 As provided in Rev. Proc. 77-9, 1977-1 C.B. 542, the Associate Chief Counsel (International) issues determinations under § 999(d) that may deny certain benefits of the foreign tax credit and the deferral of earnings of foreign subsidiaries and domestic international sales corporations (DISCs) to a person if that person is a member of a controlled group (within the meaning of § 993(a)(3)) that includes the person, or a foreign corporation of which a member of the controlled group is a United States shareholder, that agrees to participate in, or cooperate with, an international boycott. The same principles shall apply with respect to exclusions under § 114 for exterritorial income (ETI) pursuant to § 941(a)(5)(A). Requests for determinations under Rev. Proc. 77-9 are letter ruling requests and should be submitted to the Associate office pursuant to this revenue procedure.

.05 Unless the issue is covered by section 6 of this revenue procedure, the Associate Chief Counsel (International) may issue a letter ruling under § 367 even if the taxpayer does not request a letter ruling as to the characterization of the transaction under the reorganization provisions of the Code. The Associate office will determine the § 367 consequences of a transaction based on the taxpayer’s characterization of the transaction but will indicate in the letter ruling that it expresses no opinion as to the characterization of the transaction under the reorganization. The Associate office may decline to issue a § 367 ruling in situations in which the taxpayer inappropriately characterizes the transaction under the reorganization provisions.

.06 In general, the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) issues letter rulings on transactions affecting the estate tax on the prospective estate of a living person. The Associate office will not issue letter rulings for prospective estates on computations of tax, actuarial factors, and factual matters. With respect to the transactions affecting the estate tax of the decedent’s estate, generally the Associate office issues letter rulings before the decedent’s estate tax return is filed.

If the taxpayer is requesting a letter ruling regarding a decedent’s estate tax and the estate tax return is due to be filed before the letter ruling is expected to be issued, the taxpayer should obtain an extension of time for filing the return and should notify the Associate office branch considering the letter ruling request that an extension has been obtained.

If the return is filed before the letter ruling is received from the Associate office, the taxpayer must disclose on the return that a letter ruling has been requested, attach a copy of the pending letter ruling request to the return, and notify the Associate office that the return has been filed. See section 7.04 of this revenue procedure. The Associate office will make every effort to issue the letter ruling within 3 months of the date the return was filed.

If the taxpayer requests a letter ruling after the return is filed, but before the return is examined, the taxpayer must notify the field office having jurisdiction over the return that a letter ruling has been requested, attach a copy of the pending letter ruling request, and notify the Associate office that a return has been filed. See section 7.04 of this revenue procedure. The Associate office will make every effort to issue the letter ruling within 3 months of the date the return has been filed.

If the letter ruling cannot be issued within that 3-month period, the Associate office will notify the field office having jurisdiction over the return, which may, by memorandum to the Associate office, grant an additional period for the issuance of the letter ruling.

.07 In matters involving additional estate tax under § 2032A(c), the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) issues letter rulings on proposed transactions and on completed transactions that occurred before the return is filed.

.08 In matters involving qualified domestic trusts under § 2056A, the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) issues letter rulings on proposed transactions and on completed transactions that occurred before the return is filed.

.09 In general, the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) issues letter rulings on proposed transactions that affect the generation-skipping transfer tax and on completed transactions that occurred before the return is filed. In the case of a generation-skipping trust or trust equivalent, letter rulings are issued either before or after the trust or trust equivalent has been established.

.10 In employment and excise tax matters, the Associate offices issue letter rulings on proposed transactions and on completed transactions either before or after the return is filed for those transactions.

Requests regarding employment status (employer/employee relationship) from Federal agencies and instrumentalities must be submitted directly to the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities). Requests regarding employment status from other taxpayers must first be submitted to the appropriate Service office listed on the current Form SS-8. See section 12.04 of this revenue procedure. Generally, the employer is the taxpayer and requests the letter ruling. If the worker requests the letter ruling, both the worker and the employer are considered to be the taxpayer and both are entitled to the letter ruling.

.11 The Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration) issues letter rulings on matters arising under the Code and related statutes and regulations that involve—

(1) the time, place, manner, and procedures for reporting and paying taxes; or

(2) the filing of information returns.

.12 Pursuant to Rev. Proc. 84-37, 1984-1 C.B. 513, as modified by Rev. Proc. 86-17, 1986-1 C.B. 550, and this revenue procedure, the Office of Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities) issues determinations recognizing a tribal entity as an Indian tribal government within the meaning of § 7701(a)(40) or as a political subdivision of an Indian tribal government under § 7871(d) if it determines, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, that the entity satisfies the statutory definition of an Indian tribal government or has been delegated governmental functions of an Indian tribal government. Requests for determinations under Rev. Proc. 84-37 are letter ruling requests, and, therefore, should be submitted to the Office of Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities) pursuant to this revenue procedure.

(1) Definition of Indian tribal government. The term ”Indian tribal government” is defined under § 7701(a)(40) to mean the governing body of any tribe, band, community, village or group of Indians, or (if applicable) Alaska Natives, that is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to exercise governmental functions. Section 7871(d) provides that, for purposes of § 7871, a subdivision of an Indian tribal government shall be treated as a political subdivision of a state if the Secretary of the Treasury determines, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, that the subdivision has been delegated the right to exercise one or more of the substantial governmental functions of the Indian tribal government.

(2) Inclusion in list of tribal governments. Rev. Proc. 2002-64, 2002-2 C.B. 717, provides a list of Indian tribal governments that are treated similarly to states for certain Federal tax purposes. Rev. Proc. 84-36, 1984-1 C.B. 510, as modified by Rev. Proc. 86-17, provides a list of political subdivisions of Indian tribal governments that are treated as political subdivisions of states for certain Federal tax purposes. Under Rev. Proc. 84-37, tribal governments or subdivisions recognized under § 7701(a)(40) or § 7871(d) will be included in the list of recognized tribal government entities in revised versions of Rev. Proc. 2002-64 or Rev. Proc. 84-36.

.13 The Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) will issue letter rulings in all cases on the determination of a constructive sales price under § 4216(b) or § 4218(c) and in all other cases on prospective transactions if the law or regulations require a determination of the effect of a proposed transaction for Federal tax purposes.

.14 Unless the issue is covered by section 6 of this revenue procedure, Rev. Proc. 2008-3, this Bulletin, or Rev. Proc. 2008-7, this Bulletin, a letter ruling may be issued before the issuance of a temporary or final regulation or other published guidance that interprets the provisions of any act.

In such situations, an Associate office may issue letter rulings under the following conditions:

(1) Answer is clear or is reasonably certain. If the letter ruling request presents an issue for which the answer seems clear by applying the statute to the facts or for which the answer seems reasonably certain but not entirely free from doubt.

(2) Answer is not reasonably certain. If the letter ruling request presents an issue for which the answer does not seem reasonably certain, the Associate office may issue the letter ruling, using its best efforts to arrive at a determination, if it is in the best interests of tax administration. But see section 6.09 of this revenue procedure.

.01 The Service ordinarily does not issue a letter ruling or a determination letter if, at the time of the request, the identical issue is involved in the taxpayer’s return for an earlier period and that issue—

(1) is being examined by a field office;

(2) is being considered by Appeals;

(3) is pending in litigation in a case involving the taxpayer or a related taxpayer;

(4) has been examined by a field office or considered by Appeals and the statutory period of limitations on assessment or on filing a claim for refund or credit of tax has not expired; or

(5) has been examined by a field office or considered by Appeals and a closing agreement covering the issue or liability has not been entered into by a field office or by Appeals.

If a return dealing with an issue for a particular year is filed while a request for a letter ruling on that issue is pending, an Associate office will issue the letter ruling unless it is notified by the taxpayer or otherwise learns that an examination of that issue or the identical issue on an earlier year’s return has been started by a field office. See section 7.04 of this revenue procedure. In income and gift tax matters, even if an examination has begun, an Associate office ordinarily will issue the letter ruling if the field office agrees by memorandum to the issuance of the letter ruling.

.02 The Service ordinarily does not issue letter rulings or determination letters in certain areas because of the factual nature of the problem involved or for other reasons. Rev. Proc. 2008-3, this Bulletin, and Rev. Proc. 2008-7, this Bulletin, provide a list of these areas. This list is not all-inclusive because the Service may decline to issue a letter ruling or a determination letter when appropriate in the interest of sound tax administration or on other grounds whenever warranted by the facts or circumstances of a particular case.

Instead of issuing a letter ruling or determination letter, the Service may, when it is considered appropriate and in the best interests of the Service, issue an information letter calling attention to well-established principles of tax law.

.03 An Associate office ordinarily will not issue a letter ruling on only part of an integrated transaction. If a part of a transaction falls under a no-rule area, a letter ruling on other parts of the transaction may be issued. Before preparing the letter ruling request, a taxpayer should call a branch having jurisdiction for the matters on which the taxpayer is seeking a letter ruling to discuss whether the Associate office will issue a letter ruling on part of the transaction.

.04 The Service does not ordinarily issue a letter ruling or a determination letter on which of two entities, under common law rules applicable in determining the employer-employee relationship, is the employer, when one entity is treating the worker as an employee.

.05 The Service does not issue letter rulings or determination letters to business, trade, or industrial associations or to similar groups concerning the application of the tax laws to members of the group. But groups and associations may submit suggestions of generic issues that could be appropriately addressed in revenue rulings. See Rev. Proc. 89-14, 1989-1 C.B. 814, which states the objectives of, and standards for, the publication of revenue rulings and revenue procedures in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

The Service may issue letter rulings or determination letters to groups or associations on their own tax status or liability if the request meets the requirements of this revenue procedure.

.06 The Service ordinarily does not issue letter rulings or determination letters regarding the tax consequences of a transaction for taxpayers who are not directly involved in the request if the requested letter ruling or determination letter would not address the tax status, liability, or reporting obligations of the requester. For example, a taxpayer may not request a letter ruling relating to the tax consequences of a transaction to a customer or client, if the tax status, liability or reporting obligations of the taxpayer would not be addressed in the ruling, because the customer or client is not directly involved in the letter ruling request. The tax liability of each shareholder is, however, directly involved in a letter ruling on the reorganization of a corporation. Accordingly, a corporate taxpayer could request a letter ruling that solely addressed the tax consequences to its shareholders of a proposed reorganization.

Revenue Procedure 96-16, 1996-1 C.B. 630, sets forth rules for letter ruling requests involving state and local government obligations.

.07 The Service does not issue letter rulings or determination letters to foreign governments or their political subdivisions about the U.S. tax effects of their laws. The Associate offices also do not issue letter rulings on the effect of a tax treaty on the tax laws of a treaty country for purposes of determining the tax of the treaty country. See section 13.02 of Rev. Proc. 2006-54, 2006-2 C.B. 1035. Treaty partners can continue to address matters such as these under the provisions of the applicable tax treaty. In addition, the Associate offices may issue letter rulings to foreign governments or their political subdivisions on their own tax status or liability under U.S. law if the request meets the requirements of this revenue procedure.

.08 The Associate offices ordinarily do not issue letter rulings on a matter involving the Federal tax consequences of any proposed Federal, state, local, municipal, or foreign legislation. The Office of Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities) may issue letter rulings regarding the effect of proposed state, local, or municipal legislation upon an eligible deferred compensation plan under § 457(b) provided that the letter ruling request relating to the plan complies with the other requirements of this revenue procedure. The Associate offices also may provide general information in response to an inquiry.

.09 Generally, the Service will not issue a letter ruling or a determination letter if the request presents an issue that cannot be readily resolved before a regulation or any other published guidance is issued. When the Service has closed a regulation project or any other published guidance project that might have answered the issue or decides not to open a regulation project or any other published guidance project, the Associate offices may consider all letter ruling requests unless the issue is covered by section 6 of this revenue procedure, Rev. Proc. 2008-3, this Bulletin, or Rev. Proc. 2008-7, this Bulletin.

.10 The Service will not issue a letter ruling or a determination letter on frivolous issues. A “frivolous issue” is one without basis in fact or law or one that asserts a position that courts have held frivolous or groundless. Examples of frivolous or groundless issues include, but are not limited to:

(1) frivolous “constitutional” claims, such as claims that the requirement to file tax returns and pay taxes constitutes an unreasonable search barred by the Fourth Amendment, violates Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment protections of due process, violates Thirteenth Amendment protections against involuntary servitude, or is unenforceable because the Sixteenth Amendment does not authorize nonapportioned direct taxes or was never ratified;

(2) claims that income taxes are voluntary, that the term “income” is not defined in the Internal Revenue Code, or that preparation and filing of Federal income tax returns violates the Paperwork Reduction Act;

(3) claims that tax may be imposed only on coins minted under a gold or silver standard or that receipt of Federal Reserve Notes does not cause an accretion to wealth;

(4) claims that a person is not taxable on income because he or she falls within a class entitled to “reparation claims” or an extra-statutory class of individuals exempt from tax, e.g., “free-born” individuals;

(5) claims that a taxpayer can refuse to pay taxes on the basis of opposition to certain Governmental expenditures;

(6) claims that taxes apply only to Federal employees; only to residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, or “Federal enclaves”; or that §§ 861 through 865 or any other provision of the Code imposes taxes on U.S. citizens and residents only on income derived from foreign based activities;

(7) claims that wages or personal service income are not “income,” are “nontaxable receipts,” or are a “nontaxable exchange for labor;”

(8) claims that income tax withholding by an employer on wages is optional; or

(9) other claims that the courts have characterized as frivolous or groundless.

Additional examples of frivolous or groundless issues may be found in IRS publications and other guidance (including, but not limited to, Notice 2007-30 and I.R.M. Section 4.10.12.1.1) and as may be described on the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=159853,00.html.

.11 Except as otherwise provided in Rev. Proc. 2008-3, this Bulletin (e.g., under section 3.01(33), where the Associate office already is ruling on a significant issue in the same transaction), a letter ruling will not be issued with respect to an issue that is clearly and adequately addressed by statute, regulations, decisions of a court, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices, or other authority published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. The Associate office may in its discretion decide to issue a letter ruling on such an issue if the Associate office is otherwise issuing a ruling to the taxpayer on another issue arising in the same transaction.

.12 The Service will not issue a letter ruling or a determination letter on alternative plans of proposed transactions or on hypothetical situations.

.13 An Associate office will not issue a letter ruling on the replacement of involuntarily converted property, whether or not the property has been replaced, if the taxpayer has already filed a return for the taxable year in which the property was converted. A Director may issue a determination letter in this case. See section 12.01 of this revenue procedure.

.14 A Director will not issue a determination letter if—

(1) it appears that the taxpayer has directed a similar inquiry to an Associate office;

(2) the same issue, involving the same taxpayer or a related taxpayer, is pendi