Failure to furnish information.

# (a) In general.

The rules of § 1.6038A-7 may be applied with respect to a transaction between a foreign related party and the reporting corporation (including any transaction engaged in by a partnership that is attributed to the reporting corporation under § 1.6038A-1(e)(2)) if a summons is issued to the reporting corporation to produce any records or testimony, either directly or as agent for such related party, to determine the correct treatment under title 1 of the Code of such a transaction between the reporting corporation and the related party; and if—

(1)(i) The summons is not quashed in a proceeding, if any, begun under section 6038A(e)(4) and is not determined to be invalid in a proceeding, if any, begun under section 7604 to enforce such summons; and

(ii) The reporting corporation does not substantially and timely comply with the summons, and the District Director has sent by certified or registered mail a notice under section 6038A(e)(2)(C) to the reporting corporation that it has not so complied; or

(2) The reporting corporation fails to maintain or to cause another to maintain records as required by § 1.6038A-3, and by reason of that failure, the summons is quashed in a proceeding under section 6038A(e)(4) or in a proceeding begun under section 7604 to enforce the summons, or the reporting corporation is not able to provide the records requested in the summons.

# (b) Coordination with treaties.

Where records of a related party are obtainable on a timely and efficient basis under information exchange procedures provided under a tax treaty or tax information exchange agreement (TIEA), the Service generally will make use of such procedures before issuing a summons. The absence or pendency of a treaty or TIEA request may not be asserted as grounds for refusing to comply with a summons or as a defense against the assertion of the noncompliance penalty adjustment under § 1.6038A-7. For purposes of this paragraph, information is available on a timely and efficient basis if it can be obtained within 180 days of the request.

# (c) Enforcement proceeding not required.

The District Director is not required to begin an enforcement proceeding to enforce the summons in order to apply the rules of § 1.6038A-7.

# (d) De minimis failure.

Where a reporting corporation's failure to comply with the requirement to furnish information under this section is de minimis, the District Director, in the exercise of discretion, may choose not to apply the noncompliance penalty. Thus, for example, in cases where a particular document or group of documents is not furnished upon request or summons, the District Director (in the District Director's sole discretion), may choose not to apply the noncompliance penalty if the District Director deems the document or documents not to have significant or sufficient value in the determination of the correctness of the tax treatment of the related party transaction.

# (e) Suspension of statute of limitations.

If the reporting corporation brings an action under section 6038A(e)(4)(A) (proceeding to quash) or (e)(4)(B) (review of secretarial determination of noncompliance), the running of any period of limitation under section 6501 (relating to assessment and collection of tax) or under section 6531 (relating to criminal prosecutions) for the taxable year or years to which the summons that is the subject of such proceeding relates shall be suspended for the period during which such proceeding, and appeals therein, are pending. In no event shall any such period expire before the 90th day after the day on which there is a final determination in such proceeding.

# (f) Effective dates.

For effective dates for this section, see § 1.6038A-1(n).

[T.D. 8353, 56 FR 28075, June 19, 1991]