Publicly traded partnerships
From TaxAlmanac
The passive activity limitations are applied separately for items (other than the low-income housing credit and the rehabilitation credit) from each publicly traded partnership (PTP). Thus, a net passive loss from a PTP may not be deducted from other passive income. Instead, a passive loss from a PTP is suspended and carried forward to be applied against passive income from the same PTP in later years. If the partner’s entire interest in the PTP is completely disposed of, any unused losses are allowed in full in the year of disposition.
If you have an overall gain from a PTP, the net gain is nonpassive income. In addition, the nonpassive income is included in investment income to figure your investment interest expense deduction.
Do not report passive income, gains, or losses from a PTP on Form 8582. Instead, use the following rules to figure and report on the proper form or schedule your income, gains, and losses from passive activities that you held through each PTP you owned during the tax year.
1. Combine any current year income, gains and losses, and any prior year unallowed losses to see if you have an overall gain or loss from the PTP. Include only the same types of income and losses you would include in your net income or loss from a non-PTP passive activity. See Pub. 925, Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules, for more details. 2. If you have an overall gain, the net gain portion (total gain minus total losses) is nonpassive income. On the form or schedule you normally use, report the net gain portion as nonpassive income and the remaining income and the total losses as passive income and loss. To the left of the entry space, write “From PTP.” It is important to identify the nonpassive income because the nonpassive portion is included in modified adjusted gross income for purposes of figuring on Form 8582 the “special allowance” for active participation in a non-PTP rental real estate activity. In addition, the nonpassive income is included in investment income when figuring your investment interest expense deduction on Form 4952.
Example. If you have Schedule E income of $8,000, and a Form 4797 prior year unallowed loss of $3,500 from the passive activities of a particular PTP, you have a $4,500 overall gain ($8,000 - $3,500). On Schedule E, line 28, report the $4,500 net gain as nonpassive income in column (j). In column (g), report the remaining Schedule E gain of $3,500 ($8,000 - $4,500). On the appropriate line of Form 4797, report the prior year unallowed loss of $3,500. Be sure to write “From PTP” to the left of each entry space.
3. If you have an overall loss (but did not dispose of your entire interest in the PTP to an unrelated person in a fully taxable transaction during the year), the losses are allowed to the extent of the income, and the excess loss is carried forward to use in a future year when you have income to offset it. Report as a passive loss on the schedule or form you normally use the portion of the loss equal to the income. Report the income as passive income on the form or schedule you normally use. Example. You have a Schedule E loss of $12,000 (current year losses plus prior year unallowed losses) and a Form 4797 gain of $7,200. Report the $7,200 gain on the appropriate line of Form 4797. On Schedule E, line 28, report $7,200 of the losses as a passive loss in column (f). Carry forward to 2006 the unallowed loss of $4,800 ($12,000 - $7,200).
If you have unallowed losses from more than one activity of the PTP or from the same activity of the PTP that must be reported on different forms, you must allocate the unallowed losses on a pro rata basis to figure the amount allowed from each activity or on each form.
Tax tip. To allocate and keep a record of the unallowed losses, use Worksheets 5, 6, and 7 of Form 8582. List each activity of the PTP in Worksheet 5. Enter the overall loss from each activity in column (a). Complete column (b) of Worksheet 5 according to its instructions. Multiply the total unallowed loss from the PTP by each ratio in column (b) and enter the result in column (c) of Worksheet 5. Then, complete Worksheet 6 if all the loss from the same activity is to be reported on one form or schedule. Use Worksheet 7 instead of Worksheet 6 if you have more than one loss to be reported on different forms or schedules for the same activity. Enter the net loss plus any prior year unallowed losses in column (a) of Worksheet 6 (or Worksheet 7 if applicable). The losses in column (c) of Worksheet 6 (column (e) of Worksheet 7) are the allowed losses to report on the forms or schedules.
Report both these losses and any income from the PTP on the forms and schedules you normally use.
4. If you have an overall loss and you disposed of your entire interest in the PTP to an unrelated person in a fully taxable transaction during the year, your losses (including prior year unallowed losses) allocable to the activity for the year are not limited by the passive loss rules. A fully taxable transaction is one in which you recognize all your realized gain or loss. Report the income and losses on the forms and schedules you normally use. Note. For rules on the disposition of an entire interest reported using the installment method, see the Instructions for Form 8582.
