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If the method used by any company in ascertaining the investment expenses where there is any allocation of general expenses shall be changed so that a greater deduction is claimed, the company shall file with its return, information sufficient to enable the Commissioner to determine the validity of the claim. The maximum allowance of one-quarter of 1 per cent will not be granted unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that such allowance is justified. ART. 684. Taxes and expenses with respect to real estate. This deduction comprises items 31 and 32 of the disbursement page of the annual statement for life companies and items 34 and 35 of the disbursement page of the annual statement for miscellaneous stock companies, except as noted below, and any sum included in any other item representing taxes imposed upon the individual shareholders' interest in the real estate of the corporation which is paid by the corporation without reimbursement from the individual shareholder. In the latter case the amount allowable as a deduction (subject to the provisions of art. 686) shall be that proportion of the total tax imposed upon the individual shareholders' interest in the corporation which the book value of the real estate owned by the corporation at the end of the taxable year is of the book value of all the corporation's ledger assets, and so much thereof as represents the tax upon real estate occupied in whole or in part by the company must be included in the calculation referred to in article 686. The amount so included shall be that proportion of the total amount allowable as a deduction which the book value of the real estate owned and occupied in whole or in part is of the book value of all the real estate owned. Full details must accompany the return. Any other taxes and expenses (and depreciation) upon any real estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by the company must also be included in the calculation referred to in article 686. Taxes shall not include assessments against local benefits of a kind tending to increase the value of the property assessed and expenses shall not include any amount paid out for buildings or for permanent improvements and betterments made to increase the value of any property.

ART. 685. Other deductions.-(1) The deduction allowed by section 245 (a) (3) for dividends received from other corporations is identical with the deduction allowed other corporations by section 234(a) (6). See article 561.

(2) The deduction allowed by section 245 (a) (7) for depreciation is identical with that allowed other corporations by section 234 (a) (7). See articles 561 and 161-171.

(3) The deduction allowed by section 245 (a) (8) for interest on indebtedness is the same as that allowed corporations by section 234(a) (2) (see arts. 561 and 121), but this deduction includes

item 18 of the disbursement page of the annual statement of life companies to the extent that interest on dividends held on deposit and surrendered during the taxable year is included therein. Dividends left with the company to accumulate at interest are a debt and not a reserve liability.

(4) The deduction of $2,000 allowed domestic life insurance companies with net income of $25,000 or less by section 245 (a) (9) is identical with the specific credit allowed other corporations by section 236 (b) and there is the same equalizing provision in the case of incomes slightly in excess of $25,000. See article 591.

ART. 686. Home office properties.-No deduction shall be made for any taxes, expenses, or depreciation on account of any real estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company unless there is included in the return of gross income the rental value of the space so occupied. Such rental value shall not be less than a sum which in addition to any rents received from other tenants shall provide a net income (after deducting taxes, depreciation, and other expenses) at the rate of 4 per cent per annum of the book value at the end of the taxable year of the real estate so owned and occupied. For example, if the book value of a parcel of real estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by the company is $1,000,000, the rents received from other tenants $30,000, taxes and expenses $40,000, and depreciation $20,000, the company would have to include in its gross income a sum not less than $70,000 ($40,000 taxes and expenses, plus $20,000 depreciation, minus $30,000 rents from tenants, plus 4 per cent of $1,000,000) as the rental value of the space occupied by it in order to avail itself of the deductions of $40,000 and $20,000. In any case the rents received from other tenants must be included in gross income.

ART. 687. Foreign companies.-Foreign life insurance companies holding reserve funds upon business transacted within the United States are taxed under section 243 upon their net income from sources within the United States. All business transacted by a United States branch or agency of a foreign insurance company, for which a reserve fund is required by the laws of any State or Territory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, will be regarded as business transacted within the United States. A foreign life-insurance company not doing an insurance business within the United States and holding no reserve funds upon business transacted within the United States, but which derives income from sources within the United States as defined in section 217 (see arts. 317-331) is subject to the tax imposed by section 230 upon income derived from sources within the United States. See articles 501

and 550. As to taxation of life insurance companies between United States and Porto Rico and Philippine Islands, see article 1133.

SEC. 246. (a) In lieu of the taxes imposed by sections 230 and 700, there shall be levied, collected, and paid for each taxable year upon the net income of every insurance company (other than a life or mutual insurance company) a tax as follows:

(1) In the case of such a domestic insurance company the same percentage of its net income as is imposed upon other corporations by section 230;

(2) In the case of such a foreign insurance company the same percentage of its net income from sources within the United States as is imposed upon the net income of other corporations by section 230.

(b) In the case of an insurance company subject to the tax imposed by this section

(1) The term " gross income " means the combined gross amount, earned during the taxable year, from investment income and from underwriting income as provided in this subdivision, computed on the basis of the underwriting and investment exhibit of the annual statement approved by the National Convention of Insurance Commissioners;

(2) The term "net income" means the gross income as defined in paragraph (1) of this subdivision less the deductions allowed by section 247;

(3) The term "investment income" means the gross amount of income earned during the taxable year from interest, dividends and rents, computed as follows:

To all interest, dividends and rents received during the taxable year, add interest, dividends and rents due and accrued at the end of the taxable year, and deduct all interest, dividends and rents due and accrued at the end of the preceding taxable year;

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(4) The term underwriting income" means the premiums earned on insurance contracts during the taxable year less losses incurred and expenses incurred;

(5) The term "premiums earned on insurance contracts during the taxable year" means an amount computed as follows:

From the amount of gross premiums written on insurance contracts during the taxable year, deduct return premiums and premiums paid for reinsurance. To the result so obtained add unearned premiums on outstanding business at the end of the preceding taxable year and deduct unearned premiums on outstanding business at the end of the taxable year;

(6) The term "losses incurred " means losses incurred during the taxable year on insurance contracts, computed as follows:

To losses paid during the taxable year add salvage and reinsurance recoyerable outstanding at the end of the preceding taxable year and deduct salvage and reinsurance recoverable outstanding at the end of the taxable year. To the result so obtained add all unpaid losses outstanding at the end of the taxable year and deduct unpaid losses outstanding at the end of the preceding taxable year;

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(7) The term " expenses incurred means all expenses shown on the annual statement approved by the National Convention of Insurance Commissioners, and shall be computed as follows:

To all expenses paid during the taxable year add expenses unpaid at the end of the taxable year and deduct expenses unpaid at the end of the preceding taxable year. For the purpose of computing the net income subject to the tax imposed by this section there shall be deducted from expenses incurred as

defined in this paragraph all expenses incurred which are not allowed as deductions by section 247.

SEC. 247. (a) In computing the net income of an insurance company subject to the tax imposed by section 246 there shall be allowed as deductions: (1) All ordinary and necessary expenses incurred, as provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of section 234;

(2) All interest as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of section 234;

(3) Taxes as provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of section 234; (4) Losses incurred;

(5) Bad debts in the nature of agency balances and bills receivable ascertained to be worthless and charged off within the taxable year;

(6) The amount received as dividends from corporations as provided in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of section 234;

(7) The amount of interest earned during the taxable year which under paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of section 213 is exempt from taxation under this title, and the amount of interest allowed as a credit under section 236;

(8) A reasonable allowance for the exhaustion, wear and tear of property, as provided in paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of section 234;

(9) In the case of such a domestic insurance company, the net income of which (computed without the benefit of this paragraph) is $25,000 or less, the sum of $2,000; but if the net income is more than $25,000 the tax imposed by section 246 shall not exceed the tax which would be payable if the $2,000 credit were allowed, plus the amount of the net income in excess of $25,000. (b) In the case of a foreign corporation the deductions allowed in this section shall be allowed to the extent provided in subdivision (b) of section 234.

(e) Nothing in this section or in section 246 shall be construed to permit the same item to be twice deducted.

ART. 691. Tax on insurance companies.-For the calendar year 1924 and subsequent years all insurance companies (other than life and mutual companies) are subject to the tax imposed by section 246. Mutual insurance companies (other than life) remain subject to the tax imposed by section 230. In articles 691-693 the term “insurance companies" means only those companies subject to the tax imposed by section 246. The rate of the tax imposed by section 246 is the same as the rate imposed by section 230 (1212 per cent), but the net income upon which the tax is imposed, as defined in sections 246 and 247, differs from the net income of other corporations. Insurance companies are entitled to the benefit of section 206 (net losses) but not of section 208 (capital gains and losses). All provisions of the statute and of these regulations not inconsistent with the specific provisions of sections 246 and 247 are applicable to the assessment and collection of this tax, and insurance companies are subject to the same penalties as provided in the case of returns and payment of income tax by other corporations. Since section 246 provides that the underwriting and investment exhibit of the annual statement approved by the National Convention of

Insurance Commissioners shall be the basis for computing gross income and since the annual statement is rendered on the calendar year basis, the first returns under section 246 will be for the taxable year ending December 31, 1924, and will be made on or before March 15, 1925.

ART. 692. Gross income of insurance companies.-Net income is gross income as defined in section 246 less the deductions allowed in section 247. Gross income is the combined gross amount earned during the taxable year from interest, dividends, rents, and premium income, computed on the basis of the underwriting and investment exhibit of the annual statement approved by the National Convention of Insurance Commissioners. Gross income does not include gain derived from sale or disposition of capital assets, nor are losses sustained from such sale or disposition allowable deductions. It does not include increase in liabilities during the year on account of reinsurance treaties; remittances from home office of a foreign insurance company to United States branch; borrowed money; gross profit on maturity of capital assets; gross increase due to adjustments in book value of capital assets and premium on capital stock sold. The underwriting and investment exhibit is presumed clearly to reflect the true net income of the company, and in so far as it is not inconsistent with the provisions of the statute will be recognized and used as a basis for that purpose. All items of the exhibit, however, do not reflect an insurance company's income as defined in the statute. By reason of the definition of investment income, profit or loss on investment items is ignored, as well as those miscellaneous items which are intended to reflect surplus but do not properly enter into the computation of income, such as dividends declared, home office remittances and receipts, and special deposits. Gain or loss from agency balances and bills receivable not admitted as assets on the underwriting and investment exhibit will be ignored, excepting only such agency balances and bills receivable as have been charged off the books of the company as bad debts, or having been previously charged off are recovered during the taxable year.

ART. 693. Deductions allowed insurance companies.-Insurance companies are entitled to the deductions specified in section 247. The deduction of $2,000 allowed domestic companies with net income not exceeding $25,000 is identical with the specific credit allowed other corporations by section 236 (b) and there is the same equalizing provision in the case of incomes slightly in excess of $25,000. See article 591. A domestic insurance company is also entitled to the credit for income, war-profits, and excess-profits taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year to any foreign country or to any possession of the United States which is allowed other domestic corporations by section 238. See article 611. Among the items which may

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