§39. Carryback and carryforward of unused credits

(a) In general

(1) 1-year carryback and 20-year carryforward

If the sum of the business credit carryforwards to the taxable year plus the amount of the current year business credit for the taxable year exceeds the amount of the limitation imposed by subsection (c) of section 38 for such taxable year (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "unused credit year"), such excess (to the extent attributable to the amount of the current year business credit) shall be-

(A) a business credit carryback to each of the 1 taxable years ¹ preceding the unused credit year, and

(B) a business credit carryforward to each of the 20 taxable years following the unused credit year,

and, subject to the limitations imposed by subsections (b) and (c), shall be taken into account under the provisions of section 38(a) in the manner provided in section 38(a).

(2) Amount carried to each year

(A) Entire amount carried to first year

The entire amount of the unused credit for an unused credit year shall be carried to the earliest of the 21 taxable years to which (by reason of paragraph (1)) such credit may be carried.

(B) Amount carried to other 20 years

The amount of the unused credit for the unused credit year shall be carried to each of the other 20 taxable years to the extent that such unused credit may not be taken into account under section 38(a) for a prior taxable year because of the limitations of subsections (b) and (c).

(b) Limitation on carrybacks

The amount of the unused credit which may be taken into account under section 38(a)(3) for any preceding taxable year shall not exceed the amount by which the limitation imposed by section 38(c) for such taxable year exceeds the sum of-

(1) the amounts determined under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 38(a) for such taxable year, plus

(2) the amounts which (by reason of this section) are carried back to such taxable year and are attributable to taxable years preceding the unused credit year.

(c) Limitation on carryforwards

The amount of the unused credit which may be taken into account under section 38(a)(1) for any succeeding taxable year shall not exceed the amount by which the limitation imposed by section 38(c) for such taxable year exceeds the sum of the amounts which, by reason of this section, are carried to such taxable year and are attributable to taxable years preceding the unused credit year.

(d) Transitional rules

(1) No carryback of enhanced oil recovery credit before 1991

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the credit determined under section 43(a) (relating to enhanced oil recovery credit) may be carried to a taxable year beginning before January 1, 1991.

(2) No carryback of section 44 credit before enactment

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the disabled access credit determined under section 44 may be carried to a taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of section 44.

(3) No carryback of renewable electricity production credit before effective date

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the credit determined under section 45 (relating to electricity produced from certain renewable resources) may be carried back to any taxable year ending before January 1, 1993 (before January 1, 1994, to the extent such credit is attributable to wind as a qualified energy resource).

(4) Empowerment zone employment credit

No portion of the unused business credit which is attributable to the credit determined under section 1396 (relating to empowerment zone employment credit) may be carried to any taxable year ending before January 1, 1994.

(5) No carryback of section 45A credit before enactment

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the Indian employment credit determined under section 45A may be carried to a taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of section 45A.

(6) No carryback of section 45B credit before enactment

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the employer social security credit determined under section 45B may be carried back to a taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of section 45B.

(7) No carryback of section 45C credit before July 1, 1996

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the orphan drug credit determined under section 45C may be carried back to a taxable year ending before July 1, 1996.

(8) No carryback of DC Zone credits before effective date

No portion of the unused business credit for any taxable year which is attributable to the credits allowable under subchapter U by reason of section 1400 may be carried back to a taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of section 1400.

(Added Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title IV, §473, July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 828 ; amended Pub. L. 99–514, title II, §231(d)(3)(C)(i), title XVIII, §1846, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2179 , 2856; Pub. L. 100–647, title I, §1002(l)(26), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3381 ; Pub. L. 101–508, title XI, §§11511(b)(2), 11611(b)(2), 11801(a)(2), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–485 , 1388-503, 1388-520; Pub. L. 102–486, title XIX, §1914(c), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3023 ; Pub. L. 103–66, title XIII, §§13302(a)(2), 13322(d), 13443(b)(2), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 555 , 563, 569; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, §§1205(c), 1703(n)(1), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1775 , 1877; Pub. L. 105–34, title VII, §701(b)(1), title X, §1083(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 869 , 951; Pub. L. 105–206, title VI, §6010(n), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 816 .)

References in Text

The date of the enactment of section 44, referred to in subsec. (d)(2), means the date of the enactment of Pub. L. 101–508, which was approved Nov. 5, 1990.

The date of the enactment of section 45A, referred to in subsec. (d)(5), means the date of the enactment of Pub. L. 103–66, which was approved Aug. 10, 1993.

The date of the enactment of section 45B, referred to in subsec. (d)(6), means the date of the enactment of Pub. L. 103–66, which was approved Aug. 10, 1993.

The date of the enactment of section 1400, referred to in subsec. (d)(8), means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105–34, which was approved Aug. 5, 1997.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 39 was renumbered section 34 of this title.

Another prior section 39 was renumbered section 35 of this title.

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105–206 amended Pub. L. 105–34, §1083(a)(2). See 1997 Amendment note below.

1997-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105–34, §1083(a)(1), substituted "1-year" for "3-year" and "20-year" for "15-year" in heading, "1 taxable" for "3 taxable" in subpar. (A), and "20 taxable" for "15 taxable" in subpar. (B).

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105–34, §1083(a)(2), as amended by Pub. L. 105–206, §6010(n), in subpar. (A), substituted "21 taxable" for "18 taxable", and in subpar. (B), substituted "20 years" for "17 years" in heading and "20 taxable" for "17 taxable" in text.

Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 105–34, §701(b)(1), added par. (8).

1996-Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 104–188, §1703(n)(1)(A), substituted "45A" for "45" in heading.

Subsec. (d)(6). Pub. L. 104–188, §1703(n)(1)(B), substituted "45B" for "45" in heading.

Subsec. (d)(7). Pub. L. 104–188, §1205(c), added par. (7).

1993-Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 103–66, §13302(a)(2), added par. (4).

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 103–66, §13322(d), added par. (5).

Subsec. (d)(6). Pub. L. 103–66, §13443(b)(2), added par. (6).

1992-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–486 redesignated par. (5), relating to carryback of enhanced oil recovery credit, as (1), redesignated par. (5), relating to carryback of section 44 credit, as (2), and added par. (3).

1990-Subsec. (d)(1) to (4). Pub. L. 101–508, §11801(a)(2), struck out par. (1) which related to carryforwards from an unused credit year which did not expire before first taxable year beginning after Dec. 31, 1983, par. (2) which related to carrybacks in determining amount allowable as credit including net tax liability, par. (3) which related to similar rules for research credit under section 30, and par. (4) which provided for no carryback of low-income housing credit before 1987.

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 101–508, §11611(b)(2), added par. (5) relating to carryback of section 44 credit.

Pub. L. 101–508, §11511(b)(2), added par. (5) relating to carryback of enhanced oil recovery credit.

1988-Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 100–647 added par. (4).

1986-Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 99–514, §1846(1), inserted "(as in effect before the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1984)".

Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 99–514, §1846(2), substituted "as defined in section 26(b)" for "as so defined in section 25(b)".

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 99–514, §231(d)(3)(C)(i), added par. (3).

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 105–206 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provisions of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Pub. L. 105–34, to which such amendment relates, see section 6024 of Pub. L. 105–206, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment

Section 701(d) of Pub. L. 105–34 provided that: "Except as provided in subsection (c) [amending table of subchapters for this chapter], the amendments made by this section [enacting subchapter W of this chapter and amending this section and section 1016 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 5, 1997]."

Section 1083(b) of Pub. L. 105–34 provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to credits arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 1997."

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by section 1205(c) of Pub. L. 104–188 applicable to amounts paid or incurred in taxable years ending after June 30, 1996, see section 1205(e) of Pub. L. 104–188, set out as a note under section 29 of this title.

Section 1703(o) of Pub. L. 104–188 provided that: "Any amendment made by this section [amending this section and sections 40, 59, 108, 117, 135, 143, 163, 904, 956A, 958, 1017, 1044, 1201, 1245, 1297, 1394, 1397B, 1561, 4001, 6033, 6427, 6501, 6655, and 9502 of this title, renumbering section 6714 of this title as section 6715, and amending provisions set out as notes under sections 38, 42, 197, and 1258 of this title and section 401 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare] shall take effect as if included in the provision of the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 [Pub. L. 103–66, title XIII, ch. I, §§13001–13444] to which such amendment relates."

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

Amendment by section 13322(d) of Pub. L. 103–66 applicable to wages paid or incurred after Dec. 31, 1993, see section 13322(f) of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as a note under section 38 of this title.

Amendment by section 13443(b)(2) of Pub. L. 103–66 applicable with respect to taxes paid after Dec. 31, 1993, with respect to services performed before, on, or after such date, see section 13443(d) of Pub. L. 103–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 38 of this title.

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–486 applicable to taxable years ending after Dec. 31, 1992, see section 1914(e) of Pub. L. 102–486, set out as a note under section 38 of this title.

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Amendment by section 11511(b)(2) of Pub. L. 101–508 applicable to costs paid or incurred in taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1990, see section 11511(d)(1) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as an Effective Date note under section 43 of this title.

Amendment by section 11611(b)(2) of Pub. L. 101–508 applicable to expenditures paid or incurred after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 11611(e)(1) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 38 of this title.

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–647 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, to which such amendment relates, see section 1019(a) of Pub. L. 100–647, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by section 231(d)(3)(C)(i) of Pub. L. 99–514 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1985, see section 231(g) of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 41 of this title.

Amendment by section 1846 of Pub. L. 99–514 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1984, Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, to which such amendment relates, see section 1881 of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 48 of this title.

Effective Date

Section applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1983, and to carrybacks from such years, see section 475(a) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as an Effective Date of 1984 Amendment note under section 21 of this title.

Savings Provision

For provisions that nothing in amendment by section 11801(a)(2) of Pub. L. 101–508 be construed to affect treatment of certain transactions occurring, property acquired, or items of income, loss, deduction, or credit taken into account prior to Nov. 5, 1990, for purposes of determining liability for tax for periods ending after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 11821(b) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 29 of this title.

Plan Amendments Not Required Until January 1, 1989

For provisions directing that if any amendments made by subtitle A or subtitle C of title XI [§§1101–1147 and 1171–1177] or title XVIII [§§1800–1899A] of Pub. L. 99–514 require an amendment to any plan, such plan amendment shall not be required to be made before the first plan year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1989, see section 1140 of Pub. L. 99–514, as amended, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 38, 40, 41, 42, 45A, 48, 50, 196, 383, 1374, 6411, 6511 of this title.

¹ So in original.