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Section 4
This section should be carefully restudied and redrafted.
The thrust of the provision is unclear in the light of present
income tax provisions of the Code. We would recommend that this
section be drafted to provide that the income tax laws presently
in effect will remain in force except as may specifically be
provided to the contrary. Exceptions should then be carefully
and specifically stated. Our specific objections to this section
are summarized below.
1. It is unclear whether Puerto Rico would continue to be a
possession for purposes of the Code. Section 7701(c) of the Code
presently provides as follows:
Sec. 7701. Definitions.
"(c) Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Where
not otherwise distinctly expressed or manifestly
incompatible with the intent thereof, references
in this title to possessions of the United States
shall be treated as also referring to the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.'
Even in the event Puerto Rico is to continue as a possession, this
paragraph (c) must be modified to refer to Puerto Rico as the Free
Associated State of Puerto Rico. A number of other income tax
provisions of the Code would also have to be amended to change
formal references to Puerto Rico or reconsidered in view of the
proposed compact.
2. Section 931 of the Code provides an exclusion from gross
income for United States corporations carrying on a trade or
business in Puerto Rico but only if certain conditions are satisfied.
Such corporations may often be treated as resident in Puerto Rico
by virtue of having engaged in business in Puerto Rico and, as such,
would be exempt from United States taxation of income from sources
within Puerto Rico under section 4(b) without satisfying the
conditions of section 931.
3. Section 4(b) would provide that the Federal income tax may
be imposed only on the U.S. source and the foreign-source income
of Puerto Rican residents, and that in computing the Federal income
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"ocrText": "- 3 -\nSection 4\nThis section should be carefully restudied and redrafted.\nThe thrust of the provision is unclear in the light of present\nincome tax provisions of the Code. We would recommend that this\nsection be drafted to provide that the income tax laws presently\nin effect will remain in force except as may specifically be\nprovided to the contrary. Exceptions should then be carefully\nand specifically stated. Our specific objections to this section\nare summarized below.\n1. It is unclear whether Puerto Rico would continue to be a\npossession for purposes of the Code. Section 7701(c) of the Code\npresently provides as follows:\nSec. 7701. Definitions.\n\"(c) Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Where\nnot otherwise distinctly expressed or manifestly\nincompatible with the intent thereof, references\nin this title to possessions of the United States\nshall be treated as also referring to the\nCommonwealth of Puerto Rico.'\nEven in the event Puerto Rico is to continue as a possession, this\nparagraph (c) must be modified to refer to Puerto Rico as the Free\nAssociated State of Puerto Rico. A number of other income tax\nprovisions of the Code would also have to be amended to change\nformal references to Puerto Rico or reconsidered in view of the\nproposed compact.\n2. Section 931 of the Code provides an exclusion from gross\nincome for United States corporations carrying on a trade or\nbusiness in Puerto Rico but only if certain conditions are satisfied.\nSuch corporations may often be treated as resident in Puerto Rico\nby virtue of having engaged in business in Puerto Rico and, as such,\nwould be exempt from United States taxation of income from sources\nwithin Puerto Rico under section 4(b) without satisfying the\nconditions of section 931.\n3. Section 4(b) would provide that the Federal income tax may\nbe imposed only on the U.S. source and the foreign-source income\nof Puerto Rican residents, and that in computing the Federal income"
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