Modernize 1970s Definition of "Tax Shelter" to Help Small Businesses

Here is another suggestion from the testimony I submitted for the written record of a Senate Finance Committee and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee roundtable held 6/7/23 (see links at my 8/13/23 post).

This one has also been suggested by the AICPA including in letters I signed when chairing the AICPA Tax Executive Committee a few years ago, so it has been around for awhile.  It would be a terrific simplification because I think that since the Tax Reform Act of 1986 stated that a tax shelter as defined under IRC Section 448 must use the accrual method regardless of gross receipts level, I think this is likely one of the most overlooked provisions in the law. The additional accounting method simplification added by the TCJA of 2017 further highlighted that a "tax shelter" can't use the favorable methods.

The simplification recommendation:

One way an entity might be a “tax shelter” is meeting the definition of a syndicate as defined at IRC Section 1256(e). This definition pre-dates state law changes that allow the LLC business entity. A business that meets the definition of a “tax shelter” will not be allowed to use simpler accounting methods but instead will be required to use the accrual method, inventory accounting rules, and the uniform capitalization rules of IRC Section 263A.

Today, a small business might be formed as an LLC with financing provided by some owners who will not be involved in running the business. If over 35% of losses are allocated to limited entrepreneurs (inactive owners), the entity is a tax shelter even though it is running a real business (and might just have start-up losses or some bad years). The definition needs to be modernized such as to only be defined as a tax shelter per IRC Section 6662(d) (having a significant purpose of tax avoidance or evasion).

What do you think?