The Internal Revenue Service includes four operating divisions that are responsible for meeting the needs of taxpayers:

(1) Large and Mid-Size Business Division (LMSB), which generally serves corporations, including S corporations, and partnerships with assets in excess of $10 million;

(2) Small Business/Self-Employed Division (SB/SE), which generally serves corporations, including S corporations, and partnerships with assets less than or equal to $10 million; estates and trusts; individuals filing an individual federal income tax return with an accompanying Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)), Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss), or Schedule F (Profit or Loss From Farming), or Form 2106 (Employee Business Expenses) or Form 2106-EZ (Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses); and individuals with international tax returns;

(3) Wage and Investment Division (W&I), which generally serves individuals with wage and investment income only and with no international tax returns; and individuals filing an individual federal income tax return without an accompanying Schedule C, E, or F, or Form 2106 or Form 2106-EZ; and

(4) Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division (TE/GE), which generally serves three distinct taxpayer segments: employee plans, exempt organizations, and government entities.

A TAM or a TEAM should be requested when there is a lack of uniformity regarding the disposition of an issue or when an issue is unusual or complex enough to warrant consideration by an Associate office. This revenue procedure applies only to a case under the jurisdiction of a director or an Appeals area director. A TAM or a TEAM may also be requested on issues considered in a prior Appeals disposition, not based on mutual concessions for the same tax period of the same taxpayer, if the field office that had the case concurs with the request. Once an issue is identified, all requests for a TAM or a TEAM should be made at the earliest possible stage in any proceeding. The fact that the issue is raised late in the examination or appeals process should not influence the field office’s decision to request a TAM or a TEAM.

Although taxpayer participation during all stages of the process is preferred, it is not required in order to request technical advice. In the event that multiple taxpayers will be affected by the advice (e.g., subject matter of the request involves a transaction between multiple taxpayers), the Associate office can issue a single TAM or TEAM, but only if each taxpayer agrees to participate in the process. In the event that a taxpayer chooses not to participate in a request for a TEAM, the request will usually be treated as a request for a TAM. In general, all parties must agree that the TEAM procedures are appropriate, with the following two exceptions:

(1) Any request in which the Associate office considers whether a letter ruling should be revoked or modified because the field office has determined that there are material differences from the controlling facts on which the original ruling was based will be treated and processed as a request for a TEAM without the need for consensus among the field office, taxpayer, and Associate office. See section 11.03 of Rev. Proc. 2006-1. The taxpayer’s views will be considered if submitted.

(2) Any request for a TEAM that involves, as described in § 6110(g)(5)(A), a matter that is the subject of, or is otherwise closely related to, a criminal or civil fraud investigation, or a jeopardy or termination assessment may be treated and processed as a TEAM without telling the taxpayer about the referral of issues, providing copies of the arguments submitted, or requesting the participation of the taxpayer.

The provisions of this revenue procedure are applicable in situations in which the authority normally exercised by the director or the Appeals area director has been properly delegated to another official.

This revenue procedure is updated annually as the second revenue procedure of the year, but may be modified or amplified during the year.

The procedures for obtaining a TAM or a TEAM specifically applicable to federal alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes under subtitle E of the Code are currently under the jurisdiction of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Treasury Department.

The procedures for obtaining a TAM or a TEAM specifically on issues under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, are found in Rev. Proc. 2006-5, this Bulletin. The procedures under Rev. Proc. 2006-2 (this revenue procedure) must be followed to obtain a TAM or a TEAM on issues pertaining to tax-exempt bonds, Indian tribal governments, federal, state, or local governments, mortgage credit certificates, and deferred compensation plans under § 457.

Even though the Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries) has jurisdiction for issuing TAMs and TEAMs under § 521, the procedures under Rev. Proc. 2006-5, this Bulletin, and Rev. Proc. 90-27, 1990-1 C.B. 514, must be followed.

.01 A request for an extension of time for making an election or other application for relief under § 301.9100-3 of the Procedure and Administration Regulations is not submitted as a request for a TAM or a TEAM; instead, the request is submitted as a letter ruling request even if the request is submitted after the examination of the taxpayer’s return has begun or after the issues in the return are being considered in Appeals or a federal court. Therefore, a § 301.9100 request should be submitted pursuant to Rev. Proc. 2006-1 (including the payment of the applicable user fee listed in Appendix A of Rev. Proc. 2006-1).

For purposes of this revenue procedure, a “frivolous issue” is one without basis in fact or law, or that espouses a position that has been held by the courts to be frivolous or groundless. Examples of frivolous or groundless issues include, but are not limited to:

(1) frivolous “constitutional” claims, such as claims that the requirement to file tax returns and pay taxes constitutes an unreasonable search barred by the Fourth Amendment; violates Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment protections of due process; violates Thirteenth Amendment protections against involuntary servitude; or is unenforceable because the Sixteenth Amendment does not authorize nonapportioned direct taxes or was never ratified;

(2) claims that income taxes are voluntary, that the term “income” is not defined in the Internal Revenue Code, or that the preparation and filing of income tax returns violates the Paperwork Reduction Act;

(3) claims that tax may be imposed only on coins minted under a gold or silver standard or that receipt of Federal Reserve Notes does not cause an accretion to wealth;

(4) claims that a person is not taxable on income because he or she falls within a class entitled to “reparation claims” or an extra-statutory class of individuals exempt from tax (for example, “free-born” individuals);

(5) claims that a taxpayer can refuse to pay taxes on the basis of opposition to certain governmental expenditures;

(6) claims that taxes apply only to federal employees; only to residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, or “federal enclaves” ; or that §§ 861 through 865 or any other provision of the Internal Revenue Code imposes taxes on U.S. citizens and residents only on income derived from foreign-based activities;

(7) claims that wages or personal service income are not “income,” are “nontaxable receipts,” or “are a nontaxable exchange for labor” ;

(8) claims that income tax withholding by an employer on wages is optional; or

(9) other claims the courts have characterized as frivolous or groundless.

A case remains under the jurisdiction of the director even though Appeals has the identical issue under consideration in the case of another taxpayer (not related within the meaning of § 267 or a member of an affiliated group of which the taxpayer is not also a member within the meaning of § 1504) in a different transaction. With respect to the same taxpayer or the same transaction, when the issue is under the jurisdiction of Appeals and the applicability of more than one kind of federal tax is dependent upon the resolution of that issue, a director may not request a TAM or a TEAM on the applicability of any of the taxes involved.

A field office may not request a TAM or a TEAM on an issue if the same issue of the same taxpayer (or of a related taxpayer within the meaning of § 267 or a member of an affiliated group of which the taxpayer is also a member within the meaning of § 1504) is in a docketed case for any taxable year. If a case is docketed for an estate tax issue of a taxpayer while a request for a TAM or a TEAM on the same issue of the same taxpayer is pending, the Associate office may issue the TAM or the TEAM only if the appropriate Appeals officer and field counsel agree, by memorandum, to the issuance of the TAM or the TEAM.

A field office may not request a TAM or a TEAM on an issue if the same issue is involved in a docketed case for the same or related taxpayer for any taxable year.

The Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration) does not issue TAMs or TEAMs on matters arising under the Internal Revenue Code and related statutes and regulations that involve the collection of taxes (including interest and penalties).

The assigned Associate office attorney and reviewer should consider whether a TAM or a TEAM is the best format for the legal advice. In some cases, drafting a lengthy written analysis may delay delivery of the conclusion. In addition, in some cases, published general guidance may be appropriate. See section 10.04 of this revenue procedure.

The field office determines whether to request a TAM or a TEAM on an issue. Requests generally originate with the examining agent or Appeals officer assigned to the case, are submitted through the supervisory chain, and must be approved in writing by the director or equivalent official in the respective operating divisions or by the Appeals area director (or by someone with the delegated authority to approve on their behalf) before submission to the Associate office. Exam or Appeals personnel, however, should also request advice from field counsel on issues involved in cases under their jurisdiction prior to requesting a TAM or a TEAM. If, during the discussion of an issue with an examining agent or Appeals officer, field counsel believes that an issue warrants consideration as a TAM or a TEAM, field counsel may make a written or oral request to the examining agent or Appeals officer that the issue be referred to the Associate office for a TAM or a TEAM. If, after considering a request that an issue be submitted for a TAM or a TEAM, the examining agent or Appeals officer disagrees with the request, the field counsel may request reconsideration of the denial through the appropriate supervisory chain.

Prior to making a final determination regarding whether to request a TAM or a TEAM, and prior to the pre-submission conference, the field office must coordinate with, and request advice from, field counsel.

Before submission of a TAM or a TEAM request to the Associate office, and before the pre-submission conference, the field office should submit the TAM or the TEAM request to an Associate Area Counsel for the Associate Area Counsel to provide his or her views in order to help determine whether to submit the TAM or the TEAM request to the Associate office.

As discussed in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure, if a director or Appeals area director requests a TAM, taxpayer cooperation is not required. Accordingly, the taxpayer cannot appeal the decision to seek a TAM. In contrast, as discussed in section 8.02 of this revenue procedure, if a director or Appeals area director requests a TEAM, the field office, the taxpayer, and the Associate office must all agree that the TEAM procedures are appropriate, except for the two situations discussed above in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure. Thus, in general, if a taxpayer does not want an issue to be referred to the Associate office for a TEAM, the request for advice will be treated as a request for a TAM for which taxpayer agreement is not required.

While a case is under the jurisdiction of a director or Appeals area director, a taxpayer may request that an issue be referred to the Associate office for a TAM or a TEAM. The request may be oral or written and should be directed to the examining agent or Appeals officer.

If the examining agent or Appeals officer concludes that a taxpayer’s request for referral of an issue to the Associate office for a TAM or a TEAM does not warrant referral, the examining agent or Appeals officer will notify the taxpayer. A taxpayer’s request for such a referral will not be denied merely because the Associate office provided legal advice, other than advice furnished pursuant to this revenue procedure, to the field office on the matter. The taxpayer may appeal the decision of the examining agent or Appeals officer not to request a TAM or a TEAM. To do so, the taxpayer must submit to that officer, within ten calendar days after being notified of the decision, a written statement of the facts, law, and arguments on the issue and the reasons why the taxpayer believes the matter should be referred to the Associate office for a TAM or a TEAM. A taxpayer who needs more than ten calendar days must justify in writing the request for an extension of time. The extension is subject to the approval of the territory manager or the Appeals area director.

The examining agent or Appeals officer submits the taxpayer’s statement through appropriate channels to the territory manager or the Appeals area director along with the examining agent’s or Appeals officer’s statement of why the issue should not be referred to the Associate office. The territory manager or the Appeals area director determines on the basis of the statements whether a TAM or a TEAM will be requested.

If the territory manager or the Appeals area director determines that a TAM or a TEAM is not warranted and proposes to deny the request, the taxpayer is told in writing about the determination. In the letter to the taxpayer, the territory manager or the Appeals area director states the reasons for the proposed denial (except in unusual situations when doing so would be prejudicial to the best interests of the Government). The taxpayer has ten calendar days after receiving the letter to notify the territory manager or the Appeals area director of agreement or disagreement with the proposed denial. If the taxpayer does not respond within ten calendar days after receiving the letter, the lack of response will be deemed as agreement with the proposed denial.

The taxpayer may not appeal the decision of the territory manager or the Appeals area director not to request a TAM or a TEAM. If the taxpayer does not agree with the proposed denial, all data on the issue for which a TAM or a TEAM has been sought, including the taxpayer’s written request and statements, will be submitted for review to the Industry Director, LMSB; the Examination Area Director, SB/SE; the Director, Compliance, W&I; the Director, International, LMSB; the Director, Federal, State & Local Governments; the Director, Tax Exempt Bonds; the Director, Indian Tribal Governments; or the Appeals Director, Technical Services, as appropriate.

Review of the proposed denial will be based solely on the written record; no conference will be held with the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s representative. The party responsible for review may consult with the Associate office, if necessary, and will notify the field office within 45 calendar days of receiving all the data regarding the request for a TAM or a TEAM whether the proposed denial is approved or disapproved. The field office will then notify the taxpayer.

While the matter is being reviewed, the field office will suspend action on the issue (except when the delay would prejudice the Government’s interests).

If the request for a TAM or a TEAM concerns a “frivolous issue,” as described in section 6.02 of this revenue procedure, a TAM or a TEAM will not be given, and the examining agent or Appeals officer will deny the taxpayer’s request for referral. The taxpayer may appeal the decision of the examining agent or Appeals officer. If the territory manager or the Appeals area director determines that no TAM or TEAM will be sought, an expedited review procedure will be followed. This expedited review procedure will consist of the following:

(1) the territory manager or the Appeals area director will inform the appropriate official (the Industry Director, LMSB; the Examination Area Director, SB/SE; the Director, Compliance, W&I; the Director, International, LMSB; the Director, Federal, State, and Local Governments; the Director, Tax Exempt Bonds; the Director, Indian Tribal Governments; the Appeals Director, Technical Services; the Chief, Employment Tax Examination, SB/SE; the Chief, Estate and Gift Tax Examination, SB/SE; the Chief, Excise Tax Examination, SB/SE; or the Chief, International Examination, SB/SE) of the request for review and the basis for the denial, but will not forward the taxpayer’s written request and statements, unless requested to do so by the official;

(2) the field office will not suspend action on the issue;

(3) within 15 calendar days, the official will notify the territory manager or Appeals area director whether the proposed denial is approved or disapproved. The official may also determine that the expedited process is not warranted and request all of the information supplied by the taxpayer and allow suspension of action on the item while the denial is reviewed; and

(4) the field office will notify the taxpayer in writing of the result of the review of the denial.

In an effort to promote expeditious processing of a request for a TAM or a TEAM, a pre-submission conference is mandatory. The Associate office must confer with the field office and field counsel (and in some cases the taxpayer) prior to the time a request for a TAM or a TEAM is submitted to the Associate office. If a request for a TAM or a TEAM is submitted without first holding a pre-submission conference, the request for advice will be returned to the requesting party. A request for a pre-submission conference should be made only after the field office determines that it likely will request a TAM or a TEAM. Before requesting a pre-submission conference, the field office must contact the taxpayer and afford the taxpayer an opportunity to participate in the process by permitting the taxpayer to prepare a statement in accordance with section 8.04 of this revenue procedure. Although taxpayer participation in the conference is not required for a TAM, it is required for a TEAM (except for the two situations described in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure where taxpayer agreement is not a prerequisite for a TEAM). If the request for a TAM or a TEAM will include issues requiring the involvement of more than one Associate office, representatives from each Associate office involved must participate in the pre-submission conference.

A pre-submission conference is intended to facilitate agreement between the parties as to the appropriate scope of the request for a TAM or a TEAM, the factual information and documents to be included in the request, any collateral issues that either should or should not be included in the request, and any other substantive or procedural considerations that will allow the Associate office to provide the parties with a TAM or a TEAM as expeditiously as possible. A pre-submission conference is not intended to create an alternative procedure for determining the merits of the substantive positions advocated by the field office or by the taxpayer.

During the pre-submission conference, the parties should determine whether the issue(s) is appropriate for a TEAM. The parties should discuss the framing of the issue(s), what background information and documents are required and when the request for TAM or TEAM will be submitted to the Associate office. Where more than one Associate office will be involved in responding to a proposed TEAM, each must agree that the request is suitable for TEAM procedures and that the necessary coordination can be provided within the TEAM time frames.

If the parties do not agree that the TEAM procedures are appropriate, then the request will be processed subject to the procedures in this revenue procedure for a TAM, except that taxpayer agreement is not required for the two situations described in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure.

A request for a pre-submission conference for a TAM or a TEAM must be submitted in writing by the field office. The request should identify the Associate office expected to have jurisdiction over the request for a TAM or a TEAM. The request should include a brief explanation of the primary issue so that an assignment to the appropriate branch of an Associate office can be made. The field office is required to coordinate with field counsel regarding all pre-submission conferences, regardless of whether a TAM or a TEAM is being requested. If the request is submitted by Appeals, field counsel assignments will be subject to the ex parte rules set forth in section 1001(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-206, and Rev. Proc. 2000-43, 2000-2 C.B. 404. If the request involves a designated issue, an issue under the office of the Director, ATAT Examination, SB/SE, an issue under the office of the Director, OTSA, LMSB, or an industry issue under the Office of Pre-Filing and Technical Guidance, LMSB, the field office and field counsel are strongly encouraged to coordinate with the technical advisor and field counsel contact. If the request is from Appeals and involves a coordinated issue or emerging issue under the Appeals Industry Specialization Program (ISP) or Appeals Coordinated Issue (ACI) Program, the Appeals officer must coordinate with the Appeals ISP/ACI Coordinator.

The field office requests pre-submission conferences for both TAMs and TEAMs by having their field counsel transmit the request by email to the TSS4510 email box. Counsel must send this request to take advantage of the firewall protection for interoffice email within Chief Counsel. The TSS4510 email box cannot accept encrypted mail. Alternatively, the request may be sent by fax to the Technical Services Support Branch at 202-622-4817; the director or Appeals area director must also confirm the request in writing to the Technical Services Support Branch. Email or fax may be used to confirm the request. The Associate office will confirm receipt of the fax within one working day after receiving the fax.

Prior to the scheduled pre-submission conference, the field office and the taxpayer must share proposed statements of the pertinent facts (including any facts in dispute); statements of the issues that the parties would like to discuss; and any legal analysis, authorities, or background documents that the parties believe would facilitate the Associate office’s understanding of the issues to be discussed at the conference. After drafting the statements of the issues and facts, and prior to the scheduled pre-submission conference, the field office and the taxpayer must submit to the Associate office the statements of the pertinent facts and the statements of the issues that the parties would like to discuss. The legal analysis provided for the pre-submission conference need not be as fully developed as the analysis that ultimately will accompany the request for a TAM or a TEAM, but it should allow the Associate office to become reasonably informed regarding the subject matter prior to the conference. The field office or the taxpayer should ensure that the Associate office receives a copy of any required power of attorney, preferably on Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative (Rev. March 2004).

If the pre-submission conference pertains to a request for a TAM, the assigned branch of the Associate office must receive the pre-submission materials at least ten working days prior to the conference.

If the pre-submission conference pertains to a request for a TEAM, the assigned branch of the Associate office must receive the pre-submission materials at least five calendar days before the conference. Failure to timely submit pre-submission materials will result in the case being processed as a TAM rather than a TEAM.

Regardless of whether the pre-submission conference pertains to a request for a TAM or a TEAM, in order to obtain the protection of taxpayer information offered by the Chief Counsel Intranet “firewall,” the pre-submission materials must be electronically transmitted by field counsel to TSS4510. Thus, the field office must work with field counsel to submit the required materials via email to TSS4510. TSS4510 will make sure the pre-submission materials get delivered to the Associate office assigned to the request for a pre-submission conference. Copies of the taxpayer statement of deletions, penalties of perjury statement and Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative (Rev. March 2004), if not electronically available, should be transmitted by fax to the Associate office attorney assigned to the case.

The field office should send the original of the materials sent by fax, and any supporting materials that cannot reasonably be transmitted electronically, to the Associate office attorney assigned to the case by express mail or private delivery service in order to avoid any delays in regular mail.

If a TEAM is requested, the branch of the Associate office assigned responsibility for conducting the pre-submission conference will contact the field office and field counsel within two working days of receiving the request to schedule the conference. The conference will be held within 15 calendar days of the assigned branch’s call to the field. Because taxpayer participation in the pre-submission conference is required, the field office is responsible for coordinating with the taxpayer as well as any other Service personnel whose participation in the conference the field office believes would be appropriate.

If a TAM is requested, or if it is unclear whether the request is for a TAM or a TEAM, the branch of the Associate office assigned responsibility for conducting the pre-submission conference will contact the field office and field counsel within five working days after it receives the request to arrange a mutually convenient time for the parties to participate in the conference. The conference generally should be held within 30 calendar days after the field office is contacted.

Generally, pre-submission conferences for TAMs and TEAMs will be held by telephone, unless the parties specifically request a meeting in person. In no event will a request for an in-person pre-submission conference on a TEAM be allowed to delay the conference beyond the 15-day period set forth above in section 8.06 of this revenue procedure.

Because pre-submission conference procedures are informal, no tape, stenographic, or other verbatim recording of a conference may be made by any party.

Any discussion of substantive issues at a pre-submission conference is advisory only, is not binding on the Service in general or on the Office of Chief Counsel in particular, and cannot be relied upon as a basis for obtaining retroactive relief under the provisions of § 7805(b). During the pre-submission conference, the Office of Chief Counsel may raise new issues or reach an answer without addressing any of the issues submitted by the agent and the taxpayer.

Whether initiated by the taxpayer or by a field office, a request for a TAM or a TEAM must include the facts and the issues for which advice is requested; a written statement clearly stating the applicable law and the arguments in support of both the Service’s and the taxpayer’s positions on the issue or issues; the information required in sections 9.01(4) and 9.01(5) of this revenue procedure, if applicable; and the written statement required in section 9.01(6) of this revenue procedure, if applicable.

Prior to submitting a request for the TAM or the TEAM, the party initiating the request, whether the field or the taxpayer, must prepare a statement of facts. The field and the taxpayer should have discussed the pertinent facts and issues, prior to preparing this factual statement, during the pre-submission conference.

If the field initiates the request, the examining agent or Appeals officer will prepare the factual statement with the assistance of field counsel. The taxpayer will have ten calendar days to respond to the field’s statement by providing to that officer a written statement specifying any disagreement on the facts and issues. A taxpayer who needs more than ten calendar days must justify in writing the request for an extension of time, subject to the approval of the territory manager or the Appeals area director. If the taxpayer initiates the TAM or the TEAM request, the taxpayer prepares the factual statement and provides it to the appropriate field office. The Service will notify the taxpayer in writing of any areas of disagreement. The taxpayer has ten calendar days after receiving the written notice to reply. A taxpayer who needs more than ten calendar days must justify in writing the request for an extension of time, subject to the approval of the territory manager or the Appeals area director.

If the taxpayer and the field continue to disagree over the factual statement, the parties will have ten calendar days to attempt to resolve the disagreements. This 10-day period begins either when the field receives the taxpayer’s written notification of disagreement with the field’s factual statement (in the case of a field-initiated TAM or TEAM), or when the field receives the taxpayer’s written reply to the field’s written notification of disagreement with the taxpayer’s factual statement (in the case of a taxpayer-initiated TAM or TEAM). Within five calendar days of the expiration of the 10-day period or the day that factual agreement is reached, whichever is earlier, the TAM or the TEAM request will be forwarded to the Associate office. If there is no agreement on the facts, the taxpayer must submit a statement of facts to the field office, and both sets of facts will be forwarded to the Associate office. The Associate office will, as discussed below in section 12.12 of this revenue procedure, issue a TAM or a TEAM on each set of facts. The field, with the assistance of field counsel, will prepare a memorandum for the Associate office highlighting the material factual differences, and provide a copy to the taxpayer. This memorandum will be forwarded with the initial request for a TAM or a TEAM.

If there is no agreement on the facts, the taxpayer’s set of facts must be accompanied by the following declaration: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this information, including accompanying documents, and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information contains all the relevant facts relating to the request for technical advice (or technical expedited advice), and such facts are true, correct, and complete.” This declaration must be signed in accordance with the requirements in section 7.01(15)(b) of Rev. Proc. 2006-1. The taxpayer must submit this declaration to the field office so that the field office can include the declaration when submitting the TAM or the TEAM request to TSS4510.

To facilitate prompt action on TAM and TEAM requests, the taxpayer is encouraged to request that, if the Service requests additional information from the taxpayer, the Service do so by telephone or fax.

(1) If taxpayer initiates the request for a TAM or a TEAM, taxpayer must submit written statement, copy of relevant foreign laws, and certified English translations of documents in a language other than English. If the taxpayer initiates the request for a TAM or a TEAM, the taxpayer must submit to the examining agent or Appeals officer, at the time the taxpayer initiates the request:

(b) the information required in sections 9.01(4) and 9.01(5) of this revenue procedure with respect to the submission of a copy of relevant foreign laws and certified English translations of documents in a language other than English, if applicable; and

(c) the written statement required in section 9.01(6) of this revenue procedure with respect to the interpretation of a substantive provision of an income or estate tax treaty, if applicable.

If the examining agent or Appeals officer determines that a TAM or a TEAM will be requested, the taxpayer’s statement, including the information required in sections 9.01(4), 9.01(5), and 9.01(6) of this revenue procedure, will be forwarded to the Associate office with the request for a TAM or a TEAM. As described in section 8.01 of this revenue procedure, the field office must first schedule a pre-submission conference prior to submitting the request for a TAM or a TEAM. When forwarding the taxpayer’s statement to the Associate office, the examining agent or Appeals officer must also provide a copy to field counsel.

(2) If the Service initiates the request for a TAM or a TEAM, taxpayer is encouraged to submit written statement, copy of relevant foreign laws, and certified English translations of documents in a language other than English. If the request for a TAM is initiated by a field office, the taxpayer is encouraged to submit a written statement explaining the taxpayer’s position and discussing relevant statutory provisions, court decisions, regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices or any other authority supporting the taxpayer’s position. If the taxpayer chooses to submit this statement and information, the taxpayer must submit this statement and information to the field office within 21 calendar days after the taxpayer receives a copy of the TAM request.

As set forth in section 10.07 of this revenue procedure, the taxpayer will be given an opportunity to submit a statement and information if a request for a TAM is submitted without taxpayer participation.

If the request for a TAM is prepared without the taxpayer’s cooperation, the Associate office will nonetheless process the request, as neither factual agreement nor taxpayer participation are required. A request for a TEAM that falls into one of the two exceptions discussed in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure will be processed without a statement and information from the taxpayer. Any request for a TEAM that is not governed by those two exceptions will be treated as a request for a TAM and the taxpayer will be given an opportunity to submit a statement and information in accordance with section 10.07 of this revenue procedure.

(3) Statement of authorities contrary to taxpayer’s position. Whether the request for a TAM or a TEAM is initiated by the taxpayer or by a field office, the taxpayer is also encouraged to comment on any legislation (or pending legislation), tax treaties, regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, or court decisions contrary to the taxpayer’s position. If the taxpayer determines that there are no contrary authorities, the taxpayer should include with the TAM or the TEAM submission a statement to this effect.

(4) Relevant parts of all foreign laws. Whether initiated by the taxpayer or by a field office, a request for a TAM or a TEAM, and other statements forwarded to the Associate office with the request, must include a copy of the relevant parts of all foreign laws, including statutes, regulations, administrative pronouncements, and any other relevant legal authority. The documents submitted must be in the official language of the country involved and must be copied from an official publication of the foreign government or another widely available, generally accepted publication. If English is not the official language of the country involved, the submission must also include a copy of an English language version of the relevant parts of all foreign laws. The translation must be: (a) from an official publication of the foreign government or another widely available, generally accepted publication; or (b) a certified English translation submitted in accordance with section 9.01(5) of this revenue procedure.

The taxpayer or the field office must identify the title and date of publication, including updates, of any widely available, generally accepted publication that it (or its qualified translator) uses as a source for the relevant parts of the foreign law.

The taxpayer and the field office are encouraged to inform the Associate office of the implications of any authority believed to interpret the foreign law, such as pending legislation, treaties, court decisions, notices, or administrative decisions. But under section 10.08 of this revenue procedure, the Associate office may refuse to provide a TAM or a TEAM if the interpretation of a foreign law or foreign document is a material fact.

(5) Standards for acceptability of submissions of documents in a language other than English and certified English translations of laws in a language other than English. Whether initiated by the taxpayer or by a field office, a request for a TAM or a TEAM, and other statements forwarded to the Associate office with the request, must include an accurate and complete certified English translation of the relevant parts of all contracts, wills, deeds, agreements, instruments, trust documents, proposed disclaimers, or other documents in a language other than English. If the taxpayer or the field office chooses to submit certified English translations of foreign laws, those translations must be based on an official publication of the foreign government or another widely available, generally accepted publication. In either case, the translation must be that of a qualified translator and must be attested to by the translator. The attestation must contain: (a) a statement that the translation submitted is a true and accurate translation of the foreign language document or law; (b) a statement as to the attestant’s qualifications as a translator and as to that attestant’s qualifications and knowledge regarding tax matters or any foreign law translated if the law is not a tax law; and (c) the attestant’s name and address.

(6) Statement regarding interpretation of a substantive provision of an income or estate tax treaty. Whether initiated by the taxpayer or by a field office, a request for a TAM or a TEAM involving the interpretation of a substantive provision of an income or estate tax treaty must include a written statement regarding whether:

(a) the tax authority of the treaty jurisdiction has issued a ruling on the same or similar issue for the taxpayer, a related taxpayer (within the meaning of § 267 or a member of an affiliated group of which the taxpayer is also a member within the meaning of § 1504 (related taxpayer)), or any predecessor;

(b) the same or similar issue for the taxpayer, a related taxpayer, or any predecessor is being examined, or has been settled, by the tax authority of the treaty jurisdiction or is otherwise the subject of a closing agreement in that jurisdiction; and

(c) the same or similar issue for the taxpayer, a related taxpayer, or any predecessor is being considered by the competent authority of the treaty jurisdiction.

The text of TAMs and TEAMs are open to public inspection under § 6110(a). The Service deletes certain information from the text before it is made available for inspection. To help the Service make the deletions required by § 6110(c), the taxpayer must provide a statement indicating the deletions desired (“deletion statement”). If the taxpayer does not submit the deletion statement, the director or the Appeals area director will advise the taxpayer that the statement is required. In the case of a taxpayer-initiated TAM or TEAM, if the director or the Appeals area director does not receive the deletion statement within ten calendar days after asking the taxpayer for it, the director or the Appeals area director may decline to submit the request for a TAM or a TEAM.

A taxpayer who wants only names, addresses, and identifying numbers deleted should state this in the deletion statement. If the taxpayer wants more information deleted, the deletion statement must be accompanied by a copy of the TAM or the TEAM request and supporting documents on which the taxpayer should bracket the material to be deleted. The deletion statement must indicate the statutory basis under § 6110(c) for each proposed deletion.

The taxpayer may submit additional deletion statements before the TAM or the TEAM is issued.

The deletion statement must not appear in the request for a TAM or a TEAM but, instead, must be made in a separate document.

The deletion statement must be signed and dated by the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s authorized representative. A stamped signature or faxed signature is not permitted.

The taxpayer should follow the same procedures to propose deletions from any additional information submitted after the initial request for a TAM or a TEAM. An additional deletion statement is not required with each submission of additional information if the taxpayer’s initial deletion statement requests that only names, addresses, and identifying numbers are to be deleted and the taxpayer wants only the same information deleted from the additional information.

The field counsel, with whom the TAM or the TEAM request was coordinated as described in section 8.03 of this revenue procedure, must use Form 4463, Request for Technical Advice or Technical Expedited Advice, for submitting a request for a TAM or a TEAM through TSS4510 to the Associate office. While the field office is responsible for preparing Form 4463, field counsel must submit the Form 4463 for a TAM or a TEAM request to the TSS4510 email address. To the extent feasible, the accompanying documents should also be submitted to the TSS4510 email address (followed by hard copy upon the request of the assigned branch of the Associate office).

Field counsel should send additional or supporting documents that are not available in electronic form by fax to TSS4510 at 202-622-4817 or by express mail or private delivery service to the following address to avoid any delays in regular mail:

Whenever possible, all documents should contain the case number and name of the Associate office attorney assigned to the pre-submission conference for the TAM or the TEAM request. Documents that are being sent in hardcopy should be sent on or before the day that the request for a TAM or a TEAM is submitted via email, so as not to delay the process. It is anticipated that most, if not all, such documents will be identified during the pre-submission conference.

The field office must indicate on, or attach to, the Form 4463 the proper mailing address of the director or Appeals area director to whom the Associate office is required to mail a copy of its reply to the TAM or the TEAM request under section 12.13 of this revenue procedure. In addition, the field office must indicate the name of each Associate office attorney involved in the pre-submission conference.

The field and the taxpayer are encouraged to provide electronic versions of a proposed TAM or a TEAM containing the taxpayer’s deletions and legends for the Associate office’s use.

The field office must submit three copies of any hard copies of the request for a TAM or a TEAM to the address in section 9.03 of this revenue procedure with two copies being designated for the Associate office.

The field office must send one copy of the request for a TAM or a TEAM to the division counsel of the operating division that has jurisdiction of the taxpayer’s tax return.

If the request is from an Appeals office, the field office must send one copy of the request for a TAM or a TEAM to the Appeals Director, Technical Services.

Any authorized representative, as described in section 7.01(13) of Rev. Proc. 2006-1, whether or not enrolled to practice, must comply with Treasury Department Circular No. 230 (31 C.F.R. part 10 (2002)) and with the conference and practice requirements of the Statement of Procedural Rules (26 C.F.R. §§ 601.501-601.509 (2002)). It is preferred that Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative (Rev. March 2004), be used with regard to a request for a TAM or a TEAM under this revenue procedure. An original, a copy, or a fax transmission of the power of attorney is acceptable so long as its authenticity is not reasonably disputed.

A request for a TAM or a TEAM generally is given priority and processed expeditiously. As soon as the request for a TAM or a TEAM is assigned, the Associate office attorney analyzes the file to see whether it meets all requirements of sections 7, 8, and 9 of this revenue procedure. In addition, the Associate office attorney must analyze the issue(s) in the TAM or the TEAM request to ensure the request does not conflict with section 6 of this revenue procedure.

If the request does not comply with the requirements of section 9.02 of this revenue procedure relating to the deletion statement, the Service will follow the procedure in the last paragraph of section 10.09 of this revenue procedure.

Within five calendar days after the assigned branch in the Associate office receives the TAM or the TEAM request, the assigned Associate office attorney will contact the field and the field counsel to confirm the receipt of the request for advice. Within this 5-day period, the assigned Associate office attorney will also contact the examining agent or Appeals officer, field counsel, and the taxpayer (if the taxpayer is participating in the TAM or the TEAM request), to discuss an estimated timetable setting forth how and when a TAM or a TEAM will be considered. The assigned Associate office attorney will prepare a work plan that sets forth this timetable and share the work plan with all parties, and all parties (except the taxpayer) must agree to the work plan within five business days after the assigned branch receives the TAM or the TEAM request. The assigned Associate office attorney will notify the examining agent or Appeals officer and the field counsel of any deficiencies in the request for a TAM or a TEAM and will work with the examining agent, Appeals officer, and the field counsel to resolve those deficiencies expeditiously.

If the examining agent, Appeals officer, and the field counsel are unable to resolve the deficiencies within 15 days, the request will be withdrawn and can be resubmitted only when the deficiencies have been corrected.

The assigned Associate office attorney and reviewer should also evaluate the issue(s) presented in any TEAM request to confirm that the issue(s) is appropriate for the TEAM procedures. If the attorney and reviewer have reservations about whether the TEAM procedures should apply, the attorney and reviewer should discuss those reservations with both the field and the taxpayer and, if necessary, the Associate Chief Counsel. If they agree that the TEAM procedures should not apply because the issue is too complex or cannot, for practical reasons, be resolved within 60 calendar days, the Associate Chief Counsel should prepare a memorandum to the Chief Counsel stating that the case has been excluded from the TEAM procedures and will be treated as a TAM. A memorandum to the Chief Counsel is not required if the parties agree during the pre-submission conference that the TEAM procedures are not appropriate or if the parties have not timely submitted all materials necessary to process a TEAM request.

If the assigned reviewer in the Associate office thinks that general guidance should be published regarding the issue presented, the reviewer will immediately notify the Associate Chief Counsel. The reviewer should make this determination and recommendation as soon as possible, which may occur during the pre-submission conference. As criteria for this determination, the reviewer should consider whether the issue has a broad application to similarly situated taxpayers or an industry, or resolution of the issue is important to a clear understanding of the tax laws. If the Associate Chief Counsel, in consultation with Division Counsel Headquarters and Treasury, agrees that general guidance is desirable, an expedited guidance project will be initiated. The Associate Chief Counsel, in consultation with Division Counsel and the Operating Division, also will coordinate the appropriate resolution of the TAM or the TEAM request with the general guidance project. In general, except where policy issues and concerns regarding proper administration of the tax laws require otherwise, the TAM or the TEAM will be issued in advance of the published guidance.

Regardless of whether the taxpayer or the Service initiated the request for a TAM or a TEAM, the examining agent or Appeals officer in the field office will: (1) notify the taxpayer that a TAM or a TEAM request is being submitted; and (2) at or before the time the request is submitted to the Associate office, give to the taxpayer a copy of the request, including the statement of the pertinent facts, and the arguments being submitted to the Associate office. As discussed in section 10.07 of this revenue procedure, the taxpayer will be given an opportunity to submit a statement and information after the request for a TAM is forwarded to the Associate office.

This section 10.05 does not apply to a TAM or a TEAM described in section 10.11 of this revenue procedure (civil fraud or criminal investigation cases).

When notifying the taxpayer that a TAM or a TEAM is being requested, the examining agent or Appeals officer will also tell the taxpayer about the right to a conference with the Associate office if an adverse decision is indicated, and will ask the taxpayer whether such a conference is desired.

If the request for a TAM is prepared without participation on the part of the taxpayer, the Associate office will nonetheless process the request, as neither factual agreement nor participation by the taxpayer are required (except in the case of a TAM involving multiple taxpayers as discussed in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure). If a request for a TAM is forwarded to the Associate office without the taxpayer’s statement and information, the field office must inform the taxpayer of the date on which the request for a TAM was forwarded to the Associate office. If the taxpayer chooses to submit a statement and information, the taxpayer must submit the statement and information to the Associate office within 21 calendar days after the request for a TAM has been forwarded. The taxpayer must also send a copy of the statement and information to the director or the Appeals area director. The procedures for requesting an extension of the 21-day period and receiving approval of such extension are the same as those in section 12.09 of this revenue procedure for responding to a request for additional information. If the Associate office does not receive the taxpayer’s statement and information within the 21-day period, plus any extensions granted by the Associate office, the Associate office, at its discretion, may base its advice on the facts provided by the field office.

Because taxpayer agreement and cooperation is required for most TEAMs, a TEAM request should not generally be submitted without the taxpayer’s statement and information. A TEAM request that requires, but does not include, the taxpayer’s statement and information, generally will be processed as a TAM; however, a TEAM request may be submitted to and processed by the Associate office without the taxpayer’s statement and information under the two exceptions set forth above in section 1.03 of this revenue procedure.

If the interpretation of a foreign law or foreign document is a material fact, the Associate office, at its discretion, may refuse to issue a TAM or a TEAM. This section applies whether or not the field office and the taxpayer dispute the interpretation of a foreign law or foreign document. The interpretation of a foreign law or foreign document means making a judgment about the import or effect of the foreign law or document that goes beyond its plain meaning.