The IRS has established strict guidelines for managing examinations and audits involving Section 965, as detailed in the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) . :
: Certain S-corporation shareholders were allowed to defer payment of the tax until a "triggering event" occurred.
Section 965 fundamentally changed how foreign earnings are taxed in the U.S. by shifting from a "deferral" system to a "participation exemption" system.
: Examiners must follow mandatory naming conventions for all documents saved in the Information Management System (IMS), including exam plans and risk analyses. Examination Procedures :
: Taxpayers could elect to pay the transition tax over an eight-year period.
Taxpayers had specific elections to manage the potentially high tax liability resulting from Section 965.
: Earnings were treated as if they were brought back to the U.S. (repatriated), regardless of whether they actually were.