Us Code § 859 - Adoption of annual accounting period
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 859 — Adoption of annual accounting period, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 859. Adoption of annual accounting period
(a) General rule
For purposes of this subtitle—
(1) a real estate investment trust shall not change to any accounting period other than the calendar year, and
(2) a corporation, trust, or association may not elect to be a real estate investment trust for any taxable year beginning after October 4, 1976, unless its accounting period is the calendar year.
Paragraph (2) shall not apply to a corporation, trust, or association which was considered to be a real estate investment trust for any taxable year beginning on or before October 4, 1976.
(b) Change of accounting period without approval
Notwithstanding section 442, an entity which has not engaged in any active trade or business may change its accounting period to a calendar year without the approval of the Secretary if such change is in connection with an election under section 856(c).
(Added Pub. L. 94–455, title XVI, §1604(i)(1), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1752, §860; renumbered §859 and amended Pub. L. 95–600, title III, §362(d)(6), title VII, §701(t)(1), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2852, 2911; Pub. L. 99–514, title VI, §661(c), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2300.)
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 859, added Pub. L. 94–455, title XVI, §1601(a)(1), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1742; amended Pub. L. 95–600, title VII, §701(t)(4), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2912, related to a deduction for deficiency dividends, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 95–600, title III, §362(d)(6), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2852. See section 860 of this title.
Amendments
1986—Pub. L. 99–514 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
1978—Pub. L. 95–600, §701(t)(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted "change to any accounting period" for "change to or adopt any annual accounting period", and added par. (2) and provision for nonapplicability of par. (2) to a real estate investment trust for any taxable year beginning on or before Oct. 4, 1976.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 99–514 applicable to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 1986, see section 669 of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 856 of this title.
Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
Repeal of prior section 859 of this title and redesignation of section 860 of this title as this section by section 362(d)(6) of Pub. L. 95–600 applicable with respect to determinations (as defined in section 860(e) of this title) after Nov. 6, 1978, see section 362(e) of Pub. L. 95–600, set out as an Effective Date note under section 860 of this title.
Pub. L. 95–600, title VII, §701(t)(5), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2912, provided that: "The amendments made by this subsection [amending this section and sections 275, 856, 6212, and 6501 of this title] shall take effect on October 4, 1976."
PART III—PROVISIONS WHICH APPLY TO BOTH REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
About This Section
26 U.S.C. § 859 is part of Title 26 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 26 U.S.C. § 859. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.