I have k-1 from PTP MLP. Ending capital account is negative which means i must report LT cap gains. how?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 6, 2019
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does it go, as a positive number on line 12 of schedule D?

TurboTax Home & Biz Windows

GeoffreyG

Employee

Actually, as a Publicly-Traded Partnership (PTP) owner, you will take your capital account balance as shown on your Schedule K-1, and add it to your nonrecourse liabilities figure (also shown on the Schedule K-1 mailed to you). If and only if the sum of those two balances are negative, do you then need to "recognize" a long-term capital gain on your Form 1040 Schedule D . . . so as to "restore" your outside "basis" in the MLP back to zero, in compliance with the tax laws.

But, if you do need to take that step, then what you will want to do is the following.

Make a new entry in the Stock Sales / Investments section of TurboTax, and report this as a sale of a long term asset, even though nothing has really been sold. You call it a stock sale or equity sale, so that you'll be accorded the proper capital gains tax treatment; and then enter a sales price sufficient to "restore" your outside basis in the Master Limited Partnership back to zero -- factoring in your nonrecourse partnership liabilities designated by the PTP. That is, you'll need to add a figure to your long term capital gains, sufficient to make all three numbers (capital account, nonrecourse liabilities, and long term capital gain added) total out to zero.

The cost basis amount in such a Schedule D entry can be entered as $0.01, just to avoid any software error, and is a negligible amount that won't affect the outcome. The "category" for Form 8949 purposes should be "F," signifying long-term, "noncovered" items. You can name the MLP, on the Form 8949 data entry, to help identify (and remember) what this item is. Call the entry something like "XYZ PTP, Basis Restoration" or similar.

For future years, if you continue to own the MLP, then you'll further need to track such outside basis adjustments manually, as your MLP's tax office usually won't do it for you, and won't adjust your capital account (as printed on the Schedule K-1) for you, to reflect any such actions that you've taken in reporting long-term capital gains on your tax return. Additionally, your nonrecourse liabilities (as shown to you annually by your MLP on your Schedule K-1) will continue change each year as well. Thus, you will need to take into account those future changes in nonrecourse liabilities, as well as track your outside basis, so as to properly continue to make such future adjustments (i.e., declaring long-term capital gains) to keep your basis at "zero" or above.

Of course, seeking professional tax preparation assistance, when dealing with the trickier issues of MLP taxation, is always an advisable course of action (or option) as well.

Thank you for asking this important question.

jkspaAuthor

This advice is right and guided me to the correct way of calculating basis, which is in the IRS pub Partner's Instructions for Schedule K-1 (Form 1065). It is important to track the CHANGES in non-recourse liabilities, as well as the non-recourse liability itself, as the author GeoffreyG. states. This is seen by using the worksheet in the pub. The info for entering the LT gain (if you have one) is correct.

Claude4

You say that "It is important to track the CHANGES in non-recourse liabilities, as well as the non-recourse liability itself, as the author GeoffreyG. states." Well, GeofferyG said "you will need to take into account those future changes in nonrecourse liabilities."

weinbecb

Tell me if I am wrong, but if you want to continue holding your MLP after your adjusted basis falls to zero, you should report distributions as long term capital gain on line 12 of Sched D and supplemental losses (mainly box 1) as losses on the same line 12. If these balance each other you can continue to avoid taxation of your distributions as ordinary gain, with no tax outlay.

Claude4

With respect to weinbecb's comment that "you should report distributions as long term capital gain on line 12 of Sched D and supplemental losses (mainly box 1) as losses on the same line 12", the IRS is pretty clear that losses cannot be deducted once the basis in a partnership goes to zero. See the Caution in the Worksheet for Adjusting the Basis of a Partner's Interest in the Partnership in the IRS Schedule K-1 Partnership Instructions, https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1065sk1. So only the first half of weinbecb's comment makes sense, i.e. once the basis of a partnership goes to 0, you should report distributions as long term capital gain on line 12 of Sched D. If the partnership is subsequently sold, make sure the distributions taken as capital gains are not included in the cumulative adjustment to basis that the partnership reports (if you are using that). That would be reporting the same capital gains twice. If they are, subtract out gains previously taken.

Anonymous

form 8949 worksheet category C description distribution in excess of basis. date acquired - date interest in partnership acquired date sold 12/31/2019

now I'll raise a question. are there any liabilities shown on the k-1. some types add to your basis so you could end up with a positive basis making the negative capital a/c not taxable (the negative capital when added to the proper liabilities results in a positive number)

there are two key code sections involved. section 465 with deals with at-risk. at-risk is for purposes of determining whether losses are deductible or not. section 752 which deals with basis. distributions are not taxable if you have basis after the distribution. see this link for a further explanation.

https://www.dbbllc.com/newsletters/focus/jun2012/partnership-tax-rules-%E2%80%93-basis-partnership-liabilities

OldBear

I have final K-1from PTP MLP. The 2022 Sales Worksheet are follows.

I received 2022 SALES WORKSHEET of Final Schedule K-1 of ENERGY TRANSFTER LP as follows:

COL 1: UNITS SOLD 850

COL 2: SALES DATE 11/7/2022

COL 3: SALES PROCEEDS: $10,425 ( from 1099-B)

COL 4 COL 5 COL 6 COL 7 COL 8

AVERAGE PURCHASE CUMULATIVE AVERAGE GAIN SUBJECT AMT

PRICE/ INITIAL ADJUSTMENTS COST BASIS TO RECAPTURE AS GAIN/LOSS

BASIC AMOUNT TO BASIS ORDINARY INCOME ADJUSTMENT

8668 -3083 5585 4477 -16

Form 8949 Form 4797 Form 6261

Col E Part II in LINE 10 LINE 2K

I use Turbotax Premier. I click K-1 from Business items. Then fill out all information of K-1. Ordinary gain did not show up. I can not key in Ordinary Income /AMT Gain of Sale Worksheet to TT. Is premier version not work for trading partnership? Can CHAMP NextCHap help me out ?