[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR32.27]

[Page 395-396]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
        CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 32_UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS
COMPANIES--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart B_General Instructions
 
Sec. 32.27  Transactions with affiliates.

    (a) Unless otherwise approved by the Chief, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, transactions with affiliates involving asset transfers into or 
out of the regulated accounts shall be recorded by the carrier in its 
regulated accounts as provided in paragraphs (b) through (f) of this 
section.
    (b) Assets sold or transferred between a carrier and its affiliate 
pursuant to a tariff, including a tariff filed with a state commission, 
shall be recorded in the appropriate revenue accounts at the tariffed 
rate. Non-tariffed assets sold or transferred between a carrier and its 
affiliate that qualify for prevailing price valuation, as defined in 
paragraph (d) of this section, shall be recorded at the prevailing 
price. For all other assets sold by or transferred from a carrier to its 
affiliate, the assets shall be recorded at no less than the higher of 
fair market value and net book cost. For all other assets sold by or 
transferred to a carrier from its affiliate, the assets shall be 
recorded at no more than the lower of fair market value and net book 
cost.
    (1) Floor. When assets are sold by or transferred from a carrier to 
an affiliate, the higher of fair market value and net book cost 
establishes a floor, below which the transaction cannot be recorded. 
Carriers may record the transaction at an amount equal to or greater 
than the floor, so long as that action complies with the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended, Commission rules and orders, and is not 
otherwise anti-competitive.
    (2) Ceiling. When assets are purchased from or transferred from an 
affiliate to a carrier, the lower of fair market value and net book cost 
establishes a ceiling, above which the transaction cannot be recorded. 
Carriers may record the transaction at an amount equal to or less than 
the ceiling, so long as that action complies with the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended, Commission rules and orders, and is not otherwise 
anti-competitive.
    (3) Threshold. For purposes of this section carriers are required to 
make a good faith determination of fair market value for an asset when 
the total aggregate annual value of the asset(s) reaches or exceeds 
$500,000, per affiliate. When a carrier reaches or exceeds the $500,000 
threshold for a particular asset for the first time, the carrier must 
perform the market valuation and value the transaction on a going-
forward basis in accordance with the affiliate transactions rules on a 
going-forward basis. When the total aggregate annual value of the 
asset(s) does not reach or exceed $500,000, the asset(s) shall be 
recorded at net book cost.
    (c) Services provided between a carrier and its affiliate pursuant 
to a tariff, including a tariff filed with a state commission, shall be 
recorded in the appropriate revenue accounts at the tariffed rate. Non-
tariffed services provided between a carrier and its affiliate pursuant 
to publicly-filed agreements submitted to a state commission pursuant to 
section 252(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 or statements of 
generally available terms pursuant to section 252(f) shall be recorded 
using the charges appearing in such publicly-filed agreements or 
statements. Non-tariffed services provided between a carrier and its 
affiliate that qualify for

[[Page 396]]

prevailing price valuation, as defined in paragraph (d) of this section, 
shall be recorded at the prevailing price. For all other services sold 
by or transferred from a carrier to its affiliate, the services shall be 
recorded at no less than the higher of fair market value and fully 
distributed cost. For all other services sold by or transferred to a 
carrier from its affiliate, the services shall be recorded at no more 
than the lower of fair market value and fully distributed cost.
    (1) Floor. When services are sold by or transferred from a carrier 
to an affiliate, the higher of fair market value and fully distributed 
cost establishes a floor, below which the transaction cannot be 
recorded. Carriers may record the transaction at an amount equal to or 
greater than the floor, so long as that action complies with the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, Commission rules and orders, and 
is not otherwise anti-competitive.
    (2) Ceiling. When services are purchased from or transferred from an 
affiliate to a carrier, the lower of fair market value and fully 
distributed cost establishes a ceiling, above which the transaction 
cannot be recorded. Carriers may record the transaction at an amount 
equal to or less than the ceiling, so long as that action complies with 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, Commission rules and orders, 
and is not otherwise anti-competitive.
    (3) Threshold. For purposes of this section, carriers are required 
to make a good faith determination of fair market value for a service 
when the total aggregate annual value of that service reaches or exceeds 
$500,000, per affiliate. When a carrier reaches or exceeds the $500,000 
threshold for a particular service for the first time, the carrier must 
perform the market valuation and value the transaction in accordance 
with the affiliate transactions rules on a going-forward basis. All 
services received by a carrier from its affiliate(s) that exist solely 
to provide services to members of the carrier's corporate family shall 
be recorded at fully distributed cost.
    (d) In order to qualify for prevailing price valuation in paragraphs 
(b) and (c) of this section, sales of a particular asset or service to 
third parties must encompass greater than 25 percent of the total 
quantity of such product or service sold by an entity. Carriers shall 
apply this 25 percent threshold on an asset-by-asset and service-by-
service basis, rather than on a product-line or service-line basis. In 
the case of transactions for assets and services subject to section 272, 
a BOC may record such transactions at prevailing price regardless of 
whether the 25 percent threshold has been satisfied.
    (e) Income taxes shall be allocated among the regulated activities 
of the carrier, its nonregulated divisions, and members of an affiliated 
group. Under circumstances in which income taxes are determined on a 
consolidated basis by the carrier and other members of the affiliated 
group, the income tax expense to be recorded by the carrier shall be the 
same as would result if determined for the carrier separately for all 
time periods, except that the tax effect of carry-back and carry-forward 
operating losses, investment tax credits, or other tax credits generated 
by operations of the carrier shall be recorded by the carrier during the 
period in which applied in settlement of the taxes otherwise 
attributable to any member, or combination of members, of the affiliated 
group.
    (f) Companies that employ average schedules in lieu of actual costs 
are exempt from the provisions of this section. For other organizations, 
the principles set forth in this section shall apply equally to 
corporations, proprietorships, partnerships and other forms of business 
organizations.

[67 FR 5679, Feb. 6, 2002, as amended at 69 FR 53648, Sept. 2, 2004]