# IRS EXAMINATION MEMORANDUM
**EXAMINATION OF:** MLP Formation — Natural Gas Processing Partnership with Ancillary Logistics Operations
**REVIEWED BY:** Senior Revenue Agent, LB&I Partnership Tax Specialty
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## ISSUE
Taxpayer formed a master limited partnership to own and operate natural gas processing facilities and elected to exclude trucking and railcar loading operations from the MLP structure, instead housing these activities in a taxable C-corporation subsidiary. The question is whether this structural bifurcation was executed properly and whether any logistics income was nonetheless included in the MLP's qualifying income calculation, or whether economic substance concerns arise from the separation.
## GOVERNMENT'S POSITION
The taxpayer's decision to exclude logistics operations appears technically compliant with
Section 7704(d)(1)(E), but the examination should verify three potential challenges. First, confirm that no trucking or loading fee revenue was incorrectly characterized as pipeline transportation income or buried in bundled service charges reported as qualifying income. Second, examine transfer pricing between the MLP and C-corp sub to ensure the sub is paying arm's-length rates for use of MLP facilities and that the MLP isn't absorbing costs that economically belong to the logistics business. Third, assess whether the C-corp sub is a true separate business or merely a formal accommodation designed to warehouse questionable income while the entities remain operationally integrated. If the MLP and C-corp function as a single integrated enterprise with shared management, employees, and customers, we may challenge the separation under substance-over-form principles.
## PROPOSED ADJUSTMENT
If examination determines that logistics income was misclassified as qualifying income or that the C-corp sub lacks economic substance as a separate enterprise, the adjustment would reallocate non-qualifying income to the MLP's gross income test under
Section 7704(c). Assuming $75 million in annual logistics EBITDA represents approximately 12-15% of total income, this would cause the partnership to fail the 90% qualifying income threshold. The partnership would be taxable as a corporation retroactively to the year of formation under
Section 7704(a). All partners would recognize their distributive shares as dividend income rather than partnership allocations, eliminating basis adjustments and loss pass-throughs. Penalties under
Section 6662(a) would apply at 20% for substantial understatement unless reasonable cause can be established.
## BEST SUPPORTING AUTHORITY
**IRC
Section 7704(d)(1)(E):** Defines qualifying income as income from exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, or marketing of minerals or natural resources — taxpayer bears burden of proving logistics activities fall within statutory transportation category.
**IRC
Section 482 and
Treas. Reg. Section 1.482-1(a)(1):** Authorize Commissioner to allocate income between related entities to prevent tax avoidance — applies to verify arm's-length pricing between MLP and C-corp subsidiary for shared facilities and services.
**
Treas. Reg. Section 1.7704-4(d):** Limits qualifying income from services to those "intrinsic" to qualifying activities — relevant if examination reveals C-corp provides services to MLP that should have been self-performed or if bundled charges conceal non-qualifying service fees.
## WEAKNESSES
The taxpayer's conservative decision to exclude logistics income substantially strengthens their position and would likely defeat any challenge to MLP status assuming the separation was implemented consistently in practice.
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