(a) General rules of allocation. As provided in § 287.17, if amounts on deposit in a construction reserve fund are expended, obligated, or withdrawn for construction, reconstruction, reconditioning, or acquisition of new vessels, or for the liquidation of purchase-money indebtedness of such vessels, the portion thereof which represents gain shall be applied in reduction of the basis of such new vessels. The rules set forth below in this paragraph shall apply in allocating the unrecognized gain to the amounts so expended, obligated, or withdrawn:

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(1) If the “net proceeds” of a sale or “net indemnity” in respect of a loss are deposited in more than one deposit, the portion thereof representing unrecognized gain shall be considered as having been deposited first.

(2) Amounts expended, obligated, or withdrawn from the construction reserve fund shall be applied against amounts deposited in the order of deposit.

(3) If any deposit consists in part of gain not recognized under section 511(c) of the Act, then any expenditure, obligation, or withdrawal applied against such deposit shall be considered to consist of gain in the same proportion that the part of the deposit which constitutes gain bears to the total amount of the deposit.

(b) Date of obligation. The date funds are obligated under a contract for the construction, reconstruction, reconditioning, or acquisition of new vessels, or for the liquidation of purchase-money indebtedness on such vessels, rather than the date of payment from the fund, will determine the order of application against the deposits in the fund. When a contract for the construction, reconstruction, reconditioning, or acquisition of new vessels, or for the liquidation of purchase-money indebtedness on such vessels is entered into, amounts on deposit in the construction reserve fund will be deemed to be obligated to the extent of the amount of the taxpayer’s liability under the contract. Deposits will be deemed to be so obligated in the order of deposit, each new contract obligating the earliest deposit not previously expended, obligated, or withdrawn. If the liability under the contract exceeds the amount in the construction reserve fund, the contract will be deemed to obligate, to the extent of that part of such excess not otherwise satisfied, the earliest deposit or deposits thereafter made.

(c) Illustration. The foregoing rules are illustrated in the following example:

Example.(1) A taxpayer who makes his returns on the calendar year basis sells a vessel in 1963 for $1,000,000, realizing a gain of $400,000. Payment of $100,000 is received in March 1963 when the contract is signed, and the balance of $900,000 is received in June 1963 on delivery of the vessel. The $1,000,000 is deposited in a construction reserve fund in July 1963. In December 1963, the taxpayer also deposits $150,000, representing earnings of that year. In 1964, he sells another vessel for $1,000,000, realizing a gain of $250,000. The sale price of $1,000,000 is received on delivery of the vessel in February 1964, and deposited in the construction reserve fund in March 1964. In September 1964, the taxpayer purchases for cash out of the construction reserve fund a new vessel for $1,750,000. To the cost of this vessel must be allocated the 1963 deposits of $1,150,000 and $600,000 of the March 1964 deposit. This leaves in the fund $400,000 of the March 1964 deposit. The amount of the unrecognized gain to be applied against the basis of the new vessel is $550,000, computed as follows: Gain of $400,000 represented in the 1963 deposits, plus the same proportion of the $250,000 gain represented in the March 1964 deposit ($1,000,000) which the amount ($600,000) allocated to the vessel is of the amount of the deposit, i.e., $400,000 plus 600,000/1,000,000 of $250,000 or $150,000, a total of $550,000. This reduces the basis of the new vessel to $1,200,000 ($1,750,000 less $550,000).

(2) In 1965, the taxpayer sells a third vessel for $3,000,000, realizing a gain of $900,000. The $3,000,000 is received and deposited in the construction reserve fund in June 1965, making a total in the fund of $3,400,000. In December 1965, the taxpayer contracts for the construction of a second new vessel to cost a maximum of $3,200,000, thereby obligating that amount of the fund, and in June 1966, receives permission to withdraw the unobligated balance amounting to $200,000. To the cost of the second new vessel must be allocated the $400,000 balance of the March 1964 deposit and $2,800,000 of the June 1965 deposit. The unrecognized gain to be applied against the basis of such new vessel is that proportion of the gain represented in each deposit which the portion of the deposit allocated to the vessel bears to the amount of such deposit, i.e., 400,000/1,000,000 of $250,000, or $100,000 plus 2,800,000/3,000,000 of $900,000, or $840,000 making a total of $940,000. The $200,000 withdrawal is applied against the June 1965 deposit and the portion thereof which represents gain will be recognized as income for 1965, the year in which realized. The computation of the recognized gain is as follows: 200,000/3,000,000 of $900,000, or $60,000.