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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-MCG26317-DGG-T5-LV5"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 S4185 IS: Stop Subsidizing Giant Mergers Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-03-25</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>2d Session</session><legis-num>S. 4185</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20260325">March 25, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S316">Mr. Whitehouse</sponsor> (for himself and <cosponsor name-id="S399">Mr. Hawley</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFI00">Committee on Finance</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to end the tax-free treatment of certain corporate reorganizations that involve large corporations.</official-title></form><legis-body display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause"><section section-type="section-one" id="S1"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Stop Subsidizing Giant Mergers Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section" id="id39d6569959864454850194fe72f249d0"><enum>2.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Modification of rules relating to corporate reorganizations for certain large corporations</header><subsection id="idE3997E6E398B42589CE891F1F0D883DD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Acquisitive reorganizations</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/368">Section 368(a)(2)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id09AE6E199AEA4F599D8468D5FAFBB669"><subparagraph id="idC1B8E8820B30490F9EC78E3FA77AF410"><enum>(I)</enum><header>Special rules with respect to certain acquisitive reorganizations described in paragraph (1)(A), (1)(B), (1)(C), and (1)(D)</header><clause id="id64B6E44BAB254E1A96BBAFC9B0D5A68B"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer which is described in clause (ii) shall not be treated as a merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer described in paragraph (1)(A), (1)(B), (1)(C), or (1)(D).</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id68f1b183b9e84ea583dbbfd5d0c5c05c"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Transactions described</header><text>A merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is described in this clause if—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8eb5dc35ceed4e2c9590bcd77dd61014"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is, or is treated as, the acquisition of the stock or assets of another corporation,</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id252639c56a6d44cfada459598b80fdd5"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is not excepted under clause (iii), and</text></subclause><subclause id="idb350be6d36374f359444f804bbeabad9"><enum>(III)</enum><text>the combined average annual gross receipts of the acquiring corporation and the acquired corporation for the 3-taxable year period which precedes the taxable year in which the merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is completed exceeds $500,000,000.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id1af284a7018d4fbbb9a19715bcdba000"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Exceptions</header><text>A merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is excepted under this clause if—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id34f77e168fb944878ec25a433f70f646"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">either the acquiring corporation or the acquired corporation controls the other immediately before (and, if both corporations continue to exist, after) the merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer (as the case may be),</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id570d7c90782e4150b09e526b0da10841"><enum>(II)</enum><text>any other corporation controls both the acquiring corporation and the acquired corporation immediately before (and, if both corporations continue to exist, after) the merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer (as the case may be), or</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8e55c49efae043f2918283bc2e60a70a"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">either the acquiring corporation or the acquired corporation meets the gross receipts test of section 448(c)(1) for the taxable year in which the merger, consolidation, acquisition, or transfer is completed.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id47381deaf1ca4a6cbfbaa18874680a13"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Aggregation and other special rules</header><text>Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 448(c) shall apply for purposes of clause (i)(II), except that (unless otherwise provided by the Secretary) the rules of section 448(c)(2) shall not apply in determining the average annual gross receipts of the acquired corporation.</text></clause><clause id="ida62776d489fb4aae8713bfa82d986c16"><enum>(v)</enum><header>Inflation adjustment</header><text>In the case of any taxable year beginning after 2026, the dollar amount in clause (ii)(III) shall be increased by an amount equal to—</text><subclause id="id56d582fff9ba4770a5c06af8e54cbb17"> <enum>(I)</enum> <text>such dollar amount, multiplied by</text>
 </subclause><subclause id="iddbba6e70e47b4bf5b9c66fbbe2cb7683"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which such taxable year begins, determined by substituting <quote>calendar year 2025</quote> for <quote>calendar year 2016</quote> in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.</text></subclause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="clause">If any amount as increased under the preceding sentence is not a multiple of $1,000,000, such amount shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1,000,000.</continuation-text></clause><clause id="idA48699138F30447D9E42D12C866D1974"><enum>(vi)</enum><header>Regulations and guidance</header><text>The Secretary may prescribe such regulations and other guidance as are necessary or appropriate to carry out, and to prevent the abuse of the purposes of, this subparagraph, including rules—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id21cc1933970b47e892f6e6916354c448"><enum>(I)</enum><text>to prevent the avoidance of the application of this subparagraph through the use of a series of transactions designed and executed as parts of a unitary plan, and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idffb0830f5e3e4a3ebe715b24319516e1"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">for the nonapplication of the rules of clause (i) where such nonapplication is consistent with the purposes of this subparagraph.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id622166709f30421eb9e88090ce7f4837"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Transfers to corporations controlled by transferors</header><text>Section 351 is amended by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i) and by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5AFCBBE6A9354C329A69D7F219118391"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfce44d742e804fe1a8bc672343c80a98"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Special rule with respect to multiple transferors</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id125c6fdbe794434cb5e77ea7dc563b37"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (a) shall not apply to any transfer of property by two or more persons which are corporations if the combined average annual gross receipts of such persons for the 3-taxable year period which precedes the taxable year of the transfer exceeds $500,000,000.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="idAA1F33D5DEEA4317BBDC3831BA0A57BD"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>Clause (i) shall not apply if—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8fe50c69b936441e8b06d4aabcdf3dfb"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such persons control the corporation to which the property is transferred immediately before the transfer,</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id17a232237a8a46d492ab2bea4086b1a5"><enum>(B)</enum><text>another corporation controls all such persons and the corporation to which the property is transferred immediately before the transfer, or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id07b939058fc749d5b2acdc9420f623fe"><enum>(C)</enum><text>all such persons meet the gross receipts test of section 448(c)(1) for the taxable year in which the transfer is made.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id536B4036BB3444C9B125731EF051AA18"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Aggregation and other special rules</header><text>Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 448(c) shall apply for purposes of paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9523F2D342F945E89A294EDF7808D31D"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Inflation adjustment</header><text>In the case of any taxable year beginning after 2026, the dollar amount in paragraph (1) shall be increased by an amount equal to—</text><subparagraph id="idD8E505DFE40542F9A9FF471568142ED9"> <enum>(A)</enum> <text>such dollar amount, multiplied by</text>
 </subparagraph><subparagraph id="id186E2AB3DA4E43EBB1B0B79EBD32FCB8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which such taxable year begins, determined by substituting <quote>calendar year 2025</quote> for <quote>calendar year 2016</quote> in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.</text></subparagraph><continuation-text continuation-text-level="paragraph">If any amount as increased under the preceding sentence is not a multiple of $1,000,000, such amount shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1,000,000.</continuation-text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB0CD00E51543417E80C4D515AED63EE6"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Regulations and guidance</header><text>The Secretary may prescribe such regulations and other guidance as are necessary or appropriate to carry out, and to prevent the abuse of the purposes of, this subparagraph, including rules—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idFAC828BB189143FDA73E6FF27C6D333F"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to prevent the avoidance of the application of this subsection through the use of a series of transactions designed and executed as parts of a unitary plan, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7FC9740633D24F30A6072249B28AF49B"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">for the nonapplication of the rules of paragraph (1) where such nonapplication is consistent with the purposes of this subsection.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id9EC36E6B13B946E4B903951AB5CE7E8B"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this section shall apply to transfers after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill>

