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A Win-Win Proposal For Analyzing Profits-Only Partnership Interests, Brad Borden

Bradley T. Borden

The proper tax treatment of profits-only partnership interests is an unsolved aspect of tax law. The problem has manifested itself recently in the debate over the proper tax treatment of carried interests, a subset of profits-only partnership interests. Current law taxes holders of profits-only partnership interests based upon the character of income determined at the partnership level. Therefore, a partner who contributes only services to a partnership may be taxed at favorable long-term capital gains rates. One group of commentators recognizes such treatment as inequitable and recommends that at least a portion of partnership income allocated to holders of profits-only …