26 U.S.C. § 636: Income tax treatment of mineral production payments

A production payment carved out of mineral property shall be treated, for purposes of this subtitle, as if it were a mortgage loan on the property, and shall not qualify as an economic interest in the mineral property. In the case of a production payment carved out for exploration or development of a mineral property, the preceding sentence shall apply only if and to the extent gross income from the property (for purposes of section 613) would be realized, in the absence of the application of such sentence, by the person creating the production payment. A production payment retained on the sale of a mineral property shall be treated, for purposes of this subtitle, as if it were a purchase money mortgage loan and shall not qualify as an economic interest in the mineral property. A production payment retained in a mineral property by the lessor in a leasing transaction shall be treated, for purposes of this subtitle, insofar as the lessee (or his successors in interest) is concerned, as if it were a bonus granted by the lessee to the lessor payable in installments. The treatment of the production payment in the hands of the lessor shall be determined without regard to the provisions of this subsection. As used in this section, the term “mineral property” has the meaning assigned to the term “property” in section 614(a). The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. The amendments made by this section [enacting this section] shall apply with respect to mineral production payments created on or after August 7, 1969 , other than mineral production payments created before January 1, 1971 , pursuant to a binding contract entered into before August 7, 1969 . At the election of the taxpayer (made at such time and in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate prescribes by regulations), the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to all mineral production payments which the taxpayer carved out of mineral properties after the beginning of his last taxable year ending before August 7, 1969 . No interest shall be allowed on any refund or credit of any overpayment resulting from such election for any taxable year ending before August 7, 1969 . the aggregate amount of production payments carved out and sold by the taxpayer during the 12-month period immediately preceding his taxable year which includes August 7, 1969 , over the aggregate amount of production payments carved out before August 7, 1969 , by the taxpayer during his taxable year which includes such date, or the amount necessary to increase the amount of the taxpayer’s gross income, within the meaning of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954] [this title], for the taxable year which includes August 7, 1969 , to an amount equal to the amount of deductions (other than any deduction under section 172 of such Code) allowable for such year under such chapter.