Regulated Investment Company (RIC): Definition, Examples, Taxes (2024)

What Is a Regulated Investment Company (RIC)

A regulated investment company (RIC) can be any one of several investment entities. For example, it may take the form of a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF), a real estate investment trust (REIT), or a unit investment trust (UIT). Whichever form the RIC assumes, the structure must be deemed eligible by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to pass through taxes for capital gains, dividends, or interest earned to the individual investors.

A regulated investment company is qualified to pass-through income under Regulation M of the IRS, with the specific regulations for qualifying as an RIC delineated in U.S. code, title 26, sections 851 through 855, 860, and 4982.

Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Basics

The purpose of utilizing pass-through or flow-through income is to avoid a double-taxation scenario as would be the case if both the investment company and its investors paid tax on company generated income and profits. The concept of pass-through income is also referred to as the conduit theory, as the investment company is functioning as a conduit for passing on capital gains, dividends and interest to individual shareholders.

Without the regulated investment company allowance, both the investment company and its investors would have to pay taxes on the company's capital gains or earnings. With pass-through income, the company is not required to pay corporate income taxes on profits passed through to the shareholders. The only income tax imposed is on individual shareholders.

Requirements to Qualify as an RIC

To qualify as a regulated investment company the business has to meet specific perimeters.

  1. Exist as a corporation, or other entity, which would ordinarily have taxes assessed as a corporation.
  2. Be registered as an investment company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  3. Elect to be deemed as an RIC by the Investment Company Act of 1940 as long as its income source and diversification of assets meets specified requirements.

Additionally, an RIC must derive a minimum of 90% of its income from capital gains, interest or dividends earned on investments. Further, an RIC must distribute a minimum of 90% of its net investment income in the form of interest, dividends or capital gains to its shareholders. Should the RIC not distribute this share of income, it may be subject to an excise tax by the IRS.

Finally, to qualify as a regulated investment company, at least 50% of a company's total assets must be in the form of cash, cash equivalents or securities. No more than 25% of the company’s total assets may be invested in securities of a single issuer unless the investments are government securities or the securities of other RICs.

Key Takeaways

  • A regulated investment company can be any type of investment entity including mutual funds, ETFs, and REITS.
  • An RIC must derive a minimum of 90% of its income from capital gains, interest, or dividends earned on investments.
  • To qualify, at least 50% of a company's total assets must be in the form of cash, cash equivalents, or securities.
  • President Obama signed the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 into law Dec. 22, 2010.

Real World Example

President Obama signed the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 into law Dec. 22, 2010. It made changes to the rules governing the tax treatment of regulated investment companies (RICs), including open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, and most exchange-traded funds. The last update to the rules governing RICs was the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

The primary reason for the 2010 RIC Modernization Act was due to vast changes in the mutual fund industry in the 25 years between 1986 and 2010. Further, many of the tax rules applicable to RICs became obsolete, created administrative burdens or caused uncertainty.

Regulated Investment Company (RIC): Definition, Examples, Taxes (2024)

FAQs

What is an example of a RIC? ›

A regulated investment company (RIC) can be any one of several investment entities. For example, it may take the form of a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF), a real estate investment trust (REIT), or a unit investment trust (UIT).

What is a regulated investment company for tax purposes? ›

A regulated investment company (RIC) is a domestic corporation that acts as an investment agent for its shareholders, typically investing in corporate and government securities and distributing income earned from the investments as dividends (for example, a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund).

What is an RIC for US federal income tax purposes? ›

A US investment company that meets certain tax requirements regarding its assets, income and distributions, and has made an election to be taxed as a RIC. Mutual funds and closed-end investment companies typically are taxed as RICs.

What is the meaning of regulated investment company? ›

What is a Regulated Investment Company? Regulated investment companies are companies that are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Investment Company Act of 1940 and have the primary business purpose of investing the assets of owners.

What type of investment is a RIC? ›

A regulated investment company (RIC) can be any one of several types of companies, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), unit investment trusts, or real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Is RIC taxable income? ›

Unlike a C-corporation, a RIC can deduct dividends distributed to its shareholders. A RIC is therefore generally not subject to an entity level tax on net investment income and net capital gain if it distributes these amounts to its shareholders within certain time limits.

How are RIC shareholders taxed? ›

RIC shareholders are taxed on distributions as they are received. However, dividends declared and made payable by RICs in October, November, or December are considered received by shareholders on December 31 of the same year even if the dividends are actually paid during January of the following year.

Is Robinhood a regulated investment company? ›

Robinhood is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and maintains membership in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Investment accounts with Robinhood are covered beyond just standard Securities Investor Protection Corp. (SIPC) coverage.

How do you know if a company is an investment company? ›

Visit FINRA BrokerCheck or call FINRA at (800) 289-9999. Or, visit the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website. Also, contact your state securities regulator.

What does RIC stand for on 1099? ›

Regulated investment companies (RICs) must report both to the IRS and to investors. RICs are also subject to general information reporting requirements. Form 1099-DIV is used to inform the IRS and shareholders of ordinary capital gains.

What does RIC stand for on form 1116? ›

Regulated investment company (RIC) pass-through amounts.

What is the RIC dividends received deduction? ›

The dividends received deduction allows a company that receives a dividend from another company to deduct that dividend from its income and reduce its income tax accordingly. However, several technical rules apply that must be followed for corporate shareholders to be entitled to the DRD.

What are the three classifications of investment companies? ›

A company that issues and invests in securities. The three types of investment companies are mutual funds, closed-end funds, and unit investment trusts.

Is Charles Schwab a regulated investment company? ›

(Schwab) is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The summary below highlights the nature of the brokerage relationship with our clients. Schwab is also an investment adviser registered with the SEC.

Is Fidelity investments are regulated investment company? ›

Effective as of March 28, 2023. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”) is a registered broker-dealer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

What is the difference between a RIC and a mutual fund? ›

Regulated investment companies (RICs), commonly known as mutual funds, are corporations that act as investment agents for their shareholders, typically investing in government and corporate securities and distributing dividend and interest income earned from the investments as dividends to their shareholders.

What are the four types of investment funds? ›

Most mutual funds fall into one of four main categories – money market funds, bond funds, stock funds, and target date funds. Each type has different features, risks, and rewards.

What accounts are considered investments? ›

Investment accounts are those that hold stocks, bonds, funds and other securities, as well as cash. A key difference between an investment account and a bank account is that the value of assets in an investment account fluctuates and can, in fact, decline.

How much investment income is taxable? ›

If you sell an asset for more than you paid for it, your profit (minus your cost basis) is called a capital gain. Short-term capital gains are profits from selling assets you own for a year or less. They're usually taxed at ordinary income tax rates (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, or 37%).

Do investments count as income for taxes? ›

Investment income such as interest and rent is considered ordinary income and will generally be taxed according to your ordinary income tax rate.

How much money counts as taxable income? ›

Generally, you must include in gross income everything you receive in payment for personal services. In addition to wages, salaries, commissions, fees, and tips, this includes other forms of compensation such as fringe benefits and stock options.

How is a reporting fund taxed? ›

Without reporting fund status, the default position is that an investor in an offshore fund will pay income tax at up to 45% on any realised gains. If the offshore fund has elected into the reporting fund regime, realised gains will instead be subject to capital gains tax rates, currently at a maximum of 20%.

Is Merrill Lynch a regulated investment company? ›

MERRILL (800.637. 7455). MLPF&S is a dual registrant, which means that it is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a broker dealer and an investment adviser. It is also a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Who regulates investment companies in USA? ›

The SEC is the federal agency responsible for overseeing the securities industry, including the registration and regulation of investment companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers.

Why is Fidelity better than Robinhood? ›

Fidelity offers several advanced trading features that are absent from Robinhood's platform. You can trade OTC penny stocks and engage in short selling. Robinhood does not offer OTC penny stock trading or short selling.

Who owns an investment company? ›

Investment companies are business entities, both privately and publicly owned, that manage, sell and market funds to the public.

Can I have my own investment company? ›

To start an investment company, you'll need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You also must obtain a securities license from the state where you plan to do business. You may also need a broker-dealer license, depending on the products you plan to offer.

What is an example of an investment company? ›

Three of the biggest investment management companies in the world are BlackRock Funds (iShares), Vanguard, and Charles Schwab. Each of these firms offers many products to retail clients, including hundreds of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other vehicles covering different asset classes.

Why does my 1099-R show a taxable amount? ›

Why does a 1099-R show the entire distribution as taxable? If none of the gross distribution in block 1 Gross Distribution on a 1099-R is taxable, you must enter 0 in block 2a Taxable amount. If block 2a is left blank, the entire amount of the distribution entered in block 1 Gross Distribution is treated as taxable.

Why is my 1099-R taxable? ›

Pension and annuity distributions are usually made to retired employees, disabled employees and in some cases to the beneficiary of a deceased employee. If no after-tax contributions were made to the pension plan before distribution, the entire amount is generally included in taxable income.

Who should file 1099-R? ›

File Form 1099-R for each person to whom you have made a designated distribution or are treated as having made a distribution of $10 or more from: Profit-sharing or retirement plans. Any individual retirement arrangements (IRAs). Annuities, pensions, insurance contracts, survivor income benefit plans.

How do I know if I need to file form 1116? ›

What's the purpose of Form 1116? The IRS states you should file Form 1116 to claim the foreign tax credit if you are an individual, estate or trust, and you paid or accrued certain foreign taxes to a foreign country or U.S. possession.

What is high taxed income 1116? ›

The letters HTKO on Form 1116, stand for High-Tax Kickout. When the effective tax rate for foreign passive category income exceeds the greatest U.S. rate, the income is considered high-taxed income and is combined with the general limitation category basket.

What is a 1116 explanation statement? ›

While several situations may require a Form 1116 explanation statement to the IRS, the most common use is to explain your Foreign Tax Credit calculation. Any expat who wants to claim this tax credit must submit a statement that shows how the amount was calculated for Part II of Form 1116.

How do I claim dividend income exemption? ›

You can submit Form 15G/15H to the company or mutual fund declaring that your total income for the financial year is below the taxable limit. Thus, TDS should not apply to your dividend income.

What is a qualified dividend for tax purposes? ›

Qualified dividends, as defined by the United States Internal Revenue Code, are ordinary dividends that meet specific criteria to be taxed at the lower long-term capital gains tax rate rather than at higher tax rate for an individual's ordinary income. The rates on qualified dividends range from 0 to 23.8%.

How are qualified dividends reported on tax return? ›

Qualified dividends are all or a portion of the total ordinary dividends. They're reported in box 1a on Form 1099-DIV. While this sounds complicated, your financial institution should specify which dividends are qualified when they report your dividends to you on Form 1099-DIV. Qualified dividends appear in box 1b.

What are examples of Level 3 investments? ›

Examples of Level 3 assets include mortgage-backed securities (MBS), private equity shares, complex derivatives, foreign stocks, and distressed debt.

What are the 5 classes of investment? ›

The five most common asset classes are equities, fixed-income securities, cash, marketable commodities and real estate.

What are five common types of investments? ›

Perhaps the most common are stocks, bonds, real estate, and ETFs/mutual funds. Other types of investments to consider are real estate, CDs, annuities, cryptocurrencies, commodities, collectibles, and precious metals.

Is Edward Jones a regulated investment company? ›

Broker-Dealer and Investment Adviser Regulation.

Edward Jones is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. Edward Jones is subject to periodic examinations by the SEC, review by a designated examining authority and certain periodic and ad hoc reporting requirements of securities and customer funds.

What is the excise tax on RIC? ›

Effective for calendar years beginning after December 31, 1986, section 4982(a) of the Code imposes an excise tax on every RIC for each calendar year. The tax is equal to 4 percent of the excess (if any) of the RIC's "required distribution" for the calendar year over the "distributed amount" for the calendar year.

Is Morgan Stanley a regulated investment company? ›

Morgan Stanley is registered as both a broker-dealer and as an investment adviser under federal and state securities laws, and we provide services in both capacities.

What is the 90% income test? ›

The Gross Income Test

In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, the entity must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest and similar income items earned in its business of investing in stock, securities, and currencies.

Is an ETF a regulated investment company? ›

Most ETPs are structured as ETFs, which are registered with and regulated by the SEC as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940. ETFs generally focus their investments in stocks or bonds and have diversification requirements.

Is a mutual fund a RIC? ›

A US investment company that meets certain tax requirements regarding its assets, income and distributions, and has made an election to be taxed as a RIC. Mutual funds and closed-end investment companies typically are taxed as RICs.

What are registered investment companies? ›

A company that issues and invests in securities. The three types of investment companies are mutual funds, closed-end funds, and unit investment trusts.

What are examples of income fund investments? ›

Income funds are those funds that provide the investors with regular income in the form of interest or dividends by way of making investments in government bonds, corporate bonds, high dividend earning stocks and other securities yielding high interest and dividend incomes.

What is an example of debt oriented fund? ›

Definition: Debt funds are mutual funds that invest in fixed income securities like bonds and treasury bills. Gilt fund, monthly income plans (MIPs), short term plans (STPs), liquid funds, and fixed maturity plans (FMPs) are some of the investment options in debt funds.

Are ETFs a regulated investment company? ›

The SEC regulates ETFs under the Investment Company Act of 1940 generally under the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds and unit investment trusts (UITs). 2 Most investors buy and sell ETF shares through broker-dealers at market-determined prices, much like publicly traded stocks.

What are 4 types of other investment companies? ›

An investment company can be a corporation, partnership, business trust or limited liability company (LLC) that pools money from investors on a collective basis.

What are the 4 biggest investment companies? ›

BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, State Street Global Advisors, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are the five largest financial advisory firms in the United States, ranked by assets under management (AUM).

What is the best type of investment income? ›

12 best investments right now
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs)
  • Money market funds.
  • Government bonds.
  • Corporate bonds.
  • Mutual funds.
  • Index funds.
  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
May 4, 2023

What is income from mutual funds called? ›

Dividend: A part of the profit distributed amongst investors by mutual fund houses is called dividend. Capital gains: When investors sell their capital assets at a higher price than its total investment amount, the profit is termed as capital gains.

What is an example of private debt? ›

When a privately-held company takes out a business loan, or when an entrepreneur borrows money from a family member, those are both examples of private debt. Private debt can take many forms, but commonly take the form of credit card debt, corporate bonds, business loans, or personal loans.

What are the three most common forms of debt? ›

The most common forms of debt are loans, including mortgages, auto loans, and personal loans, as well as credit cards. Under the terms of a most loans, the borrower receives a set amount of money, which they must repay in full by a certain date, which may be months or years in the future.

What is the difference between equity and debt investment? ›

With debt finance you're required to repay the money plus interest over a set period of time, typically in monthly instalments. Equity finance, on the other hand, carries no repayment obligation, so more money can be channelled into growing your business.

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