PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.
H.R.285 / 108th Congress

Fairness, Simplification and Competitiveness for American Business Act of 2003

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 8, 2003

Fairness, Simplification and Competitiveness for American Business Act of 2003 - Revises Internal Revenue Code rules relating to U.S. businesses operating abroad.Revises provisions concerning treatment of controlled foreign corporations, including: (1) expanding the de minimis rule; (2) excluding from the definition of "foreign base company oil related income" the pipeline transportation of oil or gas within such foreign country; (3) repealing rules applicable to foreign personal holding companies and foreign investment companies; (4) amending the definition of foreign personal holding company income to include income from certain personal services contracts and sale of such contracts; (5) repealing controlled foreign corporation rules on foreign base company sales and service income; (6) reducing foreign tax credit baskets; and (7) not treating interest, dividends, rents, and royalties from a related controlled foreign corporation as foreign personal holding company income.Sets forth provisions concerning foreign tax credit, including: (1) extending the period in which excess foreign taxes may be carried; (2) defining overall domestic loss and setting forth provisions for determining taxable income for any taxpayer sustaining such a loss; (3) issuing special rules relating to financial services income; (4) dictating rules for the treatment of dividends from certain corporations and extending the look-through treatment for such corporations; (5) extending the carryforward period for foreign tax credits; (6) repealing the limitation of such credits under the alternative minimum tax; and (7) eliminating limitation on such credits with regard to oil or gas extraction taxes.Exempts certain foreign corporations from uniform capitalization rules.Sets forth provisions concerning airline mileage awards to certain foreign persons.Repeals the special capital gains tax on certain nonresident aliens.Exempts dividends paid by a foreign corporation to a nonresident alien from 30 percent taxation.Permits, for interest allocation rule purposes, treating each electing worldwide affiliated group as an affiliated group, subject to exceptions.Makes permanent the subpart F exception for active income financing (presently, the exception expires for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2006).

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Rep. Houghton, Amo [R-NY-29] · R–NY

Committees

  • Ways and Means Committee
5 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E54)

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Aug 18, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.R.285 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine H.R.285 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.R.285 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.285 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources