General. If you have income from a trade or business in certain situations, you have options for figuring your net earnings from self-employment. The options available to you depend on whether you have income from an agricultural trade or business or a non-agricultural trade or business. For a definition of agricultural trade or business see § 404.1095.

Agricultural trade or business. The net earnings from self-employment you derive from an agricultural trade or business may, at your option, be figured as follows:

Gross income of $2,400 or less. If your gross income is $2,400 or less you may, at your option, report 662/3 percent of the gross income as net earnings from self-employment instead of your actual net earnings from your business.

Gross income of more than $2,400. If your gross income is more than $2,400 and your actual net earnings from your business are less than $1,600 you may, at your option, report $1,600 as net earnings from self-employment instead of your actual net earnings. If your actual net earnings are $1,600 or more you cannot use the optional method.

Two or more agricultural trades or businesses. If you carry on more than one agricultural trade or business as a sole proprietor or as a partner, you must combine your gross income and net income from each trade or business to find out whether you may use the optional method of figuring net earnings.

Non-agricultural trade or business. (1) The net earnings from self-employment you derive from a non-agricultural trade or business may be reported under an optional method if you are self-employed on a regular basis (as defined in paragraph (c)(4) of this section). You cannot use the optional method of reporting for more than 5 taxable years, and you cannot report less than your actual net earnings from self-employment.

Computation. If your actual net earnings from self-employment are less than $1,600 and less than 662/3 percent of your gross income, you may, at your option, report 662/3 percent of your gross income (but not more than $1,600) as your net earnings from self-employment.

A operates a grocery store and files income tax returns on a calendar year basis. A meets the self-employed on a regular basis requirement because actual net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more in 1976 and in 1977. Gross income and net profit from operating the grocery store in 1978 through 1980 are as follows:

For the year 1978, A may report as annual net earnings from self-employment either—

None. (Actual net earnings from self-employment are less than $400); or

$1,600. (Non-agricultural option, 662/3 percent of $2,800, but not to exceed the $1,600 maximum.)

For the year 1979, A may report as annual net earnings from self-employment either—

$400. (Actual net earnings from self-employment); or

$800. (Non-agricultural option, 662/3 percent of $1,200.)

For the year 1980, A must report $800, the actual net earnings from self-employment. The non-agricultural option is not available because A's actual net earnings are not less than 662/3 percent of the gross income.

Figuring net earnings from both non-agricultural and agricultural self-employment. If you are self-employed on a regular basis, you may use the non-agricultural optional method of reporting when you have both non-agricultural and agricultural trades or businesses. However, in order to use this method, your actual net earnings from non-agricultural self-employment combined with your actual net earnings from agricultural self-employment, or your optional net earnings from agricultural self-employment, must be less than $1,600, and the net non-agricultural earnings must be less than 662/3 percent of your gross non-agricultural income. If you qualify for using both the non-agricultural and agricultural option, you may report less than your actual total net earnings, but not less than your actual net earnings from non-agricultural self-employment alone. If you elect to use both options in a given taxable year, the combined maximum reportable net earnings from self-employment may not exceed $1,600.

C was regularly self-employed. She derived actual net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more in 1975 and in 1976. Her gross income and net profit from operating both a grocery store and a farm in 1978 are:

For the year 1978, C may report $1,200 (actual net earnings from self-employment from both businesses), or $2,400 ($1,600 agricultural option (662/3 percent of $2,600 farm gross income not to exceed $1,600) and $800 grocery store profit). C cannot use the non-agricultural option for 1978 because her actual grocery store net exceeds 662/3 percent of her grocery store gross income.

Self-employed on a regular basis. For any taxable year beginning after 1972, we consider you to be self-employed on a regular basis, or to be a member of a partnership on a regular basis, if, in at least 2 of the 3 taxable years immediately before that taxable year, you had actual net earnings from self-employment of not less than $400 from agricultural and non-agricultural trades or businesses (including your distributive share of the net income or loss from any partnership of which you are a member).

Members of partnerships. If you are a member of a partnership you may use the optional method of reporting. Your gross income is your distributive share of the partnership's gross income (after all guaranteed payments to which section 707(c) of the Code applies have been deducted), plus your own guaranteed payment.

Computing gross income. For purposes of this section gross income means—

Under the cash method of computing, the gross receipts from the trade or business reduced by the cost or other basis of property that was purchased and sold, minus any income that is excluded in computing net earnings from self-employment; or

Under the accrual method of computing, the gross income minus any income that is excluded in figuring net earnings from self-employment.

Exercise of option. For each taxable year for which you are eligible to use the optional method and elect to use that method, you must figure your net earnings from self-employment in that manner on your tax return for that year. If you wish to change your method of reporting after your tax return is filed, you may change it by filing an amended tax return with the Internal Revenue Service or by filing with us Form 2190, Change in Method of Computing Net Earnings from Self-Employment.