### Question
Can you define what qualified shareholder means?


### Answer
**Qualified shareholder** is defined as the following in *26 U.S.C. § 897*:

> a foreign person which—


(i)(I) is eligible for benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States which includes an exchange of information program and the principal class of interests of which is listed and regularly traded on 1 or more recognized stock exchanges (as defined in such comprehensive income tax treaty), or


(II) is a foreign partnership that is created or organized under foreign law as a limited partnership in a jurisdiction that has an agreement for the exchange of information with respect to taxes with the United States and has a class of limited partnership units which is regularly traded on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market and such class of limited partnership units value is greater than 50 percent of the value of all the partnership units,


(ii) is a qualified collective investment vehicle, and


(iii) maintains records on the identity of each person who, at any time during the foreign person's taxable year, holds directly 5 percent or more of the class of interest described in subclause (I) or (II) of clause (i), as the case may be

#### Citation:
  - *26 U.S.C. § 897*
  - Heading: **Subtitle A-Income Taxes > CHAPTER 1-NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES > Subchapter N-Tax Based on Income From Sources Within or Without the United States > PART II-NONRESIDENT ALIENS AND FOREIGN CORPORATIONS > Subpart D-Miscellaneous Provisions**

