Except as provided in subsection (b), the gross income of any organization to which this part applies shall be determined without any adjustment (as a reduction in gross receipts, an increase in cost of goods sold, or otherwise) by reason of any allocation or distribution to a patron out of the net earnings of such organization or by reason of any amount paid to a patron as a per-unit retain allocation (as defined in section 1388(f)).
For purposes of subsections (b) and (c)(2), the payment period for any taxable year is the period beginning with the first day of such taxable year and ending with the fifteenth day of the ninth month following the close of such year. For purposes of subsections (b)(1) and (c)(2)(A), a qualified check issued during the payment period shall be treated as an amount paid in money during such period if endorsed and cashed on or before the 90th day after the close of such period.
If any portion of the earnings from business done with or for patrons is includible in the organization’s gross income for a taxable year after the taxable year during which the patronage occurred, then for purposes of applying paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) to such portion the patronage shall, to the extent provided in regulations prescribed by the Secretary, be considered to have occurred during the taxable year of the organization during which such earnings are includible in gross income.
For purposes of this subsection, the term “completed crop pool method of accounting” means a method of accounting under which gain or loss is computed separately for each crop year pool in the year in which the last of the products in the pool are disposed of.