Denial of interest deduction on certain obligations issued after December 31, 1982, unless issued in registered form (temporary)

(d) Pass-through certificates. (1) A pass-through or participation certificate evidencing an interest in a pool of mortgage loans which under subpart E of subchapter J of the Code is treated as a trust of which the grantor is the owner (or similar evidence of interest in a similar pooled fund or pooled trust treated as a grantor trust) (“pass-through certificate”) is considered to be a “registration-required obligation” under section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c) if the pass-through certificate is described in section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c) without regard to whether any obligation held by the fund or trust to which the pass-through certificate relates is described in section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c). A pass-through certificate is considered to be described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163-5(c) if the pass-through certificate is described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163-5(c) without regard to whether any obligation held by the fund or trust to which the pass-through certificate relates is described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163-5(c).

(2) An obligation held by a fund or trust in which ownership interests are represented by pass-through certificates is considered to be in registered form under section 149(a) and the regulations thereunder or to be described in section 163(f)(2) (A) or (B), if the obligation held by the fund or trust is in registered form under section 149(a) and the regulations thereunder or is described in section 163(f)(2) (A) or (B), respectively, without regard to whether the pass-through certificates are so considered.

(3) For purposes of section 4701, a pass-through certificate is considered to be issued solely by the recipient of the proceeds from the issuance of the pass-through certificate (hereinafter the “sponsor”). The sponsor is therefore liable for any excise tax under section 4701 that may be imposed with reference to the principal amount of the pass-through certificate.

(4) In order to implement the purpose of section 163, § 1.163-5(c) and this section, the Commissioner may characterize a certificate or other evidence of interest in a fund or trust which under subpart E of subchapter J of the Code is treated as a trust of which the grantor is the owner and any obligation held by such fund or trust in accordance with the substance of the arrangement they represent and may impose the penalties provided under sections 163(f)(1) and 4701 in the appropriate amounts and on the appropriate persons. This provision may be applied, for example, where a corporation issues obligations purportedly in registered form, contributes them to a grantor trust as its only assets, and arranges for the sale to investors of bearer certificates of interest in the trust which do not meet the requirements of section 163(f)(2)(B). If this provision is applied, the obligations held by the fund or trust will not be considered to be issued in registered form or to meet the requirements of section 163(f)(2)(B). The corporation will not be allowed a deduction for the payment of interest on the obligations held by the trust, and the excise tax under section 4701, calculated with reference to the principal amount of the obligations held by the trust will be imposed on the corporation may be collected from the corporation and its agents. This paragraph (d)(4) will not be applied so as to alter the tax consequences of transactions as to which rulings have been issued by the Internal Revenue Service prior to September 19, 1985.

(5) The rules set forth in this paragraph (d) apply solely for purposes of sections 4701, 163(f)(2)(A), 163(f)(2)(B), § 1.163-5(c), and any other section that refers to this section for the definition of the term “registration-required obligation” (such as the regulations under sections 871(h) and 881(c)). The treatment of obligations described in this paragraph (d) for purposes of section 163(f)(2) (A) and (B) does not affect the determination of whether bearer obligations that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Government, a United States Government-owned agency, a United States Government sponsored enterprise (within the meaning of § 1.163-5(c)(1)) or that are backed (as described in the Treasury Department News Release R-2835 of September 10, 1984 and Treasury Department News Release R-2847 of September 14, 1984) by obligations issued by the United States Government, a United States Government-owned agency, or a United States Government sponsored enterprise comply with the requirements of section 163(f)(2)(B) and the regulations thereunder.

(6) The provisions of paragraphs (d) (1) through (5) may be illustrated by the following example:

Commercial Bank K forms a pool of 1000 residential mortgage loans, each made to a different individual homeowner, by assigning them to Commercial Bank L, an unrelated entity serving as trustee of the pool. Commercial Bank L immediately sells in a public offering certificates of interest in the trust of a maturity of 10 years in registered form. Commercial Bank L transfers the cash proceeds of the offering to Commercial Bank K. The certificates of interest in the trust are of a type offered to the public and are not described in section 163(f)(2)(B). Pursuant to paragraph (d)(1), the certificates of interest in the pool are registration-required obligations without regard to the fact that the obligations held by the trust are not registration-required obligations.

(e) Regular interests in REMICS. (1) A regular interest in a REMIC, as defined in sections 860D and 860G and the regulations thereunder, is considered to be a “registration-required obligation” under section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c) if the regular interest is described in section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c), without regard to whether any obligation held by the REMIC to which the regular interest relates is described in section 163(f)(2)(A) and § 1.163-5(c). A regular interest in a REMIC is considered to be described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163-5(c), if the regular interest is described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163(c), without regard to whether any obligation held by the REMIC to which the regular interest relates is described in section 163(f)(2)(B) and § 1.163-5(c).

(2) An obligation held by a REMIC is considered to be described in section 163(f)(2) (A) or (B) if such obligation is described in section 163(f)(2) (A) or (B), respectively, without regard to whether the regular interests in the REMIC are so considered.

(3) For purposes of section 4701, a regular interest is considered to be issued solely by the recipient of the proceeds from the issuance of the regular interest (hereinafter the “sponsor”). The sponsor is therefore liable for any excise tax under section 4701 that may be imposed with reference to the principal amount of the regular interest.

(4) In order to implement the purpose of section 163, § 1.163-5(c), and this section, the Commissioner may characterize a regular interest in a REMIC and any obligation held by such REMIC in accordance with the substance of the arrangement they represent and may impose the penalties provided under sections 163(f)(1) and 4701 in the appropriate amounts and on the appropriate persons. This provision may be applied, for example, where a corporation issues an obligation that is purportedly in registered form and that will qualify as a “qualified mortgage” within the meaning of section 860G(a)(3) in the hands of a REMIC, contributes the obligation to a REMIC as its only asset, and arranges for the sale to investors of regular interests in the REMIC in bearer form that do not meet the requirements of section 163(f)(2)(B). If this provision is applied, the obligation held by the REMIC will not be considered to be issued in registered form or to meet the requirements of section 163(f)(2)(B). The corporation will not be allowed a deduction for the payment of interest on the obligation held by the REMIC, and the excise tax under section 4701, calculated with reference to the principal amount of the obligation held by the REMIC, will be imposed on the corporation and may be collected from the corporation and its agents.