[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.163-13]

[Page 854-857]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1--INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.163-13  Treatment of bond issuance premium.

    (a) General rule. If a debt instrument is issued with bond issuance 
premium, this section limits the amount of the issuer's interest 
deduction otherwise allowable under section 163(a). In general, the 
issuer determines its interest deduction by offsetting the interest 
allocable to an accrual period with the bond issuance premium allocable 
to that period. Bond issuance premium is allocable to an accrual period 
based on a constant yield. The use of a constant yield to amortize bond 
issuance premium is intended to generally conform the treatment of debt 
instruments having bond issuance premium with those having original 
issue discount. Unless otherwise provided, the terms used in this 
section have the same meaning as those terms in section 163(e), sections 
1271 through 1275, and the corresponding regulations. Moreover, unless 
otherwise provided, the provisions of this section apply in a manner 
consistent with those of section 163(e), sections 1271 through 1275, and 
the corresponding regulations. In addition, the anti-abuse rule in 
Sec. 1.1275-2(g) applies for purposes of this section. For rules dealing 
with the treatment of bond premium by a holder, see Secs. 1.171-1 
through 1.171-5.

[[Page 855]]

    (b) Exceptions. This section does not apply to--
    (1) A debt instrument described in section 1272(a)(6)(C) (regular 
interests in a REMIC, qualified mortgages held by a REMIC, and certain 
other debt instruments, or pools of debt instruments, with payments 
subject to acceleration); or
    (2) A debt instrument to which Sec. 1.1275-4 applies (relating to 
certain debt instruments that provide for contingent payments).
    (c) Bond issuance premium. Bond issuance premium is the excess, if 
any, of the issue price of a debt instrument over its stated redemption 
price at maturity. For purposes of this section, the issue price of a 
convertible bond (as defined in Sec. 1.171-1(e)(1)(iii)(C)) does not 
include an amount equal to the value of the conversion option (as 
determined under Sec. 1.171-1(e)(1)(iii)(A)).
    (d) Offsetting qualified stated interest with bond issuance premium-
-(1) In general. An issuer amortizes bond issuance premium by offsetting 
the qualified stated interest allocable to an accrual period with the 
bond issuance premium allocable to the accrual period. This offset 
occurs when the issuer takes the qualified stated interest into account 
under its regular method of accounting.
    (2) Qualified stated interest allocable to an accrual period. See 
Sec. 1.446-2(b) to determine the accrual period to which qualified 
stated interest is allocable and to determine the accrual of qualified 
stated interest within an accrual period.
    (3) Bond issuance premium allocable to an accrual period. The bond 
issuance premium allocable to an accrual period is determined under this 
paragraph (d)(3). Within an accrual period, the bond issuance premium 
allocable to the period accrues ratably.
    (i) Step one: Determine the debt instrument's yield to maturity. The 
yield to maturity of a debt instrument is determined under the rules of 
Sec. 1.1272-1(b)(1)(i).
    (ii) Step two: Determine the accrual periods. The accrual periods 
are determined under the rules of Sec. 1.1272-1(b)(1)(ii).
    (iii) Step three: Determine the bond issuance premium allocable to 
the accrual period. The bond issuance premium allocable to an accrual 
period is the excess of the qualified stated interest allocable to the 
accrual period over the product of the adjusted issue price at the 
beginning of the accrual period and the yield. In performing this 
calculation, the yield must be stated appropriately taking into account 
the length of the particular accrual period. Principles similar to those 
in Sec. 1.1272-1(b)(4) apply in determining the bond issuance premium 
allocable to an accrual period.
    (4) Bond issuance premium in excess of qualified stated interest--
(i) Ordinary income. If the bond issuance premium allocable to an 
accrual period exceeds the qualified stated interest allocable to the 
accrual period, the excess is treated as ordinary income by the issuer 
for the accrual period. However, the amount treated as ordinary income 
is limited to the amount by which the issuer's total interest deductions 
on the debt instrument in prior accrual periods exceed the total amount 
treated by the issuer as ordinary income on the debt instrument in prior 
accrual periods.
    (ii) Carryforward. If the bond issuance premium allocable to an 
accrual period exceeds the sum of the qualified stated interest 
allocable to the accrual period and the amount treated as ordinary 
income for the accrual period under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section, 
the excess is carried forward to the next accrual period and is treated 
as bond issuance premium allocable to that period. If a carryforward 
exists on the date the debt instrument is retired, the carryforward is 
treated as ordinary income on that date.
    (e) Special rules--(1) Variable rate debt instruments. An issuer 
determines bond issuance premium on a variable rate debt instrument by 
reference to the stated redemption price at maturity of the equivalent 
fixed rate debt instrument constructed for the variable rate debt 
instrument. The issuer also allocates any bond issuance premium among 
the accrual periods by reference to the equivalent fixed rate debt 
instrument. The issuer constructs the equivalent fixed rate debt 
instrument, as of the issue date, by using the principles of 
Sec. 1.1275-5(e).

[[Page 856]]

    (2) Inflation-indexed debt instruments. An issuer determines bond 
issuance premium on an inflation-indexed debt instrument by assuming 
that there will be no inflation or deflation over the term of the 
instrument. The issuer also allocates any bond issuance premium among 
the accrual periods by assuming that there will be no inflation or 
deflation over the term of the instrument. The bond issuance premium 
allocable to an accrual period offsets qualified stated interest 
allocable to the period. Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(4) of this 
section, if the bond issuance premium allocable to an accrual period 
exceeds the qualified stated interest allocable to the period, the 
excess is treated as a deflation adjustment under Sec. 1.1275-
7(f)(1)(ii). See Sec. 1.1275-7 for other rules relating to inflation-
indexed debt instruments.
    (3) Certain debt instruments subject to contingencies--(i) In 
general. Except as provided in paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section, the 
rules of Sec. 1.1272-1(c) apply to determine a debt instrument's payment 
schedule for purposes of this section. For example, an issuer uses the 
payment schedule determined under Sec. 1.1272-1(c) to determine the 
amount, if any, of bond issuance premium on the debt instrument, the 
yield and maturity of the debt instrument, and the allocation of bond 
issuance premium to an accrual period.
    (ii) Mandatory sinking fund provision. Notwithstanding paragraph 
(e)(3)(i) of this section, if a debt instrument is subject to a 
mandatory sinking fund provision described in Sec. 1.1272-1(c)(3), the 
issuer must determine the payment schedule by assuming that a pro rata 
portion of the debt instrument will be called under the sinking fund 
provision.
    (4) Remote and incidental contingencies. For purposes of determining 
the amount of bond issuance premium and allocating bond issuance premium 
among accrual periods, if a bond provides for a contingency that is 
remote or incidental (within the meaning of Sec. 1.1275-2(h)), the 
issuer takes the contingency into account under the rules for remote and 
incidental contingencies in Sec. 1.1275-2(h).
    (f) Example. The following example illustrates the rules of this 
section:

    Example-- (i) Facts. On February 1, 1999, X issues for $110,000 a 
debt instrument maturing on February 1, 2006, with a stated principal 
amount of $100,000, payable at maturity. The debt instrument provides 
for unconditional payments of interest of $10,000, payable on February 1 
of each year. X uses the calendar year as its taxable year, X uses the 
cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting, and X decides to 
use annual accrual periods ending on February 1 of each year. X's 
calculations assume a 30-day month and 360-day year.
    (ii) Amount of bond issuance premium. The issue price of the debt 
instrument is $110,000. Because the interest payments on the debt 
instrument are qualified stated interest, the stated redemption price at 
maturity of the debt instrument is $100,000. Therefore, the amount of 
bond issuance premium is $10,000 ($110,000-$100,000).
    (iii) Bond issuance premium allocable to the first accrual period. 
Based on the payment schedule and the issue price of the debt 
instrument, the yield of the debt instrument is 8.07 percent, compounded 
annually. (Although, for purposes of simplicity, the yield as stated is 
rounded to two decimal places, the computations do not reflect this 
rounding convention.) The bond issuance premium allocable to the accrual 
period ending on February 1, 2000, is the excess of the qualified stated 
interest allocable to the period ($10,000) over the product of the 
adjusted issue price at the beginning of the period ($110,000) and the 
yield (8.07 percent, compounded annually). Therefore, the bond issuance 
premium allocable to the accrual period is $1,118.17 ($10,000-
$8,881.83).
    (iv) Premium used to offset interest. Although X makes an interest 
payment of $10,000 on February 1, 2000, X only deducts interest of 
$8,881.83, the qualified stated interest allocable to the period 
($10,000) offset with the bond issuance premium allocable to the period 
($1,118.17).

    (g) Effective date. This section applies to debt instruments issued 
on or after March 2, 1998.
    (h) Accounting method changes--(1) Consent to change. An issuer 
required to change its method of accounting for bond issuance premium to 
comply with this section must secure the consent of the Commissioner in 
accordance with the requirements of Sec. 1.446-1(e). Paragraph (h)(2) of 
this section provides the Commissioner's automatic consent for certain 
changes.
    (2) Automatic consent. The Commissioner grants consent for an issuer 
to change its method of accounting for bond issuance premium on debt 
instruments issued on or after March 2, 1998.

[[Page 857]]

Because this change is made on a cut-off basis, no items of income or 
deduction are omitted or duplicated and, therefore, no adjustment under 
section 481 is allowed. The consent granted by this paragraph (h)(2) 
applies provided--
    (i) The change is made to comply with this section;
    (ii) The change is made for the first taxable year for which the 
issuer must account for a debt instrument under this section; and
    (iii) The issuer attaches to its federal income tax return for the 
taxable year containing the change a statement that it has changed its 
method of accounting under this section.

[T.D. 8746, 62 FR 68176, Dec. 31, 1997, as amended by T.D. 8838, 64 FR 
48547, Sept. 7, 1999]