Sec. 1.1275-2 Special rules relating to debt instruments.

(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, each payment under a debt instrument is treated first as a payment of OID to the extent of the OID that has accrued as of the date the payment is due and has not been allocated to prior payments, and second as a payment of principal. Thus, no portion of any payment is treated as prepaid interest.

(2) Exceptions. The rule in paragraph (a)(1) of this section does not apply to --

(1) Treatment of distribution. For purposes of determining the issue price of a debt instrument distributed by a corporation with respect to its stock, the instrument is treated as issued by the corporation for property. See section 1275(a)(4). Thus, under section 1273(b)(3), the issue price of a distributed debt instrument that is traded on an established market is its fair market value. The issue price of a distributed debt instrument that is not traded on an established market is determined under section 1274 or section 1273(b)(4).

(2) Issue date. The issue date of a debt instrument distributed by a corporation with respect to its stock is the date of the distribution.

(1) General rule. Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, debt instruments issued in connection with the same transaction or related transactions (determined based on all the facts and circumstances) are treated as a single debt instrument for purposes of sections 1271 through 1275 and the regulations thereunder. This rule ordinarily applies only to debt instruments of a single issuer that are issued to a single holder. The Commissioner may, however, aggregate debt instruments that are issued by more than one issuer or that are issued to more than one holder if the debt instruments are issued in an arrangement that is designed to avoid the aggregation rule (e.g., debt instruments issued by or to related parties or debt instruments originally issued to different holders with the understanding that the debt instruments will be transferred to a single holder).

(2) Exception if separate issue price established. Paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply to a debt instrument if --

(3) Special rule for debt instruments that provide for the issuance of additional debt instruments. If, under the terms of a debt instrument (the original debt instrument), the holder may receive one or more additional debt instruments of the issuer, the additional debt instrument or instruments are aggregated with the original debt instrument. Thus, the payments made pursuant to an additional debt instrument are treated as made on the original debt instrument, and the distribution by the issuer of the additional debt instrument is not considered to be a payment made on the original debt instrument. This paragraph (c)(3) applies regardless of whether the right to receive an additional debt instrument is fixed as of the issue date or is contingent upon subsequent events. See section 1.1272-1(c) for the treatment of certain rights to issue additional debt instruments in lieu of cash payments.

(4) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section.

Example 1. Exception for debt instruments issued separately to other purchasers. On January 1, 1995, Corporation M issues two series of bonds, Series A and Series B. The two series are sold for cash and have different terms. Although some holders purchase bonds from both series, a substantial portion of the bonds is issued to different holders. H purchases bonds from both series. Under the exception in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, the Series A and Series B bonds purchased by H are not aggregated.

Example 2. Tiered REMICs. Z forms a dual tier real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC). In the dual tier structure, Z forms REMIC A to acquire a pool of real estate mortgages and to issue a residual interest and several classes of regular interests. Contemporaneously, Z forms REMIC B to acquire as qualified mortgages all of the regular interests in REMIC A. REMIC B issues several classes of regular interests and a residual interest, and Z sells all of those interests to unrelated parties in a public offering. Under the general rule set out in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, all of the regular interests issued by REMIC A and held by REMIC B are treated as a single debt instrument for purposes of sections 1271 through 1275.

(1) Issue price and issue date. The issue price of an issue of Treasury securities is the average price of the securities sold. The issue date of an issue of Treasury securities is the first settlement date on which a substantial amount of the securities in the issue is sold. For an issue of Treasury securities sold from November 1, 1998, to March 13, 2001, the issue price of the issue is the price of the securities sold at auction.

(2) Reopenings of Treasury securities.

(1) Treatment as retirement of separate debt instrument. A pro rata prepayment is treated as a payment in retirement of a portion of a debt instrument, which may result in a gain or loss to the holder. Generally, the gain or loss is calculated by assuming that the original debt instrument consists of two instruments, one that is retired and one that remains outstanding. The adjusted issue price, holder's adjusted basis, and accrued but unpaid OID of the original debt instrument, determined immediately before the pro rata prepayment, are allocated between these two instruments based on the portion of the instrument that is treated as retired by the pro rata prepayment.

(2) Definition of pro rata prepayment. For purposes of paragraph (f)(1) of this section, a pro rata prepayment is a payment on a debt instrument made prior to maturity that --

(1) In general. If a principal purpose in structuring a debt instrument or engaging in a transaction is to achieve a result that is unreasonable in light of the purposes of section 163(e), sections 1271 through 1275, or any related section of the Code, the Commissioner can apply or depart from the regulations under the applicable sections as necessary or appropriate to achieve a reasonable result. For example, if this paragraph (g) applies to a debt instrument that provides for a contingent payment, the Commissioner can treat the contingency as if it were a separate position. See also §1.988-2(b)(18) for debt instruments with payments denominated in (or determined by reference to) a currency other than the taxpayer's functional currency.

(2) Unreasonable result. Whether a result is unreasonable is determined based on all the facts and circumstances. In making this determination, a significant fact is whether the treatment of the debt instrument is expected to have a substantial effect on the issuer's or a holder's U.S. tax liability. In the case of a contingent payment debt instrument, another significant fact is whether the result is obtainable without the application of section 1.1275-4 and any related provisions (e.g., if the debt instrument and the contingency were entered into separately). A result will not be considered unreasonable, however, in the absence of an expected substantial effect on the present value of a taxpayer's tax liability.

(3) Examples. The following examples illustrate the provisions of this paragraph (g):

(4) Effective date. This paragraph (g) applies to debt instruments issued on or after August 13, 1996.

(1) In general. This paragraph (h) applies to a debt instrument if one or more payments on the instrument are subject to either a remote or incidental contingency. Whether a contingency is remote or incidental is determined as of the issue date of the debt instrument, including any date there is a deemed reissuance of the debt instrument under paragraph (h)(6)(ii) or (j) of this section or section 1.1272-1(c)(6). Except as otherwise provided, the treatment of the contingency under this paragraph (h) applies for all purposes of sections 163(e) (other than sections 163(e)(5)) and 1271 through 1275 and the regulations thereunder. For purposes of this paragraph (h), the possibility of impairment of a payment by insolvency, default, or similar circumstances is not a contingency.

(2) Remote contingencies. A contingency is remote if there is a remote likelihood either that the contingency will occur or that the contingency will not occur. If there is a remote likelihood that the contingency will occur, it is assumed that the contingency will not occur. If there is a remote likelihood that the contingency will not occur, it is assumed that the contingency will occur.

(3) Incidental contingencies.

(4) Aggregation rule. For purposes of paragraph (h)(2) of this section, if a debt instrument provides for multiple contingencies each of which has a remote likelihood of occurring but, when all of the contingencies are considered together, there is a greater than remote likelihood that at least one of the contingencies will occur, none of the contingencies is treated as a remote contingency. For purposes of paragraph (h)(3)(i) of this section, if a debt instrument provides for multiple contingencies each of which is incidental but the potential total amount of all of the payments subject to the contingencies is not, under reasonably expected market conditions, insignificant relative to the total expected amount of the remaining payments on the debt instrument, none of the contingencies is treated as incidental.

(5) Consistency rule. For purposes of paragraphs (h)(2) and (3) of this section, the issuer's determination that a contingency is either remote or incidental is binding on all holders. However, the issuer's determination is not binding on a holder that explicitly discloses that its determination is different from the issuer's determination. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Commissioner, the disclosure must be made on a statement attached to the holder's timely filed federal income tax return for the taxable year that includes the acquisition date of the debt instrument. See section 1.1275-2(e) for rules relating to the ssuer's obligation to disclose certain information to holders.

(6) Subsequent adjustments.

(7) Effective date. This paragraph (h) applies to debt instruments issued on or after August 13, 1996.

(1) In general. Notwithstanding section 1.1275-1(f), additional debt instruments issued in a qualified reopening are part of the same issue as the original debt instruments. As a result, the additional debt instruments have the same issue date, the same issue price, and (with respect to holders) the same adjusted issue price as the original debt instruments.

(2) Definitions.

(3) Qualified reopening.

(4) Issuer's treatment of a qualified reopening. See section 1.163-7(e) for the issuer's treatment of the debt instruments that are part of a qualified reopening.

(5) Effective/applicability dates.

(1) In general. Notwithstanding any other rule in sections 1271 through 1275 and §§1.1271-1 through 1.1275-7, if, and to the extent, a taxpayer's item of income with respect to a debt instrument is subject to the timing rules in §1.451-3 because the item of income is a specified fee described in §1.451-3(j) (such as credit card late fees, credit card cash advance fees, or interchange fees), then the taxpayer does not take the item into account to determine whether the debt instrument has any OID. As a result, the taxpayer does not treat the item as creating or increasing any OID on the debt instrument.

(2) Applicability dates —

(1) In general. This paragraph (m) applies to a variable rate debt instrument (as defined in §1.1275-5(a)) that provides both for a qualified floating rate that references a discontinued IBOR and for a methodology to change that rate referencing a discontinued IBOR to a different rate in anticipation of the discontinued IBOR becoming unavailable or unreliable. For purposes of this paragraph (m), discontinued IBOR has the meaning provided in §1.1001-6(h)(4). See §1.1001-6 for additional rules that may apply to a debt instrument that provides for a rate referencing a discontinued IBOR.

(2) Single qualified floating rate. If a debt instrument is described in paragraph (m)(1) of this section, the rate referencing a discontinued IBOR and the different rate are treated as a single qualified floating rate for purposes of §1.1275-5.

(3) Remote contingency. If a debt instrument is described in paragraph (m)(1) of this section, the possibility that the discontinued IBOR will become unavailable or unreliable is treated as a remote contingency for purposes of paragraph (h) of this section.

(4) Change in circumstances. If a debt instrument is described in paragraph (m)(1) of this section, the fact that the discontinued IBOR has become unavailable or unreliable is not treated as a change in circumstances for purposes of paragraph (h)(6) of this section.

(5) Applicability date. Paragraph (m) of this section applies to debt instruments issued on or after March 7, 2022. A taxpayer may choose to apply paragraph (m) of this section to debt instruments issued before March 7, 2022, provided that the taxpayer and all related parties (within the meaning of section 267(b) or section 707(b)(1) or within the meaning of §1.150-1(b) for a taxpayer that is a State or local governmental unit (as defined in §1.103-1(a)) or a 501(c)(3) organization (as defined in section 150(a)(4))) apply paragraph (m) of this section to all debt instruments issued before that date. See section 7805(b)(7).