[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 26, Volume 1] [Revised as of April 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 26CFR1.25-3] [Page 58-59] TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY PART 1--INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents Sec. 1.25-3 Qualified mortgage credit certificate. (a) through (g)(1)(ii) [Reserved] For further guidance, see Sec. 1.25-3T(a) through (g)(1)(ii). (g)(1)(iii) Reissued certificate exception. See paragraph (p) of this section for rules regarding the exception in the case of refinancing existing mortgages. (g)(2) through (o) [Reserved] For further guidance, see Sec. 1.25- 3T(g)(2) through (o). (p) Reissued certificates for certain refinancings--(1) In general. If the issuer of a qualified mortgage credit certificate reissues a certificate in place of an existing mortgage credit certificate to the holder of that existing certificate, the reissued certificate is treated as satisfying the requirements of this section. The period for which the reissued certificate is in effect begins with the date of the refinancing (that is, the date on which interest begins accruing on the refinancing loan). (2) Meaning of existing certificate. For purposes of this paragraph (p), a mortgage credit certificate is an existing certificate only if it satisfies the requirements of this section. An existing certificate may be the original certificate, a certificate issued to a transferee under Sec. 1.25-3T(h)(2)(ii), or a certificate previously reissued under this paragraph (p). (3) Limitations on reissued certificate. An issuer may reissue a mortgage credit certificate only if all of the following requirements are satisfied: (i) The reissued certificate is issued to the holder of an existing certificate with respect to the same property to which the existing certificate relates. (ii) The reissued certificate entirely replaces the existing certificate (that is, the holder cannot retain the existing certificate with respect to any portion of the outstanding balance of the certified mortgage indebtedness specified on the existing certificate). (iii) The certified mortgage indebtedness specified on the reissued certificate does not exceed the remaining outstanding balance of the certified mortgage indebtedness specified on the existing certificate. (iv) The reissued certificate does not increase the certificate credit rate specified in the existing certificate. (v) The reissued certificate does not result in an increase in the tax credit that would otherwise have been allowable to the holder under the existing certificate for any taxable year. The holder of a reissued certificate determines the amount of tax credit that would otherwise have been allowable by multiplying the interest that was scheduled to have been paid on the refinanced loan by the certificate rate of the existing certificate. In the case of a series of refinancings, the tax credit that would otherwise have been allowable is determined from the amount of interest that was scheduled to have been paid on the original loan and the certificate rate of the original certificate. (A) In the case of a refinanced loan that is a fixed interest rate loan, the interest that was scheduled to be paid on the refinanced loan is determined using the scheduled interest method described in paragraph (p)(3)(v)(C) of this section. (B) In the case of a refinanced loan that is not a fixed interest rate loan, the interest that was scheduled to be paid on the refinanced loan is determined using either the scheduled interest method described in paragraph (p)(3)(v)(C) of this section or the hypothetical interest method described in paragraph (p)(3)(v)(D) of this section. (C) The scheduled interest method determines the amount of interest for each taxable year that was scheduled to have been paid in the taxable year based on the terms of the refinanced loan including any changes in the interest rate that would have been required by the terms of the refinanced loan and any payments of principal that would have been required by the terms of the refinanced loan (other than repayments required as a result of any refinancing of the loan). (D) The hypothetical interest method (which is available only for refinanced loans that are not fixed interest rate loans) determines the amount of interest treated as having been scheduled to be paid for a taxable year by constructing an amortization schedule for a hypothetical self-amortizing loan with level payments. The hypothetical loan must have a principal amount equal to the remaining outstanding [[Page 59]] balance of the certified mortgage indebtedness specified on the existing certificate, a maturity equal to that of the refinanced loan, and interest equal to the annual percentage rate (APR) of the refinancing loan that is required to be calculated for the Federal Truth in Lending Act. (E) A holder must consistently apply the scheduled interest method or the hypothetical interest method for all taxable years beginning with the first taxable year the tax credit is claimed by the holder based upon the reissued certificate. (4) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of paragraph (p)(3)(v) of this section: Example 1. A holder of an existing certificate that meets the requirements of this section seeks to refinance the mortgage on the property to which the existing certificate relates. The final payment on the holder's existing mortgage is due on December 31, 2000; the final payment on the new mortgage would not be due until January 31, 2004. The holder requests that the issuer provide to the holder a reissued mortgage credit certificate in place of the existing certificate. The requested certificate would have the same certificate credit rate as the existing certificate. For each calendar year through the year 2000, the credit that would be allowable to the holder with respect to the new mortgage under the requested certificate would not exceed the credit allowable for that year under the existing certificate. The requested certificate, however, would allow the holder credits for the years 2001 through 2004, years for which, due to the earlier scheduled retirement of the existing mortgage, no credit would be allowable under the existing certificate. Under paragraph (p)(3)(v) of this section, the issuer may not reissue the certificate as requested because, under the existing certificate, no credit would be allowable for the years 2001 through 2004. The issuer may, however, provide a reissued certificate that limits the amount of the credit allowable in each year to the amount allowable under the existing certificate. Because the existing certificate would allow no credit after December 31, 2000, the reissued certificate could expire on December 31, 2000. Example 2. (a) The facts are the same as Example 1 except that the existing mortgage loan has a variable rate of interest and the refinancing loan will have a fixed rate of interest. To determine whether the limit under paragraph (p)(3)(v) of this section is met for any taxable year, the holder must calculate the amount of credit that otherwise would have been allowable absent the refinancing. This requires a determination of the amount of interest that would have been payable on the refinanced loan for the taxable year. The holder may determine this amount by-- (1) Applying the terms of the refinanced loan, including the variable interest rate or rates, for the taxable year as though the refinanced loan continued to exist; or (2) Obtaining the amount of interest, and calculating the amount of credit that would have been available, from the schedule of equal payments that fully amortize a hypothetical loan with the principal amount equal to the remaining outstanding balance of the certified mortgage indebtedness specified on the existing certificate, the interest equal to the annual percentage rate (APR) of the refinancing loan, and the maturity equal to that of the refinanced loan. (b) The holder must apply the same method for each taxable year the tax credit is claimed based upon the reissued mortgage credit certificate. (5) Coordination with Section 143(m)(3). A refinancing loan underlying a reissued mortgage credit certificate that replaces a mortgage credit certificate issued on or before December 31, 1990, is not a federally subsidized indebtedness for the purposes of section 143(m)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. [T.D. 8692, 61 FR 66214, Dec. 17, 1996]