[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 11]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.1272-3]

[Page 522-523]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.1272-3  Election by a holder to treat all interest on a debt 
instrument as OID.

    (a) Election. A holder of a debt instrument may elect to include in 
gross income all interest that accrues on the instrument by using the 
constant yield method described in paragraph (c) of this section. For 
purposes of this election, interest includes stated interest, 
acquisition discount, OID, de minimis OID, market discount, de minimis 
market discount, and unstated interest, as adjusted by any amortizable 
bond premium or acquisition premium.
    (b) Scope of election--(1) In general. Except as provided in 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a holder may make the election for any 
debt instrument.
    (2) Exceptions, limitations, and special rules--(i) Debt instrument 
with amortizable bond premium (as determined under section 171). (A) A 
holder may make the election for a debt instrument with amortizable bond 
premium only if the instrument qualifies as a bond under section 171(d).
    (B) If a holder makes the election under this section for a debt 
instrument with amortizable bond premium, the holder is deemed to have 
made the election under section 171(c)(2) for the taxable year in which 
the instrument was acquired. If the holder has previously made the 
election under section 171(c)(2), the requirements of that election with 
respect to any debt instrument are satisfied by electing to amortize the 
bond premium under the rules provided by this section.
    (ii) Debt instrument with market discount. (A) A holder may make the 
election under this section for a debt instrument with market discount 
only if the holder is eligible to make an election under section 
1278(b).
    (B) If a holder makes the election under this section for a debt 
instrument with market discount, the holder is deemed to have made both 
the election under section 1276(b)(2) for that instrument and the 
election under section 1278(b) for the taxable year in which the 
instrument was acquired. If the holder has previously made the election 
under section 1278(b), the requirements of that election with respect to 
any debt instrument are satisfied by electing to include the market 
discount in income in accordance with the rules provided by this 
section.
    (iii) Tax-exempt debt instrument. A holder may not make the election 
for a tax-exempt obligation as defined in section 1275(a)(3).
    (c) Mechanics of the constant yield method--(1) In general. For 
purposes of this section, the amount of interest that accrues during an 
accrual period is determined under rules similar to those under section 
1272 (the constant

[[Page 523]]

yield method). In applying the constant yield method, however, a debt 
instrument subject to the election is treated as if--
    (i) The instrument is issued for the holder's adjusted basis 
immediately after its acquisition by the holder;
    (ii) The instrument is issued on the holder's acquisition date; and
    (iii) None of the interest payments provided for in the instrument 
are qualified stated interest payments.
    (2) Special rules to determine adjusted basis. For purposes of 
paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section--
    (i) If the debt instrument is acquired in an exchange for other 
property (other than in a reorganization defined in section 368) and the 
basis of the debt instrument is determined, in whole or in part, by 
reference to the basis of the other property, the adjusted basis of the 
debt instrument may not exceed its fair market value immediately after 
the exchange; and
    (ii) If the debt instrument was acquired with amortizable bond 
premium (as determined under section 171), the adjusted basis of the 
debt instrument is reduced by an amount equal to the value attributable 
to any conversion feature.
    (d) Time and manner of making the election. The election must be 
made for the taxable year in which the holder acquires the debt 
instrument. A holder makes the election by attaching to the holder's 
timely filed Federal income tax return a statement that the holder is 
making an election under this section and that identifies the debt 
instruments subject to the election. A holder may make the election for 
a class or group of debt instruments by attaching a statement describing 
the type or types of debt instruments being designated for the election.
    (e) Revocation of election. The election may not be revoked unless 
approved by the Commissioner.
    (f) Effective date. This section applies to debt instruments 
acquired on or after April 4, 1994.

[T.D. 8517, 59 FR 4815, Feb. 2, 1994]