[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 12]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.1451-1]

[Page 203-204]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.1451-1  Tax-free covenant bonds issued before January 1, 1934.

    (a) Rates of withholding--(1) Rate of 2 percent. Withholding of a 
tax equal to 2 percent is required in the case of interest upon bonds or 
other corporate obligations containing a tax-free covenant and issued 
before January 1, 1934, paid to an individual, a fiduciary, or a 
partnership, whether resident or nonresident, or to a nonresident 
foreign corporation, regardless of whether the liability assumed by the 
obligor is less than, equal to, or greater than 2 percent.
    (2) Rate of 30 percent. Notwithstanding subparagraph (1) of this 
paragraph, if the liability assumed by the obligor does not exceed 2 
percent of the interest, withholding is required at the rate of 30 
percent in the case of payments to a nonresident alien individual, a 
nonresident partnership composed in whole or in part of nonresident 
aliens, a nonresident foreign corporation, or an owner who is unknown to 
the withholding agent.
    (3) Obligations of resident payers. The rates of withholding 
specified in subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this paragraph are applicable 
to interest on such tax-free covenant bonds issued by a domestic 
corporation or by a resident foreign corporation.
    (4) Obligations of nonresident payers. A nonresident foreign 
corporation having a fiscal or paying agent in the United States is 
required to withhold a tax of 2 percent in the case of interest upon its 
tax-free covenant bonds issued before January 1, 1934, which is paid to 
an individual or fiduciary who is a citizen or resident of the United 
States, to a partnership any member of which is a citizen or resident, 
or to an unknown owner.
    (5) Interest from sources without the United States. Withholding is 
not required under section 1451 in the case of interest upon bonds or 
other corporate obligations issued before January 1, 1934, and 
containing a tax-free covenant if the interest is not to be treated as 
income from sources within the United States and the payments are made 
to a nonresident alien, a partnership composed wholly of nonresident 
aliens, or a nonresident foreign corporation.
    (6) Tax treaties. The rates of tax to be withheld in accordance with 
this paragraph shall be reduced as may be provided by treaty with any 
country. See section 894 and Sec. 1.1441-6 relating to income subject 
to a reduced rate of, or an exemption from, income tax pursuant to an 
income tax convention.
    (b) Date of issue. The withholding provisions of section 1451 are 
applicable only to bonds, mortgages, or deeds of trust, or other similar 
obligations of a

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corporation which were issued before January 1, 1934, and which contain 
a tax-free covenant. For the purpose of section 1451, bonds, mortgages, 
or deeds of trust, or other similar obligations of a corporation, are 
issued when delivered. If a broker or other person acts as selling agent 
of the obligor, the obligation is issued when delivered by the agent to 
the purchaser. If a broker or other person purchases the obligation 
outright for the purpose of holding or reselling it, the obligation is 
issued when delivered to such broker or other person.
    (c) Extended maturity date. In cases where on or after January 1, 
1934, the maturity date of bonds or other obligations of a corporation 
is extended, the bonds or other obligations shall be considered to have 
been issued on or after January 1, 1934. The interest on such 
obligations is not subject to the withholding provisions of section 1451 
but falls within the class of interest described in section 1441. See 
paragraph (c)(5)(iii) of Sec. 1.1441-3.
    (d) Covenant in trust deed. Bonds issued under a trust deed 
containing a tax-free covenant are treated as if they contain such a 
covenant. If neither the bonds nor the trust deeds given by the obligor 
to secure them contained a tax-free covenant, but the original trust 
deeds were modified before January 1, 1934, by supplemental agreements 
containing a tax-free covenant executed by the obligor corporation and 
the trustee, the bonds issued before January 1, 1934, are subject to the 
provisions of section 1451, provided appropriate authority existed for 
the modification of the trust deeds in this manner. The authority must 
have been contained in the original trust deeds or actually secured from 
the bondholders.
    (e) Notation showing date of issue. In order that the date of issue 
of bonds, mortgages, deeds of trust, or other similar corporate 
obligations containing a tax-free covenant may be readily determined by 
the owner for the purpose of preparing the ownership certificates 
required by Sec. 1.1461-1, the issuing or debtor corporation shall 
indicate the date of issue by an appropriate notation, or use the phrase 
``issued on or after January 1, 1934,'' on each such obligation or in a 
statement accompanying the delivery of the obligation.
    (f) Effect of withholding on income taxes of bondholder and issuing 
corporation--(1) Federal tax. In the case of corporate bonds or other 
corporate obligations issued before January 1, 1934, and containing a 
tax-free covenant, the corporation paying a Federal tax, or any part of 
it, for someone else pursuant to its agreement is not entitled to deduct 
such payment from its gross income on any ground; nor shall the tax so 
paid be included in the gross income of the bondholder. The amount of 
the tax so paid may, nevertheless, be claimed by the bondholder in 
accordance with paragraph (a) of Sec. 1.1462-1 as a credit against the 
total amount of income tax due. See also section 32. The tax so paid by 
the corporation upon tax-free covenant bond interest payable to a 
domestic or resident fiduciary and allocable to any nonresident alien 
beneficiary under section 652 or 662 is allowable, pro rata, as a credit 
against:
    (i) The tax required to be withheld by the fiduciary in accordance 
with paragraph (f) of Sec. 1.1441-3 from the income of the beneficiary, 
and
    (ii) The total income tax computed in the return of the beneficiary, 
as indicated in paragraph (a) of Sec. 1.1462-1.
    (2) State taxes. In the case of corporate bonds or other obligations 
containing an appropriate tax-free covenant, the corporation paying for 
someone else, pursuant to its agreement, a State tax or any tax other 
than a Federal tax may deduct such payment as interest paid on 
indebtedness.
    (g) Alien resident of Puerto Rico. For purposes of this section the 
term ``nonresident alien individual'' includes an alien resident of 
Puerto Rico.
    (h) Other rules for withholding of tax under section 1451. The rules 
for withholding stated in paragraphs (c) (2) and (3), (f), and (g) of 
Sec. 1.1441-3 shall also apply for purposes of withholding the tax 
under this section.

[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 12076, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 7157, 36 FR 
25228, Dec. 30, 1971]

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