[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.165-12]

[Page 906-908]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.165-12  Denial of deduction for losses on registration-required 
obligations not in registered form.

    (a) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, 
nothing in section 165(a) and the regulations thereunder, or in any 
other provision of law, shall be construed to provide a deduction for 
any loss sustained on any registration-required obligation held after 
December 31, 1982, unless the obligation is in registered form or the 
issuance of the obligation was subject to tax under section 4701. The 
term ``registration-required obligation'' has the meaning given to that 
term in section 163(f)(2), except that clause (iv) of subparagraph (A) 
thereof shall not apply. Therefore, although an obligation that is not 
in registered form is described in Sec. 1.163-5(c)(1), the holder of 
such an obligation shall not be allowed a deduction for any loss 
sustained on such obligation unless paragraph (c) of this section 
applies. The term ``holder'' means the person that would be denied a 
loss deduction under section 165(j)(1) or denied capital gain treatment 
under section 1287(a). For purposes of this section, the term United 
States means the United States and its possessions within the meaning of 
Sec. 1.163-5(c)(2)(iv).
    (b) Registered form--(1) Obligations issued after September 21, 
1984. With respect to any obligation originally issued after September 
21, 1984, the term ``registered form'' has the meaning given that term 
in section 103(j)(3) and the regulations thereunder. Therefore, an 
obligation that would otherwise be in registered form is not considered 
to be in registered form if it can be transferred at that time or at any 
time until its maturity by any means not described in Sec. 5f.103-1(c). 
An obligation that, as of a particular time, is not considered to be in 
registered form because it can be transferred by any means not described 
in Sec. 5f.103-1(c) is considered to be in registered form at all times 
during the period beginning with a later time and ending with the 
maturity of the obligation in which the obligation can be transferred 
only by a means described in Sec. 5f.103-1(c).
    (2) Obligations issued after December 31, 1982 and on or before 
September 21, 1984. With respect to any obligation originally issued 
after December 31, 1982 and on or before September 21, 1984 or an 
obligation originally issued after September 21, 1984 pursuant to the 
exercise of a warrant or the conversion of a convertible obligation, 
which warrant or obligation (including conversion privilege) was issued 
after December 31, 1982 and on or before September 21, 1984, that 
obligation will be considered in registered form if it satisfied Sec. 
5f.163-1 or the proposed regulations provided in Sec. 1.163-5(c) and 
published in the Federal Register on September 2, 1983 (48 FR 39953).
    (c) Registration-required obligations not in registered form which 
are not subject to section 165(j)(1). Notwithstanding the fact that an 
obligation is a registration-required obligation that is not in 
registered form, the holder will not be subject to section 165(j)(1) if 
the holder meets the conditions of any one of the following 
subparagraphs (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this paragraph (c).
    (1) Persons permitted to hold in connection with the conduct of a 
trade or business. (i) The holder is an underwriter, broker, dealer, 
bank, or other financial institution (defined in paragraph (c)(1)(iv)) 
that holds such obligation in

[[Page 907]]

connection with its trade or business conducted outside the United 
States; or the holder is a broker-dealer (registered under Federal or 
State law or exempted from registration by the provisions of such law 
because it is a bank) that holds such obligation for sale to customers 
in the ordinary course of its trade or business.
    (ii) The holder must offer to sell, sell and deliver the obligation 
in bearer form only outside of the United States except that a holder 
that is a registered broker-dealer as described in paragraph (c)(1)(i) 
of this section may offer to sell and sell the obligation in bearer form 
inside the United States to a financial institution as defined in 
paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section for its own account or for the 
account of another financial institution or of an exempt organization as 
defined in section 501(c)(3).
    (iii) The holder may deliver an obligation in bearer form that is 
offered or sold inside the United States only if the holder delivers it 
to a financial institution that is purchasing for its own account, or 
for the account of another financial institution or of an exempt 
organization, and the financial institution or organization that 
purchases the obligation for its own account or for whose account the 
obligation is purchased represents that it will comply with the 
requirements of section 165(j)(3) (A), (B), or (C). Absent actual 
knowledge that the representation is false, the holder may rely on a 
written statement provided by the financial institution or exempt 
organization, including a statement that is delivered in electronic 
form. The holder may deliver a registration-required obligation in 
bearer form that is offered and sold outside the United States to a 
person other than a financial institution only if the holder has 
evidence in its records that such person is not a U.S. citizen or 
resident and does not have actual knowledge that such evidence is false. 
Such evidence may include a written statement by that person, including 
a statement that is delivered electronically. For purposes of this 
paragraph (c), the term deliver includes a transfer of an obligation 
evidenced by a book entry including a book entry notation by a clearing 
organization evidencing transfer of the obligation from one member of 
the organization to another member. For purposes of this paragraph (c), 
the term deliver does not include a transfer of an obligation to the 
issuer or its agent for cancellation or extinguishment. The record-
retention provisions in Sec. 1.1441-1(e)(4)(iii) shall apply to any 
statement that a holder receives pursuant to this paragraph (c)(1)(iii).
    (iv) For purposes of paragraph (c) of this section, the term 
``financial institution'' means a person which itself is, or more than 
50 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of whose 
stock entitled to vote is owned by a person which is--
    (A) Engaged in the conduct of a banking, financing, or similar 
business within the meaning of section 954(c)(3)(B) as in effect before 
the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and the regulations thereunder;
    (B) Engaged in business as a broker or dealer in securities;
    (C) An insurance company;
    (D) A person that provides pensions or other similar benefits to 
retired employees;
    (E) Primarily engaged in the business of rendering investment 
advice;
    (F) A regulated investment company or other mutual fund; or
    (G) A finance corporation a substantial part of the business of 
which consists of making loans (including the acquisition of obligations 
under a lease which is entered into primarily as a financing 
transaction), acquiring accounts receivable, notes or installment 
obligations arising out of the sale of tangible personal property or the 
performing of services, or servicing debt obligations.
    (2) Persons permitted to hold obligations for their own investment 
account. The holder is a financial institution holding the obligation 
for its own investment account that satisfies the conditions set forth 
in subdivisions (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) of his paragraph (c) (2).
    (i) The holder reports on its Federal income tax return for the 
taxable year any interest payments received (including original issue 
discount includable in gross income for such taxable year) with respect 
to such obligation

[[Page 908]]

and gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of such obligation;
    (ii) The holder indicates on its Federal income tax return that 
income, gain or loss described in paragraph (c)(2)(i) is attributable to 
registration-required obligations held in bearer form for its own 
account;
    (iii) The holder of a bearer obligation that resells the obligation 
inside the United States resells the obligation only to another 
financial institution for its own account or for the account of another 
financial institution or exempt organization; and
    (iv) The holder delivers such obligation in bearer form to any other 
person in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) (ii) and (iii) of this 
section.
    (3) Persons permitted to hold through financial institutions. The 
holder is any person that purchases and holds a registration-required 
obligation in bearer form through a financial institution with which the 
holder maintains a customer, custodial or nominee relationship and such 
institution agrees to satisfy, and does in fact satisfy, the conditions 
set forth in subdivisions (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) of this 
paragraph (c)(3).
    (i) The financial institution makes a return of information to the 
Internal Revenue Service with respect to any interest payments received. 
The financial institution must report original issue discount includable 
in the holder's gross income for the taxable year on any obligation so 
held, but only if the obligation appears in an Internal Revenue Service 
publication of obligations issued at an original issue discount and only 
in an amount determined in accordance with information contained in that 
publication. An information return for any interest payment shall be 
made on a Form 1099 for the calendar year. It shall indicate the 
aggregate amount of the payment received, the name, address and taxpayer 
identification number of the holder, and such other information as is 
required by the form. No return of information is required under this 
subdivision if the financial institution reports payments under section 
6041 or 6049.
    (ii) The financial institution makes a return of information on Form 
1099B with respect to any disposition by the holder of such obligation. 
The return shall show the name, address, and taxpayer identification 
number of the holder of the obligation, Committee on Uniform Security 
Information Procedures (CUSIP), gross proceeds, sale date, and such 
other information as may be required by the form. No return of 
information is required under this subdivision if such financial 
institution reports with respect to the disposition under section 6045.
    (iii) In the case of a bearer obligation offered for resale or 
resold in the United States, the financial institution may resell the 
obligation only to another financial institution for its own account or 
for the account of an exempt organization.
    (iv) The financial institution covenants with the holder that the 
financial institution will deliver the obligation in bearer form in 
accordance with the requirements set forth in paragraph (c)(1) (ii) and 
(iii).
    (v) The financial institution delivers the obligation in bearer form 
in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) (ii) and (iv) as if the financial 
institution delivering the obligation were the holder referred to in 
such paragraph.
    (4) Conversion of obligations into registered form. The holder is 
not a person described in paragraph (c) (1), (2), or (3) of this 
section, and within thirty days of the date when the seller or other 
transferor is reasonably able to make the bearer obligation available to 
the holder, the holder surrenders the obligation to a transfer agent or 
the issuer for conversion of the obligation into registered form. If 
such obligation is not registered within such 30 day period, the holder 
shall be subject to sections 165(j) and 1287(a).
    (d) Effective date. These regulations apply generally to obligations 
issued after January 20, 1987. However, a taxpayer may choose to apply 
the rules of Sec. 1.165-12 with respect to an obligation issued after 
December 31, 1982 and on or before January 20, 1987, which obligation is 
held after January 20, 1987.

[T.D. 8110, 51 FR 45459, Dec. 19, 1986, as amended by T.D. 8734, 62 FR 
53416, Oct. 14, 1997]

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