[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.163-7]

[Page 808-810]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
COMPUTATION OF TAXABLE INCOME--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.163-7  Deduction for OID on certain debt instruments.

    (a) General rule. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of 
this section, an issuer (including a transferee) determines the amount 
of OID that is deductible each year under section 163(e)(1) by using the 
constant yield

[[Page 809]]

method described in Sec. 1.1272-1(b). This determination, however, is 
made without regard to section 1272(a)(7) (relating to acquisition 
premium) and Sec. 1.1273-1(d) (relating to de minimis OID). An issuer is 
permitted a deduction under section 163(e)(1) only to the extent the 
issuer is primarily liable on the debt instrument. For certain 
limitations on the deductibility of OID, see sections 163(e) and 
1275(b)(2). To determine the amount of interest (OID) that is deductible 
each year on a debt instrument that provides for contingent payments, 
see Sec. 1.1275-4.
    (b) Special rules for de minimis OID--(1) Stated interest. If a debt 
instrument has a de minimis amount of OID (within the meaning of 
Sec. 1.1273-1(d)), the issuer treats all stated interest on the debt 
instrument as qualified stated interest. See Secs. 1.446-2(b) and 1.461-
1 for the treatment of qualified stated interest.
    (2) Deduction of de minimis OID on other than a constant yield 
basis. In lieu of deducting de minimis OID under the general rule of 
paragraph (a) of this section, an issuer of a debt instrument with a de 
minimis amount of OID (other than a de minimis amount treated as 
qualified stated interest under paragraph (b)(1) of this section) may 
choose to deduct the OID at maturity, on a straight-line basis over the 
term of the debt instrument, or in proportion to stated interest 
payments. The issuer makes this choice by reporting the de minimis OID 
in a manner consistent with the method chosen on the issuer's timely 
filed Federal income tax return for the taxable year in which the debt 
instrument is issued.
    (c) Deduction upon repurchase. Except to the extent disallowed by 
any other section of the Internal Revenue Code (e.g., section 249) or 
this paragraph (c), if a debt instrument is repurchased by the issuer 
for a price in excess of its adjusted issue price (as defined in 
Sec. 1.1275-1(b)), the excess (repurchase premium) is deductible as 
interest for the taxable year in which the repurchase occurs. If the 
issuer repurchases a debt instrument in a debt-for-debt exchange, the 
repurchase price is the issue price of the newly issued debt instrument 
(reduced by any unstated interest within the meaning of section 483). 
However, if the issue price of the newly issued debt instrument is 
determined under either section 1273(b)(4) or section 1274, any 
repurchase premium is not deductible in the year of the repurchase, but 
is amortized over the term of the newly issued debt instrument in the 
same manner as if it were OID.
    (d) Choice of accrual periods to determine whether a debt instrument 
is an applicable high yield discount obligation (AHYDO). Section 
163(e)(5) affects an issuer's OID deductions for certain high yield debt 
instruments that have significant OID. For purposes of section 
163(i)(2), which defines significant OID, the issuer's choice of accrual 
periods to determine OID accruals is used to determine whether a debt 
instrument has significant OID. See Sec. 1.1275-2(e) for rules relating 
to the issuer's obligation to disclose certain information to holders.
    (e) Qualified reopening--(1) In general. In a qualified reopening of 
an issue of debt instruments, if a holder pays more or less than the 
adjusted issue price of the original debt instruments to acquire an 
additional debt instrument, the issuer treats this difference as an 
adjustment to the issuer's interest expense for the original and 
additional debt instruments. As provided by paragraphs (e)(2) through 
(5) of this section, the adjustment is taken into account over the term 
of the instrument using constant yield principles.
    (2) Positive adjustment. If the difference is positive (that is, the 
holder pays more than the adjusted issue price of the original debt 
instrument), then, with respect to the issuer but not the holder, the 
difference increases the aggregate adjusted issue prices of all of the 
debt instruments in the issue, both original and additional.
    (3) Negative adjustment. If the difference is negative (that is, the 
holder pays less than the adjusted issue price of the original debt 
instrument), then, with respect to the issuer but not the holder, the 
difference reduces the aggregate adjusted issue prices of all of the 
debt instruments in the issue, both original and additional.
    (4) Determination of issuer's interest accruals. As of the reopening 
date, the issuer must redetermine the yield of the debt instruments in 
the issue for purposes of applying the constant yield

[[Page 810]]

method described in Sec. 1.1272-1(b) to determine the issuer's accruals 
of interest expense over the remaining term of the debt instruments in 
the issue. This redetermined yield is based on the aggregate adjusted 
issue prices of the debt instruments in the issue (as determined under 
this paragraph (e)) and the remaining payment schedule of the debt 
instruments in the issue. If the aggregate adjusted issue prices of the 
debt instruments in the issue (as determined under this paragraph (e)) 
are less than the aggregate stated redemption price at maturity of the 
instruments (determined as of the reopening date) by a de minimis amount 
(within the meaning of Sec. 1.1273-1(d)), the issuer may use the rules 
in paragraph (b) of this section to determine the issuer's accruals of 
interest expense.
    (5) Effect of adjustments on issuer's adjusted issue price. The 
adjustments made under this paragraph (e) are taken into account for 
purposes of determining the issuer's adjusted issue price under 
Sec. 1.1275-1(b).
    (6) Definitions. The terms additional debt instrument, original debt 
instrument, qualified reopening, and reopening date have the same 
meanings as in Sec. 1.1275-2(k).
    (f) Effective dates. This section (other than paragraph (e) of this 
section) applies to debt instruments issued on or after April 4, 1994. 
Taxpayers, however, may rely on this section (other than paragraph (e) 
of this section) for debt instruments issued after December 21, 1992, 
and before April 4, 1994. Paragraph (e) of this section applies to 
qualified reopenings where the reopening date is on or after March 13, 
2001.

[T.D. 8517, 59 FR 4804, Feb. 2, 1994, as amended by T.D. 8674, 61 FR 
30138, June 14, 1996; T.D. 8934, 66 FR 2815, Jan. 12, 2001]