[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 31, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 31CFR339.3]

[Page 235-236]
 
                  TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE: TREASURY
 
         CHAPTER II--FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 339--EXCHANGE OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES H--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 339.3  Exchanges with privilege of deferring reporting of interest for Federal income tax purposes.

    (a) Tax-deferred exchanges. Pursuant to the provisions of section 
1037(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, the Secretary of the 
Treasury hereby grants to owners who have not been reporting the 
interest on their securities on an accrual basis for Federal income tax 
purposes the privilege of exchanging such securities for Series H bonds 
and of continuing to defer reporting of the interest on the securities 
exchanged (except interest referred to in paragraph (b)(5) of this 
section) for Federal income tax purposes to the taxable year in which 
the Series H bonds received in exchange are disposed of, are redeemed, 
or have reached final maturity, whichever is earlier.\2\
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    \2\ The interest paid semiannually by check on all Series H bonds, 
whether issued in exchange under this or any other section, or 
otherwise, is subject to the Federal income tax for the taxable year in 
which it is received.
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    (b) Rules governing the exchange. (1) Exchange subscription Form PD 
3253, completed and executed in accordance with the instructions 
thereon, the securities, any cash difference (see paragraph (b)(3) of 
this section), and any supporting evidence which may be required under 
the governing regulations\3\  may be presented or forwarded to any 
authorized agency.\4\
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    \3\ For example, a beneficiary named on Series E bonds would have to 
submit proof of the death of the registered owner in order to exchange 
such bonds for Series H bonds.
    \4\ Agents authorized to pay Series E bonds and savings notes are 
authorized to accept and handle exchange subscriptions submitted by 
natural persons whose names are inscribed on the face of the bonds and 
notes as owners or coowners in their own right. However, as agents of 
subscribers they may forward any exchange subscription to a Federal 
Reserve Bank or Branch or the Bureau of the Public Debt, Washington, DC 
20226, for acceptance and handling.
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    (2) A Series H bond issued upon exchange will be registered in the 
name of the owner of the securities submitted in any authorized form of 
registration. However, the principal coowner must be named as owner or 
coowner.
    (3) The total current redemption value of the securities submitted 
for exchange in any one transaction must amount to $500 or more. If the 
total current redemption value is in an even multiple of $500, Series H 
bonds must be requested in that exact amount. If the total current 
redemption value exceeds $500, but is not in an even multiple of $500, 
the owner has the option of furnishing cash necessary to obtain Series H 
bonds of the next higher $500 multiple, or of receiving payment of the 
difference between the total current redemption value and the next lower 
multiple of $500. For example, under the rules prescribed in this 
circular, if the securities submitted for exchange in one transaction 
total $4,253.33 current redemption value, the owner may elect to:
    (i) Receive $4,000 in Series H bonds and the amount of the 
difference, $253.33, or
    (ii) Pay the difference, $246.67, necessary to obtain $4,500 in 
Series H bonds.\5\
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    \5\ If a paying agent accepts a subscription solely for the purpose 
of forwarding it, or if the owner forwards it direct, to a Federal 
Reserve Bank or Branch or to the Bureau of the Public Debt, the 
remittance for the difference, by check or other form of exchange (which 
will be accepted subject to collection), must be drawn to the order of 
the Federal Reserve Bank or the United States Treasury, as the case may 
be. The remittance must accompany the subscription and the securities to 
be exchanged.
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    (4) Any amount paid to the owner as a cash adjustment (as in 
paragraph (3)(i) of this section) must be treated as income for Federal 
income tax purposes for the year in which it is received up to an amount 
not in excess of the total interest on the securities exchanged.\6\
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    \6\ The amount, if any, paid to the owner in excess of the interest 
is a repayment on account of the purchase price of the securities 
exchanged, not income.
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    (5) Each Series H bond issued under this section will be stamped 
``EX'' or ``EXCH'' to show that it was issued upon exchange. Each bond 
also will bear a legend showing how much of its issue price represents 
interest on the securities exchanged. This interest must be treated as 
income for Federal income tax purposes for the year in

[[Page 236]]

which the Series H bond is redeemed, is disposed of, or finally matures, 
whichever is earlier.
    (6) The Series H bonds will be dated as of the first day of the 
month in which the securities, the exchange subscription, any necessary 
cash difference and supporting evidence, if any, are accepted for 
exchange by an authorized agency.