26 U.S.C. § 265 - Expenses and interest relating to tax-exempt income

• Cite as: 26 U.S.C. § 265

(a) General rule

No deduction shall be allowed for-

(1) Expenses

Any amount otherwise allowable as a deduction which is allocable to one or more classes of income other than interest (whether or not any amount of income of that class or classes is received or accrued) wholly exempt from the taxes imposed by this subtitle, or any amount otherwise allowable under section 212 (relating to expenses for production of income) which is allocable to interest (whether or not any amount of such interest is received or accrued) wholly exempt from the taxes imposed by this subtitle.

(2) Interest

Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry obligations the interest on which is wholly exempt from the taxes imposed by this subtitle.

(3) Certain regulated investment companies

In the case of a regulated investment company which distributes during the taxable year an exempt-interest dividend (including exempt-interest dividends paid after the close of the taxable year as described in section 855), that portion of any amount otherwise allowable as a deduction which the amount of the income of such company wholly exempt from taxes under this subtitle bears to the total of such exempt income and its gross income (excluding from gross income, for this purpose, capital gain net income, as defined in section 1222(9)).

(4) Interest related to exempt-interest dividends

Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of stock of a regulated investment company which during the taxable year of the holder thereof distributes exempt-interest dividends.

(5) Special rules for application of paragraph (2) in the case of short sales

For purposes of paragraph (2)-

(A) In general

The term "interest" includes any amount paid or incurred-

(i) by any person making a short sale in connection with personal property used in such short sale, or

(ii) by any other person for the use of any collateral with respect to such short sale.

(B) Exception where no return on cash collateral

If-

(i) the taxpayer provides cash as collateral for any short sale, and

(ii) the taxpayer receives no material earnings on such cash during the period of the sale,

subparagraph (A)(i) shall not apply to such short sale.

(6) Section not to apply with respect to parsonage and military housing allowances

No deduction shall be denied under this section for interest on a mortgage on, or real property taxes on, the home of the taxpayer by reason of the receipt of an amount as-

(A) a military housing allowance, or

(B) a parsonage allowance excludable from gross income under section 107.

(b) Pro rata allocation of interest expense of financial institutions to tax-exempt interest

(1) In general

In the case of a financial institution, no deduction shall be allowed for that portion of the taxpayer's interest expense which is allocable to tax-exempt interest.

(2) Allocation

For purposes of paragraph (1), the portion of the taxpayer's interest expense which is allocable to tax-exempt interest is an amount which bears the same ratio to such interest expense as-

(A) the taxpayer's average adjusted bases (within the meaning of section 1016) of tax-exempt obligations acquired after August 7, 1986, bears to

(B) such average adjusted bases for all assets of the taxpayer.

(3) Exception for certain tax-exempt obligations

(A) In general

Any qualified tax-exempt obligation acquired after August 7, 1986, shall be treated for purposes of paragraph (2) and section 291(e)(1)(B) as if it were acquired on August 7, 1986.

(B) Qualified tax-exempt obligation

(i) In general

For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term "qualified tax-exempt obligation" means a tax-exempt obligation-

(I) which is issued after August 7, 1986, by a qualified small issuer,

(II) which is not a private activity bond (as defined in section 141), and

(III) which is designated by the issuer for purposes of this paragraph.

(ii) Certain bonds not treated as private activity bonds

For purposes of clause (i)(II), there shall not be treated as a private activity bond-

(I) any qualified 501(c)(3) bond (as defined in section 145), or

(II) any obligation issued to refund (or which is part of a series of obligations issued to refund) an obligation issued before August 8, 1986, which was not an industrial development bond (as defined in section 103(b)(2) as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986) or a private loan bond (as defined in section 103(o)(2)(A), as so in effect, but without regard to any exemption from such definition other than section 103(o)(2)(A)).

(C) Qualified small issuer

(i) In general

For purposes of subparagraph (B), the term "qualified small issuer" means, with respect to obligations issued during any calendar year, any issuer if the reasonably anticipated amount of tax-exempt obligations (other than obligations described in clause (ii)) which will be issued by such issuer during such calendar year does not exceed $10,000,000.

(ii) Obligations not taken into account in determining status as qualified small issuer

For purposes of clause (i), an obligation is described in this clause if such obligation is-

(I) a private activity bond (other than a qualified 501(c)(3) bond, as defined in section 145),

(II) an obligation to which section 141(a) does not apply by reason of section 1312, 1313, 1316(g), or 1317 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and which would (if issued on August 15, 1986) have been an industrial development bond (as defined in section 103(b)(2) as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of such Act) or a private loan bond (as defined in section 103(o)(2)(A), as so in effect, but without regard to any exception from such definition other than section 103(o)(2)(A)), or