26 C.F.R. §§ 1.25-2T–1.25-8T

In general. For purposes of §§ 1.25-1T through 1.25-8T, the term “certificate credit rate” means the rate specified by the issuer on the mortgage credit certificate. The certificate credit rate shall not be less than 10 percent nor more than 50 percent.

In general. The term “certified indebtedness amount” means the amount of indebtedness which is—

Example. The following example illustrates the application of this paragraph:

-(o) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.25-3T(g)(2) through (o).

In general. If the issuer of a qualified mortgage credit certificate reissues a certificate in place of an existing mortgage credit certificate to the holder of that existing certificate, the reissued certificate is treated as satisfying the requirements of this section. The period for which the reissued certificate is in effect begins with the date of the refinancing (that is, the date on which interest begins accruing on the refinancing loan).

Meaning of existing certificate. For purposes of this paragraph (p), a mortgage credit certificate is an existing certificate only if it satisfies the requirements of this section. An existing certificate may be the original certificate, a certificate issued to a transferee under § 1.25-3T(h)(2)(ii), or a certificate previously reissued under this paragraph (p).

Limitations on reissued certificate. An issuer may reissue a mortgage credit certificate only if all of the following requirements are satisfied:

Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of paragraph (p)(3)(v) of this section:

Coordination with Section 143(m)(3). A refinancing loan underlying a reissued mortgage credit certificate that replaces a mortgage credit certificate issued on or before December 31, 1990, is not a federally subsidized indebtedness for the purposes of section 143(m)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if it is provided in connection with the acquisition, qualified rehabilitation, or qualified home improvement of a residence, that is—

Certification procedure. The requirements of this paragraph will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating his intent to use (or, in the case of a qualified home improvement loan, that he is currently using and intends to continue to use) the residence as his principal residence within a reasonable time (e.g., 60 days) after the mortgage credit certificate is issued and stating that the holder will notify the issuer of the mortgage credit certificate if the residence ceases to be his principal residence. The affidavit must also state facts that are sufficient for the issuer or his agent to determine whether the residence is located within the jurisdiction of the issuer that issued the mortgage credit certificate.

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the holder of the certificate had no present ownership interest in a principal residence at any time during the 3-year period prior to the date on which the mortgage on the residence in connection with which the certificate is provided is executed. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the holder's interest in the residence with respect to which the certificate is being provided shall not be taken into account. See section 103A(e) and the regulations thereunder for further definitions and requirements.

Exceptions. Paragraph (e)(1) shall not apply with respect to—

Certification procedure. The requirements of paragraph (e)(1) will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that he had no present ownership interest in a principal residence at any time during the 3-year period prior to the date of which the certificate is issued and the issuer or its agent obtains from the applicant copies of the applicant's Federal tax returns for the preceding 3 years and examines each statement to determine whether the applicant has claimed a deduction for taxes on property which was the applicant's principal residence pursuant to section 164(a)(1) or a deduction pursuant to section 163 for interest paid on a mortgage secured by property which was the applicant's principal residence. Where the mortgage is executed during the period between January 1 and February 15 and the applicant has not yet filed has Federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, the issuer may, with respect to such year, rely on an affidavit of the applicant that the applicant is not entitled to claim deductions for taxes or interest on indebtedness with respect to property constituting his principal residence for the preceding calendar year. In the alternative, when applicable, the holder may provide an affidavit stating that one of the exceptions provided in paragraph (e)(2) applies.

Special rule. An issuer may submit a plan to the Commissioner for distributing certificates, in an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the proceeds of the issue, to individuals who do not meet the requirements of this paragraph. Such plan must describe a procedure for ensuring that no more than 10 percent of the proceeds of a such issue will be used to provide certificates to such individuals. If the Commissioner approves the issuer's plan, certificates issued in accordance with the terms of the plan to holders who do not meet the 3-year requirement do not fail to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the acquisition cost (as defined in § 1.25-1T(b)(8)) of the residence, other than a targeted area residence, in connection with which the certificate is provided does not exceed 110 percent of the average area purchase price (as defined in § 1.25-1T(b)(9)) applicable to that residence. In the case of a targeted area residence (as defined in § 1.251T(b)(7)) the acquisition cost may not exceed 120 percent of the average area purchase price applicable to such residence. See section 1093A(f) and the regulations thereunder for further definitions and requirements.

Certification procedure. The requirements of paragraph (f)(1) will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains affidavits executed by the seller and the buyer that state these requirements have been met. Such affidavits must include an itemized list of—

Certification procedure. The requirements of paragraph (g)(1) will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that the mortage being acquired in connection with the certificate will not be used to acquire or replace an existing mortgage (other than one that falls within the exceptions described in paragraph (g)(1)(ii)).

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if it is (i) not transferable or (ii) transferable only with the approval of the issuer.

Transfer procedure. A certificate that is transferred with the approval of the issuer is a qualified mortgage credit certificate in the hands of the transferee only if each of the following requirements is met:

Statement on certificate. The requirements of paragraph (h)(1) will be met if the mortgage credit certificate states that the certificate may not be transferred or states that the certificate may not be transferred unless the issuer issues a new certificate in place of the original certificate.

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if it is issued in connection with the acquisition of a residence none of the financing of which is provided from the proceeds of—

Certification procedure. The requirements of paragraph (i)(1) will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that no portion of the financing of the residence in connection with which the certificate is issued is provided from the proceeds of a qualified mortgage bond or a qualified veterans' mortgage bond.

In general. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (j)(2), a certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the certificate is not limited to indebtedness incurred from particular lenders. A certificate is limited to indebtedness from particular lenders if the issuer, directly or indirectly, prohibits the holder of a certificate from obtaining financing from one or more lenders or requires the holder of a certificate to obtain financing from one or more lenders. For purposes of this paragraph, a lender is any person, including an issuer of mortgage credit certificates, that provides financing for the acquisition, qualified rehabilitation, or qualified home improvement of a residence.

Exception. A mortgage credit certificate that is limited to indebtedness incurred from particular lenders will not cease to meet the requirements of this paragraph if the Commissioner approves the basis for such limitation. The Commissioner may approve the basis for such limitation if the issuer establishes to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that it will result in a significant economic benefit to the holders of mortgage credit certificates (e.g., substantially lower financing costs) compared to the result without such limitation.

Taxable bonds. The requirements of this paragraph do not prevent an issuer of mortgage credit certificates from issuing mortgage subsidy bonds (other than obligations described in section 103 (a)) the proceeds of which are to be used to provide mortgages to holders of mortgage credit certificates provided that the holders of such certificates are not required to obtain financing from the proceeds of the bond issue. See § 1.25-4T (h) with respect to permissible fees.

Lists of participating lenders. The requirements of this paragraph do not prohibit an issuer from maintaining a list of lenders that have stated that they will make loans to qualified holders of mortgage credit certificates, provided that (i) the issuer solicits such statements in a public notice similar to the notice described in § 1.25-7T, (ii) lenders are provided a reasonable period of time in which to express their interest in being included in such a list, and (iii) holders of mortgage credit certificates are not required to obtain financing from the lenders on the list. If an issuer maintains such a list, it must update the list at least annually.

Certification procedure. The requirements of this paragraph will be met if (i) the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that the certificate was not limited to indebtedness incurred from particular lenders or (ii) the issuer obtains a ruling from the Commissioner under paragraph (j)(2).

Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph:

In general. A mortgage credit certificate that is allocated by the issuer to any particular development meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the developer provides a certification to the purchaser of the residence and the issuer stating that the purchase price of that residence is not higher than the price would be if the issuer had not allocated mortgage credit certificates to the development. The certification must be made by the developer if a natural person or, if not, by a duly authorized official of the developer.

Certification procedure. The requirements of this paragraph will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that he has received from the developer the certification described in this paragraph.

In general. A certificate meets the requirements of this paragraph if the certified indebtedness amount is incurred prior to the close of the second calendar year following the calendar year for which the issuer elected not to issue qualified mortgage bonds under § 1.25-4T with respect to that issue of mortgage credit certificates. Thus, for example, if on October 1, 1984, an issuing authority elects under § 1.25-4T not to issue qualified mortgage bonds, a mortgage credit certificate provided under that program does not meet the requirements of this paragraph unless the indebtedness is incurred on or before December 31, 1986.

Issuer-imposed expiration dates. An issuer of mortgage credit certificates may provide that a certificate shall expire if the holder of the certificate does not incure certified indebtedness by a date that is prior to the expiration date provided in paragraph (l)(1). A certificate that expires prior to the date provided in paragraph (l)(1) may be reissued provided that the requirements of this paragraph are met.

In general. A certificate does not meet the requirements of this paragraph if interest on the certified indebtedness amount is paid to a person who is a related person to the holder of the certificate.

Certification procedure. The requirements of this paragraph will be met if the issuer or its agent obtains from the holder of the certificate an affidavit stating that a related person does not have, and is not expected to have, an interest as a creditor in the certified indebtedness amount.

Definition of qualified mortgage credit certificate program. For purposes of §§ 1.25-1T through 1.25-8T, the term “qualified mortgage credit certificate program” means a program to issue qualified mortgage credit certificates which meets all of the requirements of paragraphs (b) through (i) of this section.

Requirements are a minimum. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the requirements of this section are minimum requirements. Issuers may establish more stringent criteria for participation in a qualified mortgage credit certificate program. Thus, for example, an issuer may target 30 percent of the proceeds of an issue of mortgage credit certificates to targeted areas. Further, issuers may establish additional eligibility criteria for participation in a qualified mortgage credit certificate program. Thus, for example, issuers may impose an income limitation designed to ensure that only those individuals who could not otherwise purchase a residence will benefit from the credit.

Except as otherwise provided in this section and § 1.25-3T, issuers may use mortgage credit certificates in connection with other Federal, State, and local programs provided that such use complies with the requirements of § 1.25-3T(j). Thus, for example, a mortgage credit certificate may be issued in connection with the qualified rehabilitation of a residence part of the cost of which will be paid from the proceeds of a State grant.

In general. A program meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the issuer elects, in the time and manner specified in this paragraph, not to issue an amount of qualified mortgage bonds that it may otherwise issue during the calendar year under section 103A and the regulations thereunder.

Manner of making election. On or before the earlier of the date of distribution of mortgage credit certificates under a program or December 31, 1987, the issuer must file an election not to issue an amount of qualified mortgage bonds. The election (and the certification (or affidavit) described in paragraph (d)) shall be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19255. The election should be titled “Mortgage Credit Certificate Election” and must include—

Revocation of election. Any election made under this paragraph may be revoked, in whole or in part, at any time during the calendar year in which the election was made. The revocation, however, may not be made with respect to any part of the nonissued bond amount that has been used to issue mortgage credit certificates pursuant to the election. The revocation shall be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19255. The revocation should be titled “Revocation of Mortgage Credit Certificate Election” and must include—

Special rule. If at the time that an issuer makes an election under this paragraph it does not know its applicable limit, the issuer may elect not to use all of its remaining authority to issue qualified mortgage bonds; this form of election will be treated as meeting the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) if, prior to the later of the end of the calendar year and December 31, 1985, the issuer amends its election so as to indicate the exact amount of qualified mortgage bond authority that it elected not to issue.

Limitation on nonissued bond amount. The amount of qualified mortgage bonds which an issuer elects not to issue may not exceed the issuer's applicable limit (as determined under section 103A (g) and the regulations thereunder). For example, a governmental unit that, pursuant to section 103A (g)(3), may issue $10 million of qualified mortgage bonds that elects to trade in $11 million in qualified mortgage bond authority has not met the requirements of this paragraph, and mortgage credit certificates issued pursuant to such election are not qualified mortgage credit certificates.

In general. A program meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the State official designated by law (or, where there is no State official, the Governor) certifies, based on facts and circumstances as of the date on which the certification is requested, following a request for such certification, that the issue meets the requirements of section 103A(g) (relating to volume limitation) and the regulations thereunder. A copy of the State certification must be attached to the issuer's election not to issue qualified mortgage bonds, except that, in the case of elections made during calendar year 1984, the certification may be filed with the Service prior to July 8, 1985 provided that mortgage credit certificates may not be distributed until the certification is filed. In the case of any constitutional home rule city, the certification shall be made by the chief executive officer of the city.

Certification procedure. The official making the certification described in this paragraph (d) need not perform an independent investigation to determine whether the issuer has met the requirements of section 103A(g). In determining the aggregate amount of qualified mortgage bonds previously issued by that issuer during the calendar year the official may rely on copies of prior elections under paragraph (c) of this section made by the issuer for that year, together with an affidavit executed by an official of the issuer who is responsible for issuing bonds stating that the issuer has not, to date, issued any other issues of qualified mortgage bonds during the calendar year and stating the amount, if any, of the issuer's applicable limit that it has surrendered to other issuers during the calendar year; for any calendar year prior to 1985, the official may rely on an affidavit executed by a duly authorized official of the issuer who states the aggregate amount of qualified mortgage bonds issued by the issuer during the year. In determining the aggregate amount of qualified mortgage bonds that the issuer has previously elected not to issue during that calendar year, the official may rely on copies of any elections not to issue qualified mortgage bonds filed by the issuer for that calendar year, together with an affidavit executed by an official of the issuer responsible for issuing mortgage credit certificates stating that the issuer has not, to date, made any other elections not to issue qualified mortgage bonds. If, based on such information, the certifying official determines that the issuer has not, as of the date on which the certification is provided, exceeded its applicable limit for the year, the official may certify that the issue meets the requirements of section 103A(g). The fact that the certification described in this paragraph (d) is provided does not ensure that the issuer has met the requirements of section 103A(g) and the regulations thereunder, nor does it preclude the application of the penalty for over-issuance of mortgage credit certificates if such over-issuance actually occurs. See § 1.25-5T.

Special rule. If within 30 days after the issuer files a proper request for the certification described in this paragraph (d) the issuer has not received from the State official designated by law (or, if there is no State official, the Governor) certification that the issue meets the requirements of section 103A(g) or, in the alternative, a statement that the issue does not meet such requirements, the issuer may submit, in lieu of the certification required by this paragraph (d), an affidavit executed by an officer of the issuer responsible for issuing mortgage credit certificates stating that—

Reports. With respect to mortgage credit certificates issued after September 30, 1985, a program meets the requirements of this paragraph only if the issuer submits a report containing the information concerning the holders of certificates issued during the preceding reporting period required by this paragraph. The report must be filed for each reporting period in which certificates (other than transferred certificates) are issued under the program. The issuer is not responsible for false information provided by a holder if the issuer did not know or have reason to know that the information was false. The report must be filed on the form prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service. If no form is prescribed, or if the form prescribed is not readily available, the issuer may use its own form provided that such form is in the format set forth in this paragraph and contains the information required by this paragraph. The report must be titled “Mortgage Credit Certificate Information Report” and must include the name, address, and TIN of the issuer, the reporting period for which the information is provided, and the following tables containing information concerning the holders of certificates issued during the reporting period for which the report is filed:

Format. If no form is prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service, or if the prescribed form is not readily available, the issuer must submit the report in the format specified in this paragraph (e)(2). The specified format of the report is the following:

Time for filing. The report required by this paragraph shall be filed not later than the 15th day of the second calendar month after the close of the reporting period. The Commissioner may grant an extension of time for the filing of a report required by this paragraph if there is reasonable cause for the failure to file such report in a timely fashion. The report may be filed at any time before such date but must be complete based on facts and reasonable expectations as of the date the report is filed. The report need not be amended to reflect information learned subsequent to the date of filing, or to reflect changed circumstances with respect to any holder.

Place for filing. The report required by this paragraph is to be filed at the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19255.

In general. A program meets the requirements of this paragraph only if—

In general. A program meets the requirements of this paragraph only if each applicant is required to pay, directly or indirectly, no fee other than those fees permitted under this paragraph.

Permissible fees. Applicants may be required to pay the following fees provided that they are reasonable:

In general. The aggregate amount of qualified mortgage credit certificates issued under a qualified mortgage credit certificate program is the sum of the products determined by multiplying—

Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this paragraph (b):

In general. If the provisions of this paragraph apply, the State ceiling under section 103A(g)(4) and the regulations thereunder for the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Commissioner determines the correction amount for the State in which the issuer which exceeded the limitation on the aggregate amount of mortgage credit certificates is located shall be reduced by 1.25 times the correction amount with respect to such failure.

Example. The following example illustrates the application of this paragraph:

Cross-references. See section 103A(g)(4) and the regulations thereunder with respect to the reduction of the applicable State ceiling.

In general. Reasonable public notice means published notice which is reasonably designed to inform individuals who would be eligible to receive mortgage credit certificates of the proposed issuance. Reasonable public notice may be provided through newspapers of general circulation.

Contents of notice. The public notice required by paragraph (a) must include a brief description of the principal residence requirement, 3-year requirement, purchase price requirement, and new mortgage requirement. The notice must also provide a brief description of the methods by which the certificates are to be issued and the address and telephone number for obtaining further information.

In general. Each person who makes a loan that is a certified indebtedness amount with respect to any mortgage credit certificate must file the report described in paragraph (a)(2) and must retain on its books and records the information described in paragraph (a)(3). The report described in paragraph (a)(2) is an annual report and must be filed on or before January 31 of the year following the calendar year to which the report relates. See section 6709(c) and the regulations thereunder for the applicable penalties with respect to failure to file reports.

Information required. The report shall be submitted on Form 8329 and shall contain the information required therein. A separate Form 8329 shall be filed for each issue of mortgage credit certificates with respect to which the lender made mortgage loans during the preceding calendar year. Thus, for example, if during 1986 Bank M makes three mortgage loans which are certified indebtedness amounts with respect to State Z's January 15, 1986, issue of mortgage credit certificates, and two mortgage loans which are certified indebtedness amounts with respect to State Z's April 15, 1986, issue of mortgage credit certificates, and fifty mortgage loans which are certified indebtedness amounts with respect to County X's December 31, 1985, issue of mortgage credit certificates, Bank M must file three separate reports for calendar year 1986. The lender must submit the Form 8329 with the information required therein, including—

Recordkeeping requirements. Each person who makes a loan that is a certified indebtedness amount with respect to any mortgage credit certificate must retain the information specified in this paragraph (a)(3) on its books and records for 6 years following the year in which the loan was made. With respect to each loan the lender must retain the following information:

In general. Each issuer of mortgage credit certificates shall file the report described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.