(a) In general. Under section 103(c)(1) and this section, an industrial development bond issued after April 30, 1968, shall be treated as an obligation not described in section 103(a)(1) and §1.103-1. Accordingly, interest paid on such a bond is includable in gross income unless the bond was issued by a State, or local governmental unit to finance certain exempt facilities (see section 103(c)(4) and §1.103-8), to finance an industrial park (see section 103(c)(5) and §1.103-9), or as part of an exempt small issue (see section 103(c)(6) and §1.103-10). For applicable rules when an industrial development bond is held by a substantial user (or a person related to a substantial user) of such an exempt facility, or an industrial park, or a facility financed with the proceeds of such an exempt small issue, see section 103(c)(7) and §1.103-11. See also §1.103-12 for the transitional provisions concerning the interest paid on certain industrial development bonds issued before January 1, 1969, and certain other industrial development bonds. Even if section 103(c) does not prevent a bond from being treated as an obligation described in section 103(a)(1) and §1.103-1, such bond shall nevertheless be treated as an obligation which is not described in section 103(a)(1) and §1.103-1 if under section 103(d) it is an arbitrage bond. For purposes of section 103(c), the term “issue” includes a single obligation such as a single note issued in connection with a bank loan as well as a series of notes or bonds.
(b) Industrial development bonds—(1) Definition. For purposes of this section, the term “industrial development bond” means any obligation—
(i) Which is issued as part of an issue all or a major portion of the proceeds of which are to be used directly or indirectly in any trade or business carried on by any person who is not an exempt person (as defined in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph), and
(ii) The payment of the principal or interest on which, under the terms of such obligation or any underlying arrangement (as described in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph), is in whole or in major part (i.e., major portion)—
(a) Secured by any interest in property used or to be used in a trade or business,
(b) Secured by any interest in payments in respect of property used or to be used in a trade or business, or
(c) To be derived from payments in respect of property, or borrowed money, used or to be used in a trade or business.
See subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this paragraph for the trade or business test and the security interest test respectively. See §1.103-8(a)(6) to determine the amount of proceeds of an issue for which the amount payable during each annual period over the term of the issue is less than the amount of interest accruing thereon in such period, e.g., in the case of an issue sold by the issuer for less than its face amount.
(2) Exempt person. The term “exempt person” means a governmental unit as defined in this subparagraph, or an organization which is described in section 501(c)(3) and this subparagraph and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a). For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “governmental unit” means a State or local governmental unit (as defined in §1.103-1). For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “governmental unit” also includes the United States of America (or an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America), but only in the case of obligations (i) issued on or before August 3, 1972, or (ii) issued after August 3, 1972, with respect to which a bond resolution or any other official action was taken and in reliance on such action either (a) construction of such facility to be financed with such obligations commenced or (b) a binding contract was entered into, or an irrevocable bid was submitted, prior to August 3, 1972, or (iii) issued after August 3, 1972, with respect to a program approved by Congress prior to such date but only if (a) a portion of such program has been financed by obligations issued prior to such date, to which section 103(a) applied pursuant to a ruling issued by the Commissioner or his delegate prior to such date and (b) construction of one or more facilities comprising a part of such program commenced prior to such date. For purposes of this subparagraph, a tax-exempt organization is an exempt person only with respect to a trade or business it carries on which is not an unrelated trade or business. Whether a particular trade or business carried on by a tax-exempt organization is an unrelated trade or business is determined by applying the rules of section 513(a) (relating to general rule for unrelated trade or business) and the regulations thereunder to the tax-exempt organization without regard to whether the organization is an organization subject to the tax imposed by section 511 (relating to imposition of tax on unrelated business income of charitable, etc., organizations).
(3) Trade or business test.
(i) The trade or business test relates to the use of the proceeds of a bond issue. The test is met if all or a major portion of the proceeds of a bond issue is used in a trade or business carried on by a nonexempt person. For example, if all or a major portion of the proceeds of a bond issue is to be loaned to one or more private business users, or is to be used to acquire, construct, or reconstruct facilities to be leased or sold to such private business users, and such proceeds or facilities are to be used in trades or businesses carried on by them, such proceeds are to be used in a trade or business carried on by persons who are not exempt persons, and the debt obligations comprising the bond issue satisfy the trade or business test. If, however, less than a major portion of the proceeds of an issue is to be loaned to nonexempt persons or is to be used to acquire or construct facilities which will be used in a trade or business carried on by a nonexempt person, the debt obligations will not be industrial development bonds. Also, when publicly-owned facilities which are intended for general public use, such as toll roads or bridges, are constructed with the proceeds of a bond issue and used by nonexempt persons in their trades or businesses on the same basis as other members of the public, such use does not constitute a use in the trade or business of a nonexempt person for purposes of the trade or business test.
(ii) In determining whether a debt obligation meets the trade or business test, the indirect, as well as the direct, use of the proceeds is to be taken into account. For example, the debt obligations comprising a bond issue do not fail to satisfy the trade or business test merely because the State or local governmental unit uses the proceeds to engage in a series of financing transactions for property to be used by private business users in trades or businesses carried on by them. Similarly, if such proceeds are to be used to construct facilities to be leased or sold to any nonexempt person for use in a trade or business it carries on, such proceeds are to be used in a trade or business carried on by a nonexempt person and the debt obligations comprising such issue satisfy the trade or business test. If such proceeds are to be used to construct facilities to be leased or sold to an exempt person who will, in turn, lease or sell the facilities to a nonexempt person for use in a trade or business, such proceeds are to be used in a trade or business carried on by a nonexempt person and the debt obligations comprising such issue satisfy the trade or business test. In addition, proceeds will be treated as being used in the trade or business of a nonexempt person in situations involving other arrangements, whether in a single transaction or in a series of transactions, whereby a nonexempt person uses property acquired with the proceeds of a bond issue in its trade or business.
(iii) The use of more than 25 percent of the proceeds of an issue of obligations in the trades or businesses of nonexempt persons will constitute the use of a major portion of such proceeds in such manner. In the case of the direct or indirect use of the proceeds of an issue of obligations or the direct or indirect use of a facility constructed, reconstructed, or acquired with such proceeds, the use by all nonexempt persons in their trades or businesses must be aggregated to determine whether the trade or business test is satisfied. If more than 25 percent of the proceeds of a bond issue is used in the trades or businesses of nonexempt persons, the trade or business test is satisfied. For special rules with respect to the acquisition of the output of facilities, see subparagraph (5) of this paragraph.
(4) Security interest test. The security interest test relates to the nature of the security for, and the source of, the payment of either the principal or interest on a bond issue. The nature of the security for, and the source of, the payment may be determined from the terms of the bond indenture or on the basis of an underlying arrangement. An underlying arrangement to provide security for, or the source of, the payment of the principal or interest on an obligation may result from separate agreements between the parties or may be determined on the basis of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the issuance of the bonds. The property which is the security for, or the source of, the payment of either the principal or interest on a debt obligation need not be property acquired with bond proceeds. The security interest test is satisfied if, for example, a debt obligation is secured by unimproved land or investment securities used, directly or indirectly, in any trade or business carried on by any private business user. A pledge of the full faith and credit of a State or local governmental unit will not prevent a debt obligation from otherwise satisfying the security interest test. For example, if the payment of either the principal or interest on a bond issue is secured by both a pledge of the full faith and credit of a State or local governmental unit and any interest in property used or to be used in a trade or business, the bond issue satisfies the security interest test. For rules with respect to the acquisition of the output of facilities see subparagraph (5) of this paragraph.
(5) Trade or business test and security interest test with respect to certain output contracts.
(i) The use by one or more nonexempt persons of a major portion of the subparagraph (5) output of facilities such as electric energy, gas, or water facilities constructed, reconstructed, or acquired with the proceeds of an issue satisfies the trade or business test and the security interest test if such use has the effect of transferring to nonexempt persons the benefits of ownership of such facilities, and the burdens of paying the debt service on governmental obligations used directly or indirectly to finance such facilities, so as to constitute the indirect use by them of a major portion of such proceeds. Such benefits and burdens are transferred and a major portion of the proceeds of an issue is used indirectly by the users of the subparagraph (5) output of such a facility which is owned and operated by an exempt person where—
(a)(1) One nonexempt person agrees pursuant to a contract to take, or to take or pay for, a major portion (more than 25 percent) of the subparagraph (5) output (within the meaning of subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph) of such a facility (whether or not conditional upon the production of such output) or (2) two or more nonexempt persons, each of which pays annually a guaranteed minimum payment exceeding 3 percent of the average annual debt service with respect to the obligations in question, agree, pursuant to contracts, to take, or to take or pay for, a major portion (more than 25 percent) of the subparagraph (5) output of such a facility (whether or not conditioned upon the production of such output), and
(b) Payment made or to be made with respect to such contract or contracts by such nonexempt person or persons exceeds a major part (more than 25 percent) of the total debt service with respect to such issue of obligations.
(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph—
(a) Where a contract described in subdivision (i) of this subparagraph may be extended by the issuer of obligations described therein, the term of the contract shall be considered to include the period for which such contract may be so extended.
(b) The subparagraph (5) output of a facility shall be determined by multiplying the number of units produced or to be produced by the facility in 1 year by the number of years in the contract term of the issue of obligations issued to provide such facility. The number of units produced or to be produced by a facility in 1 year shall be determined by reference to its nameplate capacity (or where there is no nameplate capacity, its maximum capacity) without any reduction for reserves or other unutilized capacity. The contract term of an issue begins on the date the output of a facility is first taken, pursuant to a take or a take or pay contract, by a nonexempt person and ends on the latest maturity date of any obligation of the issue (determined without regard to any optional redemption dates). If, however, on or before the date of issue of a prior issue of governmental obligations issued to provide a facility, the issuer makes a commitment in the bond indenture or related document to refinance such prior issue with one or more subsequent issues of governmental obligations, then the contract term of the issue shall be determined with regard to the latest redemption date of any obligation of the last such refinancing issue with respect to such facility (determined without regard to any optional redemption dates). Where it appears that the term of an issue (or the terms of two or more issues) is extended for purposes of extending the contract term of an issue and thereby increasing the subparagraph (5) output of the facility provided by such issue, the subparagraph (5) output of such facility shall be determined by the Commissioner without regard to the provisions of this subdivision (b).
(c) The total debt service with respect to an issue of obligations shall be the total dollar amount (excluding any penalties) payable with respect to such issue over its entire term. The entire term of an issue begins on its date of issue and ends on the latest maturity date of any obligation of the issue (determined without regard to any optional redemption dates). If, however, on or before the date of issue of a prior issue of governmental obligations the issuer makes a commitment in the bond indenture or related document to refinance such prior issue with one or more subsequent issues of governmental obligations, the entire term of the issue shall be determined with regard to the latest redemption date of any obligation of the last such refinancing issue (determined without regard to any optional redemption dates).
(d) Two or more nonexempt persons who are related persons (within the meaning of section 103(c)(6)(C)) shall be treated as one nonexempt person.
(c) Examples. The application of the rules contained in section 103(c) (2) and (3) and paragraph (b) of this section are illustrated by the following examples:
(b) The facts are the same as in paragraph (a) of this example except that corporation Y enters into a long-term agreement with C that Y will rent more than one-fourth of the rooms on an annual basis for a period approximately equal to one half of the term of the bonds. The bonds are industrial development bonds because (1) a major portion of the proceeds used to construct the hotel is to be used in the trade or business of corporation Y (a nonexempt person) and (2) a major portion of the principal and interest on such issue will be derived from payments in respect of the property used in the trade or business of Y.
(b) The facts are the same as in paragraph (a) of this example except that corporation Y will lease four floors, and the costs allocated to these floors are in excess of 25 percent of D's investment in the land and building. The bonds are industrial development bonds because (1) a major portion of the building is to be used in the trade or business of a nonexempt person, and (2) a major portion of the principal and interest on such issue is secured by the rental payments on the building.
(d) Certain refunding issues—(1) General rule. In the case of an issue of obligations issued to refund the outstanding face amount of an issue of obligations, the proceeds of the refunding issue will be considered to be used for the purpose for which the proceeds of the issue to be refunded were used. The rules of this subparagraph shall apply regardless of the date of issuance of the issue to be refunded and shall apply to refunding issues to be issued to refund prior refunding issues.
(2) Obligations issued prior to effective date. In the case of an issue of obligations issued to refund the outstanding face amount of an issue of obligations issued on or before April 30, 1968 (or before January 1, 1969, if the transitional rules of §1.103-12 are applicable) which would have been industrial development bonds within the meaning of section 103(c)(2) had they been issued after such date, the refunding issue shall not be considered to be an issue of industrial development bonds if it does not make funds available for any purpose other than the debt service on the obligations. For rules as to arbitrage bonds, see section 103(d).
(3) Examples. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following examples:
[T.D. 7199, 37 FR 15486, Aug. 3, 1972; 37 FR 16177, Aug. 11, 1972, as amended by T.D. 7869, 48 FR 1708, Jan. 14, 1983]