(a) Formation of a REMIC—(1) In general. For Federal income tax purposes, a REMIC formation is characterized as the contribution of assets by a sponsor (as defined in paragraph (b)(1) of this section) to a REMIC in exchange for REMIC regular and residual interests. If, instead of exchanging its interest in mortgages and related assets for regular and residual interests, the sponsor arranges to have the REMIC issue some or all of the regular and residual interests for cash, after which the sponsor sells its interests in mortgages and related assets to the REMIC, the transaction is, nevertheless, viewed for Federal income tax purposes as the sponsor's exchange of mortgages and related assets for regular and residual interests, followed by a sale of some or all of those interests. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that the tax consequences associated with the formation of a REMIC are not affected by the actual sequence of steps taken by the sponsor.

(2) Tiered arrangements—(i) Two or more REMICs formed pursuant to a single set of organizational documents. Two or more REMICs can be created pursuant to a single set of organizational documents even if for state law purposes or for Federal securities law purposes those documents create only one organization. The organizational documents must, however, clearly and expressly identify the assets of, and the interests in, each REMIC, and each REMIC must satisfy all of the requirements of section 860D and the related regulations.

(ii) A REMIC and one or more investment trusts formed pursuant to a single set of documents. A REMIC (or two or more REMICs) and one or more investment trusts can be created pursuant to a single set of organizational documents and the separate existence of the REMIC(s) and the investment trust(s) will be respected for Federal income tax purposes even if for state law purposes or for Federal securities law purposes those documents create only one organization. The organizational documents for the REMIC(s) and the investment trust(s) must, however, require both the REMIC(s) and the investment trust(s) to account for items of income and ownership of assets for Federal tax purposes in a manner that respects the separate existence of the multiple entities. See §1.860G-2(i) concerning issuance of regular interests coupled with other contractual rights for an illustration of the provisions of this paragraph.

(b) Treatment of sponsor—(1) Sponsor defined. A sponsor is a person who directly or indirectly exchanges qualified mortgages and related assets for regular and residual interests in a REMIC. A person indirectly exchanges interests in qualified mortgages and related assets for regular and residual interests in a REMIC if the person transfers, other than in a nonrecognition transaction, the mortgages and related assets to another person who acquires a transitory ownership interest in those assets before exchanging them for interests in the REMIC, after which the transitory owner then transfers some or all of the interests in the REMIC to the first person.

(2) Nonrecognition of gain or loss. The sponsor does not recognize gain or loss on the direct or indirect transfer of any property to a REMIC in exchange for regular or residual interests in the REMIC. However, the sponsor, upon a subsequent sale of the REMIC regular or residual interests, may recognize gain or loss with respect to those interests.

(3) Basis of contributed assets allocated among interests—(i) In general. The aggregate of the adjusted bases of the regular and residual interests received by the sponsor in the exchange described in paragraph (a) of this section is equal to the aggregate of the adjusted bases of the property transferred by the sponsor in the exchange, increased by the amount of organizational expenses (as described in paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section). That total is allocated among all the interests received in proportion to their fair market values on the pricing date (as defined in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section) if any, or, if none, the startup day (as defined in section 860G(a)(9) and §1.860G-2(k)).

(ii) Organizational expenses—(A) Organizational expense defined. An organizational expense is an expense that is incurred by the sponsor or by the REMIC and that is directly related to the creation of the REMIC. Further, the organizational expense must be incurred during a period beginning a reasonable time before the startup day and ending before the date prescribed by law for filing the first REMIC tax return (determined without regard to any extensions of time to file). The following are examples of organizational expenses: legal fees for services related to the formation of the REMIC, such as preparation of a pooling and servicing agreement and trust indenture; accounting fees related to the formation of the REMIC; and other administrative costs related to the formation of the REMIC.

(B) Syndication expenses. Syndication expenses are not organizational expenses. Syndication expenses are those expenses incurred by the sponsor or other person to market the interests in a REMIC, and, thus, are applied to reduce the amount realized on the sale of the interests. Examples of syndication expenses are brokerage fees, registration fees, fees of an underwriter or placement agent, and printing costs of the prospectus or placement memorandum and other selling or promotional material.

(iii) Pricing date. The term “pricing date” means the date on which the terms of the regular and residual interests are fixed and the prices at which a substantial portion of the regular interests will be sold are fixed.

(4) Treatment of unrecognized gain or loss—(i) Unrecognized gain on regular interests. For purposes of section 860F(b)(1)(C)(i), the sponsor must include in gross income the excess of the issue price of a regular interest over the sponsor's basis in the interest as if the excess were market discount (as defined in section 1278(a)(2)) on a bond and the sponsor had made an election under section 1278(b) to include this market discount currently in gross income. The sponsor is not, however, by reason of this paragraph (b)(4)(i), deemed to have made an election under section 1278(b) with respect to any other bonds.

(ii) Unrecognized loss on regular interests. For purposes of section 860F(b)(1)(D)(i), the sponsor treats the excess of the sponsor's basis in a regular interest over the issue price of the interest as if that excess were amortizable bond premium (as defined in section 171(b)) on a taxable bond and the sponsor had made an election under section 171(c). The sponsor is not, however, by reason of this paragraph (b)(4)(ii), deemed to have made an election under section 171(c) with respect to any other bonds.

(iii) Unrecognized gain on residual interests. For purposes of section 860F(b)(1)(C)(ii), the sponsor must include in gross income the excess of the issue price of a residual interest over the sponsor's basis in the interest ratably over the anticipated weighted average life of the REMIC (as defined in §1.860E-1(a)(3)(iv)).

(iv) Unrecognized loss on residual interests. For purposes of section 860F(b)(1)(D)(ii), the sponsor deducts the excess of the sponsor's basis in a residual interest over the issue price of the interest ratably over the anticipated weighted average life of the REMIC.

(5) Additions to or reductions of the sponsor's basis. The sponsor's basis in a regular or residual interest is increased by any amount included in the sponsor's gross income under paragraph (b)(4) of this section. The sponsor's basis in a regular or residual interest is decreased by any amount allowed as a deduction and by any amount applied to reduce interest payments to the sponsor under paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section.

(6) Transferred basis property. For purposes of paragraph (b)(4) of this section, a transferee of a regular or residual interest is treated in the same manner as the sponsor to the extent that the basis of the transferee in the interest is determined in whole or in part by reference to the basis of the interest in the hands of the sponsor.

(c) REMIC's basis in contributed assets. For purposes of section 860F(b)(2), the aggregate of the REMIC's bases in the assets contributed by the sponsor to the REMIC in a transaction described in paragraph (a) of this section is equal to the aggregate of the issue prices (determined under section 860G(a)(10) and §1.86G-1(d)) of all regular and residual interests in the REMIC.

[T.D. 8458, 57 FR 61304, Dec. 24, 1992; 58 FR 8098, Feb. 11, 1993]