Department of the Treasury November 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Mint is setting prices for the Martin Van Buren First Spouse Gold Proof and Uncirculated Coins. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 5112(o), and in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 9701(b)(2)(B), the United States Mint is setting the price of these coins to reflect the market price of gold. These prices are consistent with recently re-priced, previously introduced 2008 First Spouse Gold Coins. Effective November 25, 2008, the United States Mint will commence selling Van Buren First Spouse Gold Proof and Uncirculated Gold Coins according to the following price schedule:

This document provides notice of public hearing on proposed regulations relating to the substantiation and reporting requirements for cash and noncash charitable contributions under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. The regulations reflect the enactment of provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The regulations provide guidance to individuals, partnerships, and corporations that make charitable contributions, and will affect any donor claiming a deduction for a charitable contribution after the date these regulations are published as final regulations in the Federal Register.

This document provides notice of public hearing on proposed regulations relating to options granted under an employee stock purchase plan as defined in section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. These proposed regulations affect certain taxpayers who participate in the transfer of stock pursuant to the exercise of options granted under an employee stock purchase plan.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of seventeen additional entities and twenty-six additional individuals whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (``Kingpin Act'') (21 U.S.C. 1901-1908, 8 U.S.C. 1182).

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of 21 individuals whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With Significant Narcotics Traffickers.

This document cancels a public hearing on proposed rulemaking that provides guidance on the manner in which an S corporation reduces its tax attributes under section 108(b) for taxable years in which the S corporation has discharge of indebtedness income that is excluded from gross income under section 108(a).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Notice 2006- 96, Guidance Regarding Appraisal and Reporting Requirements for Noncash Charitable Contributions/REG-140029-07, Substantiation and Reporting Requirements for Cash and Noncash Charitable Contribution Deductions.

The OCC, FRB, FDIC, OTS, and NCUA (the Agencies), request comment on the proposed Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines (proposed Guidelines). The proposed Guidelines, which would supersede the 1994 Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines (1994 Guidelines), reflect revisions to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and the evolution of collateral valuation practices, such as the use of automated valuation models (AVMs). The proposed Guidelines also incorporate refinements made by the Agencies to the supervision of regulated institutions' appraisal and evaluation programs since 1994 and reflect the participation of the NCUA, which was not a party to the 1994 Guidelines. The proposed Guidelines are intended to clarify the Agencies' real estate appraisal regulations and promote a safe and sound real estate collateral valuation program.

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system, and to implement a number of changes made by the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the prospective payment system. These changes are applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2009. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we set forth the applicable relative payment weights and amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these changes apply, and other pertinent ratesetting information for the CY 2009 ASC payment system. These changes are applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2009. In this document, we are responding to public comments on a proposed rule and finalizing updates to the ASC Conditions for Coverage to reflect current ASC practices and new requirements in the conditions to promote and protect patient health and safety. Further, this final rule also clarifies policy statements included in responses to public comments set forth in the preamble of the March 30, 2007 final rule regarding the Secretary's ability to terminate Medicare providers and suppliers (that is, transplant centers) during an appeal of a determination that affects participation in the Medicare program.

The United States Mint is setting prices and will resume selling previously available products. Pursuant to the authority that 31 U.S.C. 5111(a), 5112 & 5132 grant the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare and distribute numismatic items, the United States Mint will resume selling previously available products. The United States Mint is setting the price of these coins in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 9701(b)(2)(B). Effective November 15, 2008, the United States Mint will commence selling the following previously available products according to the following price schedule:

This document contains corrections to final regulations (TD 9428) that were published in the Federal Register on Monday, October 20, 2008 (73 FR62199) relating to the treatment of open account debt between S corporations and their shareholders. These final regulations provide rules regarding the definition of open account debt and the adjustments in basis of any indebtedness of an S corporation to a shareholder under section 1367(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code for shareholder advances and repayments on advances of open account debt. The regulations affect shareholders of S corporations and are necessary to provide guidance needed to comply with the applicable tax law.

The President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy will convene its sixth meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2008, via teleconference beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. The telephone meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public interested in listening to the meeting should e-mail the Treasury Department at FinancialLiteracyCouncil@do.treas.gov to obtain the information on how to listen to the call. Individuals needing special accommodations to take part because of a disability should notify the contact person listed below.

The Department of Treasury's Advisory Committee on the Ten- Year Framework for Energy and Environment Cooperation with China will convene its first meeting on Monday, December 1, 2008, in the Cash Room of the main Department Building, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The meeting will be open to the public.

This document contains final regulations under section 9037 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) relating to the financing of presidential primary campaigns. The regulations relate to Treasury procedures for making payments from the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account (Primary Account) to eligible primary candidates. These regulations affect all candidates eligible to receive payments from the Primary Account.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the OCC is soliciting comment concerning a proposed new collection titled ``Customer Complaint Form.'' The OCC is also giving notice that it has submitted the collection to OMB for review.

In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing final and temporary regulations relating to information returns for cancellation of indebtedness by certain entities. The temporary regulations will avoid premature information reporting from certain businesses that are currently required to report and will reduce the number of information returns required to be filed. The regulations will impact certain lenders who are currently required to file information returns under the existing regulations. The text of those temporary regulations also serves as text of these proposed regulations. This document also provides a notice of public hearing on these proposed regulations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (``OFAC'') is amending the Iranian Transactions Regulations, to narrow the scope of existing section by revoking an authorization previously granted to U.S. depository institutions to process ``U-turn'' transfers, and to make certain other conforming and technical changes.

This document contains final regulations concerning information reporting on employer-owned life insurance contracts under section 6039I of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). This final regulation is necessary to provide taxpayers with guidance as to how the requirements of section 6039I should be applied. These regulations generally apply to taxpayers that are engaged in a trade or business and that are directly or indirectly a beneficiary of a life insurance contract covering the life of an insured who is an employee of the trade or business on the date the contract is issued.

The OCC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the OCC is soliciting comment concerning its extension of an information collection titled ``Debt Cancellation Contracts and Debt Suspension Agreements12 CFR 37.'' The OCC is also giving notice that it has submitted the collection to OMB for review.