Department of Treasury June 7, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains proposed regulations providing guidance on the portion of a trust properly includible in a grantor's gross estate under Internal Revenue Code (Code) sections 2036 and 2039 if the grantor has retained the use of property in a trust or the right to an annuity, unitrust, or other income payment from such trust for life, for any period not ascertainable without reference to the grantor's death, or for a period that does not in fact end before the grantor's death. This document also provides notice of a public hearing on these proposed regulations.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is amending Part 32 to permanently incorporate special lending limits for 1-4 family residential real estate loans, small business loans, and small farm loans or extensions of credit. These special lending limits have, since 2001, been available to certain eligible national banks through a lending limits pilot program (pilot program). Under the pilot program, an eligible national bank with a main office located in a state that has a lending limit for residential real estate, small business, or small farm loans that is higher than the current Federal limit may apply to take part in the pilot program and make use of the higher limit. The OCC has found that banks in the pilot program, and loans made under the program, have operated in a safe and sound manner since 2001. Accordingly, this interim rule amends Part 32 to make permanent the special limits set forth in the pilot program. This interim rule removes the expiration date for the pilot program and makes one change to the special lending limits available under the pilot program. The OCC also seeks comment on any other changes that should be considered for the final rule. As in the past, only eligible banks can use the special limits. Those banks already approved to participate in the pilot program may continue to use the special lending limits and need not submit a new application to do so.

This document contains a correction to a notice providing notice of the availability of Application Packages for the 2007 Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program that was published in the Federal Register on Friday, June 1, 2007 (72 FR 30666).

An open meeting of the Area 6 Committee of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted (via teleconference). The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service. The TAP will use citizen input to make recommendations to the Internal Revenue Service.

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 Form 1120-L, U.S. Life Insurance Company Income Tax Return.

This document contains proposed amendments to the regulations involving the deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities under section 199. The proposed amendments affect taxpayers who produce qualified films under section 199(c)(4)(A)(i)(II) and (c)(6) and taxpayers who are members of an expanded affiliated group under section 199(d)(4). This document also contains a notice of a public hearing on these proposed regulations.