[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 846 Introduced in Senate (IS)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 846

  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for 
        premiums on mortgage insurance, and for other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 9, 2003

 Mr. Smith (for himself and Mrs. Lincoln) introduced the following 
        bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
        FinanceYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for 
        premiums on mortgage insurance, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mortgage Insurance Fairness Act''.

SEC. 2. PREMIUMS FOR MORTGAGE INSURANCE.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (3) of section 163(h) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to qualified residence interest) is 
amended by adding after subparagraph (D) the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(E) Mortgage insurance premiums treated as 
                interest.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Premiums paid or accrued 
                        for qualified mortgage insurance by a taxpayer 
                        during the taxable year in connection with 
                        acquisition indebtedness with respect to a 
                        qualified residence of the taxpayer shall be 
                        treated for purposes of this subsection as 
                        qualified residence interest.
                            ``(ii) Phaseout.--The amount otherwise 
                        allowable as a deduction under clause (i) shall 
                        be reduced (but not below zero) by 10 percent 
                        of such amount for each $1,000 ($500 in the 
                        case of a married individual filing a separate 
                        return) (or fraction thereof) that the 
                        taxpayer's adjusted gross income for the 
                        taxable year exceeds $100,000 ($50,000 in the 
                        case of a married individual filing a separate 
                        return).''.
    (b) Definition and Special Rules.--Paragraph (4) of section 163(h) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to other definitions and 
special rules) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraphs:
                    ``(E) Qualified mortgage insurance.--The term 
                `qualified mortgage insurance' means--
                            ``(i) mortgage insurance provided by the 
                        Veterans Administration, the Federal Housing 
                        Administration, or the Rural Housing 
                        Administration, and
                            ``(ii) private mortgage insurance (as 
                        defined by section 2 of the Homeowners 
                        Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901), as in 
                        effect on the date of the enactment of this 
                        subparagraph).
                    ``(F) Special rules for prepaid qualified mortgage 
                insurance.--Any amount paid by the taxpayer for 
                qualified mortgage insurance that is properly allocable 
                to any mortgage the payment of which extends to periods 
                that are after the close of the taxable year in which 
                such amount is paid shall be chargeable to capital 
                account and shall be treated as paid in such periods to 
                which so allocated. No deduction shall be allowed for 
                the unamortized balance of such account if such 
                mortgage is satisfied before the end of its term. The 
                preceding sentences shall not apply to amounts paid for 
                qualified mortgage insurance provided by the Veterans 
                Administration or the Rural Housing Administration.''.

SEC. 3. INFORMATION RETURNS RELATING TO MORTGAGE INSURANCE.

    Section 6050H of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to 
returns relating to mortgage interest received in trade or business 
from individuals) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(h) Returns Relating to Mortgage Insurance Premiums.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may prescribe, by 
        regulations, that any person who, in the course of a trade or 
        business, receives from any individual premiums for mortgage 
        insurance aggregating $600 or more for any calendar year, shall 
        make a return with respect to each such individual. Such return 
        shall be in such form, shall be made at such time, and shall 
        contain such information as the Secretary may prescribe.
            ``(2) Statement to be furnished to individuals with respect 
        to whom information is required.--Every person required to make 
        a return under paragraph (1) shall furnish to each individual 
        with respect to whom a return is made a written statement 
        showing such information as the Secretary may prescribe. Such 
        written statement shall be furnished on or before January 31 of 
        the year following the calendar year for which the return under 
        paragraph (1) was required to be made.
            ``(3) Special rules.--For purposes of this subsection--
                    ``(A) rules similar to the rules of subsection (c) 
                shall apply, and
                    ``(B) the term `mortgage insurance' means--
                            ``(i) mortgage insurance provided by the 
                        Veterans Administration, the Federal Housing 
                        Administration, or the Rural Housing 
                        Administration, and
                            ``(ii) private mortgage insurance (as 
                        defined by section 2 of the Homeowners 
                        Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901), as in 
                        effect on the date of the enactment of this 
                        subparagraph).''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply to amounts paid or 
accrued after the date of enactment of this Act in taxable years ending 
after such date.
                                 <all>