Interest rates; underpayments and overpayments. The rates for interest determined under section 6621 of the Code for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2011, will be 4 percent for overpayments (3 percent in the case of a corporation), 4 percent for underpayments, and 6 percent for large corporate underpayments. The rate of interest paid on the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000 will be 1.5 percent.

Weighted average interest rate update; corporate bond indices; 30-year Treasury securities; segment rates. This notice contains updates for the corporate bond weighted average interest rate for plan years beginning in June 2011; the 24-month average segment rates; the funding transitional segment rates applicable for June 2011; and the minimum present value transitional rates for May 2011.

A list is provided of organizations now classified as private foundations.

This announcement invites public comments on transitional issues and frequently asked questions involving the redesigned Form 990. Comments are requested by August 1, 2011.

This notice invites public comments on the content and administration of the registered tax return preparer competency examination. Comments are requested by July 7, 2011.

Qualified mortgage bonds; mortgage credit certificates; national median gross income. Guidance is provided concerning the use of the national and area median gross income figures by issuers of qualified mortgage bonds and mortgage credit certificates in determining the housing cost/income ratio described in section 143(f) of the Code. Rev. Proc. 2010-23 obsoleted in part.

Section 6621 of the Internal Revenue Code establishes the rates for interest on tax overpayments and tax underpayments. Under section 6621(a)(1), the overpayment rate is the sum of the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points (2 percentage points in the case of a corporation), except the rate for the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the sum of the federal short-term rate plus 0.5 of a percentage point. Under section 6621(a)(2), the underpayment rate is the sum of the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points.

Section 6621(c) provides that for purposes of interest payable under section 6601 on any large corporate underpayment, the underpayment rate under section 6621(a)(2) is determined by substituting “5 percentage points” for “3 percentage points.” See section 6621(c) and section 301.6621-3 of the Regulations on Procedure and Administration for the definition of a large corporate underpayment and for the rules for determining the applicable date. Section 6621(c) and section 301.6621-3 are generally effective for periods after December 31, 1990.

Section 6621(b)(1) provides that the Secretary will determine the federal short-term rate for the first month in each calendar quarter. Section 6621(b)(2)(A) provides that the federal short-term rate determined under section 6621(b)(1) for any month applies during the first calendar quarter beginning after that month. Section 6621(b)(3) provides that the federal short-term rate for any month is the federal short-term rate determined during that month by the Secretary in accordance with section 1274(d), rounded to the nearest full percent (or, if a multiple of ¹/₂ of 1 percent, the rate is increased to the next highest full percent).

Notice 88-59, 1988-1 C.B. 546, announced that, in determining the quarterly interest rates to be used for overpayments and underpayments of tax under section 6621, the Internal Revenue Service will use the federal short-term rate based on daily compounding because that rate is most consistent with section 6621 which, pursuant to section 6622, is subject to daily compounding.

The federal short-term rate determined in accordance with section 1274(d) during April 2011 is the rate published in Revenue Ruling 2011-11, 2011-19 I.R.B. 758 to take effect beginning May 1, 2011. The federal short-term rate, rounded to the nearest full percent, based on daily compounding determined during the month of April 2011 is 1 percent. Accordingly, an overpayment rate of 4 percent (3 percent in the case of a corporation) and an underpayment rate of 4 percent are established for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2011. The overpayment rate for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000 for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2011, is 1.5 percent. The underpayment rate for large corporate underpayments for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2011, is 6 percent. These rates apply to amounts bearing interest during that calendar quarter.

Interest factors for daily compound interest for annual rates of 1.5 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent and 6 percent are published in Tables 8, 11, 13, and 17 of Rev. Proc. 95-17, 1995-1 C.B. 556, 562, 567, and 571. Interest factors for daily compound interest for an annual rate of 0.5 percent are published in Appendix A of Revenue Ruling 2010-31, 2010-52 I.R.B. 898, 899.

Annual interest rates to be compounded daily pursuant to section 6622 that apply for prior periods are set forth in the tables accompanying this revenue ruling.

The principal author of this revenue ruling is Deborah Colbert-James of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure & Administration). For further information regarding this revenue ruling, contact Ms. Colbert-James at (202) 622-8143 (not a toll-free call).

This notice invites public comments on the content and administration of the registered tax return preparer competency examination (competency examination). The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have published final regulations (T.D. 9527, 76 FR 32286) under 31 CFR Part 10 that require certain individuals to pass a competency examination to become a registered tax return preparer. The IRS has selected a vendor to support the IRS in developing and administering the competency examination for the Form 1040 series tax returns and accompanying schedules. The IRS and the vendor will soon begin developing the Form 1040 competency examination.

Prior to developing the competency examination, however, the IRS seeks the input of tax return preparers, the associated industry and consumer groups, and taxpayers. Thus, comments regarding the Form 1040 series competency examination are requested. The information collected will assist the IRS in developing the competency examination.

The IRS requests comments on the content and administration of the Form 1040 series competency examination. The IRS is particularly interested in any comments regarding:

Written comments should be sent to:

or hand-delivered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to:

Alternatively, comments may be submitted electronically via e-mail to the following address: Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. “Notice 2011-48” should be in the subject line of the e-mail. All comments will be available for public inspection and copying. Comments are requested by July 7, 2011.

The principal author of this notice is Matthew D. Lucey of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure & Administration). For further information regarding this notice, contact Matthew D. Lucey at (202) 622-4940 (not a toll-free call).

This notice provides guidance as to the corporate bond weighted average interest rate and the permissible range of interest rates specified under § 412(b)(5)(B)(ii)(II) of the Internal Revenue Code as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008. It also provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve (and the corresponding spot segment rates), and the 24-month average segment rates under § 430(h)(2). In addition, this notice provides guidance as to the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008, the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate under § 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I), and the minimum present value segment rates under § 417(e)(3)(D) as in effect for plan years beginning after 2007.

Sections 412(b)(5)(B)(ii) and 412(l)(7)(C)(i), as amended by the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 and by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), provide that the interest rates used to calculate current liability and to determine the required contribution under § 412(l) for plan years beginning in 2004 through 2007 must be within a permissible range based on the weighted average of the rates of interest on amounts invested conservatively in long term investment grade corporate bonds during the 4-year period ending on the last day before the beginning of the plan year.

Notice 2004-34, 2004-1 C.B. 848, provides guidelines for determining the corporate bond weighted average interest rate and the resulting permissible range of interest rates used to calculate current liability. That notice establishes that the corporate bond weighted average is based on the monthly composite corporate bond rate derived from designated corporate bond indices. The methodology for determining the monthly composite corporate bond rate as set forth in Notice 2004-34 continues to apply in determining that rate. See Notice 2006-75, 2006-2 C.B. 366.

The composite corporate bond rate for May 2011 is 5.37 percent. Pursuant to Notice 2004-34, the Service has determined this rate as the average of the monthly yields for the included corporate bond indices for that month.

The following corporate bond weighted average interest rate was determined for plan years beginning in the month shown below.

Generally for plan years beginning after 2007 (except for delayed effective dates for certain plans under sections 104, 105, and 106 of PPA), § 430 of the Code specifies the minimum funding requirements that apply to single employer plans pursuant to § 412. Section 430(h)(2) specifies the interest rates that must be used to determine a plan’s target normal cost and funding target. Under this provision, present value is generally determined using three 24-month average interest rates (“segment rates”), each of which applies to cash flows during specified periods. However, an election may be made under § 430(h)(2)(D)(ii) to use the monthly yield curve in place of the segment rates. Section 430(h)(2)G) set forth a transitional rule applicable to plan years beginning in 2008 and 2009 under which the segment rates were blended with the corporate bond weighted average described above, including an election under § 430(h)(2)(G)(iv) for an employer to use the segment rates without the transitional rule.

Notice 2007-81, 2007-2 C.B. 899, provides guidelines for determining the monthly corporate bond yield curve, the 24-month average corporate bond segment rates, and the funding transitional segment rates used to compute the target normal cost and the funding target. Pursuant to Notice 2007-81, the monthly corporate bond yield curve derived from May 2011 data is in Table I at the end of this notice. The spot first, second, and third segment rates for the month of May 2011 are, respectively, 1.72, 5.00, and 6.21. The three 24-month average corporate bond segment rates applicable for June 2011 under the election of § 430(h)(2)(G)(iv) are as follows:

The transitional rule of § 430(h)(2)(G) does not apply to plan years beginning after December 31, 2009. Therefore, for a plan year beginning after 2009 with a lookback month to June 2011, the funding segment rates are the three 24-month average corporate bond segment rates applicable for June 2011, listed above without blending for any transitional period.

Section 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) (prior to amendment by PPA) defines the applicable interest rate, which must be used for purposes of determining the minimum present value of a participant’s benefit under § 417(e)(1) and (2), as the annual rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities for the month before the date of distribution or such other time as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe. Section 1.417(e)-1(d)(3) of the Income Tax Regulations provides that the applicable interest rate for a month is the annual rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities as specified by the Commissioner for that month in revenue rulings, notices or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

The rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities for May 2011 is 4.29 percent. The Service has determined this rate as the average of the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond maturing in February 2041 determined each day through May 11, 2011, and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond maturing in May 2041 determined each day for the balance of the month.

Generally for plan years beginning after 2007, § 431 specifies the minimum funding requirements that apply to multiemployer plans pursuant to § 412. Section 431(c)(6)(B) specifies a minimum amount for the full-funding limitation described in section 431(c)(6)(A), based on the plan’s current liability. Section 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I) provides that the interest rate used to calculate current liability for this purpose must be no more than 5 percent above and no more than 10 percent below the weighted average of the rates of interest on 30-year Treasury securities during the four-year period ending on the last day before the beginning of the plan year. Notice 88-73, 1988-2 C.B. 383, provides guidelines for determining the weighted average interest rate. The following rates were determined for plan years beginning in the month shown below.

Generally for plan years beginning after December 31, 2007, the applicable interest rates under § 417(e)(3)(D) are segment rates computed without regard to a 24-month average. For plan years beginning in 2008 through 2011, the applicable interest rates are the monthly spot segment rates blended with the applicable rate under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning in 2007. Notice 2007-81 provides guidelines for determining the minimum present value segment rates. Pursuant to that notice, the minimum present value transitional segment rates determined for May 2011, taking into account the May 2011 30-year Treasury rate of 4.29 stated above, are as follows:

The principal author of this notice is Tony Montanaro of the Employee Plans, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. Mr. Montanaro may be e-mailed at RetirementPlanQuestions@irs.gov.

This revenue procedure provides guidance with respect to the United States and area median gross income figures that are to be used by issuers of qualified mortgage bonds, as defined in § 143(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, and issuers of mortgage credit certificates, as defined in § 25(c), in computing the housing cost/income ratio described in § 143(f)(5).

.01 Section 103(a) provides that, except as provided in § 103(b), gross income does not include interest on any state or local bond. Section 103(b)(1) provides that § 103(a) shall not apply to any private activity bond that is not a qualified bond (within the meaning of § 141). Section 141(e) provides that the term “qualified bond” includes any private activity bond that (1) is a qualified mortgage bond, (2) meets the applicable volume cap requirements under § 146, and (3) meets the applicable requirements under § 147.

.02 Section 143(a)(1) provides that the term “qualified mortgage bond” means a bond that is issued as part of a “qualified mortgage issue”. Section 143(a)(2)(A) provides that the term “qualified mortgage issue” means an issue of one or more bonds by a state or political subdivision thereof, but only if (i) all proceeds of the issue (exclusive of issuance costs and a reasonably required reserve) are to be used to finance owner-occupied residences; (ii) the issue meets the requirements of subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (m)(7) of § 143; (iii) the issue does not meet the private business tests of paragraphs (1) and (2) of § 141(b); and (iv) with respect to amounts received more than 10 years after the date of issuance, repayments of $250,000 or more of principal on financing provided by the issue are used not later than the close of the first semi-annual period beginning after the date the prepayment (or complete repayment) is received to redeem bonds that are part of the issue.

.03 Section 143(f) imposes eligibility requirements concerning the maximum income of mortgagors for whom financing may be provided by qualified mortgage bonds. Section 25(c)(2)(A)(iii)(IV) provides that recipients of mortgage credit certificates must meet the income requirements of § 143(f). Generally, under §§ 143(f)(1) and 25(c)(2)(A)(iii)(IV), these income requirements are met only if all owner-financing under a qualified mortgage bond and all certified indebtedness amounts under a mortgage credit certificate program are provided to mortgagors whose family income is 115 percent or less of the applicable median family income. Under § 143(f)(6), the income limitation is reduced to 100 percent of the applicable median family income if there are fewer than three individuals in the family of the mortgagor.

.04 Section 143(f)(4) provides that the term “applicable median family income” means the greater of (A) the area median gross income for the area in which the residence is located, or (B) the statewide median gross income for the state in which the residence is located.

.05 Section 143(f)(5) provides for an upward adjustment of the income limitations in certain high housing cost areas. Under § 143(f)(5)(C), a high housing cost area is a statistical area for which the housing cost/income ratio is greater than 1.2. The housing cost/income ratio is determined under § 143(f)(5)(D) by dividing (a) the applicable housing price ratio by (b) the ratio that the area median gross income bears to the median gross income for the United States. The applicable housing price ratio is the new housing price ratio (new housing average purchase price for the area divided by the new housing average purchase price for the United States) or the existing housing price ratio (existing housing average area purchase price divided by the existing housing average purchase price for the United States), whichever results in the housing cost/income ratio being closer to 1. This income adjustment applies only to bonds issued, and nonissued bond amounts elected, after December 31, 1988. See § 4005(h) of the Technical and Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988, 1988-3 C.B. 1, 311 (1988).

.06 The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has computed the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states. The income information was released to the HUD regional offices on May 31, 2011, and may be obtained by calling the HUD reference service at 1-800-245-2691. The income information is also available at HUD’s World Wide Web site, http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html, which provides a menu from which you may select the year and type of data of interest. The Internal Revenue Service annually publishes the median gross income for the United States.

.07 The most recent nationwide average purchase prices and average area purchase price safe harbor limitations were published on April 11, 2011, in Rev. Proc. 2011-23, 2011-15 I.R.B. 626.

.01 When computing the income requirements of § 143(f), issuers of qualified mortgage bonds and mortgage credit certificates must use either (1) the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 14, 2010, or (2) the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 31, 2011.

.02 If an issuer uses the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 14, 2010, to compute the housing cost/income ratio under § 143(f)(5), the issuer must use the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 14, 2010, for all purposes under § 143(f). Likewise, if an issuer uses the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 31, 2011, to compute the housing cost/income ratio under § 143(f)(5), the issuer must use the median gross income for the United States, the states, and statistical areas within the states, as released to the HUD regional offices on May 31, 2011, for all purposes under § 143(f).

.01 Rev. Proc. 2010-23, 2010-24 I.R.B. 762, is obsolete except as provided in §§ 3.01, 3.02, or 5.01 of this revenue procedure.

.02 This revenue procedure does not affect the effective date provisions of Rev. Rul. 86-124, 1986-2 C.B. 27. Those effective date provisions will remain operative at least until the Service publishes a new revenue ruling that conforms the approach to effective dates set forth in Rev. Rul. 86-124 to the general approach taken in this revenue procedure.

.01 Issuers must use the United States and area median gross income figures specified in § 3.01 of this revenue procedure for commitments to provide financing that are made, or (if the purchase precedes the financing commitment) for residences that are purchased, in the period that begins on May 31, 2011, and ends on the date when these United States and area median gross income figures are rendered obsolete by a new revenue procedure.

The principal authors of this revenue procedure are David White and Timothy Jones of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Financial Institutions & Products). For further information regarding this revenue procedure, contact Mr. White or Mr. Jones at (202) 622-3980 (not a toll-free call).

The following organizations have failed to establish or have been unable to maintain their status as public charities or as operating foundations. Accordingly, grantors and contributors may not, after this date, rely on previous rulings or designations in the Cumulative List of Organizations (Publication 78), or on the presumption arising from the filing of notices under section 508(b) of the Code. This listing does not indicate that the organizations have lost their status as organizations described in section 501(c)(3), eligible to receive deductible contributions.

Former Public Charities. The following organizations (which have been treated as organizations that are not private foundations described in section 509(a) of the Code) are now classified as private foundations:

If an organization listed above submits information that warrants the renewal of its classification as a public charity or as a private operating foundation, the Internal Revenue Service will issue a ruling or determination letter with the revised classification as to foundation status. Grantors and contributors may thereafter rely upon such ruling or determination letter as provided in section 1.509(a)-7 of the Income Tax Regulations. It is not the practice of the Service to announce such revised classification of foundation status in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

This announcement invites public comments on transitional issues and frequently asked questions involving the redesigned Form 990.

The IRS extensively redesigned Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, for tax year 2008 to promote tax compliance and increase transparency. The redesign was a collaborative process based on the over 800 formal public comments on drafts of the 2008 Form 990, schedules, and instructions.

The major reconstruction of the Form is complete, but the IRS continues to refine the Form in response to questions and comments from the public. We have made many revisions to the 2009 and 2010 Forms 990, schedules, and instructions, mostly corrections and clarifications to make the Form easier to understand and complete, and plan to make further revisions. As the second filing season for the redesigned Form nears completion, the IRS invites public input on the following issues.

The IRS requests comments on the issues described above. Comments should be submitted in writing on or before August 1, 2011. Please include “Announcement 2011-36” on the cover page. Comments should be sent to the following address:

Submissions may be hand delivered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to:

Submissions may also be sent electronically to the following e-mail address:

Please include “Announcement 2011-36” in the subject line.

All comments will be available for public inspection and copying.

The principal author of this announcement is Stephen Clarke of the Exempt Organizations, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. For further information regarding this announcement, contact Mr. Clarke at (202) 283-9474 (not a toll-free call).