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Instructions for Form 1040 Schedule A & Schedule B 2006 Tax Year

Instructions for Schedule B, Interest and Ordinary Dividends

This is archived information that pertains only to the 2006 Tax Year. If you
are looking for information for the current tax year, go to the Tax Prep Help Area.

Use Schedule B (Form 1040) if any of the following applies.

  • You had over $1,500 of taxable interest.

  • Any of the Special Rules listed in the instructions for line 1 apply to you.

  • You are claiming the exclusion of interest from series EE or I U.S. savings bonds issued after 1989.

  • You had over $1,500 of ordinary dividends.

  • You received ordinary dividends as a nominee.

  • You had a foreign account or you received a distribution from, or were a grantor of, or transferor to, a foreign trust. Part III of the schedule has questions about foreign accounts and trusts.

Tip
You can list more than one payer on each entry space for lines 1 and 5, but be sure to clearly show the amount paid next to the payer's name. Add the separate amounts paid by the payers listed on an entry space and enter the total in the “Amount” column. If you still need more space, attach separate statements that are the same size as the printed schedule. Use the same format as lines 1 and 5, but show your totals on Schedule B. Be sure to put your name and social security number (SSN) on the statements and attach them at the end of your return.

Line 1

Interest

Report on line 1 all of your taxable interest. Interest should be shown on your Forms 1099-INT, Forms 1099-OID, or substitute statements. Include interest from series EE and I U.S. savings bonds. List each payer's name and show the amount.

Special Rules

Seller-Financed Mortgages

If you sold your home or other property and the buyer used the property as a personal residence, list first any interest the buyer paid you on a mortgage or other form of seller financing. Be sure to show the buyer's name, address, and SSN. You must also let the buyer know your SSN. If you do not show the buyer's name, address, and SSN, or let the buyer know your SSN, you may have to pay a $50 penalty.

Nominees

If you received a Form 1099-INT that includes interest you received as a nominee (that is, in your name, but the interest actually belongs to someone else), report the total on line 1. Do this even if you later distributed some or all of this income to others. Under your last entry on line 1, put a subtotal of all interest listed on line 1. Below this subtotal, enter “Nominee Distribution” and show the total interest you received as a nominee. Subtract this amount from the subtotal and enter the result on line 2.

Tip
If you received interest as a nominee, you must give the actual owner a Form 1099-INT unless the owner is your spouse. You must also file a Form 1096 and a Form 1099-INT with the IRS. For more details, see the General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G and the Instructions for Forms 1099-INT and 1099-OID.

Accrued Interest

When you buy bonds between interest payment dates and pay accrued interest to the seller, this interest is taxable to the seller. If you received a Form 1099 for interest as a purchaser of a bond with accrued interest, follow the rules earlier under Nominees to see how to report the accrued interest on Schedule B. But identify the amount to be subtracted as “Accrued Interest.

Original Issue Discount (OID)

If you are reporting OID in an amount less than the amount shown on Form 1099-OID, follow the rules earlier under Nominees to see how to report the OID on Schedule B. But identify the amount to be subtracted as “OID Adjustment.

Amortizable Bond Premium

If you are reducing your interest income on a bond by the amount of amortizable bond premium, follow the rules earlier under Nominees to see how to report the interest on Schedule B. But identify the amount to be subtracted as “ABP Adjustment.

Line 3

Excludable Interest on Series EE and I U.S. Savings Bonds Issued After 1989

If, during 2006, you cashed series EE or I U.S. savings bonds issued after 1989 and you paid qualified higher education expenses for yourself, your spouse, or your dependents, you may be able to exclude part or all of the interest on those bonds. See Form 8815 for details.

tip
You may have to file Form 5471 if, in 2006, you were an officer or director of a foreign corporation. You may also have to file Form 5471 if, in 2006, you owned 10% or more of the total (a) value of a foreign corporation's stock, or (b) combined voting power of all classes of a foreign corporation's stock with voting rights. For details, see Form 5471 and its instructions.

Line 5

Ordinary Dividends

Report on line 5 all of your ordinary dividends. This amount should be shown in box 1a of your Forms 1099-DIV or substitute statements. List each payer's name and show the amount.

Nominees

If you received a Form 1099-DIV that includes ordinary dividends you received as a nominee (that is, in your name, but the ordinary dividends actually belong to someone else), report the total on line 5. Do this even if you later distributed some or all of this income to others. Under your last entry on line 5, put a subtotal of all ordinary dividends listed on line 5. Below this subtotal, enter “Nominee Distribution” and show the total ordinary dividends you received as a nominee. Subtract this amount from the subtotal and enter the result on line 6.

Tip
If you received dividends as a nominee, you must give the actual owner a Form 1099-DIV unless the owner is your spouse. You must also file a Form 1096 and a Form 1099-DIV with the IRS. For more details, see the General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G and the Instructions for Form 1099-DIV .

Lines 7a and 7b

Foreign Accounts Line 7a

Check the “Yes” box on line 7a if either (1) or (2) below applies.

  1. You own more than 50% of the stock in any corporation that owns one or more foreign bank accounts.

  2. At any time during 2006 you had an interest in or signature or other authority over a financial account in a foreign country (such as a bank account, securities account, or other financial account).

tip
For line 7a, item (2) does not apply to foreign securities held in a U.S. securities account.

Exceptions.   Check the “No” box if any of the following applies to you.
  • The combined value of the accounts was $10,000 or less during the whole year.

  • The accounts were with a U.S. military banking facility operated by a U.S. financial institution.

  • You were an officer or employee of a commercial bank that is supervised by the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the account was in your employer's name; and you did not have a personal financial interest in the account.

  • You were an officer or employee of a domestic corporation with securities listed on national securities exchanges or with assets of more than $10 million and 500 or more shareholders of record; the account was in your employer's name; you did not have a personal financial interest in the account; and the corporation's chief financial officer has given you written notice that the corporation has filed a current report that includes the account.

  See Form TD F 90-22.1 to find out if you are considered to have an interest in or signature or other authority over a financial account in a foreign country (such as a bank account, securities account, or other financial account). You can get Form TD F 90-22.1 by visiting the IRS website at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f90221.pdf.

  If you checked the “Yes” box on line 7a, file Form TD F 90-22.1 by June 30, 2007, with the Department of the Treasury at the address shown on that form. Do not attach it to Form 1040.

  
Caution
If you are required to file Form TD F 90-22.1 but do not do so, you may have to pay a penalty of up to $10,000 (more in some cases).

Line 7b

If you checked the “Yes” box on line 7a, enter the name of the foreign country or countries in the space provided on line 7b. Attach a separate statement if you need more space.

Line 8

Foreign Trusts

If you received a distribution from a foreign trust, you must provide additional information. For this purpose, a loan of cash or marketable securities generally is considered to be a distribution. See Form 3520 for details.

If you were the grantor of, or transferor to, a foreign trust that existed during 2006, you may have to file Form 3520.

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