(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the amount of Individual Retirement Bonds which may be registered in any one individual's name is limited to the amount for which an annual deduction may be taken under either section 219 or 220 of the Internal Revenue Code. 1 These limitations are as follows:

1 Note: Under the Internal Revenue Code, bonds issued during any given year or within 45 days thereafter may be deducted in that year.

(1) In the case of an individual electing to deduct his or her bond purchase under section 219, the face amount of bonds purchased for tax deduction in any given year may not exceed 15 percent of the individual's earned income for that year or $1,500, whichever is less.

(2) In the case of an individual electing to deduct his or her bond purchases under section 220, the total face amount of bonds purchased for tax deduction in any given year in the name of the individual and in the name of his or her nonworking spouse, may not exceed 15 percent of the working spouse's earned income for that year or $1,750, whichever is less. 2

2 Note: Code section 220 requires, in effect, that the total IRA contributions in each spouse's name to be deducted in any one year be in equal amounts. While it is permissible for an eligible married couple to utilize several different forms of IRA investments within the same year, this means that couples investing solely in bonds must purchase equal amounts of bonds in each spouse's name.

(b) The above limitations do not apply to rollover bond purchases, as described in sections 402(a)(5), 403(a)(4), or 408(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(26 U.S.C. 220 and 31 U.S.C. 757) [42 FR 37520, July 21, 1977]