(a) General qualifications. To be eligible to enter into an Agreement an applicant must:

(1) Be a citizen of the United States (citizenship requirements are those necessary for documenting vessels in the coastwise trade within the meaning of section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended);

(2) Own or lease one or more eligible vessels (as defined at 46 U.S.C. 53501) operating in the foreign or domestic commerce of the United States;

(3) Have an acceptable plan to acquire, construct, or reconstruct one or more qualified vessels (as defined at 46 U.S.C. 53501). The plan must be a firm representation of the applicant's actual intentions. Qualified vessels must be for commercial operation in the fisheries of the United States. If the vessel is 5 net tons or over, it must be documented with a fishery trade endorsement. Dual documentation in both the fisheries and the coastwise trade of the United States is permissible. Any vessel which will carry fishing parties for hire must be inspected and certified (under 46 CFR part 176) by the U.S. Coast Guard as qualified to carry more than six passengers. If the vessel weighs fewer than 5 net tons the party must demonstrate to the Secretary's satisfaction that the carrying of fishing parties for hire will constitute its primary activity.

(b) Content of application. Applicants seeking an Agreement must submit a formal application providing the following information:

(1) Name and Tax Identification Number (TIN) of applicant;

(2) Proof of U.S. citizenship;

(3) The first taxable year for which the Agreement is to apply (see § 259.4 for the latest time at which applications for an Agreement relating to the previous taxable year may be received);

(4) The following information regarding each eligible vessel which is to be incorporated in Schedule A of the Agreement:

(i) Name of vessel,

(ii) Official number or, in the case of vessels weighing under 5 net tons, the State registration number, where required,

(iii) Type of vessel (i.e., catching vessel, processing vessel, transporting vessel, charter vessel, barge, passenger carrying fishing vessel, etc.),

(iv) General characteristics (i.e., net tonnage, fish-carrying capacity, age, length, type of fishing gear, number of passengers carried or in the case of vessels operating in the foreign or domestic commerce the various uses of the vessel, etc.),

(v) Whether it is owned or leased and, if leased, the name of the owner, and a copy of the lease,

(vi) Date and place of construction,

(vii) If reconstructed, date of redelivery and place of reconstruction,

(viii) Trade (or trades) in which the vessel is documented and date last documented,

(ix) The fishery of operation (which in this section means each species or group of species). Each species must be specifically identified by the acceptable common names of fish, shellfish, or other living marine resources which each vessel catches, processes, or transports or will catch, process, or transport for commercial purposes such as marketing or processing the catch),

(x) The area of operation (which for fishing vessels means the general geographic areas in which each vessel will catch, process, or transport, or charter for each species or group of species of fish, shellfish, or other living marine resources),

(5) The specific objectives to be achieved by the accumulation of assets in a Capital Construction Fund (to be incorporated in Schedule B of the Agreement) including:

(i) Number of vessels,

(ii) Type of vessel (i.e., catching, processing, transporting, or passenger carrying fishing vessels),

(iii) General characteristics (i.e., net tonnage, fish-carrying capacity, age, length, type of fishing gear, number of passengers carried),

(iv) Cost of projects,

(v) Amount of indebtedness to be paid for vessels to be constructed, acquired, or reconstructed (all notes, mortgages, or other evidence of indebtedness must be submitted as soon as available, together with sufficient additional evidence to establish that full proceeds of the indebtedness to be paid from a CCF account under an Agreement, were used solely for the purpose of the construction, acquisition, or reconstruction of Schedule B vessels),

(vi) Date of construction, acquisition, or reconstruction,

(vii) Fishery of operation (which in this section means each species or group of species must be specifically identified by acceptable common name of fish, shellfish, or other living marine resources), and

(viii) Area of operation (which in this section means the general geographic areas in which each vessel will operate for each species or group of species of fish, shellfish, or other living marine resources),

(c) Filing. The application must be signed and submitted to the Financial Services Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service. As a general rule, the Agreement must be executed and entered into by the taxpayer on or prior to the due date for the filing of the Federal tax return in order to be effective for the tax year to which that return relates. It is in the Applicant's best interest to file at least 45 days in advance of such date.