In general

Explanation of Provisions

Degree candidates.-In the case of a scholarship or fellowship grant received by a degree candidate, an exclusion under section 117 is available only to the extent the individual establishes that, in accordance with the conditions of the grant, the grant was used for (1) tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance of the student at an educational institution (within the meaning of sec. 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)), and (2) fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction at the educational institution ("course-related expenses").21 This rule applies to all types of scholarship or fellowship grants, whether funded by a governmental agency, college or university, charitable organization, business, or other source, and whether designated as a scholarship or by some other name (e.g., "allowance").

The exclusion available under the Act for degree candidates is not limited to a scholarship or fellowship grant that by its express terms is required to be used for tuition or course-related expenses. Also, there is no requirement that the student be able to trace the dollars paid for tuition or course-related expenses to the same dollars that previously had been deposited in his or her checking account, for example, from a scholarship grant check. Instead, the amount of an otherwise qualified grant awarded to a degree candidate is excludable (after taking into account the amount of any other grant or grants awarded to the individual that also are eligible for exclusion) up to the aggregate amount incurred by the candidate for tuition and course-related expenses during the period to which the grant applies; any excess amount of the grant is includ ible in income. No amount of a grant is excludable if the terms of the grant earmark or designate its use for purposes other than tuition or course-related expenses (such as for room or board, or "meal allowances") or specify that the grant cannot be used for tuition or course-related expenses, even if the amount of such grant is less than the amount payable by the student for tuition or courserelated expenses.

For purposes of the section 117 exclusion as modified by the Act, the term candidate for a degree means (1) a student who receives a scholarship for study at a primary or secondary school, (2) an undergraduate or graduate student at a college or university who is pursuing studies or conducting research to meet the requirements for an academic or professional degree, and (3) a student (whether full-time or part-time) who receives a scholarship for study at an educational institution (described in sec. 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)) that (1) provides an educational program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's or higher degree, or offers a program of train

21 Two Code provisions applicable to private foundations contain references to scholarship or fellowship grants "subject to the provisions of section 117(a)" (secs. 4941(d)2XGXii); 4945(g)(1)). The amendments made by the Act to the section 117 exclusion are not intended to treat scholarship or fellowship grants by a private foundation that would not have triggered section 4941 or 4945 excise taxes under prior law as self-dealing acts or taxable expenditures merely because such grants exceed the amount excludable by degree candidates under section 117 as amended by the Act or are made to nondegree candidates (up to the amount excludable under prior law). A technical amendment may be needed so that the statute reflects this intent.

ing to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, and (2) is authorized under Federal or State law to provide such a program and is accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency.

Nondegree candidates.-The Act repeals the limited prior-law exclusion under section 117 for grants received by nondegree candidates. Thus, no amount of a scholarship or fellowship grant received by an individual who is not a degree candidate is excludable under section 117, whether or not such amount is used for or is less than the recipient's tuition and course-related expenses. This provision does not affect whether the exclusion under section 127 for certain educational assistance benefits may apply to employer-provided educational assistance to nondegree candidates if the requirements of that section are met (see sec. 1162 of the Act, extending the exclusion under Code sec. 127), or whether unreimbursed educational expenses of some nondegree candidates may be allowable to itemizers as trade or business expenses if the requirements of section 162 are met.

Performance of services

The Act repeals the special rule of prior law under which scholarship or fellowship grants received by degree candidates that represented payment for services nonetheless were deemed excludable from income provided that all candidates for the particular degree were required to perform such services. The Act expressly includes in gross income any portion of amounts received as a scholarship or fellowship grant that represent payment for teaching, research, or other services required as a condition of receiving the grant (Code sec. 117(c)).

To prevent circumvention of the rule set forth in section 117(c), that rule is intended to apply not only to cash amounts received, but also to amounts (representing payment for services) by which the tuition of the person who performs services is reduced, whether or not pursuant to a tuition reduction plan described in Code section 117(d). The Act therefore explicitly provides that neither the section 117(a) exclusion nor the section 117(d) exclusion applies to any portion of the amount received that represents payment for teaching, research, or other services by the student required as a condition of receiving the scholarship or tuition reduction. If an amount representing reasonable compensation (whether paid in cash or as tuition reduction) for services performed by an employee is included in the employee's gross income and wages, then any additional amount of scholarship award or tuition reduction remains eligible for the section 117 exclusion as modified by the Act.

As noted, employees who perform required services for which they include in income reasonable compensation continue to be eligible to exclude amounts of tuition reduction. In addition, section 1162 of the Act extends the availability of the tuition reduction exclusion for certain graduate students an additional two taxable years beyond its previously scheduled expiration for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1985, as part of the extension of Code section 127 under the Act.

The Act also repeals the special rule under prior law that permitted the exclusion of certain Federal grants as scholarships or

fellowship grants, even though the recipient was required to perform future services as a Federal employee. Thus, any portion of a Federal scholarship or fellowship grant that represents payment for past, present, or future services required to be performed as a condition of the grant is includible in gross income. As a result, services performed as a Federal employee are not entitled to more favorable tax treatment than services performed for other employ

ers.

Treatment of nonexcludable amounts

Under the Act, a child eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the return of his or her parents may use the standard deduction only to offset the greater of $500 or earned income (see I.A.3., above). Only for purposes of that rule, any amount of a noncompensatory scholarship or fellowship grant that is includible in gross income as a result of the amendments to section 117 made by the Act (including the repeal of any sec. 117 exclusion for nondegree candidates) constitutes earned income. 22

Compliance with new rules

Under the Act, the IRS is not required to exercise its authority to require information reporting by grantors of scholarship or fellowship grants to the grant recipients or the IRS, even though some amounts of such grants may be includible in gross income under section 117(a) as amended by the Act. (Of course, any amount of a grant that constitutes payment for services described in sec. 117(c) is subject to income tax withholding, employment taxes, and reporting requirements applicable to other forms of compensation paid by the payor organization.) The Congress anticipated that the IRS will carefully monitor the extent of compliance by grant recipients with the new rules and will provide for appropriate information reporting if necessary to accomplish compliance.

Effective Date

The modifications made by the provision are effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1987, except that prior law continues to apply to any scholarship or fellowship granted before August 17, 1986.23 Under this rule, in the case of a scholarship or fellowship granted after August 16, 1986 and before January 1, 1987, any amount of such scholarship or fellowship grant that is received prior to January 1, 1987 and that is attributable to expenditures incurred prior to January 1, 1987 is subject to the provi

22 Amounts received as payment for teaching or other services also constitute earned income. 23 For this purpose, a scholarship or fellowship is to be treated as granted before August 17, 1986 to the extent that the grantor made a firm commitment, in the notice of award made before that date, to provide the recipient with a fixed cash amount or a readily determinable amount. If the scholarship or fellowship is granted for a period exceeding one academic period (e.g., if the grant is made for three semesters), amounts received in subsequent academic periods are to be treated as granted before August 17, 1986 only if (1) the amount awarded for the first academic period is described in the original notice of award as a fixed cash amount or readily determinable amount, (2) the original notice of award contains a firm commitment by the grantor to provide the scholarship or fellowship amount for more than one academic period, and (3) the recipient is not required to reapply to the grantor in order to receive the scholarship or fellowship grant in future academic periods. A requirement that the recipient must file periodic financial statements to show continuing financial need does not constitute a requirement to reapply for the grant.

sions of section 117 as in effect prior to the amendments made by the Act.

Revenue Effect

The provision is estimated to increase fiscal year budget receipts by $8 million in 1987, $64 million in 1988, $130 million in 1989, $160 million in 1990, and $164 million in 1991.

D. Deductions for Personal Expenditures

1. Disallowance of itemized deduction for State and local sales taxes (sec. 134 of the Act and sec. 164 of the Code)24

Prior Law

Itemized deduction

Under prior-law section 164, itemizers could deduct four types of State and local taxes even if such taxes had not been incurred either in a trade or business (sec. 162) or in an investment activity (sec. 212)-individual income taxes, real property taxes, personal property taxes, and general sales taxes.

Not all sales taxes imposed by State or local governments were deductible by itemizers under prior law. To be deductible, the sales tax had to be imposed on sales (either of property or of services) at the retail level.25 In addition, to be deductible the sales tax generally had to apply at one rate to a broad range of items. However, deductions were allowed for (1) sales taxes imposed at a lower rate on food, clothing, medical supplies, and motor vehicles, and (2) sales taxes imposed at a higher rate on motor vehicles, but only up to the amount computed using the generally applicable sales tax rate.

As an exception to the general tax principle that a taxpayer has the burden of providing its entitlement to a deduction,26 itemizers were permitted to claim deductions for sales tax amounts derived from IRS-published tables. These tables contained State-by-State estimates of sales tax liability for individuals at different income levels (calculated by including nontaxable receipts as well as adjusted gross income), taking into account the number of individuals in the taxpayer's household.27 Also, taxpayers generally could add to the table amount the actual State and local sales taxes paid on purchases of a boat, airplane, motor vehicle, and certain other large items.

24 For legislative background of the provision, see: H.R. 3838, as reported by the Senate Committee on Finance on May 29, 1986, sec. 135; S.Rep. 99-313, pp. 55-57; Senate floor amendment, 132 Cong. Rec. S 7893-98 (June 19, 1986); and H.Rep. 99-841, Vol. II (September 18, 1986), p. 20 (Conference Report).

25 This test could be satisfied in the case of a compensating use tax, i.e., a tax on the use, consumption, or storage of an item that would have been subject to a general sales tax if sold in the State or locality imposing the use tax.

26 See. e.g., Helvering v. Taylor, 293 U.S. 507, 514 (1935).

27 Local sales taxes also are imposed in various States. An additional amount for local taxes was built into the IRS-published tables for some of these jurisdictions. For other States having local sales taxes, a further computation had to be made after deriving the table amount (e.g., itemizers in one State were allowed to increase the table amount by sales taxes imposed on electricity or gas during certain months of the year).