26 U.S.C. § 530 : US Code - Section 530: Coverdell education savings accounts

Search 26 U.S.C. § 530 : US Code - Section 530: Coverdell education savings accounts

(a) General rule
A Coverdell education savings account shall be exempt from
taxation under this subtitle. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, the Coverdell education savings account shall be subject
to the taxes imposed by section 511 (relating to imposition of tax
on unrelated business income of charitable organizations).
(b) Definitions and special rules
For purposes of this section -
(1) Coverdell education savings account
The term "Coverdell education savings account" means a trust
created or organized in the United States exclusively for the
purpose of paying the qualified education expenses of an
individual who is the designated beneficiary of the trust (and
designated as a Coverdell education savings account at the time
created or organized), but only if the written governing
instrument creating the trust meets the following requirements:
(A) No contribution will be accepted -
(i) unless it is in cash,
(ii) after the date on which such beneficiary attains age
18, or
(iii) except in the case of rollover contributions, if such
contribution would result in aggregate contributions for the
taxable year exceeding $2,000.
(B) The trustee is a bank (as defined in section 408(n)) or
another person who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
Secretary that the manner in which that person will administer
the trust will be consistent with the requirements of this
section or who has so demonstrated with respect to any
individual retirement plan.
(C) No part of the trust assets will be invested in life
insurance contracts.
(D) The assets of the trust shall not be commingled with
other property except in a common trust fund or common
investment fund.
(E) Except as provided in subsection (d)(7), any balance to
the credit of the designated beneficiary on the date on which
the beneficiary attains age 30 shall be distributed within 30
days after such date to the beneficiary or, if the beneficiary
dies before attaining age 30, shall be distributed within 30
days after the date of death of such beneficiary.
The age limitations in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (E), and
paragraphs (5) and (6) of subsection (d), shall not apply to any
designated beneficiary with special needs (as determined under
regulations prescribed by the Secretary).
(2) Qualified education expenses
(A) In general
The term "qualified education expenses" means -
(i) qualified higher education expenses (as defined in
section 529(e)(3)), and
(ii) qualified elementary and secondary education expenses
(as defined in paragraph (3)).
(B) Qualified tuition programs
Such term shall include any contribution to a qualified
tuition program (as defined in section 529(b)) on behalf of the
designated beneficiary (as defined in section 529(e)(1)); but
there shall be no increase in the investment in the contract
for purposes of applying section 72 by reason of any portion of
such contribution which is not includible in gross income by
reason of subsection (d)(2).
(3) Qualified elementary and secondary education expenses
(A) In general
The term "qualified elementary and secondary education
expenses" means -
(i) expenses for tuition, fees, academic tutoring, special
needs services in the case of a special needs beneficiary,
books, supplies, and other equipment which are incurred in
connection with the enrollment or attendance of the
designated beneficiary of the trust as an elementary or
secondary school student at a public, private, or religious
school,
(ii) expenses for room and board, uniforms, transportation,
and supplementary items and services (including extended day
programs) which are required or provided by a public,
private, or religious school in connection with such
enrollment or attendance, and
(iii) expenses for the purchase of any computer technology
or equipment (as defined in section 170(e)(6)(F)(i)) or
Internet access and related services, if such technology,
equipment, or services are to be used by the beneficiary and
the beneficiary's family during any of the years the
beneficiary is in school.
Clause (iii) shall not include expenses for computer software
designed for sports, games, or hobbies unless the software is
predominantly educational in nature.
(B) School
The term "school" means any school which provides elementary
education or secondary education (kindergarten through grade
12), as determined under State law.
(4) Time when contributions deemed made
An individual shall be deemed to have made a contribution to an
education individual retirement account on the last day of the
preceding taxable year if the contribution is made on account of
such taxable year and is made not later than the time prescribed
by law for filing the return for such taxable year (not including
extensions thereof).
(c) Reduction in permitted contributions based on adjusted gross
income
(1) In general
In the case of a contributor who is an individual, the maximum
amount the contributor could otherwise make to an account under
this section shall be reduced by an amount which bears the same
ratio to such maximum amount as -
(A) the excess of -
(i) the contributor's modified adjusted gross income for
such taxable year, over
(ii) $95,000 ($190,000 in the case of a joint return),
bears to
(B) $15,000 ($30,000 in the case of a joint return).
(2) Modified adjusted gross income
For purposes of paragraph (1), the term "modified adjusted
gross income" means the adjusted gross income of the taxpayer for
the taxable year increased by any amount excluded from gross
income under section 911, 931, or 933.
(d) Tax treatment of distributions
(1) In general
Any distribution shall be includible in the gross income of the
distributee in the manner as provided in section 72.
(2) Distributions for qualified education expenses
(A) In general
No amount shall be includible in gross income under paragraph
(1) if the qualified education expenses of the designated
beneficiary during the taxable year are not less than the
aggregate distributions during the taxable year.
(B) Distributions in excess of expenses
If such aggregate distributions exceed such expenses during
the taxable year, the amount otherwise includible in gross
income under paragraph (1) shall be reduced by the amount which
bears the same ratio to the amount which would be includible in
gross income under paragraph (1) (without regard to this
subparagraph) as the qualified education expenses bear to such
aggregate distributions.
(C) Coordination with Hope and Lifetime Learning credits and
qualified tuition programs
For purposes of subparagraph (A) -
(i) Credit coordination
The total amount of qualified education expenses with
respect to an individual for the taxable year shall be
reduced -
(I) as provided in section 25A(g)(2), and
(II) by the amount of such expenses which were taken into
account in determining the credit allowed to the taxpayer
or any other person under section 25A.
(ii) Coordination with qualified tuition programs
If, with respect to an individual for any taxable year -
(I) the aggregate distributions during such year to which
subparagraph (A) and section 529(c)(3)(B) apply, exceed
(II) the total amount of qualified education expenses
(after the application of clause (i)) for such year,
the taxpayer shall allocate such expenses among such
distributions for purposes of determining the amount of the
exclusion under subparagraph (A) and section 529(c)(3)(B).
(D) Disallowance of excluded amounts as deduction, credit, or
exclusion
No deduction, credit, or exclusion shall be allowed to the
taxpayer under any other section of this chapter for any
qualified education expenses to the extent taken into account
in determining the amount of the exclusion under this
paragraph.
(3) Special rules for applying estate and gift taxes with respect
to account
Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (2), (4), and (5) of
section 529(c) shall apply for purposes of this section.
(4) Additional tax for distributions not used for educational
expenses
(A) In general
The tax imposed by this chapter for any taxable year on any
taxpayer who receives a payment or distribution from a
Coverdell education savings account which is includible in
gross income shall be increased by 10 percent of the amount
which is so includible.
(B) Exceptions
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if the payment or
distribution is -
(i) made to a beneficiary (or to the estate of the
designated beneficiary) on or after the death of the
designated beneficiary,
(ii) attributable to the designated beneficiary's being
disabled (within the meaning of section 72(m)(7)),
(iii) made on account of a scholarship, allowance, or
payment described in section 25A(g)(2) received by the
designated beneficiary to the extent the amount of the
payment or distribution does not exceed the amount of the
scholarship, allowance, or payment,
(iv) made on account of the attendance of the designated
beneficiary at the United States Military Academy, the United
States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy,
the United States Coast Guard Academy, or the United States
Merchant Marine Academy, to the extent that the amount of the
payment or distribution does not exceed the costs of advanced
education (as defined by section 2005(e)(3) of title 10,
United States Code, as in effect on the date of the enactment
of this section) attributable to such attendance, or
(v) an amount which is includible in gross income solely by
application of paragraph (2)(C)(i)(II) for the taxable year.
(C) Contributions returned before certain date
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to the distribution of any
contribution made during a taxable year on behalf of the
designated beneficiary if -
(i) such distribution is made before the first day of the
sixth month of the taxable year following the taxable year,
and
(ii) such distribution is accompanied by the amount of net
income attributable to such excess contribution.
Any net income described in clause (ii) shall be included in
gross income for the taxable year in which such excess
contribution was made.
(5) Rollover contributions
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any amount paid or distributed
from a Coverdell education savings account to the extent that the
amount received is paid, not later than the 60th day after the
date of such payment or distribution, into another Coverdell
education savings account for the benefit of the same beneficiary
or a member of the family (within the meaning of section
529(e)(2)) of such beneficiary who has not attained age 30 as of
such date. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any payment
or distribution if it applied to any prior payment or
distribution during the 12-month period ending on the date of the
payment or distribution.
(6) Change in beneficiary
Any change in the beneficiary of a Coverdell education savings
account shall not be treated as a distribution for purposes of
paragraph (1) if the new beneficiary is a member of the family
(as so defined) of the old beneficiary and has not attained age
30 as of the date of such change.
(7) Special rules for death and divorce
Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (7) and (8) of section
220(f) shall apply. In applying the preceding sentence, members
of the family (as so defined) of the designated beneficiary shall
be treated in the same manner as the spouse under such paragraph
(8).
(8) Deemed distribution on required distribution date
In any case in which a distribution is required under
subsection (b)(1)(E), any balance to the credit of a designated
beneficiary as of the close of the 30-day period referred to in
such subsection for making such distribution shall be deemed
distributed at the close of such period.
(e) Tax treatment of accounts
Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (2) and (4) of section
408(e) shall apply to any Coverdell education savings account.
(f) Community property laws
This section shall be applied without regard to any community
property laws.
(g) Custodial accounts
For purposes of this section, a custodial account shall be
treated as a trust if the assets of such account are held by a bank
(as defined in section 408(n)) or another person who demonstrates,
to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the manner in which he
will administer the account will be consistent with the
requirements of this section, and if the custodial account would,
except for the fact that it is not a trust, constitute an account
described in subsection (b)(1). For purposes of this title, in the
case of a custodial account treated as a trust by reason of the
preceding sentence, the custodian of such account shall be treated
as the trustee thereof.
(h) Reports
The trustee of a Coverdell education savings account shall make
such reports regarding such account to the Secretary and to the
beneficiary of the account with respect to contributions,
distributions, and such other matters as the Secretary may require.
The reports required by this subsection shall be filed at such time
and in such manner and furnished to such individuals at such time
and in such manner as may be required.