Savings Advancement and Enhancement (SAVE) Act of 1998

Summary: Savings Advancement and Enhancement (SAVE) Act of 1998 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from individual gross income up to $250 ($500 for joint filers) of the sum of dividends from domestic corporations or interest.    Sets forth related provisions with respect to:  (1) distributions from regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts; and (2) nonresident aliens.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Savings Advancement and Enhancement 
(SAVE) Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME FROM TAX.

    (a) In General.--Part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to amounts specifically 
excluded from gross income) is amended by inserting after section 115 
the following new section:

``SEC. 116. PARTIAL EXCLUSION OF DIVIDENDS AND INTEREST RECEIVED BY 
              INDIVIDUALS.

    ``(a) Exclusion From Gross Income.--Gross income does not include 
the sum of the amounts received during the taxable year by an 
individual as--
            ``(1) dividends from domestic corporations, or
            ``(2) interest.
    ``(b) Limitations.--
            ``(1) Maximum amount.--The aggregate amount excluded under 
        subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed $250 ($500 
        in the case of a joint return).
            ``(2) Limitation based on taxable income.--No exclusion 
        from gross income shall be allowed under this section for an 
        individual for a taxable year if the individual has any amount 
        of taxable income taxed at the rate of 39.6 percent for the 
        taxable year.
            ``(3) Certain dividends excluded.--Subsection (a)(1) shall 
        not apply to any dividend from a corporation which, for the 
        taxable year of the corporation in which the distribution is 
        made, or for the next preceding taxable year of the 
        corporation, is a corporation exempt from tax under section 501 
        (relating to certain charitable, etc., organization) or section 
        521 (relating to farmers' cooperative associations).
    ``(c) Interest.--For purposes of this section, the term `interest' 
means--
            ``(1) interest on deposits with a bank (as defined in 
        section 581),
            ``(2) amounts (whether or not designated as interest) paid 
        in respect of deposits, investment certificates, or 
        withdrawable or repurchasable shares, by--
                    ``(A) a mutual savings bank, cooperative bank, 
                domestic building and loan association, industrial loan 
                association or bank, or credit union, or
                    ``(B) any other savings or thrift institution which 
                is chartered and supervised under Federal or State law,
        the deposits or accounts in which are insured under Federal or 
        State law or which are protected and guaranteed under State 
        law,
            ``(3) interest on--
                    ``(A) evidences of indebtedness (including bonds, 
                debentures, notes, and certificates) issued by a 
                domestic corporation in registered form, and
                    ``(B) to the extent provided in regulations 
                prescribed by the Secretary, other evidences of 
                indebtedness issued by a domestic corporation of a type 
                offered by corporations to the public,
            ``(4) interest on obligations of the United States, a 
        State, or a political subdivision of a State (not excluded from 
        gross income of the taxpayer under any other provision of law), 
        and
            ``(5) interest attributable to participation shares in a 
        trust established and maintained by a corporation established 
        pursuant to Federal law.
    ``(d) Special Rules.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Distributions from regulated investment companies and 
        real estate investment trusts.--Subsection (a) shall apply with 
        respect to distributions by--
                    ``(A) regulated investment companies to the extent 
                provided in section 854(c), and
                    ``(B) real estate investment trusts to the extent 
                provided in section 857(c).
            ``(2) Distributions by a trust.--For purposes of subsection 
        (a), the amount of dividends and interest properly allocable to 
a beneficiary under section 652 or 662 shall be deemed to have been 
received by the beneficiary ratably on the same date that the dividends 
and interest were received by the estate or trust.
            ``(3) Certain nonresident aliens ineligible for 
        exclusion.--In the case of a nonresident alien individual, 
        subsection (a) shall apply only--
                    ``(A) in determining the tax imposed for the 
                taxable year pursuant to section 871(b)(1) and only in 
                respect of dividends and interest which are effectively 
                connected with the conduct of a trade or business 
                within the United States, or
                    ``(B) in determining the tax imposed for the 
                taxable year pursuant to section 877(b).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) The table of sections for part III of subchapter B of 
        chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting after the item 
        relating to section 115 the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 116. Partial exclusion of 
                                        dividends and interest received 
                                        by individuals.''.
            (2) Paragraph (2) of section 265(a) of such Code is amended 
        by inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, or 
        to purchase or carry obligations or shares, or to make 
        deposits, to the extent the interest thereon is excludable from 
gross income under section 116''.
            (3) Subsection (c) of section 584 of such Code is amended 
        by adding at the end the following new flush sentence:
``The proportionate share of each participant in the amount of 
dividends or interest received by the common trust fund and to which 
section 116 applies shall be considered for purposes of such section as 
having been received by such participant.''.
            (4) Subsection (a) of section 643 of such Code is amended 
        by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8) and by 
        inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraph:
            ``(7) Dividends or interest.--There shall be included the 
        amount of any dividends or interest excluded from gross income 
        pursuant to section 116.''.
            (5) Section 854 of such Code is amended by adding at the 
        end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Treatment Under Section 116.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of section 116, in the case 
        of any dividend (other than a dividend described in subsection 
        (a)) received from a regulated investment company which meets 
        the requirements of section 852 for the taxable year in which 
        it paid the dividend--
                    ``(A) the entire amount of such dividend shall be 
                treated as a dividend if the sum of the aggregate 
                dividends and the aggregate interest received by such 
                company during the taxable year equals or exceeds 75 
                percent of its gross income, or
                    ``(B) if subparagraph (A) does not apply, there 
                shall be taken into account under section 116 only the 
                portion of such dividend which bears the same ratio to 
                the amount of such dividend as the sum of the aggregate 
                dividends received and aggregate interest received 
                bears to gross income.
        For purposes of the preceding sentence, gross income and 
        aggregate interest received shall each be reduced by so much of 
        the deduction allowable by section 163 for the taxable year as 
        does not exceed aggregate interest received for the taxable 
        year.
            ``(2) Notice to shareholders.--The amount of any 
        distribution by a regulated investment company which may be 
        taken into account as a dividend for purposes of the exclusion 
        under section 116 shall not exceed the amount so designated by 
        the company in a written notice to its shareholders mailed not 
        later than 60 days after the close of its taxable year.
            ``(3) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection--
                    ``(A) Gross income.--The term `gross income' does 
                not include gain from the sale or other disposition of 
                stock or securities.
                    ``(B) Aggregate dividends.--The term `aggregate 
                dividends' includes only dividends received from 
                domestic corporations other than dividends described in 
                section 116(b)(2). In determining the amount of any 
                dividend for purposes of this subparagraph, the rules 
                provided in section 116(d)(1) (relating to certain 
                distributions) shall apply.
                    ``(C) Interest.--The term `interest' has the 
                meaning given such term by section 116(c).''.
            (6) Subsection (c) of section 857 of such Code is amended 
        to read as follows:
    ``(c) Limitations Applicable to Dividends Received From Real Estate 
Investment Trusts.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of section 116 (relating to 
        an exclusion for dividends and interest received by 
        individuals) and section 243 (relating to deductions for 
        dividends received by corporations), a dividend received from a 
        real estate investment trust which meets the requirements of 
        this part shall not be considered as a dividend.
            ``(2) Treatment as interest.--For purposes of section 116, 
        in the case of a dividend (other than a capital gain dividend, 
        as defined in subsection (b)(3)(C)) received from a real estate 
        investment trust which meets the requirements of this part for 
        the taxable year in which it paid the dividend--
                    ``(A) such dividend shall be treated as interest if 
                the aggregate interest received by the real estate 
                investment trust for the taxable year equals or exceeds 
                75 percent of its gross income, or
                    ``(B) if subparagraph (A) does not apply, the 
                portion of such dividend which bears the same ratio to 
                the amount of such dividend as the aggregate interest 
                received bears to gross income shall be treated as 
                interest.
            ``(3) Adjustments to gross income and aggregate interest 
        received.--For purposes of paragraph (2)--
                    ``(A) gross income does not include the net capital 
                gain,
                    ``(B) gross income and aggregate interest received 
                shall each be reduced by so much of the deduction 
                allowable by section 163 for the taxable year (other 
                than for interest on mortgages on real property owned 
                by the real estate investment trust) as does not exceed 
                aggregate interest received by the taxable year, and
                    ``(C) gross income shall be reduced by the sum of 
                the taxes imposed by paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) of 
                section 857(b).
            ``(4) Interest.--The term `interest' has the meaning given 
        such term by section 116(c).
            ``(5) Notice to shareholders.--The amount of any 
        distribution by a real estate investment trust which may be 
        taken into account as interest for purposes of the exclusion 
        under section 116 shall not exceed the amount so designated by 
        the trust in a written notice to its shareholders mailed not 
        later than 60 days after the close of its taxable year.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1997.