The Architect of Capitol has a unique financing arrangement on their lease purchase of a Judiciary building.   Many of the transactions illustrated in this scenario are specific to the Architect of Capitol.  Therefore, transactions in this guidance will not be incorporated into USSGL section III and will not have the corresponding transaction codes.  

**ARCHITECT OF CAPITOL**

Background

In 1989, the Architect of the Capitol entered into a new type of lease-purchase contract for the construction of the Federal Judiciary Office Building.  A trustee, The US Trust Company of NY, financed the cost of construction by selling zero-coupon certificates to the public. The certificates were secured and serviced by the fixed rent to be paid by the U.S. Government (through the Architect of the Capitol), and the obligation of the U.S. Government to pay the fixed rent constituted an absolute and unconditional obligation.  Under the terms of the contract, the developer would spend approximately $125 million to construct an office building for Government use and would be paid from the proceeds from zero coupon certificate sales.  The Architect of the Capitol would subsequently pay the trustee a "lease payment" of about $17 million a year over 30 years (or a total of about $525 million) for that office space.  The lease payment (rent) would be sufficient to repay the zero coupon certificates as they mature.  Title to the building automatically vests in the U.S. Government no later than August 1, 2024.

Even though the Architect of the Capitol did not directly sell the zero coupon certificates, a decision was made to treat the lease-purchase transaction as equivalent to direct Federal construction financed by Federal borrowing.  The lease-purchase was a method to finance the Government’s acquisition of the office building.  The debt was guaranteed by the Federal Government and the Federal Government exercised full control over the design, construction, and operation of the building.  Therefore, it is treated as substantively same as direct federal construction financed by direct federal borrowing.  

Zero coupon certificates with a par value of $525.4 million were sold in serial form in September 1989 at an issue price of $125.4 million.  (The discount reflected the absence of coupon interest payments over the lives of the certificates.)  This was reported as borrowing on the Monthly Treasury Statement (MTS) Table 6, Schedule B, and the construction costs incurred over the period of construction were reported as outlays on the MTS Table 5.  As the discount on the zero coupon certificates was amortized, borrowing and outlays were reported on these MTS tables, respectively; and as the serial zero coupon certificates reached maturity and were redeemed, the repayment of debt was reported on the MTS table6, Schedule B.  

2108 Reporting

Architect of Capitol (AOC) has provided us with certain challenges on 2108 reporting.  The borrowing authority used to finance their activity is atypical and as a result we had to make some modifications on how AOC reports to Treasury. 

AOC’s 2108, beginning balance for record type 7. 931, Unamortized Discounts or Premiums, column 2 was changed to -0- balance.  It was agreed that the unamortized discount on the security issued does not represent budgetary resource.  Unlike the unamortized discount on investment, the unamortized discount on securities issued by agencies represents portions of future (lease/debt) payments to the nonfederal entity.  The difficulty is the subclass information on AOC’s monthly 224 automatically updates record type 7.931, which was just zeroed out.  Subclasses 62 (Unamortized Premium) and 72 (Unamortized discount) feed into record type 7.931 on AOC’s 2108.  Currently, AOC is using subclass 62 to report their amortization of the discount on their monthly 224.  In addition, subclasses 62 and 72 along with subclasses 87 (Redemption of Non-guaranteed Government Agency Securities in the Market)  and 97 (Sale of  Non-guaranteed Government Agency Securities in the Market ) update the data presented on Table 6b, Securities Issued by Federal Agencies under Special Financing Authority, of the MTS.  

The challenge was how to keep the same subclass updating MTS information without updating record type 7. 931 on 2108.     It was decided that any subsequent reporting by the agency after the change to beginning balance, 224 subclasses 62 and 72 information will be merged to subclasses 87 and 97.  AOC was instructed to report their 62 and 72 information to subclasses 87 and 97.  This would ensure the presentation of relevant information on both 2108 and Table 6B of the MTS.   

It was also decided that AOC’s beginning balance record type 7.  962, Authority to Borrow from the public, should be -0- on the 2108.  Budget Reports Branch will change the beginning balance of RT7. 962  -0-.  AOC will have an increase in their borrowing authority to provide budgetary resource for the interest accrued but that authority will be immediately used to fund the monthly interest outlays.  At the end of the year there should not be any borrowing authority left over.  The decrease in borrowing authority will be recorded by using USSGL account 4145, borrowing authority converted to cash.  USSGL account 4145 is typically associated with cash, but in rare cases such as AOC the proprietary entry may not be recorded when this account is used.  AOC is required to outlay monthly interest accrual (amortize the discount) and show it on their monthly 224 reporting.  Cash is only reported when rent payment is received and debt payment is disbursed in February and August.   Please note there is a  fundamental difference between the ordinary borrowing authority converted to cash vs. AOC in which borrowing authority is converted but it does not involve cash.  We may address this noted difference in the future once other lease purchase activities are analyzed.   

**Nonexpenditure Transfer**

Please note that the Architect of Capitol (AOC) does not prepare SF1151 for debt payment.  Instead AOC has a 224 nonexpenditure transfer with special subclasses 62 (redemption) and 87 (amortized discount).  These special subclasses are denoted on the AOC’s 6653, Undisbursed Appropriation Account Ledger, as nonexpenditure transfer activities in the description column.

Note: The time construction started and the time the first least payment was made occurred in a span of several years, 10/89-8/94.  For the purpose of this illustration, assume following event all occurred in a same accounting period and using calendar year.

PRE-CLOSING TRIAL BALANCE

**USSGL 2108: Yearend Closing Statement**

(Record Type 7 – Subclass 962 Authority to Borrow from Public)

Year 1

***Note******Note****Note****Note****Note***

Record type 931

224 subclasses 62 (Unamortized Premium) and 72 (Unamortized discount) feed into record type 7. 931, Unamortized Discount, on 2108 and to MTS Table 6B.  In the past unamortized discount was reported on 2108 as a budgetary resource.  After much discussion, it was decided unamortized discount for security issued should not be shown as a resource.  As a result, the Budget Reports Branch (BRB) changed the beginning balance to -0- and AOC was instructed to report their subclass 62 and 72 information into subclass 87 and 97 on the 224.   This modification ensures that proper updates are made to the MTS table without changing the balance of record type 931 on the 2108.

Record type 962

BRB will also change the beginning balance of record type 7. 962 to -0-.  AOC will have a new borrowing authority for the interest accrual but it will be used immediately to fund the monthly outlay of interest.   At the end of the year there will not be any borrowing authority left over.  

CLOSING ENTRY

Post-Closing Trial Balance

Balance Sheet

 II.  PRE-CLOSING TRIAL BALANCE

II.  

II

II.  

II.  **USSGL 2108: Yearend Closing Statement**

(Record Type 7 – Subclass 962 Authority to Borrow from Public)

Year 1

II.  CLOSING ENTRY

II.  Post-Closing Trial Balance

III.  PRE-CLOSING TRIAL BALANCE

III

III. 

III.  

III.  **USSGL 2108: Yearend Closing Statement**

(Record Type 7 – Subclass 962 Authority to Borrow from Public)

Year 1

III.  CLOSING ENTRY

III.  Post-Closing Trial Balance

IV.   PRE-CLOSING TRIAL BALANCE

IV.  

IV.  **USSGL 2108: Yearend Closing Statement**

(Record Type 7 – Subclass 962 Authority to Borrow from Public)

Year 1

IV.  CLOSING ENTRY

IV.  Post-Closing Trial Balance

� Note due to 2108 reporting requirement, AOC is now reporting their relevant information from 224 subclass 62 and 72 to subclass 87 and 97.

� Thurgood Marshall Building was occupied in 10/92

� Per OMB memo dated 9/19/02, “Record interest BA and outlays finance by additional debt during the construction period.  (The additional debt to finance the interest outlays for a period is the increase in the PV of the zero-coupon certificates during that period.)”

� The interest component of the lease payment is scored as new budget authority and outlays; the principal component is treated as debt repayment and does not involve new obligations and outlays (per 9/19/02 OMB memo)

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January 2004