Section 701.40.52. Mutual funds.

Iowa does not tax dividend or interest income from regulated investment companies to the extent that such income is derived from interest on United States Government obligations or obligations of this state and its political subdivisions. The exemption is also applicable to income from regulated investment companies which is derived from interest on government-sponsored enterprises and agencies where federal law specifically precludes state taxation of such interest. Income derived from interest on securities which are merely guaranteed by the federal government or from repurchase agreements collateralized by the United States Government obligations is not excluded and is subject to Iowa income tax. There is no distinction between Iowa’s tax treatment of interest received by a direct investor as compared with a mutual fund shareholder. The interest retains its same character when it “flows-through” the mutual fund and is subject to taxation accordingly.

Taxpayers may subtract from federal adjusted gross income, income received from any of the obligations listed in subrule 40.2(1) and rule 701—40.3(422) above, even if the obligations are owned indirectly through owning shares in a mutual fund:

        1.            If the fund invests exclusively in these state tax-exempt obligations, the entire amount of the distribution (income) from the fund may be subtracted.

        2.            If the fund invests in both exempt and nonexempt obligations, the amount represented by the percentage of the distribution that the mutual fund identifies as exempt may be subtracted.

        3.            If the mutual fund does not identify an exempt amount or percentage, taxpayers may figure the amount to be subtracted by multiplying the distribution by the following fraction: as the numerator, the amount invested by the fund in state-exempt United States obligations; as the denominator, the fund’s total investment. Use the year-end amounts to figure the fraction if the percentage ratio has remained constant throughout the year. If the percentage ratio has not remained constant, take the average of the ratios from the fund’s quarterly financial reports.

Therefore, if the federal adjusted gross income of an individual, taxable by Iowa, includes dividends or interest of this type, an adjustment must be made deducting the amount of the dividend or interest.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 422.7.