Updated October 21, 2026. Quick answer: Publication 1212 is the IRS guide to original issue discount, and the IRS page title carries the revision 12/2025. It says OID is a form of interest, and its two purposes are helping brokers file Forms 1099-OID or 1099-INT and helping owners determine how much OID to report. Brokers must generally file when OID or interest totals $10 or more.
Quick reference
| Item | As the IRS publication states it |
|---|---|
| Form 1099 filing threshold, interest or OID for a calendar year (Information for Brokers) | $10 or more |
| Backup withholding rate on reportable payments (Backup Withholding) | 24% |
| De minimis rule, share of redemption price per full year (Information for Owners) | one-fourth of 1% |
| Accuracy-related penalty after a Form 1099-OID is received (Information for Owners) | 20% |
| OID table amounts are listed per redemption price (Debt Instruments in the OID Tables) | $1,000 |
What the publication covers
The page is dated by the IRS as “Revised: December 2025”. The introduction says “This publication has two purposes.” “The other purpose of the publication is to help owners of publicly offered OID debt instruments determine how much OID to report on their income tax returns.”
On the definition, the publication says “OID is a form of interest.” It continues “Zero coupon bonds and debt instruments that pay no stated interest until maturity are examples of debt instruments that have OID.”
Parts of the publication in plain words
- Definitions: OID, accrual period, acquisition premium, adjusted issue price, issue price, market discount, premium, qualified stated interest, stated redemption price at maturity and yield to maturity.
- Debt Instruments in the OID Tables, which are organized into Sections I, II and III.
- Information for Brokers and Other Middlemen, including Form 1099-OID and backup withholding.
- Information for Owners of OID Debt Instruments: including OID in income, the de minimis rule, market discount and how to report OID.
- Figuring OID on long-term debt instruments, contingent payment and inflation-indexed instruments, and stripped bonds and coupons.
- Tax-exempt bonds and coupons, and debt instruments and coupons purchased after 1984.
Tables and forms it connects to
The OID tables themselves are posted separately from the text. The publication says “The tables of publicly offered OID debt instruments (OID tables) are available at IRS.gov/Pub1212.” On this site, the box by box pages on Form 1099-OID, box 1, original issue discount and box 8, OID on U.S. Treasury obligations follow the same form.
The figures that matter
On the filing threshold, “In general, you must file a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-OID for the debt instrument if the interest or OID to be included in the owner’s income for a calendar year totals $10 or more.”
On backup withholding, “you may be required to apply backup withholding to the reportable payment at a rate of 24% (0.24).”
On small amounts, “You can treat OID as zero if the total OID on a debt instrument is less than one-fourth of 1% (0.0025) of the stated redemption price at maturity multiplied by the number of full years from the date of original issue to maturity.”
On how the tables are read, “The OID listed is for each $1,000 of redemption price.” The next sentence says “You must adjust the listed amount if your debt instrument has a different principal amount.”
On Form 1099-OID amounts, “If you are required to file a tax return and you receive Form 1099-OID showing taxable amounts, you must report these amounts on your return.”
The same passage warns that “A 20% (0.20) accuracy-related penalty may be charged for underpayment of tax due to either negligence or disregard of rules and regulations or substantial understatement of tax.”
Where it points elsewhere
Interest from savings bonds and Treasury obligations is covered here on Form 1099-INT box 3. For bond premium and market discount, see Form 1099-OID box 10 and Form 1099-INT boxes 10 to 13.
Where this comes from
The IRS page About Publication 1212 opens with “The purpose of this publication is:” It links the PDF and eBook editions and the earlier revisions of the publication.
This page describes the web edition of Publication 1212 (12/2025), Guide to Original Issue Discount (OID) Instruments, as served on irs.gov on October 21, 2026. The IRS can revise a publication after we read it, and the IRS page controls. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the OID tables inside the text. The publication says “The tables of publicly offered OID debt instruments (OID tables) are available at IRS.gov/Pub1212.”
- Using a table amount without adjusting it. The source says “The OID listed is for each $1,000 of redemption price.”
- Assuming every OID amount must be reported. The source gives a de minimis rule, and adds that “Debt instruments with de minimis OID are not listed in this publication.”
- Treating a Form 1099-OID as optional to report. The IRS says you “must report these amounts on your return.”
Related: IRS publications by number, Form 1099-OID boxes explained, Form 1099-OID box 1, Form 1099-OID box 2, Form 1099-OID box 6, acquisition premium, Schedule B, and Schedule D.
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Answer againSources
- IRS, Publication 1212 (12/2025), Guide to Original Issue Discount (OID) Instruments (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/publications/p1212
- IRS, About Publication 1212, Guide to Original Issue Discount (OID) Instruments (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-1212
Read from the IRS pages linked above on October 21, 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice. The IRS publication and the instructions for your own form control, and your own facts decide the outcome.