HomeCirculars › RBI/2006-2007/334

Uniform Accounting for HTM Bond Premium Amortisation

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/334 · issued 20 Apr 2007 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates uniform accounting for amortising premium on HTM securities: deduct amortised amount in Schedule 14 under 'Profit on revaluation of investments' and reduce the book value accordingly. Effective for FY ending March 31, 2007.

What changed

RBI observed banks using different methods to amortise premium on HTM securities. It clarified that the amortised amount must be shown as a deduction under 'Profit on revaluation of investments' in Schedule 14 of the P&L account, and the book value of the security must be reduced by the same amount.

What it means for you

Banks must now follow a single, prescribed accounting treatment for premium amortisation on HTM bonds, ensuring consistency in financial statements. This impacts how bond premium costs are recognised in profit and loss, and affects the carrying value of HTM securities on the balance sheet.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Bank finance and accounting departments, Bank auditors and compliance teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

How should we account for premium amortisation on HTM securities?

The amortised amount must be deducted under 'Profit on revaluation of investments' in Schedule 14 of the P&L account, and the book value of the security should be reduced accordingly.

Does this apply to securities shifted from AFS to HTM?

Yes. When shifting from AFS to HTM, the security is valued at the least of acquisition cost, book value, or market value. Any premium above face value must be amortised over the remaining maturity.

When does this directive take effect?

The directive applies to financial statements finalized after April 20, 2007, including for the year ended March 31, 2007.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
The guidelines have been repealed. Please refer to the Reserve Bank of India (Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment Portfolio of Commercial Banks) Directions, 2021 . RBI/2006-2007/334 DBOD.BP.BC. 87 /21.04.141/ 2006-07 April 20, 2007 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) Dear Sir, Prudential Norms for Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment Portfolio by Banks Please refer to our Master Circular on the above subject  DBOD. No. BP.BC. 14/ 21.04.141/ 2006-07, dated July 1, 2006 . In terms of these guidelines a bank may classify a security in the Held to Maturity (HTM) category either at the time of acquisition or at the time of shifting from the AFS (Available For Sale) category. In terms of paragraph 3.1 (i) of the above Master Circular, securities included in the HTM category need not be marked to market and will be carried in the books at acquisition cost. The securities shifted from the AFS category will be held in the HTM category at the least of acquisition cost or book value or market value of the security at the time of shifting. In case the acquisition cost of the securities included under HTM category (including the value at which the security was shifted from the AFS category) is more than the face value, the premium should be amortised over the period remaining to maturity. 2. It is observed that banks are adopting different accounting methods for amortising the premium in respect of their HTM securities. Banks may refer to the format of the balance sheet and profit and loss account prescribed in the Third Schedule to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 which indicate the accounting of loss on revaluation of investments. Accordingly banks should: (a) Reflect the amortised amount during an accounting period in the Profit and Loss account of the bank in "Schedule 14 – Other Income: Item III – Profit on revaluation of investment" as a deduction. (b) The book value of the security should be reduced to the extent of the amount amortised during the relevant accounting period. 3. With a view to bringing about uniformity in the accounting of this aspect, it is re-iterated that banks should adopt the correct accounting methodology while finalizing their financial statements, including the statements for the year ended  March 31, 2007. Yours faithfully, (Prashant Saran) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/334 · issued 20 Apr 2007. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=3435&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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