$10k contribution limits on electronic I Bonds and EE Bonds in 2012

[MediumTex]

If 2011 is the only year they do the tax refund option to purchase paper bonds, those 2011 bonds will be great collectors items.

Think about how rare those will be.

Actually, those collectors' item bonds will have 2012 dates, because refunds for the 2011 tax year all come in 2012.

Whenever the last year is for this arrangement, it would be cool if you could file and extension and manage to have your refund processed in the early part of the following year so that the bonds will be dated in a year when no one would have ever thought any paper bonds were issued.

[Storm]

It is $10K electronic, up to $5K paper (only as overpayment of income tax refund for tax-year 2011) for 2012.

It is anyone's guess whether the tax-refund-to-paper-savings-bond program returns for tax-year 2012.

I'm sorry for the incorrect information.  I stand corrected.  I remember last year it was only $5K electronic but I guess they raised that amount to compensate for the lack of paper bond purchases available at banks this year.

[smurff]

If you file your taxes late in the final year paper bonds will be available, say in late October/early November, then your I-bonds will have the last possible month available:  December 20XX.  That's an even better collector's item.

[MediumTex]

If you file your taxes late in the final year paper bonds will be available, say in late October/early November, then your I-bonds will have the last possible month available:  December 20XX.  That's an even better collector's item.

Think about how potentially rare those bonds could be, especially in odd denominations.

There might not be more than a few dozen or perhaps a few hundred of certain bonds with certain dates ever issued.