<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 01/31/97
000 C000000 0000827773
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST
001 B000000 811-5452
001 C000000 6172921000
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
013 B030001 02110
014 A000001 PUTNAM FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
014 B000001 8-5088
015 A000001 BOSTON SAFE DEPOSIT AND TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
<PAGE> PAGE 2
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02106
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN AND COMPANY
015 B000002 C
015 C010002 BOSTON
015 C020002 MA
015 C030002 02109
015 E010002 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 98
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 TIEDEMANN INT'L RESEARCH, INC.
020 B000001 13-3506065
020 C000001 17
020 A000002 PRIVATBANKEN
020 C000002 2
020 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
020 B000003 13-5674085
020 C000003 1
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 20
022 A000001 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000001 13-3224016
022 C000001 2167782
022 D000001 58278
022 A000002 UBS SECURITIES
022 B000002 13-2932996
022 C000002 920800
022 D000002 21658
022 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000003 13-2518466
022 C000003 457931
022 D000003 344739
022 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000004 13-2655998
022 C000004 631753
022 D000004 77323
022 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005 268479
022 D000005 228590
022 A000006 GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKET
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 B000006 13-3172275
022 C000006 222169
022 D000006 235092
022 A000007 SBC WARBURG
022 C000007 357593
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000008 13-5108880
022 C000008 253232
022 D000008 72170
022 A000009 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
022 B000009 13-3082694
022 C000009 148160
022 D000009 159035
022 A000010 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000010 13-2741729
022 C000010 42626
022 D000010 34434
023 C000000 5811544
023 D000000 1537993
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.750
048 B010000 500000
048 B020000 0.650
048 C010000 500000
048 C020000 0.600
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 1500000
048 K020000 0.550
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 N
060 B000000 N
061 000000 1000
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 2.0
062 D000000 3.1
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 8.0
062 N000000 18.1
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 37.0
062 Q000000 31.7
062 R000000 3.8
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 7.0
064 A000000 N
065 000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 Y
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 Y
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 1424798
071 B000000 1449166
071 C000000 1183181
071 D000000 120
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 51107
072 C000000 1013
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 4235
072 G000000 11
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 351
072 J000000 149
072 K000000 50
072 L000000 26
072 M000000 40
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 28
072 S000000 24
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 92
072 X000000 5006
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 47114
072AA000000 31329
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 6367
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 46394
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3300
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 1
074 B000000 38372
074 C000000 24956
074 D000000 1135490
074 E000000 26983
074 F000000 18283
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 1676
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 93661
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 37779
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 1377201
074 O000000 122028
074 P000000 2333
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 17927
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1234913
074 U010000 140249
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 8.81
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 17632
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 245968
076 000000 8.00
077 A000000 Y
077 C000000 Y
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 50000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 97
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 431
086 B020000 3356
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 9
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
087 A020000 746853100
087 A030000 PIT
088 A000000 Y
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCAVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
FROM PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS
ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> OTHER
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUL-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> JAN-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1,240,521,587
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1,245,760,200
<RECEIVABLES> 131,441,051
<ASSETS-OTHER> 533
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,377,201,784
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 122,027,891
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 20,260,483
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 142,288,374
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1,223,899,088
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 140,248,960
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 140,679,960
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (8,865,023)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 13,964,009
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 5,915,336
<NET-ASSETS> 1,234,913,410
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1,012,370
<INTEREST-INCOME> 51,107,295
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 5,005,699
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 47,113,966
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 31,328,817
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 6,366,632
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 84,809,415
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (46,393,906)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 35,059,139
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (9,583,083)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (17,364,808)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 4,235,348
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 5,069,421
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1,228,424,292
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 8.53
<PER-SHARE-NII> .33
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .28
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.33)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 8.81
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .41
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
