SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
 
          PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE SECURITIES
                   EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (AMENDMENT NO.     )
 
FILED BY THE REGISTRANT /X/       FILED BY A PARTY OTHER THAN THE REGISTRANT / /
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX:
    / /  Preliminary Proxy Statement
    /X/  Definitive Proxy Statement
    / /  Definitive Additional Materials
    / /  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section240.14a-11(c) or
         Section240.14a-12
    / /  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
         14a-6(e)(2))
 
                         MFS INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
                (NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
 
    (NAME OF PERSON(S) FILING PROXY STATEMENT, IF OTHER THAN THE REGISTRANT)
 
PAYMENT OF FILING FEE (CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX):
 
     $125  per Exchange  Act Rules  0-11(c)(1)(ii), 14a-6(i)(1),  14a-6(i)(2) or
/X/  Item 22(a)(2)
     of Schedule 14A.
 
/ /  $500 per each party to the controversy pursuant to Exchange Act Rule
     14a-6(i)(3).
 
/ /  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.
 
     1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
 
     2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
 
     3) Per unit  price  or  other  underlying  value  of  transaction  computed
        pursuant  to Exchange Act Rule  0-11 (Set forth the  amount on which the
        filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
 
     4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
 
     5) Total fee paid:
 
/ /  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
 
     Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
/ /  0-11(a)(2) and identify the  filing for which the  offsetting fee was  paid
     previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
     or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
 
     1) Amount Previously Paid:
 
     2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
 
     3) Filing Party:
 
     4) Date Filed:
 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              MFS-Registered Trademark- INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
                500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
 
               Notice of the 1996 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
                         To be held on October 23, 1996
 
The   1996  Annual   Meeting  of   Shareholders  of   MFS-Registered  Trademark-
Intermediate Income Trust  (the "Trust") will  be held at  500 Boylston  Street,
Boston,  Massachusetts, at  9:30 a.m.  on Wednesday,  October 23,  1996, for the
following purposes:
 
ITEM 1.  To elect Marshall N. Cohan and Sir J. David Gibbons as Trustees of  the
         Trust;
 
ITEM 2.  To  ratify the  selection of Deloitte  & Touche LLP  as the independent
         public accountants to  be employed  by the  Trust for  the fiscal  year
         ending October 31, 1996; and
 
ITEM 3.  To  transact such other business as may come before the Meeting and any
         adjournments thereof.
 
          YOUR TRUSTEES RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF ALL ITEMS.
 
Only shareholders of record on August 26,  1996 will be entitled to vote at  the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
 
                                           STEPHEN E. CAVAN, Secretary and Clerk
 
September 6, 1996
 
YOUR  VOTE IS IMPORTANT.  WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR  PROMPTLY VOTING, SIGNING AND
RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY, WHICH WILL HELP IN AVOIDING THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSE
OF A SECOND SOLICITATION.  THE ENCLOSED ADDRESSED  ENVELOPE REQUIRES NO  POSTAGE
AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.

              MFS-Registered Trademark- INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
 
                                Proxy Statement
 
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies
by  and  on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  MFS-Registered Trademark-
Intermediate Income Trust (the "Trust") to be used at the 1996 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders (the "Meeting") to be held  at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October  23,
1996,  at 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, for the purposes set forth
in the  accompanying Notice.  If the  enclosed  form of  proxy is  executed  and
returned,  it may  nevertheless be  revoked prior  to its  exercise by  a signed
writing filed  with the  proxy tabulation  agent, State  Street Bank  and  Trust
Company, P.O. Box 592, Boston, Massachusetts 02102, or delivered at the Meeting.
On  August 26,  1996, there  were outstanding  151,611,601 shares  of the Trust.
Shareholders of record  at the  close of  business on  August 26,  1996 will  be
entitled to one vote for each share held.
 
The  mailing address of the Trust  is 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02116. Solicitation of proxies is being made  by the mailing of this Notice  and
Proxy Statement with its enclosures on or about September 6, 1996. A copy of the
Trust's  Annual Report  and its  most recent  Semi-Annual Report  succeeding the
Annual Report may be obtained without  charge by contacting MFS Service  Center,
Inc.,  the Trust's  transfer and  shareholder servicing  agent (the "Shareholder
Servicing Agent"),  P.O.  Box  9024,  Boston, MA  02205-9824,  or  by  telephone
toll-free at (800) 637-2304.
 
ITEM 1--ELECTION OF TRUSTEES
 
Under  the  provisions of  the Trust's  Declaration of  Trust, the  Trustees are
divided into three classes  each having a  term of three  years. It is  intended
that  proxies not limited to the contrary will  be voted in favor of Marshall N.
Cohan and Sir J. David Gibbons as  Trustees of the class whose term will  expire
at the 1999 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (or special meeting in lieu thereof).
Messrs. Cohan and Gibbons are presently Trustees of the Trust.
 
The  following table presents certain information  regarding the Trustees of the
Trust, including their principal occupations,  which, unless specific dates  are
shown,  are of more than  five years duration, although  the titles may not have
been the same throughout. An asterisk beside a Trustee's name indicates that  he
or  she is an "interested  person," as defined in  the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended  (the "1940 Act"),  of the Trust's  investment adviser and  has
been affiliated with the investment adviser for more than five years.
 


                                                                                         SHARES OF
                                                                                        TRUST OWNED
                                                                                       BENEFICIALLY
                                                                                           AS OF         PERCENT
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH TRUST, PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION        FIRST BECAME    TERM        AUGUST 21,          OF
AND OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS(1)                                   A TRUSTEE    EXPIRING        1996(2)        CLASS(3)
- ----------------------------------------------------------  ------------  ---------  -----------------  ----------
                                                                                            
A. KEITH BRODKIN*, 61, Chairman, President and Trustee;
  Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman,
  Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer.         1990        1998            851.0         0.0005%
RICHARD B. BAILEY*, 69, Trustee; Private Investor;
  Massachusetts Financial Services Company, former
  Chairman and Director (prior to September 30, 1991);
  Cambridge Bancorp, Director; Cambridge Trust Company,
  Director.                                                     1988        1998            163.0         0.0001%
MARSHALL N. COHAN, 69, Trustee; Private Investor.               1988        1996              0.0         0.0000%

 
                                       2



                                                                                         SHARES OF
                                                                                        TRUST OWNED
                                                                                       BENEFICIALLY
                                                                                           AS OF         PERCENT
NAME, AGE, POSITION WITH TRUST, PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION        FIRST BECAME    TERM        AUGUST 21,          OF
AND OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS(1)                                   A TRUSTEE    EXPIRING        1996(2)        CLASS(3)
- ----------------------------------------------------------  ------------  ---------  -----------------  ----------
                                                                                            
LAWRENCE H. COHN, M.D., 59, Trustee; Brigham and Women's
  Hospital, Chief of Cardiac Surgery; Harvard Medical
  School, Professor of Surgery.                                 1993        1998            100.0         0.0001%
THE HON. SIR J. DAVID GIBBONS, KBE, 69, Trustee; Edmund
  Gibbons Limited, Chief Executive Officer; The Bank of
  N.T. Butterfield & Son Ltd., Chairman.                        1988        1996              0.0         0.0000%
ABBY M. O'NEILL, 68, Trustee; Private Investor;
  Rockefeller Financial Services, Inc. (investment
  advisers), Director.                                          1992        1998              0.0         0.0000%
WALTER E. ROBB, III, 70, Trustee; Benchmark Advisors, Inc.
  (corporate financial consultants), President and
  Treasurer; Benchmark Consulting Group, Inc. (office
  services), President; Landmark Funds (mutual funds),
  Trustee.                                                      1988        1997          1,166.0         0.0007%
ARNOLD D. SCOTT*, 53, Trustee; Massachusetts Financial
  Services Company, Senior Executive Vice President,
  Director and Secretary.                                       1993        1997            269.0         0.0001%
JEFFREY L. SHAMES*, 41, Trustee; Massachusetts Financial
  Services Company, President and Director.                     1993        1997              0.0         0.0000%
J. DALE SHERRATT, 57, Trustee; Insight Resources, Inc.
  (acquisition planning specialists), President.                1993        1998              0.0         0.0000%
WARD SMITH, 65, Trustee; NACCO Industries (holding
  company), Chairman (prior to June 1994); Sunstrand
  Corporation (diversified mechanical manufacturer),
  Director.                                                     1992        1998              0.0         0.0000%
All Trustees and officers as a group                                                      2,449.0         0.0016%
<FN>
- --------------------------
(1)  Directorships  or  Trusteeships  of  companies required  to  report  to the
     Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") (I.E., "public companies").
(2)  Numbers are approximate and  include, where applicable,  shares owned by  a
     Trustee's  or  officer's  spouse or  minor  children or  shares  which were
     otherwise reported by the Trustee or officer as "beneficially owned"  under
     SEC rules.
(3)  Percentage  of shares outstanding  on August 21, 1996.  All shares are held
     with sole  voting and  investment power,  except to  the extent  that  such
     powers may be shared by a family member or a trustee of a family trust.

 
All  Trustees serve as Trustees of 36  funds within the MFS fund complex advised
by Massachusetts Financial Services Company ("MFS" or the "Adviser"), investment
adviser to the Trust except for Mr.  Bailey, Mr. Scott and Mr. Shames, who  each
serve as Trustees of 73 funds within the MFS complex and Mr. Brodkin, who serves
as  Trustee of 82 funds within the MFS  fund complex. Mr. Bailey and Mr. Brodkin
are also directors of Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.) ("Sun Life  of
Canada (U.S.)").
 
                                       3

MFS  is a subsidiary  of Sun Life  of Canada (U.S.).  Messrs. Brodkin, Scott and
Shames are "interested persons" of the  Trust because each person is an  officer
and  director of  MFS. Mr.  Bailey is considered  an "interested  person" of the
Trust because he is a  director of Sun Life  of Canada (U.S.). Messrs.  Brodkin,
Scott and Shames each owns shares of common stock of MFS.
 
The  Trust pays  each Trustee  who is  not an  officer of  the Adviser  a fee of
$12,500 per year, plus $500 per meeting and $500 per committee meeting attended,
together  with  such  Trustee's   actual  out-of-pocket  expenses  relating   to
attendance  at meetings. In addition, each Trustee  who is not an officer of the
Adviser will be  entitled to receive  certain benefits pursuant  to the  Trust's
retirement   plan.  Under  this   plan,  each  such  Trustee   (or  his  or  her
beneficiaries) will be entitled to receive an annual retirement or death benefit
in an  amount  of up  to  50% of  such  Trustee's average  annual  compensation,
depending  on  the  Trustee's length  of  service.  Set forth  below  is certain
information concerning the cash compensation paid to these Trustees and benefits
accrued, and estimated benefits payable, under the retirement plan.
 
                           TRUSTEE COMPENSATION TABLE
 


                                                                          RETIREMENT
                                                                            BENEFIT                             TOTAL TRUSTEE
                                                                        ACCRUED AS PART        ESTIMATED             FEES
                                                        TRUSTEE FEES          OF            CREDITED YEARS      FROM TRUST AND
TRUSTEE                                                FROM TRUST (1)  TRUST EXPENSE (1)    OF SERVICE (2)     FUND COMPLEX (3)
- -----------------------------------------------------  --------------  -----------------  -------------------  ----------------
                                                                                                   
Richard B. Bailey....................................    $   18,500        $   4,011                  10          $  263,815
Marshall N. Cohan....................................        19,500            8,756                  14             148,624
Dr. Lawrence Cohn....................................        18,500            2,017                  18             135,874
Sir J. David Gibbons.................................        18,000            7,078                  13             135,874
Abby M. O'Neill......................................        18,000            2,975                  10             129,499
Walter E. Robb, III..................................        19,500            8,756                  14             148,624
J. Dale Sherratt.....................................        19,500            2,117                  20             148,624
Ward Smith...........................................        19,500            3,237                  13             148,624
<FN>
- --------------------------
(1)  For fiscal year ended October 31, 1995
(2)  Based on normal retirement age of 75
(3)  For calendar  year  1995. All  Trustees  receiving compensation  served  as
     Trustees  of 36  funds within  the MFS  fund complex  (having aggregate net
     assets at December  31, 1995,  of approximately $12.5  billion) except  Mr.
     Bailey,  who served  as Trustee  of 73  funds within  the MFS  fund complex
     (having aggregate net assets  at December 31,  1995 of approximately  $31.7
     billion).

 
                                       4

       ESTIMATED ANNUAL BENEFITS PAYABLE BY THE TRUST UPON RETIREMENT (4)
 


 AVERAGE                 YEARS OF SERVICE
 TRUSTEE   --------------------------------------------
  FEES         3          5          7      10 OR MORE
- ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  -----------
                                
$  16,200  $   2,430  $   4,050  $   5,670   $   8,100
   17,250      2,588      4,313      6,038       8,625
   18,300      2,745      4,575      6,405       9,150
   19,350      2,903      4,838      6,773       9,675
   20,400      3,060      5,100      7,140      10,200
   21,450      3,218      5,363      7,508      10,725
<FN>
- --------------------------
(4)  Other  funds in the MFS fund complex provide similar retirement benefits to
     the Trustees.

 
The Board of Trustees of the Trust met 7 times during its last fiscal year.  The
Board  has a standing Audit Committee, composed of Messrs. Cohan, Robb, Sherratt
and Smith, which met 4 times during the Trust's last fiscal year, to review  the
internal and external accounting and auditing procedures of the Trust and, among
other  things, to consider  the selection of  independent public accountants for
the Trust, to approve all significant  services proposed to be performed by  its
independent  public  accountants and  to consider  the  possible effect  of such
services on  their independence.  The Board  has created  a standing  Nominating
Committee,  composed  of Ms.  O'Neill and  Messrs.  Cohan, Cohn,  Gibbons, Robb,
Sherratt and Smith, who are not "interested persons" (as that term is defined in
the 1940 Act) of the Trust or the Adviser, to meet as necessary and recommend to
the Board  nominees  for election  as  Trustees  of the  Trust.  The  Nominating
Committee  did  not meet  during the  Trust's last  fiscal year.  The Nominating
Committee has not adopted a  policy regarding shareholder recommendations as  to
nominees.
 
Section  16(a)  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934  requires Trustees,
directors and certain officers of  the Trust and MFS,  and persons who own  more
than ten percent of the Trust's shares, to file reports of ownership and changes
in  ownership with  the SEC and  the New  York Stock Exchange.  Such persons are
required by SEC regulation to furnish the Trust with copies of all Section 16(a)
forms they file.
 
Based solely on review of the copies of Forms 3, 4 and 5 and amendments  thereto
furnished  to the Trust with respect to  its most recent fiscal year, or written
representations that no Forms 5 were  required, the Trust believes that,  during
the  year  ended  October  31,  1995,  all  Section  16(a)  filing  requirements
applicable to trustees,  directors and  certain officers  of the  Trust and  the
Adviser and greater than ten percent beneficial owners were complied with.
 
REQUIRED  VOTE.   Approval of  this matter  as to  any nominee  will require the
affirmative vote of a plurality of the Trust's outstanding shares voting at  the
Meeting in person or by proxy.
 
ITEM 2--RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF ACCOUNTANTS
 
It  is intended that proxies not limited to  the contrary will be voted in favor
of ratifying  the  selection,  by  a  majority  of  the  Trustees  who  are  not
"interested  persons" (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, of
Deloitte & Touche LLP under Section 32(a) of the 1940 Act as independent  public
accountants  to certify every  financial statement of the  Trust required by any
law or regulation to  be certified by independent  public accountants and  filed
with  the SEC  and to  provide certain other  tax-related services  (such as tax
return  preparation  and  assistance  and  consultation  with  respect  to   the
preparation of filings with the SEC) in respect of all or any part of the fiscal
year  ending October 31, 1996.  Deloitte & Touche LLP  has no direct or material
indirect interest in the Trust.
 
                                       5

Representatives of  Deloitte &  Touche LLP  are expected  to be  present at  the
Meeting  and will have an  opportunity to make a statement  if they desire to do
so. Such  representatives  are also  expected  to  be available  to  respond  to
appropriate questions.
 
REQUIRED VOTE.  Ratification of this matter will require the affirmative vote of
a  majority of  the Trust's  outstanding shares  voting at  the Meeting  on this
matter in person or by proxy.
 
INVESTMENT ADVISER
 
The Trust engages  as its investment  adviser MFS, a  Delaware corporation  with
offices at 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. MFS is a subsidiary
of  Sun Life  of Canada  (U.S.), One Sun  Life Executive  Park, Wellesley Hills,
Massachusetts 02181, which  is in  turn a wholly  owned subsidiary  of Sun  Life
Assurance Company of Canada, 150 King Street West, Toronto, Canada M5H1J9.
 
MANNER OF VOTING PROXIES
 
All proxies received by the management will be voted on all matters presented at
the  Meeting, and if not limited to the contrary, will be voted for the election
of Messrs. Cohan and Gibbons  as Trustees of the  Trust (if still available  for
election)  and  ratification  of  the  selection of  Deloitte  &  Touche  LLP as
independent public accountants.
 
All proxies voted,  including proxies that  reflect (i) broker  non-votes (if  a
broker  has voted on any item before the Meeting), (ii) abstentions or (iii) the
withholding of authority to vote for a nominee for election as Trustee, will  be
counted  toward establishing a quorum. Passage  of any proposal being considered
at the Meeting will occur only if a sufficient number of votes are cast FOR  the
proposal.  With  respect to  the election  of Trustees  and the  ratification of
public accountants, neither  withholding authority to  vote nor abstentions  nor
broker non-votes have any effect on the outcome of the voting on the matter.
 
The  Trust  knows of  no other  matters to  be brought  before the  Meeting. If,
however, because of any unexpected occurrence, any nominee is not available  for
election  or if any  other matters properly  come before the  Meeting, it is the
Trust's intention that  proxies not  limited to the  contrary will  be voted  in
accordance with the judgment of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy.
 
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
 
Proposals  of shareholders which are intended to be presented at the 1997 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders  must be received  by the Trust  on or prior  to May  9,
1997.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 
To obtain the necessary representation at the Meeting, solicitations may be made
by  mail,  telephone or  interview  by Corporate  Investor  Communications, Inc.
("CIC") or its agents,  as well as  by officers of the  Trust, employees of  the
Adviser and securities dealers by whom shares of the Trust have been sold. It is
anticipated that the total cost of any such solicitations, if made by CIC or its
agents,  would be approximately  $11,500.00 plus out-of-pocket  expenses, and if
made by any other party, would be nominal.
 
The expense of solicitations as well as the preparation, printing and mailing of
the enclosed form of proxy, and this  Notice and Proxy Statement, will be  borne
by the Trust.
 
               IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PROXIES BE RETURNED PROMPTLY
 
September 6, 1996                                  MFS INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
 
                                       6

                     MFS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- INTERMEDIATE
                                  INCOME TRUST
                              500 Boylston Street
                          Boston, Massachusetts 02116
 
                                Proxy Statement
 
                          For the 1996 Annual Meeting
                         of Shareholders to be held on
                                October 23, 1996
 
                     MFS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- INTERMEDIATE
                                  INCOME TRUST
                500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

       P R O X Y

         THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY AND ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
                MFS-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST

            PROXY FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS, OCTOBER 23, 1996

           The  undersigned hereby  appoints JAMES  R. BORDEWICK,  JR., A. KEITH
       BRODKIN, STEPHEN  E. CAVAN,  and  W. THOMAS  LONDON,  and each  of  them,
       proxies  with several powers of substitution, to vote for the undersigned
       at the  1996 Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders of  MFS INTERMEDIATE INCOME
       TRUST,  to  be  held  at  500  Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Massachusetts,
       on Wednesday, October  23, 1996, notice  of which meeting  and the  Proxy
       Statement accompanying the same have been received by the undersigned, or
       at  any adjournment thereof,  upon the following  matters as described in
       the Notice of Meeting and accompanying Proxy Statement.

       WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, THIS PROXY WILL  BE VOTED IN THE MANNER  DIRECTED
       HEREIN  BY THE UNDERSIGNED  SHAREHOLDER. ALL PROPOSALS  (SET FORTH ON THE
       REVERSE SIDE OF THIS  PROXY CARD) HAVE  BEEN  PROPOSED  BY  THE BOARD  OF
       TRUSTEES. IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN  ON THESE  PROPOSALS, THIS  PROXY CARD
       WILL BE VOTED "FOR" THE  NOMINEES  AND "FOR" ITEM  2. THE  PROXY  WILL BE
       VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HOLDER'S  BEST  JUDGMENT  AS  TO  ANY  OTHER
       MATTER.

    PLEASE VOTE AND SIGN ON OTHER SIDE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

       Please sign this proxy exactly as your name appears on the reverse side
       of this card. Joint owners should each sign personally. Trustees and 
       other fiduciaries should indicate the capacity in which they sign, and 
       where more than one name appears, a majority must sign. If a corporation,
       this signature should be that of an authorized officer who should state 
       his or her title.




                                                        

/X/ PLEASE MARK VOTES
    AS IN THIS EXAMPLE
                                    With-   For All                                                       For   Against   Abstain
1.) ELECTION OF TRUSTEES.     For   hold     Except                  2.) RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF     / /     / /       / /
                              / /    / /       / /                       ACCOUNTANTS
    Nominees:

         Marshall N. Cohan and Sir J. David Gibbons

         IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR SHARES VOTED "FOR"
         A PARTICULAR NOMINEE, MARK THE "FOR ALL
         EXCEPT" BOX AND STRIKE A LINE THROUGH THAT
         NOMINEE'S NAME. YOUR SHARES WILL BE VOTED FOR
         THE REMAINING NOMINEES.






                        REGISTRATION







Please be sure to sign and date this Proxy.   Date                       Mark box at right if comments or address change
                                                                         have been noted on the reverse side of this card.  / /

   Shareholder sign here     Co-owner sign here                          RECORD DATE SHARES: