Municipal bonds (sometimes referred to as “munis”) are fixed-income investments that offer better after-tax returns than comparable taxable corporate or government issues. Interest paid on municipal bonds is generally excluded from federal taxes and, in some cases, state and local taxes as well.
Why are municipal bonds tax-free?
- Municipal bond interest is tax-free in the United States, however there may be state or local taxes, or both.
- Be aware that if you receive Social Security, your bond interest will be recognized as income when determining your Social Security taxable amount. This could result in you owing more money.
- Municipal bond interest rates are often lower than corporate bond interest rates. You must decide which deal offers the best genuine return.
- On the bright side, compared to practically any other investment, highly-rated municipal bonds are often relatively safe. The default rate is quite low.
- Interest rate risk exists with any bond. You’ll be stuck with a bad performer if your money is locked up for 10 or 20 years and interest rates climb.
Are municipal bond funds free from taxes?
Residents of the issuing state are generally excluded from federal and state taxes on income earned from municipal bonds. While interest income is tax-free, any capital gains delivered to the investor are taxable.
Are all bonds free from taxes?
The majority of bonds are taxed. Only municipal bonds (bonds issued by local and state governments) are generally tax-exempt, and even then, specific regulations may apply. If you redeem a bond before its maturity date, you must pay tax on both interest and capital gains.
In Michigan, are municipal bonds taxable?
INTEREST INCOME OBTAINED FROM BONDS ISSUED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO OR ITS AUTHORITY IS TAXABLE.
RAB-88-29. This Bulletin addresses the taxability of interest income earned by a Michigan resident on bonds issued by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or its authority for Michigan Individual Income Tax and Intangibles Tax purposes.
The federal government regulates the taxability of income from these bonds. In most cases, this income is tax-free at the federal, state, and municipal levels. The statute in question is 48 U.S.C.A. 745, which states:
“All bonds issued by the Government of Puerto Rico, or by its authority, shall be exempt from taxation by the United States Government, the Government of Puerto Rico, or any political or municipal subdivision thereof, or by any State, Territory, or possession, or by any county, municipality, or other municipal subdivision of any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, or by the District of Columbia.”
If a doubt about the taxability of a bond issued by the Government of Puerto Rico or its authority arises, the Department of Treasury will follow the Internal Revenue Service’s decision. Income from a bond may be liable to Michigan Individual Income Tax if the Internal Revenue Service deems that it is taxable for federal tax purposes.
When did municipal bonds become free from taxation?
Roads, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, water treatment facilities, power plants, courthouses, and other public structures are examples of significant, expensive, and long-term capital projects for which state and municipal governments issue bonds. State and municipal governments can, and do, pay for capital investments using current income, but borrowing allows them to spread the expenses across numerous generations. Future users of the project pay a portion of the cost through rising taxes, tolls, fares, and other fees that help pay off the obligations.
To assist smooth out unbalanced financial flows, states and municipalities issue short-term loans or notes (e.g., when tax revenues arrive in April but expenditures occur throughout the year). They also issue debt for private companies (e.g., to build projects with public benefit or for so-called public-private partnerships).
HOW LARGE IS THE MUNI BOND MARKET?
State and local governments had $3.85 trillion in debt at the end of 2019. (figure 1). Approximately 98 percent of this debt was long term, having a maturity of at least 13 months, while only 2% was short term. As in previous years, states issued around 40% of municipal debt while local governments issued 60%.
Municipal debt has more than tripled in nominal terms since the mid-1980s, but the shift as a proportion of GDP has been less significant.
What Are the Main Types of State and Local Government Debt?
General obligation bonds are backed by a company’s “full faith and credit,” which includes the ability to tax. Future revenue streams, such as dedicated sales taxes, tolls, and other user charges generated by the project being financed, may also be used to secure bonds.
Generally, general obligation bonds require voter approval and are subject to debt-to-equity limitations. These rules and limits do not apply to revenue bonds or bonds secured by projected legislative appropriations. In 2018, revenue bonds accounted for 58 percent of state and municipal issuances, general obligation bonds for 36%, and private placements for 6%.
Who Holds State and Local Government Debt?
Households hold the majority of state and municipal bonds, followed by mutual funds (which also represent household investors) (figure 3). Until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and subsequent lawsuits, banks and life insurance corporations were the most major municipal bond holders.
How Does the Federal Tax Exemption Work and What Are Proposals for Reform?
The federal income tax has exempted interest payments from municipal bonds from taxable income since its introduction in 1913. Interest on bonds issued by the taxpayer’s home state is usually free from state and municipal taxes. In Department of Revenue of Kentucky v. Davis, the US Supreme Court maintained states’ power to tax interest on bonds issued by other jurisdictions.
For a given degree of risk and maturity, state and local governments can borrow more cheaply than other debt issuers, such as companies, thanks to the federal tax exemption. As a result, the federal tax exemption acts as a federal subsidy for state and municipal infrastructure spending. This subsidy comes with a price tag of $28 billion in lost tax income in fiscal year 2020.
The federal tax exemption has been criticized as wasteful since it provides high-income taxpayers with more than the required incentive to buy municipal bonds. A high-grade tax-exempt municipal bond, for example, yielded 3.53 percent in 2018. A comparable taxable corporate bond yielded 3.93 percent. As a result, taxpayers with a federal tax rate of around 10% should be able to choose between the two types of bonds (the yield difference—0.4 percentage points—is roughly 10% of 3.93 percentage points). Anyone in a higher tax bracket earns a windfall, while the borrower receives no further advantage.
Because of this inefficiency, ideas to reduce the federal tax exemption have long circulated, most recently by former Vice President Joe Biden as part of his 2020 campaign tax proposals. However, whether states and localities respond by issuing more or fewer bonds, and whether bondholders respond by changing their portfolios toward taxable bonds or other investments, will determine the revenue benefit from eliminating or reducing the deduction (Poterba and Verdugo 2011). It’s also difficult to keep all key bond characteristics constant, such as risk, maturity date, fixed versus variable interest payments, and liquidity (Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation 2009).
Notably, the bond interest exemption has not been capped in any of President Donald Trump’s previous budget plans.
Are municipal bonds exempt from taxation?
Municipal bonds are popular among those in higher income tax bands since they are tax-free. While municipal bonds are generally thought to be tax-free, investors should check the tax implications of a bond before investing.
Is the interest on municipal bonds taxable?
Municipal Bonds (Munis) are debt obligations that bear interest and are issued by a state or local government. Interest on municipal bonds is generally exempt from federal taxes and may also be excluded from state and local taxes in the state where it is issued. The tax-exempt interest from municipal bonds is reported on Form 1099-INT. Form 1099-INT also reports tax-exempt interest from private activity bonds that is taxable under the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Nontaxability only applies to dividend distributions if you own shares in a municipal bond fund (capital gain distributions are always taxable). Municipal bond interest is also reported to New York State for New York residents.
Unless otherwise specified, any material provided in this FAQ was not intended or designed to be used, and cannot be utilized, for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on any taxpayer, in accordance with Treasury Department Circular 230.
What bonds are exempt from taxes?
Tax-exempt municipal bonds are divided into two categories based on how the money borrowed is repaid: general obligation bonds and revenue bonds. Bonds, notes, leases, bond funds, mutual funds, trusts, and life insurance are among the tax-exempt investment vehicles.
How is income from municipal bonds reported?
Although municipal bonds aren’t subject to federal taxes, the IRS considers the revenue from them when determining how much of your Social Security payment is taxable. Up to 85% of your Social Security payments may be taxed if half of your Social Security benefit plus other income, including tax-exempt municipal bond interest, totals more than $44,000 for a combined return ($34,000 for an individual).