If municipal bonds ETFs hold exclusively tax-exempt bonds, they are normally tax-free on both the federal and state levels. However, if the municipal bond ETF includes both tax-free and taxable interest, federal and state taxes may be required.
What are the tax implications of muni bond ETFs?
Remember how we said that the tax treatment of an ETF is determined by the assets it holds? This is also true of the monthly interest payments bond ETFs make to their investors. Depending on the bonds they hold, some funds can avoid paying federal or even state taxes entirely.
Interest payments from sovereign bond ETFs that contain U.S. Treasurys are also exempt from state and local income taxes because U.S. Treasurys are tax-free at the state and local level. They are, nonetheless, liable to federal taxes.
- Municipal Bond ETFs are tax-free at the federal level and may be tax-free at the state and local level.
Most muni bonds are tax-free in the United States, and they’re generally tax-free in the issuing state and/or city. As a result, interest payments from a municipal bond ETF are tax-free on a federal level. If you live in the same state or city as the bonds held by the muni bond ETF, you may be exempt from local and state taxes.
Some or all of the bonds in a broad-market bond ETF’s portfolio may pay tax-free interest. The type of income produced by each bond will be disclosed on the fund’s 1099-DIV form.
Also, keep in mind that interest payments are the only ones that are excluded. Investors in bond ETFs are still responsible for any taxes due on capital gains distributions, or profits earned from the sale of their shares.
Is investing in a municipal bond tax-free?
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.
Are there any ETFs that are tax-free?
- Year-to-date through October 7, tax-free municipal bond ETFs have received $16.4 billion in net inflows, up from $14.6 billion for the entire year of 2020.
- The two largest municipal bond ETFs are iShares National Muni Bond ETF (MUB) and Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB), however there are also several significant index-based ETFs that focus on higher-yielding assets in the sub-category that can be utilized to improve income in an asset allocation plan.
- PIMCO has just announced the launch of a core-plus actively managed municipal bond ETF, which includes some speculative-grade bonds.
Are municipal bonds subject to federal taxation?
- 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 debts subject to taxation?
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 Municipal Bond ETFs a dangerous investment?
Muni Bond ETFs (also known as US government bonds) are a type of bond ETF with a lower risk profile than other bond ETFs such as corporate bond funds. Because the bond is backed by a local government, investors are more certain that the government will not default, whereas a corporation may fail.
However, a municipal government can default, so no muni bond is without danger; it’s simply that it’s less likely, thus there’s less risk. In my final remarks at the end of this post, I discuss risk a bit more.
Which bonds are completely tax-free?
Municipalities, like almost anything else related to taxes, can be confusing. The tax-exempt status of a bond only pertains to the interest it pays; any rises in the bond’s value are taxed if and when it is sold. When you sell shares in a municipal bond mutual fund, you may owe taxes.
In addition, depending on how the revenues will be used, certain munis may be subject to federal income tax. Unless specifically exempted, a bond that finances a project that provides a significant benefit to private interests is taxable at the federal level. A new football stadium, for example, may fulfill a local public purpose yet provide minimal benefit to federal taxpayers. As a reason, a muni bond used to fund it is known as a private-purpose bond. Housing, student loans, industrial development, and airports are examples of public projects whose bonds may be federally taxable.
Despite the fact that such bonds are subject to federal taxation, they can nonetheless provide some benefits. They may be exempt from state or local taxes, for example. And you might find that the yields on these taxable municipal bonds are closer to corporate bonds than tax-free bonds.
The tax position of agencies and GSEs (government-sponsored enterprises) varies. Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac bonds pay interest that is fully taxable at the federal, state, and local levels. Other GSE bonds, such as those issued by the Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Home Loan Banks, and the Resolution Funding Corp. (REFCO), are taxed at the federal level but not at the state or municipal level. Verify the issuer’s tax status before purchasing an agency bond.
What is an ETF for municipal bonds?
Municipal Bond ETFs are exchange-traded funds that invest primarily in municipal bonds. Local and state governments issue these bonds to fund a variety of projects, including schools, highways, and bridges.
Why is the interest on municipal bonds tax-free?
- Interest on state and municipal bonds has been exempt from taxation since the federal income tax was enacted in 1913. However, the initial basis for this exclusion – concerns about the legitimacy of taxing state and municipal governments’ borrowing capacity – is unlikely to apply any more.
- The most compelling economic argument for municipal bond tax exemption is that it encourages state and local governments to invest in infrastructure projects that benefit nonresidents. On the other hand, there is reason to suppose that the tax break will encourage municipalities to overinvest in infrastructure, especially if states and cities can shift their tax obligations to nonresidents.
- A tax exclusion is an inefficient policy approach for supporting state and local debt since it benefits taxpayers in higher income brackets more, excludes some investors from the municipal bond market entirely, and makes the subsidy difficult to evaluate for Congress and voters.
- Above all, there is a strong case to be made that the existing tax treatment of municipal bond interest is inefficient. State and local governments earn less than a $1 in cheaper borrowing costs for every dollar the federal government foregoes as a result of the provision, with the remainder going to high-income households.