
State Tax Issues
-- | Agency Bond 1 | Agency Bond 2 | Treasury Bond |
Issuer | Fannie Mae | FHLB | U.S. Treasury |
Fully Taxable or State Tax Free | Fully Taxable | State Tax Free | |
Maturity | 12/15/2016 | 12/16/2016 | 11/15/2016 |
Coupon | 4.875 | 4.75 | 4.625 |
Do you have to pay taxes on agency bonds?
Jan 24, 2020 · Are agency bonds tax free? The interest from most, but not all, agency bonds is exempt from local and state taxes. Farmer Mac, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae agency bonds are fully taxable. Agency bonds, when bought at a discount, may subject investors to capital gains taxes when they are sold or redeemed. Click to see full answer.
What are tax-free bonds?
Interest income from some agency bonds, such as those issued by Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, Federal Home Loan Banks, and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is exempt from state and local tax. The interest income from bonds backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, however, is not exempt from state and local tax. If you sell a bond before maturity for a profit, …
Are government bonds taxable at the state level?
Income from bonds issued by the federal government and its agencies, including Treasury securities, is generally exempt from state and local taxes. If you own a bond mutual fund or ETF (exchange-traded fund), you'll need to calculate the amount of income you earned from the fund's government bond holdings (if any) in order to take advantage of this exemption when you file …
Are Fannie Mae agency bonds taxable in the US?
Jan 31, 2021 · Certain U.S.government agency securities are also taxable at the federal level, but exempt from state and local taxes. This includes bonds from the Federal Home Loan Bank, Financing Corporation ...

Are agency securities fully taxable?
Bonds issued or guaranteed by federal agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) are backed by the "full faith and credit of the U.S. government," just like Treasuries....Agency Securities.Legal NameCommon NameTax StatusFederal Agricultural Mortgage CorporationFarmer MacFully taxable5 more rows
Are agency bonds government bonds?
An agency bond is a security issued by a government-sponsored enterprise or by a federal government department other than the U.S. Treasury. Some are not fully guaranteed in the same way that U.S. Treasury and municipal bonds are. An agency bond is also known as agency debt.
Are corporate bonds taxable?
Although the corporate bonds are the simplest form of a bond and readily available, they are the least advantageous from a tax perspective. Nearly everything about a corporate bond is taxable. With that, however, corporate bonds pay the highest yields because they pose the highest default risk.
Are agency bonds risk free?
Characteristics of Agency Bonds Low risk: Agency bonds are considered very safe and typically come with high credit ratings. A credit rating also signifies the likelihood a debtor will default.. Higher return: They provide higher returns relative to treasuries, which are considered risk-free.
Are Ginnie Mae bonds taxable?
The interest earned from a GNMA mortgage-backed bond is fully taxable on both your federal and state income tax returns.
Are Ginnie Mae bonds tax exempt?
The interest you earn from a GNMA bond is fully taxable. You must claim the interest and pay taxes at both the federal and state levels. In this respect, GNMA bonds differ from Treasury securities. Interest earned from a Treasury bond is taxable at the federal level, but exempt from state income taxes.Dec 12, 2019
How are government bonds taxed?
Taxation. Interest income from Treasury securities is subject to federal income tax but exempt from state and local taxes. Income from Treasury bills is paid at maturity and, thus, tax-reportable in the year in which it is received.
What is the difference between a corporate bond and a government bond?
The most important difference between corporate bonds and government bonds is their risk profile. Corporate bonds usually offer a higher yield than government bonds because their credit risk is generally greater.
Are corporate bonds included in gross income?
Any interest you receive from a corporate bond is taxable as income on your federal, state and local income tax return.
How are agency securities taxed?
The interest income on agency bonds generally is subject to federal and state taxes. Interest on certain agency bonds, including securities issued by the FHLB and FFCB, is exempt from state taxes. Agency bonds, when bought at a discount, may subject investors to capital gains taxes when they are sold or redeemed.
Are US Treasury bonds taxable?
Income from bonds issued by the federal government and its agencies, including Treasury securities, is generally exempt from state and local taxes.
What are agency bonds used for?
Agency bonds are issued by two types of entities—1) Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), usually federally-chartered but privately-owned corporations; and 2) Federal Government agencies which may issue or guarantee these bonds—to finance activities related to public purposes, such as increasing home ownership or ...
What is an agency bond?
An agency bond is a security issued by a government-sponsored enterprise or by a federal government department other than the U.S. Treasury. Some are not fully guaranteed in the same way that U.S. Treasury and municipal bonds are. An agency bond is also known as agency debt.
How do agency bonds work?
How Agency Bonds Work. Most agency bonds pay a semi-annual fixed coupon. They are sold in a variety of increments, generally with a minimum investment level of $10,000 for the first increment and $5,000 for additional increments. GNMA securities, however, come in $25,000 increments.
Why do federal agency bonds have higher interest rates than Treasury bonds?
Federal agency bonds offer a slightly higher interest rate than Treasury bonds because they are less liquid.
Do agency bonds have fixed or floating rates?
Some agency bonds have fixed coupon rates while others have floating rates. The interest rates on floating rate agency bonds are periodically adjusted according to the movement of a benchmark rate, such as LIBOR . Like all bonds, agency bonds have interest rate risks. That is, a bond investor may buy bonds only to find that interest rates rise.
Do federal government bonds pay taxes?
Treasury bonds. Most, but not all, are exempt from state and local taxes. Like any bonds, they have interest rate risks.
Do agency bonds have interest rates?
Like all bonds, agency bonds have interest rate risks. That is, a bond investor may buy bonds only to find that interest rates rise. The real spending power of the bond is less than it was. The investor could have made more money by waiting for a higher interest rate to kick in. Naturally, this risk is greater for long-term bond prices.
Do agency bonds have to pay capital gains tax?
Agency bonds, when bought at a discount, may subject investors to capital gains taxes when they are sold or redeemed. Capital gains or losses when selling agency bonds are taxed at the same rates as stocks.
What is agency bond?
Agency Bonds. Agency bonds are issued by either agencies of the U.S. government or government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), which are federally chartered corporations but publicly owned by stockholders. Open an Account.
Who sells new issue bonds?
New issue agency and GSE bonds. New issue bonds are typically sold through broker-dealers, who purchase them in large blocks, then make the securities available to other institutions and to individuals.
How long does a zero coupon bond last?
Agencies and GSEs may offer zero-coupon notes, which are short-term obligations issued at a discount, with maturities ranging from overnight to 360 days, as well as bonds with maturities of greater than one year.
What happens to bond prices when interest rates rise?
If interest rates rise, bond prices will generally decline despite the lack of change in both the coupon and maturity.
What is call risk in bonds?
Call risk. Some agency or GSE bonds have call features, which means they can be redeemed or paid off at the issuer’s discretion prior to maturity. Typically an issuer will call a bond when interest rates fall, potentially leaving investors with a capital loss or loss in income and less favorable reinvestment options.
Why are extra yields considered high credit?
The extra yield is a reflection of the fact that their credit risk does not have the unconditional backing of the U.S. government, though they are considered to be high credit quality. Credit quality. Agency and GSE bonds have historically been considered to be of high credit quality.
What happens if you sell a bond before maturity?
If you sell a bond before maturity for a profit, that profit will be subject to federal and state capital gains tax. A relatively active secondary market exists for many agency and GSE bonds. The size of the market and features of each security affect liquidity.
Points to know
Bonds issued by federal governments may be exempt from state and local taxes.
Taxation of federal government bonds
Income from bonds issued by the federal government and its agencies, including Treasury securities, is generally exempt from state and local taxes.
Taxation of municipal bonds
Income from bonds issued by state, city, and local governments (municipal bonds, or munis) is generally free from federal taxes .* You will, however, have to report this income when filing your taxes.
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When is a pro rated bond deductible?
As discussed, when a bond is issued at a discount, a pro-rated portion of the discount is reported as income by the taxpayer, every year until maturity. 1 When bonds are purchased at a premium (greater than $1,000 per bond), a pro-rated portion of the amount over par can be deducted annually, on the purchaser's tax return.
What are savings bonds?
Savings bonds are issued by governments to the public and are deemed safe investment vehicles, with many benefits. Series E and EE savings bonds are also state and local tax free, however their interest income may be deferred until maturity. 4 Series H and HH bonds pay taxable interest semi-annually until maturity, while Series I bonds also pay taxable interest, which may likewise be deferred. 5 6 The interest from Series E and I bonds may also be excluded from income, if the proceeds are used to pay higher education expenses. 7
Why are municipal bonds favored?
Municipal Bonds. Municipal bonds are often favored by high-income investors looking to reduce their taxable investment income. The interest from these bonds is tax free at the federal, state and local levels, as long as investors reside in the same state or municipality as the issuers.
What is zero coupon bond?
Zero-coupon bonds are issued by governments at discounts and they mature at par values, where the amount of the spread is divided equally among the number of years to maturity. They are consequently taxed as interest, just like any other original issue discount bond. 3 .
Is interest on bonds subject to income tax?
The interest earned on fixed income investments like bonds and notes is often subject to income tax. There are different taxation rules for government, corporate, and municipal bonds.
Is interest on a Treasury note taxable?
The interest from Treasury bills, notes and bonds is taxable at the federal level, but not the state and local level. 1 Certain U.S.government agency securities are also taxable at the federal level, but exempt from state and local taxes.
Is there a capital gain on bonds?
Capital Gains. Regardless of the type of bonds sold, any debt issue traded in the secondary market will post either a capital gain or loss, depending on the price at which the bonds were bought and sold. This includes government and municipal issues, as well as corporate debt.
What is agency bond?
What are Agency Bonds? Agency bonds, also known as agency debt, is the debt issued by a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) or a federal agency. The key difference between a GSE and a federal agency is that a GSE’s obligations are not guaranteed by the government, whereas a federal agency’s debt is backed up by a government guarantee.
What are some common bond structures that include agency debt?
Some common bond structures that include agency debt are listed below: Two additional bond structures that can be found in the agency market, include floaters, which come with a variable coupon payment, and zero-coupon discount bonds (sometimes called “discos”).
What is FNMA mortgage?
Fannie Mae The Federal National Mortgage Association, typically known as Fannie Mae, is a United States government-sponsored entity that was established to expand the secondary mortgage market by making mortgages available to low and middle-income borrowers.
What is call provision bond?
The bond is callable, which means the issuer owns the option to buy it back at a pre-specified time (the redemption date) at the redemption price. In the example, the redemption date is August 6, 2020. The issuer cannot call or redeem the bond on any date other than the pre-specified date.
What is a CFI?
CFI is the official provider of the Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA)™#N#Program Page - CBCA Get CFI's CBCA™ certification and become a Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst. Enroll and advance your career with our certification programs and courses.#N#certification program, designed to transform anyone into a world-class financial analyst.
What is underwriting in investment banking?
Underwriting In investment banking, underwriting is the process where a bank raises capital for a client (corporation, institution, or government) from investors in the form of equity or debt securities. This article aims to provide readers with a better understanding of the capital raising or underwriting process.
What is SOE in business?
State Owned Enterprise (SOE) A State Owned Enterprise (SOE) is a body formed by the government through legal means so that it can take part in activities of a commercial nature. Essentially, SOEs are created to undertake commercial activities on behalf of the government.
Why do investors like municipal bonds?
Investors favor municipal bonds for a variety of reasons. The most appealing features of bonds issued by states and municipalities are their federal tax-exempt status and their positioning toward the lower end of the risk spectrum. 1 While stable, income-producing, debt issues seem to warrant a position in anyone’s portfolio, ...
What is a tey bond?
Tax-equivalent yield (TEY) is the yield that a taxable bond must hold to equal or exceed the tax-adjusted yield of a municipal bond. Tax Equivalent Yield = Tax-Free Yield/ (1 – Tax Rate). Therefore, higher-income investors (with theoretically higher tax bills) are likely to benefit more from municipal bond yields than individuals in lower tax ...
What is the yield of a 20 year municipal bond?
A 20-year municipal bond that yields 2.5% to an investor in a 25% tax bracket, or a 3.3% tax-equivalent yield, would offer attractive real returns in some years and barely keep pace with inflation in other years. 4 . One of the main objectives for investors is that they do not outlive their nest egg.
Is municipal bond investment tax exempt?
Debt securities used to fund local and state government projects, such as buildings and highways, have long been afforded tax-exempt status at the federal level. Furthermore, residents who purchase bonds issued by their states or localities may not be required to pay the corresponding state or local taxes levied against nonresidents. Thus, certain municipal issues receive triple tax-free status. 2
Is it safe to invest in municipal bonds?
Investing solely in low-yielding municipal bonds, while a safe approach, forsakes growth alternatives that exceed average rates of inflation and do not erode purchasing power. An equitable balance between municipal bonds and (relatively riskier) equities may help offset the risks of eroding purchasing power.
Who is Ebony Howard?
He has more than 1,000 published pieces on various financial topics. Ebony Howard is a certified public accountant and credentialed tax expert. She has been in the accounting, audit, and tax profession for more than 13 years. Investors favor municipal bonds for a variety of reasons.
Is municipal bond interest rate stable?
Interest Rate Risk. With respect to principal, investment-grade municipal bonds tend to be stable. Since most issuers of tax-free debt have taxing authority, the risk of default among governmental entities is low. However, the principal of muni bonds is inversely proportionate to interest-rate movements, as with any other bond.