How are US Treasuries taxed?
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.
Key Takeaways
Interest from Treasury bills (T-bills) is subject to federal income taxes but not state or local taxes. The interest income received in a year is recorded on Form 1099-INT. Investors can opt to have up to 50% of their Treasury bills' interest earnings automatically withheld.
- Report interest each year and pay taxes on it annually.
- Defer reporting interest until you redeem the bonds or give up ownership of the bond and it's reissued or the bond is no longer earning interest because it's matured.
How Are Zero-Coupon Treasuries Taxed? Zero-coupon Treasuries are taxed as if you were receiving annual interest income, even though you won't receive any income until the bond matures.
Key takeaways. Treasury bills have short-term maturities and pay interest at maturity. Treasury notes have mid-range maturities and pay interest every 6 months. Treasury bonds have long maturities and pay interest every 6 months.
However, income earned from Treasury bills is not subject to state tax or local income taxes. Are Treasury bills taxed as capital gains? Normally no. However, if you buy a T-bill in the secondary market and then achieve a profit, you may be liable for capital gains depending on your exact purchase price.
The income from taxable bond funds is generally taxed at the federal and state level at ordinary income tax rates in the year it was earned. Funds that exclusively hold U.S. Treasury bonds may be exempt from state taxes.
Municipal Bonds
This means interest on these bonds are excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes. In addition, interest on the bonds is exempt from State of California personal income taxes.
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.
Interest from corporate bonds and U.S. Treasury bonds interest is typically taxable at the federal level. U.S. Treasuries are exempt from state and local income taxes. Most interest income earned on municipal bonds is exempt from federal income taxes.
Will I get a 1099 from TreasuryDirect?
If you invest in TreasuryDirect, your 1099 will be available electronically and you can print the form from your account. 1099 forms are available by January 31 of each tax year.
Bills can be scheduled for reinvestment for up to two years; other eligible Treasury marketable securities can be scheduled to reinvest one time. When your bill matures, the proceeds will be reinvested or used to purchase the next available security of the same type and term as the original purchase.
For example, you might pay $3,500 to purchase a 20-year zero coupon bond with a face value of $10,000. After 20 years, the issuer of the bond pays you $10,000. For this reason, zero coupon bonds are often purchased to meet a future expense such as college costs or an anticipated expenditure in retirement.
If you're looking for a short-term investment with low risk, Treasury bills are a great choice. However, if you're looking for a longer-term investment that yields semiannual income with a consistent interest rate, buying Treasury bonds is likely the better choice.
When a Treasury bond matures – meaning it has reached its maturity date and expires – the investor is paid out the full face value of the bond. So if the bondholder holds a Treasury bond worth $10,000, he or she will receive the $10,000 principal back, as well as earning interest on the investment.
| 1 Month Treasury Rate | 5.49% |
|---|---|
| 1 Year Treasury Rate | 5.17% |
| 10 Year Treasury Rate | 4.62% |
| 10 Year-3 Month Treasury Yield Spread | -0.83% |
| 10-2 Year Treasury Yield Spread | -0.35% |
You buy bills at a discount — a price below par — and profit from the difference at the end of the term. While T-bills don't pay interest like other Treasurys, the difference between your discounted price and the par value is essentially the "interest" earned.
Treasury notes are medium-term, ranging from two to 10 years, and are otherwise the same, with semiannual interest payments and the face value when they mature. Treasury bills mature within a year, do not pay interest, and are sold at a discount to the face value that you get at maturity.
A Treasury bill (T-Bill) is a short-term U.S. government debt obligation backed by the Treasury Department. Terms range from four to 52 weeks. T-bills are issued at a discount from the par value, also known as the face value. Treasury bills are usually sold in denominations of $1,000.
How are savings bonds taxed? Savings bond interest is exempt from state and local income tax. Savings bond interest is subject to federal income tax; however, taxation can be deferred until redemption, final maturity, or other taxable disposition, whichever occurs first.
What is the tax treatment of US Treasury bonds purchased at a discount?
For bonds with very small discounts: If the discount is less than 0.25% of the bond's face value times the number of years to maturity, the discount is taxed as a capital gain in the year the bond matures.
The most common sources of tax-exempt interest come from municipal bonds or income-producing assets inside of Roth retirement accounts.
In general, you must report the interest in income in the taxable year in which you redeemed the bonds to the extent you did not include the interest in income in a prior taxable year.
Treasury bills are good investments for individuals looking to make a large purchase in a short timeline, as the money will only be tied-up for at most a year. Although T-bills don't typically earn as much as other securities, or in some cases CDs, they still offer higher returns than traditional savings accounts.
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
|---|---|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
