Do you pay capital gains tax on Treasury bonds?
If you bought the bond when it was issued at its original issue price and hold it until maturity, you generally will not recognize a capital gain (or loss). As a result, you likely won't incur any capital gains tax.
A bond's tax-exempt status applies only to the bond's interest income. Any capital gains generated from selling a bond or bond fund before its maturity date is taxable, regardless of the type of bond.
- 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.
T-Bill Tax Considerations
The interest income that you may receive from investing in a treasury bill is exempt from any state or local income taxes, regardless of the state where you file your taxes. However, you will need to report interest income from these investments on your federal tax return.
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.
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.
Federal Tax Implications for Treasury Bond Investors
The interest earned on Treasury bonds is subject to federal taxes on treasury bonds, but it's exempt from state and local taxes. This federal tax applies to the interest payments that investors receive semi-annually.
Cons: Rates are variable, there's a lockup period and early withdrawal penalty, and there's a limit to how much you can invest. Only taxable accounts are allowed to invest in I bonds (i.e., no IRAs or 401(k) plans).
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.
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.
Which is better Treasury bills or CDs?
If you live in a state with income taxes, and rates are similar for CDs and T-bills, then it makes sense to go with a T-bill. The amount you save on taxes will likely result in a higher payout from a T-bill than a CD. Another benefit of T-bills is their liquidity. You can buy and sell them on a secondary market.
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.
| Bonds | Yield | Year |
|---|---|---|
| US 52W | 5.17 | 0.407% |
| US 2Y | 5.00 | 0.829% |
| US 3Y | 4.83 | 0.954% |
| US 5Y | 4.68 | 1.037% |
Bonds typically pay a fixed amount of interest (usually paid twice per year). Interest from corporate bonds and U.S. Treasury bonds interest is typically taxable at the federal level.
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year. However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond). Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Each month, the T-bill ETF distributes taxable income to its shareholders, reflecting interest harvested from the short-term Treasuries it owns. Those earnings are taxable at the ordinary income tax rate that applies to salary, as much as 37%.
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.
When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.
Key Takeaways. Treasury bonds can be a good investment for those looking for safety and a fixed rate of interest that's paid semiannually until the bond's maturity. Bonds are an important piece of an investment portfolio's asset allocation since the steady return from bonds helps offset the volatility of equity prices.
Capital gains yield is calculated the same way for a bond as it is for a stock: the increase in the price of the bond divided by the original price of the bond. For instance, if a bond is purchased for $100 (or par) and later rises to $120, the capital gains yield on the bond is 20%.
Are Treasury bonds a good investment in 2024?
2024 Investment Outlook
U.S. Treasury yields have trended higher in 2024. Yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury started the year below 4%, but in early April moved above 4.5%. Bonds in the current environment appear to offer investors more attractive long-term opportunities.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Money market funds.
- Short-term certificates of deposit.
- Series I savings bonds.
- Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.
- Corporate bonds.
- Dividend-paying stocks.
- Preferred stocks.
Treasury bonds are considered safer than corporate bonds—you're practically guaranteed not to lose money—but there are other potential risks to be aware of. These stable investments aren't known for their high returns. Gains can be further diminished by inflation and changing interest rates.
| 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 |
Since T-bills have fixed interest rates, inflation can erode the purchasing power of the returns earned from these investments. This means that investors may need help to keep up with inflation, resulting in a decline in real returns. T-bills are issued with maturities of only a few weeks to a few months.
