Taxes Tax Planning What Is Tax-Exempt Interest? By Jake Safane Updated on November 18, 2022 Reviewed by Lea D. Uradu Fact checked by Daniel Rathburn Fact checked by Daniel Rathburn Daniel Rathburn is an associate editor at The Balance. He has over three years of experience working in print and digital media as a fact-checker and editor. Daniel holds a bachelor's degree in English and political science from Michigan State University. learn about our editorial policies Sponsored by What's this? & In This Article View All In This Article How Tax-Exempt Interest Works What Tax-Exempt Interest Means for You Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: MStudioImages / Getty Images Tax-exempt interest is interest that is not subject to certain types of taxes, such as federal or state income tax. Key Takeaways Tax-exempt interest involves earnings from interest payments that are not subject to certain taxes, such as federal or state income taxes.Many types of interest are taxable; tax-exempt interest generally applies to more nuanced or niche situations. Tax-exempt interest still might need to be reported on a tax return, even if the interest does not incur a tax liability in terms of payment. How Tax-Exempt Interest Works Typically, when you receive interest, such as the yield on money sitting in a savings account or interest paid to bondholders, you have to pay taxes on those additional earnings. But when certain conditions are met, the interest you earn isn't subject to various kinds of taxes. The amount you receive in tax-exempt interest for a given tax year would often be provided to you by the interest payer via Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-OID. In addition to certain types of assets being tax-exempt, you also can generate tax-exempt interest within certain types of accounts. For example, if you have a retirement account like a Roth IRA, you might have some assets like bond funds that pay interest within that account. Yet that interest would be tax-exempt, assuming you meet the Roth requirements to be able to take tax-free distributions. Non-Roth retirement accounts, like traditional IRAs, also could receive interest that wouldn’t necessarily be reportable or taxable in the year the interest is received. Instead, the interest would accrue on a tax-deferred basis, and you would then start to pay taxes once you take distributions from the account. Note Just because something counts as tax-exempt interest doesn’t mean that it is exempt from all types of taxes. Example of Tax-Exempt Interest For example, municipal bonds, which are issued by governments (such as at the state or city level), often generate tax-exempt interest. But while the interest on these bonds tends to be federally tax-exempt, you might not be able to avoid state or local taxes, for instance, if you reside in a state outside of where the municipal bond was issued. Interest from municipal bonds also could trigger other types of taxes in some specialized situations, such as the alternative minimum tax. Meanwhile, federal government debt in the form of Treasury bills, notes, or bonds provides tax-exempt interest in terms of state and local taxes but you still could have to pay federal income tax on interest from these Treasury securities. Sometimes tax-exempt interest can be a bit more nuanced. For example, some or all of the interest from Series EE or I U.S. savings bonds issued after 1989 could be tax-exempt if the interest is used for qualified higher education expenses, among other requirements. Note Also keep in mind that you may need to meet certain tax reporting requirements, even if something counts as tax-exempt interest. Doing so would be for informational purposes only, but don’t assume that you can ignore tax-exempt interest when it comes to tax filing. What Tax-Exempt Interest Means for You Understanding tax-exempt interest can help individuals properly file their taxes and potentially save money. Knowing what types of assets generate tax-free interest could also affect investment decisions, such as if you choose to invest more in municipal bonds that generate tax-exempt interest, as opposed to, say, corporate bonds. However, the risk/return benefits associated with various assets may differ, so you might not want to base your decision entirely around taxes. Consider consulting with a professional to see how you can take advantage of tax-exempt interest based on your circumstances. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What kind of bond pays tax-exempt interest? Municipal bonds—debt securities issued by federal, state, and local governments—are exempt from federal income tax and are often tax-free at the state level as well. Are Treasury bonds taxable? According to the IRS, Treasury bonds, notes, and bills are subject to federal income tax but are exempt from state and local taxes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. IRS. “2022 Instructions for Schedule B (2022).” H&R Block. “Am I Subject to IRA Interest Tax on the Interest my IRA Earns, or Am I Only Subject to IRA Interest Tax if I Take an IRA Distribution?” U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Municipal Bonds.” Charles Schwab. “Not Always Tax-Free: 7 Municipal Bond Tax Traps.” IRS. “Topic No. 403 Interest Received.” IRS. "Topic No. 403 Interest Received."