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The Daily Insight

Is income from treasury bonds taxable?

Author

James Williams

Published Mar 23, 2026

Interest Income The interest paid by U.S. Treasury bonds is exempt from income taxation at the state and local level, but is fully taxable on your federal income tax return.

What taxes do you pay on Treasury bonds?

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.

Are all government bonds tax free?

Income from bonds issued by state, city, and local governments (municipal bonds, or munis) is generally free from federal taxes. Some states do tax interest on their own bonds. Some states don’t tax interest on municipal bonds from any state.

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.

How do you report bond income on taxes?

When you redeem it, you’ll receive a Form 1099-INT that shows the full amount of interest the bond earned. You can report the interest earned every year. If you do, you can subtract the interest you paid tax on in prior years from your taxable income.

Are Treasury Bonds federal tax free?

How is income from a bond fund taxed?

Tax on income. How that income is taxed depends on the underlying investments that are generating that income. 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.

How are savings bonds taxed at the federal level?

According to Treasury Direct, interest from EE U.S. savings bonds is taxed at the federal level but not at the state or local levels for income. Bonds typically earn interest, which is the amount that a bond can be redeemed for above its face value. The face value is the bond’s original purchase price.

Do you have to pay taxes on Series EE bonds?

When that time comes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers choices for how you redeem your bonds and pay tax on your interest. One of them can help you avoid paying any tax on the interest at all. Series EE bonds are the most common type of bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.

Is the amount of savings bonds exempt from estate tax?

The tax laws concerning savings bonds are unchanged for 2019 from the 2018 tax year. There is, however, a change in the maximum amount of money that’s exempt from estate tax. The amount excluded from estate tax in 2019 is $11.4 million.