Tax Policy

The outstanding amount of state and local gov¿t. tax-exempt bonds has increased over the years. Congress is interested in whether the bonds are used for appropriate purposes since the fed. gov¿t. forgoes billions in tax revenues annually by excluding the bonds¿ interest from investors¿ fed. gross income. Questions also exist over the bonds¿ borrowing costs as they can divert funds from the funded projects. This report: (1) describes recent trends in tax exempt bonds; (2) provides information on the types of facilities financed with tax-exempt bonds; and (3) discusses borrowing costs considering the methods of selling bonds and compares issuance costs paid from bond proceeds for governmental and qualified private activity bonds. Charts.