After TaxTax Playbook

Tax Playbook · Investment tax wins

Treasuries skip state tax

Treasury bonds and bills are taxed by the federal government, but your state cannot tax the interest. That helps most in states with high income tax, like California. If a bank CD pays 4.5% and you pay 10% state tax, you keep only about 4.05%. A Treasury at 4.2% keeps the full 4.2%, so it wins even with a lower rate.

Good for: Savers in high-tax states like California and New York.

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Educational summary, not tax advice. Limits and rules change — confirm current law with your tax adviser.