Do you pay taxes on EE bonds when they mature?
The interest on EE bonds isn't taxed as it accrues unless the owner elects to have it taxed annually. If an election is made, all previously accrued but untaxed interest is also reported in the election year. In most cases, this election isn't made so bond holders receive the benefits of tax deferral.
Key Takeaways. Interest from EE U.S. savings bonds is taxed at the federal level but not at the state or local levels for income. The interest that savings bonds earn is the amount that a bond can be redeemed for above its face value or original purchase price.
Series EE bonds mature in 20 years but earn interest for up to 30 years. The U.S. Treasury guarantees Series EE bonds will double in value in 20 years. You don't receive the interest on your Series EE bond until you cash it.
Tax on capital gains
If you buy a bond when it is issued and hold it until maturity, you generally won't have a capital gain or loss. However, if you sell the bond before its maturity date for more than you paid for it, you'll typically have a capital gain.
While the Treasury will not penalize you for holding a U.S. Savings Bond past its date of maturity, the Internal Revenue Service will. Interest accumulated over the life of a U.S. Savings Bond must be reported on your 1040 form for the tax year in which you redeem the bond or it reaches final maturity.
If you hold savings bonds and redeem them with interest earned, that interest is subject to federal income tax and possibly federal gift taxes (highly unlikely as the per-person cap is $10,000 and the gift tax exemption is $17,000).
When those bonds mature and stop earning interest, it is time to redeem them. Redeeming bonds is easy - just take them to a local bank or send them to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.
Most bonds can be cashed in after one year, but you will lose three months' worth of interest if you cash them in before five years.
Savings bond interest is subject to federal income tax; however, taxation can be deferred until redemption, final maturity, or other taxable disposition, whichever occurs first. You also have the option of claiming interest annually for federal income tax purposes.
If you cash a paper savings bond by mailing it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, we mail you a 1099 by January 31 of the following year. (You can call us for a duplicate statement, if needed, beginning February 15.)
How much tax will I pay on my EE savings bonds?
The interest on EE bonds isn't taxed as it accrues unless the owner elects to have it taxed annually. If an election is made, all previously accrued but untaxed interest is also reported in the election year. In most cases, this election isn't made so bond holders receive the benefits of tax deferral.
- Your filing status is not married filing separately.
- Your 2022 Modified Adjust Gross Income (MAGI) is less than $158,650 if married filing jointly and $100,800 if head of household status.
- The owner of the bond is at least 24 years old before the bond's issue date.
Income from bonds issued by state, city, and local governments (municipal bonds, or munis) is generally free from federal taxes.
Current Series EE bonds mature after 30 years, but they are guaranteed to double in value in the first 20 years during which time the interest rate is fixed. For example, if you invested $5,000 into Series EE bonds today, you are guaranteed to have at least $10,000 in 20 years.
Using the money for higher education may keep you from paying federal income tax on your savings bond interest.
EE Bonds must be held for at least one year before they can be cashed. However, it takes between ten to thirty years for the bond to reach its full value. For example, you pay $50 for a $100 bond, but you may wait twenty years for it to be worth $100.
If the executor doesn't include predeath interest on the decedent's final return, then the beneficiary owes federal income tax on all pre- and post-death interest on the earlier of the bond's maturity or redemption.
Series EE and Series I bonds no longer earn interest when they reach maturity 30 years from the date of issuance. If you have any bonds older than 30 years, we recommend cashing them in immediately because they are no longer earning interest.
Paper EE savings bonds
You may be able to cash in paper EE bonds at a bank where you have an account or through TreasuryDirect. Ask your bank about its process for cashing savings bonds. Ask your bank how much it will cash at one time. Determine the identification or other documents you will need.
If your savings bond from a Series other than EE, I, or HH has finished its interest-earning life, you could cash it and use the money for something else – a project, a financial need, or a new investment like an interest-earning savings bond or other Treasury security.
Should I cash out matured savings bonds?
It's possible to redeem a savings bond as soon as one year after it's purchased, but it's usually wise to wait at least five years so you don't lose the last three months of interest when you cash it in. For example, if you redeem a bond after 24 months, you'll only receive 21 months of interest.
Series EE savings bonds are a low-risk way to save money. They earn interest regularly for 30 years (or until you cash them if you do that before 30 years). For EE bonds you buy now, we guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if we have to add money at 20 years to make that happen.
If you want full value, you should hold the Series EE bonds at least until maturity, and if you want extra, you can hold them until 30 years. But once 30 years have passed, it's a good idea to cash them in because you won't get any extra benefit.
All Series EE bonds reach final maturity 30 years from issue. Series EE savings bonds purchased from May 1995 through April 1997 increase in value every six months.
We guarantee that the value of your new EE bond at 20 years will be double what you paid for it. (If you have an EE bond from before May 2005, it may be earning interest at a variable rate. See more at EE bonds.) We guarantee that the interest rate of an I bond will never fall below zero.
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