Governing
GOP Tax Plan Puts Billions in Muni Market Savings at Risk
Among the most concerning to local leaders, it would ban governments from issuing what are called advanced refunding bonds. These bonds allow governments to refinance debt earlier than they would have otherwise, ultimately letting governments take advantage of lower interest rates years sooner. The bill also bans issuing tax-exempt bonds for sports stadiums, a proposal that had already been floated this year on Capitol Hill.
It’s unclear exactly how much of the municipal market would be affected by the change, but experts say it would be a significant portion. According to Municipal Market Analytics’ Matt Fabian, up to 20 percent of the $3.7 trillion municipal market is made up of private activity bonds. Making those bonds taxable would dampen future issuance.
When it comes to the advanced refunding bonds, Fabian says between 10 and 20 percent of all annual bond refinancings fall under that category. That means up to one-tenth of the total $386 billion in average annual bond issuance could be attributed to that type of bond.