# Treasury Bills

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231 "2002-09-30T12:30:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231/1 "2002-09-30T12:30:06Z")

</div>

What are Treasury Bills? Why would I want one?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231/2 "2002-09-30T12:33:52Z")

</div>

Sort of like Savings Bonds, though with a much higher face value. They are securities issued by the U.S. Government.

Why want them? They are safe (unless the government is overthrown), pay a good rate of interest, and are usually tax-free.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231/3 "2002-09-30T12:43:28Z")

</div>

hmmmmm. They sound good. Safe sounds good. Where do you get them?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treasury-bills/130231/4 "2002-09-30T14:25:33Z")

</div>

Tbills are not tax free. The interest/capital gains are taxed like anything else. Certain Municipal bonds are tax free in the city/state where they are located. There are also “triple exempt” bonds, or at there used to be. The Oklahoma Turnpike bonds are an example of ones that are city/state/federal tax free.