Jennifer DePaul

The threats to the tax-exemption are the greatest they have ever been primarily due to the level of federal deficit reduction that Congress needs to tackle, several municipal bond market experts said at the annual Council of Development Finance Agencies conference.

A bipartisan Senate package to revive dozens of expiring or expired tax breaks, including several muni provisions, would cost $205.1 billion over 10 years, according to an analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation.

States' tax collections grew by 4.7% for the ninth straight quarter in the first three months of 2012 and are now above pre-recession levels, a new Rockefeller Institute on Government report shows.

Congress will likely take up an online sales tax bill before the end of the year, the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee told reporters after a congressional hearing Wednesday.

The Council of Development Finance Agencies and the Clean Energy Group have teamed up to create a partnership to help boost clean energy investment through municipal bond financing.

The Tax Foundation released its 2012 midyear report on Tuesday which detailed the population-weighted average of local sales taxes in each state.

The American Bar Association's taxation section sent a letter to lawmakers suggesting 11 options Congress should employ to simplify and reform tax-exempt financing provisions as they consider comprehensive tax reform, including reenacting Build America Bonds.

The IRS has closed an audit without changing the tax-exempt status of $43.45 million of Series 2006 general obligation refunding bonds that were issued by the St. Vrain Valley, Colo., School District in April 2006.

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled Build America Bond legislation Thursday that would make permanent the program, as part of a broad manufacturing jobs package.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., called on Congress to review all higher education tax incentives and expenditures, including tax-exempt bonds, as part of comprehensive tax reform.

The GASB published an updated guide Thursday for rating agencies, institutional investors and other analysts in an effort to help them navigate state and local governmental financial statements.

The National Association of Bond Lawyers has asked to meet with the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service officials to discuss closing a perceived "gap" in reissuance guidance that does not cover bonds issuers privately place with banks.

Two decades since the Supreme Court ruled that states are not required to tax online retailers if they don't have a physical presence in the state, an online sales tax law is finally gaining momentum in Congress.

Private-activity bond issuance declined in 2011, mirroring the overall municipal bond market as state and local governments stepped up muni issuance during the last half of 2010 to take advantage of favorable stimulus law provisions before they expired, according to an annual survey and market participants.

Four state and local groups sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee ahead of a highly anticipated online sales tax hearing, urging Congress to pass a bill that would allow states the authority to require out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax on goods purchased online.

Democrats on the House Ways & Means Committee will introduce Build America Bond legislation next week as part of a broader manufacturing package.

The IRS has closed an audit without changing the tax-exempt status of $20.7 million of variable rate demand revenue bonds that were issued by the Colorado Crystal Valley Metropolitan District No. 1 in October 2004

The IRS is auditing $50 million in transportation infrastructure revenue bonds that the Maine Municipal Bond Bank issued in September 2008.

The State Budget Crisis Task Force released a report Tuesday that outlines six key fiscal threats that states face, including eroding tax bases and underfunded pension plans.

The IRS overhauled its tribal economic development bond allocation process and is soliciting applications for reallocation of $1.8 billion in available national bond volume cap for TEDs.