Naomi Jagoda

The Internal Revenue Service is working on more specialized template voluntary closing agreements, an official with the IRS' tax-exempt bond office said.

Standard and Poor’s has released a report describing how it’s incorporating into its ratings local governments’ reporting of pensions under newly applicable standards from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board is planning to re-examine the standardized framework state and local governments use to report their financial information.

Nearly half of tax-exempt interest reported on 2013 individual income tax returns was on returns with adjusted gross income of less than $200,000, and most of the returns reporting tax-exempt interest had a primary taxpayer over the age of 65, calculations based on recently released Internal Revenue Service statistics show.

Most cities' "bottom lines" are positive and have bounced back from the financial crisis, though many are still in negative territory and are vulnerable to becoming distressed if they aren't already, according to a new report from Merritt Research Services president and chief executive officer Richard Ciccarone.

When Congress returns to Washington in September, members will have to address a number of important fiscal issues in a short amount of time.

Ongoing cuts to Build America Bond subsidies are "credit negative" for issuers, Moody's Investors Service said in its weekly credit outlook for U.S. public finance last week.

The municipal bond tax exemption could be at risk under a proposal from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to reduce student debt.

A city's authority can have additional time to spend proceeds of its new clean renewable energy bonds after unanticipated events caused a "significant delay" in the proceeds being committed and spent, the Internal Revenue Service has ruled.

The municipal bond tax exemption saved state and local government borrowers about $715 billion in debt service expenses from 2000 to 2014, according to a white paper issued by the International City/County Management Association and the Government Finance Officers Association.

Data relating to cities’ general funds show that cities appear to have rebounded from the credit crisis, a report from Merritt Research Services found.

Issuance of private-activity bonds subject to state volume caps rose in 2014 following three years of declining issuance, according to an annual survey conducted by the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

The National Association of Bond Lawyers has announced nominees for officers and directors of its board as well as the recipients of its awards.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has become chair of the National Governors Association for 2015-2016 and has unveiled an initiative to highlight governors' innovative solutions to crucial programs.

Pension burdens increased in fiscal 2013 for 31 of the 50 local governments with the most debt outstanding in that year, Moody's Investors Service said in a new report.

A memorandum recently issued by Rebecca Harrigal, director of the Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt bond office, provides examiners and managers in the office with interim guidance on conducting audits of Build America Bonds and other direct-pay bonds.

Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have introduced bipartisan disaster tax relief bills that include several bond provisions.

House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told congressional staff members Tuesday that everything should be on the table for a comprehensive tax-reform bill, while municipal bond market participants and lawmakers defended the tax exemption for munis.

Micah Green, a former president of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and six others have moved to Steptoe & Johnson LLP’s financial services practice here from Squire Patton Boggs.

A two-year tax extenders bill that includes bond and Puerto Rico provisions and is slated to be voted on Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee would result in revenue losses of $95.6 billion from FY-2016 to FY-2025.