Tax

As municipal market participants are awaiting the next step in the tax bill process, they are also preparing for one of the busiest and biggest weeks the market has ever seen.

The Senate’s vote to approve its tax bill means advance refundings are all but dead. The future of private-activity bonds hangs in the balance as the differences with the House’s version are resolved.

Senate Republicans narrowly approved the most sweeping rewrite of the U.S. tax code in three decades, slashing the corporate tax rate and providing temporary tax-rate cuts for most Americans.

As lawmakers worked over the details of tax tax legislation, municipal market participants prepared to embark on what may be a record-setting week for issuance.

Both the House and Senate bills would end Puerto Rico’s status as an offshore tax haven.

The state increased the size of the deals by 70%, with its bond finance director citing plans by "the clowns in D.C." to outlaw advance refundings.

The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank approved $321 million in nonprofit conduit sales this week.

After a busy week, the muni market is preparing for one of the biggest weeks in history, with an estimated $17.4 billion deals.

The author is deeply concerned the House bill would eliminate the tax exemption for private activity bonds and that both bills would eliminate the advance refunding of municipal bonds.

After a busy week, and some clarity on tax reform, market participants are gearing up for the biggest volume week in some time, as issuers are getting advance refundings in while they still can.

Muni issuers rushing to get advance refundings done in December before Congress passes a tax bill that terminates them may face a halt in sales of state and local government securities because of the debt limit.

Traders saw "a major flip in psychology of the market" as moves to bar private activity bonds and advance refundings met some resistance.

The group plans to sell roughly $1 billion of bonds, with a mix of btax-exempt and taxable debt.

The possibility of the municipal market losing both advance refundings and private activity bonds brought a spike in issuance that's likely to extend into December.

The year-end deadlines built into the GOP tax bills guarantee long hours in December for those putting together deals before Jan. 1.

Congress should look to municipal experts to make the case for revenue triggers as a way to allay concern that tax cuts will necessitate spending reductions.

House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady said the private-activity bond provision was included in the House tax bill so lawmakers would have more time to discuss these bonds.

California lawmakers are pushing Republican leaders to restore the federal deduction for state and local income taxes in the final tax bill.

The muni market weakened Wednesday as issuers flooded into the market to beat tax reform.

The muni market picked up right where it left off on Tuesday: with a steady stream of supply, the dilemma of how to beat tax reform and a weaker tone.