Tax-Efficient Funds

Tax-Efficient Fund

A mutual fund that invests in securities thought to give fund shareholders the least possible tax liability. Common securities in which a tax-efficient fund invests are municipal bonds, which are usually tax-free, and non-dividend paying stocks, which reduce a shareholder's capital gains tax liability. Tax-efficient funds often retain stocks in which they invest, as stocks held for more than a year are taxed at a lower capital gains rate. They are often thought of as an alternative to tax-deferred investment vehicles, such as 401(k)s and IRAs.

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Tax-efficient funds. When a mutual fund minimizes the income earnings and capital gains it distributes to its shareholders, it may be described as a tax-efficient fund.

In general, the smaller a fund's turnover, or the less buying and selling it does, the more tax-efficient it has the potential to be. That's one reason why index funds, which buy and sell investments only when the composition of the index they track changes, are generally tax-efficient.

In addition to reducing turnover, actively managed funds may increase tax efficiency by emphasizing investments expected to grow in value over those that produce current taxable income, or yield. And they may postpone the sale of certain investments until they qualify as long-term capital gains, making them subject to a lower tax rate.

Funds that emphasize tax efficiency generally include that goal in their statement of investment objectives.