After-Tax Return

What is left of a return after taxes.

What is After-Tax Return?

For fully taxable income, after-tax return = pre-tax return x (1 - tax rate). Comparing after-tax returns is the only fair way to weigh taxable investments against tax-exempt ones, which is the logic behind tax-equivalent yield.

After-Tax Return: a worked example

A 6% corporate bond yield for a client in the 35% bracket nets 3.9% - less than a 4.2% muni.

More terms in Retirement Plans, Accounts & Trading

All Retirement Plans, Accounts & Trading terms · Full glossary