This page is only about Series EE and I savings bonds. For other bonds:
Cashing in HH savings bonds
Cashing old bonds from other series
For these special situations, you want a different page.
Affected by a disaster
Death of a savings bond owner
Living estates (where a court has appointed a legal guardian for someone who owns bonds)
Trusts (where a trustee wants to cash savings bonds)
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year.
However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond).
Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Electronic EE or I savings bonds
| How do I know how much my bond is worth? | Go to your TreasuryDirect account. Check under Current Holdings. |
| How much can I cash at one time? | Any amount of $25 or more to the penny. If you cash only part of what a bond is worth, you must leave at least $25 in your account. If you cash only part of what a bond is worth, you get the interest only on the part you cash. |
| How do I cash my electronic bonds? | - Go to your TreasuryDirect account.
- Go to ManageDirect.
- Use the link for cashing securities.
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| When will I get a form for my tax return? | The 1099-INT that you need for your tax return will be available in your TreasuryDirect account in January of the year after you cash in the bond. See more in Tax information for EE and I savings bonds. |
Paper EE or I savings bonds
Note: Do not buy savings bonds from someone else or in an online auction site. You cannot cash them. You can only cash bonds that you own or co-own unless you have legal evidence or other documentation that we accept to show you are entitled to cash the bond.
| How do I know how much my bond is worth? | Use our Savings Bond Calculator. |
| How much can I cash at one time? | Note: You cannot cash part of a paper savings bond. A paper savings bond must be cashed for its entire value. At a bank: Banks vary in how much they will cash at one time – or if they cash savings bonds at all. With us: We have no limit on the value or number of savings bonds you can cash at one time as long as the bonds meet the requirements for cashing. |
| How do I cash my paper savings bonds? | Information for special circ*mstances: Cashing savings bonds outside the United States Cashing a young child's bond Cashing your (adult's) bonds in the United States At a bank where you have a bank account: Contact them. Ask: - Will they cash your savings bonds
- How much will they cash at one time
- What identification or other documents do you need
With us: - Get FS Form 1522.
- Fill it out.
- Get your signature certified, if necessary.
(If the value of the bond(s) you are cashing is more than $1,000, you must have your signature certified. See FS Form 1522 for more about the signature requirements.) - Send the form and the bonds to us at the address on FS Form 1522.
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| When will I get a form for my tax return? | At a bank: If a bank cashes your savings bond, they are responsible for getting you a 1099-INT. They may give or mail you the 1099-INT as soon as you cash the bond or they may wait until the following January. With us: If we cash your paper savings bond, we mail you the 1099-INT the following January. See more about tax information for EE and I savings bonds. |
| Can I authorize someone else to cash my bonds? | You can authorize an attorney-in-fact to cash your bonds. See our instructions for an attorney-in-fact. |
| What if I'm not sure if a paper EE or I savings bond has already been cashed or replaced? | If you are not sure because you got the bonds when someone died, see Death of a savings bond owner. Otherwise, check with your bank. They may be able to tell you. If they can't tell you and you are the owner or co-owner of the bond, write to us. |
FAQs
Note: United States Savings Bonds must be held for a minimum of one year from their issue date before they are eligible to be redeemed.
- Log into your primary TreasuryDirect® account.
- Click the ManageDirect® tab at the top of the page.
- Under the heading Manage My Securities, click "Redeem securities".
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year. However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond). Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Is it a good time to cash in EE bonds? ›
If you want full value, you should hold the Series EE bonds at least until maturity, and if you want extra, you can hold them until 30 years. But once 30 years have passed, it's a good idea to cash them in because you won't get any extra benefit.
How much is a $100 series EE bond worth after 30 years? ›
How to get the most value from your savings bonds
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
You can cash paper bonds at a bank or through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's TreasuryDirect website. Not all banks offer the service, and many only provide it if you are an account holder, according to a NerdWallet analysis of the 20 largest U.S. banks.
How long does it take to get money from TreasuryDirect? ›
You just bought a security from the U.S. Treasury. Securities are generally issued to your account within two business days of the purchase date for savings bonds or within one week of the auction date for Bills, Notes, Bonds, FRNs, and TIPS.
Are EE bonds taxed when cashed? ›
I cashed some Series E, Series EE, and Series I savings bonds. How do I report the interest? In general, you must report the interest in income in the taxable year in which you redeemed the bonds to the extent you did not include the interest in income in a prior taxable year.
Is cashing in EE bonds taxable? ›
Interest from EE U.S. savings bonds is taxed at the federal level but not at the state or local levels for income. The interest that savings bonds earn is the amount that a bond can be redeemed for above its face value or original purchase price.
Do you pay taxes when you cash in EE bonds? ›
If you hold savings bonds and redeem them with interest earned, that interest is subject to federal income tax and possibly federal gift taxes (highly unlikely as the per-person cap is $10,000 and the gift tax exemption is $17,000).
How do I avoid taxes when cashing in savings bonds? ›
You can report the interest each year you earn it or when you cash the bond. You will report it on Schedule B of your 1040. You can avoid these taxes by using the money for qualified higher education expenses.
Most bonds can be cashed in after one year, but you will lose three months' worth of interest if you cash them in before five years. If you are holding hundreds of dollars in savings bonds, you will still get them back at their current value.
Which is better EE or I savings bonds? ›
Bottom line. I bonds, with their inflation-adjusted return, safeguard the investor's purchasing power during periods of high inflation. On the other hand, EE Bonds offer predictable returns with a fixed-interest rate and a guaranteed doubling of value if held for 20 years.
Is there a penalty for not cashing EE bonds after 30 years? ›
While the Treasury will not penalize you for holding a U.S. Savings Bond past its date of maturity, the Internal Revenue Service will. Interest accumulated over the life of a U.S. Savings Bond must be reported on your 1040 form for the tax year in which you redeem the bond or it reaches final maturity.
How long does it take for a $100 EE savings bond to mature? ›
All Series EE bonds reach final maturity 30 years from issue. Series EE savings bonds purchased from May 1995 through April 1997 increase in value every six months.
How much is a 50 dollar series EE bond worth today? ›
| Total Price | Total Value | Total Interest |
|---|
| $50.00 | $68.90 | $18.90 |
More flexible than a bank!
In TreasuryDirect, you have no limit on how much you can cash in at one time. (Many banks have limits.) Note: We have 2 minimum requirements for cashing bonds: The bond must be at least 1 year old. If you cash only part of what a bond is worth, you must leave at least $25 in your account.
How do I sell bonds on TreasuryDirect? ›
To sell a bill you hold in TreasuryDirect or Legacy TreasuryDirect, first transfer the bill to a bank, broker, or dealer, then ask the bank, broker, or dealer to sell the bill for you.
How do I redeem savings bonds? ›
You should contact your bank directly for more information. For redemption or other information about U.S. savings bonds, visit the U.S. Treasury Department's web page, www.treasurydirect.gov, or contact their office directly by calling (844) 284-2676 (toll-free).
How much is a $50 savings bond worth now? ›
| Total Price | Total Value | Total Interest |
|---|
| $50.00 | $69.94 | $19.94 |
