An unsecured short-term loan, generally issued to finance short-term liabilities, which gives the debt holders (bondholders) some level of tax choice on the earnings from their debt investment at a local, federal or state level, or a grouping thereof.

Universities frequently issue tax-exempt commercial papers to fund their operations with the aid of the government. Government assists universities in financing their operations as it is useful for the population to own post-secondary education. Though governments do not essentially give the universities with cash injections, they permit them to issue commercial papers that can earn tax-exempt gains for the people who purchase them.