Is Smart Beta Still Smart after Taxes?

Abstract

In this article, the authors focus on the after-tax performance of several smart-beta strategies. These strategies have higher turnover than the capitalization-weighted index, which leads to a greater tax on returns. Despite this drag, most strategies retain a long-term excess return. The authors also test the effectiveness of tax-managed versions of the strategies. They observe that, relative to most active managers, smart-beta strategies have lower turnover, greater breadth, and are less concerned with stock selection. By allowing a tracking-error risk budget versus the original strategy, tax management can reduce much of the tax impact.