Tap Issue

A procedure that allows borrowers to sell bonds or other short-term debt instruments from past issues. The bonds are issued at their original face value, maturity and coupon rate, but sold at the current market price. 



|||This method of issuing additional debt was adopted by the British and French governments. Tap issues allow an organization to avoid certain transaction or legal costs and expedite fund raising. The issuer bypasses many of the initial formalities surrounding a bond issue, such as the prospectus, and proceeds to auction off the new securities. Issuing on tap is often suited for smaller fund-raising attempts, where the cost of a new issue is too high when compared to the amount borrowed.