XML 11 R2.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6
(Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund)

What is the Fund's investment objective?

Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and from Minnesota state personal income taxes as is consistent with preservation of capital.

What are the Fund's fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in this prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees (Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund)
Class A
Class B
Class C
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 4.50% none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower none 4.00% [1] 1.00% [1]
[1] If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you bought them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 4.00%, which declines to 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund)
Class A
Class B
Class C
Management fees 0.54% 0.54% 0.54%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00%
Other expenses 0.13% 0.13% 0.13%
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.92% 1.67% 1.67%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements [1] (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%)
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.90% 1.65% 1.65%
[1] The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), is contractually waiving its investment advisory fees and/or paying expenses (excluding any 12b-1 plan expenses, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) to the extent necessary to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.65% of the Fund's average daily net assets from December 29, 2011 through December 28, 2012. The waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Fund.

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and reflects the Manager's expense waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example (Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund) (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A
538 728 935 1,529
Class B
568 750 1,055 1,775
Class C
268 525 905 1,975
Expense Example, No Redemption (Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund) (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class B
168 525 905 1,775
Class C
168 525 905 1,975

Portfolio turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

Under normal circumstances, Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities the income from which is exempt from federal income taxes, including the federal alternative minimum tax, and from Minnesota state personal income taxes. This is a fundamental investment policy that may not be changed without prior shareholder approval.

The Fund is required to derive at least 95% of its income from Minnesota obligations in order for any of its income to be exempt from Minnesota state personal income taxes. Municipal debt obligations are issued by state and local governments to raise funds for various public purposes such as hospitals, schools, and general capital expenses. The Fund will invest its assets in securities with maturities of various lengths, depending on market conditions. We will adjust the average maturity of the bonds in the portfolio to attempt to provide a high level of tax-exempt income consistent with preservation of capital. The Fund's income level will vary depending on current interest rates and the specific securities in the portfolio. The Fund may concentrate its investments in certain types of bonds or in a certain segment of the municipal bond market when the supply of bonds in other sectors does not suit our investment needs. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally have a dollar-weighted average effective maturity of between 5 and 30 years.

What are the principal risks of investing in the Fund?

Investing in any mutual fund involves the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Over time, the value of your investment in the Fund will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. Principal risks include:

Investments not guaranteed by the Manager or its affiliates — Investments in the Fund are not and will not be deposits with or liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 and its holding companies, including their subsidiaries or related companies (Macquarie Group), and are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the Fund, the repayment of capital from the Fund, or any particular rate of return.

Market risk — The risk that all or a majority of the securities in a certain market — such as the stock or bond market — will decline in value because of factors such as adverse political or economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Interest rate risk — The risk that securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise. This risk is generally associated with bonds.

Credit risk — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner.

High yield (junk bond) risk — The risk that high yield securities, commonly known as "junk bonds," are subject to reduced creditworthiness of issuers; increased risk of default and a more limited and less liquid secondary market; and greater price volatility and risk of loss of income and principal than are higher rated securities. High yield bonds are sometimes issued by municipalities with less financial strength and therefore less ability to make projected debt payments on the bonds.

Call risk — The risk that a bond issuer will prepay the bond during periods of low interest rates, forcing a fund to reinvest that money at interest rates that might be lower than rates on the called bond.

Liquidity risk — The possibility that securities cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them.

Geographic concentration risk — The risk that heightened sensitivity to regional, state, and local political and economic conditions could adversely affect the holdings in a fund. There is also a risk that there could be an inadequate supply of municipal bonds in a particular state.

Alternative minimum tax risk — If a fund invests in bonds the income from which is subject to the alternative minimum tax, that portion of the fund's distributions would be taxable for shareholders who are subject to this tax.

Derivatives risk — Derivative contracts, such as options, futures and swaps, may involve additional expenses (such as the payment of premiums) and are subject to significant loss if a security, or a securities index, to which a derivative contract is associated moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager anticipated.

Counterparty risk — The risk that a counterparty to a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization).

Government and regulatory risk — The risk that governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets.

How has Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund performed?

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The returns reflect expense caps in effect during these periods. The returns would be lower without the expense caps. You may obtain the Fund's most recently available month-end performance by calling 800 523-1918 or by visiting our website at www.delawareinvestments.com/performance.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)

Bar Chart

As of September 30, 2011, the Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 8.41%. During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 6.32% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -4.31% for the quarter ended December 31, 2010. The maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, which is normally deducted when you purchase shares, is not reflected in the highest/lowest quarterly returns or in the bar chart. If this fee were included, the returns would be less than those shown. The average annual returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2010

Average Annual Total Returns (Delaware Tax-Free Minnesota Fund)
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A
(3.23%) 2.48% 4.05%
Class A return after taxes on distributions
(3.32%) 2.44% 3.98%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
(0.70%) 2.69% 4.08%
Class B
(3.32%) 2.40% 3.90%
Class C
(0.41%) 2.67% 3.76%
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
2.38% 4.09% 4.83%

After-tax performance is presented only for Class A shares of the Fund. The after-tax returns for other Fund classes may vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's individual tax situation and may differ from the returns shown. After-tax returns are not relevant for shares held in tax-deferred investment vehicles such as employer-sponsored 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The after-tax returns shown are calculated using the highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods presented and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.