<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/96
000 C000000 0000314367
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 DEAN WITTER TAX-EXEMPT SECURITIES TRUST
001 B000000 811-2979
001 C000000 2123922550
002 A000000 TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10048
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-42061
008 D010001 NEW YORK
008 D020001 NY
008 D030001 10048
010 A000001 DELETE
011 A000001 DEAN WITTER DISTRIBUTORS INC.
011 B000001 8-45262
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10048
012 A000001 DEAN WITTER TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 84-1785
012 C010001 JERSEY CITY
012 C020001 NJ
012 C030001 07311
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B020001 NY
013 B030001 10036
014 A000001 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC.
014 B000001 8-14172
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10286
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 121
019 C000000 DEANWITTER
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.INCORPORATED
022 B000001 13-2655998
022 C000001 114841
022 D000001 80802
022 A000002 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
022 B000002 13-3224016
022 C000002 59500
022 D000002 62399
022 A000003 EVEREN SECURITIES INC.
022 B000003 0100860-01
022 C000003 19542
022 D000003 37488
022 A000004 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000004 13-5108880
022 C000004 33152
022 D000004 14300
022 A000005 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000005 13-2518466
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 42195
022 A000006 A.G. EDWARDS & SONS INC.
022 B000006 43-0895447
022 C000006 18753
022 D000006 20480
022 A000007 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
022 B000007 22-2347336
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 C000007 5217
022 D000007 33865
022 A000008 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000008 13-5674085
022 C000008 16996
022 D000008 16906
022 A000009 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON INC.
022 B000009 13-1912900
022 C000009 16995
022 D000009 15033
022 A000010 PAINE WEBBER INC.
022 B000010 13-2638166
022 C000010 10291
022 D000010 10359
023 C000000 306132
023 D000000 362662
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 4568
028 A020000 3353
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 12571
028 B010000 3347
028 B020000 3120
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 12744
028 C010000 3160
028 C020000 3068
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 14223
028 D010000 2689
028 D020000 3115
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 18349
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 E010000 2497
028 E020000 3389
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 15940
028 F010000 2942
028 F020000 6636
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 14112
028 G010000 19203
028 G020000 22681
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 87939
028 H000000 19203
029 000000 Y
030 A000000 993
030 B000000 4.00
030 C000000 0.50
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 993
034 000000 N
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
038 000000 0
039 000000 N
040 000000 N
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.500
048 B010000 250000
048 B020000 0.425
048 C010000 250000
048 C020000 0.375
048 D010000 250000
048 D020000 0.350
048 E010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 1250000
048 K020000 0.325
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 1000
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 6.1
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 93.4
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 20.0
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 Y
070 Q010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 102165
071 B000000 236269
071 C000000 1202704
071 D000000 8
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 37959
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 2693
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 207
072 J000000 28
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 32
072 M000000 8
072 N000000 25
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 21
072 S000000 4
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 15
072 X000000 3033
072 Y000000 24
072 Z000000 34950
072AA000000 13851
072BB000000 7973
072CC010000 44494
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 34960
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 5612
073 A010000 0.3300
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0500
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 1026
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 74640
074 D000000 1139106
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 3501
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 18617
074 M000000 63
074 N000000 1236953
074 O000000 15534
074 P000000 524
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 708
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1220187
074 U010000 105671
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 11.55
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 28229
074 Y000000 78871
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1277897
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
080 C000000 0
081 B000000 0
082 B000000 0
083 B000000 0
084 B000000 0
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
SIGNATURE SHELDON CURTIS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000314367
<NAME> DEAN WITTER TAX-EXEMPT SECURITIES-SEMI 06/30/96
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1169251869
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1213745909
<RECEIVABLES> 22117897
<ASSETS-OTHER> 1089525
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1236953331
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 15534013
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1231849
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 16765862
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1169480272
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 105670780
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 109609420
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 368338
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 5844819
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 44494040
<NET-ASSETS> 1220187469
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 37958608
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3009079
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 34949529
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 5878323
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (59321220)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (18493368)
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (34959504)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (5611836)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 2306075
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (7511319)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 1266604
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (105121032)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 378313
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 5578332
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2693311
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3033119
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1277897278
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 12.09
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.33
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (0.49)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.33)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.05)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 11.55
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.48
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
