<PAGE>
PAGE 1
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 (File No. 33-5102) X
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 29 (File No. 811-4647) X
IDS SPECIAL TAX-EXEMPT SERIES TRUST
IDS Tower 10, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-0534
(612) 330-9283
Leslie L. Ogg - 901 Marquette Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55402-3268
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check
appropriate box)
X immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date
for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
The registrant has registered an indefinite number or amount of
securities under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section
24f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Rule 24f-2 Notice for
its most recent fiscal year was filed on or about Aug. 31, 1994.
<PAGE>
PAGE 2
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
_______________________________________________________________________________
Proposed Proposed
Title of Maximum Maximum
Securities Amount Offering Aggregate Amount of
Being Being Price per Price per Registration
Registered Registered Unit(1) Price(2) Fee
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Capital Stock
of $.01 par
value per share Indefinite* N/A N/A N/A
Capital Stock
of $.01 par
value per share 12,222,924 $5.51 $67,298,260.00 $100
_______________________________________________________________________________
</TABLE>
*Registrant has registered an indefinite number or amount of
securities under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Rule 24f-2
under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Rule 24f-2 Notice
for Registrant's most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 1995 was
filed on August 28, 1995.
1. Computed under Rule 457(d) on the basis of the offering price
per share at the closing price per share at the close of business
on August 15, 1995.
2. Registrant elects to calculate the maximum aggregate offering
price pursuant to Rule 24e-2. $270,470,963 of shares was used for
reductions pursuant to paragraph (c) of rule 24f-2 during the
current year. $67,298,260 of shares is the amount of redeemed
shares used for reduction in this amendment.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, IDS Special Tax-
Exempt Series Trust, certifies that it meets the requirements for
the effectiveness of this Amendment to its Registration Statement
pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1993, and has
duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized,
in the City of Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota on the 28th
day of August, 1995.
IDS SPECIAL TAX-EXEMPT SERIES TRUST
By
Melinda S. Urion, Treasurer
By /s/ William R. Pearce**
William R. Pearce, President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by
the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 28th day
of August, 1995.
Signature Capacity
/s/ William R. Pearce** President,Principal
William R. Pearce Executive Officer
and Trustee
/s/ Leslie L. Ogg** Vice President,
Leslie L. Ogg General Counsel
and Secretary
/s/Lynne V. Cheney* Trustee
Lynn V. Cheney
/s/ William H. Dudley* Trustee
William H. Dudley
/s/ Robert F. Froehlke* Trustee
Robert F. Froehlke
/s/ David R. Hubers* Trustee
David R. Hubers
/s/ Heinz F. Hutter* Trustee
Heinz F. Hutter<PAGE>
Signature Capacity
/s/ Anne P. Jones* Trustee
Anne P. Jones
/s/ Donald M. Kendall* Trustee
Donald M. Kendall
/s/ Melvin R. Laird* Trustee
Melvin R. Laird
/s/ Lewis W. Lehr* Trustee
Lewis W. Lehr
/s/ Edson W. Spencer* Trustee
Edson W. Spencer
/s/ John R. Thomas* Trustee
John R. Thomas
/s/ Wheelock Whitney* Trustee
Wheelock Whitney
/s/ C. Angus Wurtele* Trustee
C. Angus Wurtele
*Signed pursuant to Trustees' Power of Attorney filed
electronically as Exhibit 18(a) to Registrant's Post-Effective
Amendment No. 23, by:
Leslie L. Ogg
**Signed pursuant to Officers' Power of Attorney filed on or about
June 23, 1994 as Exhibit 17(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21
to Registration Statement No. 33-5102 by:
Leslie L. Ogg
EXHIBIT INDEX
(B)(10) OPINION OF COUNSEL
<PAGE>
PAGE 1
August 28, 1995
IDS Special Tax-Exempt Series Trust
IDS Tower 10
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0010
I have examined the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the By-
Laws of the Trust and all necessary certificates, permits, minute
books, documents and records of the Trust, and the applicable
statutes of the State of Massachusetts, and it is my opinion:
(a) That the Trust is a business trust duly organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Massachusetts with unlimited
shares of beneficial interest, all of $.01 par value, that
such shares may be issued as full or fractional shares and
that on June 30, 1995, 238,848,815 shares were issued and
outstanding;
(b) That all such authorized shares are, under the laws of the
State of Massachusetts, redeemable as provided in the
Agreement and Declaration of Trust and upon redemption shall
have the status of authorized and unissued shares;
(c) That the Trust now proposes to register an additional
12,222,924 shares by post-effective amendment, pursuant to
Rule 24e-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and that
when sold at not less than their par value and in accordance
with applicable federal and state securities laws such shares
will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
I hereby consent that the foregoing opinion may be used in
connection with the post-effective amendment to your registration
statement to be filed by you pursuant to Section 24(e) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended for the purpose of
increasing the shares of capital stock, the securities specified
therein, as proposed to be offered.
Very truly yours,
Leslie L. Ogg
Attorney at Law
901 S. Marquette Ave., Suite 2810
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402-3268
LLO/CW/rdt