<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 04/30/97
000 C000000 0000879535
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 DUFF & PHELPS UTILITIES TAX-FREE INCOME INC.
001 B000000 811-6416
001 C000000 2013677497
002 A000000 55 EAST MONROE STREET
002 B000000 CHICAGO
002 C000000 IL
002 D010000 60603
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 DUFF & PHELPS INVESTMENT MANG. CO.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-000000
008 D010001 CHICAGO
008 D020001 IL
008 D030001 60603
010 A000001 PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS FUND MANAGEMENT LLC
010 B000001 811-31104
010 C010001 NEWARK
010 C020001 NJ
010 C030001 07102
010 C040001 4077
011 A000001 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
011 B000001 8-27154
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10292
012 A000001 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 85-5003
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 C010001 NORTH QUINCY
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02171
013 A000001 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B010001 CHICAGO
013 B020001 IL
013 B030001 60606
015 A000001 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NORTH QUINCY
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02171
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 N
019 B000000 0
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 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000001 13-5108880
022 C000001 2461
022 D000001 5250
022 A000002 MAXCOR FINANCIAL GROUP
022 C000002 3008
022 D000002 0
022 C000003 0
022 D000003 0
022 C000004 0
022 D000004 0
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 0
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 0
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 0
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 0
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 0
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 5469
<PAGE> PAGE 3
023 D000000 5250
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 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
<PAGE> PAGE 4
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
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 0.500
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
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 0
048 K020000 0.000
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 5
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 N
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 N
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.2
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 2.5
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 93.8
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 20.2
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
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 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 Y
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
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 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 3008
071 B000000 3820
071 C000000 187565
071 D000000 2
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 5914
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 490
072 G000000 147
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 32
072 J000000 30
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 32
072 M000000 49
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 N000000 8
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 21
072 S000000 5
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 1
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 88
072 X000000 903
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 5011
072AA000000 133
072BB000000 27
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 2321
072DD010000 5199
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.6200
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 39
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 5248
074 D000000 183340
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 3601
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 3665
074 M000000 3
074 N000000 195896
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 97
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 349
074 S000000 65000
074 T000000 130450
074 U010000 8389
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 15.55
074 V020000 0.00
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 1701
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 131995
076 000000 15.38
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
087 A010000 DUFF & PHELPS UTILITIES TAX-FREE INCOME, INC.
087 A020000 264325101
087 A030000 DTF US
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE GRACE TORRES
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000879535
<NAME> DUFF & PHELPS UTILITIES TAX FREE INC.
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> Oct-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> Apr-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 178,751,882
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 188,587,841
<RECEIVABLES> 7,265,533
<ASSETS-OTHER> 41,836
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 195,895,210
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 445,707
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 445,707
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 180,821,328
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 8,390,023
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 8,377,470
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 2,023,446
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 2,768,770
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 9,835,959
<NET-ASSETS> 195,449,503
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 5,914,333
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 903,521
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,010,812
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 106,498
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (2,321,104)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 2,796,206
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,198,884)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 173,484
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (2,229,194)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 2,211,518
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 2,662,272
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 490,235
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 903,521
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 131,995,000
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 15.84
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.60
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (0.27)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.62)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0.00
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 15.55
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.38
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0.00
</TABLE>
Report of Independent Auditors
The Board of Trustees and Shareholders
of
Duff & Phelps Utilities Tax-Free Income
Inc.
In planning and performing our audit of
the financial statements of Duff &
Phelps Utilities Tax-Free Income Inc.,
for the year ended October 31, 1997, we
considered their internal control,
including controls over safeguarding
securities, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purpose of
expressing our opinion on the financial
statements and to comply with the
requirements of Form N-SAR, not to
provide assurance on internal control.
The management of Duff & Phelps
Utilities Tax-Free Income Inc. is
responsible for establishing and
maintaining internal control. In
fulfilling this responsibility,
estimates and judgments by management
are required to assess the expected
benefits and related costs of controls.
Generally, controls that are relevant to
an audit pertain to the entity's
objective of preparing financial
statements for external purposes that
are fairly presented in conformity with
generally accepted accounting
principles. Those controls include the
safeguarding of assets against
unauthorized acquisition, use, or
disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in
internal control, errors or
irregularities may occur and may not be
detected. Also, projection of any
evaluation of internal control to future
periods is subject to the risk that it
may become inadequate because of changes
in conditions or that the effectiveness
of the design and operation may
deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control
would not necessarily disclose all
matters in internal control that might
be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in
which the design or operation of any
specific internal control component does
not reduce to a relatively low level the
risk that errors or irregularities in
amounts that would be material in
relation to the financial statements
being audited may occur and not be
detected within a timely period by
employees in the normal course of
performing their assigned functions.
However, we noted no matters involving
internal control, including controls
over safeguarding securities, that we
consider to be material weaknesses as
defined above as of October 31, 1997.
This report is intended solely for the
information and use of management and
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Chicago, Illinois
November 21, 1997