What Are the Best States to Retire for Taxes?

Retirement Tax Friendliness

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For seniors who plan to move to a new city or state for their retirement, there are a number of factors to consider. Weather is important to many retirees, as are amenities and attractions such as golf courses, beaches, parks and senior centers. Another major consideration is the cost of living in a certain area. Taxes are a big part of that.

State and local taxes can have a particularly significant effect on retirees. As described below, income taxes on things like Social Security retirement benefits and retirement account withdrawals vary widely from one state to the next. Likewise, there are vast differences between the property and sales tax rates across the country.

In short, the taxes seniors pay during retirement can vary greatly depending on where they live. In a state like Wyoming, which has no income tax along with low sales and property taxes, retirees can expect to have a very small tax bill. On the other hand, taxes in a state like Nebraska, which taxes all retirement income and has high property tax rates, the overall state and local tax bill for a senior could be thousands of dollars higher.

Social Security

Most states do not tax Social Security income at all. Some of these, like Texas and Florida, do not have an income tax. Others provide a specific deduction or exemption for Social Security retirement benefits.

Among the 13 states that do tax Social Security income in some way, seven provide some sort of deduction or credit to limit or offset the cost of the tax for retirees. The remaining six states (Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia) tax all Social Security income that is taxed at the federal level.

Retirement Account and Pension Income

The way a state handles retirement account and pension income can have a huge impact on the finances of a retiree. 22 states do not provide any kind of deduction, exemption or credit on withdrawals from a retirement account such as a 401(k) or IRA.

How might that affect a typical retiree? Let’s say your effective state tax rate in one of these states is 4% and your annual income from your 401(k) is $30,000. That would add up to taxes of $1,200 on that retirement account income — taxes that you wouldn’t have to pay in states like Alaska (which has no income tax) and Mississippi (which exempts retirement account income).

Exemptions for pension income are more common. Only nine state fully tax income from a government pension, while sixteen tax income from a private employer pension. The other states either exempt that income or provide a deduction or credit against it.

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Property Taxes and Senior Property Tax Relief Programs

Homeownership is a good way for seniors to lock in their housing costs for the long run so that they don’t have to worry about shifts in the housing or rental market. In some states, however, high property taxes or property taxes that can grow rapidly from one year to the next serve to discourage retirees from owning a home. Property tax rates and rules are drastically different between states.

For example, in New Jersey most homeowners spend at least $7,000 annually in property taxes. In Alabama, most homeowners spend less than $600.

One way many states help retirees limit the burden of property taxes is by offering exemptions or circuit breakers. The terminology varies by state, but exemptions (sometimes called homestead exemptions) typically allow seniors to protect part of their home’s value from property taxes. They often have income limits, so households earning more than a certain amount are not eligible.

Circuit breakers can have the same effect as an exemption. Sometimes, they also limit the amount property taxes can increase from one year to the next for seniors.

Property tax deferrals are another helpful form of property tax relief for seniors. Deferrals allow seniors and retirees to put off payment of some or all of their property taxes until a later time. It is typical for deferred property tax payments to be subtracted from the revenue of an eventual home sale, meaning they never come out of a senior’s income.

Sales Taxes

It is easy to overlook or forget about sales tax because they are paid gradually instead of all at once. You don’t receive a sales tax bill, in other words. But sales taxes are important for seniors because they often have a fixed income and spend a significant portion of that income on potentially taxable items.

Four states (Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana and Delaware) have no state or local sales taxes. Alaska has no state sales tax but does have some local sales taxes. Hawaii has a general excise tax (GET) that is very similar to a sales tax (though at 4.35% it would be the lowest sales tax in the U.S.). In the remaining states, total state and average local tax rates range from 5.43% to 9.45%. Tennessee has the highest sales tax rates in the U.S.

Most states with a sales tax provide a number of exemptions that benefit seniors. The most common exemptions are for groceries, prescription drugs and medical equipment.

Estate and Inheritance Taxes

Another type of tax that is of particular importance to retirees is the estate tax. In recent years, legislatures across the U.S. have either repealed their state estate taxes or have increased the local estate tax exemption. (The estate tax exemption is the limit below which estates do not owe taxes.)

States are largely following the federal government’s lead. The federal estate tax exemption has increased from $675,000 fifteen years ago to $5.43 million now. Of the 15 states (and Washington, D.C.) that have their own estate tax, 11 have an exemption of less than $4 million. New Jersey has the lowest exemption at $675,000.

Similar to the estate tax, an inheritance tax affects property that is passed on to loved ones (or strangers). The tax applies not to the estate itself, but to the recipients of property from that estate. For example if you receive $1,000 in inheritance and are subject to a 10% inheritance tax, you would pay $100 back in taxes.

Six states have an inheritance tax. Of these, two states (New Jersey and Maryland) also have an estate tax. Inheritance taxes typically provide exemptions or lower rates for direct family members, while fully taxing non-relatives.