Minimizing taxes for future retirement income is not always easy, but it is very important for putting together an effective retirement plan. For example, although many retirees expect to pay lower tax rates on their IRA or Individual 401k after they have left the workforce, their tax rates may still go up due to social security taxes and medicare taxes.
Follow these three steps to reduce taxes on your retirement income and get the most out of retirement savings:
1. Learn about income tax advantages
Despite what many people think, certain types of income are taxed differently from others. A few examples include:
- Capital gains
- Real Estate investments
- Earned income
- Unearned income
If you buy a physical asset such as gold or an investment property, your tax rates for capital gains will be much lower than it would be for an ordinary earned income.
Also, if you sell a home you’ve lived in for the past five years, you may qualify to have a large portion of your capital gains excluded from your taxes (double the amount if you are filing jointly as a married couple) by completing a 1031 exchange.
2. Create a budget to keep your expenses low
In order to reduce your taxes, you will want to stay in low tax brackets as much as you possibly can. One of the best ways to do this is to keep your expenses low so you won’t have to withdraw much from your retirement accounts.
Create a budget to manage your annual spending and withdrawal habits, and if possible, move to a region with lower taxes and a lower cost of living.
3. Convert your traditional IRA or 401k into a Roth IRA
Another strategy is to convert your current retirement account into a Roth IRA. By doing this and paying taxes up-front when your marginal tax bracket is still low, you will reduce the amount of tax you will eventually pay in the future and you will be eligible for tax-free distributions after retirement.
Contact a Quest IRA Specialist today to learn more ways you can reduce taxes on your retirement or register for one of our events.