Which 13 States Don't Tax Retirement Income?
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A major change in where you live could save you up to a few thousand bucks per year.
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5 min read
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real estate
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July 22, 2025
09:45 AM
The Motley Fool
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The analysis demonstrates What's particularly noteworthy is Most people understand that paying taxes is just part of living in a civil society
Still, forking over this money is a drag
Never even mind the fact that it's money you could personally put to better use (which is quite significant) (something worth watching), given the current landscape
Nevertheless, Well, here's a little good news: Although you'll never fully escape taxation of one type or another, a handful of U
States don't tax at least some forms of retirement income
Moreover, Here's a closer look at which states offer retirees a break from state-level taxation even if you're still fully subject to federal taxes in these locales
The tax-friendliest states for retirees Let's begin with the best news -- you'll bably not owe any state taxes on your monthly Social Security payments
Additionally, A total of 41 states, as well as Washington D, in light of current trends. , simply don't tax this income (noteworthy indeed)
Furthermore, Meanwhile, Here's the full list: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Wisconsin Washington, D
Wyoming To be, living in one of the other nine states doesn't necessarily mean you'll owe state-based income taxes on your Social Security benefits
Furthermore, It just means you might be subject to taxation
Furthermore, Although it's unly, it's possible that your retirement earnings will remain below each or all of these states' minimum income thresholds for taxation, in this volatile climate
But Social Security isn't your only source of income in retirement
Nevertheless, You should also know that there are nine states that don't impose taxes on any retirement income, although not exactly as a favor to older residents -- they simply don't charge state-level income taxes on any income earned there (this bears monitoring)
Tourism or geography-specific industry typically generates enough revenue for these states' governments: Alaska Florida Nevada New Hampshire South Dakota Tennessee Texas Washington Wyoming Then there's a small handful of states that do tax ordinary work-based income, but don't tax pension income, distributions from individual retirement accounts, and the : Illinois Iowa Mississippi Pennsylvania Just be aware that reasonable limitations still apply in all four of these states
However, In Mississippi and Pennsylvania, for example, retirees as well as their retirement plans will still need to meet certain qualification requirements for this income to be tax-free
And in Iowa, you'll need to be at least 55 years of age to be eligible for tax-free income from IRAs and pension plans
By and large, though, most retirees in these four states won't be paying any income taxes on their retirement income (which is quite significant)
Image source: Getty Images, amid market uncertainty
Now, what if you've got something a bit out of the ordinary, a military, railroad, or state-employee pension (something worth watching)
The taxation rules vary quite a bit with this income, and can change rather regularly too (fascinating analysis)
You'll want to check with a specific state for its particular income-tax rules on retirement income from these sources
On the other hand, Strategic relocation
Again, don't misunderstand
The retirement income in question is only untaxed in these states at the state level
You'll still be subject to federal taxation, which makes up the bulk of any given year's income tax bill
The so-called "big, beautiful bill. " It helps, given current economic conditions
However, The Social Security Administration reports that the recent passage of the legislation means 90% of the gram's retired beneficiaries will now no longer owe any federal income taxes on their benefits
The other 10% who are unusually high earners still might be subject to some taxation of this income
That's not a lot more than were already not paying any taxes on this income, though, mostly due to the relatively modest size of the payments they're collecting
Meanwhile, the bulk of everyone's other retirement income remains fully subject to at least some degree of federal taxation, considering recent developments
Most estimates put the annual savings for the average middle-class household somewhere between a few hundred and a couple thousand bucks, including for a healthy number of retirees
Conversely, Whatever the case, with the cost of living changing at different paces -- and even moving in different directions -- in different parts of the U, given current economic conditions
Right now, it wouldn't be bad to at least consider making a move that might have been on your radar anyway
On the other hand, Although there are certainly more important things in life than reducing your total tax bill, keeping a few extra hundred or even a few thousand bucks in your pocket every year might in some cases be enough to merit a relocation
Sit down with a pencil and piece of paper to flesh out your comparative costs and savings before uoting your life for less expensive pastures, factoring in any changes to major budget items housing or transportation.
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