Depending on which state you retire in, your state income tax bill could vary by thousands of dollars. But it’s not just a state’s tax rate that matters. In fact, the type of income you receive in retirement often has a greater impact on your state tax liability than the tax rate you pay. That’s because each state has its own way of taxing certain types of retirement income.
Here’s a look at how states tax two common forms of retirement income: Social Security benefits and retirement plan payouts. Use Kiplinger’s state-by-state guide to taxes on retirees to do a deep dive into the details for each state.
Taxes on Social Security benefits. While Uncle Sam taxes up to 85% of Social Security benefits, most states don’t tax Social Security benefits at all. Seven states—Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming—don’t tax Social Security benefits because they don’t have an income tax. New Hampshire and Tennessee only tax interest and dividends. Social Security benefits are exempt from tax in the District of Columbia and 28 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
That leaves 13 states where a portion of Social Security benefits may be taxable. New Mexico, Utah and West Virginia currently tax Social Security benefits to the same extent they are taxed on the federal return. However, West Virginia will start phasing out its tax on Social Security benefits in 2020. Taxation of Social Security benefits in the remaining states—Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Vermont—depends on your income and, in many cases, on your filing status.
Some of these states fully exempt Social Security for taxpayers under certain income thresholds. In Kansas, for example, Social Security benefits are completely exempt from state tax if your federal adjusted gross income (AGI) is $75,000 or less, regardless of your filing status. Starting in 2019, single North Dakota residents can fully exclude Social Security benefits from state taxable income if their federal AGI is $50,000 or less, while married residents filing a joint return can claim the exclusion with a federal AGI of $100,000 or less. Missouri offers partial exemptions for joint filers with federal AGI above $100,000 and all other filers with AGI over $85,000, while Missouri taxpayers with income below these thresholds can get a full state tax exemption. The remainder of the states have their own formulas for determining whose Social Security benefits are taxed and to what degree.
Retirement plan payouts. The state taxation of payouts from retirement plans—pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s and the like—is more complicated. The states without an income tax or that just tax interest and dividends don’t tax retirement plan payouts. For the other states, it’s a mixed bag. Mississippi and Pennsylvania are the most generous. They generally don’t tax any retirement income. On the flip side, California, D.C., Nebraska and Vermont are some of the stingiest—they offer little or no tax breaks for retirement plan payouts. Many of the states in between offer credits or deductions ranging from a few hundred bucks to tens of thousands of dollars. Georgia offers the largest tax break—a $65,000 retirement-income exclusion for anyone age 65 and older (couples can shelter up to $130,000).
In some cases, the type of retirement plan involved makes a difference. Kansas, for example, exempts income from government pensions, but it taxes private pension payouts. Alabama taxes defined-contribution plan distributions but not private pension payouts. And starting in 2019, North Dakota exempts military retirement pay but not other retirement plan payouts.
-
Take Charge of Retirement Spending With This Simple StrategyTo make sure you're in control of retirement spending, rather than the other way around, allocate funds to just three purposes: income, protection and legacy.
-
Here's How To Get Organized And Work For YourselfWhether you’re looking for a side gig or planning to start your own business, it has never been easier to strike out on your own. Here is our guide to navigating working for yourself.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025 than in 2024.
-
What Does Medicare Not Cover? Seven Things You Should KnowHealthy Living on a Budget Medicare Part A and Part B leave gaps in your healthcare coverage. But Medicare Advantage has problems, too.
-
13 Smart Estate Planning Movesretirement Follow this estate planning checklist for you (and your heirs) to hold on to more of your hard-earned money.
-
Medicare Basics: 11 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 in 2024 and $70,000 in 2025..
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
