Top 10 Tax-Friendly Retirement States

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Kiplinger‘s investigated the tax situations retirees will face across the country. Here’s a couple of the states where they make out well…

10. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is one of only two states (Mississippi is the other) that exempts all retirement income — including public and private pensions, IRAs and 401(k) distributions — from its state income tax. Non-retirement income is taxed at a low, flat rate of 3.07%. Food, clothing and medicine are exempt from state sales taxes. But property taxes can be high in the Keystone State, especially near larger cities. One caveat for the wealthy: Your heirs won’t get off so easily. Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states to have an inheritance tax, paid by the heirs.

8. Louisiana. For retirees, every day is like Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Social Security and military, civil service, and state and local government pensions are exempt from state income taxes, plus up to $6,000 per person of pension and annuity income. Personal income tax rates max out at 6% on taxable income over $50,000. Property taxes are among the lowest in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. Assessments are based on 10% of the fair market value. Homeowners receive a homestead exemption of $7,500 of their home’s assessed value, and homeowners 65 and older may qualify for a freeze on the value of their home. But sales taxes can be steep. The statewide sales tax is 4%, and local parishes and jurisdictions within those parishes can add their own sales taxes. Louisiana’s average combined sales tax rate of 8.86% ranks third-highest in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. But food and drugs are exempt from sales taxes throughout the state.

Check the link for the rest. No. 1? Alaska, if you can stand it.

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