Tax Guides

36 guides on Retirement · show all guides

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• Roth conversionsOct 8, 202613 min

  Can You Do a Self-Directed IRA Roth Conversion? Yes — but Size It Before You Convert It All

  Yes — a self-directed IRA Roth conversion is allowed, and the self-directed part changes nothing about the tax. Whatever you convert is added to that year's income. What matters is...

• RelocationOct 8, 202614 min

  Portugal Taxes for Expats: What Retirees Owe the U.S. and Portugal in 2026

  Portugal taxes for expats work like this: if you retire there you file in both countries, but the U.S.–Portugal tax treaty credits one country’s tax against the other’s, so you...

• RelocationOct 8, 202612 min

  South Carolina vs North Carolina Taxes for Retirees: Which State Leaves More of Your Pension Alone

  South Carolina vs North Carolina taxes for retirees come down to your pension type: an older federal or North Carolina government pension (one you had five years toward by 1989)...

• RelocationOct 8, 202614 min

  Florida Residency Requirements for Taxes: What Florida Asks and What Your Old State Checks

  Florida residency requirements for taxes are short: Florida has no income tax, so it asks almost nothing of you. The test that matters is your old state's. It decides whether...

• RelocationOct 8, 202613 min

  Best States to Retire for Taxes: Where Your Pension, IRA and Social Security Go Untaxed

  The best states to retire for taxes are the ones that leave retirement income alone: Florida, Texas and Nevada tax none of it, and Pennsylvania and Illinois tax income but...

• Inherited IRAsSep 20, 20269 min

  Trust as IRA Beneficiary: Why the Tax Bill Comes Out So High

  Naming a trust as IRA beneficiary does not, by itself, cost your family extra tax. The money is taxed when it comes out, same as any inherited IRA. What changes...

• Roth conversionsJun 23, 20266 min

  SEPP vs Roth Conversion Ladder: The Exact Math for $60K/Year at Age 52 (2026)

  You got the severance package at 52. You have $1,020,000 in a traditional 401(k), and you need about $60,000 a year to cover expenses. Every dollar you pull from that...

• Roth conversionsJun 23, 20265 min

  You Graduated With Money Left in Your 529 Plan — Here Is How a 529 to Roth Rollover Works in 2026

  You graduated two years ago. Your parents opened a 529 plan back in 2008, and after tuition cleared out, there is still about $19,000 sitting in your name. Now you...

• Inherited IRAsJun 21, 20269 min

  How to Report an Inherited IRA Distribution (2026)

  You inherited an IRA from your father, who died in 2022 at age 74. The custodian sent you a Form 1099-R. You've been assuming you could wait until 2032 to...

• Inherited IRAsJun 21, 20268 min

  I Inherited a Roth IRA From My Parent — Do I Owe Taxes on It?

  Your parent left you a Roth IRA, and somewhere in the paperwork you saw the words “distribution” and “taxable” and your stomach dropped. Here’s the relief up front: in almost...

• Inherited IRAsJun 21, 20267 min

  I Was Told to Empty My Inherited IRA in 10 Years — But Am I an Eligible Designated Beneficiary?

  Everyone who inherits an IRA these days hears the same thing: you have ten years to empty it. For most people that’s true. But the law carved out five specific...

• Inherited IRAsJun 21, 202610 min

  I Inherited an IRA From My Spouse and I’m Not 59½ Yet — Should I Roll It Into My Own?

  Your spouse died, you’re in your early fifties, and the IRA is now yours. The custodian handed you a form that basically asks one question — do you want to...