We've all received a fresh reminder of just how much we dislike taxes, and most of us would be happy never to have to file them again. But, unfortunately for us, taxes don't stop, not even after you leave the workforce.
However, there are things you can do to reduce how much you owe in retirement. Here are three types of tax-free retirement income you may want to consider adding to your retirement plan.
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1. Roth retirement account funds
Retirement accounts break down into two categories: tax-deferred and Roth. Tax-deferred account contributions reduce your tax bill in the year you make them, but in exchange, you must pay taxes on your withdrawals later. Roth accounts work the opposite way. You pay taxes on your contributions in the year you make them, so your money grows tax-free afterward.
You can withdraw your contributions tax-free at any age, and you can withdraw earnings tax-free in retirement as well. But you must wait until you're at least 59 1/2 and have had your Roth IRA for at least five years to do this.
The most popular type of Roth account is the Roth IRA. You can open one of these yourself with any broker and contribute up to $6,500 in 2023 if you're under 50 or $7,500 if you're 50 or older. But high earners may be unable to contribute directly to one of these accounts due to income limits. However, they can still make a backdoor Roth IRA to achieve the same effect.
Some employers also now offer their employees Roth 401(k)s. This is the same as a traditional 401(k), except you pay taxes on your contributions upfront. You may save up to $22,500 in one of these accounts in 2023 or $30,000 if you're 50 or older. Your employer may also offer matching contributions. However, matches are often tax-deferred, so the government will expect to receive a cut when you withdraw them.
2. Health savings account funds used for healthcare
The government created health savings accounts (HSAs) to give people a tax-advantaged place to save for medical expenses, but they make great homes for retirement savings as well. The money you put into an HSA reduces your taxable income for the year, and you won't pay taxes on it at all if you spend it on medical expenses at any age.
HSAs can be a great place to stash money you plan to spend on retirement healthcare costs. Doing so could earn you a tax break today and in retirement. You may contribute up to $3,650 to an HSA in 2023 as long as you have an individual health insurance plan with a deductible of at least $1,500. Families with a health insurance deductible of $3,000 or more may contribute up to $7,750 in 2023. And adults 55 and older can add an extra $1,000 to these limits.
If you don't need all your HSA funds for medical expenses, you can make non-medical withdrawals, too. But you will pay taxes on these, plus a 20% penalty if you're under 65. So this probably isn't your best move if you're trying to keep your retirement tax bill as low as possible.
Those who decide to open an HSA for retirement should look for a provider that enables them to invest their funds. Otherwise, they won't earn very much on their savings over time.
3. Government bond income
Bonds are one way that corporations or governments raise money. You purchase a bond, and that money goes to the company or government, which pays back your principal, plus interest, over time.
Bonds issued by the federal government, including Treasury bonds, are typically exempt from state and local taxes. And municipal bonds -- those issued by state or local governments -- are typically free from federal taxes. Some states also don't tax interest on municipal bonds issued in that state.
Adding some of these to your portfolio as you near retirement could help you reduce how much you owe the government at tax time. Moving more money into bonds when approaching retirement is something a lot of people do anyway to protect what they have. Bonds are generally less volatile than stocks, so there's less risk of losing money right when you need to tap your savings.
Even using the above accounts and investments, you probably won't avoid retirement taxes entirely. But even if you shave only a little off your tax liability, it could be enough to drop you into a lower tax bracket, where you'll pay a smaller percentage to the government. So keep the above income types in mind as you weigh where to put your retirement savings going forward.
