Moving from California to Nevada eliminates the 9.3% state income tax on RMDs, saving six figures over 20 years on a $2.1 million IRA.
Nevada residency doesn't fix federal exposure: IRMAA surcharges kick in above $109,000 MAGI, and up to 85% of Social Security stays federally taxable.
A Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $111,000 in 2026 can satisfy the entire first RMD and keep it out of AGI completely.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
A recent post on r/personalfinance describes exactly this move: a father who rolled a large 401(k) into a traditional IRA at 72, then relocated from California to Nevada for what the poster called "a 9.3% instant savings once RMD hits." The specifics fit a common profile: a $2.1 million balance, a first required minimum distribution one year away, and a California tax bill that grows every year the account does. The math on why the U-Haul is worth it, and the federal trap the move does not solve, is more interesting than the headline.
#california #distribution #federal
Nevada residency doesn't fix federal exposure: IRMAA surcharges kick in above $109,000 MAGI, and up to 85% of Social Security stays federally taxable.
A Qualified Charitable Distribution of up to $111,000 in 2026 can satisfy the entire first RMD and keep it out of AGI completely.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
A recent post on r/personalfinance describes exactly this move: a father who rolled a large 401(k) into a traditional IRA at 72, then relocated from California to Nevada for what the poster called "a 9.3% instant savings once RMD hits." The specifics fit a common profile: a $2.1 million balance, a first required minimum distribution one year away, and a California tax bill that grows every year the account does. The math on why the U-Haul is worth it, and the federal trap the move does not solve, is more interesting than the headline.
#california #distribution #federal
3 months ago
