12 States With the Best Tax Deductions for Retirees Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
Which States Provide the Best Tax Breaks for Retirees
These 6 states are among those with lowest levies
The beautiful landscape of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire. Robert Harding/Alamy New Hampshire heads a list of 12 states that offer the most favorable for retirees, in a recent ranking by personal finance website Money and Career CheatSheet. South Carolina is ranked number 2, followed by Hawaii, South Dakota and Nevada. Rounding out the top 12 are Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Puerto Rico (actually a territory, not a state), Florida and Alaska. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The ranking, which draws on data from sources such as the Tax Foundation and state departments of revenue, doesn’t just rely upon state income taxes as a measure. While seven states — Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Wyoming and South Dakota — don’t have an , some have high real estate or sales taxes that can cut into retirees’ finances, CheatSheet noted. New Hampshire, the top-ranked state, taxes dividend and interest income above $2,400 at a 5 percent rate for individuals, but not other income, and it offers residents 65 and older a $1,200 exemption against those levies. The Granite State also is one of five states that don’t have a state sales tax, according to Money magazine. ranked second in large part because of a state law passed in 2016 that exempts as much as $30,000 of military retirees’ income from state taxes once they reach age 65. A ranking by Kiplinger picked Alaska as the most tax-friendly state for retirees in 2016 because it lacks income and sales taxes and pays a dividend from oil revenues to defray high property taxes. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS