Let’s talk about tax brackets. They aren’t straight across the board but graduated based on income, meaning most taxpayers fall into more than one bracket. Current tax brackets are 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%, and you could fall into as few as one and as many as all.
Check this example from Bankrate.com:
“Say you’re a single individual in 2021 who earned $70,000 of taxable income. You’d pay 10% on the first $9,950 of your earnings ($995); then 12% on the chunk of earnings from $9,951 to $40,525 ($3,669), then 22% on the remaining income ($6,484.50). Your total tax bill would be $11,148.50. Divide that by your earnings of $70,000, and you get an effective tax rate of roughly 16%, which is lower than the 22% bracket you’re in.”1
So if you’re in a high bracket and not too happy about it, consider changing up the assets in your portfolio as a tactic to help ease the pain. If you have a traditional, SEP, or Simple IRA, consider if it’s advantageous to convert it to a Roth. If you’ve got money in an HSA and can pay medical expenses another way, it’s worth considering investing your HSA contributions for the long-term, where your earnings can grow tax-free.
A tax deferral strategy might be another consideration when it comes to your qualified retirement plans. “High-income earners over age 50 can save $27,000 in a 401(k).”2 You don’t pay taxes on dividends, interest, and capital gains until you actually take a distribution—and typically, by the time you retire, you’re in a lower tax bracket.
Cash-value life insurance might be another route to go down. This tax deferral strategy allows higher investment limits for contributions, and the money grows tax-free (withdrawals up to the amount of premiums paid aren’t taxed).
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