Greenville, SC, has become an increasingly popular destination for high-income earners and retirees. Why? One reason is that South Carolina is very tax-friendly, especially for retired individuals and couples.
As fee-only fiduciary financial advisors in Greenville, we regularly meet with executives, professionals, and business owners preparing to retire. They may already have second homes here, but eventually, this will be their primary residence.
The two most frequent questions we receive about retirement planning are:
- How Can I Make My Retirement Savings Last Longer?
- How Do Taxes Impact My Retirement Income?
With new medical advances and improved healthcare options, many retirees are concerned about outliving their retirement savings. Nothing can be worse than running out of money late in life when you have very few options.
Taxes can have a significant impact on your net income, so having an efficient tax plan in place for your retirement years is extremely important.
You are not alone. Millions of Americans share these concerns as they look at 30 or 40 years of retirement and how they will fund a desirable lifestyle for all those years. They do share a standard solution. They need a comprehensive tax plan custom-tailored to their current circumstances and future retirement years.
In this article, we'll explore the tax benefits of retiring in Greenville and the importance of collaborating with a fiduciary financial advisor who can create tax-efficient investment strategies to help minimize your tax liabilities in retirement.
Here are six potential tax benefits when you retire in Greenville, South Carolina.
Considering relocating to the Carolinas for your retirement? Read our popular Quick Guide, “Tax Planning Strategies in the Carolinas.”
1. No State Taxes on Social Security Benefits in South Carolina
This may provide some tax relief because South Carolina does not tax Social Security benefits at the state level. With the money you save on taxes, your disposable income may increase, allowing you to reinvest in tax-efficient investment strategies that produce additional income to fund your desired lifestyle.
Remember, tax laws can change, and so can your circumstances, so having a financial partner specializing in creating tax-efficient investment strategies can provide the expertise you need to achieve your long-term financial goals.
2. Retirement Income Deductions
South Carolina also offers generous deductions for other types of retirement income. If you are 65 and older, you can deduct up to $15,000 of retirement income if it is coming from IRAs and 401(k)s. This is another way you can reduce your state income taxes.
This tax law provides immediate financial relief to retirees and makes South Carolina an attractive destination for those considering relocation to a more favorable tax environment.
3. Homestead Exemption
The homestead exemption in South Carolina offers numerous benefits to eligible homeowners. If you are at least 65 years old and legally blind or disabled, you can qualify for a homestead exemption. This exemption deducts $50,000 from the value of your home for property tax purposes, which can also lessen your tax liability.
4. Lower Property Taxes
In general, South Carolina has lower property taxes compared to many other states. The state typically ranks among the bottom ten regarding property tax rates in the United States.
Paying less money to the government should increase your cash flow, allowing you to enhance your lifestyle or invest assets to produce more income. This income can help offset the need to withdraw from your savings accounts, allowing your portfolios to produce more income over extended periods.
Passing properties onto heirs with a lower tax burden may be an appealing aspect of your long-term financial and estate planning strategies.
5. South Carolina Estate Planning
South Carolina does not impose an estate tax. While the federal estate tax might still apply depending on the amount of assets, not having an estate tax at the state level can benefit you and other high-net-worth individuals who have accumulated significant wealth.
Gifting, charitable giving, and trust planning can help you minimize estate taxes. A fee-only financial advisor in Greenville, SC, can help retirees navigate these complex financial considerations, ensuring their legacies are aligned with their wishes.
6. Military Tax Benefits
South Carolina offers some unique military tax benefits that appeal to high-net-worth individuals who served in the military.
- Retirement Income Deductions: South Carolina allows a significant deduction for military retirees and their retirement incomes. The deduction can be $17,500 for those under 65 and up to $30,000 for those 65 or older. This benefit directly reduces your taxable income, offering considerable savings, especially for higher-net-worth individuals.
- No Tax on Military Pension: For veterans who retired after 2019, military pension income is entirely exempt from state taxes. This provision can lead to substantial savings, mainly when a military pension is a significant part of your retirement income.
- Property Tax Exemptions: If you are a veteran permanently disabled due to military service, you may be eligible for a complete exemption from property taxes on your primary residence. As a high-net-worth individual, this could be an important part of your tax planning strategy.
- Survivor Benefits: If you are a surviving spouse of a military member who was killed in action or was permanently disabled during military service, as the surviving spouse, you can continue to receive these property tax exemptions.
About Global View
As an investor, you have many choices regarding who will help you plan your financial future and manage your assets. At Global View, we recognize the importance of an advocate understanding your needs. Your financial advocate should be an experienced expert who can be trusted to provide advice always in your best interests.
At Global View, we help answer the questions that can keep you up at night:
- When can I retire or change careers?
- How will a market crash impact me and my family?
- Is my family protected if something happens to me?
- Am I making the right decisions to achieve my goals?
- What’s the best way to keep wealth in the family?
- How can I make the inheritance process easier for my heirs?
- After the big run-up in the market and higher interest rates, how should I be investing my assets?
As a team, we work alongside you to identify your financial concerns. Then, we develop financial strategies designed to help you overcome the concerns. If you want a collaborative relationship with a Greenville financial advisor team, we invite you to connect with us for an introductory discussion.
