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Retirement Tax Comparison Tool (2026): Compare Any Two States

Clear Money Guide

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Open the inputs first, then use the guide outline to check assumptions and sources.

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Every tax that changes, side by side
How to read the result
Go deeper on a specific move

Updated July 25, 2026. Quick answer (2026): Pick the state you live in and the state you are considering. This tool compares all four taxes that change when a retiree moves — state income tax on withdrawals, state estate tax, state inheritance tax, and the probate fee model — using statute-cited 2026 data for all 51 jurisdictions. Enter an estate value and it will tell you whether you cross either state’s estate-tax threshold, which is the number most relocation comparisons never mention. 13 jurisdictions already exempt retirement withdrawals entirely, 13 levy an estate tax and 5 levy an inheritance tax.

Every tax that changes, side by side

Cells are quoted from our statute-cited 51-jurisdiction dataset. Download it as CSV.

How to read the result

  • The income-tax line is often zero. Thirteen jurisdictions already exempt retirement-plan withdrawals, so a retiree leaving one of them saves nothing on income tax no matter where they go.
  • The estate line is usually the bigger number. Thresholds range from Oregon’s $1,000,000 to Connecticut’s $15,000,000, and several have not been indexed for years.
  • The withdrawal figure is illustrative. It applies the top of a state’s schedule, not your actual bracket, and ignores exclusions. Use it to rank options, not to file.
  • Probate is avoided by a funded trust, not by moving. See probate cost by state.

Go deeper on a specific move

Worked, statute-cited comparisons for the corridors retirees actually use are at the retirement tax relocation hub, and every state has its own guide in the 51-state retirement tax table. If you are timing a Roth conversion around the move, see how all 51 jurisdictions tax Roth conversions.

Getting the order right

Move timing, conversion sequencing and estate exposure interact. Know what advice should cost before you buy it — see our advisor cost guide.

Cite or share this tool

Suggested citation: Clear Money Guide, “Retirement Tax Comparison Tool (2026),” statute-cited; clearmoneyguide.com/retirement-tax-comparison-tool/. Free to cite with attribution. Download the full dataset as CSV, or contact contact@clearmoneyguide.com for custom cuts.

Methodology: compiled from state statutes, session laws and revenue-department publications and adversarially verified July 2026. Estate thresholds are the 2026 figures stated in the source dataset. Nothing here is personalized tax or legal advice.

Guides › Retirement Tax Relocation

This tool personalises a two-state move; for the full picture — the static reference behind it, every state on every dimension.

All the numbers, kept current. This page uses 9 figures from our claims register — every figure we track is on one page, each with the year it applies to and a plain statement of what makes it move.

State-by-state: does your state tax pensions?, added September 4, 2026

This session added 26 new state pages answering the exact question “does this state tax pensions”: public, private, federal and military pension treatment, IRA/401(k) distributions, and any general retirement-income exclusion, each cited to the state’s own statute or revenue-department guidance.

State-by-state: does your state tax Social Security?, added September 5, 2026

This session added 50 new state pages answering the exact question “does this state tax Social Security benefits”: whether the state has an income tax at all, whether it exempts Social Security, and any income threshold or phase-out that applies, each cited to the state’s own statute or revenue-department guidance.

State-by-state: does your state tax pensions? (now 51/51), added September 5, 2026

This session added 25 more state pages answering the exact question “does this state tax pensions”: public, private, federal and military pension treatment, IRA/401(k) distributions, and any general retirement-income exclusion, each cited to the state’s own statute or revenue-department guidance. Combined with the first wave, the family now covers all 51 jurisdictions.

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