Tax-Aware Retirement Calculator

How much to save each year from now until retirement, with a withdrawal plan that keeps lifetime taxes low.

Every year of retirement is taxed with 2026 federal and state rules for ordinary income, long-term capital gains and Social Security. The calculator tests 15 withdrawal orders, including bracket-filling Roth conversions, and reports the one that needs the least saving.

Inputs

You

Current age

Retire at

Plan to age

Filing status

State of residence in retirement

Markets

Inflation

Investment return

Annual, nominal. Returns are applied evenly every year.

Use a different return after retiring

Return in retirement

Leave blank to use the same return throughout.

Spending in retirement

Annual spending, today’s dollars

Social Security

Starts at

Benefit, today’s $

Household total. Rises with inflation, like the cost-of-living adjustment.

Haircut for a trust-fund shortfall

Reduce benefit by

The trustees project roughly a 20% cut if Congress does nothing.

Portfolio today

Taxable brokerage

Only the gain on each sale is taxed, as long-term capital gains.

Pre-tax (401k, 403b, traditional IRA)

Withdrawals taxed as ordinary income, federal and state.

Roth (Roth IRA, Roth 401k)

Withdrawals tax-free.

Brokerage cost basis

Cost basis as a share of today’s balance

New contributions add to basis. Sales realize gains in proportion.

How new savings are split

Pre-tax

Roth

Taxable

Raise the amount saved with inflation each year

Goal

Tax assumptions

Federal long-term capital gains tax

Pre-tax money before age 59½

Local income tax

City or county rate

Applied to state taxable income (for example, Maryland counties or New York City).

Portfolio by account

Pre-tax Taxable Roth

Where each year’s money comes from

Social Security Pre-tax Taxable Roth Total tax

Withdrawal strategies compared

Year-by-year ledger

What the math assumes

Sources

Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 inflation adjustments (tax brackets, standard deduction, capital gains thresholds). irs.gov
Tax Foundation. 2026 Tax Brackets and Federal Income Tax Rates. taxfoundation.org
Tax Foundation. State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026. taxfoundation.org
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-B, Uniform Lifetime Table for required minimum distributions. irs.gov

A planning estimate, not tax or investment advice. Tax law changes; check the numbers with a tax professional before acting on them.