Strategies for Reducing Tax on Social Security and Retirement Distributions  

There are different types of strategies available to assist clients who are entering or who are currently in their retirement years, such as asset repositioning strategies, cash management strategies, and tax-advantaged strategies. This course focuses on tax-advantaged strategies. Retirees often receive income from a variety of sources, including Social Security benefits, and distributions from pensions, annuities, IRAs, and other retirement plans. This course focuses on how the more common types of retirement income are taxed and strategies that may be implemented to reduce the taxpayer's federal income taxes. Chapter 1 reviews the computation of taxable Social Security Benefits and strategies to minimize taxes. Chapter 2 covers exemptions to the early distribution tax on distributions from qualified retirement arrangements before age 59-1/2. Chapter 3 covers how the required minimum distribution rules affect retirement income and strategies for delaying distributions or minimizing taxes. Chapter 4 reviews tax strategies for lump-sum distributions.

The final exam for this course includes many hands-on, scenario based questions that may require calculations. This intermediate level course is most appropriate for the professional with detailed knowledge in federal income taxation of individuals or the professional seeking to expand his or her knowledge base and who may be at a mid-level position within an organization with operational or supervisory responsibilities, or both.