Amazon founder Jeff Bezos didn’t just trade rain for sunshine when he moved from Washington to a “Billionaire Bunker” in Florida. He lowered his tax liability by nearly $1 billion, according to My CPE.
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However, tax shelters aren’t only for the rich. Here are five ways you can create your own — and keep more money in your wallet.
Relocate To A State With Tax Shelters
Moving to a state with no individual income tax, corporate income tax, inheritance tax, estate tax, or capital gains tax can serve as a tax shelter. According to AARP, the following nine states offer Americans tax shelters.
- Alaska : The last frontier has no income tax, state tax, inheritance tax, or long-term capital gains tax, and the state exempts adults 65 and older from paying the first $150,000 of their assessed property value.
- Florida : The Sunshine State has no individual income tax, long-term capital gains tax, estate tax, or inheritance tax. However, the combined state and local tax equals 7%.
- Nevada : No capital gains tax, inheritance tax, or estate tax and property tax is kept low at 0.49%. However, state and local taxes combined average 8.24%.
- New Hampshire : The Granite State offers tax shelters, including no estate tax, sales tax or taxes on interest and dividends.
- South Dakota : The state has no corporate or individual income tax, estate tax or inheritance tax. Combined state and local sales tax is 6.11%, and property tax is 0.99%. However, eligible retirees may be refunded property and sales taxes, and the state offers property tax relief funds.
- Tennessee : Residents do not have to pay taxes on income, estates, or inheritance, and the property tax remains low at 0.49%, with relief for retirees, low-income, veterans, and military families. Combined state and local sales taxes are high at 9.61%.
- Texas : No income tax, corporate tax, estate or inheritance tax. However, local and statewide tax is 8.25%. Property tax rates are 1.36%. However, the state offers relief, such as the Homestead exemption and a $60,000 exemption for seniors and disabled persons.
- Washington : No individual income tax and low property taxes. However, it imposes a 35% real estate tax and a 9.9% capital gains tax on high earners, which allowed Bezos to save millions in taxes by moving to Florida.
- Wyoming : No state income, corporate, estate or inheritance taxes. Property taxes average 0.55%, with a 25% exemption on the first $1 million of single-family homes, relief programs for seniors over 62, veterans and disabled persons. Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.56%.
Deduct Contributions From Your Retirement Accounts
Contributing to retirement accounts is one of the easiest ways to lower your taxable income. With traditional IRAs and 401(k)s, you can deduct contributions now, and the money grows tax-free until you withdraw it in retirement.
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With Roth accounts, you pay taxes upfront, but your money grows tax-free and qualified withdrawals are tax-free later. Some high earners convert 401(k) contributions to Roth funds for future tax-free growth.
A Health Savings Account (HSA) works as a powerful tax shelter because contributions are tax-deductible, the money grows tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free.
Get Tax Exemptions on Real Estate
Long considered a wealth-building tool, real estate comes with meaningful tax perks. Homeowners can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes, and may qualify for a sizable capital gains exclusion when selling a primary residence.
Investment properties offer even more advantages, including depreciation deductions in addition to mortgage interest and property taxes. Investors can also use a 1031 exchange to defer capital gains taxes by reinvesting profits from one property into another, according to Charles Schwab.
Tax Shelters for Business Owners
Running a business uncovers a wealth of deductible business expenses, such as employee salaries, equipment, software, internet, office supplies, subscriptions and more. Small businesses can take advantage of a home office deduction.
Your business structure (LLC or SCorp) can also affect how much you pay in taxes, so it’s worth speaking to a tax professional.
New Tax Deduction for Seniors
Effective from 2025 through 2028 under the One Big Beautiful Bill, working seniors age 65 and older may qualify for a $6,000 deduction for single filers and $12,000 for married couples if both spouses qualify, according to the IRS.
To be eligible, seniors must earn $75,000 or less as single filers or $150,000 or less if filing jointly.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Jeff Bezos Used a ‘Billionaire Bunker’ as a Tax Shelter — 5 Ways You Can Create Your Own
