Tax-Efficient Strategies

Taxes are one of the largest  and most controllable, expenses in retirement. At Legacy Ascent, we help individuals and families near or in retirement build proactive, multi-year tax strategies designed to reduce their lifetime tax burden before the IRS takes more than it needs to.

We work alongside your existing CPA to identify planning opportunities throughout the year — not just at filing time. From Roth conversion windows and Social Security timing to RMD bracket management and charitable giving strategies, we coordinate every piece of your tax picture into one written plan.

Whether you are approaching retirement with a growing IRA, already taking distributions, or navigating required minimum distributions, our tax-efficient planning process gives you the clarity, confidence, and savings that come from planning ahead, not reacting after the fact.

Retirement introduces an entirely new and more complex tax picture. Income sources shift, brackets change, and decisions made in one year can ripple through the next decade. Without a proactive strategy, retirees often pay far more in taxes than necessary.

A professional tax-efficient planning relationship helps you:

• Reduce your lifetime tax burden through multi-year Roth conversion planning
• Avoid unnecessary Medicare premium surcharges (IRMAA) by managing your AGI
• Minimize the tax impact of Required Minimum Distributions before they begin
• Coordinate Social Security timing with your overall income and tax picture
• Maximize the value of charitable giving through QCDs and donor-advised funds
• Keep more of your money working for you — and less going to the IRS

Without coordinated, forward-looking tax planning, retirees routinely leave thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — of dollars on the table each year.

At Legacy Ascent, our goal is to find every legal, legitimate opportunity to reduce your tax exposure before the window closes, not after.

 Unlike advisors who address taxes only at year-end — or not at all — Legacy Ascent builds tax strategy into your retirement plan from the beginning, reviewing your projected tax picture every fall and acting before opportunities expire.

Our Tax Planning Framework Includes:

✔ Annual tax projection and bracket analysis — reviewed every fall 

✔ Multi-year Roth conversion modeling to fill lower brackets before RMDs arrive 

✔ Medicare IRMAA monitoring and AGI management across all income sources 

✔ Social Security timing analysis coordinated with your full tax picture 

✔ Capital gains harvesting and cost basis reset strategies in low-income years 

✔ Qualified charitable distribution and donor-advised fund planning 

✔ Coordination with your existing CPA — we work with them, not around them

This proactive approach allows us to capture tax savings opportunities before they expire — often saving clients thousands of dollars each year.

 Many retirees pay significantly more in taxes than necessary — not because they are doing anything wrong, but because no one is looking ahead on their behalf.

Our planning process commonly uncovers:

• Roth conversion windows missed during low-income years before RMDs begin
• Social Security claimed too early, pushing combined income into higher brackets
• IRA withdrawals triggering IRMAA surcharges that could have been avoided
• Charitable giving done with cash instead of appreciated securities or QCDs
• Capital gains and RMD income stacking in the same year, causing a bracket spike
• No coordination between investment withdrawals and tax projections

Identifying and correcting these early can save you tens of thousands of dollars — or more — across the full span of your retirement.