South Dakota is one of the most retiree-friendly states because it has no state income tax. That means your Social Security, pension, annuity, and 401(k)/IRA withdrawals are entirely free of South Dakota state tax. This tool confirms the $0 state liability and estimates the federally taxable portion of your Social Security so you see the full picture.
How it works
The South Dakota side is simple — every retirement dollar is state-tax-free. The federal Social Security estimate uses the IRS provisional-income worksheet:
provisional income = other income + ½ × Social Security
- Below the lower threshold (
$25,000single,$32,000joint): none of your Social Security is federally taxable. - Between thresholds: up to 50% of benefits become federally taxable.
- Above the upper threshold (
$34,000single,$44,000joint): up to 85% of benefits become federally taxable.
Pensions and traditional withdrawals are fully federally taxable as ordinary income, but South Dakota taxes none of it.
Tips and example
A single retiree with $24,000 of Social Security, a $20,000 pension, and $10,000 of IRA withdrawals pays $0 to South Dakota. Federally, their provisional income of $42,000 pushes them above the upper threshold, so a large share of their Social Security becomes federally taxable.
The federal figures here estimate taxability, not your final federal bill. Confirm federal numbers with a tax professional. South Dakota’s state tax on all of this is zero.