What is the Rhode Island state income tax rate in 2026?
Rhode Island taxes income in 3 brackets from 3.75% to 5.99% in 2026; the top rate starts at $186,450 of taxable income for a single filer and $186,450 for a married couple filing jointly. Example: a married couple, both 70, with $40,000 of Social Security, a $30,000 private pension and $30,000 of IRA withdrawals ($100,000 in all; the pension and IRA money split evenly between them) owes $0 of Rhode Island income tax (0.0% of their income) and $5,087 of federal tax; a single 62-year-old with $24,000 of Social Security, an $18,000 pension and $18,000 of IRA withdrawals ($60,000 in all) owes $1,348 to Rhode Island and $4,111 federal. The schedule, how Rhode Island treats each kind of retirement income, and its local taxes follow.
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75% | $0 to $82,050 | $0 to $82,050 |
| 4.75% | $82,050 to $186,450 | $82,050 to $186,450 |
| 5.99% | over $186,450 | over $186,450 |
How Rhode Island taxes retirement income in 2026
| Standard deduction or personal exemption | $11,200 single, $22,400 married filing jointly, $16,800 head of household. Personal exemption, subtracted in addition: $5,250 single, $10,500 MFJ. (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules) |
|---|---|
| Social Security | Exempt only when the filer is at least 67 and income is below $107,000 (single) and $133,750 (married filing jointly). Otherwise the whole federally taxable amount is included. (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules) |
| Pensions, annuities and IRA/401(k) withdrawals | Pension and annuity distributions (IRA distributions do not qualify and are taxed in full): up to $50,000 excluded per taxpayer ($100,000 on a joint return) at age 67 or older. The exclusion is lost entirely when income exceeds $107,000 (single) / $133,750 (MFJ). (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules) |
| Capital gains | Net long-term gain is taxed as ordinary income. Short-term gains are ordinary income. (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules) |
Local income taxes: none in Rhode Island. The local income taxes the tax engine computes for 2026 are in Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Your whole 2026 return in Rhode Island, federal and state together, ends in a refund or an amount owed: 2026 tax return calculator (free) → What five typical retiree households owe or get back in Rhode Island and every other state: the 2026 tax return study.
Figures for 2026 from QuantCalc’s open tax engine (federal 2.3.2, state 1.14.2), for a full-year resident. An estimate, not tax advice: credits, itemized deductions and rules this page does not ask about change a real return. Every Rhode Island rule with its official sources: Rhode Island rules and sources.
In our 510,000-path Monte Carlo study of 30-year retirement outcomes, Rhode Island retirees finished at 73.05% success rate (ranked #36 of 51 by success rate, #38 of 51 by lowest median lifetime state tax). Median 30-year state-tax cost: $75,474 — that is $75,474 more than a Wyoming retiree pays. Median terminal balance after 30 years: $849,622. State tax is part of the optimization here — the playbook below shows the federal-state-ACA stack.
The RI verdict
For a retiree planning withdrawals in 2026, Rhode Island is a middle-of-the-road state for retirement taxation. A pension exclusion at full retirement age, phased by agi, and a $1.77m estate exemption.
Rhode Island allows a retirement-income exclusion of up to $100,000 for a couple from age 67. A traditional→Roth conversion does not draw on it, so converted dollars are taxed in full at the state rate even for a household that is otherwise sheltered.
Worked example: $30k Roth conversion in Rhode Island
Consider a married couple age 58 in Rhode Island with $75,000 of ordinary income (their MAGI), both on ACA Marketplace coverage. They want to convert $30,000 from a traditional IRA to a Roth. The Rhode Island state tax on that conversion is approximately $1,797 — Rhode Island's $100,000 retirement-income exclusion does not extend to conversion income at this age, so the full amount is taxed at 5.99%. Federal income tax adds another $3,600 — the whole conversion is taxed in the federal 12% bracket. And because the conversion pushes their MAGI to $105,000 — over the 400% FPL cliff of $84,600 — they lose their full ACA premium tax credit, $16,742 a year at Rhode Island's average benchmark Silver premium. Total cost of the $30,000 conversion: about $22,139, or an effective 73.8% marginal rate. That state figure uses Rhode Island's top bracket rate, so read it as a ceiling: a household whose income lands in a lower bracket pays less, and Rhode Island's own deductions reduce it further. The federal-state-ACA stack matters in Rhode Island.
Cost breakdown
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax (12% bracket) | $3,600 |
| Rhode Island state income tax | $1,797 |
| ACA premium tax credit clawback | $16,742 |
| Total cost on $30,000 conversion | $22,139 (73.8% effective) |
Scenario B (moderate): cliff-aware $34.6k conversion in Rhode Island
A Rhode Island couple aged 60, both on Marketplace coverage with $50K wages converts $34,600, which lifts their MAGI to exactly the $84,600 400% FPL cliff: still eligible, and they keep a premium tax credit of $17,363 a year. One more dollar of conversion would cost all of it. State tax: $2,073 — Rhode Island's $100,000 retirement-income exclusion does not extend to conversion income at this age, so the full amount is taxed at 5.99%. Federal income tax added: $4,012 (the whole conversion is taxed in the federal 10%–12% brackets). ACA PTC preserved. Total cost: $6,085, or 17.6% effective. In moderate-tax states, the conversion size is bounded by both the IRMAA two-year lookback and the ACA cliff — not state tax alone.
What the Monte Carlo data says about Rhode Island
QuantCalc Research ran a 30-year, 10,000-path Monte Carlo simulation for an identical representative retiree (age 60, $2M starting balance, 60/40 portfolio, $80K real annual spend) in each of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Here's how Rhode Island compared to the best- and worst-case states:
| Metric | Rhode Island | Wyoming (best) | California (worst) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-year success rate | 73.05% | 77.11% | 69.03% |
| Rank (of 51) | #36 | #1 | #51 |
| Median lifetime state tax (30y) | $75,474 | $0 | $154,980 |
| Median total tax (30y) | $293,874 | $218,400 | $373,380 |
| Median terminal balance | $849,622 | $999,751 | $695,612 |
| Δ success vs Wyoming | -4.06 pp | — | −8.08 pp |
Sources: QuantCalc 51-State Monte Carlo Study (2026-05-12) — 510,000 total paths, methodology fully documented and dataset released CC-BY-4.0. Rhode Island's row in the dataset uses the same portfolio + spend + retirement age as every other state — the only variable is state tax treatment.
How Rhode Island treats capital gains in retirement
Rhode Island taxes long-term capital gains as ordinary income at the same top bracket rate (5.99%). That stacks on top of federal LTCG (0%/15%/20%) and the 3.8% NIIT for high earners. A 'free' federal 0% LTCG harvest still costs you up to 5.99% at the state level — meaningful in this jurisdiction, particularly during Roth-conversion years when your MAGI is already elevated.
Why the ACA cliff hits hard in Rhode Island
The 400% federal-poverty-level cliff is federal, not state-specific — but its dollar impact depends on the benchmark Silver-plan premium in your county. Rhode Island's Marketplace pricing and your household composition determine the size of the subsidy at risk. A couple aged 58 with MAGI of exactly $84,600 still has $15,786 a year of premium tax credit at Rhode Island's average benchmark Silver premium, and all of it is on the line. With the 2021–2025 enhanced credit expired, $1 of additional MAGI above 400% FPL eliminates the entire credit.
For 2026 the 400% FPL threshold is:
- Household of 1: $62,600
- Household of 2: $84,600
- Household of 3: $106,600
- Household of 4: $128,600
Roth conversion strategy for Rhode Island
The RI-specific playbook depends on tier:
- Identify your cliff distance. Compute MAGI from all income sources (wages, capital gains, interest, dividends, traditional withdrawals). Find your headroom under 400% FPL. Use the live cliff widget above for a quick check.
- Stay under the cliff if you can. In Rhode Island at 5.99%, the marginal cost of going over the cliff is federal tax + state tax + full PTC clawback. The break-even conversion size is smaller than in tax-free states.
- If you must go over, convert big. Once you've crossed the cliff, additional conversion dollars only cost federal + state tax (no incremental PTC loss). A "rip the bandage" conversion year can be efficient if you have many traditional dollars to move.
- Coordinate with capital gains and the 0% LTCG bracket. Rhode Island taxes long-term capital gains as ordinary income at the same top bracket rate (5.99%). That stacks on top of federal LTCG (0%/15%/20%) and the 3.8% NIIT for high earners. A 'free' federal 0% LTCG harvest still costs you up to 5.99% at the state level — meaningful in this jurisdiction, particularly during Roth-conversion years when your MAGI is already elevated.
- Plan ahead for IRMAA. The IRMAA Medicare premium surcharge has a 2-year lookback. A Rhode Island resident in their early 60s converting today will see IRMAA implications at 65. See RMD + IRMAA calculator for the lookback math.
State tax basics for Rhode Island retirees
| Question | Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| State income tax | 5.99% top marginal |
| Number of brackets | 3 |
| Social Security taxed | Yes (with thresholds) |
| 401(k) / Traditional IRA taxed | Yes |
| Retirement-income exclusion (couple) | $100,000 from age 67 |
| Roth conversion draws that exclusion | No |
| State estate / inheritance tax | Yes |
| Retirement-friendliness tier | moderate |
| Notable feature | a pension exclusion at full retirement age, phased by AGI, and a $1.77M estate exemption |
| 30-yr MC success rate (rank) | 73.05% (#36/51) |
| Median 30-yr state tax | $75,474 |
Model your full Rhode Island retirement scenario
Free Monte Carlo (100 paths per run; 10,000 with PRO) with state-specific tax engine, ACA cliff, Roth conversion optimizer, IRMAA lookback — free, no signup.
Run a free simulation →What a year-end move does to your Rhode Island and federal tax in 2026
Each move changes three bills at once: the federal return, the Rhode Island return and, for anyone on Medicare, the IRMAA surcharge the 2026 income sets for 2028. Example: a married couple, both 72, with a $40,000 pension, $50,000 of Social Security, a $30,000 IRA withdrawal and $10,000 of long-term gains already realized in 2026, the pension, the IRA money and the conversion split evenly between them on the state return. Each row is that year with one move made, against the same year without it (negative = less tax).
| Move (by December 31, 2026) | Federal tax | Rhode Island tax | IRMAA in 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convert $25,000 to a Roth IRA | $3,165 | $4,357 | $0 |
| Send $10,000 of the IRA withdrawal to charity as a QCD | −$1,200 | −$266 | $0 |
| Harvest a $5,000 loss against the year's gains | $0 | −$188 | $0 |
An estimate from QuantCalc’s open tax engine (federal 2.3.2, state 1.14.2) for the 2026 tax year. Not tax advice: your return depends on facts this page does not ask about, so check a move with your tax preparer or custodian before acting. IRMAA uses the 2026 tiers for two people on Medicare; the 2028 tiers are not published yet. How the engine computes each line, with its official source: federal, Rhode Island.
Related calculators and reading
- All-states retirement tax comparison — see Rhode Island alongside the other 50 jurisdictions.
- State Retirement Tax Data 2026 — the per-jurisdiction rate, exclusion and Social Security figures behind this page, as CSV and JSON.
- ACA Subsidy Cliff Optimizer — find the largest Roth conversion that keeps you under 400% FPL.
- Roth Conversion Optimizer — bracket-fill vs. fixed-amount strategy comparison.
- RMD + IRMAA Calculator — Medicare premium surcharge based on 2-year-old MAGI.
- Safe Withdrawal Rate Calculator — sequence-of-returns-aware withdrawal planning.
- Research: 51-State 30-year Monte Carlo (2026) — full ranking and dataset.
- Research: Monte Carlo ACA Cliff 2026 — 80,000-path study of the cliff cost.
FAQ
What is the Rhode Island state income tax rate in 2026?
Rhode Island taxes income in 3 brackets from 3.75% to 5.99% in 2026; the top rate starts at $186,450 of taxable income for a single filer and $186,450 for a married couple filing jointly. The full schedule and Rhode Island's deductions are on this page (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules).
How much state income tax does a retiree pay in Rhode Island?
It depends on the kind of income. In 2026, a married couple, both 70, with $40,000 of Social Security, a $30,000 private pension and $30,000 of IRA withdrawals ($100,000 in all; the pension and IRA money split evenly between them) owes $0 of Rhode Island tax, and a single 62-year-old with $24,000 of Social Security, an $18,000 pension and $18,000 of IRA withdrawals ($60,000 in all) owes $1,348. Federal tax comes on top: $5,087 and $4,111.
Does Rhode Island tax Social Security benefits?
In some cases. Exempt only when the filer is at least 67 and income is below $107,000 (single) and $133,750 (married filing jointly). Otherwise the whole federally taxable amount is included. (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules)
Does Rhode Island tax pensions, 401(k) and IRA withdrawals?
Pension and annuity distributions (IRA distributions do not qualify and are taxed in full): up to $50,000 excluded per taxpayer ($100,000 on a joint return) at age 67 or older. The exclusion is lost entirely when income exceeds $107,000 (single) / $133,750 (MFJ). (Rhode Island Division of Taxation; rules)
Does Rhode Island have local income taxes?
No. No county, city or school district in Rhode Island levies an income tax that the tax engine computes for 2026.
Does Rhode Island tax Roth conversions?
Rhode Island taxes Roth conversions as ordinary income at the state level. A $30,000 conversion by a couple aged 58 costs about $1,797 in state tax alone — Rhode Island's $100,000 retirement-income exclusion does not extend to conversion income at this age, so the full amount is taxed at 5.99% — on top of federal tax and any ACA subsidy clawback. That state figure uses Rhode Island's top bracket rate, so read it as a ceiling: a household whose income lands in a lower bracket pays less, and Rhode Island's own deductions reduce it further.
What is Rhode Island's 30-year Monte Carlo retirement success rate?
In QuantCalc's 510,000-path Monte Carlo study, a representative retiree in Rhode Island (age 60, $2M balance, 60/40 portfolio, $80K real spend) finished 30 years at 73.05% success rate — ranked #36 of 51 jurisdictions. Median 30-year state tax: $75,474. Median terminal balance: $849,622.
What is the ACA cliff in Rhode Island for 2026?
The ACA premium-tax-credit cliff is a federal threshold, not state-specific. For a household of two in 2026, it sits at 400% of the federal poverty level — $84,600. Crossing it by even $1 of MAGI eliminates the full subsidy now that the 2021-2025 enhanced credit has expired.
Is Rhode Island a good state to retire for tax purposes?
Rhode Island is a middle-of-the-road state for retirement taxation. A pension exclusion at full retirement age, phased by agi, and a $1.77m estate exemption. In our Monte Carlo ranking it placed #36 of 51 jurisdictions.
Does Rhode Island have a state estate or inheritance tax?
Yes — Rhode Island has a state-level estate or inheritance tax in addition to the federal estate tax. Plan transfers accordingly.
How does Rhode Island tax capital gains?
Rhode Island taxes long-term capital gains as ordinary income at the same top bracket rate (5.99%). That stacks on top of federal LTCG (0%/15%/20%) and the 3.8% NIIT for high earners. A 'free' federal 0% LTCG harvest still costs you up to 5.99% at the state level — meaningful in this jurisdiction, particularly during Roth-conversion years when your MAGI is already elevated.
Last updated 2026-10-02. State income tax figures reflect the 2026 schedule published by Rhode Island's tax authority. ACA poverty-level figures: the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC ($15,650 for one person, plus $5,500 for each additional person; 90 FR 5917), which set 2026 Marketplace coverage. Premium tax credit estimates use Rhode Island's average benchmark Silver premium. Monte Carlo numbers from the QuantCalc 51-state research drop (2026-05-12, CC-BY-4.0). This page is educational. Not tax, legal, or financial advice — consult a qualified advisor.