What a taxable index-fund account is actually worth after expense-ratio drag and after Wisconsin takes its share of the gain — which, in most states, is not at the federal preferential rate.
There is no state equivalent of the federal preferential rate here — a long-term gain is charged at Wisconsin's normal income brackets, exactly like wages. This is the common case, and it surprises people who assume the federal 15% carries over. WISCONSIN'S EXCLUSION IS REAL AND BROAD -- unlike Vermont's, it is not carved back for publicly traded securities. A deduction for 30% of the net capital gain from assets held MORE THAN ONE YEAR is allowable in computing Wisconsin taxable income, rising to 60% of net capital gain from FARM ASSETS held more than one year. The remaining 70% is taxed at the ordinary graduated schedule, so a top-bracket Wisconsin filer's effective rate on a long-term gain is roughly 5.36% (70% x 7.65%) rather than 7.65%. Note the holding period carefully: it is more than ONE year, matching the federal long-term definition, not the three-year period Vermont uses. Short-term gains get no exclusion and are taxed in full. Because Wisconsin begins from federal adjusted gross income and the deduction is a Wisconsin-only adjustment, a filer's Wisconsin capital gain can diverge from the federal figure in both the year of realization and in carryover years, which is why Wisconsin requires reconciling adjustments on Schedule WD, Schedule AD, or Schedule SB. Wisconsin has also adopted the federal qualified small business stock changes made by Public Law 119-21, which expand the percentage of QSBS gain excludable, the per-issuer gain cap, and the maximum asset size of a qualifying small business.
What your state actually takes from a 401(k) withdrawal, a pension, and Social Security — in dollars, not a yes/no list.
2026 limits, employer match, the 60-63 super catch-up, and whether the Roth catch-up mandate applies to you.
When your RMDs start under SECURE 2.0, how much this year's is, and what missing it costs.
Wisconsin charges $936 in state income tax on a typical retirement income, $4,594 in property tax on its median home and $2,465 in insurance — $7,995 together, which is 28th of 50.
What retiring actually costs across all fifty states in 2026 — the three lines that decide it, why ranking states by income tax gets the answer wrong, the federal rules that follow you everywhere, and the decisions that are worth real money before you move.
What moving actually saves, on your own income mix rather than a headline rate — and how to establish domicile so the state you left cannot follow you.
Which account to draw first, priced. The three cliffs a withdrawal can cross without warning, the conversion window almost nobody uses, and why the order is the last big decision you can still change.