07/30/2026
Thinking about pulling money from your IRA in retirement? The account you choose can affect a lot more than just your tax bill this year; it can also impact your Medicare premiums down the road.
Here's why:
✅ Roth IRA withdrawals (once you're 59½+ and the account's been open 5+ years) are 100% tax-free — federal AND California. They also don't count toward your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), so they can't bump you into a higher Medicare IRMAA bracket.
⚠️ Traditional IRA withdrawals are fully taxable. A $20,000 net withdrawal (after ~22% federal + 2% CA withholding) actually adds about $26,316 to your MAGI once grossed up, which can be enough to push you into the next Medicare Part B/D premium tier.
📊 For 2026, that next IRMAA bracket kicks in once MAGI crosses $109,000 (individual filer). (Using current thresholds as an estimate, official 2027 numbers haven't been released yet, so this is directional, not exact.)
The takeaway: retirement withdrawals aren't one-size-fits-all. The right account to pull from depends on your full income picture — RMDs, Social Security COLAs, pension income, and more all factor in.
If you're weighing a big withdrawal and want to make sure it's coming from the right bucket, let's talk. 📞