Arizona Self-Directed IRA

Arizona Overview

Arizona has long been a popular destination for retirees. However, it’s only moderately tax friendly to retirees, and has a higher than average cost of living.

However, those living in Arizona are more than compensated by good weather, especially in Northern Arizona. Southern Arizona, however, can get very hot in the summer. Temperatures of 110 degrees and up are routine in Phoenix and Mesa.

The outlook, however, is that Arizona will continue to attract plenty of retirees as long as they are simply more tax-friendly than California. Which should be easy to do.

Arizona’s dry and pleasant climate for most of the year makes it a popular state for golf – and Scottsdale, in particular, has a number of fantastic courses nearby. Some of the best courses include the Estansia Club in Scottsdale, Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, the Stone Canyon Club in Oro Valley, Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Pine Canyon Club in Flagstaff, The Rim in Payson, and the Club at Seven Canyons in Sedona.

There are good golf courses all over the state, but the center of gravity for Arizona Golf is definitely in or near Scottsdale, so if you are a golfing nut, you will want to stay nearby.

Why an Arizona Self-Directed IRA?

Stocks. Mutual funds. CDs. Bonds.

For years, you have heard that these are the types of investment vehicles through which to secure your retirement. The stock market tends to appreciate over the long haul, after all, and bonds are conservative and low on risk. Mutual funds have popped up in recent decades as one of the most popular investment vehicles as well, closely monitoring certain aspects of the stock market.

What most people do not know is that these are not the only investment types available for retirement.

In fact, if you choose self-direction, you will find that the IRS allows for all sorts of different types of investments in a retirement account. You can invest in gold and precious metals, real estate, private companies, and more. There are a few select limits on the sorts of investments you can make, but the good news is: you often have more legal options than you have limits.

For many people, an Arizona Self-Directed IRA means freedom, opportunity, and self-determination. It means not being satisfied that the “market” is the only market that exists. It does not mean you have to switch away all of your old investments. But if you want to invest in real estate or gold to help ensure a secure retirement, those options are indeed open…

And, like other IRA types, Arizona Self-Directed IRAs come with all sorts of investment protections.

Understand Your Arizona Self-Directed IRA Plan Options

Let’s take a moment to consider the various retirement account types:

• Traditional Self-Directed IRA: A retirement account in which you can invest pre-tax or after-tax dollars, and in which your investments grow tax-deferred, meaning you will pay taxes on them once you begin withdrawing them. When you start making retirement withdrawals–defined as withdrawals after you turn 59.5 years old–the money is treated as income.
• Self-Directed Roth IRA: Similar to a Traditional IRA, except you make after-tax dollar contributions so you are paying taxes on the front end. This allows your investments to grow tax-free. After the account has been established for 5 years and after you turn 59.5, your withdrawals are tax and penalty-free.
• Traditional 401(k): A qualified plan that allows employees to make pre-tax elective deferrals. Business owners who want to self-direct can use these as well and allow employees to self-direct their accounts.
• Self-Directed SEP IRA: Simplified Employee Pension that allows employers to make contributions to the retirement of their employees. An employer can also contribute to their own retirement with a Self-Directed SEP IRA.
• Self-Directed SIMPLE IRA: Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. A “tax-favored” plan that small businesses and individuals can set up for their employees.
• Self-Directed Solo 401(K): A 401(k) plan that a self-employed individual can use for retirement that offers high contribution limits.

As noted throughout, these same accounts offer a high degree of self-direction if you want to direct your own accounts.

A Variety of Investments

One of the chief benefits of directing your own retirement account is that you get to choose your investments from a wide range of options:

• Real estate: Apartment buildings, commercial property, retail space, raw land, etc. If you want to earn an immediate income for your retirement account with your investments, rent can be one of the most powerful ways to ensure that. You can also use leverage in a Arizona Self-Directed Real Estate IRA when using non-recourse loans.
• Private IRA Lending: You can negotiate the terms, interest rate, and length of the loan, as well as other variables like the monthly payment amounts and whether the loan is secured or unsecured.
• Private companies: Public stocks are what most people think of as “investments,” but there are also private stocks to consider. There is a lot of opportunity for growth in private company stock, but also plenty of risk to consider.
• Tax liens: With a high rate of return, these investment types are ideal for self-directing investors with smaller accounts.
• Precious metals: Gold, silver, platinum, palladium. These metals are famous as a “hedge” against economic downturn, which is why many people turn to them as a way to avoid putting all of their eggs in the stock market basket.
• Single Member LLC: An investor can create an LLC to be owned by their IRA, managing it themselves. This gives a significant degree of protection; however, you will likely want to consult with a professional to learn how to do this properly.

What You Can’t Do with an Arizona Self-Directed IRA

As fun as it is to talk about the various options you can have with a self-directed retirement account, it should be noted that there are certain limits, as well. You cannot self-direct a retirement account to invest in life insurance, collectibles like art, gems/jewelry, coins, alcoholic beverages, and tangible personal property. As enticing as it might be to put that wine cellar under a Self-Directed IRA protection, it’s simply prohibited–so look for your protected retirement investments elsewhere.

Who You Cannot Do Business With

A disqualified person is anyone the Self-Directed IRA has decided is not “arm’s length” from the IRA.  Your IRA cannot engage in any transactions with these individuals or you risk the tax-status of your IRA.

A Disqualified Person is:

• You
• Your spouse
• Any of your lineal ascendants or descendants (parents, children, grandchildren, and the spouses of children, grandchildren, etc. – including legally adopted children).
• Any investment providers or fiduciaries of the IRA.
• Any entity (a corporation, LLC, trust, etc.) where a disqualified person owns more than 50%.
• Any entity (like previously listed) where the IRA account holder is an officer, director, a 10% or more shareholder, or a highly compensated employee.

Getting Started with American IRA

Although we have thrown a lot of abbreviations and words at you, you should know that self-directing your retirement is not as complicated as it might sound. The steps are very simple:

• Open an Arizona Self-Directed IRA with American IRA. Make sure to put thought into the type of account you would like to open; review the options available to you and select the one that makes the most sense for your individual situation.
• Fund your account. This is where the options can throw people off. Let’s take a look at them quickly:
  • Contribution: Simply putting money into the account throughout the year. This is what a lot of the funding will look like once the account is already opened.
  • Conversion: Withdrawing part or all of the cash/assets from a Traditional IRA and putting them into a Roth IRA is called a conversion. Once the cash/assets are distributed, you have 60 days to put them in the Roth IRA account.
  • Rollover: A tax-free distribution of cash/assets from one account to be put in another retirement account. You are permitted one rollover per year.
  • Transfer: Transferring cash/assets directly from one retirement account to another retirement account. Because you do not take direct possession of the cash/assets, you are allowed unlimited transfers and there is no tax.

How it Works

1.)  Open an American IRA Self-Directed IRA

• Select the type of account that you would like to open.

2.)  Fund Your Account

• Move money into your account by transfer, rollover or contribution.

3.)  Select an Investment

• Find an asset you want your IRA to purchase and submit an Investment Form. American IRA will work with you and your professionals for a smooth closing.

4.)  Review the Instructions

• Visit the “How it Works” page on our website to review the instructions for the asset you want to purchase and submit the paperwork required for the investment you have chosen.

5.)  Provide Payment Authorization

• Submit Payment Authorization Forms for expenses that pertain to the asset your Self-Directed IRA has purchased.

6.)  Submit Deposit Coupons

• Deposit income generated from the asset your IRA purchased by submitting a Deposit Coupon along with the funds.

Tax and Financial Considerations for Arizona Self-Directed IRA Owners

Arizona’s cost of living is higher than the national average, thanks in part to high home prices in places like Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. You can live more cheaply outside of these areas. Plan on spending a lot of money on air conditioning bills.

Overall, Arizona is about 12 percent more expensive than the country as a whole. The median home price is $239,500, as of April 2019, which is somewhat higher than the $216,200 national average.

Arizona State Income Taxes

As of early 2019, Arizona state income tax brackets range from 2.59% to 4.54%. However, the top rate does not kick in until after you have already made $158,996 for singles, or $317,990 for married couples filing jointly.

Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are exempt from Arizona state taxes. Military and civil services pensions get an exemption of up to $2,500, as do Arizona state and local government pensions.  However, out of state government and private pensions are fully taxed as income in Arizona.

IRA and 401(k) distributions, like private pensions, are taxed as ordinary income.

Arizona sales taxes

Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax rates generally are 5.6%. Local governments collect an additional amount, which can reach as high as 4.5%, on top of the statewide Arizona Transaction Privilege tax.

The state exempts food for home consumption and prescription drugs from sales tax. But some local governments do tax food for home consumption.

Arizona Self-Directed Real Estate IRAs

Single homeowners 65 and older who earn less than $36,000 and married couples who earn less than $45,000 are eligible for a tax credit.

The average property tax rate is fairly low, at 0.77%. But Arizona taxes both personal and real property. For more information on how personal property is taxed in Arizona, click here and here.

Arizona Estate and Inheritance Taxes

None

Other Arizona Taxes

Arizona imposes a gasoline tax of 37.4 cents per gallon, and a 51.4 cent per gallon tax on diesel fuel.

As water is a critical shortage commodity in this arid desert state, Arizona also charges a water use tax of 65 cents per 1,000 gallons of water consumed.

Benefits of Retiring in Arizona

If you are interested in seeking retirement in Arizona, or if you simply want to think about it as a long-term option, you might consider a Self-Directed IRA. An Arizona Self-Directed IRA will allow you to handle plenty of different investments under your own control—all while enjoying the tax protections of retirement accounts.

Are you interested in retiring in Arizona? Want to learn more about how to take advantage of all of the retirement capabilities you have? Then it’s time to think about a Self-Directed IRA. Continue browsing this website to learn more about an Arizona Self-Directed IRA or contact us at 828-257-4949 to learn more about how you can secure a retirement for yourself.

About American IRA, LLC

American IRA, LLC is one of the leading third-party administrators for self-directed retirement accounts in the United States.  The custodian New Vision Trust Company is a South Dakota regulated trust company.   Founder and president Jim Hitt has been investing his own personal assets in Self-Directed IRAs, including Self-Directed Real Estate IRAs, for more than 35 years, and has helped thousands of others declare independence from Wall Street investment companies with their high fees and limited investment menus and become successful Self-Directed IRA investors.

American IRA has offices in Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, GA, but we serve investors from all over the United States and even expats who want to realize the benefits of self-directed retirement investing techniques in Arizona Self-Directed IRAs, Self-Directed Roth IRAs, Self-Directed SEP IRAs, Self-Directed SIMPLE IRAs and even Self-Directed CESAs and Self-Directed HSAs.

An Arizona Self-Directed IRA with American IRA, LLC can help you achieve greater diversification by making it easier to invest in alternative asset classes not commonly available from large investment companies. Self-Directed IRAs also allow you to take more direct control of your retirement assets, while minimizing exposure to needlessly high expense ratios, commissions, wrap fees, 12-b-1 fees and AUM fees commonly charged by Wall Street investment companies. Our much more efficient flat-fee, menu-based fee schedule frequently allows investors to save thousands in fees each year – particularly with larger accounts and buy-and-hold investors.

With an Arizona Self-Directed IRA from American IRA, LLC, you can quickly and easily invest in alternative asset classes like direct real estate ownership, tax liens and certificates, mortgage lending, precious metals, and much more.

To get started, click here to open an account, or call American IRA today at 866-7500-IRA(472).