Take advantage of retirement accounts.
Among the biggest tax benefits available to most investors are the deferral benefits offered by retirement savings accounts such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and IRAs. These accounts can offer a double dose of tax advantages—the contributions you make may reduce your current taxable income, saving you cash this year, and any investment growth is tax deferred, saving you money while you are invested. In the case of HSAs, withdrawals used for qualified medical expenses could be triple tax free: tax-free contributions, earnings, and withdrawals. What’s more, saving in these accounts can help lower your adjusted gross income, and that could help you avoid income limits for additional tax credits and deductions, like the student loan interest deduction or personal exemption. “That’s a reason why we think a top financial priority for most investors should be to take advantage of IRAs, 401(k)s, and other workplace saving plans,” says Sweeney.