This is an outstanding question and a situation where strategic planning can save you hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in taxes over your lifetime. With a $7 million Traditional IRA, you are facing a significant future tax liability.
Let's break this down. First, a direct answer, then the strategy.
Direct Answer: Should You Convert?
Almost certainly, yes, you should convert a portion of it. Converting the entire $7 million at once would be a catastrophic tax mistake. It would push you into the highest federal (37%) and state tax brackets, resulting in a tax bill of potentially $3 million or more in a single year.
The goal is not a full, immediate conversion. The goal is a series of strategic, partial conversions over many years to manage your tax liability effectively.
The Core Problem: The RMD "Tax Bomb"
Your primary motivation for converting is to defuse the "Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Tax Bomb."
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Your RMDs will start at age 73 (or 75, depending on your birth year).
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Let's assume your $7M grows conservatively to $9M by the time you're 73.
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Your first RMD would be roughly **
9M / 27.4). -
This $327,000 is forced ordinary income every year, whether you need the money or not. This amount will likely place you in one of the highest tax brackets for the rest of your life and will grow larger over time.
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This high income can also trigger higher Medicare Part B and D premiums (known as IRMAA).
By converting portions to a Roth IRA, you reduce the future balance of your Traditional IRA, thereby reducing your future RMDs and the associated tax bill.
The Strategy: How to Minimize Your Tax on Conversions
Your plan should be to execute a series of partial conversions during your lowest income years. For you, this creates a "golden window" for conversions.
Your Golden Window: The period after you retire (and your salary disappears) but before you start taking Social Security and RMDs (when other income sources begin). This is roughly from age 59 to 72.
Here is the step-by-step strategy to discuss with a financial professional:
Step 1: Wait Until You Retire (Crucial)
Do not start conversions while you are still working. Your high salary already places you in a high tax bracket. Adding conversion income on top of that is inefficient. Wait the 2-3 years until you've officially retired and your employment income drops to zero.
Step 2: "Fill the Brackets" Systematically
This is the core of the strategy. Each year, you will convert just enough money from your Traditional IRA to "fill up" the lower and middle tax brackets, but not so much that you push yourself into the highest brackets unnecessarily.
Hypothetical Example of "Bracket Filling":
Let's use the 2024 tax brackets for a couple filing jointly (assuming you are married; the principle is the same for a single filer, but the numbers change).
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10% Bracket: up to $23,200
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12% Bracket: $23,201 to $94,300
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22% Bracket: $94,301 to $201,050
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24% Bracket: $201,051 to $383,900
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32% Bracket: $383,901 to $487,450
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35% Bracket: $487,451 to $731,200
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37% Bracket: over $731,200
Your Annual Conversion Plan (Starting After Retirement):
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Establish a Baseline Income: Let's say in retirement you have $50,000/year in other income (pensions, dividends, etc.).
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Choose a Target Bracket: You and your advisor might decide that paying a 24% federal tax rate is acceptable to avoid a 35% or 37% rate later. The top of the 24% bracket is $383,900.
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Calculate the Conversion Amount:
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Target Income: $383,900
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Subtract Other Income: -$50,000
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Subtract Standard Deduction (Married, 2024): ~$29,200
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Annual Conversion Amount: ~$304,700
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In this scenario, you would convert around $300,000 per year. The tax on this would be significant (roughly
70,000 depending on the exact numbers), but it's a controlled, deliberate tax payment at a known rate.
Step 3: Create a Multi-Year Plan
You would repeat this process every year during your "golden window."
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Ages 59-69: You could potentially convert $300,000 a year for 10 years.
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Total Converted: $3,000,000
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This moves a substantial portion of your IRA into a tax-free Roth account before RMDs ever begin. Your remaining Traditional IRA balance will be much smaller, leading to smaller, more manageable RMDs.
Step 4: Pay Taxes with Non-Retirement Funds
This is critical. You must have sufficient cash in a savings or brokerage account to pay the taxes on the conversion. Do not pay the taxes from the converted IRA funds. If you do, the amount used to pay tax is considered a distribution, and since you are under 59½ (for the first few years of this plan), it would be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
Key Strategic Considerations for Your Situation
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Tax Law Uncertainty: Current tax rates under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire at the end of 2025. Rates may go up in 2026. This adds urgency to your planning. You may want to be more aggressive with conversions in 2024 and 2025 to lock in current rates.
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State Taxes: Don't forget state income tax. If you live in a high-tax state (like CA or NY), this adds a significant cost. Some people even consider moving to a no-income-tax state (like FL, TX, NV) for their retirement years to make these conversions more efficient.
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Charitable Giving: If you are charitably inclined, once you reach age 70½, you can use a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) of up to $105,000 (indexed for inflation) per year directly from your Traditional IRA. This satisfies part of your RMD (once they start) and is not included in your income, making it a very tax-efficient way to be charitable.
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Estate Planning: A Roth IRA is a phenomenal estate planning tool. Your heirs will inherit it completely tax-free (though they will be subject to a 10-year withdrawal rule). This is a massive advantage over a Traditional IRA, where heirs pay ordinary income tax on every dollar they withdraw.
Your Immediate Action Plan
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Do NOT act alone. Your situation is far too complex for DIY planning.
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Assemble Your Team: You need a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who specializes in tax planning and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). They can work together to model different conversion scenarios, project your lifetime tax liability, and create a precise, year-by-year plan.
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Analyze Your Cash Flow: Determine how much cash you have available outside of your IRA to pay the conversion taxes over the next 10-15 years. This will dictate how aggressive you can be with your annual conversions.
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Model, Model, Model: Your team should create projections showing:
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Scenario A: No conversions (the "RMD Tax Bomb" scenario).
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Scenario B: A strategic, multi-year conversion plan.
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Compare the total lifetime taxes paid, impact on Medicare premiums, and net amount left to your heirs in each scenario.
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You are in an enviable financial position, but it comes with significant complexity. By taking a proactive, strategic approach to Roth conversions over the next decade, you can gain control over your taxable income in retirement and dramatically increase the after-tax value of your estate.
