Wyoming 529 plan: no state income tax, what counts in 2026
No income tax to reduce and no state-run plan to favor: a Wyoming family shops the whole country for its 529.
In the 529 at age 18
$43,037
$0 more than the same money in a taxable account, plus $0 of Wyoming tax saved along the way.
| You put in | $27,000 |
| Growth, tax-free for school costs | $16,037 |
| Taxable account after tax | $43,037 |
| Wyoming tax saved, 15 years | $0 |
Taxable account: dividends taxed every year and the remaining gain taxed at sale, at the 2026 federal capital gains rate for this income, NIIT where it applies, and your state marginal rate.
| Year | Child’s age | Put in | 529 balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | $5,400 | $5,886 |
| 6 | 9 | $10,800 | $12,897 |
| 9 | 12 | $16,200 | $21,247 |
| 12 | 15 | $21,600 | $31,192 |
| 15 | 18 | $27,000 | $43,037 |
Worked out by Radif Partners · How we calculate · Wyoming rule read on October 19, 2026, brackets of tax year 2026 · not tax advice
Wyoming has no 529 plan of its own and no individual income tax on wages, so there is no state deduction, no credit, no home-plan question and nothing to add back later. The State Treasurer's site lists no college savings program among its offerings, and a 2006 law removed the requirement that the Treasurer establish one. A Wyoming family can open an account in any state's plan that accepts nonresidents, and its balance limit, fees and investment choices are those of that plan. The tax value of the account is entirely federal: growth untaxed while invested and tax-free withdrawals for qualified costs, including up to $20,000 a year of K-12 costs per child from 2026, credential programs and up to $35,000 rolled to the beneficiary's Roth IRA. A Casper couple at $70,000 who save $150 a month from age three would have about $43,037 at 18, assuming a 6 % yearly return, against $43,037 in a taxable account after federal tax.
| State income tax on wages | None |
|---|---|
| Benefit for contributions | None (no income tax) |
A state without a 529 program
Wyoming sponsors no 529 plan. The Treasurer's home page describes programs such as WyoSTAR and unclaimed property, with no college savings plan among them. The Legislature's summary of 2006 bill SF0062 shows why: the law took away the duty for the State Treasurer to create a family college savings program. What became of any earlier arrangement is not described on the official pages we read, so this page does not go into it.
The Department of Revenue runs excise, mineral and property tax divisions and no individual income tax division. With no tax on wages there is no return for a contribution to lower, which is why the absence of a home plan costs Wyoming families nothing.
Choosing among other states' plans
Since no plan is favored, the decision rests on what each plan publishes: fees, investment menus, whether it is sold directly or through advisors, and the balance ceiling. Those ceilings differ. Among neighbors, Colorado sets $500,000, Montana sets $550,000, Utah sets $606,000, Nebraska sets $550,000 per beneficiary. A family that expects to stay in Wyoming has no reason to prefer a neighbor's plan over a more distant one.
A Wyoming family starting later with a lump sum
In the 529 at age 18
$67,481
| You put in | $45,000 |
| Growth, tax-free for school costs | $22,481 |
| Taxable account after tax | $67,481 |
| Wyoming tax saved, 10 years | $0 |
What fifteen years of deposits become
The Casper couple contribute $27,000 in all. At a 6 % return, an assumption you can change in the calculator, the 529 holds $43,037, of which $16,037 is growth that federal law leaves untaxed when it pays qualified costs. The same deposits in a brokerage account owe federal tax on dividends every year and on the gain at sale, leaving $43,037. The 529 against a taxable account page explains that gap in detail.
A move to a neighboring state
New residence, new rules. Using the new state's own plan, the couple at $70,000 putting $1,800 a year in would save $79 in Colorado and $80 in Utah. Montana counts any state's plan, so keeping the existing account and adding to it would save $85 there. Wyoming never gave a deduction, so leaving takes nothing back. The home plan or another state page covers whether to roll the balance into the new state's plan.