 but instead they would have to roll over some portion of their assets to an IRA and then facilitate the conversion at the brokerage firm. But either way, you don't avoid the tax. It's just a matter of when you pay it and at what rate. Exactly. So that's why when we analyze our clients' income brackets, typically this happens when they've retired, and they might have other assets to live on to supplement, for example, their Social Security.