WASHINGTON — Even presidents dip into their savings when they are getting ready to switch jobs.

Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, cashed out nearly $1 million in investments last year, according to their 2015 tax return, which the White House released on Friday.

The figure suggests that they were preparing to finance large expenses like a home purchase. Mr. Obama said last month that the family would remain in the Washington area after he left the White House in January 2017, while his younger daughter, Sasha, finishes high school.

The tax return, released before the filing deadline on Monday, shows that the Obamas earned $436,065 last year and paid $81,472 in total tax — an effective rate of about 18.7 percent. They are getting a refund of $22,859.