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Qualified Charitable DIstributions and Inherited IRAs: TOday's Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Hello Ed Slott Team,We have a client with an IRA who wants to do a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to a charity. The charity also has an account with the same custodian of the IRA and has asked that the client simply journal assets from her IRA directly to the charity’s account.
Tax-Free HSA Distributions - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) continue to become more popular. If you have a qualifying high deductible health plan, you may make deductible contributions to an HSA. Then, you can take tax-free distributions to pay for qualified medical expenses. Here is what you need to know about taking tax-free HSA distributions.
Qualified Charitable Distributions and Required Minimum Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Question: If an IRA owner is over age 70 ½, can they do a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) even if their spouse makes a deductible traditional IRA contribution? Mark Answer: Hi Mark, There are some complicated rules that count deductible IRA contributions made after age 70 ½ against QCDs. However, these rules apply on a per person basis. What a spouse does is not considered. Your spouse can go ahead and make a deductible traditional IRA contribution. It will not affect your QCD. Question: In December of 2023 I requested a transfer of my IRA funds to a new custodian. The old custodian sent a check as a direct transfer to the new custodian, but as of 12/31 the check was “in the mail.” For RMD calculations, do I just forget these “in-the-mail dollars” (as they will be accounted for next year), or do I add the value of the outstanding check to the 12/31/2023 balance to calculate my 2024 RMD from my IRA with the new custodian? Thanks, Ryan Answer: Hi Ryan, The RMD rules do require you to adjust the 12-31 prior-year balance used to calculate RMDs for any outstanding rollovers or transfers. In your case, you would need to add the amount of the outstanding transfer into your 12-31-23 balance when calculating your 2024 RMD.
Roth IRA Conversion Considerations - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Roth IRA conversions remain as popular as ever. However, based on some recent questions we’ve received, it is apparent that folks don’t fully understand all the nuances of this transaction. Here are some of the basic concepts and items of consideration:
INHERITED ROTH IRAs AND TRUST BENEFICIARY PAYOUTS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Question:For a non-spousal inherited roth IRA account, there seems to be contradictory advice on different websites about when to take distributions. Some say there are annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) within the 10 years; others say you can wait until the 10th year for a lump sum. If you can wait and don't need the money, wouldn't it be wiser to wait until the last year since the money compounds tax free and the final lump sum distribution would also be tax-free?
401(k) Contribution Limits Increase for 2025 - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
There is some good news for retirement savers! The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement accounts for 2025, and many of the dollar limit restrictions on retirement accounts will increase next year. In addition, new rules from the SECURE 2.0 Act also will bring more savings opportunities.
New Rule: All IRA RMDs Must Be Satisfied Prior to Doing a Roth Conversion - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Yes, you read that title correctly. This rule was confirmed in the 2024 final SECURE Act regulations, released this past July. If a person has multiple IRAs, even if they are held at different custodians, the total aggregated IRA required minimum distribution (RMD) must be withdrawn before any Roth IRA conversion (or 60-day rollover) can be completed.
Trusts as the Beneficiary and Inherited IRAs: Today's Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
QUESTION:Hello,I’m working with a retired client who has a sizable IRA. He set up a trust and named it as the beneficiary of the IRA, assuming that the trust would reduce or eliminate the income tax liability. Is this the case? Also, does a trust circumvent the 10-year rule?Thanks!
Turn Your Clocks Back, and Pay Attention to the Roth IRA Clocks - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend!With that reminder comes another: pay attention to the Roth IRA distribution clocks. The key point to remember is that there are two different clocks, each used for a different purpose.
3 IRA Tasks to Complete by the End of 2024 - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
The year 2024 has flown by and the holidays season will soon be upon us. That means time is running out on year-end IRA deadlines. You will want to be sure to get the following three IRA-related tasks done sooner rather than later to avoid penalties and missed opportunities:
Inherited IRAs and the Once-Per-Year Rollover Rule - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Question:I disclaimed one of my spouse's IRAs and it went to our two adult children. They are withdrawing RMDs from this account as well as contributing to their own Roth and IRA accounts. Are there any rules regarding whether the inherited required minimum distribution (RMD) must be taken prior to contributing to your own account?Jeanne
Higher Catch-Up Contributions Available for Certain Older Employees Starting in 2025 - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
The year is flying by, and before we know it 2025 will be here. With the arrival of the new year, several new provisions from the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law that impact retirement plans will become effective. One of the changes allows certain older participants in company savings plans and SIMPLE IRAs to make higher catch-up contributions.
QTIP Trusts and Successor Beneficiaries: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Question:We have a client who has children from a previous marriage. Upon the husband’s death, he wants to make sure his current spouse has access to income from his IRA. But he also wants to make sure the remaining balance, when she passes, goes to his children from his first marriage and not to someone else, e.g., her children.
You Missed the October 15 Deadline to Correct an Excess IRA Contribution – Now What? - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
October 15, 2024 has come and gone. This was the deadline for correcting 2023 excess IRA contributions without penalty. If you missed this opportunity, you may be wondering what your next steps should be. All is not lost! While you may not have avoided the excess contribution penalty for this year, you can still correct the issue for future years.
Nuances of NUA - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®IRA Analyst We have written about the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) tax strategy many times. Generally, after a lump sum distribution from the plan, the NUA tactic enables an eligible person to pay long term capital gains (LTCG) tax on the growth of company stock that occurred while the stock was in the plan. But there…
The 10-Year Rule and Required Minimum Distributions: Today's Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®IRA Analyst QUESTION: Good afternoon, If a client passed this year with four adult children inheriting equally, and each beneficiary is using the 10-year rule, how do they determine yearly required minimum distribution (RMD) calculations? Is it based on life expectancy or on a number that will empty the IRA within the 10 years? Thank you…
Tax Filing Relief and Retirement Account Withdrawal Options for Hurricane Victims - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Victims of Hurricane Helene have at least a glimmer of good news when it comes to their tax filings and ability to withdraw from their retirement accounts for disaster-related expenses.The IRS usually postpones certain tax deadlines for individuals affected by federally-declared disaster areas. On October 1, the IRS announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Generally, the IRS extended the deadline to file certain individual and business tax returns and make tax payments until May 1, 2025. It is likely the IRS will provide similar relief for victims of Hurricane Milton.
Final Regulations Allow Separate Accounting for Trusts - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
The recent final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations include a new rule change that may be beneficial for IRA owners who name trusts as beneficiaries. In the new regulations, the IRS allows separate accounting for RMD purposes for more trusts. This can be helpful when a trust has beneficiaries who can potentially have different payout periods under the RMD rules.
Surprising News About the New Statute of Limitations for Missed RMDs and Excess IRA Contributions - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
A big change made by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 was adding a new statute of limitations (SOL) for the IRS to assess penalties for missed required minimum distributions (RMDs) and excess IRA contributions. On its face, it looks like the new SOL is 3 years for the missed RMD penalty and 6 years for the excess contribution penalty. But looks can be deceiving. In fact, for most of you, the new lookback period will be 6 years for both penalties.
Recharacterization Deadline Approaches - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
It happens. You have made a 2023 contribution to the wrong type of IRA. All is not lost. That contribution can be recharacterized. While recharacterization of Roth IRA conversions was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recharacterization of IRA contributions is still available and can be helpful in many situations you may find yourself in.
IRA Acronyms - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
When presenting a particular section of our training manual, I usually make the joke that, “if we were playing an acronym drinking game, we would all be on our way to a hangover.” The segment is titled: “Missed stretch IRA RMD by an EDB, when the IRA owner dies before the RBD.” This part of the manual discusses the automatic waiver of the missed RMD penalty in a certain situation, and the acronym soup is borderline comical. So that everyone knows which end is up, here is a spiked punch bowl of common retirement-account-related acronyms.
NEW SPOUSAL BENEFICIARY RULES AND EFFECTIVE DATE OF 10-YEAR RULE: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Question: I inherited an IRA from a younger deceased spouse who wasn't required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) until this year. Can I take advantage of the new section 327 rules under SECURE 2.0 since the RMDs haven't commenced yet?
What You Need to Know About Withholding and Your IRA - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
If you take a distribution from your traditional IRA, in most cases you will owe taxes. The government wants to be sure those taxes are paid, so IRA distributions are subject to federal income tax withholding. The good news is that there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to withholding on your IRA distribution. Here is what you need to know.
What’s the First RMD Year for Those Born in 1959? - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
If you were born in 1959, what is the first year that you must start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs)? That would seem like an easy question to answer, but because of a snafu by Congress, it isn’t quite so clear.
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS: TODAY'S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
QUESTION: I inherited a traditional IRA from my mother in 2024. She passed before her required beginning date (RBD.) I know that I fall under the 10-year rule. The question is, do I need to start required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2024 and deplete the account by 2034, or can I wait until 2034 and deplete the entire account all at once?
401(k) to IRA Rollover – 3 Buckets - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Workplace retirement plans – like a 401(k) – can hold different types of dollars. Typically, a 401(k) will have a pre-tax bucket and a Roth bucket. Occasionally, a plan will have a third bucket to hold after-tax (non-Roth) money. When it comes time to roll all these plan dollars to an IRA, where should (and where can) the different dollars go?
401(k) Plans Can Now Offer Matching Contributions On Student Loan Payments - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
If you are making student loan repayments, you should ask your employer if it will match those payments in the company’s retirement plan. The SECURE 2.0 Act allows for matching contributions on “qualified student loan payments” (or “QSLPs”) beginning with plan fiscal years starting after December 31, 2023. (This is January 1, 2024 for most plans.) Matches on QSLPs are optional; plans are not required to offer them.
New Rules Loosen or Eliminate Documentation Rules for See-Through Trusts - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
Sarah Brenner, JDDirector of Retirement Education The new required minimum distribution (RMD) rules recently issued by the IRS include some good news for trusts named as retirement account beneficiaries. A documentation requirement (that tripped up many trustees resulting in a shorter payout period from the inherited account) has been loosened for plans and eliminated for IRAs. See-Through Trusts Only individuals…
SUCCESSOR BENEFICIARIES AND INHERITED IRA ROLLOVERS: TODAY’S SLOTT REPORT MAILBAG - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
By Ian Berger, JDIRA Analyst Question: Under IRS rules, if I am currently receiving required minimum distributions (RMDs) and die today, my non-spouse beneficiary has 10 years to pay out my IRA. If that beneficiary dies five years later (in August 2029), does the successor beneficiary have five years to continue to pay out RMDs, or does the 10-year period…
New Rules: Aggregating Year-of-Death RMDs - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
In my August 19 Slott Report (“Year of Death RMD – Deadline Extended!”), I wrote about the required beginning date, who takes the year-of-death required minimum distribution (RMD), and the deadline for taking that distribution. Today’s article focuses on an additional nuance of the year-of-death RMD – something created by the final regulations (released July 18, 2024) - that could make taking the year-of-death RMD a little clunky in some situations.
Roth IRAs and Successor Beneficiaries: Today's Slott Report Mailbag - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
QUESTION: I have been getting emails from a few sites pitching their subscriptions. They claim that Roth IRAs will all be taxable in the future. They say there are things you can do to avoid these taxes, but to find out what they are you have to subscribe to their newsletter. Is this true, and if so, how can one avoid taxes for Roth IRAs?
The Roth IRA Advantage Under the Final RMD Rules - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
In 2020, the SECURE Act completely changed the game for nonspouse IRA beneficiaries. Now, most are subject to the 10-year payout rule. Recently released final RMD rules keep the controversial proposed rule that requires many beneficiaries subject to the 10-year rule to also take annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) during the 10-year period.
Year-of-Death RMD – Deadline Extended! - Ed Slott and Company, LLC
When a person reaches the required beginning date (RBD) – generally April 1 of the year after the year the person turns age 73 – required minimum distributions (RMDs) must officially start on traditional IRAs. But what if an IRA owner dies in a year when the RMD is due, but before the full RMD has been paid out?