And why didn’t I use SDIRA accounts in the first place, since an online brokerage IRA is clearly unsuited for private placement investments? Answer: Until this happened, I assumed that banks and brokerages and investment fund companies were the only choices for IRAs. My understanding of “self-directed IRA” was a brokerage IRA where I made the investment choices.

In any case the brokerage IRA Dept responded 7 days later after prompting with a hastily generated brief and nonsensical note stating “Please work with your SDIRA plan administrator for the tax reporting of this transaction”. As if the act of assuming SDIRA accounts into existence would somehow override the reality of both accounts actually being brokerage IRAs in their custody. And informed me that 1099-R’s had been issued.

The IRA Dept declined my request for a phone conversation the following day and communicated with customer service solely by text while I was on hold, sufficiently muddying the water to where the inexperienced phone rep asked:
• “This is an SDIRA, right?” – No, these are both brokerage IRAs. In your brokerage.
• “You know the 60-day rollover window is closed, right?” – No, actually it hadn’t expired at that time, but that’s irrelevant since this is share purchase not a rollover.
All of which was clear and explicit in my uploaded PDF letter.

Leaving the brokerage temporarily aside, I conferred with an SDIRA company who agreed to provide Roth and Trad accounts for the warrants provided that the overall transactions were validated by the brokerage committing to accept transfer of the purchased shares into their IRA accounts when hold restrictions expired.

I also conferred with the issuing company and their transfer agent to confirm they are amenable to re-registering account names, just in case of any issues with exact wording of the FBO account names (potential complication) to assure seamless transfer of shares and warrants.

I believe my only path forward is to again engage the brokerage to request they (a) arrange transfer of shares from Computershare now that the 4-month hold has expired, and (b) retract the 1099-R’s. And then handle the warrants separately by placing in SDIRA accounts.

Questions and advice— Is this broadly the correct approach? Suggestions on how to frame my request the 2nd time around? Thoughts on what next if stonewalled by the IRA Dept? Other recommendations? — thank you kindly, much appreciated.