Dividing 1st RMDs into different years
I will have to start taking my first RMDs from my traditional IRAs and 403(b)s in November 2020. Can I just take RMDs from my traditional IRA and one of my 403(b)s in 2020, and leave the RMDs from my OTHER 403(b)s till April 2021? I understand I will have to take RMDs from those OTHER 403(bs) again for the year 2021. My object is to do a substantial Roth conversion in 2020.
Permalink Submitted by Alan - IRA critic on Tue, 2019-10-29 17:05
Permalink Submitted by Florina Chuy on Tue, 2019-10-29 18:10
The reason I indicated that I will be taking my RMDs in November 2020 is because I plan to do a QCD from my traditional IRA, and the QCD has to wait till I actually am 70½, and no sooner, so whatever balance is left of my IRA RMD after the QCD is taken out of my traditional IRA will be used to satisfy my total IRA RMD for 2020. Also, the QCD has to be taken before the RMD—if done in the reverse order, the QCD cannot be used to offset the RMD income.If I do an RMD from one of my 403(b)s in 2020, I can do that during any time that same year. Is my thinking correct?
Permalink Submitted by Alan - IRA critic on Tue, 2019-10-29 19:45
It is a challenge juggling the one time RBD options along with QCD requirements. Adding a Roth conversion adds to the planning challenges. Yes, you cannot do a QCD until you actually reach 70.5 to the day and the first distribution in 2020 from any of these accounts is deemed to apply to your RMD. The QCD will be non taxable so you could do a QCD from the same IRA account that funds the conversion just after reaching 70.5 and prior to the conversion. Any further planning would require determining the amount of your RMDs for 2020 for each account, the amount you want to convert, and the amount of your QCD before planning the total strategy for both 2020 and 2021. The only thing you would have to do this year if you wanted to control the amount of the RMD for one of your IRAs is to complete the transfer between IRAs to generate the year end balance you wish.