With home prices continuing to soar, many first-time homebuyers are looking for any possible source of funds to tap. IRA savings are intended to be used for your retirement. However, if you are like many others, your IRA may be your biggest asset. You may need your IRA money to make homeownership happen, and there is a special break in the tax code that can help if you qualify.
QUESTION:My wife and I created a Roth IRA when our two children were young to pay for their college education. Our daughter is finishing her second year of school, and our son will be entering college this fall. We have withdrawn $30,000 so far from our contributions to pay her expenses. The current value of the Roth IRA is over $150,000.
When a person under the age of 59½ needs access to his IRA dollars, there is a 10% early withdrawal penalty applied to any distribution, unless an exception applies. One of the many 10% penalty exceptions is a 72(t) “series of substantially equal periodic payments.” Due to the possibility of errors over the required duration of such distribution schedules, it is our opinion that establishing a 72(t) should be the last resort.
As a follow up to the March 26 Slott Report entry that included a full list of the 10% early withdrawal penalty exceptions (“10% Penalty Exceptions: IRAs and Plans”), here we get a little deeper into the weeds on some of the nuances of certain exceptions. As mentioned in the March 26 article, some exceptions apply to plans only, some to IRAs only, and some to both.
If a person under age 59½ takes a withdrawal from his IRA or workplace plan, there is a 10% early withdrawal penalty…unless an exception applies. There are currently 20 exceptions, with a 21st on the way. Here are those exceptions, with some brief commentary.
Do you have a Roth IRA? If you do, there will very likely come a time when you want to take a distribution from that account. The distribution rules for taxation of Roth IRA distributions can be complicated, but if they are followed, the reward is tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
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.
Question:Hello,I'm in my sixties, in the golden years for Roth conversions, which I've been doing. I've had a small Roth IRA account for more than 5 years. Last year I converted $90,000. This year will be about the same.
By Sarah Brenner, JDDirector of Retirement EducationFollow Us on X: @theslottreport Question: I need guidance on a new client with the...
Question:Can you please clarify a question I have about whether I should take a Roth IRA withdrawal? I am much older than age 59 ½, and my first Roth IRA was opened over 20 years ago. I now own a second Roth which holds recently converted funds from my 403(b) account. I am planning to make added Roth conversions over the next couple of years and pay the tax on these conversions. If I make a subsequent withdrawal from my Roth IRA, will it be tax- and penalty-free?
