You will receive various questions as the tax deadline draws near, and a popular one involving IRAs goes something like: "Can I still recharacterize my 2010 Roth IRA conversion?" Many people will realize that they must begin to pay taxes on this conversion this year, and some will ask if the conversion can be undone, especially if he or she doesn't have the money to pay the tax. The answer and advice you need to give can be found in the below video from our YouTube page, IRAtv.
Today is the last day of February, so there's a good chance that unless you've already done so, you're about ready to go into full tax return mode – gathering your documents, pulling together your receipts and making a list of all those charitable contributions you're going to tell your CPA you made. And while getting your tax return filed on time is important, it's also important to keep one eye on the future, planning ahead so that future tax returns are less painful than they otherwise might be.
Numerous tax changes are in store for individuals in 2012. It's very difficult, however, to write with any degree of certainty about those affecting your income taxes because Congress has shown a tendency to make retroactive changes at any point in time. A number of income tax provisions that affected individual tax payers expired at the end of 2011. See some examples below.
IRAs can be tricky, especially when you are a beneficiary trying to convert the funds to tax-free territory. We answer a question on that subject, as well as questions on IRA rollover rules and Roth IRA distributions in this week's Slott Report Mailbag.
In another installment of MarketWatch's video series, Andrea Coombes interviews Ed Slott and Jack Nuckolls about the complexities of IRAs and taxes, while asking a question many consumers are asking their financial advisor at this very minute: Is it time for a Roth IRA? This video walks you through the process along with the Roth conversion conversation every consumer should have with their financial advisor. This video is part of a three-video series.
The area of creditor protection and inherited IRAs has been a murky one. On one hand, IRAs are intended to provide for the account owner in his or her retirement not for the retirement of their children. On the other hand, the Tax Code allows inherited IRAs to remain tax deferred (when certain conditions are met) until distributions are taken from the account.
IRS released proposed regulations regarding the establishment of "qualified longevity annuity contracts" (QLACs) on Friday February 3, 2012. The new QLAC rules will allow you to purchase certain annuity contracts with a portion of your retirement assets that you will be able to exclude from your required minimum distribution (RMD) calculations.
It is becoming more and more evident that in order to have an adequate income in retirement, at least some of your income is going to have to come from your savings. Don’t overlook the ability to make IRA contributions to supplement other retirement savings you might have. You have until April 17, 2012 to make a contribution for 2011. Below are some frequently asked questions and our answers.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag includes your questions (and our answers) on IRA contribution limits, Roth IRA distribution rules and using the pro-rata rule.
For many who have IRAs, they are looking to use those funds in a down economy. But IRA distributions come with strings attached. There is income tax due on most IRA distributions since IRA funds are generally pre-tax funds.
