Some taxpayers who did Roth conversions earlier this year have seen their account values drop. As a result, they are considering doing a recharacterization of their Roth back to an IRA. But maybe they should wait a while. Why? Maybe, if they wait long enough, the Roth account will recover and not need to be recharacterized. The better answer, however, lies in the rules for reconverting assets once they have been recharacterized.
This week the Ed Slott and Company IRA Discussion Forum featured a question on whether or not a trust as a SEP IRA beneficiary should be any different than it would be with a traditional IRA account. The answer to that question is not really, but the relationship between SEP IRAs and traditional IRAs can be a confusing one. Want to see how?
This week the Ed Slott and Company IRA Discussion Forum featured a question about the illiquid investments in an IRA and how they may affect RMDs. Do you have these types of investments in you IRA? Read on to find out some of the major items for which you need to be aware.
If you are doing a Roth conversion this year and you are age 70 ½ or older, the RMD must be taken before you do the conversion. The conversion is considered a distribution and RMD funds are considered to be the first funds distributed from the account. RMDs cannot be moved into the Roth IRA.
Required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin in the year you turn 70 ½. Not age 70 and not age 71 but age 70 ½. So who is age 70 ½ in 2010? If you were born from July 1, 1939 up through June 30, 1940 you will be 70 ½ this year. How do you know what age to use for calculating your RMD?
The bankruptcy reform act passed in 2006 gave all IRAs a $1,000,000 exemption if you are using the federal bankruptcy rules. In addition, funds from employer plans were 100% exempted, even if they were rolled over to an IRA. So, your IRA funds should be exempt, right? The answer is a definite maybe.
The IRA owner has died. Only one individual is named on the beneficiary form, let’s call him David. He wants to do the right thing and share the IRA with his siblings or the other individuals who should have had a share of the IRA. I know, it is hard to believe but some beneficiaries do want to do the right thing! So, what can David do?
As you may recall from previous articles appearing here, a provision in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA 06) allowed IRA owners and beneficiaries age 70 1/2 and older to make tax-free distributions of otherwise taxable dollars from traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs to qualified charitable organizations. Such distributions were also allowed to be made from SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs provided no employer contributions were made for the same tax year.
Required minimum distributions were waived for 2009, but the legislation wasn't passed until late in 2008. This led to some confusion earlier this year for plan administrators, IRA custodians, and retirement account owners just like you. In some cases, automatic distributions were made to taxpayers before they could be shut off. Not all RMD recipients realized that they could simply roll those distributions back to an eligible retirement account within 60 days.
For years now, Financial Advisors, CPAs and taxpayers just like you have realized the incredible benefit that Roth IRAs can provide. After-tax money (money you did not take a deduction on) can be invested and can grow tax deferred for years. Later, that money, along with all the earnings, can be withdrawn tax-free! Of course, like most benefits afforded to you by the tax code, Roth IRAs are subject to a variety of rules and restrictions.
