You can’t make a traditional or Roth IRA contribution for someone who is dead. The issue comes up when someone dies, for example your spouse, and you want to make an IRA contribution for your now deceased spouse. You figure that because he/she was eligible to make the contribution when he/she was alive, you will just make it for him. You will file a joint federal income tax return for the year, and maybe even claim a tax deduction for the IRA contribution you made for your deceased spouse. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to do that.
If you are an IRA owner or an IRA beneficiary, you will have to make a federal income tax withholding choice when you take a distribution. The reason you have to make a withholding choice is because IRA distributions are taxable. In most cases, the withholding election is built into the withdrawal form provided by the custodian. You can be penalized for underestimating your tax liability.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag comes to you live from the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa and our Fall 2012 Master Elite and Elite IRA Advisor Group Workshop. We answer questions about rolling before-tax and/or after-tax money to an IRA, non-governmental 457(b) plans and rolling money to an IRA during bankruptcy.
Mr. President,
As part of the campaign process for your bid to seek a second term in the White House, you recently released a copy of your 2011 tax return. Purely to satisfy my own curiosity, I decided to review the return, as well as the tax return of your challenger, Governor Romney.
The Slott Report's Election Week 2012 coverage is coming to a close, just as a "mega" storm has its eyes set on the Northeast and Election Days is just 11 days away. We hope you refer back to our coverage all week to determine what IRA, tax and retirement planning issues you should read up on before the Election and watch out for no matter who comes out victorious.
The tax code allows a taxpayer to plan his financial affairs so as to pay the least amount of tax that is legally owed. This allows individuals to take advantage of favorable tax provisions. But the lack of bipartisanship engaged in by Congress is making it harder and harder for individual taxpayers to plan effectively. Congress does this by delaying the passage of key tax provisions until the end of the tax year.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag comes during an important time. The election is less than two weeks away, and we have devoted an entire week to covering the IRA, tax and retirement planning issues you care about. This week's mailbag includes questions on life insurance, using Roth IRA funds for a first-time home purchase and how to take the required minimum distribution (RMD) for a deceased parent in the year of death.
The debates are over and we are now less than two weeks from the election! There's a lot riding on this election for both nominees and both parties, but more importantly, for the American public as a whole. While there are numerous issues that will no doubt require the next President's attention, along with that of our lawmakers, few issues are likely to generate more interest from the American people than the subject of taxes.
Medicare will be a difficult challenge to the winner of this year's Presidential election. The number of Medicare recipients will be increasing as millions of baby boomers retire, and costs have increased as medical care has become much more expensive. Most experts agree that Medicare is unsustainable without raising taxes and/or reducing spending.
An important deadline is fast approaching. This October 31st deadline applies to trusts that are beneficiaries of retirement assets of individuals who died last year. A trust beneficiary cannot use stretch distributions from inherited retirement assets unless the trust meets four qualifications explained below.
