The Slott Report

Deadline for Opening Up a New Solo 401(k) Plan

A solo 401(k) plan is a great retirement savings vehicle for self-employed business owners with no employees (other than their spouse). But if you’re considering a new solo 401(k), be aware that there’s a December 31, 2022 deadline to open up the plan if you want to make 2022 elective deferrals.

Inherited IRAs and RMD Tables: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

Question:Hello! I need clarification regarding RMD statements for customers who hold inherited IRAs or inherited Roth IRAs. I have not been able to find a clear answer to the following question:Is the custodian required to provide an RMD statement to owners of inherited IRAs (or inherited Roth IRAs)?Thank you!

NUA – Trigger Activators!

The goal of the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) tax strategy is to enable a person to pay taxes on the appreciation of company stock formerly in a work plan at long term capital gain rates as opposed to ordinary income rates. The spread between long term capital gains vs. ordinary income could result in a sizable tax savings for those eligible for the strategy. However, not everyone can participate, and for those who are candidates for NUA, there are potential stumbling blocks along the way.

4 Things We Are Talking About at the Slott Report at the End of 2022

The holidays are right around the corner, and 2022 is drawing to a close. The end of the year is always a busy time with retirement account deadlines and preparations for the arrival of a new year and the tax season. This year, it seems, has been even busier than usual for us. Here are four things we are talking about at the Slott Report during the final few months of 2022.

Once-Per-Year Rollovers and RMDs for Inherited IRAs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

Question:Good morning,I have a client who took out $100K from his SEP IRA and put the funds back in on 8/19/22 -- within 60 days from the distribution. The client has now called me and asked if he can take the same $100K out and move it to his Roth IRA and pay taxes on it. Is he allowed to do this, or do we have to wait until 2023 to do the conversion?

How Are 2023 RMDs Calculated for Beneficiaries Who Got RMD Relief ?

As we’ve reported, the IRS recently said it would waive the 50% penalty on RMDs missed in 2021 and 2022 for IRA beneficiaries subject to the 10-year payout rule who inherited in 2020 or 2021.These waivers were announced in IRS Notice 2022-53. Although the Notice is not clear, it appears that beneficiaries are not required to take RMDs for years that the penalty waiver applies to. However, as things stand now, the grace period will end in 2023.

IRA Transactions That Can Be Missed

Not every IRA transaction is easily identifiable. Some require a little legwork to reveal or report what occurred. Some transactions are not even labeled on official IRS tax forms and can go undetected. Here are three items that taxpayers and tax professionals alike can easily miss.

RMD Aggregation Rules and Appraisals for RMDs: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

Question:I am 72 years old and want to start taking RMDs. I have multiple accounts from teaching jobs that I had many years ago, plus a couple of traditional IRAs and a 401(k) with my current employer. Can I total all of these up as of December 31, 2021 and take an RMD based on that number, or does each account have an RMD based on its value?

A Tax-Free Roth IRA Distribution in 5 Easy Steps

Roth IRAs offer a trade-off where you pay taxes now on your contribution (or conversion) in exchange for tax-free earnings later. Don’t miss out on tax-free Roth IRA distributions by making mistakes. Here are five steps to follow to make sure money comes out of your Roth IRA tax-free.

The Required Beginning Date is Now a “Really Big Deal”

When it comes to IRAs and workplace plans, the concept of the “required beginning date” (RBD) is a “really big deal” again.The RBD is the first date you’re required to start required minimum distributions (RMDs). For traditional IRAs, the RBD is April 1 of the year following the year you turn age 72. (But if you were born before July 1, 1949, your RBD was April 1 of the year after the year you turned 70 ½.) There are no lifetime RMDs for Roth IRA owners, so they are always considered to have died before the RBD with respect to their Roth IRAs.