How do I tell IRS that my IRA distribution or Roth conversion is not taxable? We get this question fairly frequently at tax time - especially if the client has done a "backdoor" Roth conversion. Click to find the answer and more information on After-Tax IRA Contributions, Distributions, and Conversions at tax time.
In a recent 60-day rollover private letter ruling request, an individual was allowed to complete a rollover of only a portion of his IRA distribution. Click to find out what happened.
We are constantly saying that you should not do a 60-day rollover unless it is absolutely necessary. Here is a perfect example of why that's the case. The following story comes from a recent private letter ruling issued by IRS. It details some of the many ways a 60-day rollover can go horribly wrong.
It's tax time - and we've covered a lot of key planning issues during our Tax Planning Week. Here are some responses to other key IRA questions that come up a lot at tax time.
Interesting things are happening in the courts with regard to retirement plans, specifically 60-day IRA rollovers and inherited IRAs in bankruptcy. Click for an update on what's happening.
IRS has released its annual list of the “Dirty Dozen” tax scams just in time for you to try and avoid them during their peak tax season. Beware of these scams and check back here for Tax Planning Week through Friday.
This week there were five private letter rulings (PLRs) issued by IRS that dealt with IRA issues. Don’t let these problems happen to you or to your clients! Click to learn more about these rulings.
Asset valuation is coming under greater scrutiny. It started with valuations used for calculating estate tax. IRS questioned valuation discounts used in many estates and was successful in many of these challenges.Then came the housing crash, the market crash and the mortgage security problems in 2006 and beyond. As a result, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) is now looking harder at how illiquid investments in alternative funds are being valued.
If you are an IRA owner who will be age 70 ½ or older this year, you should have received a notice from your IRA custodian telling you that you have a required minimum distribution (RMD) this year. They will also notify IRS on Form 5498 that you have an RMD. The letter to you should also tell you how much your RMD is for the year or offer to do the calculation for you. While you can generally rely on the calculation done by your IRA custodian, here are our 5 easy steps to be sure their calculation is correct.
So, did anything happen in President Barack Obama's State of the Union last night that we should be aware of? The President's new retirement plan proposal, called myRA, (rhymes with "IRA" when pronounced correctly - trust us, it's tough) drummed up a lot of discussion over water coolers and across the worldwide web last night and into this morning, including extremely active discussions on Twitter. So what does the proposal mean for advisors, investors and the present and future of retirement planning?
