It sounds funny to say, but death is a part of life for all of us. It’s one of the few things that all of us have in common at some point, and it’s one of the few issues that must be addressed in every plan. While every situation is unique and we all have our own goals and objectives, the overwhelming majority of married couples with IRAs and other similar accounts, such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s, name their spouse as their primary beneficiary as part of their estate plans. As such, knowing the rules for when a spouse inherits an IRA is critical for just about every married couple.
It’s not a good question to be asking, and it’s certainly not the right question to be asking, but one fairly common question asked by both advisors and clients is “How are they going to know?” The “they,” they’re referring to, is the IRS. For those that have ever wondered, here are the answers to seven common “How are they going to know” questions.
This is a reminder that not all 10% early distribution penalty exceptions apply to all retirement plan distributions. Here are the three biggest mistakes that we see.
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks into 72(t) payments, CD-IRAs, and the once-per-year rollover rule.
Congratulations! You’ve made it through yet another tax season. By now, you should have either filed your return or an extension. If you did the former, and actually filed your return, a three-year statute of limitations clock has begun to tick. This three-year period is generally the amount of time that the IRS has to examine your return via an audit, though there are some exceptions (such as when fraud is involved, in which case there is no statute of limitations).
This week's Slott Report Mailbag looks into Casualty Theft, IRS rules, Medicare, and Roth conversions.
Here are the 11 things you need to know at tax time.
In recent Private Letter Ruling (PLR 201706004) the IRS allowed a widow to do a spousal rollover, but with an interesting twist that also ruled the five-year rule applied because the IRA had no designated beneficiary.
One of the most common questions asked during tax season is, “Do I have to file a tax return?” The answer, of course, is a bit complicated, but in general, if your income is equal to or greater than the sum of the standard deduction plus your personal exemption, you must file a return. The standard deduction is higher for those 65 or older, so age makes a difference in some cases.
This past summer the IRS had good news for those who missed the deadline for a 60-day retirement account rollover. The IRS will allow your late rollover to be accepted if you provide the receiving financial institution with a “self-certification.” The new relief procedure applies to 60-day rollovers from both company plans and IRAs. The IRS even provides a model letter that can be used. Self-certification is an immediate and cost-free fix for a missed rollover deadline. This new tool can potentially save you from taxes, penalties, and even the loss of your retirement savings.
