Matt Smith

How to Lose an Inherited IRA and Gain a Big Tax Bill

Did you inherit an IRA from someone who is NOT your spouse? This is not uncommon. Maybe you inherited from a sibling or a parent or a friend. If this is your situation, proceed with caution! For nonspouse beneficiaries, a wrong move can result in disastrous consequences. So, take your time and do it right.

Non-Spouse Beneficiaries and Roth IRA Distributions: Today’s Slott Report Mailbag

QUESTION: On September 6th in a piece titled, “Rules for Inherited IRAs that May Surprise Nonspouse Beneficiaries,” Sarah Brenner from Ed Slott and Company wrote, “If you inherited the IRA funds in 2020 or later, as a nonspouse beneficiary you will most likely be subject to a 10-year payout-period, possibly with annual RMDs during the 10-year period.” My brothers and sisters and I are non-spousal beneficiaries, and my understanding is that there is no rule or code yet that states we must take some out of the inherited IRA account each year, only that it must be drained by end of the tenth year as required by the SECURE Act. My sibling says we must take some each year. Which of us is correct? We are all under the RMD age, in our sixties and our parents passed September of 2022.

SECURE 2.0 Allows QCDs to CGAs

SECURE 2.0 expands qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) by allowing a one-time only QCD of up to $50,000 to a split-interest entity. As a result of this new rule, there is now a great opportunity to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) with a QCD.

Beware of Investing IRAs in NFTs

If you are thinking of buying an NFT (non-fungible token) with your IRA funds, you may want to reconsider. In Notice 2023-27, the IRS said that NFTs associated with “collectibles” are prohibited IRA investments. This could expose you to significant taxes and penalties.