Most pre-retirement payments you receive from a retirement plan or IRA can be “rolled over” by depositing the payment in another retirement plan or IRA within 60 days. You can also have your financial institution or plan directly transfer the payment to another plan or IRA. Show
The Rollover ChartPDF summarizes allowable rollover transactions. Why roll over?When you roll over a retirement plan distribution, you generally don’t pay tax on it until you withdraw it from the new plan. By rolling over, you’re saving for your future and your money continues to grow tax-deferred. If you don’t roll over your payment, it will be taxable (other than qualified Roth distributions and any amounts already taxed) and you may also be subject to additional tax unless you’re eligible for one of the exceptions to the 10% additional tax on early distributions. How do I complete a rollover?
When should I roll over?You have 60 days from the date you receive an IRA or retirement plan distribution to roll it over to another plan or IRA. The IRS may waive the 60-day rollover requirement in certain situations if you missed the deadline because of circumstances beyond your control. IRA one-rollover-per-year ruleYou generally cannot make more than one rollover from the same IRA within a 1-year period. You also cannot make a rollover during this 1-year period from the IRA to which the distribution was rolled over. Beginning after January 1, 2015, you can make only one rollover from an IRA to another (or the same) IRA in any 12-month period, regardless of the number of IRAs you own (Announcement 2014-15 and Announcement 2014-32). The limit will apply by aggregating all of an individual’s IRAs, including SEP and SIMPLE IRAs as well as traditional and Roth IRAs, effectively treating them as one IRA for purposes of the limit. The one-per year limit does not apply to:
Background of the one-per-year ruleUnder the basic rollover rule, you don't have to include in your gross income any amount distributed to you from an IRA if you deposit the amount into another eligible plan (including an IRA) within 60 days (Internal Revenue Code Section 408(d)(3)); also see FAQs: Waivers of the 60-Day Rollover Requirement). Internal Revenue Code Section 408(d)(3)(B) limits taxpayers to one IRA-to-IRA rollover in any 12-month period. Proposed Treasury Regulation Section 1.408-4(b)(4)(ii), published in 1981, and IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) interpreted this limitation as applying on an IRA-by-IRA basis, meaning a rollover from one IRA to another would not affect a rollover involving other IRAs of the same individual. However, the Tax Court held in 2014 that you can't make a non-taxable rollover from one IRA to another if you have already made a rollover from any of your IRAs in the preceding 1-year period (Bobrow v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2014-21). Tax consequences of the one-rollover-per-year limitBeginning in 2015, if you receive a distribution from an IRA of previously untaxed amounts:
Additionally, if you pay the distributed amounts into another (or the same) IRA, the amounts may be:
Direct transfers of IRA money are not limitedThis change won't affect your ability to transfer funds from one IRA trustee directly to another, because this type of transfer isn't a rollover (Revenue Ruling 78-406, 1978-2 C.B. 157). The one-rollover-per-year rule of Internal Revenue Code Section 408(d)(3)(B) applies only to rollovers. Which types of distributions can I roll over?IRAs: You can roll over all or part of any distribution from your IRA except:
Retirement plans: You can roll over all or part of any distribution of your retirement plan account except:
Distributions that can be rolled over are called "eligible rollover distributions." Of course, to get a distribution from a retirement plan, you have to meet the plan’s conditions for a distribution, such as termination of employment. Will taxes be withheld from my distribution?
How much can I roll over if taxes were withheld from my distribution?If you have not elected a direct rollover, in the case of a distribution from a retirement plan, or you have not elected out of withholding in the case of a distribution from an IRA, your plan administrator or IRA trustee will withhold taxes from your distribution. If you later roll the distribution over within 60 days, you must use other funds to make up for the amount withheld. Example: Jordan, age 42, received a $10,000 eligible rollover distribution from her 401(k) plan. Her employer withheld $2,000 from her distribution.
If you roll over the full amount of any eligible rollover distribution you receive (the actual amount received plus the 20% that was withheld - $10,000 in the example above):
What happens if I don’t make any election regarding my retirement plan distribution?The plan administrator must give you a written explanation of your rollover options for the distribution, including your right to have the distribution transferred directly to another retirement plan or to an IRA. If you’re no longer employed by the employer maintaining your retirement plan and your plan account is between $1,000 and $5,000, the plan administrator may deposit the money into an IRA in your name if you don’t elect to receive the money or roll it over. If your plan account is $1,000 or less, the plan administrator may pay it to you, less, in most cases, 20% income tax withholding, without your consent. You can still roll over the distribution within 60 days. Which retirement accounts can accept rollovers?You can roll your money into almost any type of retirement plan or IRA. See the Rollover ChartPDF for options. Is my retirement plan required to allow transfer of any amounts eligible for a distribution?If you receive an eligible rollover distribution from your plan of $200 or more, your plan administrator must provide you with a notice informing you of your rights to roll over or transfer the distribution and must facilitate a direct transfer to another plan or IRA. Is my retirement plan required to accept rollover contributions?Your retirement plan is not required to accept rollover contributions. Check with your new plan administrator to find out if they are allowed and, if so, what type of contributions are accepted. Additional resources
Can you roll a traditional IRA into a Roth 401k?Pre-tax only: You can only transfer pre-tax IRA funds to a 401(k). Under current law, you cannot transfer Roth IRA assets into a Roth 401(k) or Roth 403b. The benefits of doing so might be limited anyway, with the ability to take loans being the primary potential advantage of that strategy.
Where can I move my IRA without paying taxes?Trustee-to-trustee transfer – If you're getting a distribution from an IRA, you can ask the financial institution holding your IRA to make the payment directly from your IRA to another IRA or to a retirement plan. No taxes will be withheld from your transfer amount.
Can you roll an IRA into a 401k to avoid RMD?If your 401(k) plan allows it (and today most plans do), you can rollover your existing IRA account into your 401(k) plan. This is possible because 401(k) plans (and other Qualified Retirement Plans such as a 403(b) or a 457) don't require you to start RMDs while you are still working, even if you're over age 72.
Is it better to have a 401k or an IRA?The 401(k) is simply objectively better. The employer-sponsored plan allows you to add much more to your retirement savings than an IRA – $20,500 compared to $6,000 in 2022. Plus, if you're over age 50 you get a larger catch-up contribution maximum with the 401(k) – $6,500 compared to $1,000 in the IRA.
|