Can a 529 Plan Be rolled Over?
While 529 plans were initially intended to assist with college expenses, their beneficiaries can also use them for other qualified educational expenses if certain rules are observed in order to avoid tax penalties.
Rollover eligibility requires holding onto the account for at least 15 years; there may also be other restrictions, so it’s advisable to consult a tax professional prior to beginning this process.
State tax deductions
If you own a 529 account, it might be wise to consider rolling it over or transferring to a different plan. When doing so, however, be mindful of the potential advantages and disadvantages. Take note of your state tax deduction limits, non-qualified withdrawals’ impact on financial aid eligibility as well as direct sold plans’ fees which could potentially increase substantially – before making this decision.
A 529 plan allows you to contribute after-tax money towards the education of one beneficiary (usually your child), without incurring penalty if it is used to cover qualified education expenses like tuition, fees, books and room and board. Beneficiaries may be changed whenever needed without incurring penalties – however earnings portions withdrawn for non-qualified purposes will incur income tax plus an additional 10% federal penalty.
Investment options
Investing in 529 plans can be complex, requiring investors to be familiar with all available investment options and their risk tolerance. Working with a financial professional may make the process simpler.
Many state-sponsored 529 plans offer various investment options that vary by plan. Some offer age-based investments similar to target-date series for retirement savings accounts; while others feature static portfolios with mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.
Alabama CollegeCounts direct-sold saving program offers index and active managed static portfolios from various fund families with index- and active-managed static portfolio options available, age-based plans and prepaid tuition options available as well.
Carol’s parents can transfer Carol’s 529 assets into a Roth IRA without incurring a penalty – provided her income falls within the annual IRA contribution limits and she does not exceed the lifetime transfer limit of $35,000 per beneficiary. Unfortunately, this strategy may not be available everywhere.
Beneficiary eligibility
Change the beneficiary of a 529 plan at any time; just remember that any new beneficiaries must be family members eligible to take advantage of its tax advantages. Switching beneficiaries could trigger a 15-year holding period or result in taxes being due on earnings already realized in your previous plan.
Most plans offer age-based portfolios that adjust gradually as your child approaches college age, helping reduce risk and prevent an unexpected market downturn from potentially wiping out your savings.
Rollover funds between state-sponsored 529 plans is allowed once every 12-months. Beneficiaries may also change to eligible family members; any withdrawals for non-educational uses, however, are subject to income tax and a 10% penalty as well as having any state income tax deductions reversed back.
Rollover rules
If you’re unhappy with the fees or investment options of your 529 plan, a rollover may be the solution. But beware: there may be restrictions to this process; for example, your state may consider moving assets between states as an investment change rather than rollover, which may erode tax benefits.
Notably, 529 plans allow only one tax-free rollover per beneficiary every 12 months without incurring taxes and penalties. Any subsequent rollover within this timeframe would be considered non-qualified distribution and subject to taxes and penalties. Furthermore, Roth IRA conversion is limited to accounts that have been open at least 15 years. New accounts do not count towards this requirement whereas redeeming Series EE or I bonds and rolling them over into 529 plans counts towards your rollover limit.
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