Can You Convert an Inherited IRA to a Roth?
An IRA can be an excellent retirement savings vehicle, but withdrawals from one that was left to you after your death could have tax consequences. There are specific distribution rules relating to whether the beneficiary is spouse or non-spouse.
Understanding your options is essential to making informed decisions for yourself and your situation. Speak with a fiduciary financial professional today to discover more!
What is an IRA?
An Individual Retirement Account, or IRA for short, is a tax-deferred savings plan where pretax dollars can be invested, with only tax due when withdrawing assets. Most financial institutions offer these accounts. An IRA may hold assets from traditional, Roth, SIMPLE and SEP accounts as well as employer sponsored plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b) annuities.
After an IRA owner dies, their beneficiaries must take required minimum distributions from their account or face a 50% penalty fee.
If the deceased was a spouse, their inherited IRA can be treated like their own and contributions made over time. Non-spouse beneficiaries have more limited options: either roll over the account into their own IRA to continue contributing or take distributions over 10 years from it. Consult a financial advisor for details regarding your specific circumstances.
How can I convert an IRA?
Inherited IRAs are accounts inherited upon the death of the account holder. Spouse beneficiaries can transfer inherited IRA assets directly into their own IRA; non-spouse beneficiaries must open an inherited IRA and comply with RMD rules based on life expectancy of original account owner.
Beneficiaries have the option to avoid RMDs by opting for lump sum distributions instead, but this may increase taxable income and sacrifice potential tax-deferred growth. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand your options when inheriting an IRA and work closely with fiduciary financial professionals to properly manage it. Due to recently changed laws surrounding inheritance IRAs, getting an accurate picture of potential tax bills can be tricky; Empower’s retirement calculator and IRA planner can be an invaluable asset when trying to assess and plan accordingly.
Can I convert an IRA to a Roth IRA?
Although you may convert your IRA to a Roth at any time, prior consultation with a financial advisor should be sought because doing so could have long-term tax repercussions. Also be mindful that inheriting an IRA also applies for required minimum distributions (RMDs).
RMDs are required when you reach 70 1/2 from all IRA accounts – whether traditional, rollover, SEP, SIMPLE and Roth. However, there may be exceptions for inherited accounts.
Example: A non-spouse beneficiary can transfer Roth IRA assets directly into their own IRA without penalty – providing they follow appropriate procedures. This way they avoid required withdrawals over five years.
But beneficiaries should take caution not to withdraw funds that aren’t needed immediately from an inherited account, as doing so could trigger income taxes. Instead, they should develop a strategy for using the Roth account’s flexible withdrawal options over their lifetime.
Can I convert an IRA to an annuity?
Tax regulations related to IRAs can be extremely complex and subject to frequent change. Therefore, it’s crucial that you collaborate with both a financial professional and tax expert in order to understand all your options and requirements fully.
Beneficiaries who do not marry their account owner’s surviving spouse may want to open an inherited IRA and treat it as their own account, in order to maximize tax-deferred growth while avoiding early withdrawal penalties if under 59 1/2. They will need to start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) beginning the year following death and according to their individual life expectancies.
Spouses have another option available to them when managing an IRA: they can roll its assets over into their own IRA and treat it as their own, giving them the flexibility of postponing RMDs until age 70 1/2, using their individual life expectancies when calculating them, according to Gibson.
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