How to Calculate the Taxable Amount of an IRA Withdrawal | The Motley Fool (2024)

FAQs

How do I figure the taxable amount of an IRA distribution? ›

If it's a traditional IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, or SARSEP IRA, you will owe taxes at your current tax rate on the amount you withdraw. For example, if you are in the 22% tax bracket, your withdrawal will be taxed at 22%.

Generally, a RMD is calculated for each account by dividing the prior December 31 balance of that IRA or retirement plan account by a life expectancy factor that the IRS publishes in Tables in Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).

Amounts in your traditional IRA, including earnings, generally aren't taxed until distributed to you. IRAs can't be owned jointly. However, any amounts remaining in your IRA upon your death will be paid to your beneficiary or beneficiaries.

Your deductible contributions and earnings (including dividends, interest, and capital gains) will be taxed as ordinary income. The U.S. government charges a 10% penalty on early withdrawals from a Traditional IRA, and a state tax penalty may also apply. You can learn more at IRS Publication 590-B.

A Roth IRA conversion is the process of converting your traditional IRA account to a Roth IRA account. The Roth IRA will not require payment of taxes on any distribution after the age of 59 1/2.

Contributions to a Roth IRA are made with post-tax money, meaning you pay the tax due on the money in the year you pay it in. That money, including the earnings that accrue, won't be taxed again when you withdraw it properly.

Retirement plans: A retirement plan distribution paid to you is subject to mandatory withholding of 20%, even if you intend to roll it over later. Withholding does not apply if you roll over the amount directly to another retirement plan or to an IRA.

Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.

Then when you're retired, defined as older than 59 ½, your distributions are tax-free. They are also tax-free if you're disabled or in certain circ*mstances if you're buying your first home. In contrast, for a traditional IRA, you'll typically pay tax on withdrawals as if they were ordinary income.

What is the rule of thumb for IRA withdrawal? ›

The 4% rule says people should withdraw 4% of their retirement funds in the first year after retiring and take that dollar amount, adjusted for inflation, every year after. The rule seeks to establish a steady and safe income stream that will meet a retiree's current and future financial needs.

The one-word secret? Charity. By using a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD.

Is withdrawal from an IRA considered earned income? IRA withdrawals can be considered taxable income, but they are not considered earned income. Earned income is money you receive from a job, as an independent contractor for work you perform, or from a business you actively participate in.

Your basis in traditional, traditional SEP, and traditional SIMPLE IRAs is the total of all your nondeductible contributions and nontaxable amounts included in rollovers made to these IRAs minus the total of all your nontaxable distributions, adjusted if necessary (see the instructions for line 2, later).

When you withdraw money from your IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan, your state may require you to have income tax withheld from your distribution. Your withholding is a pre-payment of your state income tax that serves as a credit toward your current-year state income tax liability.

Use Form 8606 to report: Nondeductible contributions you made to traditional IRAs. Distributions from traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs, if you have ever made nondeductible contributions to traditional IRAs. Conversions from traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs to Roth IRAs.

Mandatory income tax withholding of 20% applies to most taxable distributions paid directly to you in a lump sum from employer retirement plans even if you plan to roll over the taxable amount within 60 days. Note that the default rate of withholding may be too low for your tax situation.