The Roth IRA is a tax-efficient way to save for retirement. This type of retirement account allows you to accumulate your earnings without paying taxes on them, and a distribution from the account is tax-free and penalty-free when certain conditions are met.
Your earned income and tax filing status will determine how much you can contribute to a Roth IRA. Your contribution limits decrease as you age, based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI).
Tax-Free Withdrawals in Retirement
When planning for retirement, it`s important to be aware of the ways taxes can gnaw away at your nest egg. You can save more money if you have more strategies.
You can ensure you don`t pay excessive taxes by withdrawing a set amount each year from your investments. This will give you a predictable income each year, which can help you budget and reduce market volatility.
You might also consider a more flexible approach for retirement withdrawals. This allows you to take the money out when needed, but it also means that your investments could be eroded by a fluctuating market.
A Roth IRA is another option that can help you keep more of your savings tax-free when you retire. This type of account lets you make contributions with pretax earnings, which reduces your taxable income in the year you deposit them. However, tax treatment for funds that you withdraw is different to traditional IRAs.
Prior to retirement, tax-free withdrawals
Those who have contributed to a Roth IRA and held the account for at least five years are entitled to withdrawals of contributions tax-free. However, earnings can be subject to taxes and a 10% penalty for early withdrawals. This depends on how old you are and how long the Roth account has been open.
The early withdrawal penalty can help workers save enough to cover gaps in basic living expenses that Social Security doesn`t cover, especially as healthcare costs rise. It can also harm savers if they withdraw too many funds at once.
A new legislative package that Congress passed last week waives the early withdrawal penalty for savers in certain situations. Among them are those who need to access the funds to pay for disability or make a first-time home purchase (up to a $10,000 lifetime cap).
After retirement, tax-free withdrawals
Putting money in tax-free accounts before retiring is important, but it`s not the only strategy. You also should consider using some of your retirement savings to cover expenses while you`re still working.
For instance, you can use tax-free withdrawals from your Roth IRA to pay for certain medical costs. To be eligible, however, you must have had a qualifying medical expense within the past year.
You can`t use this rule to cover credit card bills that you didn`t pay until 2023, for example. That`s because the IRS counts those expenses as income in 2022, Slott said.
But you can use Roth IRA money to pay for other expenses that occur after your retirement. For instance, you can withdraw from your Roth IRA to pay for certain funeral and medical expenses.
Death and Disability: Tax-Free Withdrawals
The tax-advantaged Roth IRA offers savers the opportunity to earn earnings without paying taxes on them. Unlike Traditional IRAs, Roth IRA funds can be withdrawn at any time with no penalty.
However, any withdrawals from the account that resulted in early contributions could be subject to tax if they are made before age 59 1/2. There are exceptions to this, such as for qualified education expenses, first-time home purchase (a $10,000 lifetime limit applies), unreimbursed medical expenses, permanent disability, and if you pass away and the money is paid to a beneficiary or estate.
If you inherit a Roth IRA from your parents, your withdrawals will be tax-free if the five year holding period is met. Your beneficiaries will be responsible for the 10% penalty for early withdrawals if you die prior to that time. In addition, a distribution to your beneficiaries can be subject to a substantial equal periodic payment (SEPP) program that requires substantially equal payments over a set period. See IRS Publication 590-B for details.