Are My Contributions to a Traditional IRA Tax Deductible Although you may make a contribution to a Traditional IRA within the limitations described above, all or a portion of your contribution may be nondeductible. No deduction is allowed for a rollover contribution (including a “direct rollover”) or transfer. For “regular” contributions, the taxability of your contribution depends upon your tax filing status, whether you (and in some cases your spouse) are an “active participant” in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, and your income level. An employer-sponsored retirement plan includes any of the following types of retirement plans: • a qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan established in accordance with IRC 401(a) or 401(k); • a Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SEP) (IRC 408(k)); • a deferred compensation plan maintained by a governmental unit or agency; • tax-sheltered annuities and custodial accounts (IRC 403(b) and 403(b)(7)); • a qualified annuity plan under IRC Section 403(a); or • a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE Plan). Generally, you are considered an “active participant” in a defined contribution plan if an employer contribution or forfeiture was credited to your account during the year. You are considered an “active participant” in a defined benefit plan if you are eligible to participate in a plan, even though you elect not to participate. You are also treated as an “active participant” if you make a voluntary or mandatory contribution to any type of plan, even if your employer makes no contribution to the plan. If you are not married (including a taxpayer filing under the “head of household” status), the following rules apply: • If you are not an “active participant” in an employer- sponsored retirement plan, you may make a contribution to a Traditional IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3). • If you are single and you are an “active participant” in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may make a fully deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3), but then the deductibility limits of a contribution are related to your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as follows: Year Eligible to Make a Deductible Contribution if AGI is Less Than or Equal to: Eligible to Make a Partially Deductible Contribution if AGI is Between: Not Eligible to Make a Deductible Contribution if AGI is Over: 2020 $65,000 $65,000 - $75,000 $75,000 2021 & After - subject to COLA increases $66,000 $66,000 - $76,000 $76,000 If you are married, the following rules apply: • If you and your spouse file a joint tax return and neither you nor your spouse is an “active participant” in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you and your spouse may make a fully deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3). • If you and your spouse file a joint tax return and both you and your spouse are “active participants” in employer- sponsored retirement plans, you and your spouse may make fully deductible contributions to a Traditional IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3), but then the deductibility limits of a contribution are as follows: Year Eligible to Make a Deductible Contribution if AGI is Less Than or Equal to: Eligible to Make a Partially Deductible Contribution if AGI is Between: Not Eligible to Make a Deductible Contribution if AGI is Over: 2020 $104,000 $104,000 - $124,000 $124,000 2021 & After - subject to COLA increases $105,000 $105,000 - $125,000 $125,000 • If you and your spouse file a joint tax return and only one of you is an “active participant” in an employer- sponsored retirement plan, special rules apply. If your spouse is the “active participant,” a fully deductible contribution can be made to your IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3) if your combined modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $196,000 in 2020 or $198,000 in 2021. If your combined modified adjusted gross income is between $196,000 and $206,000 in 2020, or $198,000 and $208,000 in 2021, your deduction will be limited as described below. If your combined modified adjusted gross income exceeds $206,000 in 2020 or $208,000 in 2021, your contribution will not be deductible. Your spouse, as an “active participant” in an employer- sponsored retirement plan, may make a fully deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA if your combined modified adjusted gross income does not exceed the amounts listed in the table above. Conversely, if you are an “active” participant” and your spouse is not, a contribution to your Traditional IRA will be deductible if your combined modified adjusted gross income does not exceed the amounts listed above. • If you are married and file a separate return, and neither you nor your spouse is an “active participant” in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may make a fully deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA (up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3). If you are married, filing separately, and either you or your spouse is an “active participant” in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may not make a fully deductible contribution to a Traditional IRA. Please note that the deduction limits are not the same as the contribution limits. You can contribute to your Traditional IRA in any amount up to the contribution limits detailed in Section 3. The amount of your contribution that is deductible for federal income tax purposes is based upon the rules described in this section. If you (or where applicable, your spouse) are an “active participant” in an employer- sponsored retirement plan, you can refer to IRS Publication 590-A: Figuring Your Modified AGI and Figuring Your Reduced IRA Deduction to calculate whether your contribution will be fully or partially deductible. Even if your income exceeds the limits described above, you may make a contribution to your IRA up to the contribution limitations described in Section 3. To the extent that your contribution exceeds the deductible limits, it will be nondeductible. However, earnings on all IRA contributions are tax deferred until distribution. You must designate on your federal income tax return the amount of your Traditional IRA contribution that is nondeductible and provide certain additional information concerning nondeductible contributions. Overstating the amount of nondeductible contributions will generally subject you to a penalty of $100 for each overstatement.
How Are Distributions from a Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Account Taxed For Federal Income Tax Purposes? Amounts distributed are generally excludable from gross income if they do not exceed the beneficiary’s “qualified higher education expenses” for the year or are rolled over to another Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Account according to the requirements of Section (4). “Qualified higher education expenses” generally include the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment for enrollment at (i) accredited post-secondary educational institutions offering credit toward a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, a graduate-level or professional degree or another recognized post-secondary credential and (ii) certain vocational schools. In addition, room and board may be covered if the beneficiary is at least a “half-time” student. This amount may be reduced or eliminated by certain scholarships, qualified state tuition programs, HOPE, Lifetime Learning tax credits, proceeds of certain savings bonds, and other amounts paid on the beneficiary’s behalf as well as by any other deductions or credits taken for the same expenses. The definition of “qualified education expenses” includes expenses more frequently and directly related to elementary and secondary school education, including the purchase of computer technology or equipment or Internet access and related services. To the extent payments during the year exceed such amounts, they are partially taxable and partially non-taxable similar to payments received from an annuity. Any taxable portion of a distribution is generally subject to a 10% penalty tax in addition to income tax unless the distribution is (i) due to the death or disability of the beneficiary, (ii) made on account of a scholarship received by the beneficiary, or (iii) is made in a year in which the beneficiary elects the HOPE or Lifetime Learning credit and waives the exclusion from income of the Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Account distribution. You may be allowed to take both the HOPE or Lifetime Learning credits while simultaneously taking distributions from Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Accounts. However, you cannot claim a credit for the same educational expenses paid for through Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Account distributions. To the extent a distribution is taxable, capital gains treatment does not apply to amounts distributed from the account. Similarly, the special five- and ten-year averaging rules for lump-sum distributions do not apply to distributions from a Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Account. The taxable portion of any distribution is taxed as ordinary income. The IRS does not require withholding on distributions from Xxxxxxxxx Education Savings Accounts.
