How Much Tax Do I Pay on IRA Withdrawal?
Your taxes on IRA withdrawals depend on several factors, including their type, your age and how the money was used – as well as any nondeductible contributions you may have made.
To calculate tax-free basis and taxable amounts, it’s necessary to create a fraction with numerator being your nondeductible contributions, and denominator being the total balances in all your IRAs at year’s end.
Taxes on IRA withdrawals
Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) permit you to deduct contributions and allow your balance to grow tax-deferred, while Roth IRAs allow post-tax dollars to grow and can be withdrawn tax free at any age over 59 1/2. Any withdrawal prior to that age could incur penalties;
Your circumstances will dictate whether you can withdraw IRA funds without penalty to cover certain expenses such as college costs for you and your family members, medical bills exceeding 7.5% of income or first-time home purchases.
NerdWallet can help you navigate around the 10% early withdrawal penalty by taking substantially equal periodic payments, which can reduce or eliminate it altogether. In addition, NerdWallet’s Tax Guide to IRAs can assist with understanding tax implications associated with withdrawals as well as connecting you with local advisors who can explain all your options and explain your choices further.
Taxes on Roth IRA withdrawals
Not only are income taxes due, but if you withdraw Roth account funds prior to reaching age 59.5 early they could also incur a 10% penalty as these penalties aim to prevent individuals from using their IRA withdrawals for purposes other than retirement.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are exceptions to this penalty. If the money is used to cover eligible higher education expenses such as tuition fees, books and supplies then the IRS will waive its penalty.
Emergency withdrawals of funds from a Roth IRA won’t incur penalties; you’ll only pay taxes on earnings pulled out. Contributions won’t incur fees either. It should be noted, though, that non-qualified withdrawals from such accounts will still be taxed at regular income tax rates due to having initially invested pretax dollars that have since grown into earnings.
Taxes on Traditional IRA withdrawals
Traditional IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income and subject to your tax bracket. Furthermore, the IRS requires that at least 73-year old individuals take required minimum distributions (RMD) each year from their IRAs.
Traditional IRA contributions are tax-deferred until withdrawal; however, any early withdrawals before age 59.5 or any excess withdrawals will incur taxes.
Typically, when withdrawing funds before age 59 1/2 from a traditional IRA, a 10% penalty plus regular income tax will apply. There are exceptions, including withdrawals for medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of adjusted gross income or first-time home purchases that meet certain criteria, first-time home purchases made within 12 months and disability. Your tax advisor can inform you whether these exceptions apply. Alternatively, an “substantially equal periodic payments” plan from your IRA allows you to avoid this penalty and use its funds if necessary before reaching age 59 1/2.
Taxes on SEP IRA withdrawals
A SEP IRA (Simple Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account) is a type of defined contribution retirement account similar to a Traditional IRA; contributions are made by employers instead. Employers can decide the percentage of each eligible employee’s salary they wish to contribute, or choose not make any at all.
SEP IRA contributions are tax deductible; withdrawals in retirement will be taxed as regular income. One of the many advantages of SEP IRAs is that contributions do not trigger federal income tax withholding, social security taxes or federal unemployment (FUTA) taxes.
SEP IRA withdrawals generally fall under the standard income tax rate; however, there may be exceptions. Withdrawals from SEP IRAs also usually incur the 10% early withdrawal penalty, unless certain criteria are met. If you have questions regarding withdrawals from an SEP IRA it would be a good idea to consult a financial professional who can help determine how best to use these funds for retirement purposes.
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