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Part of the Series Roth IRAs: Investing and Trading Dos and Don'ts
There are a number of reasons to consider a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) rollover, which moves funds from an existing traditional IRA (or another retirement account) into a Roth IRA.
A conversion to the best Roth IRA account is especially attractive if you expect your future tax rate to be higher than your current rate. And if your earnings are high enough to prevent you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA, you can use a Roth conversion as a backdoor entry into future tax-free income in retirement.
Here's a quick look at how to convert to a Roth IRA, plus considerations when deciding whether it makes sense for you.
It is relatively easy, although it can be expensive, to roll funds into a Roth. In general, you follow this process:
There are several ways to enact a Roth conversion, depending on where you hold your retirement accounts:
You can convert other retirement accounts, such as an employer-sponsored 401(k) or 403(b) plan, too, once you leave your job. Some plans let you access the money while you’re still working—an “in-service distribution.” However, you usually have to reach age 59½ before you can do so.
If you want to convert assets from your 401(k) or another employer-sponsored plan to a Roth IRA, make sure the money is transferred directly to the financial institution through a trustee-to-trustee transfer.
If your company issues the check to you, it must withhold 20% of the account balance for tax purposes. Then you’ll have just 60 days to deposit all the money into a new Roth account—including the 20% that you didn’t receive. That must come from another source.
Miss the deadline and any money not rolled over to a Roth IRA will be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you're younger than 59 ½.
Roth IRAs offer several key benefits not offered by other retirement plans.
For starters, Roth IRA earnings grow tax-free, and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free, as well. Also, you can withdraw your contributions at any time, regardless of your age. What's more, there are no required minimum distributions (RMDs) for Roth IRAs while you're alive. That means, if you don't need the money, you can leave the account alone and pass it to your heirs.
A Roth conversion is especially attractive if you expect your future tax rate to be higher than your current rate. And if your earnings are high enough to prevent you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA, you can use a Roth conversion as a backdoor entry into future tax-free income in retirement.
Once you’ve decided a Roth IRA is your best retirement choice, the decision to convert comes down to your current year’s tax bill. That’s because when you move money from a pre-tax retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or 401(k), to a Roth, you have to pay taxes on that income.
It makes sense: If you had put that money into a Roth originally, you would have paid taxes on it for the year when you contributed.
Democrats tried to put a moratorium on backdoor Roth conversions, primarily for the wealthy through the Build Back Better bill, which was first introduced by President Joe Biden in 2020. The bill aimed to create RMDs for accounts that exceeded $10 million while closing the door on additional contributions.
This would, thus, close loopholes used by many wealthy individuals. The bill did not pass and was replaced by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
A Roth IRA rollover is most beneficial when you have the cash on hand to pay the taxes. You may be tempted to use some of the converted funds to cover your taxes. But that means you'll miss out on years or decades of tax-free growth on that money. And, you might owe a 10% penalty on the money.
A Roth IRA can also be ideal if it doesn’t trigger onerous tax consequences.
But be careful: The amount you convert, when you add it to your current year’s income, could move you into a higher tax bracket or subject you to taxes you otherwise wouldn’t pay. For example, retirees who convert assets to a Roth IRA could end up paying more tax on their Social Security benefits and higher Medicare premiums if the converted amount lifts their income above certain levels. A tax advisor can help crunch the numbers
It depends on your tax situation. If you are in a lower tax bracket this year than you plan to be during retirement, a rollover may make sense. For example, if you had been furloughed or laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic, that year might be a good year to consider transferring some of your retirement funds into a Roth IRA. On the other hand, if you expect to be in a lower tax bracket during retirement, it is wise to keep your funds where they are currently.
If you're approaching retirement or need your IRA money to live on, it's unwise to convert to a Roth. Because you are paying taxes on your funds, converting to a Roth costs money. It takes a certain number of years before the money you pay upfront is justified by the tax savings.
No, there are no limits on the total amount you can roll from your other retirement account into a Roth IRA. However, it may be beneficial to spread out your rollovers over multiple tax years to limit your tax bill. In contrast, the annual contribution limit for direct contributions to Roth IRAs for the 2024 tax year is just $7,000 per year ($8,000 per year for those over the age of 50).
You will be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you do not wait five years from the rollover. Note that the rollover is considered to have been made at the beginning of the calendar year in which the rollover is complete. For example, if you roll over $5,000 from your traditional IRA to your Roth IRA on Feb. 15, 2022, you will be eligible for tax and penalty-free withdrawal of the funds as early as Jan. 1, 2027.
The federal tax on a Roth IRA conversion is collected by the IRS with the rest of your income taxes due on the return you file for the year of the conversion. The ordinary income generated by a Roth IRA conversion can typically be offset by losses and deductions reported on the same tax return.
Converting to a Roth IRA is easier than ever. You can transfer some or all of your existing traditional IRA or employer-sponsored retirement account balance to a Roth IRA, regardless of your income. Once the conversion is complete, you can enjoy years of tax-free growth on your investments.
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Description Part of the Series Roth IRAs: Investing and Trading Dos and Don'tsThe offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.
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The Roth ordering rules govern the way in which money in a Roth retirement account is withdrawn and, therefore, determine whether any taxes are due.
Net income attributable (NIA) is a tax calculation prorating the net gain or loss created by an IRA contribution that is returned or recharacterized.
A Roth IRA is a special individual retirement account (IRA) in which you pay taxes on contributions, and then all future withdrawals are tax-free.
An inherited IRA is an account that must be opened by the beneficiary of a deceased person's IRA. The tax rules are quite complicated.
A rollover IRA is an account that allows for the transfer of assets from an old employer-sponsored retirement account to a traditional IRA.
An IRA transfer is the act of moving funds from an individual retirement account (IRA) to a retirement account, brokerage account, or bank account.
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