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Q&A: Here’s what early retirees need to know about Roth IRA and 401(k) taxes and penalties

February 10, 2020 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I have been contributing to a Roth 401(k) and a Roth IRA for several years. I plan to retire early. Am I able to withdraw any of my Roth contributions without penalty before I reach age 60?

Answer: Your contributions to a Roth IRA can always be withdrawn tax free, at any time and at any age, said Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. Once you’ve withdrawn an amount equal to your contributions, though, the rest of your money — your earnings — may be subject to taxes and penalties. To avoid those, you generally must be at least 59½ and the account must be at least five years old.

The rules are somewhat different for Roth 401(k)s. Early withdrawals from these accounts are considered a mix of contributions and earnings, so any distributions before age 59½ typically incur taxes and penalties. Even after 59½, the withdrawals could be taxed and penalized if you haven’t been contributing to the account for at least five years.

Roth 401(k)s are also subject to rules that require minimum distributions to start at age 72. Many people who retire with Roth 401(k)s roll the money into Roth IRAs to avoid these restrictions.

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Filed Under: Q&A, Retirement Tagged With: q&a, retirement savings, Roth 401(k), Roth IRA

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeannie says

    February 14, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    I have no income except my mothers and I’m her caregiver I
    My question is my son and I are on his 529 and we took it out because he wasn’t going to use it
    So my question is should I claim it on my taxes or should he
    he has a job and income
    It was 16,000.00

    • Liz Weston says

      March 17, 2020 at 7:51 pm

      If you’re the account owner, you’ll pay the taxes and penalties.

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