The Slott Report

Question: Hello, I’ve been a follower of Ed’s expertise for over 10 years. The information has always been helpful and clearly explained. At this time, I’m looking to help a client minimize her taxes. She recently inherited an IRA from her father. She has taken the “Stretch IRA” option and is now receiving her required distributions. Can she utilize a Qualified Charitable Distribution to her church (verified 501c3) to reduce her tax liability and still maintain the stretch IRA? Answer: Yes. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are available to beneficiaries.

Are you questioning that IRA contribution you made for 2018? Maybe you made a Roth IRA contribution and then discovered your income was too high. Maybe you made a traditional IRA contribution but you were ineligible due to your age. You may have made a traditional contribution and just changed your mind. You’d rather contribute to a Roth IRA or maybe not contribute at all. There is good news if you act quickly. You can fix these issues by correcting your 2018 IRA contribution by the upcoming October 15, 2019 deadline. October 15, 2019 Deadline When it comes to the timing for correcting a contribution, the key deadline is October 15 of the year following the year for which the excess contribution is made.

If you run a small company, you may be reluctant to offer a retirement plan to your employees because of the cost of plan administration and compliance. If so, you’re not alone: approximately 38 million American workers lack access to a company savings plan. Recently-issued Department of Labor rules may provide some relief. The rules are designed to make it easier for unrelated companies to provide a retirement savings plan by joining an “association retirement plan” (ARP). Current rules. Under current rules, unrelated companies who want to participate in a jointly sponsored retirement plan are required to join a “multiple employer plan.”

Question: Could you please direct me to information that tells me how any conversions I make from my regular IRA to a Roth will be taxed. My belief was that the amount of any conversion will be taxed at whatever my tax bracket is for the year in which I make the conversion. Is that correct? Therefore, all other things being equal, it is preferable to make the conversion in years where my tax bracket is lower. Thanks for your help. Joann Answer: Joann, You are 100% correct. Any conversion from a traditional to a Roth IRA will be taxed at your tax bracket for the year in which you make the conversion. (One is not allowed to make a “prior year conversion.”) As for your second comment – also yes.

As I write, Hurricane Dorian is pummeling the Bahamas, churning the ocean and producing catastrophic damage. Godspeed, Freeport. Forecasts suggest the storm will sweep north and brush the east coast of Florida, which is where I live. Hurricanes are nothing to trifle with. I have survived them before and know how to prepare. Should the storm bobble west and deliver its winds farther inland, we stand ready to evacuate. Some family members up the coast have already departed. In the interim, we will monitor the news, assess liabilities, implement strategies and act accordingly. That is our plan.

The calendar is turning to September and Starbucks is once again selling pumpkin spice lattes. It’s back to school time! We can all agree that education is expensive. If you have children, you know that you cannot afford to miss out on any possible option out there that may help you save. One savings tool that is frequently overlooked is the Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA). Contributions You may establish an ESA with the custodian of your choice and the paperwork you complete is very similar to the paperwork necessary to establish an IRA. Contributions are made to the account to help save for education expenses of a designated beneficiary.

Question: Hello, I have an IRA from my deceased father. The beneficiary is my mother, but she passed on before my father. The IRA custodian is saying this doesn't go through the estate but directly to me. I thought all IRA's that don't have a living beneficiary go through the estate. Can you help me understand this? Answer: Sorry about your loss. If your father chose a contingent beneficiary (to receive the funds in case your mother died before he did), then his IRA would go to that contingent beneficiary.

Who says getting old is all bad? Once you reach a certain age, Congress rewards your longevity by letting you contribute an extra amount to your IRA or workplace savings plan – with no strings attached. It’s a great way to boost your nest egg and get an immediate tax break if making pre-tax deferrals (or a tax break down the road if making Roth contributions). Age 50 catch-up for IRAs. If you’re age 50 or older by the end of a year, you can contribute an additional $1,000 to a traditional or Roth IRA for that year. For 2019, this means you can make a total IRA contribution of up to $7,000 – as long as you are otherwise eligible for the IRA.

Every year thousands of traditional IRA account owners turn 70 ½ years old. In addition, each year thousands of younger non-spouse beneficiaries inherit traditional and Roth IRA accounts. What do these two groups of people have in common? They all must begin taking RMDs. Here’s the kicker – what’s the chance that every single one of these thousands of people fresh to the world of required minimum distributions A.) realizes they need to take an RMD; B.) knows the deadline for taking the RMD; and C.) actually takes it?

Question: We found a discussion on your website’s discussion board in 2011 regarding 60-day rollovers straddling two calendar years. We are trying to confirm that a rollover would still be valid even if the Form 1099-R and 5498 may be issued in two different years. Answer: This is a question that comes up frequently. As long as all the rollover requirements are met there is no problem with a rollover that straddles two tax years. For example, you may have funds distributed late in the year that are not rolled over until the next year. If this is your situation, you will report the rollover transaction on your tax return for the year of the distribution.