The Slott Report

Despite the reduction in the penalty for missing required minimum distributions (RMDs) in the new SECURE 2.0 law, it looks like you will still be able to get the IRS to waive the penalty altogether. Before 2023, if you missed an RMD the IRS could impose a penalty equal to 50% of the missed amount. However, the IRS almost always waived the penalty if you took the RMD and filed Form 5329 (with a reasonable cause explanation) with the IRS.

Question: I have been told that QCDs are not allowed from local and state government 457(b) plans. I have looked at the accountant’s IRS manual, websites etc. and I can’t find any information that prohibits QCDs from this type of plan. Can you shed some light on this?

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are rapidly growing in both size and in number. These accounts offer deductible contributions and tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. An HSA can be a valuable tool not only for paying for medical expenses but also for planning for your future. Here are 5 HSA rules you need to know.

Higher education expenses can be steep. Fortunately for those under the age of 59 ½ who need to dip into retirement savings to cover these costs, there is an exception to the 10% early withdrawal penalty. Before tapping your IRA, be sure to understand the fundamentals of this penalty exception. Here are the basics:

Question: In a recent blog post, you said that the deadline for contributing to a Roth IRA for 2022 is April 18, 2023. Does that include converting a traditional IRA to a Roth?

When you leave your job and aren’t fully vested in your company plan account, the plan will forfeit your unvested portion. Recently, the IRS issued new guidance clarifying the forfeiture rules.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been in the news recently as bank failures have made headlines. The FDIC is an independent agency created by Congress. It provides deposit insurance coverage for institutions such as banks, in the event that the bank fails and does not have enough assets to pay off depositors.

Question: My daughter had two employers during 2022. The first employer offered a matching 401(k) plan in which she enrolled. The second employer (her current employer) offers no retirement plan benefit. In preparing my daughter’s 2022 federal tax return on TurboTax, she is unable to take advantage of a deduction for an IRA contribution, because the 2022 W-2 from her first employer in 2022 indicates that she is covered by a retirement plan.

Spring break. Warm breezes and ocean waves and fancy cocktails are top of mind. The aroma of coconut suntan lotion entwined with barbecue smoke floats on salty air. And when morning light flickers through the palm fronds, like Jimmy Buffett said, “I sure could use a Bloody Mary, so I stumbled over to Louie’s Backyard.”

We continue to get questions about the ability of employees to withdraw from 401(k) plans while still working. The tax code includes certain restrictions on these in-service withdrawals. Plans must follow these rules or they risk losing their tax-qualified status. But plans are also free to impose even more restrictive rules than required by the tax code