What Are the Rules for Rolling Over an IRA?

Learn about rolling over an IRA and what rules must be followed when transferring funds between accounts. Find out how taxes and penalties may apply.

What Are the Rules for Rolling Over an IRA?

When it comes to rolling over an IRA, there are certain rules and regulations that must be followed. An IRA-to-IRA transfer limit applies to distributions of excess contributions and related earnings. This limit does not apply to eligible cumulative distributions from an employer plan, so you can transfer more than one distribution from the same qualifying plan, account 403 (b) or 457 (b) in a year. There is no limit to the amount you can transfer to an IRA. The reinvestment will not affect the annual contribution limit to your IRA.

This one-year limit also does not apply to traditional IRA transfers to Roth IRAs or Roth conversions. If you are moving your IRA from one financial institution to another and do not need to use the funds, you should consider using the transfer method instead of reinvestment. Another form of direct reinvestment of an IRA is to directly transfer assets between two plans, such as retirement plans. For example, if the transfer was made from a traditional (tax-deferred) IRA to a Roth, you will also have to declare and pay taxes on the funds (and associated profits) that are being refinanced. The IRS cumulative chart provides details on the plans that can be transferred to each other and also includes guidance on the annual limits of 60-day accruals. With an IRA rollover, the original depositary sends you a check for the full amount that you are going to withdraw from your IRA.

An asset transfer occurs when you tell your retirement account provider to transfer funds directly between two accounts of the same type, for example, from a traditional IRA to another traditional IRA. When you renew the distribution of a retirement plan, you generally don't pay taxes for it until you withdraw money from your new plan, although it's best to familiarize yourself with all of the IRA's reinvestment tax rules to be on the safe side. You can make tax-free transfers from your IRAs at any age, but if you can't refinance your required minimum annual distribution (RMD) it would be considered an excess contribution. By moving directly from an employer-sponsored plan to an IRA, your plan administrator delivers your distribution directly to the financial provider where your accumulated IRA is located. IRA rollovers have specific rules depending on how the funds are transferred (directly or indirectly) and the type of account to and from which they are transferred. Be sure to write your Schwab Rollover IRA account number on the check and deposit it within 60 days to avoid taxes and penalties. If an entrepreneur, 57 years old, wants to transfer part of her IRA from one financial institution to another, but uses some of the IRA's assets to buy shares, there are some things they should understand about refinancing their retirement funds, the reinvestment rules of the IRA, and how to plan for retirement.

Hilary Oullette
Hilary Oullette

Award-winning creator. Zombie ninja. Total bacon lover. Avid tv nerd. Travel practitioner. Hardcore web nerd.