Phasing out the myRA program

What’s happening?

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has decided to phase out the myRA® retirement savings program, and the program is no longer accepting new enrollments. Existing accounts can remain open until further notice.

 

 

 

What is happening to my account?

Your account remains open and you can continue to manage your account until further notice. The funds in your account remain in an investment issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. We’ll be in touch over the coming weeks with next steps and relevant deadlines regarding the transfer or closure of your account. In the meantime, we want you to know any myRA with a zero ($0) balance as of September 15, 2017 or later, will be subject to possible automatic closure beginning on September 18, 2017.

Is my money safe?

Yes. The funds in your account are safe and remain in an investment issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

What do I need to do?

We will be reaching out to all of our account holders with more information regarding the transfer or closure of your account. We will provide account holders with additional information in the coming weeks that outlines when we’ll stop accepting and processing deposits. We recommend you log in to your account to make sure your contact information is complete and up to date. You can also update your information by contacting customer service.

How do I transfer my myRA account to another Roth IRA provider where I can save and invest?

You can initiate a direct transfer of your full account balance to another Roth IRA at any time. To do so, you will first want to identify or open an account at the new Roth IRA provider where you will continue to save and invest. Then, by working with a new Roth IRA provider you select, you can transfer your myRA balance to your new Roth IRA. By opening another Roth IRA and working with the new Roth IRA provider to initiate a transfer of the funds in your myRA to your new Roth IRA, you avoid withholding and potential tax liabilities (including potential tax penalties) that may apply to earnings if funds are paid directly to you.

How can I learn more about rules related to transfers and 60-day rollovers to another Roth IRA?

You can learn more at myRA.gov or at irs.gov/rollovers.

How can I close my account?

To request closure of your account, call myRA customer support at 855-406-6972 or TTY/TDD 855-408-6972 or International 414-365-9616. Please remember that a myRA follows Roth IRA rules. To avoid tax liabilities that may apply to earnings if funds are paid directly to you, you will need to deposit the amount of your distribution (including any tax withholding) into a private-sector Roth IRA within 60 days of the distribution. For more information about Roth IRA distributions, visit myRA.gov/roth-ira.

Why did I receive an additional payment from myRA after I withdrew all the funds from my account?

You may have received an additional payment due to a timing difference between when interest earned was reflected in your account balance, and when you requested a withdrawal (or distribution). When necessary, these additional interest payments are made to ensure

account owners receive their full account balances.

Who can I contact for more information?

You may contact our Call Center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., E.T. at 855-406-6972.

Source: usa.gov

contact@officetaxservices.com

(858)247-1680

  

IRA Tax Tips for the 2016 Tax Year

Taxpayers often have questions about Individual Retirement Arrangements, or IRAs. Common questions include: When can a person contribute, how does an IRA impact taxes, and what are other common rules.
The IRS offers the following tax tips on IRAs:

• Age Rules. Taxpayers must be under age 70½ at the end of the tax year to contribute to a traditional IRA. There is no age limit to contribute to a Roth IRA.
• Compensation Rules. A taxpayer must have taxable compensation to contribute to an IRA. This includes income from wages and salaries and net self-employment income. It also includes tips, commissions, bonuses and alimony. If a taxpayer is married and files a joint tax return, only one spouse needs to have compensation in most cases.
• When to Contribute. Taxpayers may contribute to an IRA at any time during the year. To count for 2016, a person must contribute by the due date of their tax return. This does not include extensions. This means most people must contribute by April 18, 2017. Taxpayers who contribute between Jan. 1 and April 18 need to advise the plan sponsor of year they wish to apply the contribution (2016 or 2017).
• Contribution Limits. Generally, the most a taxpayer can contribute to their IRA for 2016 is the smaller of either their taxable compensation for the year or $5,500. If the taxpayer is 50 or older at the end of 2016, the maximum amount they may contribute increases to $6,500. If a person contributes more than these limits, an additional tax will apply. The additional tax is six percent of the excess amount contributed that is in their account at the end of the year. 
• Taxability Rules. Normally taxpayers don’t pay income tax on funds in a traditional IRA until they start taking distributions from it. Qualified distributions from a Roth IRA are tax-free.
• Deductibility Rules. Taxpayers may be able to deduct some or all of their contributions to their traditional IRA.
• Saver’s Credit. A taxpayer who contributes to an IRA may also qualify for the Saver’s Credit. It can reduce a person’s taxes up to $2,000 if they file a joint return.
• Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions. When taxpayers roll over a retirement plan distribution, they generally don’t pay tax on it until they withdraw it from the new plan. If they don’t roll over their distribution, it will be taxable (other than qualified Roth distributions and any amounts already taxed). The payment may also be subject to additional tax unless the taxpayer is eligible for one of the exceptions to the 10% additional tax on early distributions.
• myRA. If a taxpayer’s employer does not offer a retirement plan, they may want to consider a myRA. This is a retirement savings plan offered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. It's safe and affordable. Taxpayer’s may also direct deposit their entire refund or a portion of it into an existing myRA.

Taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Beginning in 2017, taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

contact@officetaxservices.com

(858)247-1680

IRS Reminds Taxpayers of April 1 Deadline to Take Required Retirement Plan Distributions

The Internal Revenue Service reminded taxpayers who turned age 70½ during 2016 that, in most cases, they must start receiving required minimum distributions (RMDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans by Saturday, April 1, 2017.
The April 1 deadline applies to owners of traditional (including SEP and SIMPLE) IRAs but not Roth IRAs. It also typically applies to participants in various workplace retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans.
The April 1 deadline only applies to the required distribution for the first year. For all subsequent years, the RMD must be made by Dec. 31. A taxpayer who turned 70½ in 2016 (born after June 30, 1945 and before July 1, 1946) and receives the first required distribution (for 2016) on April 1, 2017, for example, must still receive the second RMD by Dec. 31, 2017. 
Affected taxpayers who turned 70½ during 2016 must figure the RMD for the first year using the life expectancy as of their birthday in 2016 and their account balance on Dec. 31, 2015. The trustee reports the year-end account value to the IRA owner on Form 5498 in Box 5. Worksheets and life expectancy tables for making this computation can be found in the appendices to Publication 590-B.
Most taxpayers use Table III  (Uniform Lifetime) to figure their RMD. For a taxpayer who reached age 70½ in 2016 and turned 71 before the end of the year, for example, the first required distribution would be based on a distribution period of 26.5 years. A separate table, Table II, applies to a taxpayer married to a spouse who is more than 10 years younger and is the taxpayer’s only beneficiary. Both tables can be found in the appendices to Publication 590-B. 
Though the April 1 deadline is mandatory for all owners of traditional IRAs and most participants in workplace retirement plans, some people with workplace plans can wait longer to receive their RMD. Employees who are still working usually can, if their plan allows, wait until April 1 of the year after they retire to start receiving these distributions. See Tax on Excess Accumulation  in Publication 575. Employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations with 403(b) plan accruals before 1987 should check with their employer, plan administrator or provider to see how to treat these accruals.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to begin planning now for any distributions required during 2017. An IRA trustee must either report the amount of the RMD to the IRA owner or offer to calculate it for the owner. Often, the trustee shows the RMD amount in Box 12b on Form 5498. For a 2017 RMD, this amount would be on the 2016 Form 5498 that is normally issued in January 2017.
IRA owners can use a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) paid directly from an IRA to an eligible charity to meet part or all of their RMD obligation. Available only to IRA owners age 70½ or older, the maximum annual exclusion for QCDs is $100,000. For details, see the QCD discussion in Publication 590-B.
A 50 percent tax normally applies to any required amounts not received by the April 1 deadline. Report this tax on Form 5329 Part IX. For details, see the instructions for Part IX of this form.



Source: Internal Revenue Service

contact@officetaxservices.com

(858)247-1680

Early Withdrawals from Retirement Plans

Many people find it necessary to take out money early from their IRA or retirement plan. Doing so, however, can trigger an additional tax on top of income tax taxpayers may have to pay. Here are a few key points to know about taking an early distribution:

1. Early Withdrawals. An early withdrawal normally is taking cash out of a retirement plan before the taxpayer is 59½ years old.
2. Additional Tax. If a taxpayer took an early withdrawal from a plan last year, they must report it to the IRS. They may have to pay income tax on the amount taken out. If it was an early withdrawal, they may have to pay an additional 10 percent tax.
3. Nontaxable Withdrawals. The additional 10 percent tax does not apply to nontaxable withdrawals. These include withdrawals of contributions that taxpayers paid tax on before they put them into the plan. A rollover is a form of nontaxable withdrawal. A rollover occurs when people take cash or other assets from one plan and put the money in another plan. They normally have 60 days to complete a rollover to make it tax-free.
4. Check Exceptions. There are many exceptions to the additional 10 percent tax. Some of the rules for retirement plans are different from the rules for IRAs.
5. File Form 5329. If someone took an early withdrawal last year, they may have to file Form 5329, Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (Including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts, with their federal tax return.

 
Source: Internal Revenue Service

contact@officetaxservices.com

(858)247-1680