Can I Decline an Inherited IRA?

The rules governing inherited Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have changed over the years. They have become even more complex since the passage of the original SECURE Act with the passage of SECURE 2.0. The inheritor of an IRA may be required to empty the account and pay taxes on the resulting income within 10 years. In some situations, beneficiaries might choose to execute a Qualified Disclaimer and avoid inheriting the IRA, according to a recent article, “How to Opt Out of Inheriting an IRA” from Think Advisor.

Paying taxes on the distributions could put a beneficiary into a higher tax bracket. In some situations, beneficiaries may want to execute a Qualified Disclaimer and avoid inheriting both the account and the tax consequences associated with the inheritance.  Sometimes clients would rather pass wealth to another person or later generation, and income producing assets such as IRAs are attractive options for that.

Individuals who use a Qualified Disclaimer are treated as if they never received the property at all. Of course, you don’t enjoy the benefits of the inheritance but don’t receive the tax bill.  See here for more on how disclaimers work.  https://galligan-law.com/can-you-refuse-an-inheritance-disclaimer/

Suppose the decedent’s estate is large enough to trigger the federal estate tax. In that case, generation-skipping transfer tax issues may come into play, depending on whether there are any contingent beneficiaries.

An experienced estate planning attorney is needed to ensure that the disclaimer satisfies all requirements and is treated as a Qualified Disclaimer. It must be in writing, and it must be irrevocable. It also needs to align with any state law requirements.

The person who wishes to disclaim the IRA must provide the IRA custodian or the plan administrator with written notice within nine months after the latter of two events: the original account owner’s death or the date the disclaiming party turns 21 years old. The disclaiming person must also execute the disclaimer before receiving the inherited IRA or any of the benefits associated with the property.

Once the disclaimer is made, the inherited IRA must pass to the remaining beneficiaries without the disclaiming party’s involvement.

This is very important, but the disclaiming party cannot decide who will receive their interests, such as directing the inherited IRA to go to their child. Instead, the asset goes to the next beneficiary as if the disclaimer passed away before the account holder.  If the disclaiming party’s child is already named as a beneficiary, their interest will be received as intended by that child.

The person inheriting the account must execute the disclaimer before receiving any benefits from the account. Even electing to take distributions will prevent the disclaimer from being effective, even if the person has not received any funds.

In some cases, you may be able to disclaim a portion of the inherited IRA. However, these are specific cases requiring the experience of an estate planning attorney.

Reference: Think Advisor (Feb. 8, 2024) “How to Opt Out of Inheriting an IRA”

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Five IRA Rollover Mistakes to Avoid

Making a mistake when rolling your 401(k) to an IRA could result in unexpected taxes and possible penalties.
Making a mistake when rolling your 401(k) to an IRA could result in unexpected taxes and possible penalties.

Recent changes in the job market have led to an increase in IRA rollovers, but at the same time, people are making more mistakes when transferring their employer related retirement accounts to an IRA, reports The Wall Street Journal in a recent article, “The Biggest Mistake People Make With IRA Rollovers.” These IRA rollover mistakes may result in additional taxes and penalties.

Done properly, rolling funds from a 401(k) to a traditional IRA offers you more flexibility and control. A company retirement plan may limit you to a half-dozen or so investment choices; but, depending on the IRA custodian, the IRA owner may choose investment options ranging from stocks and bonds to mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, certificates of deposits or annuities.

However, if you are considering rolling over an employer related retirement plan to an IRA, make sure to avoid these common IRA rollover mistakes:

Mistake #1:  Taking a lump-sum distribution of the 401(k) funds instead of moving the funds directly to an IRA custodian. The clock starts ticking when you do what’s called an “indirect rollover.” Miss the 60-day deadline and the amount is considered a distribution, included as gross income and taxable. If you’re younger than 59½, you might also get hit with a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

There is an exception: if you are an employee with highly appreciated stock of the company that you are leaving in your 401(k), it’s considered a “Net Unrealized Appreciation,” or NUA. In this case, you may take the lump-sum distribution and pay taxes at the ordinary income-tax rate, but only on the cost basis, or the adjusted original value, of the stock. The difference between the cost basis and the current market value is the NUA, and you can defer the tax on the difference until you sell the stock.

Mistake #2:  Not realizing when you do an indirect rollover, your workplace plan administrator will usually withhold 20% of your account and send it to the IRS as pre-payment of federal income tax on the distribution. This will happen even if your plan is to immediately transfer the money into an IRA. If too much tax was withheld, you’ll get a refund from the IRS.

Mistake #3:  Rolling over funds from a 401(k) to an IRA before taking a Required Minimum Distribution or RMD. If you’re required to take an RMD for the year that you are receiving the distribution (age 72 and over), neglecting this will result in an excess contribution, which could be subject to a 6% penalty.

Mistake #4:   Rolling funds from a 401(k) to a Roth IRA and neglecting to pay taxes immediately. If you move money from a 401(k) to a Roth IRA, it’s a conversion and taxes are due when you make the transfer. However, if you have some after-tax dollars left in the 401(k), you can make a tax-free distribution of those funds to a Roth IRA.

Mistake #5:  Not knowing the limits when moving funds from one IRA to another, if you do a 60-day rollover. The general rule is this: you are allowed to do only one distribution from an IRA to another IRA within a 12-month period. Make more than one distribution and it’s considered taxable income. Tack on a 10% penalty, if you’re under 59½.

Reference: The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 1, 2021) “The Biggest Mistake People Make With IRA Rollovers”

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What is the right kind of Financial Power of Attorney for You?

A June 2020 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey showed that a mere 28% of retirees have a financial power of attorney (POA)—and many people don’t understand that there are two types of financial powers of attorney that serve different purposes.

MarketWatch recently published an article “Does your estate plan use the right type of Power of Attorney for you?” that says knowing how both types work is crucial in the pandemic, especially in the event that you get sick with coronavirus.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney can be either “springing” or “immediate.” “Durable” refers to the fact that this Power of Attorney will endure after you have lost mental or physical capacities, whether temporary or permanent. It lists when the powers would be granted to the person of your choosing and the powers end at your death.

An “immediate” Financial Power of Attorney is effective as soon as you sign the document. In contrast, a “springing” POA  means it is only effective when you cannot manage your own financial affairs, usually based upon the written opinion of two physicians.

Therefore, to begin paying your bills, your agent must have written proof of from the physicians, and he or she doesn’t automatically have the authority to ask for them.  When issues, such as doctors’ letters, are required before the agent you chose can serve you, ask your estate planning attorney for guidance.

An obstacle that requires a Durable Financial Power of Attorney can come upon you very fast and possibly include you and your spouse at the same time. For example, you may both become ill, or one could become ill and the other is absorbed in caring for their spouse.

The powers granted by a typical Financial POA are often broad and permit selling and buying assets; managing your debt, car and Social Security payments; filing your tax returns; and caring for any assets not named in a trust you may have, such as your IRA.

If you recover your capacity, your agent must turn everything back over to you when you ask.

Remember that your power of attorney documents are only as good as the people who implement them. You should also make certain anyone named knows that they’ll have the job, if needed. They must know where to find your POA and all other important information.  If you aren’t sure of the type of POA you currently have, it is worth checking as part of an estate plan update.  See our recent article for when it might be time to do that!  https://galligan-law.com/when-to-update-your-estate-plan/ 

Reference: MarketWatch (Oct. 9, 2020) “Does your estate plan use the right type of Power of Attorney for you?”

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