< Back To Article List

What’s the difference between a direct and indirect rollover?

Posted on

If you’re eligible to receive a taxable distribution from an employer-sponsored retirement plan [like a 401(k)], you can avoid current taxation by instructing your employer to roll the distribution directly over to another employer plan or IRA. With a direct rollover, you never actually receive the funds.

You can also avoid current taxation by actually receiving the distribution from the plan and then rolling it over to another employer plan or IRA within 60 days following receipt. This is called a “60-day” or “indirect” rollover.

But if you choose to receive the funds rather than making a direct rollover, your plan is required to withhold 20% of the taxable portion of your distribution (you’ll get credit for the amount withheld when you file your federal tax return). This is true even if you intend to make a 60-day rollover. You can still roll over the entire amount of your distribution, but you’ll need to make up the 20% that was withheld using other assets.

For example, if your taxable distribution from the plan is $10,000, the plan will withhold $2,000 and you’ll receive a check for $8,000. You can still roll $10,000 over to an IRA or another employer plan, but you’ll need to come up with that $2,000 from your other funds.

Similarly, if you’re eligible to receive a taxable distribution from an IRA, you can avoid current taxation by either transferring the funds directly to another IRA or to an employer plan that accepts rollovers (sometimes called a “trustee-to-trustee transfer”), or by taking the distribution and making a 60-day indirect rollover (20% withholding doesn’t apply to IRA distributions).

Under recently revised IRS rules, you can make only one tax-free, 60-day, rollover from any IRA you own (traditional or Roth) to any other IRA you own in any 12-month period. However, this limit does not apply to direct rollovers or trustee-to-trustee transfers.

Because of the 20% withholding rule, the one-rollover-per-year rule, and the possibility of missing the 60-day deadline, in almost all cases you’re better off making a direct rollover to move your retirement plan funds from one account to another.

 

Have questions?

We’re here to help.  Please fill out the form below and we will call you to discuss your needs.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Disclaimer of Liability Our firm provides the information in this newsletter, on its website, and related free information distributed via email for general guidance only, and it does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation.

Tax articles in this newsletter, on the Firm website, and those distributed through emails are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided “as is,” with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose

Although Hoyle, CPA, PLLC has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate, Hoyle, CPA, PLLC, and its owner and staff, make no warranties, expressed or implied, on the information provided. The participant accepts the information as is and assumes all responsibility for the use of such information.

This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the state(s) of AL, AK, AZ, AR, AA, AE, AP, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, GU, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VI, VA, WA, WV, WI and WY. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific states referenced.

Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2017.

DISCLAIMER: Information provided by Hoyle, CPA, PLLC on social media, on its website, and related free information distributed via email is intended for reference only. The information is designed solely to provide guidance and is not intended to be a substitute for someone seeking personalized professional advice based on specific factual situations. Responding to such inquiries does NOT create a professional relationship between Hoyle, CPA, PLLC and participant and should not be interpreted as such. Although Hoyle, CPA, PLLC has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate, Hoyle, CPA, PLLC, and its shareholders, managers, and staff, make no warranties, expressed or implied, on the information provided. The participant accepts the information as is and assumes all responsibility for the use of such information.