What You Need to Know About Roth IRA Conversions
While some of our Denver-area traditions will be different this year, we can still spend the holidays socially distancing at the Mile High Tree and the Denver Christkindl Market. While you are sipping on your Glühwein and shopping for your loved ones, take some time to consider year-end tax planning strategies. Don’t let the year pass you by without doing some planning that could save you money, such as Roth IRA conversions.
The Deficit and Your Retirement
Congress wrote a huge check this year that will have to be paid back. The $2 trillion CARES Act was a lifeline to many individual Americans and businesses, but it also raised the deficit to a recording-breaking $3 trillion. The government will have to repay this debt, which means either reducing spending or raising taxes.
Millions of Americans are still unemployed in the COVID-19 pandemic, and another stimulus package is in the works—which means more spending. So, a logical conclusion is that the government will raise federal income tax at some point, which can affect your retirement plan. Converting your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA could help serve as an antidote to increasing taxes.
What Is the Difference Between a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA?
A traditional IRA is funded with tax-deductible dollars. Generally, you contribute to your IRA with money you have already paid taxes on, but the contributions are deducted from your taxable income when you file your tax return. (Be aware that income limitations apply for deductible contributions if a workplace retirement plan covers you or your spouse.)
When you retire and begin taking distributions from a traditional IRA, you pay taxes at the ordinary income tax rate. So if tax rates increase, you pay more taxes on those withdrawals.
With a Roth IRA, your contributions are not tax-deductible. Essentially, you are paying taxes on the front end of the process. (And again, make sure you are aware of the Roth IRA income limitations.)
When it comes time to make withdrawals, you do not pay taxes on the distributions. This can make Roth accounts ideal for people who anticipate moving into a higher tax bracket or expect tax rates in general to increase.
“How Will a Roth Conversion Save Me Taxes?”
With a Roth IRA conversion, you take a traditional IRA and convert it to a Roth IRA. The benefits of a Roth conversion in 2020 are plentiful. With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, tax brackets were cut across the board, with the highest tax bracket down from 39.6% to 37%.
However, these cuts are set to default to 2017 rates in 2025, and tax rate increases could come sooner than that due the growing deficit and a new presidential administration. Doing a Roth conversion now locks in the tax rates for 2020.
Converting to a Roth has other advantages. For one, there are no required minimum distribution (RMD) rules for Roth IRAs once you turn age 72. So if you don’t have a financial need for an RMD, then you don’t have to take it.
A Roth conversion can also benefit your spouse if you pass away: Filing as a single person once you are gone may push your spouse into a higher tax bracket. The tax-free distributions from a Roth could help provide tax and income flexibility.
If you had a reduction in income this year due to the impacts of COVID-19, then a Roth conversion may prove opportune. When you convert to a Roth IRA, you pay income taxes. If your income decreased, you might fall into a lower tax rate and thus would pay fewer taxes in a Roth conversion this year.
Points to Know About a Roth Conversion
You can convert your entire IRA balance, or you can convert just a portion. To do either, though, you will want to make sure you have enough money to pay the taxes and be careful not to trigger an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount that applies to your Medicare Part B and/or D premiums.
Also, a Roth IRA conversion could bump you up to a higher income tax rate—but in 2020, there is a potential remedy to that challenge. The CARES Act allows you to deduct charitable donations up to 100% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). Both giving to charity and converting to a Roth IRA could be a win.
Before proceeding, consider talking with a fiduciary financial advisor to make sure a Roth conversion will benefit you. Our fee-only, fiduciary financial planning firm in Greenwood Village, Colorado, helps clients determine whether conversions will be helpful in light of their overall financial situation and retirement plan goals.
Discuss your situation with a fee-only financial advisor. Schedule a complimentary discovery call.
This material was prepared by Kaleido Inc. from information derived from sources believed to be accurate. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice.\
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