Tax Tips Roth IRA Re-characterization Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam Published Oct 15, 2010 - [Updated Jul 12, 2019] 2 min read That’s one heck of a tongue twister, isn’t it? As difficult as it may be to say three times fast, it’s actually much easier to think of a Roth IRA re-characterization as a “do over.” A re-characterization lets you undo a conversion you made earlier in the year. Why Re-characterize? There are a variety of reasons why you might what to re-characterize a Roth IRA conversion. While this doesn’t apply in 2010, in past years you might have done it for income reasons (in years past, there were income restrictions on who could convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA). More commonly, you may realize that you can’t or don’t want to pay the taxes on the conversion for a variety of reasons (job loss, divorce, changing priorities). It could be that you misunderstood what you were doing or that after the conversion your account lost money (so you would pay less in tax if you converted today). Whatever the reason, a re-characterization lets you undo the conversion as if it never happened. Re-characterization Rules The best way to understand this is that you can usually undo a conversion from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. There are a few exceptions, such as if you contributed directly (regular contribution) to a Roth IRA and meant to contribute to a Traditional IRA, you can make that change as well. You can’t re-characterize rollovers or employer contributions that were made into a Traditional IRA into a contribution to a Roth IRA. Re-characterizing In general, the due date to undo your conversion or contribution is the due date of your tax return for that year, including extensions. So if you made the change for 2010, you have until April 15th, 2011 to re-characterize. To re-characterize, talk with your broker, the one that manages your IRA, to find out what the procedure is to re-characterize your Roth IRA. They will have specific procedures and more advice on what other considerations you may need to think about during the re-characterization. Jim writes about personal finance at Bargaineering.com. Previous Post Extension Filers: Tips for Those Self-Employed for the First Time Next Post How to Donate Your Time, Property, and Cash Written by TurboTaxBlogTeam More from TurboTaxBlogTeam 2 responses to “Roth IRA Re-characterization” I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Jones sabo typically 18 each and every day Reply If we own 2 homes and are planning on selling one in 2011 can we still deduct the interest and taxes from both? Reply Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Crypto Understanding Crypto and Capital Gains Work 7 Things You Need to Know About the New Business Report… Work Using Form 8829 to Write-Off Business Use of Your Home Tax Tips Roth 403(b) vs. Roth IRA: Which Should You Invest In? Life Interest Rates, Inflation, and Your Taxes Investments Essential Tax Tips for Maximizing Investment Gains Uncategorized TurboTax is Partnering with Saweetie to Elevate Hoop Dr… Business Small Business Owners: Optimize Your Taxes with a Mid-Y… Small Business The Benefits of Employing Your Children and the Tax Bre… Income and Investments Are Olympics Winnings Taxed?
I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Jones sabo typically 18 each and every day Reply
If we own 2 homes and are planning on selling one in 2011 can we still deduct the interest and taxes from both? Reply