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When it comes to estate planning, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is how to distribute your retirement accounts. While both Roth and traditional IRAs offer tax benefits, the choice between the two can have a significant impact on your children’s financial future.
Roth IRA: Tax-Free Growth and Withdrawals
A Roth IRA offers several advantages for your children:
- Tax-free growth: Unlike traditional IRAs, contributions to Roth IRAs are made with after-tax dollars. This means that your children won’t have to pay taxes on the earnings when they withdraw the money.
- Tax-free withdrawals: If your children meet certain requirements, they can withdraw both the contributions and the earnings from a Roth IRA tax-free. This can be a significant advantage, especially if they are in a higher tax bracket than you were.
- No required minimum distributions (RMDs): Your children won’t be required to start taking withdrawals from a Roth IRA at age 72, as they would with a traditional IRA. This gives them more flexibility in how they manage the money.
However, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:
- Income limitations: There are income limitations for contributing to Roth IRAs. For 2024, if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is $153,000 or more as someone filing as single, married filing separately, or head of household, you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA. The limit is $228,000 for those who are married filing jointly or who are qualifying widow(er)s.
- Contribution limits: The annual contribution limit for Roth IRAs is $6,500 for 2024 ($7,500 for those aged 50 and older). This may limit how much money you can accumulate in a Roth IRA for your children.
Traditional IRA: Tax-Deferred Growth, Potential Taxable Withdrawals
Traditional IRAs offer a different set of benefits and drawbacks:
- Tax-deferred growth: Contributions to traditional IRAs are made with pre-tax dollars, which means that you don’t have to pay taxes on the money until you withdraw it. This can be a significant tax advantage, especially if you are in a high tax bracket.
- Potential tax-free growth: If your children inherit a traditional IRA and roll it over into their own IRA, the money can continue to grow tax-deferred.
- No income limitations: There are no income limitations for contributing to traditional IRAs.
However, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:
- Taxable withdrawals: When your children withdraw money from a traditional IRA, they will have to pay taxes on both the contributions and the earnings. This can be a significant disadvantage, especially if they are in a higher tax bracket than you were.
- Required minimum distributions (RMDs): Your children will be required to start taking withdrawals from a traditional IRA at age 72, as they would with a Roth IRA. This can limit their flexibility in how they manage the money.
Which is Better?
Ultimately, the best choice between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA for your children depends on several factors, including:
- Your children’s income: If your children are likely to be in a higher tax bracket than you are, a Roth IRA may be a better choice. This is because they won’t have to pay taxes on the earnings when they withdraw the money.
- Your children’s age: If your children are young, a Roth IRA may be a better choice because they have more time for the money to grow tax-free.
- Your estate planning goals: If you want to minimize your children’s tax liability, a Roth IRA may be a better choice. However, if you want to leave them with as much money as possible, a traditional IRA may be a better choice.
It’s important to carefully consider all of these factors before making a decision. You may also want to talk to a financial advisor to get personalized advice.
Additional Considerations
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when deciding which type of IRA to leave to your children:
- Your children’s financial needs: If your children have significant financial needs, such as paying for college or buying a house, a traditional IRA may be a better choice. This is because they can withdraw the money without penalty if they need it for qualified expenses.
- Your children’s investment experience: If your children are not experienced investors, a Roth IRA may be a better choice. This is because they won’t have to worry about paying taxes on the earnings when they withdraw the money.
- The rules for inherited IRAs: The rules for inherited IRAs can be complex. It’s important to make sure that you understand these rules before making a decision.
Choosing the right type of IRA for your children is an important decision. By carefully considering the factors discussed above, you can make the best choice for their financial future.
Inherited IRA rules: 7 key things to know
An individual who inherits an IRA from their late spouse has a few options regarding how to use it:
- Name yourself the owner of the IRA and handle it as though it were your own.
- Roll over the IRA into another IRA or a qualifying employer plan (such as a 403(b) plan) and treat the account as if it were your own.
- Treat yourself as the beneficiary of the plan.
The inherited IRA may be rolled over into your own account if you are the surviving spouse; however, no one else will be eligible for this benefit. You also have other ways to get the money, and whichever path you choose might require you to make more decisions. Furthermore, the choices available to you depend on whether the departed spouse was 72 years old or older.
For instance, depending on your age, you might have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) or withdraw the entire amount from the IRA within ten years if you, as the surviving spouse, are the only beneficiary and treat it as your own. However, under certain conditions, you might be able to choose not to take out any cash.
“You could allow that money to grow in the IRA until you reach age 72 if you were not interested in taking money out at this time,” says Frank St. Onge, an enrolled representative at the Detroit-area Total Financial Planning, LLC
Spouses can also roll over their IRA into a personal account. That resets everything. They can now handle the IRA as if it were their own and designate their own beneficiary who will take their place, according to Carol Tully, CPA and lawyer at Wolf in Boston.
Additional guidelines regarding your options are provided by the IRS, and these guidelines differ significantly from traditional IRA rules when it comes to what you can do with a Roth IRA.
Take the tax break coming to you
An inherited IRA may be taxable, depending on the type. If you inherit a Roth IRA, you’re free of taxes. However, any withdrawal from a traditional IRA is liable to regular income taxes.
Inheritors of an IRA will receive an income tax deduction for the estate taxes paid on the account for estates subject to estate tax. “Income in respect of a decedent” refers to the taxable income earned but not received by the deceased. ”.
According to Choate, “any distribution you take out of an IRA is taxable income.” “However, you receive an income tax deduction for the estate taxes paid on the IRA because the decedent’s estate was required to pay federal estate taxes.” It is possible for you to have $1 million in income and deduct $350,000 from it. ”.
“Just because someone paid the taxes doesn’t mean that you were the one who did,” she says.
For 2024, estates worth more than $13. The estate tax now applies to 61 million, up from $12 92 million in 2023.
Inherited Roth IRA tips
FAQ
Is it better to inherit a Roth IRA or traditional IRA?
Do beneficiaries pay tax on Roth IRA inheritance?
What is the best strategy for an inherited IRA?
What is the best investment for an inherited IRA?
Can a Roth IRA be inherited?
Additionally, you can keep your money in a Roth IRA to grow and pass it on to your heirs. Unlike a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA does not have a provision for required minimum distributions RMDs at age 73. An inherited Roth IRA once provided benefits for a lifetime to beneficiaries.
Can a Roth IRA beneficiary open an inherited IRA?
Roth IRA beneficiaries have several options, but tax consequences and distribution timelines vary. As a Roth IRA beneficiary, you can open an Inherited Roth IRA, but there are other choices, depending on your relationship with the original account holder.
Are inherited IRAs taxable?
This is known as an “ inherited IRA You could immediately cash out traditional or Roth IRAs through a lump sum distribution. With traditional IRAs, withdrawals are taxable income. However, withdrawals from Roth IRAs (as long as the account was open for at least five years) are tax-free.
Can you inherit a Roth IRA if a person dies?
The rules for taxes and beneficiaries you need to know. You can inherit a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) and avoid a lengthy court process known as probate as long as the person who passed away listed you as a beneficiary and you are still alive. The distribution rules for beneficiaries can get complicated and depend on two key factors: