I am a recent retiree and I want proceeds from exercise of non-qualified stock options to be eligible for IRA contributions too, and I've been searching for support for this, but I haven't found it yet. As retirees don't (as I understand) get W-2's, but instead 1099's associated with exercise of such options, I don't see how the Box 1/Box 11 justification is relevant to a retiree. While I wish it were different, I can't see that proceeds from these transactions are considered earned income, which seems to be requisite for IRA contribution.
I would love to be corrected.
