dmertz
Level 15

Retirement tax questions

There are nine different parts to Form 5329 in which penalties can be calculated, but unless you made an entry of an IRA contribution, the penalty would not be resulting from a reported IRA contribution.  Examine Form 5329 to see on what part a penalty is being calculated.  For example, do you have a W-2 with a code W amount in box 12 and have not yet completed the HSA section to establish your eligibility to have made the HSA contribution?  Any excess contributions carried into 2020 from 2019?

 

If you are unable to view Form 5329, you could try deleting various items from your tax return such as your W-2 to find the source of the penalty.  Also, view a blank Form 5329 to become aware of the nine different penalties that are determined on that form:  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5329.pdf

 

$422 could be 6% of $7,033 (excess contribution to a tax-favored account), 10% of $4,220 (early distribution from a tax favored account), 25% of $1,688 (for an unlikely early distribution from a SIMPLE IRA), or 50% of $844 (penalty for failing to take an RMD, but you essentially took all of your RMDs, if any, since RMDs were waived for 2020, so this is unlikely).  $7,033 is only slightly above the overall annual limit of $7,000 for an IRA contribution for 2020, so if you entered a traditional or Roth IRA contribution, this could be the source of an excess contribution (although it doesn't quite fit).