Retirement tax questions

@phinancialwiz Your estimation does sound correct.  It sounds like the calculation is not correct because you should not have to use the amount from box 1 in box 2a.  But if you were able to make it work correctly by doing so, 

it is an input validation error enforced by the TurboTax software and not an early distribution restriction imposed by the IRS.  It is ok to use the box 1 amount to bypass this input validation until corrected by the team.

 

About form 8915-E

The CARES Act provides tax relief for up to $100,000 of COVID-19 related distributions from eligible retirement plans. So, if you, your spouse, your dependent, or a member of your household was impacted by the coronavirus and you withdrew from your retirement accounts in 2020 before the age of 59 ½, you may not have to pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty (or the 25% additional tax for SIMPLE IRAs).

When you enter your Form 1099-R, we’ll ask you a few questions to determine your eligibility for the exemption, and complete and include Form 8915-E in your return if you qualify.

To qualify for Form 8915-E and to be exempt from the early withdrawal penalty due to COVID-19, a few rules have to be met.

1. You have to be a qualified individual. To qualify, one of these must be true:

  • You, your spouse, or your dependent were diagnosed with COVID-19
  • You experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed or laid off, or having work hours reduced due to COVID-19
  • You experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of being unable to work due to lack of child care due to COVID-19, or
  • You experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of closing or reducing hours of a business that you own or operate due to COVID-19

2. The withdrawal had to come from an eligible retirement plan, which could be any of the following:

  • A qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan (including a 401(k))
  • A qualified annuity plan
  • A tax-sheltered annuity contract
  • A governmental section 457 deferred compensation plan
  • A traditional, SEP, SIMPLE, or Roth IRA

3. The distribution had to have been made in 2020 before December 31, 2020.

There is also a $100,000 distribution limit to the exemption. Any distributions over that amount, may be subject to the additional tax.

When do I have to pay taxes on COVID-19 related distributions?