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Retirement tax questions
Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are very complicated and depend on some very detailed facts. It would be a very good idea for you to get professional advice from a CPA, enrolled agent, or tax attorney so they can apply the law to your specific facts and can ask you more questions/review your documentation.
Here is some information so that you can have an informed discussion with your advisors.
Details matter a lot. For example, did your parent name you with the IRA company as a "designated beneficiary." (DB) Or did they name their estate (or not name anyone such that their estate was the beneficiary) and you inherited thru the estate?
Also whether your parent was old enough to have already been taking RMDs matters in some cases.
For pre-2020 deaths:
non-individuals (including estates) generally need to withdrawal all funds by 5 years.
individuals get to use their own life expectancy to "stretch" the withdrawals over time. Your IRA company can calculate this for you. (Or the last link below has a link to a calculator.) Or use the 5 year rule if they prefer. (But it is generally, though not always, better to keep money in tax-deferred accounts as long as possible.)
You must take your first RMD (if not using the 5 yr rule) by Dec 31 of the year following the owner's death. There are significant penalties for not taking an RMD (50% of the amount not withdrawn.) Each year the amount you need to take is recomputed. It is a % of the value of the account as of Dec 31 of the prior year. The % increases year by year as you get older.
Note that the pandemic relief CARES Act waived RMDs for 2020. So your first RMD would probably have been in 2021.
The 5 year rule deadline is Dec 31 of the 5yr year following the year of the IRA owner's death. So if your parent died in 2019, you would have until Dec 31 2024.
I would suggest reading the links below. Then 1) if you haven't taken RMDs figure out your RMDs for the year after your parents death through 2023. See how bad the 50% penalties would be. 2) if you are within 5 years decide whether to take it all out to avoid the 50% penalties. 3) if beyond the 5 years, the 50% smaller life expectancy penalties are probably better than taking all out late and paying a penalty on the whole thing.
A lot also depends upon the size of the account. If it's small it may not be a big deal. If large more is at state.
For more info see these links -- look for "before 2020"
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-beneficiary
this link has a calculator link
https://investor.vanguard.com/inheriting-accounts/rmd-rules-for-inherited-iras
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