dmertz
Level 15

Retirement tax questions

Movement of an IRA to another IRA by the method that you described is a trustee-to-trustee transfer and is not reportable.  No Form 1099-R should have been issued at all.  I assume that the Forms 1099-R shows no tax withholding that would complicate things.  ABC should be asked to correct the form to show  zeros where the original shows dollar amounts in boxes 1 and 2a.

 

This sort of bank error is common because bank personnel are usually poorly trained with regard to the difference between a distribution from an IRA and a transfer of an IRA.  They frequently mistakenly mark the Distribution box on the withdrawal form instead of the Transfer box and the back office obligingly reports the transfer as a distribution when it is not actually a distribution.

 

If XYZ has not and will not report receipt of a rollover in box 2 of a Form 5498 (the deadline to provide such a form has not yet passed), they have properly processed the transaction as a trustee-to-trustee transfer.  A trustee-to-trustee transfer is neither a distribution nor a rollover.

 

Code G is never to be used for movement of funds from one IRA to another.  Code G is only used for the movement of funds to or from an employer plan like a 401(k).

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