Retirement tax questions

You can only make new contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA if you have compensation from working -- this generally means W-2 wages or schedule C self-employment.

 

For a traditional IRA, all withdrawals are always taxable, since you did not pay tax on the contributions.  You will not pay the additional 10% penalty for early withdrawal at your age.

 

If you have a Roth (after-tax) IRA, withdrawals are tax free if it is at least 5 years since you opened your first Roth IRA (traditional IRAs don't start this 5 year clock).  The 5 year clock on Roth IRAs applies once in a taxpayer's life.  If you have more than one Roth IRA, look at the date that the earliest one was opened.