My wife and I are filing jointly and contributed $1,600 to a Roth IRA during calendar year 2018. After learning that we would be above the eligibility limit to fund a Roth IRA directly, we recharacterized the $1,600 contributions to a traditional IRA. These were then earmarked as nondeductible contributions. We then proceeded to max fund or nondeductible contributions for the year by adding $3,900 to the account, bringing our total to $5,500 each for 2018. We need to attached Form 8606 to our 2018 return to document our nondeductible contributions. I cannot find a way to make the 8606 attach to the return.
On January 3, 2019, the nondeductible contributions were converted to a Roth IRA, effectively completing the “backdoor” Roth strategy. I am trying to complete Form 8606 for the $5,500 of nondeductible contributions for both of us, however, I can only find questions regarding "contribution for 2017 or prior years" while completing the Form 8606 information. I do not have Form 8606 from tax year 2017, as we did not make nondeductible contributions prior to this year. I need to attach the 8606 to my 2018 return to confirm the nontaxable nature of the 2019 conversion.
How should I most appropriately enter the recharacterization and nondeductible contributions on my return this year? I know that I will enter the Roth conversion on my 2019 tax return as it occurred in January of this year.
