Disclose recategorization from ROTH (in 2023) to a trad. IRA (in 2024) on 2023 1040 - Include contribution + earnings on 8606 Ln 1 & explanation statement. Anything else?

[ginger6899-aol-c]

The recategorization was done in 2024. Will receive a 1099-R next year, so wanted to check on disclosure for the 2023 return so I won't need to amend next year. Also, do you have any sample explanation statements? Thank you.

[DanaB27 · Accepted solution]

You will enter the recharacterization when you enter the contribution to the Roth IRA:

1. Login to your TurboTax Account 
2. Click on "Search" on the top right and type “IRA contributions” 
3. Click on “Jump to IRA contributions"
4. Select “Roth IRA”
5. Answer ‘Yes” on the “Roth IRA Contribution” screen
6. Answer “No” to “Is This a Repayment of a Retirement Distribution
7. Enter the Roth contribution amount 
8. Answer “Yes” to the recharacterized question on the “Switch from a Roth To a Traditional IRA?” screen and enter the contribution amount (no earnings or losses) on the next screen.
9. TurboTax will ask for an explanation statement where it should be stated that the original $xxx.xx plus $xxx.xx earnings (or loss) were recharacterized.
10. On the screen "Choose Not to Deduct IRA Contributions" answer "Yes" if you are thinking about doing a backdoor Roth. Otherwise select "No". (If you have a retirement plan at work and are over the income limit it will be nondeductible automatically and you only get a warning and then a screen saying $0 is deductible)

You will get a 2024 Form 1099-R  for the recharacterization with code R-Recharacterized IRA contribution made for 2023 and this belongs on the 2023 return. But a Form 1099-R with code R will do nothing to your return. You can only report it as mentioned above. Therefore, you can ignore the Form 1099-R with code R when you get it in 2025. 

If you chose to make the contribution nondeductible then your Form 8606 Line 1 should only show the contribution amount (not the earnings). The earnings are deemed to have been generate in the traditional IRA when you recharacterized the Roth IRA contribution.