My 1099-R for my Roth IRA lists a distribution code of T, and apparently, this makes TurboTax assume the entire withdrawal is taxable.

[george.hetrick]

I'm 68 years old, and all contributions are more than 5 years ago. What do I need to do to avoid this? Do I really need records of all contributions?

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

You must click the Continue button on the Your 1099-R Entries page, then, when asked, indicate in 2018 TurboTax that your first Roth IRA contribution was for some year prior to 2014.  TurboTax will then show the distribution as nontaxable income.

You can also tell TurboTax your contribution and conversion basis, but this is unnecessary to determine that the code T distribution is nontaxable as long as you've indicated that your first Roth IRA contribution was for some year prior to 2014.

[Cindy0H]

It should not be taxable. There are a few questions that will be asked about the Roth, but you may have missed them.

• Federal
• Income & Wages
• Retirement
• IRA, Pension Plans
• Edit your 1099R
• Make sure the IRA box below box 7 is checked
• Answer the questions
• When you get to Your 1099-R Entries, click continue
• It will ask questions about your Roth...it will ask about your Roth contributions prior to 2018

[george.hetrick]

I'll have to get info on my contributions. Let me ask a slightly different form of the question: suppose I contributed  $10000 in 2000. And suppose it grew to $30000. If I withdrew $10000 in 2017 (equalling the original contribution), and then withdrew another $10000 in 2018, what would I answer about prior contributions?

[george.hetrick]

I dug through all my old statements: initial contribution in 2010. Total of all contributions from 2010-2015 was $35686. Withdrawal of $35000 in 2016. Additional withdrawal of $15800 in 2018. So I answered $686 to the question about prior contributions.

[re2boys]

Per the PA Personal INcome Tax (PIT) Guide, Chapter 7, a box 7 Code T:

T - Roth IRA distribution, exception applies.

T - Under Pennsylvania personal income tax law, not taxable to the extent you are over 59½. Taxable if under 59½.to the extent using the cost recovery method.

https://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/PAPersonalIncomeTaxGuide/Pages/Gross-Compensation.as...

Select:  I qualify, plan qualify (or similar choice) to mark this distribution as not taxable.