Can you return IRA money not needed

[davidpy135]

Withdrew money for a auto but changed my mind and want to but it back

[Bsch4477]

You can return it within 60 days of the withdrawal. 

[Opus 17]

Within 60 days, you can return it to the same IRA, or deposit it in a different IRA.  This would be an "indirect rollover" and you can do this once per calendar year.  You will get a 1099-R that you have to report, and you tell the program it was a rollover.  

If more than 60 days, it is a withdrawal and you have to pay the tax (and penalty.)

[rjs]

If you do a rollover, you cannot do another rollover within a one-year period from the date of the distribution (withdrawal) that you rolled over. See "Waiting period between rollovers" in IRS Publication 590-A for details.

For example, if you took money out of an IRA on April 10, 2025, and rolled it over to the same IRA or a different IRA within 60 days, you cannot do another rollover until April 10, 2026. It is not by calendar year.

[VolvoGirl]

And if you put it back within the 60 days  you should replace any withholding taken out from other money  or the withholding will become a distribution and taxable and a 10%  early withdrawal penalty if you are under 59 1/2.

[dmertz]

@Opus 17 , the rollover limitation is NOT a calendar-year limitation.  The limitation is that no IRA distribution can be rolled over to a like-kind (traditional or Roth) IRA in the one-year period beginning on the date of a previous IRA distribution that was rolled over to a like-kind IRA.