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Level 2
March 21, 2020
Question

RMD for 401K - How to Determine

  • March 21, 2020
  • 4 replies
  • 41 views

I took out more than my RMD for several 401K plans.  Besides calling the company that took care of the 401K, how do I determine which part of the withdrawal was the RMD?

 

Claudia Henderson Smith

    4 replies

    ColeenD3
    Level 15
    March 21, 2020

    In general, what you receive each year satisfies your RMD. It is the plan administrator's job to calculate the amounts.

     

    All retirement accounts, even pensions and annuities, must meet the RMD requirements.

    However, the way the pension plans meet the RMD requirements is by creating an annuity paid periodically (in your case monthly.  Therefore, you may simply select "yes" to the RMD question (Was this withdrawal RMD and all of this was RMD).  You will also be asked if the amount reported is paid periodically in equal amounts.  By selecting "yes" the RMD requirements are met and you may continue with the tax preparation.

    fanfare
    Level 15
    March 21, 2020

    See IRS Pub 590B to learn how to calculate the exact  RMD on your tax deferred plan (IRA or 401k).

    fanfare
    Level 15
    March 21, 2020

    If you don't plan to rollover the excess, it doesn't matter, just say ALL or 100%.

    macuser_22
    Alumni - Champ
    Alumni - Champ
    March 21, 2020

    @chcalissie620 wrote:

    I took out more than my RMD for several 401K plans.  Besides calling the company that took care of the 401K, how do I determine which part of the withdrawal was the RMD?

     

    Claudia Henderson Smith


    How do you know you took *more* than the RMD if you don't know how much the RMD is?


    See this IRS article:

    https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-required-minimum-distributions-rmds

     

    Unless you took the RMD part in cash and rolled the excess into another retirement plan then just say that it was ALL a RMD.    As long as the amount of RMD was taken then  the actual amount of the RMD is only needed to calculate how much of the distribution that is an *excess* can be rolled over.    If no rollover, then the actual RMD amount is immaterial, so there is no need to calculate it.

    **Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**