topic Want to withdraw from my rollover IRA from when I became disabled, &forced out of my job, in Nov of 21 and turned 55 last year. And now on long term disability (not ssdi? in Retirement tax questions

Want to withdraw from my rollover IRA from when I became disabled, &forced out of my job, in Nov of 21 and turned 55 last year. And now on long term disability (not ssdi?

lunarcall02 — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:06:26 GMT

Would I be exempt from penalty and only pay the income tax?

Re: Want to withdraw from my rollover IRA from when I became disabled, &forced out of my job, in Nov of 21 and turned 55 last year. And now on long term disability (not ssdi?

SweetieJean — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 23:10:06 GMT

If an individual takes a distribution from their IRA, the 10% penalty will not apply if they are disabled. The standard for disability for this purpose is a strict one and it is difficult to meet. The IRA owner must be unable to engage in any gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition. The condition must be expected to last a long or indefinite period of time or be expected to result in death. In other words, the disability must be total and permanent.

Re: Want to withdraw from my rollover IRA from when I became disabled, &forced out of my job, in Nov of 21 and turned 55 last year. And now on long term disability (not ssdi?

Opus 17 — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 19:37:05 GMT

If you had left the money in a workplace plan (401k or 403b or certain others) you would be exempt from the penalty if you separated from service in the year you turned 55 (or older).

Because you rolled the money into an IRA, the age limit is 59-1/2 (IRAs have different rules from workplace plans.). To be exempt from the penalty for IRA withdrawals, you must be "totally and permanently disabled." For IRS purposes, this means:

For purposes of this section, an individual shall be considered to be disabled if he is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration.

There are many conditions that would be a recognized medical disability, but which do not prevent a person from engaging in substantial gainful activity. (A blind person or recent amputee might be "disabled" for some medical definitions, but may be able to engage in "substantial gainful activity", depending on their education and training.)

If you claim the disability exception to the penalty, you must be able to provide proof including a doctor's certification, if asked. (Don't include proof when you file, but have it available.)