401K Early Withdrawal

dtenhove57 — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:52:09 GMT

Turbo tax is telling me to hold off filing my taxes just yet because there may be a favorable treatment of my early withdrawal from 401K to cover losses due to a flood which is considered a qualified disaster. A none know when the Feds will have a decision made for this situation in a qualified Disaster area?

Thanks in advance,

Suzette L

Re: 401K Early Withdrawal

Opus 17 — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 23:17:33 GMT

What flood?

See this page.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/access-retirement-funds-in-a-disaster

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/disaster-relief-frequent-asked-questions-retirement-plans-and-iras-under-the-secure-20-act-of-2022

Qualified disasters are declared by FEMA and you can look them up on the FEMA web page.

If you qualify, you can withdraw some funds from a retirement plan, and you can access the following special rules:

1. Reduced or eliminate the 10% penalty for early withdrawal on part of the withdrawal (but you still owe income tax).

2. Stretch the income tax on the withdrawal over 3 years instead of paying the tax in one year.

3. Pay back the withdrawal into your retirement account within 3 years, rather than the usual 60 day rule for rollovers.

The funds must be withdrawn within the first 180 days after the disaster started, in order to qualify for special treatment.

I'm also not sure what turbotax is telling you because I can't see the screen. Is turbotax telling you that you might be in a disaster area? Or is the program telling you that you are in a disaster area, but if you want to use the special rules you have to wait to file because form 8915-F isn't ready yet?

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401K Early Withdrawal

Re: 401K Early Withdrawal