Form 8606 - Do I have to file even if i made NO contributions

[DXY2021]

I've filed Form 8606 in the past as i've made past contributions

• This year i made NO contributions
• Do i still need to file Form 8606 so that the prior year basis continues to be reported?
• Or do we only file this IF we make a contribution?

thanks for the help !

[MayaD]

No. You don't need to file form 8606.

You must file Form 8606 for every year you contribute after-tax amounts (non-deductible contributions) to your traditional IRA or if you received a distribution from your Roth IRA or your traditional IRA if you ever previously contributed after-tax amounts.

[DXY2021]

thanks that make sense - much appreciated

so quick follow up just to clarify - if I don't make any more non deductible contributions in the future, the IRS will still know my reported basis from 8606 forms submitted in the past, right?   (in other words, i dont need to keep resubmitting the form to remind them of my basis each year)   So in theory if I never made another non deductible contribution, the next time I would ever have to use that form would be when i start taking distributions in retirement, right ?

thank you again for your help !

[MayaD · Accepted solution]

That's correct. You don't need to submit the form every year. 

File Form 8606 if any of the following apply.

• You made nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA for 2021, including a repayment of a qualified disaster or reservist distribution.

• You received distributions from a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA in 2021 and your basis in these IRAs is more than zero.

• You or your spouse transferred all or part of their traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA in 2021 to the other spouse under a divorce or separation agreement where the transfer resulted in a change in the basis of the IRA of either spouse.

• You converted an amount from a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA to a Roth IRA in 2021.

• You received distributions from a Roth IRA in 2021 (other than a rollover, recharacterization, or return of certain contributions.

• You received a distribution from an inherited traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA that has a basis, or you received a distribution from an inherited Roth IRA that wasn’t a qualified distribution

2021 Instructions for Form 8606