Self-directed Roth IRAs provide greater investment options and flexibility than traditional IRAs, but there are certain rules and restrictions that must be observed or else penalties and fees could incurr.
To withdraw from a self-directed Roth IRA, certain criteria must be fulfilled, including reaching age 59 1/2 and having had the account open for five years. Furthermore, there are specific regulations pertaining to alternative investments, like collectibles or life insurance policies that must also be held.
Taxes
Self-directed IRAs allow you to invest in an array of assets, from stocks and ETFs to real estate and physical gold. However, these types of assets tend to be less liquid than others – taking longer for you to sell when needing access to your money.
Self-directed IRA investments come with their own challenges: the IRS has stringent rules regarding what you can and cannot do with your retirement savings account, and violating one could result in penalties and taxes being levied against it.
Self-dealing, which is the practice of moving investments between your IRA and personal accounts without proper authorization from both accounts, is prohibited as these transfers represent a taxable transfer of retirement funds from one to the other. Furthermore, the IRS has rules regarding when you must begin withdrawing funds from your IRA; typically this must happen around age 72 with withdrawal amounts meeting minimum requirements depending on life expectancy.
Withdrawals
Self-directed IRAs allow investors to access alternative investments like real estate and physical gold that are not regularly held by brokerage firms or banks, though tax rules for these assets can be more complex than for stocks, exchange-traded funds or mutual funds – and any violations could lead to additional taxes and penalties when filing your return.
As owners of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), owners must keep close tabs on both contributions and investment earnings when withdrawing funds from their IRA account, particularly when withdrawing them for withdrawals as the tax liability associated with these withdrawals will be calculated using your total taxable income for that year as the basis for calculation.
Under the age of 59 1/2, any withdrawals made before reaching this age (which includes Roth IRA accounts). May incur an extra 10% tax penalty.
Minimum Required Distributions (RMDs)
RMDs are calculated by dividing your year-end account balance on eligible accounts by the IRS-stipulated life expectancy factor. This calculation applies to traditional and Roth IRAs as well as SEP and SIMPLE IRAs; RMDs are tax-payable and must be taken by December 31 or face penalties.
When inheriting an IRA, the rules for required minimum distributions (RMDs) differ. Spouse beneficiaries may take over and assume ownership without RMDs being taken out; or they can choose an inherited Roth account and take RMDs according to their age. Non-spouse beneficiaries must either begin taking RMDs based on the original owner’s life expectancy or distribute the account within five years after his or her death.
One option available to IRA owners is making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from their account to support a nonprofit organization, satisfying your RMD requirement while simultaneously saving taxes. By doing so, donors can meet their RMD obligation while potentially saving on taxes on the amount donated.
Investments
So long as self-directed Roth IRAs follow IRS regulations regarding retirement accounts, they can invest in most assets – with only limited restrictions applied by collectibles (art investments, antiques or stamps) and life insurance contracts being considered an investment rather than protection contract.
Other assets considered restricted assets include real estate in which you reside and startup equity acquired through crowdfunding platforms. Furthermore, an account holder cannot personally borrow from their IRA; doing so would violate self-dealing rules and is considered an unapproved transaction.
Self-directed IRA investors should carefully inspect and validate information included in their account statements, such as prices and asset valuations. This is important, as alternative assets may be hard to value due to being illiquid; furthermore, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission promoters may not undergo as stringent background checks and regulatory oversight as registered broker-dealers or investment advisers do.