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Retirement Income

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403(b) Plan – Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plan

Generally, you do not report contributions to your 403(b) account (except Roth contributions) on your tax return. Your employer will report contributions on your Form W-2. Elective deferrals are reported in Box 12 and the Retirement plan box will be checked in Box 13. If you are a self-employed minister or chaplain, see below. See […]

IRA – Distribution Explanation Attach Statement

In certain situations (such as recharacterization of an IRA contribution or Roth IRA conversion, return of IRA contributions, or return of excess traditional IRA contributions), a statement must be attached to your return explaining the recharacterization or distribution. IRS Instructions for Form 8606, Nondeductible IRAs, provides the most definitive guidance for reporting recharacterizations. You can […]

Form 1040 – Retirement

Based on IRS instructions and the information you enter in TaxAct, the TaxAct® program determines what amount (if any) needs to appear on Lines 4a and 4b of Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Usually, if the amount is fully taxable, Line 4a is left blank and the total distribution is entered on Line […]

Forms RRB-1099 and RRB-1099-R – Railroad Retirement

Retired railroad workers can receive two different forms for reporting retirement benefits. The forms have similar names, so make sure to pay attention so you can properly report them in the TaxAct program. Form RRB-1099 reports Social Security Equivalent payments. See Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 – Entering Social Security or Railroad Retirement in Program for […]

Form 8606 – Entering IRAs in Program

Use Form 8606 to report the following:  Nondeductible contributions you made to traditional IRAs; Distributions from traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs, if you have a basis in these IRAs; Conversions from traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs to Roth IRAs; and  Distributions from Roth IRAs. For info on entering Form 1099-R in the TaxAct program, go […]

Form 5329 – Entering in Program

Use Form 5329 to report additional taxes on: IRAs Other qualified retirement plans Modified endowment contracts Coverdell ESAs QTPs Archer MSAs HSAs ABLE accounts To enter, review, or delete information for Form 5329, follow the steps below.  Online Dashboard From within your TaxAct return, click Taxes & Miscellaneous.  On smaller devices, click the menu at […]

Form 1099-R – Plan Distributions Deferred Compensation 457(b)

State or local governments or a tax-exempt organization under IRC 501(c) are eligible to establish a 457(b) plan for its employees. These plans can either be eligible plans under IRC 457(b) or ineligible plans under IRC 457(f). Plans eligible under 457(b) allow employees of sponsoring organizations to defer income taxation on retirement savings into future […]

Form 1099-R – Entering Distributions from Retirement Plans

To enter Form 1099-R. Distributions from pensions, annuities, retirement or profit-sharing plans, IRAs, insurance contracts, etc., follow the steps below.  Online Dashboards From within your TaxAct return, click Income. On smaller devices, click the menu at the top left corner of your screen, then make your selection.  Expand the Retirement & Social Security section. Click […]

Form 1099-R – Basic Information

TaxAct uses the entries made for all Forms 1099-R to calculate the amounts that appear on Lines 4a, 4b, 5a, or 5b of Form 1040. If you think an amount regarding your retirement plan income is incorrect on Form 1040, review your Form 1099-R entries by following the steps below. If you change any of […]

Form 1099-R – 401(k) Distributions

You’ll receive a Form 1099-R from the payer of your 401(k) distribution. A copy of that form is also sent to the IRS. To report the 401(k) distribution in your TaxAct return, follow these steps. Online Dashboards From within your TaxAct return, click Income. On smaller devices, click the menu at the top left corner […]

Simplified Method Worksheet

The Simplified Method Worksheet in the TaxAct® program shows the calculation of the taxable amount from entries made in the retirement income section. To view this worksheet in the TaxAct program: Online Navigation Instructions You need to view the worksheet as a print PDF; if you need help, go to our Printing Your Return and […]

Simplified Method for Pensions and Annuities

A qualified retirement plan is a qualified employee plan, a qualified employee annuity, or a tax-sheltered annuity plan. If you made after-tax contributions to your pension or annuity plan, you can exclude part of your payments from your income. Determine the tax-free amount based on when your payments first began. This amount will always be […]

Roth IRA – Eligibility

Generally, you can contribute to a Roth IRA if you have taxable compensation (defined below) and your 2023 modified AGI is less than: $228,000 for MFJ or Qualifying Widow(er), $153,000 for Single, Head of Household, or MFS and you did not live with your spouse at any time during the year, and $10,000 for MFS […]

Roth IRA – Designated Roth Accounts

Per the IRS Retirement Plans FAQs on Designated Roth Accounts webpage: What is a designated Roth account? A designated Roth account is a feature in new or existing 401(k), 403(b), or governmental 457(b) plans. If a plan includes a designated Roth feature, employees can designate some or all of their elective deferrals as designated Roth […]

IRA, Roth IRA, or HSA – Excess Contributions

If your contributions to a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or Health Savings Account (HSA) exceed the allowed limit for the year, an additional tax may apply. This tax is calculated and reported on Form 5329. If you need help accessing Form 5329, go to our Form 5329 – Entering in Program FAQ. IRA (Traditional and […]

IRA – IRS FAQs

For more information on individual retirement arrangements, go to the IRS Retirement Plans Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) webpage. Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.

Form 1099-R – Dividends Distributed from an ESOP

If you have a code “U” in Box 7, you will not use code “1” with it. Distributions from a ESOP are not subject to a 10% additional tax. Code “B” is the only code that can be used with code “U.” Code “B” should be used when the account is a designated Roth account. […]

Form 1099-R – Reporting Other Information

Issuers of Forms 1099-R Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. use Box 8 to report other information they consider important. The TaxAct program does not transfer an amount entered in Box 8 of Forms 1099-R to anywhere else in the return, since the appropriate tax treatment cannot be determined. Verify […]

Form 1099-R – Errors That Could Prompt a Notice

There are many reasons you could have received a notice regarding your Form(s) 1099-R Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.. The most common reasons are listed below: The form was never entered into the TaxAct® program and the income was not reported elsewhere on the return. Entry error: Example […]

Form 1099-R – Distribution Codes

For information about distribution codes for Form 1099-R, go to the IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-R and 5498 and review Table 1. Guide to Distribution Codes. Then, enter the distribution code in Box 7 when entering the information for Form 1099-R. See the FAQ Form 1099-R – Entering Distributions from Retirement Plans for details.  If […]

Form 1042-S – Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding

Form 1042-S Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding is used to report amounts paid to foreign persons (including persons presumed to be foreign) who are subject to income tax withholding. For an individual taxpayer, Form 1042-S is a document provided to you (and the IRS) by the payer of the income reported. That […]

Railroad Retirement Contributions or Income

Form W-2 Box 14 Per IRS Instructions for Form W-2, page 9: Instructions for Employee Box 14. Railroad employers use this box to report railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation, Tier 1 tax, Tier 2 tax, Medicare tax, and Additional Medicare Tax. Include tips reported by the employee to the employer in railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation. To report Box […]

Form 1099-R – Entering Basis of Nonqualified Distributions

Follow the instructions to report the basis of your nonqualified Roth IRA distributions, for Line 19 of Form 8606 Nondeductible IRAs to calculate properly, and for Line 4b of Form 1040 to show the correct amount as taxable. To report basis of nonqualified distributions from Form 1099-R in the TaxAct program (if you need help […]

Form 1099-R – Charitable Gift Annuity Code

If you receive income from charitable gift annuities reported on Form 1099-R, the amount reflected in Box 3 will report the capital gains that are already included in the taxable amount reported in Box 2a of the form. The following instructions will ensure the capital gains amount is taxed at the lower rate it is […]

Form 1099-R – Excess 401k Contributions

Code “P” indicates that the taxpayer contributed more than allowed to a 401k, IRA, etc. through payroll withholding. Excess contributions must be included as income for the year in which the contributions were made. If the excess contributions haven’t already been claimed in that year, the return will need to be amended to include the […]

Life Insurance Benefits

Per IRS Publication 525 Taxable and Nontaxable Income, page 23: Life Insurance Proceeds Life insurance proceeds paid to you because of the death of the insured person aren’t taxable unless the policy was turned over to you for a price. This is true even if the proceeds were paid under an accident or health insurance […]