Deferring income is a traditional tax-saving strategy, but a recent IRS ruling clarifies that not cashing a retirement plan distribution check doesn’t count.
If your retirement plan sends you a check for a distribution, the IRS’s Revenue Ruling 2019-19 spells out that you owe tax on the amount for the tax year in which the plan distributed the money—even if you don’t receive your check or cash it until the following year. The plan sponsor must file a Form 1099-R, reporting the distribution and any withholding, in the same year the money is distributed.
The ruling makes it clear that you can’t hold off on paying taxes by taking a distribution at the end of the year, then holding on to the check and cashing it in January or beyond of the following year, says IRA expert Ed Slott. “Even though you may think you can defer until another year, it’s still taxable for the year it came out of your plan,” he says.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The IRS most likely received enough questions on the timing to issue such a broad rule, Slott says. Some businesses hold on to checks received for services until a subsequent calendar year and record the money as income then, and individual taxpayers may have assumed the same practice was allowable for retirement plan distribution checks.
Although the ruling only refers to 401(k) plans and other tax-qualified plans, Slott says the same treatment already applies to IRA distributions as well.
One way to avoid the issue altogether: Consider using direct deposit if your custodian offers it. That could eliminate any potential problems, Slott says, because the check would be deemed immediately cashed.
But plans aren’t required to offer a direct deposit option and some plans will only process distributions by check, says Jeffrey Levine, chief executive officer of BluePrint Wealth Alliance, in Garden City, N.Y.
The check can get lost or forgotten, or a recipient may not have the mental capacity to remember requesting the distribution. “It would be great to have the money move right from account A to account B,” Levine says, but that isn’t always possible.
-
How GLP-1 Drugs Could Revolutionize RetirementGLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are already changing the way we age and manage chronic conditions.
-
How to Invest in the Nuclear RevolutionAccording to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, "The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump's administration."
-
Early Tax Refund Options Could Trap Your CashTax Refunds Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re not getting a loan — because you really are.
-
First-Time Filing Taxes? Key Tax Tips to Know for 2025Tax Filing Preparing your IRS taxes for the first time may seem daunting, but here are some return preparation and filing tips to start.
-
Legislation Cracking Down on IRS Tax Refund Mail Theft AdvancesIRS A string of bipartisan measures targeting taxpayer refunds, rights, and protections move forward on Capitol Hill.
-
Ten IRS Audit Red Flags for Retirees in 2025Retirement Taxes Retirees who think they can escape the IRS audit machine should think again.
-
Could ERC Delays Get Worse if Trump Downsizes the IRS?IRS The Trump administration’s push to shave down the IRS can impact taxpayers like you.
-
IRS Income Tax Refund Schedule 2025: When Will Your Refund Arrive?Tax Refunds Your 2025 IRS tax refund may arrive sooner than you think. Here’s a schedule for when you can expect your check or direct deposit.
-
IRS Tax Refunds Are $526 Bigger This Year: Here's WhyTax Refunds Inflation-related changes to the tax code could result in a larger refund.
-
Ten IRS Audit Red Flags for Self-Employed IndividualsIRS Audits Taxpayers who file Schedule C with their Form 1040 have a greater chance of an IRS audit.
