The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides relief designed to increase liquidity in the economy including modifications to the rules on the use and distribution of retirement funds.
Withdrawals
The CARES Act waives the 10-percent penalty on early withdrawals up to $100,000 from qualified retirement plans for coronavirus-related distributions. For purposes of the penalty waiver, a coronavirus-related distribution is one made during the 2020 calendar year, to an individual (or the spouse of an individual) diagnosed with COVID-19 with a CDC-approved test, or to an individual who experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of quarantine, business closure, layoff, or reduced hours due to the virus.
Any income attributable to an early withdrawal is subject to tax over a three-year period, and taxpayers may recontribute the withdrawn amounts to a qualified retirement plan without regard to annual caps on contributions if made within three years. This relief is commonly granted by Congress in the wake of major disaster declarations, such as those made after a major hurricane.
Loans
The maximum loan amount is increased from the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of vested balance to the lesser of $100,000 or 100% of vested balance. This increase applies to loans made between March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) and December 31, 2020.
In addition, if a qualified individual has a loan repayment due date after March 27, 2020 and before December 31, 2020, on an outstanding loan, the payment due date is delayed one year (or, if later, until the date which is 180 days after March 27, 2020). Any subsequent repayments with respect to the loan will be adjusted accordingly and the five-year period for repayment is disregarded.
Similar to the rules on withdrawals, a qualified individual is an individual (or the spouse of an individual) diagnosed with COVID-19 with a CDC-approved test, or to an individual who experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of quarantine, business closure, layoff, or reduced hours due to the virus.
Required Minimum Distributions
The CARES Act also waives required minimum distributions, regardless of whether the taxpayer has been impacted by the pandemic. The waiver applies for calendar year 2020 to defined contribution plans, certain annuity plans, and traditional or Roth IRAs. The waiver allows seniors to hold on to their plan assets when they might otherwise have to sell at market lows.
Additional Modifications
· IRA Contribution Deadline. The deadline to make an IRA contribution is extended to July 15, the extended due date for tax returns.
· Mandatory 20% Withholding. The mandatory 20% income tax withholding on rollovers is also suspended for 2020.
Waiver of Required Minimum Distribution Rules
The CARES Act waives all required minimum distributions for 2020, regardless of whether the taxpayer has been impacted by the pandemic.
The required minimum distribution (RMD) rules prevent taxpayers from extending the tax benefit for retirement savings indefinitely. In general, a minimum required distribution must be made for the later of the year in which the participant turns 70 1/2 (or 72, if they have not reached 70 1/2 before 2020) or retires, and for every year thereafter. The required beginning date cannot be delayed until retirement if the participant is a five-percent owner of the employer, or if the account is an IRA. The distribution for the first year can be made as late as April 1 of the following year. For other years, the required distribution must be made during the calendar year.
The waiver under the CARES ACT applies for calendar year 2020 to defined contribution plans, certain annuity plans, and traditional or Roth IRAs. The waiver allows seniors to hold on to their plan assets when they might otherwise have to sell at market lows.
Comment
There may be an additional benefit of the waiver for taxpayers who turned 70 ½ in 2019 and did not take their first required distribution in 2019. For those individuals who chose to wait until April 1, 2020 and had not yet taken the distribution at the time legislation was passed, they can waive both the 2019 and 2020 RMDs.
Conversely, for all taxpayers who have already taken their distribution, it is uncertain if they can still benefit from the waiver. In general, distributions received each year, up to the amount of the individual’s RMD, are not eligible rollover distributions. We must wait for guidance from the IRS to see if the generally applicable rule continues to apply for 2019 and 2020 RMDs that were taken prior to the CARES Act. For now, the distribution is included in income. However, if redepositing the RMD into another tax qualified account would otherwise qualify as a rollover, then taxpayers may be able to treat it as they would any other rollover (i.e. redeposit it somewhere within 60 days, convert to a Roth, etc.).
If you would like more information on modifications to the rules on the use and distribution of retirement funds or the waiver of RMDs for 2020, please call our office at 847-240-1040. We are here to help you.
