Re: [TSPStrategy] 20% tax on withdrawals

Lindalyc--

Item#1:  Tax law and the IRS requires a "forced" RMD not the TSP. An RMD is required by the IRS when a person reaches 72 (it used to be 701/2 but was recently changed. The TSP is your friend when it comes to ensuring that you comply with taking the appropriate amount because  failure to withdraw what the IRS requires would result in an IRS penalty of 50% of the amount that you failed to withdraw. At the end of the year, if you haven't withdrawn enough to comply with the law, the TSP will send you the remaining amount so that you are not penalized by the IRS.  It makes no difference whether or not you need the RMD--it is required based on your age. Prior to age 72, no withdrawals are required.  

Item#2:  The amount in your Roth TSP is still tax free when included as part of your RMD, so no, you do not lose your "tax free capital gain shield" as you state.  Withdrawals from the TSP do require that an amount of your Roth funds be included in the RMD in the percent that they exist in your total account balance, e.g. if your Roth comprises 2% of your total TSP account then your 2% of your annual RMD will be from your Roth balance. So transferring the Roth portion of your TSP to an outside Roth IRA, if allowed, could  be beneficial to eliminate the inclusion of a portion of the your Roth TSP in with your RMD. However, it may not be worth the trouble, if it is a just a small percentage anyway, because having a small part of your RMD comprised of Roth funds means that your taxable income is less since that portion is tax free.

Item #3:  It sounds as if you are under the impression that a TSP balance can be transferred to an IRA and then converted into a Roth IRA.  An IRA balance cannot just be "converted" to a Roth IRA. A portion of an IRA can be converted into a Roth while a person is still working but with certain limitations on the amount allowed each year. Whatever amount that is "converted" from an IRA into a Roth IRA,  increases your ordinary income and your tax liability that year because you have to pay taxes on an IRA when it is withdrawn.

There are a lot of rules and requirements for IRAs which are based in tax law passed by Congress and then enforced by the IRS. Those laws can be confusing. That is why CPA's and tax lawyers exist.  But the TSP helps you comply with those requirements at no extra cost to you.  Private companies and so-called "financial advisors" who earn commissions from investing your hard earned savings in what they recommend--are NOT your friend--and want you to believe that you are better off transferring your money out of the TSP and into an account with them. But doing so will cost you in commissions paid by your purchases or by investments in recommend that will have higher fees. 

On Saturday, July 24, 2021, 09:59, lindalyc via groups.io <lindalyc=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

I attended it, not that helpful to me--they are for the best insterest of TSP board/company.

My concern is I want the flexibility of distributions not a forced RMD.

So even with Roth TSP, you're required to RMD. so in case I don't need it the RMD means I would lose the tax free captial gain shield.

Isn't it the best to transfer (after 59 1/2 year old) to outside/eventually convert into Roth IRA? 

well, I asked and they would confuse you with a lot "cautions".

-----Original Message-----
From: eljosco@mail.com
To: TSPStrategy@groups.io
Sent: Sat, Jul 24, 2021 2:44 am
Subject: Re: [TSPStrategy] 20% tax on withdrawals

That's interesting to know it happened that way.

An easy way to check out about TSP withdrawals is to attend one of their webinars on this topic. Besides their chat the live Q&As are always helpful. There's one specifically on post-service (retirement) withdrawals coming up this Wednesday at 10am. 

https://www.tsp.gov/online-learning/#tsp-post-service-withdrawals



On 7/23/21 at 7:45 PM, Karol Kusunose wrote:

From: "Karol Kusunose" <lochcarron@msn.com>
Date: July 23, 2021
To: "TSPStrategy@groups.io" <TSPStrategy@groups.io>
Cc:
Subject: Re: [TSPStrategy] 20% tax on withdrawals

This what HAPPENED.....  I requested 20% tax amount and filed it as an RMD.

 

They took out 10% BECAUSE I filed it as and RMD.  In previous years I requested a monthly amount and

they sent 20% as I requested to the IRS BECAUSE I DID NOT designate it as an RMD,

 

This was the verbal explainaton given to me when I called then for an explaination.