Explanation Of Rollover And Withholding Rules For Qualified Plan Distributions

Definition of "Rollover and withholding rules for qualified plan distributions"

Tina Dillon, GRI, Real Estate Agent Realty USA

Rules stating that every administrator of a qualified pension plan, profit sharing plan, section 401 (K) plan salary reduction plan), section 403(b) plan, and stock bonus plan must provide the employee the option to directly roll over all or part of that employee's distribution to an individual retirement account (IRA) or to another qualified plan. Any part of the distribution that has not been directly transferred to another qualified plan is subject to a mandatory 20% withholding subject to federal income taxes. Employees have 60 days within which to directly transfer their distribution to another qualified plan. The only distributions that may not be rolled over are the following: periodic payments that continue for at least ten years; minimum required distribution amounts paid to employees who are at least age 70'A; and periodic payments made at least annually and based upon the life or joint lives of the employee and the employee's designated beneficiary.