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Sean Doyle
One thing that seriously confused me with backdoor Roth conversions was understanding why the 1099-R shows the full amount as taxable when it shouldn't be if you made non-deductible contributions. Tax software doesn't automatically know your contribution was non-deductible. That's why Form 8606 is so important - it's where you tell the IRS "Hey, I already paid tax on this money, don't tax me again!" If you're struggling with the software interface, sometimes it helps to read through the actual Form 8606 instructions on the IRS website first, then go back to the software. The actual form is more straightforward than how some tax apps present it.
Zara Rashid
ā¢This is so true! I was panicking when I saw my 1099-R showing the entire distribution as taxable. I almost paid thousands in unnecessary taxes before realizing I needed to complete Form 8606.
Luca Romano
Warning: Don't forget that if you have ANY other traditional IRA funds (including SEP or SIMPLE IRAs), you'll get hit with the pro-rata rule when doing backdoor Roth conversions. This catches a lot of people by surprise. For example, if you have $50,000 in a traditional IRA from an old 401k rollover, and you add $6,000 non-deductible for a backdoor Roth, you can't just convert the $6,000 and call it non-taxable. The IRS considers all your IRA funds as one pool, so only about 10.7% of your conversion would be non-taxable.
Malik Davis
ā¢Oh wow, I didn't realize this! Thankfully I don't have any other traditional IRA funds, but this is really important info. Does this also apply if my spouse has traditional IRA funds or are those treated separately?
Luca Romano
ā¢Good news - your spouse's IRAs are completely separate for pro-rata calculations. The IRS treats each individual's IRA accounts as their own pool, so your backdoor Roth conversion won't be affected by anything your spouse has in their traditional IRAs. That's one of the few areas where the IRS is actually taxpayer-friendly in these calculations! Just make sure you each file your own Form 8606 if you're both doing backdoor Roth conversions.
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Everyone's overthinking this. You're returning money to your dad that was essentially his anyway. The IRS isn't monitoring family financial arrangements at this level. As long as you're not repeatedly transferring large sums of money back and forth to avoid taxes, nobody cares about a one-time $15k transfer to your parent that's below the gift tax threshold anyway.
Thanks, that's reassuring. The bank teller really freaked me out mentioning tax implications. Just to be clear though - neither of us needs to mention this on our tax returns at all, right?
Correct, neither of you needs to report this on your tax returns. This kind of transaction isn't reportable income for your dad, and since it's under the annual gift exclusion limit (even if it were considered a gift), you don't need to file a gift tax return. The bank teller was probably just being cautious - they're trained to mention potential tax implications for large transactions, but they're not tax professionals. In the banking world, any cash transaction over $10,000 requires special reporting (for anti-money laundering purposes), so tellers tend to be extra cautious about large transfers.
Yara Sayegh
Something nobody's mentioned - if your dad ever gets audited, having some kind of documentation that this was a repayment might be helpful. Maybe just write "loan repayment for car purchased in 2018" in the memo line of the check, or even better, create a simple signed document between you two stating that the money is repayment for the truck he bought you. Better safe than sorry!
This is really good advice. My cousin had a similar issue come up during an audit and having even basic documentation saved them a ton of hassle.
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Charlie Yang
8 Don't overthink the W-4! I'm a payroll specialist and see people stress about this all the time. Quick tip: the IRS withholding calculator is your best friend for complicated situations like yours. Just Google "IRS tax withholding estimator" and it'll walk you through everything. You'll both need to update your W-4s for best results.
Charlie Yang
ā¢1 I tried using that IRS calculator but got stuck when it asked for YTD income and withholding amounts. Since I haven't started the job yet, I don't have that info. Should I just put zeros?
Charlie Yang
ā¢8 For your new job, yes, you would put zeros for the YTD income and withholding since you haven't started yet. The calculator will still work - it'll just base the calculations on projected amounts for the remainder of the year. For your wife, you should use her actual YTD information from her most recent paystub. That way, the calculator can give you the most accurate recommendation based on what's already happened this year and what's projected to happen with both incomes going forward.
Charlie Yang
17 Has anyone used the IRS online portal to adjust withholding throughout the year? I'm wondering if it's better to start with a "safe" W-4 filing and then adjust as needed.
Charlie Yang
ā¢3 The IRS doesn't have an "online portal" for W-4 adjustments - you have to submit a new W-4 to your employer anytime you want to change withholding. I usually file a new W-4 quarterly since my commission income fluctuates. Most HR departments let you update it anytime.
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Luca Marino
Just wanted to add something I learned the hard way - if you DO decide to file Form 1116, make sure you have all the correct information. Last year I claimed $8 in foreign tax and decided to file the form (before I knew about the $300 exception). I messed up some allocation on the form and ended up getting a letter from the IRS six months later asking for clarification. Nothing serious, but it was a headache to deal with for such a small amount.
Did you end up having to amend your return or pay any penalties for the Form 1116 mistake? I'm leaning toward just not claiming the credit at all at this point.
Luca Marino
ā¢No penalties or amendments needed, thankfully. I just had to send in some additional documentation to clarify how I calculated the credit. But it was definitely an unnecessary hassle for $8! For your $1.99 credit, I absolutely wouldn't bother claiming it if it requires paying for software upgrades. Even beyond the immediate cost, the potential for questions or confusion just isn't worth it for such a small amount. The IRS certainly won't flag you for not claiming a credit you're entitled to - that's your choice.
Nia Davis
I'm using FreeTaxUSA this year after years with TurboTax, and Form 1116 is included in their regular price ($0 federal, $15 state). Might be worth looking into if you want to claim it. But honestly for $1.99, I'd just skip claiming it entirely.
Mateo Perez
ā¢FreeTaxUSA has been my go-to for years. So much cheaper than TurboTax and includes most forms. I've claimed foreign tax credit with them without issues.
Thanks for the suggestion! I've been with TurboTax for so long I guess I just assumed all tax software had similar pricing tiers. I'll definitely check out FreeTaxUSA for next year. For now I think I'll just skip claiming the tiny credit since it's literally less than my lunch cost today lol.
Zoe Papadakis
Just to add a bit more clarification because I think people get confused about the tax brackets too. When you reduce your taxable income with a Traditional IRA contribution, you're saving at your MARGINAL tax rate - the highest rate you pay. Example: If you're married filing jointly with taxable income of $190k (like OP), you're in the 24% bracket for 2023. Contributing $6,000 to a Traditional IRA would save you approximately $1,440 in federal taxes (24% of $6,000). It's still a great deal since you're getting an immediate tax benefit PLUS tax-deferred growth over time. Just don't expect it to reduce your tax bill by the full contribution amount.
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ThunderBolt7
ā¢So if I'm in a lower tax bracket now but expect to be in a higher one when I retire, should I do Roth instead? I'm trying to figure out which type of IRA makes more sense for my situation.
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Zoe Papadakis
ā¢That's a great question and you've hit on one of the key considerations. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, a Roth IRA might make more sense because you pay taxes now at your lower rate, and then withdrawals are tax-free in retirement. Conversely, if you expect to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement, a Traditional IRA might be better since you get the tax deduction now at your higher rate, then pay taxes at your lower retirement rate when you withdraw. It's also worth considering that tax laws change over time, so having some money in both types of accounts (called "tax diversification") can be a prudent strategy.
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Jamal Edwards
One thing nobody's mentioned - don't forget about state taxes! Your traditional IRA contribution usually reduces your state taxable income too, not just federal. So if your state tax rate is like 5%, that's additional savings on top of the federal tax reduction. I contribute the max to my traditional IRA every year for this reason - between federal and state tax savings, it's a no-brainer. Just remember that you'll eventually pay taxes when you withdraw in retirement, but hopefully at a lower rate.
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Mei Chen
ā¢Not all states treat IRA deductions the same way as the federal government though. Some states don't allow all deductions that the feds do.
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