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Earning a higher income may seem like the key to a more comfortable retirement, but it can actually be a barrier to some kinds of tax-advantaged retirement savings. That’s because a larger salary can shut you out of contributing to a Roth IRA.
For 2021, Roth IRA contributions are not allowed for single filers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $140,000 or more (it rises to $144k in 2022) or married couples filing jointly whose MAGI exceeds $208,000 (rising to $214k in 2022).
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, if you make more than $140,000 filing singly or $208,000 filing jointly as a married couple, you are precluded from making any contributions to a Roth IRA.
- If you convert the assets in a traditional IRA into assets in a Roth IRA, you are not making contributions to that IRA; in effect, you have gone into it through a backdoor, hence the name “backdoor Roth.”
- If there are any pretax dollars in your traditional IRA, you will have to pay taxes on them at the time of the conversion.
A Roth IRA allows for tax-free qualified distributions in retirement, which may be invaluable if you anticipate landing in a high tax bracket when you retire. Fortunately, there is an available solution to the Roth IRA roadblock for affluent taxpayers: a backdoor Roth IRA.
The Build Back Better infrastructure bill—passed by the House of Representatives and currently being considered by the Senate—includes provisions that would eliminate or reduce the use of Roth conversions for wealthy taxpayers in two ways, starting Jan. 2022: (1) Employees with 401(k) plans that allow after-tax contributions up to $58,000 would no longer be able to convert those to tax-free Roth accounts. (2) Backdoor Roth contributions from traditional IRAs, as described below, would also be banned. Further limitations would go into effect in 2029 and 2032, including preventing contributions to IRAs for high income taxpayers with aggregate retirement account balances over $10 million and banning Roth conversions for high income taxpayers.
How a Backdoor Roth IRA Works
A backdoor Roth IRA is another name for a Roth IRA conversion. This transaction involves converting traditional IRA assets to Roth IRA assets. It’s a multistage process.
In terms of the mechanics of a backdoor Roth, the first step is making contributions to a nondeductible IRA. This refers to a traditional IRA whose contributions are not eligible for a tax deduction, based on the saver’s income, filing status, and coverage by an employer’s retirement plan.
Once the nondeductible IRA is funded, the next step is converting that IRA to a Roth. The conversion can be completed using an existing Roth account, or you may open a new Roth IRA if you don’t have one. The easiest way to execute a conversion is via a trustee-to-trustee transfer. The financial institution holding your nondeductible IRA contributions transfers them directly to the institution that holds your Roth IRA on your behalf. The conversion is reported on IRS Form 8606 when you file your taxes.
After the conversion is complete, the money in your Roth IRA becomes subject to Roth IRA distribution rules. The primary benefit to you is that any future earnings from investments in your account would not be subject to taxes when you (or your heirs) withdraw them from the account.
In addition, your Roth IRA wouldn’t be subject to required minimum distribution (RMD) rules. With a traditional IRA, you’d be required to begin taking minimum distributions from your account beginning at age 72 or face a hefty tax penalty.
Roth IRAs are not subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs).
The Catch: The Roth Conversion Tax Bite
While converting to a Roth can minimize your tax liability when you tap your assets in retirement, you won’t be able to avoid taxes completely. Any untaxed amounts in your traditional IRA are taxed at the time the conversion is completed. This includes both pretax conversions and investment gains.
If you’re in a higher tax bracket, a conversion could add significantly to your tax bill in the year when you make the conversion.
Using nondeductible traditional IRA funds can simplify the process, as these contributions are treated as after-tax dollars for conversion purposes. Taxation of a backdoor Roth can become more complicated, however, when your traditional IRA conversion includes both deductible and nondeductible amounts.
In this scenario the IRS requires you to follow the pro-rata rule, which treats all of your IRAs as one collective IRA. If you’re completing a backdoor Roth IRA conversion using deductible and nondeductible traditional IRA money, the amount of your conversion that’s subject to tax is prorated across your total IRA balance. Essentially, this requires you to pay tax on the pretax part of your IRA when you convert.
Failing to understand which type of contributions your traditional IRA holds can result in an unpleasant tax surprise when you convert. The IRS does offer a work-around, however. If your employer allows it, you may be able to roll the pretax part of your traditional IRA contributions into your 401(k), leaving only the nondeductible portion behind for the conversion.
The pro-rata rule means that you must treat all your IRAs as one communal IRA, and the amount of your Roth IRA conversion that is taxable is prorated over your total IRA balance.
When Does a Backdoor Roth Make Sense?
A backdoor Roth IRA may be appealing if you’ve been blocked from contributing to a Roth because of your income. However, it’s important to consider how it fits as part of your larger retirement strategy before making a move.
Take a look at your retirement timeline. If you’re close to your target retirement date, you may find that the conversion means that you will have paid taxes on a big chunk of retirement contributions and earnings from your traditional IRA and not be left with much preretirement time to enjoy tax-free growth in your Roth.
If you’d just left the money alone until RMDs at age 72, you wouldn’t have had to pay any taxes on it until then, and your annual RMD would likely have been significantly less than the amount of money you converted to the Roth and cost less in taxes.
The Bottom Line
A backdoor Roth IRA can help high-income earners plan for retirement while enjoying some important tax advantages. While the conversion itself isn’t difficult, untangling the tax issues associated with the process can be. Weighing the pros and cons with a financial advisor can help you decide if a backdoor Roth is the right move for you.