Text size A man enters the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, DC Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / Getty Images The new Internal Revenue Service guide clarifies the circumstances under which retirement account owners are eligible to take a coronavirus-related loan or withdraw from their plan without the typical taxes or penalties. The recent IRS notice significantly expands the definition of qualified hardships under which a taxpayer can access their retirement accounts, including individual retirement accounts, 401 (k) s and 403 (b) s, as required by law. $ 2 billion coronavirus relief. The Care Act allows eligible individuals to make a coronavirus-related withdrawal of up to $ 100,000 from their retirement accounts between January 1 and December 31 without the 10% early withdrawal penalty that would generally apply to under 59 and a half. It also allows retirement plans to suspend loan repayments maturing from March 27 to December 31, 2020, and increases the limit on loans granted between March 27 and September 22, 2020, to $ 100,000 from $ 50,000. Under the law, those qualified for the provisions include people who were diagnosed with Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, or whose spouse was diagnosed; those who have experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of the quarantine, suspension, dismissal or reduction of their working hours; and those who are unable to work due to lack of child care or pandemic-related closures. The new IRS guide expands the definition of those qualified for the simplified loan and retirement rules to those who have experienced adverse financial consequences related to coronavirus due to the cancellation of a job offer, the start date of a delayed job, or your pay or reduced earnings. It also clarifies that the new provisions on loans and withdrawals apply to people whose spouse or family member ("someone who shares the person's primary residence") experienced those adverse financial consequences due to Covid-19. Bringing a spouse or other household member is important, says Mary Kay Foss, a certified public accountant in Walnut Creek, California. If an IRA is in the name of a husband, for example, and the wife is affected by the coronavirus in the established way. Outside, the husband can take a withdrawal and qualify for the tax savings, says Foss. The notice also provides guidelines on how individuals who are qualified to access their retirement accounts due to coronavirus can report those distributions on their federal tax returns. Employers may choose to implement coronavirus-related distribution and loan rules. But the IRS notice says that even if a distribution is not treated as coronavirus-related under a plan, qualified individuals can claim the tax benefits of that distribution as long as it meets the definition of a coronavirus-related distribution. Write to us at retiro@barrons.com .
