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It is that time of the year! Tax season is upon us. As you gather your tax documents together, you may be wondering how you are taxed on investments. This is a good time to review how taxes apply to different account types.

Tax-deferred

Most everyone has some type of tax-deferred account, generally thought of as a retirement account(s). Money is invested in these accounts before taxes are paid. It grows over the years and is taxed when you take it out of the account through withdrawals and distributions. These accounts include Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 401(k), 403(b), SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, etc. It can also include non-qualified tax-deferred annuities where the initial investment has been taxed, but the tax on the growth is deferred until you take a withdrawal from the account.

Money taken from tax-deferred accounts is taxed as ordinary income. That means it is taxed at your marginal-income tax rate.

Restrictions apply to these accounts. For instance, the amount of money you can invest each year is limited based on the account type and your age. If you take money out before you are age 59 ½, you will pay an early withdrawal penalty of 10%. Furthermore, you must begin taking money out of these accounts by age 72. This is known as a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), and you will be subject to a penalty if you miss the deadline.

Taxable

Taxable investment accounts can be accessed at any time without restriction. They are often used to reach a specific goal or increase savings that will be used to supplement income during retirement. The initial investment has already been taxed, and you will only pay tax on the growth.

The tax rate is determined by the length of time you hold the investment. If you hold a specific investment within a taxable account for more than one year and one day, you will be taxed at lower capital gains rates. If you sell an investment in less than one year, taxes are calculated at your ordinary income-tax rate. Dividends received are generally taxed as ordinary income as well.

You can manage taxes within the account by offsetting gains and losses. This strategy can be helpful in reducing taxes.

You are free to add as much money as you want to a taxable account, and there are no requirements to take money out of this type of account regardless of your age.

Tax-free

Growing money without taxes is a wonderful way to plan for retirement. This can be done in a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k). Money is invested in the account after taxes have been paid. Any growth earned over the years is tax-free. It does not get better than that!

There are differences between the two types of Roth accounts. The amount of money you can contribute is limited by the type of account and your age. A Roth IRA has no required distribution date. You can leave the money in the account until you are ready to use it or pass it to your heirs tax-free. Unfortunately, the Roth 401(k) is subject to Required Minimum Distributions at age 72. This can be avoided by rolling the Roth 401(k) to a Roth IRA before the year you will turn 72.

For details on marginal tax rates, capital gains rates, and contribution limits, visit us at SmedleyFinancial.com and browse the updated 2021 tax information. You can also call us at 800-748-4788. Happy tax season!

SFS