Roth IRA Conversion

A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account wherein a person can save his or her tax-deducted income for retirement and get tax-free earnings in returns. It is different from the traditional IRA account, in that the earnings are tax-exempt, but the earnings may or may not be tax-free.

There are two ways to contribute funds to the Roth IRA account. One is by simply depositing compensation income, which can be the income obtained in the form of wages, earnings from a self-employed work, or even alimony. The other way is to convert funds from a traditional IRA to the Roth IRA. This can be done by taking funds from the traditional IRA account and depositing them into the Roth IRA account within 60 days of receiving the funds. Therefore, a Roth IRA Conversion account is a retirement account created when a person converts his or her regular IRA account into a Roth IRA account. To convert a regular IRA account into a Roth IRA account, you have to meet certain eligibility criteria. The Conversion is not allowed if the modified adjusted annual gross income exceeds $100,000. This applies for single tax-return filers, and also married couples filing their tax returns jointly.

It is important to note that the entire amount used to convert a regular IRA account into a Roth account, is subject to income tax. This is because contributions to a Roth IRA are tax-deductible.

So far as withdrawals or distributions are concerned, the rules for a Roth Conversion account have a penalty for early withdrawal. This means that there is a penalty if the distribution is made within the first five-year period beginning from the year when the first contributions were made from a regular IRA.