A "backdoor Roth IRA" is a type of conversion that allows people with high incomes to fund a Roth despite IRS income limits. Basically, you put money you've already paid taxes on in a traditional IRA, then convert your contributed funds into a Roth IRA and you're done.
If your federal income tax bracket is 32% or higher, doing a Backdoor Roth IRA is a terrible, terrible idea. It is highly unlikely you will be making more money, and thereby being in a higher tax bracket in retirement! It's nice to have tax-free money you can withdraw from in retirement.
As of March 2022, the Backdoor Roth IRA is still alive. Therefore, any taxpayer making more than $214,000 in income and is married and filing jointly can make an after-tax Traditional IRA contribution and then potentially do a tax-free Roth IRA conversion.
A Roth individual retirement account (Roth IRA) conversion lets you turn a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. Roth IRA conversions are also known as backdoor Roth IRAs. There's no up-front tax break with a Roth IRA, but contributions and earnings grow tax free.
The backdoor Roth IRA strategy is still currently viable, but that may change at any time in 2022. Under the provisions of the Build Back Better bill, which passed the House of Representatives in 2021, high-income taxpayers would be prevented from making Roth conversions.
Did you know there's a way to get up to $56,000 into your Roth IRA every year even though the contribution limit is $6,000 per year? Dubbed the “Mega Backdoor Roth,” this strategy allows taxpayers to increase their annual contributions into their Roth IRAs by as much as $56,000 (for 2019).
The mega backdoor Roth allows you to save a maximum of $61,000 in your 401(k) in 2022. How does this add up? The regular 401(k) contribution for 2022 is $20,500 ($27,000 for those 50 and older) and you can put an additional $40,500 of after-tax dollars into your 401(k) account assuming you don't get an employer match.
But even when you're close to retirement or already in retirement, opening this special retirement savings vehicle can still make sense under some circumstances. There is no age limit to open a Roth IRA, but there are income and contribution limits that investors should be aware of before funding one.
Backdoor and mega backdoor Roth
In a backdoor Roth, investors make a non-deductible contribution to a traditional IRA and then quickly convert to a Roth IRA. Once the money is in a Roth IRA, it's tax-free when taken out (if you meet the holding period and age requirements).
Reduce adjusted gross income
If you're planning a Roth conversion, you may consider reducing adjusted gross income by contributing more to your pretax 401(k) plan, Lawrence suggested. You may also leverage so-called tax-loss harvesting, offsetting profits with losses, in a taxable account.
A mega backdoor Roth 401(k) conversion is a tax-shelter strategy available to employees whose employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans allow them to make substantial after-tax contributions in addition to their pretax deferrals and to transfer their contributions to an employer-designated Roth 401(k).
The Roth IRA five-year rule says you cannot withdraw earnings tax-free until it's been at least five years since you first contributed to a Roth IRA account. This five-year rule applies to everyone who contributes to a Roth IRA, whether they're 59 ½ or 105 years old.
There Are Two Five-Year Rules for Backdoor Roth IRAs
You're usually allowed to withdraw contributions from your Roth IRA at any time, free of penalties or taxes. There is a second five-year rule, however, for backdoor Roth conversions.
The main advantage of a backdoor Roth IRA—as with Roth IRAs in general—is that you pay taxes up front on your converted pretax funds and everything after that is tax free.
Gives access to Roth IRA benefits despite high income: Backdoor Roth conversions allow you to take advantage of Roth IRA benefits even if you earn too much to invest in one the typical way.
Converting a 401(k) into a Roth IRA gives you greater ownership and direction over your money. A 401(k) is a tax-advantaged retirement account that is managed by an employer, while a Roth IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement account that is managed by you.
You got money into a Roth IRA through the backdoor when you aren't eligible for contributing to it directly. That's why it's called a Backdoor Roth. You will pay tax on a small amount in earnings if you waited between contributions and conversion.
While the legislation has not become law, the Build Back Better Act was set to eliminate the backdoor Roth IRA strategy as of Jan. 1, 2022.
Key Takeaways. In 2022, single taxpayers with incomes over $144,000 and married taxpayers who file a joint tax return and have incomes over $214,000 are precluded from making contributions to a Roth IRA.
Earned income also includes net earnings from self-employment. Earned income does not include amounts such as pensions and annuities, welfare benefits, unemployment compensation, worker's compensation benefits, or social security benefits.
Key Takeaways. Only Roth IRAs offer tax-free withdrawals. The income tax was paid when the money was deposited. If you withdraw money before age 59½, you will have to pay income tax and even a 10% penalty unless you qualify for an exception or are withdrawing Roth contributions (but not Roth earnings).
In many cases, a Roth IRA can be a better choice than a 401(k) retirement plan, as it offers a flexible investment vehicle with greater tax benefits—especially if you think you'll be in a higher tax bracket later on.
The maximum salary deferral amount that you can contribute in 2019 to a 401(k) is the lesser of 100% of pay or $19,000. However, some 401(k) plans may limit your contributions to a lesser amount, and in such cases, IRS rules may limit the contribution for highly compensated employees.
The Bottom Line
As long as you meet eligibility requirements, such as having earned income, you can contribute to both a Roth and a traditional IRA. How much you contribute to each is up to you, as long as you don't exceed the combined annual contribution limit of $6,000, or $7,000 if you're age 50 or older.
Yes. Earnings associated with after-tax contributions are pretax amounts in your account. Thus, after-tax contributions can be rolled over to a Roth IRA without also including earnings.