Checkbook Solo 401k-QRP: 2021 Year End Maintenance

QRP & Solo 401k Contribution Deadlines

Note: 401k Plan documents are due for complete restatement. Please be sure to read the info about this by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Checkbook Solo 401K and Checkbook SEP-IRA Contribution Deadline. The deadline for contributions to Self-Directed Solo 401(k) Plans and Self-Directed SEP-IRAs is the tax return due date of the business sponsoring the plan, including extensions. 

  • The contribution deadlines depend on the type of business that sponsored the plan – sole proprietorship, partnership, S-corporation, C-corporation, or LLC taxed as any of the foregoing – and whether you timely file for a tax return filing extension.
  • Filing extensions are especially helpful for those that want to make 2021 contributions, but don’t yet have funds available to do so by the initial required filing date. Continue reading “Checkbook Solo 401k-QRP: 2021 Year End Maintenance”

Checkbook Solo 401k-QRP: 2019 Year End Maintenance

QRP & Solo 401k Contribution Deadlines

Checkbook Solo 401K and Checkbook SEP-IRA Contribution Deadline. The deadline for contributions to Self-Directed Solo 401(k) Plans and Self-Directed SEP-IRAs is the tax return due date of the business sponsoring the plan, including extensions. Therefore, the contribution deadlines depend on the type of business that sponsored the plan – sole proprietorship, partnership, S-corporation, C-corporation, or LLC taxed as any of the foregoing – and whether you timely file for a tax return filing extension. Filing extensions are especially helpful for those that want to make 2019 contributions, but don’t yet have funds available to do so by the initial required filing date.

W-2 Coordination: Forms W-2, reflecting wages and related tax-reporting for S-Corps/C-corps are filed by 1/31/2020. Therefore, you should make your employee deferral contributions ahead of then, so that they be properly reflected on your W-2.

Deferral Elections: Although deferral contributions can be made to the plan after the end of the year, deferral elections by owners of unincorporated businesses must be made by 12/31/2019. Deferral elections for owners of incorporated businesses must be paid prior to the payroll(s) from which the contribution(s) is withheld. Click here to access Solo 401k 2019 Deferral Election Forms.

QRP & Solo 401k Filing Requirements

Forms 1099-R for Solo 401k Distributions and 401k In-Plan Roth ConversionsForms 1099-R for Solo K distributions must be provided to plan participants by January 31, 2020. Forms 1099-R must be filed with the IRS by February 28, 2020 if paper filed or by April 2, 2020 if electronically filed.

Form 5500-EZ for certain Solo 401k PlansIf Solo 401k plan assets exceeded $250,000 as of December 31, 2019, a Form 5500-EZ is due to the IRS by July 31, 2020. Form 5558 (Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Employee Plan Returns) can be filed with the IRS on or before the normal due date to receive an automatic two-and-a-half-month extension to October 15. Regardless of plan asset value, Form 5500-EZ must be filed for the year in which a Solo 401k Plan is terminated. Checkbook IRAs, for which annual IRS reporting is handled by your custodian, are not required to file Forms 5500.

Forms 990-T (UBIT, UBTI, UDFI) For SDIRAsSD401(k)sSD-DB PlansRetirement accounts that generate more than $1,000 in Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI), should file Form 990-T by April 15, 2020. To request an automatic extension of time to file Form 990-T use Form 8868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return.

Form 990-W (Estimated Tax on Unrelated Business Taxable Income for Tax-Exempt Organizations). If UBIT tax liability is expected to exceed $500, estimated tax payments should be made. Payments are due by the 15th day of the 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of the tax year.

Solo 401k/QRP Required Minimum Distributions

  • Remember that RMDs required from 401(k) plans and 457(b) plans have to be taken separately from each of those plan accounts. Therefore, if you have more than one defined contribution plan, you must calculate and satisfy your RMDs separately for each plan and withdraw that amount from that plan. This differs from the rules that apply to IRAs, for which you may aggregate your RMD amounts for all of your IRAs and withdraw the total from one IRA or a portion from each of your IRAs.
  • Remember that designated Solo 401k-QRP Roth accounts are subject to the RMD rules. This, too, differs from the rules that apply to Roth IRAs, for which there are no RMD requirements for while the owner is alive. 
  • The penalty for failing to take an RMD is very harsh: The amount not withdrawn is taxed at 50%. The account owner should file Form 5329Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (Including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts, with his or her federal tax return for the year in which the full amount of the RMD was not taken. (The penalty may be waived if the account owner establishes that the shortfall in required distributions was due to reasonable error and that reasonable steps are being taken to remedy the shortfall. In order to qualify for this relief, you must file Form 5329 and attach a letter of explanation.)
  •  As a 5% or more owner of the business that sponsors a Solo 401k, you must start RMDs by April 1 of the year following the year you turn 70½, even if you are still employed by the company and have not yet retired.
  • After the first RMD, you must take subsequent RMDs by December 31 of each year, beginning with the calendar year containing your required beginning date.
  • Your RMD is generally determined by dividing the adjusted market value of your Solo 401k as of December 31 of the preceding year by the distribution period that corresponds with your age in the Uniform Lifetime Table (Table III in IRS Publication 590-B, Distributions Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you, you will use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table (Table II in IRS Publication 590-B).

Solo 401k-QRP Year-End Maintenance Resources

Checkbook Solo 401k 2019 Contribution Calculator: Click here to access a web-based 2019 Solo 401k Contribution Calculator. Note: The calculator may be used to provide an approximation of your allowable 2019 Solo 401k contribution amount, not a precise indication of the correct amount. Your actual contribution amount should be calculated in conjunction with your tax professional. Specifically, those that have both W-2 and self-employment income should be sure to work with a qualified professional when calculating their Solo 401k contributions.   

Understanding and Tax Optimizing Your Solo 401k Contributions: Click here for an in-depth discussion of 401k contribution rules and regulations, as well as the tax factors that you should take into account to maximize the tax benefits of your Solo 401k plan.

Helpful IRS Resources For Solo 401k-QRP Plan Maintenance

Best Ever Real Estate Show: Checkbook Self-Directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s

For comprehensive info about Checkbook Control Retirement Accounts, including SDIRA & Solo 401k, listen to  Best Ever Real Estate Podcast: Using IRA’s & 401k’s To Invest In Real Estate with Bernard Reisz, hosted by Joe Fairless and the Best Ever Team. Continue reading “Best Ever Real Estate Show: Checkbook Self-Directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s”

Checkbook Solo 401K: Year End 2017

Happy New Year to All!
 
2017 has been an exciting year for checkbook control – from the explosive emergence of Cryptocurrency to Tax Reform – we in the self-directed retirement community have had a stake in the evolution of the investment and tax landscape. In this post we’ll highlight how 2017 regulatory events relate to Checkbook Solo 401k investors and provide year-end tax planning tips.

Continue reading “Checkbook Solo 401K: Year End 2017”

Checkbook Solo 401k: Is It Better Than A Self-Directed IRA?

Self-Directed IRAs, Checkbook-Control IRAs, and IRA-LLCs are powerful alternative investment vehicles with great tax benefits. However, for those that qualify, Checkbook Solo 401K Plans are far better vehicles for retirement-account real estate investing. In this post will introduce the fundamentals of Checkbook Solo 401k Plans and their benefits. Continue reading “Checkbook Solo 401k: Is It Better Than A Self-Directed IRA?”

QRP & Solo 401k Plan Loan: FAQ & Answers

QRPs & Checkbook Self-Directed Solo 401k Plans, also known as Checkbook QRPs, provide a powerful feature that can be leveraged in so many ways: A Checkbook QRP & Solo 401k Loan.

QRP Loan Proceeds can be used to finance anything you’d like and the interest payments are made to yourself in the form additional deposits to your tax-sheltered QRP. Think of it as a QRP line of credit, requiring no bank underwriting, credit checks, or paperwork processing. (Caveat: Of course, it’s NOT truly a “line of credit” and that calling it a line of credit  can be misleading. More on that below.)

Checkbook 401k Loan Interest Payments can be viewed as a way to make backdoor contributions – beyond the Solo 401k contribution limits – to your Checkbook Solo 401k tax advantaged retirement accounts. Once those interest payments are paid to your Solo 401(k) plan or QRP, those funds become additional plan assets that can be invested tax-free.

  • Do you have debt to pay off?
  • Do you want to purchase a new vehicle?
  • Pay for education?
  • Or, would you like to make an investment outside your QRP or Solo 401k?

The Checkbook Control QRP & 401k loan feature is your best option and in this post will cover all that you need to know to legally take advantage of this Checkbook QRP feature. Continue reading “QRP & Solo 401k Plan Loan: FAQ & Answers”

Roth Solo 401k Contribution Guide

What type of funds can be contributed to a Solo 401k Roth account?

There are many sources of funds for Self-Directed Solo 401k plans and most – but not all – can be contributed to the Roth Solo 401k subaccount. Following are eligible sources of funds for a 401(k) Roth account: Continue reading “Roth Solo 401k Contribution Guide”

Solo 401K Roth Contribution Q&A

What is a Roth Solo 401k Plan? What is a Solo 401k Plan?

Understanding Roth Solo 401(k)s requires that we first understand the basics of traditional Solo 401k plans.

401K Plans, creatively named after Section 401(K) of the Tax Code, are Defined Contribution qualified retirement plans that allow employees to choose (“elective deferral”) to contribute all or part of their compensation to a tax-advantaged account and exclude the amounts contributed from current taxable income. The tax code calls this a “cash or deferred arrangement,” or CODA. A 401k Plan can be combined with other types of plans, such as Defined Benefit and Cash Balance Plans, to maximize tax deductions and allow for multiple forms of plan contributions. The typical 401(k) Plan provides for  employer profit sharing contributions, in addition to employee contributions. Self-Directed Solo 401(k) Plans are 401(k) plans for businesses that don’t have full-time employees other than business owners and their spouses, which can be designed to include very attractive features such as Roth 401k Contributions and After-Tax Employee Contributions.

What is a Roth Solo 401k Plan?

Continue reading “Solo 401K Roth Contribution Q&A”

Self-Directed Solo 401k Common Questions

A Self-Directed Solo 401k Plan With Checkbook Control is a powerful tax and investment tool that can be used only by  those with self-employment income and no full-time employees. It is a Qualified Retirement Plan, or One-Participant 401(k) QRP, covering a business owner with no employees, or that person and his or her spouse. These plans have the same rules and requirements as any other 401(k) QRP, but doesn’t need to perform nondiscrimination testing for the plan, since there are no employees who could have received disparate benefits. This exemption from non-discrimination testing empowers you to maximize the incredible strategies available to QRPs for your financial benefit. Following are common questions and answers regarding SoloK eligibility, benefits, and operations. Continue reading “Self-Directed Solo 401k Common Questions”

How to Manage Real Estate in Your SDIRA, Solo 401k, or Defined Benefit Plan

Real estate is the most popular asset for self-directed retirement accounts and is a great long-term investment. Efficient and compliant management of real-estate properties owned by Real Estate Retirement Accounts, particularly when there are multiple owners, can be achieved in several ways, which will be outlined in this post.

Continue reading “How to Manage Real Estate in Your SDIRA, Solo 401k, or Defined Benefit Plan”

Self-Directed Real Estate Retirement Accounts For Real Estate Agents

Checkbook 401k plans, Checkbook IRAs, Checkbook QRPs and other self-directed retirement accounts that allow real estate investing with tax advantaged funds should be part of every real estate agent’s financial plan. This article will introduce the fundamentals of such accounts and the opportunities they present for those that have an insider’s view of the real estate market.

What Are Self-Directed Retirement Accounts?

Self-directed retirement accounts, which can be in the form of IRAs or Qualified Plans, allow you to use retirement money for non-traditional investments and retain all the tax benefits of those vehicles. Real estate investing is by far the most popular investment for such accounts, with other common assets being real estate secured private loans, private loans, hard money loans, mortgage notes, and tax liens – all of which are forms of income generation from real property. Continue reading “Self-Directed Real Estate Retirement Accounts For Real Estate Agents”