A SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account) is a form of tax-deferred employer-provided retirement plan in the United States that allows employees to lay money aside and invest it to grow for retirement. It’s a specific kind of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) that’s set up as an employer-sponsored plan. It is an employer-sponsored plan, similar to the 401(k) and 403(b) (Tax Sheltered Annuity) plans, but it has simpler and less expensive administration restrictions because it is governed by ERISA and its regulations. The SIMPLE IRA, like a 401(k), can be filled with pretax contributions, but those contributions are still subject to Social Security, Medicare, and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. When compared to traditional defined contribution plans like 401(k), SIMPLE plans have lower contribution limitations than most other types of employer-provided retirement plans.
How is a SIMPLE IRA taxed?
In general, any money you remove from your SIMPLE IRA is subject to income tax. Unless you are at least 591/2 years old or qualify for another exception, you may have to pay an additional tax of 10% or 25% on the amount you withdraw.
Additional Taxes
If you are under the age of 591/2 when you withdraw money from your SIMPLE IRA, you must pay an additional 10% tax on the taxable amount unless you qualify for another exception. This tax can be increased to 25% in exceptional instances.
If you make the withdrawal within two years after starting participating in your employer’s SIMPLE IRA plan, the amount of additional tax you must pay increases from 10% to 25%.
Exceptions to Additional Taxes
If you’re 591/2 years old or older, you won’t have to pay any additional taxes on the money you remove from your SIMPLE IRA. You also won’t have to pay any more taxes if you:
- Medical expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income are unreimbursed (7.5 percent if your spouse is age 65 or older),
Are Simple Plan contributions pre-tax?
Your contributions to your SIMPLE IRA are “pre-tax,” which means that no federal income tax is withheld until the money is deposited into the SIMPLE IRA. The contributions are not shown as earnings or other income on your W-2 form, and you do not record them as such on your annual tax return. Business partners and the self-employed can deduct their contributions as both employer and employee of a business, according to the IRS.
Is SIMPLE IRA tax advantaged?
- It’s relatively simple to set up and use. A SIMPLE IRA is simple to set up and operate for employers. Small businesses can offer retirement benefits since the reporting requirements and other criteria are less onerous than with a 401(k).
- Contributions made before taxes. Contributing to a SIMPLE IRA as an employee lowers your taxable income, resulting in a tax advantage today. Your balance grows tax-deferred over time, and withdrawals are taxed at your marginal income tax rate when you retire.
- Employer matching contributions do not vest. Employer contributions to your SIMPLE IRA are instantly available to you. Other employer-sponsored retirement plans may not usually provide for quick vesting.
- Employers can earn a tax credit equal to 50% of beginning costs, up to $500 per year, for three years when they set up a SIMPLE IRA. This is it.
What are the disadvantages of a SIMPLE IRA?
- Employee restrictions. SIMPLE IRAs are only available to businesses with less than 100 employees. If you want to expand your firm beyond this point, you’ll need to switch to a different retirement plan later.
- Limits on total annual contributions SIMPLE IRA contributions are deducted from the $17,500 yearly IRS maximum for qualifying plans. Your overall retirement contributions may be limited if you contribute to a 401(k) through another company.
- Contribution limitations are lower than in a 401(k) (k). A SIMPLE IRA has significantly larger contribution limits than a standard IRA, but significantly lower limitations than a 401(k) plan.
- Employer contributions are required. Even if your business has a difficult year, you must pay specific contributions to employee accounts every year.
- There will be no loans or Roth contributions. All contributions are made before taxes, and withdrawals are taxed, and savings cannot be borrowed for other purposes until retirement.
Is a SIMPLE IRA the same as a traditional IRA for tax purposes?
The amount you can contribute to a SIMPLE IRA versus a standard IRA is the main distinction. The investment, distribution, and rollover rules are the same for both IRAs. They’re both tax-deferred accounts, which means you don’t have to pay taxes on any growth or earnings until you remove them, and you don’t have to pay taxes on donations either.
How much can I contribute to an IRA?
For 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the annual contribution cap is $6,000, or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. For 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, the annual contribution cap is $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re 50 or older. Contributions to a Roth IRA may be limited based on your filing status and income. See IRA Contribution Limits for further information.
Is my IRA contribution deductible on my tax return?
If neither you nor your spouse are covered by a workplace retirement plan, you can deduct the entire amount.
If you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work and your income exceeds certain thresholds, the amount you can deduct for contributions to a traditional IRA may be limited.
Can I contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA if I’m covered by a retirement plan at work?
Yes, even if you have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you can contribute to a regular and/or Roth IRA (including a SEP or SIMPLE IRA plan). See the section on IRA Contribution Limits for further information. If your income exceeds certain thresholds and you or your spouse are enrolled in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may not be able to deduct your whole contribution. See the section on IRA deduction restrictions for further information.
I want to set up an IRA for my spouse. How much can I contribute?
You and your spouse can each contribute to your own separate IRAs if you file a joint return and generate taxable income.
Your combined contributions to your IRA and your spouse’s IRA cannot exceed your joint taxable income or the annual IRA contribution maximum multiplied by two, whichever is lower. It makes no difference whose partner made the money.
Other income limits apply to Roth IRAs and IRA deductions. See the IRA Contribution Limits and the IRA Deduction Limits for further information.
Can you have SIMPLE IRA and Roth IRA?
Although you can contribute to both a regular and a Roth IRA as well as a Simple IRA in the same year, the amount you can contribute varies depending on your age, the type of IRA you have, and IRS regulations.
Do SIMPLE IRA contributions reduce AGI?
If you contribute to a traditional IRA, the money you put in reduces your adjusted gross income (AGI) for that tax year dollar for dollar, as long as you stay within the yearly contribution limitations (see below). This is referred to as “contributing using pretax dollars.”
What is the advantage of a SIMPLE IRA?
At the plan level, SIMPLE IRAs do not require non-discrimination and top-heavy testing, vesting schedules, or tax reporting. Employer contributions are promptly transferred to the employee and can be taken with them when they leave, regardless of tenure. Employees and employers may be eligible for tax credits.
Is Roth IRA better than SIMPLE IRA?
When picking between a regular and Roth IRA, one of the most important factors to consider is how your future income (and, by implication, your income tax bracket) will compare to your current circumstances. In effect, you must evaluate whether the tax rate you pay today on Roth IRA contributions will be more or lower than the rate you’ll pay later on traditional IRA withdrawals.
Although it is common knowledge that gross income drops in retirement, taxable income does not always. Consider that for a moment. You’ll be receiving Social Security benefits (and maybe owing taxes on them), as well as having investment income. You could perform some consulting or freelance work, but you’ll have to pay self-employment tax on it.
When the children have grown up and you cease contributing to your retirement fund, you will lose several useful tax deductions and credits. All of this could lead to a situation where you don’t know what to do.
Is SEP or SIMPLE IRA better?
If you own a small business as a sole proprietor, you have the option of setting up a SIMPLE IRA or a SEP-IRA for yourself and your employees. Although there are many parallels between the two types of plans, there are also some distinctions to consider.
Employees and small business owners or sole proprietors can both contribute to a SIMPLE IRA. A SEP-IRA, on the other hand, permits only business owners to contribute for themselves and their employees. A SIMPLE IRA and a SEP-IRA have differing contribution limits. The contribution limit for a SIMPLE IRA is $13,500, with a $3,000 catch-up allowance. The SEP-IRA contribution limit is either 25% of an employee’s salary or $58,000, whichever is less.
Employers with less than 100 employees should consider a SEP-IRA because it lets them to adjust contributions based on cash flow. SIMPLE IRAs are a type of IRA that can be used by anyone.
Is a 401k better than a SIMPLE IRA?
Employers must choose between simplicity and flexibility when deciding between a SIMPLE IRA and a 401(k). A 401(k) plan, while more difficult to set up and operate, offers larger contribution limits and more flexibility in deciding whether and how to contribute to employee accounts.