Use Your IRA to Make a Down Payment for Your New Home 

How your IRA can help you make a down payment on a new home. Information about IRS tax rules and some interesting useful conditions are included.

Borrowing from a 401k, 403b or the cash value of life insurance policy is a common financial strategy. While taxpayers are not allowed borrow from either a traditional or Roth IRA, they can withdraw funds before age 59 for specific purposes like a first home purchase, qualified higher education expenses or permanent disability without incurring a 10% penalty.

First-time home buyers can make a penalty-free withdrawal of up to $10,000 if they haven't owned a home in the previous two years. This would allow a married couple who each have an IRA to withdraw a lifetime maximum of $10,000 each, penalty-free for a home purchase.

In many cases, the money would be used for a down payment or closing costs. However, some buyers might consider this source to increase their down payment so they could qualify for a loan without mortgage insurance.

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There is another condition where a taxpayer can withdraw money from their IRA without triggering the tax or penalty if it is returned to the IRA within 60 days. This can only be done once in a 12-month period. Unless you're certain you can redeposit the money in the strict time frame, the potential tax and penalties makes this a risky and expensive way to arrange temporary funds.

If the taxpayer qualifies for the penalty-free withdrawal, there may still be taxes due. Contributions to traditional IRAs are made with before-tax dollars and the tax is paid when the funds are withdrawn. Since Roth IRAs are made with after-tax dollars, there is no tax due when the funds are withdrawn.

Another interesting fact about this provision is that the taxpayer making the withdrawal can help a qualified relative which includes children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents.

Before withdrawing money from an IRA, taxpayers should get advice from their tax professional concerning their individual situation.

Please visit our other posts for more financial information: Buying Your Home

If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Charlottesville area, rely on me to help you put the pieces together.  Virginia Gardner, Roy Wheeler Realty Co., (434) 981-0871 Email Virginia