
A withdrawal from a Roth IRA can be made at any time and is generally tax and penalty-free. However, whether a withdrawal is considered qualified depends on factors such as your age, the purpose of the withdrawal, and the length of time the account has been open. If you are under 59 1/2 years old and your withdrawal exceeds your total contributions, you may be subject to taxes and a 10% penalty on the earnings portion of the withdrawal. There are exceptions to this 10% penalty, such as unreimbursed medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, qualified education expenses, and certain emergency expenses. Additionally, the five-year rule states that earnings in Roth IRAs can only be withdrawn tax-free if the account has been open for at least five years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Roth IRA withdrawal rules | Contributions can be withdrawn at any time, free of tax and penalty. |
| Withdrawals are either qualified or non-qualified. | |
| Qualified distributions are tax- and penalty-free. | |
| Non-qualified distributions are subject to taxes and a 10% penalty. | |
| To be a qualified distribution, the account must be at least five years old and one of the following must apply: the account owner is 59 1/2 years old or older, the withdrawal is due to a disability, the withdrawal is made to a beneficiary or estate after death, or the withdrawal is for a first-time home purchase (up to a $10,000 lifetime limit). | |
| There is no mandatory withdrawal age for a Roth IRA. | |
| RMDs are not required for a Roth IRA. | |
| Exceptions to the 10% penalty | Unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income, qualified education expenses, certain emergency expenses, qualified expenses related to a birth or adoption, and health insurance if unemployed. |
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What You'll Learn

Qualified vs non-qualified distributions
A withdrawal, also called a distribution, from a Roth IRA can be classified as either qualified or non-qualified. Qualified distributions are generally tax- and penalty-free, whereas non-qualified distributions are subject to income taxes and a potential 10% early withdrawal penalty.
For a distribution to be considered qualified, two conditions must be met. Firstly, the Roth IRA owner must satisfy a five-year waiting period, which begins on the first day of the taxable year in which the first contribution was made. Secondly, the owner must meet one of the following qualified conditions: they are aged 59½ or older, they are a first-time homebuyer, they have a disability, or the distribution is made to a beneficiary after their death.
Non-qualified distributions are those that do not meet the criteria for a qualified distribution. This includes distributions made before the five-year waiting period has been satisfied or when the owner is younger than 59½, unless an exception applies. While non-qualified distributions are generally subject to income taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty, there are certain exceptions that may exempt individuals from the penalty. These include unreimbursed medical expenses exceeding 10% of adjusted gross income (AGI) and qualified disaster recovery assistance distributions.
It is important to carefully consider the tax implications of any withdrawal from a Roth IRA and, if needed, seek advice from a tax professional.
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Age requirements
The age requirement for withdrawing from a Roth IRA depends on whether the withdrawal is a distribution of contributions or earnings.
Contributions to a Roth IRA can be withdrawn at any time, at any age, without incurring taxes or penalties. However, withdrawing earnings from a Roth IRA before the age of 59½ may result in taxes and a 10% penalty being applied.
There are exceptions to the 10% penalty for those under 59½. The penalty may not apply if the withdrawal is for:
- Buying, building, or rebuilding a first home (up to a $10,000 lifetime limit)
- Qualified education expenses
- Emergency expenses
- Qualified expenses related to the birth or adoption of a child
- Unreimbursed medical expenses or health insurance if you're unemployed
- Reservist distributions
- Qualified disaster distributions
- Coronavirus-related distributions (made between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020)
Once the Roth IRA owner reaches the age of 59½, they can withdraw from the account without penalty. To withdraw earnings tax-free, the account must also have been open for at least five years.
Unlike traditional IRAs, there is no mandatory minimum withdrawal age for a Roth IRA.
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Taxes and penalties
To be considered a qualified distribution, the following criteria must generally be met:
- The Roth IRA account has been open for at least five years.
- The owner is aged 59 1/2 or older.
However, there are exceptions to the above criteria. A distribution is also qualified if:
- It is made due to a disability.
- It is made to a beneficiary or an estate after the owner's death.
- It is used for buying, building, or rebuilding a first home (up to a $10,000 lifetime limit).
- It is used for qualified education expenses.
- It is used for certain emergency expenses.
- It is used for qualified expenses related to the birth or adoption of a child.
- It is used for unreimbursed medical expenses or health insurance if unemployed.
If you withdraw funds from your Roth IRA before you turn 59 1/2, the IRS considers it an "early" withdrawal and you may have to pay an additional 10% tax on top of federal and state income taxes. If you withdraw funds before your account is five years old, the earnings may be subject to taxes and a 10% penalty.
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Exceptions
The IRS considers any withdrawal before the age of 59 1/2 as an "early" withdrawal and may include a 10% early-withdrawal penalty, along with state and federal income taxes. However, there are exceptions to this 10% penalty. For instance, if you have unreimbursed medical expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can avoid the 10% penalty. Additionally, if you use the withdrawal to pay for qualified education expenses, emergency expenses, or qualified expenses related to the birth or adoption of a child, you can also avoid the 10% penalty.
If you are a reservist, as defined by the IRS, you can make a qualified withdrawal in the case of a child's birth or adoption. Other exceptions include qualified disaster distributions or qualified disaster recovery distributions.
If you have multiple IRAs, you can withdraw from one and roll the funds back into another IRA, even if the accounts are held by different firms.
There is no mandatory withdrawal age for a Roth IRA. However, if you own a traditional IRA, you must take your first required minimum distribution (RMD) by April 1 of the year after you reach the RMD age, which is 72 years (70 1/2 if you turned 70 1/2 in 2019).
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Required minimum distributions (RMDs)
The RMD for each year is calculated by dividing the account balance as of December 31 of the prior year by the applicable distribution period or life expectancy. The applicable distribution period is based on the owner's age and can be found in the "Uniform Lifetime Table" published by the IRS. The RMD amount is based on the owner's age and account balance at the end of the prior year.
The first RMD must be taken by April 1 of the year following the year in which the owner turns 73. For example, if an owner turns 73 in 2024, their first RMD must be taken by April 1, 2025. The second RMD would then be due on December 31, 2025, for the 2025 tax year.
If the owner does not take any distributions or if the distributions are not large enough, they may have to pay a 25% excise tax on the amount not distributed as required. This penalty is 10% if the withdrawal is made within two years.
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Frequently asked questions
A qualified distribution from a Roth IRA is when the withdrawal is made without taxes or penalties. For a withdrawal to be qualified, the account holder must be 59 1/2 years old or older, or the withdrawal is due to a disability, or the withdrawal is made to a beneficiary after the owner's death.
The Roth IRA five-year rule states that earnings in a Roth IRA can only be withdrawn tax-free when the account has been open for at least five years.
Yes, if you withdraw from your earnings in a Roth IRA before you turn 59 1/2 years old, you may be subject to a 10% penalty and taxes. However, there are exceptions to this penalty, such as if the withdrawal is for a first-time home purchase, qualified education expenses, or unreimbursed medical expenses.
Yes, regardless of your age, you will need to file a Form 1040 and show the amount of the IRA withdrawal. You may also need to complete and attach a Form 5329, especially if you took the withdrawal before turning 59 1/2 years old.

























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