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January 26, 2021
Question

Form 1099-R

  • January 26, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

Hello.  I receive a 1099-R with Distribution Code U.  This is for Quarterly Dividends payments received from my Company ESOP plan.  I have two questions:

 

TurboTax is asking if I was 59-1/2 when I received the money?  I turned 59 in November 2019, so in May 2020, I would have been 59-1/2.  Do I have to answer NO I was not 59-1/2 when I received the money since I received the first quarterly dividend in March 2020? 

 

I'm just wondering... I turned 60 in November 2020.  Will I receive a 1099-DIV instead of a 1099-R in Year 2021?

 

Thank you.

1 reply

January 26, 2021

Your answer to the "Were you 59-1/2?"  question won't affect how the distribution is taxed. Cash dividend distributions made by an ESOP are not subject to the 10% penalty for early distribution.

 

Technically, if the entire amount reported on the Form 1099-R was paid in March 2020, you would NOT have been 59-1/2  years at the time you received it.  The 59-1/2 year rule for retirement plan distributions, however,  is only used to determine if an early-distribution penalty applies; as stated earlier, cash dividend distributions made by an ESOP are not subject to a penalty for early distribution.

 

As long as the ESOP  ("the Plan") pays the cash dividends, you will receive a  Form 1099-R. If the company pays the cash dividends directly to you (not through the ESOP), then you will receive a Form 1099-DIV (per IRS Announcement 2008-56).

 

Reporting Requirements for Section 404(k) Dividends from ESOPs

 

dgurroAuthor
January 26, 2021

Todd.... Thank you so much for your response.  This really helps!

 

dgurro

Employee
January 27, 2021

The answer to the age question is irrelevant to a code U distribution since code U distributions are never subject to an early-distribution penalty.