What is a Backdoor Roth IRA?

A Backdoor Roth IRA is an approach used by high-income individuals or taxpayers to contribute money or make savings into a Roth IRA. Usually, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) disallow high-income individuals from saving in a Roth IRA but taxpayers that the backdoor, using tax loopholes to contribute indirectly into a Roth IRA. Any individual with an income higher than the maximum income that IRS allows for Roth IRA can use the backdoor to contribute indirectly into Roth IRA. A Backdoor Roth IRA is an informal name for a retirement account, methods that taxpayers can use to contribute indirectly into a Roth IRA are developed by professional brokers. 

Takeaways

• Backdoor Roth IRAs is a conversion method that taxpayers use in converting traditional IRA accounts to Roth IRA.
• Individuals with incomes that exceed the maximum amount that IRS allowed in a Roth IRA use the backdoor approach.
• Methods used for contribution into a Roth IRA account are developed by IRAs brokers, they also assist taxpayers.

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How Does a Backdoor IRA Work?

In a typical Roth IRA, taxpayers are allowed to set apart a percentage of their after-tax income for the purpose of retirement. Money saved up in Roth IRA accounts increase over time and the fund is tax-exempt. Individuals who earn more than the threshold are disallowed to use a Roth IRA. In the case of a backdoor Roth IRA, individuals that earn above the threshold are allowed to participate in Roth IRA using the backdoor and other strategies. Taxpayers can also make a contribution into a 401 (k) plan and roll the contribution over to a Roth IRA, this is a form of Backdoor Roth IRA. This backdoor approach allow the conversion of a traditional IRA to Roth IRA. Taxpayers do not struggle to participate in Roth IRA using a backdoor Roth contributions without any reason. They do this because of the benefits attributed to Roth IRA. Taxpayers use Backdoor Roth IRA for the following reasons;

• Roth IRA minimizes taxes, the account is tax-exempt in so far its holder is still alive.
• Taxpayers make significant savings through Roth IRA because the accounts are not taxable.
• It offers growth of income to taxpayers. For instance, a taxpayer who begins a backdoor contribution at the age of 30 will have an estimated amount of a quarter of a million dollars at age 90.
• Roth conversion attract a tax bill but a backdoor Roth prevents or minimizes the tax hit.