Can a non spousal beneficiary withdraw money from an inherited IRA?
John Thompson
Published Feb 12, 2026
Non-spousal beneficiaries must withdraw all funds from an inherited IRA within 10 years of the original owner’s death.
What happens to an inheritance after a separation?
Time since the inheritance – If a long time has passed between the inheritance and the separation, the asset is more likely to be treated as part of the family assets. The intentions of the deceased – If the deceased had specific intentions for how the beneficiary should use the inheritance, then this may be relevant to how to how it is divided.
Can a 401k be inherited by a non spouse?
This is a term that the IRS uses to describe a retirement plan, such as an IRA or a 401 (k) that is ultimately inherited by someone other than the decedent’s spouse. It’s a special classification because a non-spouse does not have all of the inheritance options that a spouse does.
What happens when a spouse inherits a retirement account?
In fact, it’s probably a more common outcome than is generally assumed. When retirement money is inherited by a spouse, he or she can generally roll the account over into their own retirement plan, and there are no immediate tax consequences.
How old do you have to be to inherit a traditional IRA?
Roger is 45-years old. His 80-year-old mother passed away in 2019 and he inherited her Traditional IRA. Because she was 80 years old, she was taking RMDs from her IRA. Since Roger inherited her IRA, he will be required to continue his own beneficiary RMDs next year (2020) and beyond.
What happens if I fail to take out my inherited IRA?
Regardless of the type of IRA you inherit, you must generally take out at least a minimum annual amount over a certain period; these mandatory withdrawals are called required minimum distributions (RMDs). If you fail to, you can be subject to a whopping 50% penalty on the amount you should have withdrawn.
When do spouses have to take distributions from inherited IRAs?
Spouses have 60 days from receiving the inherited distribution to roll it over into their own IRA as long as the distribution is not a required minimum distribution. By combining the funds, the spouse doesn’t need to take a required minimum distribution until they reach the age of 72.
When do you have to make IRA distributions to a non spouse?
With the passage of the SECURE Act, IRA distributions to a nonspouse must be completed within 10 years following the death of the account owner. Previously, if you inherited an IRA or 401(k), you could potentially “stretch” your distributions and tax payments out over your single life expectancy.
When do you have to take money out of inherited IRA?
The IRS requires you to start withdrawing a minimum amount of money each year from most retirement accounts once you reach the age of 72. These are called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). When it comes to an inherited account for non-spouse beneficiaries, rules for RMDs do not apply because of the 10-year rule.
Can a non-spousal TSP beneficiary withdraw from a Roth IRA?
An alternative for a non-spousal beneficiary to withdrawing the traditional TSP and Roth TSP accounts is for the non-spousal TSP beneficiary to request a direct transfer of the inherited TSP account to an inherited (also known as a “death” IRA).