Can you combine inherited IRAs?
Emma Jordan
Published Apr 06, 2026
An IRA owner cannot combine IRAs they own with IRAs that they have inherited, unless the inherited IRA came from their current spouse. IRAs that are inherited from the same person can be combined, as long as the RMD calculation is done in the manner for all of the inherited IRA accounts. Generally this is easy.
Can you and your spouse both have an IRA?
There is no special type of IRA for spouses, instead the rule allows non-working spouses to contribute to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA—provided they file a joint tax return with their working spouse. Individual retirement accounts opened under the spousal IRA rules are not co-owned.
Can a husband and wife combine their 401ks?
Each person has his or her own, and they can’t be merged after marriage. (Spouses can inherit retirement accounts, of course, but that’s not what you’re asking.) You also can roll over old 401(k) and other qualified workplace retirement plans into a traditional IRA.
Inherited IRAs cannot be commingled with other assets “For instance, you cannot combine a traditional inherited IRA and a Roth inherited IRA, even if they were both inherited from the same person.”
Who is allowed to inherit an IRA from a non-spouse?
Inherited IRA from a Non-Spouse. Inherited IRA Rules for Non-Spouse Beneficiaries. As the U.S. population ages, it is common to inherit an IRA from mom or dad, an aunt or uncle, or even a sibling or friend.
Can a inherited IRA be combined with an inherited IRA?
An IRA owner cannot combine IRAs they own with IRAs that they have inherited, unless the inherited IRA came from their current spouse. IRAs that are inherited from the same person can be combined, as long as the RMD calculation is done in the manner for all of the inherited IRA accounts.
Can a deceased spouse roll over an inherited IRA?
If the inherited traditional IRA is from anyone other than a deceased spouse, the beneficiary cannot treat it as his or her own. This means that the beneficiary cannot make any contributions to the IRA or roll over any amounts into or out of the inherited IRA.
Can a spouse be a beneficiary of a traditional IRA?
Beneficiaries of a retirement account or traditional IRA must include in their gross income any taxable distributions they receive. IRA Beneficiaries Inherited from spouse. If a traditional IRA is inherited from a spouse, the surviving spouse generally has the following three choices: