Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 26 : Section 402A


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 402A. Optional treatment of elective deferrals as Roth contributions

    (a) General rule
      If an applicable retirement plan includes a qualified Roth
    contribution program - 
        (1) any designated Roth contribution made by an employee
      pursuant to the program shall be treated as an elective deferral
      for purposes of this chapter, except that such contribution shall
      not be excludable from gross income, and
        (2) such plan (and any arrangement which is part of such plan)
      shall not be treated as failing to meet any requirement of this
      chapter solely by reason of including such program.
    (b) Qualified Roth contribution program
      For purposes of this section - 
      (1) In general
        The term "qualified Roth contribution program" means a program
      under which an employee may elect to make designated Roth
      contributions in lieu of all or a portion of elective deferrals
      the employee is otherwise eligible to make under the applicable
      retirement plan.
      (2) Separate accounting required
        A program shall not be treated as a qualified Roth contribution
      program unless the applicable retirement plan - 
          (A) establishes separate accounts ("designated Roth
        accounts") for the designated Roth contributions of each
        employee and any earnings properly allocable to the
        contributions, and
          (B) maintains separate recordkeeping with respect to each
        account.
    (c) Definitions and rules relating to designated Roth contributions
      For purposes of this section - 
      (1) Designated Roth contribution
        The term "designated Roth contribution" means any elective
      deferral which - 
          (A) is excludable from gross income of an employee without
        regard to this section, and
          (B) the employee designates (at such time and in such manner
        as the Secretary may prescribe) as not being so excludable.
      (2) Designation limits
        The amount of elective deferrals which an employee may
      designate under paragraph (1) shall not exceed the excess (if
      any) of - 
          (A) the maximum amount of elective deferrals excludable from
        gross income of the employee for the taxable year (without
        regard to this section), over
          (B) the aggregate amount of elective deferrals of the
        employee for the taxable year which the employee does not
        designate under paragraph (1).
      (3) Rollover contributions
        (A) In general
          A rollover contribution of any payment or distribution from a
        designated Roth account which is otherwise allowable under this
        chapter may be made only if the contribution is to - 
            (i) another designated Roth account of the individual from
          whose account the payment or distribution was made, or
            (ii) a Roth IRA of such individual.
        (B) Coordination with limit
          Any rollover contribution to a designated Roth account under
        subparagraph (A) shall not be taken into account for purposes
        of paragraph (1).
    (d) Distribution rules
      For purposes of this title - 
      (1) Exclusion
        Any qualified distribution from a designated Roth account shall
      not be includible in gross income.
      (2) Qualified distribution
        For purposes of this subsection - 
        (A) In general
          The term "qualified distribution" has the meaning given such
        term by section 408A(d)(2)(A) (without regard to clause (iv)
        thereof).
        (B) Distributions within nonexclusion period
          A payment or distribution from a designated Roth account
        shall not be treated as a qualified distribution if such
        payment or distribution is made within the 5-taxable-year
        period beginning with the earlier of - 
            (i) the first taxable year for which the individual made a
          designated Roth contribution to any designated Roth account
          established for such individual under the same applicable
          retirement plan, or
            (ii) if a rollover contribution was made to such designated
          Roth account from a designated Roth account previously
          established for such individual under another applicable
          retirement plan, the first taxable year for which the
          individual made a designated Roth contribution to such
          previously established account.
        (C) Distributions of excess deferrals and contributions and
          earnings thereon
          The term "qualified distribution" shall not include any
        distribution of any excess deferral under section 402(g)(2) or
        any excess contribution under section 401(k)(8), and any income
        on the excess deferral or contribution.
      (3) Treatment of distributions of certain excess deferrals
        Notwithstanding section 72, if any excess deferral under
      section 402(g)(2) attributable to a designated Roth contribution
      is not distributed on or before the 1st April 15 following the
      close of the taxable year in which such excess deferral is made,
      the amount of such excess deferral shall - 
          (A) not be treated as investment in the contract, and
          (B) be included in gross income for the taxable year in which
        such excess is distributed.
      (4) Aggregation rules
        Section 72 shall be applied separately with respect to
      distributions and payments from a designated Roth account and
      other distributions and payments from the plan.
    (e) Other definitions
      For purposes of this section - 
      (1) Applicable retirement plan
        The term "applicable retirement plan" means - 
          (A) an employees' trust described in section 401(a) which is
        exempt from tax under section 501(a), and
          (B) a plan under which amounts are contributed by an
        individual's employer for an annuity contract described in
        section 403(b).
      (2) Elective deferral
        The term "elective deferral" means any elective deferral
      described in subparagraph (A) or (C) of section 402(g)(3).



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