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Instructions for Filing Form 8606: Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return

The IRS requires that you file form 8606 each year to report your IRA distributions. Failure to do so can result in steep penalties. We've created this guide as a resource for people who need help filling out their form 8606 and want information about how best to avoid making mistakes on it.

What is Form 8606?

What is Form 8606? It is a US IRS form that allows you to claim tax credits for your donations. Tax Form 8606 instructions are required every year for US citizens that file taxes. 

This form is filed with the IRS and requires information about your employees.

The instructions for 8606 vary depending on whether or not you have any foreign workers employed at your company. 

It is critical to keep copies of your supporting documents and Form 8606, as they may be helpful in future tax audits.

Get the best tax relief companies to help you with the easy-to-use FUTA Tax Calculator and Form 8606 Instructions.

Who Should File Form 8606?

Instructions for  8606 include:

  • You previously took any deductible or non-deductible contributions from a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA to which you have ever contributed.
  • You withdrew funds from a Roth IRA.
  • You made any deductible IRA contributions.
  • Any amount from a conventional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA has been converted to a Roth IRA.

 

  1. A Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a post-tax retirement savings plan in which people of all income levels may contribute.
  2. Deductible contributions are subtraction items that you can take from your gross salary for the year.
  3. Nondeductible contributions are a campaign expense that cannot be written off.  
  4. SEP stands for Self Employed Persons. 
  5. Penalties are financial fines imposed on an individual or business for breaking the law.

When to Fill Form 8606?

This form must be filled out if your business has an individual retirement account (IRA) or SEP-IRA during the year. You may need this form if there was any activity in these accounts throughout the year such as contributions, rollovers, conversions, distributions, etc. It doesn’t matter if your IRA or SEP-IRA is traditional or Roth; either type requires the filing of Form 8606 for every taxable year in which there was activity within these accounts.

Form 8606 due date is May 17th each year but can also be extended until October 15th under certain circumstances. If you don't file by Oct 15th then interest charges may apply on top of penalties from not filing at all. We recommend that everyone take advantage of our free online service so they never miss another deadline again.

Can I file Form 8606 Electronically?

You may be able to file Form 8606 electronically, but it depends on the type of return that you are filing. If your tax situation is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require any additional forms or schedules, then yes. You can easily submit your form online.

However, if you have a more complicated tax situation where additional forms and schedules need to be attached to your return (such as Schedule A for medical expenses), then we recommend mailing in a paper copy of this form instead. They will still accept electronic submissions for these types of returns; however, they must be submitted by mail rather than online due to security reasons.

How to File Form 8606

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to file 8606 form

Step 1: 

Get a download of the IRS form 8606 from the IRS website.

Step 2: 

Type in your name and security number at the top. Only check out the contact information at the top of the box if you're sending this form for a different purpose than your yearly tax return. Changing a previously submitted form or for rollover reasons are two examples of situations that may require an amendment to this form.

Step 3:

In part one, fill the list of all non-deductible individuals to traditional IRAs and distributions from all traditional SEP and SIMPLE IRAs include the total sum of each cost and less from IRA account in the correct lines from line one to 14. Calculate the correct figure using the formulas given.

Step 4:

Fill in the amount from line 15 on your last taxable figure. The basis for your tax on withdrawals will be this amount. If you converted any traditional SEP or SIMPLE IRA accounts to a Roth IRA during the year, you should report this in part to calculate the amount received to line 16.

Step 5:

This sum should be subtracted from your non-taxable portion.

Step 6:

Under the conversion to line 18, enter your taxable amount. Report any Roth IRA distributions received during the tax year on part three of the form 8606 from lines 19 to 35.

Step7:

Use Part four to compute your Roth IRA distributions and then use the equations for each line to calculate your total taxable amount. On-Line 36, enter the amount. If you received distributions from designated Roth IRAs, you must complete Part four.

Step 8:

Determine your taxable amounts by following the instructions in lines 39 to 47. Unless you are submitting the form outside of your normal yearly income tax return, do not sign the bottom portion of the form. You and your taxpayer must certify the 8606 form if it is filed separately.

Step 9:

Submit the document to the IRS and retain a copy for your personal records.

Page 2:

Page 2 of Form 8606 is used to calculate the basis in your traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs. This basis is important because it determines the amount of taxable and nontaxable income you will receive when you take distributions from your IRAs.

To calculate your basis, you will need to know the following information:

  • The amount of nondeductible contributions you have made to your IRAs.
  • The amount of distributions you have received from your IRAs.
  • The amount of any conversions you have made from your IRAs to Roth IRAs.

Once you have this information, you can use the instructions on page 2 of Form 8606 to calculate your basis.

Form 941: Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return

Form 941 is a quarterly tax return that employers use to report income taxes, social security, and Medicare taxes withheld from employee paychecks. Employers should file this form on or before the last day of the month following the end of each quarter.

 

8606 Special Circumstances and Other Considerations

1. Divorce

When going through a divorce, there are many things that need to be considered. You deserve an attorney who cares about your case and understands how important this is for you personally.

2. Inherited IRAs

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to inherited IRA accounts, and we recommend you to be informed about all of your options. You can learn more about how these accounts work by visiting the IRA website.

Bottom Line

8606 tax form instructions are required every year for US citizens that file taxes. Form 8606 allows you to claim tax credits for your donations. You need to correctly follow instructions for filing out form 8606 to avoid paying penalties. Lendstart will walk you through the whole process. Contact us.

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The content is provided “as is”. The content is not, nor shall it be taken as professional or legal services or advice. We are not a law firm, financial institute, or related to the United States Government or Internal Revenue. The form might be updated by the IRS at any given time. Your use and reliance on any of the information provided therein should be done solely at your own risk. decision. We will not be responsible for any damages which may occur as a result of your use of the content available therein. We make no guarantee that any information available is true, reliable, or accurate.