IRS Expands Reasons for Self-Certification of Eligibility for a Waiver of the 60-Day Rollover Requirements

The Internal Revenue Code provides that amounts distributed from a qualified plan or individual retirement arrangement (?Ç£IRA?Ç¥) will be excluded from income if they are transferred to an eligible retirement plan within 60 days following the day of receipt. The IRS previously announced in Rev. Proc. 2016-47 (the ?Ç£Prior Rev. Proc.?Ç¥) that individuals who fail to rollover retirement plan distributions into a new retirement plan or IRA within 60 days may self-certify to the new plan?ÇÖs administrator or the IRA?ÇÖs trustee that the individual qualifies for a waiver of the 60-day rollover requirement. The Prior Rev. Proc. listed 11 reasons that support waiving the 60-day rollover requirement, which include an error committed by a financial institution, a lost or uncashed distribution check, or the death or serious illness of a family member. In Rev. Proc. 2020-46, the IRS expanded this list to include instances in which the distribution was made to a state unclaimed property fund. Rev. Proc. 2020-46 also contains a model letter that individuals may use to certify they qualify for the waiver, which a plan administrator or IRA trustee may rely on so long as they do not know the information provided by the individual is untrue. The updated self-certification procedure is effective as of October 16, 2020.

Rev. Proc. 2020-46 is available here.