I have a question for those who are Roth IRA savvy. For hardship reasons, I may need to withdraw some of my Roth IRA contributions. My Roth IRA was converted in 1998 from my existing Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, and I paid the taxes for this conversion off over the following three years. Unfortunately, my tax returns from the years 1998, 1999, and 2000 were lost in a move, so I don’t have the original paperwork or amount I converted to a Roth IRA as “proof” for the IRS.
My questions: How can I find the amount I originally converted to a Roth, and is that amount OK for me to withdraw penalty free? How will the IRS know the amount I withdraw represents my 1998 contribution? The IRS only retrieves tax returns up to a few years prior, so I can’t go to them to get the 1998 amount I converted. Fidelity only retrieves financial records from 10 years back, so that doesn't help me, either. Will the IRS have a record of the original 1998 converted amount? I remember how much it was generally, but I don’t have the specific amount. The *current* value of my Roth IRA is $409,000.
Finally, if I withdraw the 1998 contribution amount, do I then have to pay current taxes on that amount? Thanks so much in advance.