How to do a free tIRA to Roth IRA conversion? (USA)

[Davin]

I lost my job in February due to an injury. I saw this coming at the end of December and changed my 401k withholding to 80% to maximize my tax deferred investment for the year. After getting fired, I rolled my 401k over into a traditional IRA. My taxable wages for the year are only $1,606, so this seems like a good opportunity to roll over part of my tIRA to my Roth IRA. I know the standard deduction for 2016 is $6,300 and the personal exemption is $4,050. How do I calculate the maximum I can roll over without owing anything to Uncle Sam? This will be a one-time opportunity and I am trying to make the best of a crappy situation. Also, I already contributed $5,500 to my Roth IRA for the year, if that makes a difference.

[MDM]

How do I calculate the maximum I can roll over without owing anything to Uncle Sam? This will be a one-time opportunity and I am trying to make the best of a crappy situation. Also, I already contributed $5,500 to my Roth IRA for the year, if that makes a difference.

Commercial tax software is your best bet for a definitive answer.

You could put your numbers into the case study spreadsheet for a quick estimate.

You should also check if a traditional IRA would have been better.  This could be true if you are close to a saver's credit breakpoint, etc.  If so, see IRA recharacterization - there is still time....