Taxation of distributions and benefits

(a) General rules for when amounts are included in gross income. Except as provided in this section (or in § 1.403(b)-10(c) relating to payments pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order), amounts actually distributed from a section 403(b) contract are includible in the gross income of the recipient participant or beneficiary (in the year in which so distributed) under section 72 (relating to annuities). For an additional income tax that may apply to certain early distributions that are includible in gross income, see section 72(t).

(b) Rollovers to individual retirement arrangements and other eligible retirement plans—(1) Timing of taxation of rollovers. In accordance with sections 402(c), 403(b)(8), and 403(b)(10), a direct rollover in accordance with section 401(a)(31) is not includible in the gross income of a participant or beneficiary in the year rolled over. In addition, any payment made in the form of an eligible rollover distribution (as defined in section 402(c)(4)) is not includible in gross income in the year paid to the extent the payment is contributed to an eligible retirement plan (as defined in section 402(c)(8)(B)) within 60 days, including the contribution to the eligible retirement plan of any property distributed. For this purpose, the rules of section 402(c)(2) through (7) and (c)(9) apply. Thus, to the extent that a portion of a distribution (including a distribution from a designated Roth account) would be excluded from gross income if it were not rolled over, if that portion of the distribution is to be rolled over into an eligible retirement plan that is not an IRA, the rollover must be accomplished through a direct rollover of the entire distribution to a plan qualified under section 401(a) or a section 403(b) plan and that plan must agree to separately account for the amount not includible in income (so that a 60-day rollover to a plan qualified under section 401(a) or another section 403(b) plan is not available for this portion of the distribution).

(2) Requirement that contract provide rollover options for eligible rollover distributions. As required in § 1.403(b)-3(a)(7), an annuity contract is not a section 403(b) contract unless the contract provides that if the distributee of an eligible rollover distribution elects to have the distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan (as defined in section 402(c)(8)(B)) and specifies the eligible retirement plan to which the distribution is to be paid, then the distribution will be paid to that eligible retirement plan in a direct rollover. For purposes of determining whether a contract satisfies this requirement, the provisions of section 401(a)(31) apply to the annuity as though it were a plan qualified under section 401(a) unless otherwise provided in section 401(a)(31). Thus, the special rule in § 1.401(k)-1(f)(3)(ii) with respect to distributions from a designated Roth account that are expected to total less than $200 during a year applies to designated Roth accounts under a section 403(b) plan. In applying the provisions of this paragraph (b)(2), the payor of the eligible rollover distribution from the contract is treated as the plan administrator.

(3) Requirement that contract payor provide notice of rollover option to distributees. To ensure that the distributee of an eligible rollover distribution from a section 403(b) contract has a meaningful right to elect a direct rollover, section 402(f) requires that the distributee be informed of the option. Thus, within a reasonable time period before making the initial eligible rollover distribution, the payor must provide an explanation to the distributee of his or her right to elect a direct rollover and the income tax withholding consequences of not electing a direct rollover. For purposes of satisfying the reasonable time period requirement, the plan timing rule provided in section 402(f)(1) and § 1.402(f)-1 applies to section 403(b) contracts.

(4) Mandatory withholding upon certain eligible rollover distributions from contracts. If a distributee of an eligible rollover distribution from a section 403(b) contract does not elect to have the eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan in a direct rollover, the eligible rollover distribution is subject to 20-percent income tax withholding imposed under section 3405(c). See section 3405(c) and § 31.3405(c)-1 of this chapter for provisions regarding the withholding requirements relating to eligible rollover distributions.

(5) Automatic rollover for certain mandatory distributions under section 401(a)(31). In accordance with section 403(b)(10), a section 403(b) plan is required to comply with section 401(a)(31) (including automatic rollover for certain mandatory distributions) in the same manner as a qualified plan.

(c) Special rules. See section 402(g)(2)(C) for special rules to determine the tax treatment of a distribution of excess deferrals, and see § 1.401(m)-1(e)(3)(v) for the tax treatment of corrective distributions of after-tax employee contributions and matching contributions to comply with section 401(m). See sections 402(l) and 403(b)(2) for a special rule regarding distributions for certain retired public safety officers made from a governmental plan for the direct payment of certain premiums.

(e) Special rules relating to distributions from a designated Roth account. If an amount is distributed from a designated Roth account under a section 403(b) plan, the amount, if any, that is includible in gross income and the amount, if any, that may be rolled over to another section 403(b) plan is determined under § 1.402A-1. Thus, the designated Roth account is treated as a separate contract for purposes of section 72. For example, the rules of section 72(b) must be applied separately to annuity payments with respect to a designated Roth account under a section 403(b) plan and separately to annuity payments with respect to amounts attributable to any other contributions to the section 403(b) plan.

(f) Aggregation of contracts. In accordance with section 403(b)(5), the rules of this section are applied as if all annuity contracts for the employee by the employer are treated as a single contract.

(g) Certain rules relating to employment taxes. With respect to contributions under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) under Chapter 21, see section 3121(a)(5)(D) for a special rule relating to section 403(b) contracts. With respect to income tax withholding on distributions from section 403(b) contracts, see section 3405 generally. However, see section 3401 for income tax withholding applicable to annuity contracts or custodial accounts that are not section 403(b) contracts or for cases in which an annuity contract or custodial account ceases to be a section 403(b) contract. See also § 1.72(p)-1, Q&A-15, and § 35.3405(c)-1, Q&A-11 of this chapter, for special rules relating to income tax withholding for loans made from certain employer plans, including section 403(b) contracts.