How To Open 401k Solo

Solo 401 Contribution Limits

The total solo 401 contribution limit is up to $57,000 in 2020 and $58,000 in 2021. There is a catch-up contribution of an extra $6,500 for those 50 or older.

To understand solo 401 contribution rules, you want to think of yourself as two people: an employer and an employee . Within that overall $57,000 contribution limit in 2020, your contributions are subject to additional limits in each role:

• As the employee, you can contribute up to $19,500 in 2020 and 2021, or 100% of compensation, whichever is less. Those 50 or older get to contribute an additional $6,500 here.

• As the employer, you can make an additional profit-sharing contribution of up to 25% of your compensation or net self-employment income, which is your net profit less half your self-employment tax and the plan contributions you made for yourself. The limit on compensation that can be used to factor your contribution is $285,000 in 2020 and $290,000 in 2021.

Keep in mind that if youre side-gigging, employee 401 limits apply by person, rather than by plan. That means if youre also participating in a 401 at your day job, the limit applies to contributions across all plans, not each individual plan.

Should You Do A Roth Solo 401k

One of the options that’s become important is allowing for a Roth solo 401k. Surprisingly, many brokerage firms currently don’t allow a Roth solo 401k, but it can be a valuable option.

When it comes to your solo 401k, it’s important to remember that you have two aspects of contributions to your plan:

Where a Roth option comes in handy is if you’re looking for tax diversification. With Roth contributions, you are using post-tax money. So, you will pay more in taxes today, but you will pay less in the future. However, if you’re putting in large profit sharing contributions into your solo 401k, then it might make sense to make Roth contributions.

The reason? It will give you tax diversification in retirement. You can choose whether you use taxable or tax free money in the future – and options are always great.

The important thing to remember here is options. You just want the options to be able to invest how you choose.

Who Does A Solo 401 Make Sense For

A Solo 401 is well suited for those with self-employment income, stable cash flow, no employees , and no plans to hire any in the foreseeable future. While having self-employment income and no employees are requirements, ensuring that there is sufficient cash flow to make contributions is also important.

The plan can also be a fit for those who are self-employed, but only on a part-time basis, and still earn W-2 income from a corporate employer. As a result, contributions can be made to both a Solo 401 and company 401 plan as long as each employer is substantially unrelated. There are also contribution limits that apply.

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Talk To Hr About Enrolling In Your 401

If you’re interested in opening a 401, talk with your employer to learn about how your company’s plan works. Some employers automatically enroll employees and withhold a default amount of their paychecks, which you can change yourself at any time. You can also opt to stop contributing to the plan if you’re not interested in doing so right now.

Other companies require participants to declare their desire to participate in the 401. You’ll have to fill out paperwork saying that you’d like to contribute to the plan and how much money you’d like to set aside initially. You can always change this later.

You’ll also need to choose your beneficiary — the person you’d like to inherit your 401 if you die — when you sign up. Usually you choose a primary beneficiary and a secondary, or contingent, beneficiary who will inherit the 401 if the primary beneficiary is deceased or doesn’t want the money.

Open E*trade Investment Account: Rolling Over From An E*trade Ira

In section 2, mark that you’re completing a direct rollover to a qualified employer plan and enter your new account number:

Leave section 3 blank.

In section 4, select how you would like to distribute the assets. In this example, we’re rolling over all of the funds from the IRA into the new plan:

Leave Section 5 blankIn Section 6, you should not need to have taxes withheld as this is a direct rollover from one qualified retirement plan to another:

Sign in Section 7.

If filling out the PDF, fax your application and documents to E*Trade at 866-650-0003. You also need to send a valid photo ID of the account holder that is requesting the transfer.

Further supporting documentation to send in with your application:

Also Check: Can You Rollover A 401k Into A Traditional Ira

How To Open A Solo 401

You can open a solo 401 at most online brokers, though youll need an Employer Identification Number. The broker will provide a plan adoption agreement for you to complete, as well as an account application. Once youve done that, you can set up contributions. Youll have access to many of the investments offered by your broker, including mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds, individual stocks and bonds.

If you want to make a contribution for this year, you must establish the plan by Dec. 31 and make your employee contribution by the end of the calendar year. You can typically make employer profit-sharing contributions until your tax-filing deadline for the tax year.

Note that once the plan gets rocking, it may require some additional paperwork the IRS requires an annual report on Form 5500-SF if your 401 plan has $250,000 or more in assets at the end of a given year.

If you need help managing the funds in your solo 401, robo-advisor Blooom will manage your 401 at your existing provider. If you want even more comprehensive financial help, you might opt for an online planning service. Companies such as Facet Wealth and Personal Capital offer low-cost access to human advisors and provide holistic guidance on your finances, including how to invest your 401.

Seventh Step: Fund The Llc Using Self

After the LLC bank account has been opened, the next step is to fund with solo 401k funds. Funding the LLC bank account can be done by check or by wire, and the funds have to flow directly from the solo 4o1k bank account to the LLC bank account. If funding is done by check, the check will need to be made payable in the name of the LLC not your personal name.

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Do You Qualify For A Solo 401k

Solo 401 Account: Opening Solo 401 Next Steps: The Solo 401 is an Employee Benefit Plan that is exclusively for business owners that have no full-time employees besides themselves and a spouse. The Plan is adopted by a company, not an individual, that has earned ordinary income from the sale of goods or services.

Step 1: Select the plan that works best for you

Full Service $995

• Includes 60-minute consultation with a KKOS Associate Attorney
• Plan Set-Up with IRS Approved Documents and Plan EIN
• How-to Plan Binder

• Includes Plan Set-Up with IRS Approved Documents and Plan EIN
• How-to Plan Binder

• Includes Plan Set-Up with IRS Approved Documents and Plan EIN
• How-to Plan Binder

Step 2: Select your annual account

Custodial Account Option$350 for 1 account, $250 for eachadditional/annually

• Receipt of IRS Plan Amendments so that your Plan stays in compliance with the IRS and the DOL
• Directed Trust Company will handle your record keeping and the IRS Filings
• You can obtain checkbook control via a Trust Checking Account or investment Entity

Annual Compliance Plan $150/annually

• Receipt of IRS Plan Amendments so that your Plan stays in compliance with the IRS and the DOL
• Immediate checkbook control via a Trust Account at a bank of your choice
• You will be responsible for your own record keeping and IRS Filings

Ein Number For Solo 401k Retirement Trust

Now that the solo 401 plan documents have been drafted and provided for your signature, the next step is to obtain the employer identification number for the solo 401 retirement trust.

Obtaining the EIN for the solo 401 plan is covered in our setup fee however, we will need your social security number in order to obtain the EIN. Therefore, if you prefer to obtain the EIN yourself, you can do so in a matter of minutes via the IRS website.

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How To Open A Td Ameritrade Account For The Solo 401k

Each brokerage house is different in how they classify their investment-only accounts and applications can update at any time. We have made our best efforts to provide you the most up to date applications here, but please check with TD Ameritrade to ensure you have the right application to open an investment-only brokerage account under your Solo 401k plan and trust.

It’s important to remember you’re not opening a TD Ameritrade 401k. Rather, your 401k plan and trust are opening an investment-only account with TD Ameritrade.

TD Ameritrade calls these types of accounts “Trust accounts” and they are designed to work with your Solo 401k.

Ongoing Considerations For Your Solo 401k

One of the great things about a solo 401k is that they are relatively easy to maintain, for the most part. Since you are technically the administrator of your own plan, you are personally required to submit required filings for the plan.

There are two ongoing paperwork requirements that you will need to stay on top of. First, if your plan has over $250,000 in assets on the last day of the plan year, you have to file a form 5500. This can be a bit complicated, but if you can fill out all of that paperwork above, you can likely handle it yourself.

You can submit the IRS Form 5500 for free, electronically here: EFAST2 Filing From The IRS.

If you don’t want to do it yourself, you’ll need your CPA to handle this for you, and they’ll likely charge a fee to do it. However, if you’re using a non-prototype plan, most of the plan providers will help you prepare the Form 5500 each year as part of your annual fee.

The second form you need to keep in mind is a 1099-R, but that form is only required if you take distributions from your 401k plan or if you roll it over, withdraw money of any kind, or change providers. This form is also relatively easy to fill out, but there is no free electronic filing for this form. You either have to pay a service to file it, or mail it in yourself.

Also Check: How Much Tax On 401k Withdrawal

Transfer Retirement Funds To Solo 401

When you choose your solo 401 provider and you set up your IRS compliant Solo 401k plan, transfer your retirement funds from your current custodian to a financial institution or credit union that can serve as your custodian. There is no fee, and the transfer is also tax-free.

Make a tax-free direct rollover to your new Solo 401k plan bank account. You can contact the specialists at IRA Financial Group can assist you in completing this step in setting up your Solo 401. We will expedite the process in a tax-free manner.

The 2021 Solo 401k Establishment/ Adoption Deadline Is Fast Approaching

The deadline to setup a solo 401k plan for 2021 is fast approaching. The good news is that as long as the solo 401k establishment documents is signed by 12/31/2021 business owners will be able to fund both the employee and employer contributions for tax year 2020 in 2022 by their business tax return due date including the business tax return extension.

Read Also: Do You Get Your 401k When You Quit

Loans From A Solo 401k

One potential advantage of a solo 401k is that they often allow you to borrow from the account. This can be helpful in the event of an unexpected cost.

You are allowed to borrow up to $50,000 from a 401k or 50% of your balance, whichever is less. Loans must be paid back with interest within five years.

Interest rates can vary depending on the administrator. They are usually a percentage point or two higher than the prime rate. Currently, this rate is about 3.25%.

Not all brokers allow for solo 401k loans. Be sure to check the fine print when researching plans.

Taking out a loan from your 401k should only be done when its absolutely necessary. Whenever you take money from an account , you could reduce the amount you will accumulate over time.

Generally speaking, youll earn more in the long run if you leave the funds alone.

Withdrawing Funds From A Self

As with traditional 401 plans, the self-employed 401 is intended to help you save money for retirement, and there are regulations in place to encourage you to do so. For example:

• Withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty, along with any applicable income taxes1
• You must take required minimum distributions from self-employed 401s beginning at age 722
• Plans can be structured to allow loans or hardship distributions3
• Plans can be structured to accept rollovers from other retirement accounts, including SEP IRAs and traditional 401s, into your self-employed 401
• You can roll your self-employed 401 assets into another 401 or an IRA

Because of its high contribution levels, flexible investment options, and relatively easy administration, the self-employed 401 is an attractive option for small-business owners or sole proprietors who want to be able to save aggressively for the future.

If there is the potential that your business might add employees at a later date, however, know that you will either have to convert your self-employed 401 plan to a traditional 401, or else terminate it. But if you’re confident that you will remain a one-person operation, and you want the high savings options that these plans offer, this type of account may be a good fit.

Also Check: What Is Ira And 401k

What Are The Contribution Levels And Limits Of A Solo 401

To take full advantage of contributions to a Solo 401 plan you must understand your limits as an employee and employer, as well as contributions allowed on behalf of a spouse if applicable.

When contributing as the employee, you are allowed up to $19,500 or 100% of compensation in salary deferrals for tax years 2020 and 2021. If you are over 50, an additional $6,500 catch-up contribution is allowed for tax years 2020 and 2021. This is the type of contribution that can be made as pre-tax/tax-deferred or Roth deferral or a combination of both. Additionally, as the employer, you can make a profit-sharing contribution up to 25% of your compensation from the business up to $57,000 for tax year 2020 and $58,000 for tax year 2021. When adding the employee and employer contributions together for the year the maximum 2020 Solo 401 contribution limit is $57,000 and the maximum 2021 solo 401 contribution is $58,000. If you are age 50 and older and make catch-up contributions, the limit is increased by these catch-ups to be $63,500 for 2020 and $64,500 for 2021.

Compensation from your business can be a bit tricky. This is calculated as your business net profit minus half of your self-employment tax and the employer plan contributions you made for yourself plan). The limit on compensation that can be factored into your tax year contribution is $285,000 for 2020 and $290,000 for 2021.

To Mail Contributions To Fidelity

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What Paperwork You Need To Fill Out To Open Your Account

I was surprised at how much paperwork is required to open a solo 401k account. You’d think it would be simple, with very common forms to fill out. However, it’s completely the opposite. It becomes even more challenging if you add a Roth solo 401k, and you have to do double the paperwork if you’re adding a spouse to your plan.

When opening your solo 401k plan, you will need to create the following documents. You will need to create separate plan documents for both your Traditional and Roth Solo 401ks. They are both considered separate plans for tax purposes.

Plan Documents For Traditional Solo 401k

• 401k Plan Adoption Agreement
• Designation of Successor Plan Administrator

Plan Documents For Roth Solo 401k

• 401k Plan Adoption Agreement
• Designation of Successor Plan Administrator

Required Documents For Individual

• Brokerage Account Application for 401k Account
• Brokerage Account Application for Roth 401k Account
• Designation of Beneficiary Form for Account
• Power of Attorney

Required Documents For Spouse

• Brokerage Account Application for 401k Account
• Brokerage Account Application for Roth 401k Account
• Designation of Beneficiary Form for Account
• Power of Attorney

When you’re done with all these documents, you’ll have two solo 401k plans, and 4 accounts .

How Does An Llc Member Contribute To A 401k

The contribution shall be deducted from the members draw.

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