How To Use Your 401k To Buy A Business

You Can Still Grow Your Nest Egg

Tax Attorney’s Take – Using IRA or 401k To Buy a Business

ROBS is also a tool for building your retirement assets. While using ROBS does mean youre taking money out of your retirement accounts, it also means putting cash back in. As you work within your business and pay yourself a salary, youll also be contributing a percentage of that salary into a 401, just like you do when youre an employee at any other company. This means your retirement assets will continue to grow as you build your business.

Should You Take Money From Your 401 To Get Your New Business Off The Ground

You cannot qualify for a business loan due to credit issues or time constraints.

You intend to stay at your job while starting your business.
You have a solid repayment plan.
Your business requires less than $50,000. According to IRS rules, the maximum amount you can take from your 401 plan is 50% of your vested account balance or $50,000, whichever is less.

Your retirement plan qualifies, and the administrator of the plan must allow it. It cannot be a Roth 401, for example.

Pros and cons of using your 401 to start a business

You can use your 401 to fund a business without paying taxes

You can start a business without debt.
You will have immediate equity that you can sell or borrow.

You may be liable for taxes and penalties if the rollover is not completed.

You will be subject to legal, accounting and administrative fees.
There will be future risks. If the business fails, you could lose your entire investment.

How to finance your business with a 401Step 1: Form a C CorporationStep 2: Create a retirement plan for your new businessStep 3: Transfer funds to your accountStep 4: Issue stock in the new entity Step 5: Invest in your companyNote:Tips to consider before using retirement funds to open a business

How To Use Your Ira/401k When You Buy A Business

Buying a business can seem like a daunting task, but it is becoming an increasingly popular path these days. While there may be a lot of people that are eager to start a business, there are some that just don’t know what steps to take in order to buy a business or don’t have the necessary funds. There is a way in which you can start a business by using your Individual Retirement Account or by using your 401K account.

Read on to learn what you need to do in order to make it a reality. Here is how you can buy a business using your IRA or 401K.

Don’t Miss: Can I Withdraw From 401k To Buy A House

Pros And Cons Of Robs

ROBS should be carefully analyzed from all angles. Here are some important considerations.

Complicated eligibility process, including becoming a C corporation, which has major business implications

Depleting retirement funds is considered risky
Considered questionable by the IRS since they only benefit the business owner, and IRS audits on ROBS businesses tend to be burdensome due to heavy paperwork
Historically used for businesses on the brink of failureand when they fail, owners tend to lose their retirement funds and businesses, according to the IRS

Costly to start a set-up fee costs about $5,000, and about $130 a month thereafter, depending on the plan

Purchasing Stock With 401 Funds

How to Use an IRA/401(k) to Start or Buy a Business

After a successful 401 funds transfer to your new corporation, you have the green light to invest this money in your companys stock. By doing this, youre essentially buying shares of your own business to fund its operation.

According to Forbes, the IRS has upheld the legality of this procedure, even though its controversial and subject to IRS audit. The ROBS plan capitalizes on a certain exception in the tax code that allows someone to use rollover 401 funds for buying stock in a C-corp, after which the C-corp can use the funds from the sale of stock to purchase business assets.

The IRS acknowledges that although ROBS plans do not constitute abusive tax avoidance transactions, they may be questionable transactions because of how they benefit a single individual. Because of this eyebrow-raising caveat, make sure you keep the details and transactions of your new business startup in alignment with IRS regulations when structuring your ROBs plan.

Read Also: How To Find If You Have A 401k

Requesting A Loan From Your 401

If you do not meet the criteria for a hardship distribution, you may still be able to borrow from your 401 before retirement, if your employer allows it. The specific terms of these loans vary among plans. However, the IRS provides some basic guidelines for loans that won’t trigger the additional 10% tax on early distributions.

Whether you can take a hardship withdrawal or a loan from your 401 is not actually up to the IRS, but to your employerthe plan sponsorand the plan administrator the plan provisions they’ve established must allow these actions and set terms for them.

For example, a loan from your traditional or Roth 401 cannot exceed the lesser of 50% of your vested account balance or $50,000. Although you may take multiple loans at different times, the $50,000 limit applies to the combined total of all outstanding loan balances.

Other Startup Funding Options

Because of the high failure rate of business startups, the Wall Street Journal points readers away from using retirement money, such as a 401 to fund a business, if other funding is available. If possible, use nonretirement assets for your startup and preserve your nest egg. For example, after setting aside a six-month emergency savings fund, use taxable savings or brokerage accounts as seed money for your startup. Other non-401 options include home-equity credit and loans.

Recommended Reading: What Is Max Amount To Contribute To 401k

What Happens When Youre Ready To Sell The Business

There are a number of issues associated with selling a C corporation, although the big one is double taxation when the deal is structured as an asset sale. Talk to your ROBS provider, your CPA, and a business broker or mergers and acquisitions advisor well in advance of selling the business.

In addition to the IRS putting certain restrictions on the sale of a C-corp, your ROBS provider may also have their own requirements for a sale. We ran into an instance where a business owner was told by their ROBS provider that if the business was sold in an asset sale, the deal could not include any seller financing. In other words, the buyer would have to completely cash out the seller at closing. The result of this restriction could have been a very small pool of willing buyers, as well as a reduction in purchase price.

Small business sales are always complex transactions. Be aware that the sale of a C-corp started with a ROBS adds an extra dimension.

Forming A C Corporation

How to Buy a Small Business with Your 401(k) – Penalty Free

Owners of C-corps are taxed separately from the corporation itself, which limits the liability of individuals. The corporations debt is not passed to its principals and cannot become personal debt obligations. Because a C-corp is the only business entity that can legally sell shares to a retirement account, its the only business setup thats compatible with the ROBS plan. You cannot pair a sole proprietorship, limited liability company or S corporation with a ROBS plan.

Because of the importance of dotting all your i’s and crossing all your t’s with a ROBS plan structure, you may want to work with a business attorney to set up your C-corp.

Recommended Reading: How To Find Out If You Have An Old 401k

How A 401 Rollover Works For Buying A Business

The process of using 401 or individual retirement account funds to buy a business typically goes by one of two names: a Rollover for Business Start-ups , or a Business Owners Retirement Savings Account . The primary providers that facilitate ROBS are Guidant Financial and Benetrends, while DRDA offers their own managed BORSA program.

Financing the purchase of a business is never a straightforward affair. Adding a 401 rollover to the process adds an extra layer of complexity. Retirement plans are subject to Employee Retirement Income Security Act and Internal Revenue Service regulations. As such, setup and management of the new business and its retirement account must be done correctly.

Lets be clear: Setting up a ROBS on your own is a terrible idea! Hire a professional firm like one of the providers mentioned above to help you initiate the process and keep it compliant as long as you own the new company.

Is Using A 401 To Buy A Business A Good Idea

Weve all heard the advice from financial planners: Diversify your portfolio. In other words, dont put all your eggs in one basket. But if youre talking about building serious wealth, that age-old advice may be leaving something out.

I once heard a financial planner who worked exclusively with high net worth clients many of them successful business owners say the following:

You get rich by owning a lot of one thing. You stay rich by owning a little of many things.

Most successful entrepreneurs get wealthy by initially bending the rules, taking risks, and doubling down on one investment: their own business. No matter how you end up funding the purchase of a business, work with experienced advisors to understand the pros and cons of all available financing options.

Barbara Taylor is the co-founder of Allan Taylor & Co. You can connect with her on Twitter and .

Ira Financials Adam Bergman Discusses How You Can Use Retirement Funds To Buy A Business And Why You Should Consider It

In his latest podcast, Mr. Bergman talks about three different ways you can use retirement funds to buy a business. Essentially, you can take a taxable distribution, a loan from your 401 plan or utilize the ROBS structure. Further, he discusses the pros and cons of each method and whether or now you should consider it.

Choosing A Skilled Robs Provider

ROBS providers are invaluable resources. If youre considering 401 business financing, a ROBS provider will not only help walk you through the setup phase, but the provider will also provide post-setup support. Because of the intricacies of this type of business financing, the IRS requires ongoing compliance, which includes monthly and annual reporting. Keeping up with these legal regulations is not for the inexperienced business person.

Consider these criteria when evaluating a potential ROBS provider:

Setup fee. Each provider will quote you a setup fee for the initial cost of setting up your ROBS plan.

Maintenance fees. These fees ensure that your ROBS plan maintains its compliance with IRS regulations, including any changes in tax legislation.
Ongoing support. Look for a hands-on provider who stays on top of filing the proper paperwork on a timely basis and efficiently maintains your plan.
Communication. Find a provider who will keep you in the loop by maintaining communication and one who is easy to contact when you have questions.

Some notable ROBS providers for 2019 are Guidant, FranFund, MySolo401k, Benetrends, Pango Financial, Catchfire Funding and Business Funding Trust.

You May Like: Can You Do A 401k On Your Own

How Much Money Can You Use

One of the major differences between a 401 loan and a ROBS is the amount of money you can use. With a 401 loan, $50,000 is the maximum you can borrow. With a ROBS, on the other hand, $50,000 is the minimum you have to take out of your retirement account. Therefore, your choice between these two 401 business financing options will largely depend on the amount of money that you have in your retirement account and the percentage that youre willing to put toward your business.

Robs To Start A Small Business

A ROBS plan is a withdrawal from a 401 that is transferred into a businesss new retirement account. This withdrawal should be more than $50,000, and it is not subject to penalties or income taxes. Many entrepreneurs consider this option as an alternative to going into debt through traditional business loans. A ROBS requires more convoluted steps than a 401 loan.

Robs Can Fund Franchises

Senior tax analyst Dick O’Donnell notes that many people think 401 business financing is particularly suited to funding franchise startups. Franchises are typically associated with successful businesses that have proven track records, while a small mom-and-pop startup business leans more toward speculation and sentiment than concrete statistics.

Issue Ownership Shares In The New Business

Using Retirement Funds to Buy a Small Business 401k RRSP Superannuation

Next, the new C-corp will issue shares. The number of shares the business issues will depend on whether you plan to raise more capital in the future. Regardless, it is not necessary to issue 100% of the shares during this initial round of funding. The new retirement plan will use the funds from your old 401 to purchase shares of the new C-corp.

At this point, the C-corp now has the rolled over funds at its disposal.

Recommended Reading: Does Mcdonald’s Offer 401k

Do 401 Loans And Robs Arrangements Share The Same Risks

Both options can result in a loss of retirement funds. However, you could lose a significantly greater amount of money in a ROBS arrangement, which does not limit the amount you can roll over to purchase a business. Because 401 loans allow a maximum of $50,000 to be used for startups and business purchases, borrowers dont stand to lose more than $50,000 of retirement savings. People who enter a ROBS arrangement can lose the full amount of their rollover, which may be much greater than the $50,000 minimum, if their business fails.

Using 401k To Buy A Business As A Last Resort

There are also some additional annual reporting requirements to be done by your accountant. But if one wants to avoid a bank, or avoid borrowing from family or friends, or avoid borrowing against your home, then maybe using your 401k to set up a self directed plan to buy a business warrants further investigation.

Don’t Miss: What To Do With 401k When You Leave Your Job

Why Use Retirement Funds To Buy A Business

There are many reasons why you make look to your retirement funds to buy a business. Basically, it comes down to how much money you have on hand and if you want to borrow any shortfall. Obviously, funding and maintaining a business requires lots of capital. Even if you have the perfect plan, you cant do much without cold hard cash.

Third party lenders are usually the first place someone will look at for startup capital. First, you need to qualify for the loan in the first place. If and when you qualify, youll be looking at high interest rates to pay it back. Money that could help grow your business.

You may consider borrowing from a family member or close friend. You may also consider crowdfunding platforms. However, its probably not the best idea . In the end, starting a business is tough enough, but if you have other investors to think about, the pressure is ramped up.

Thats when you should look at your retirement savings. Very few people know that you can tap into your 401, IRA or other savings to fund your new business. In fact, it may be the best way!

What Are The Costs

How to Use a 401(k) to Start or Buy a Business

If you choose to work with a ROBS provider, you may be charged an upfront fee to set up both your C corporation and retirement plan and issue stock certificates. Often, this fee amounts to about $5,000. You may also be charged an ongoing administration fee, which may be as much as $200 a month, to ensure your compliance with retirement plan regulations.

You May Like: How To Take My Money Out Of 401k

How You Can Use Retirement Funds To Start A Business

Getty

Entrepreneurship is one of the most important developments of modern economic life. Entrepreneurs help create new companies, which spur economic growth, create jobs, and introduce new technologies, products and services that improve our living standards and quality of life.

Starting a new business or franchise is not easy and is quite risky. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses open and close every year. In addition, about 20% of businesses fail in their first year, and about half of all businesses close after five years.

For many people, the hardest part is not coming up with a business idea or a potential business to buy, but finding the capital needed to start or buy the business. Too often, an entrepreneur doesnt even know that using retirement funds could be an option for investing in a new business.

Funding new business ventures has become a popular TV phenomenon. As the producers of the reality show Shark Tank know, watching would-be entrepreneurs market their business ideas, products or services has become extremely popular with the American public.

The first place entrepreneurs typically start when looking to fund a startup is personal savings. If they do not have sufficient personal savings, then third-party loans, such as Small Business Association loans, are a popular option. However, if acquiring a loan is not viable for you, then seeking third-party investors is often the last resort.

Taxable Distribution

401 Plan Loan

ROBS

Which Is Right For You?

What Steps Are Involved In Borrowing From My 401

Make sure you have no other option. In general, tapping into your retirement savings is a big deal. You will not be able to make contributions or take advantage of company matching while you have an outstanding loan.

Contact your HR department to learn about the details of your plan.

Pay yourself back as soon as possible. When your loan is repaid, you can once again contribute and take advantage of employer matching.

Removing money from a retirement account requires careful consideration of the costs and a frank assessment of the risks.

You May Like: How Do You Know If You Have An Old 401k