The following questions and answers relate to eligible rollover distributions from annuities, custodial accounts, and retirement income accounts described in
section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by
sections 521 and
522 of the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992 (
Public Law 102-318, 106 Stat. 290) (UCA). For additional UCA guidance under
sections 401(a)(31),
402(c),
402(f), and
3405(c), see
§§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, 1.402(c)-2, 1.402(f)-1, and
§ 31.3405(c)-1 of this chapter, respectively.
List of Questions
Q-1: What is the rule regarding distributions that may be rolled over to an eligible retirement plan from annuities, custodial accounts, and retirement income accounts described in section 403(b)?
Q-2: Is a section 403(b) annuity required to provide the direct rollover option described in section 401(a)(31) as a distribution option?
Q-3: Is the payor of a section 403(b) annuity required to provide a distributee of an eligible rollover distribution with an explanation of the direct rollover option?
Q-4: When do sections 403 (b)(8) and (b)(10), as amended by UCA, and this § 1.403(b)-2 apply to distributions from section 403(b) annuities?
Questions and Answers
Q-1: What is the rule regarding distributions that may be rolled over to an eligible retirement plan from annuities, custodial accounts, and retirement income accounts described in
section 403(b)?
A-1: Under
section 403(b)(8), as amended by UCA, any eligible rollover distribution from a
section 403(b) annuity is permitted to be rolled over to an eligible retirement plan. For purposes of this section, a
section 403(b) annuity includes an annuity contract, a custodial account, and a retirement income account described in
section 403(b). For purposes of
section 403(b)(8) and this section, an eligible retirement plan means another
section 403(b) annuity or an individual retirement plan (as defined in
§ 1.402(c)(2), Q&A-2 but does not include a qualified plan (as defined in
§ 1.402(c)-2), Q&A-2. Except to the extent otherwise provided in this section, an eligible rollover distribution from a
section 403(b) annuity is an eligible rollover distribution described in
section 402(c) (2) and (4) and
§ 1.402(c)-2, Q&A-3 through Q&A-10 and Q&A-14, except that the distribution is from
section 403(b) annuity rather than a qualified plan. Thus, for example, to the extent that corrective distributions described in
§ 1.402(c)-2, Q&A-4 are properly made from a
section 403(b) annuity, such distributions are not eligible rollover distributions. Similarly, in the case of annuity distributions from an annuity contract described in
section 403(b), the entire amount of any such annuity payment made on or after January 1 of the year in which an employee attains (or would have attained) age 70
1/2 will be treated as an amount required under
section 401(a)(9) and, thus, will not be an eligible rollover distribution. The rules with respect to rollovers in
sections 402 (c)(1), (c)(3), and (c)(9) and
§ 1.402(c)-2, Q&A-11 through Q&A-13 and Q&A-15 also apply to eligible rollover distributions from
section 403(b) annuities.
A-2: (a)
General rule. Yes. Pursuant to
section 403(b)(10),
section 403(b) does not apply to an annuity contract, custodial account, or retirement income account unless the annuity contract, custodial account, or retirement income account provides that if the distributee of any eligible rollover distribution elects to have the distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan (as defined in Q&A-1 of this section) 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
section 403(b) annuity has satisfied this direct rollover requirement, the provisions of
§ 1.401(a)(31)-1 apply to the
section 403(b) annuity as though it were a plan qualified under
section 401(a) unless otherwise provided in this section. For example, as described in
§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, Q&A-14 a direct rollover from a
section 403(b) annuity to another
section 403(b) annuity is a distribution and a rollover and not a transfer of funds between
section 403(b) annuities and, thus, is not subject to the applicable law governing transfers of funds between
section 403(b) annuities. In applying the provisions of
§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, the payor of the eligible rollover distribution is treated as the plan administrator.
(b) Mandatory withholding. As in the case of an eligible rollover distribution from a qualified plan, if a distributee of an eligible rollover distribution from a
section 403(b) annuity 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
§ 31.3405(c)-1 of this chapter for provisions regarding the withholding requirements relating to eligible rollover distributions.
Q-3: Is the payor of a
section 403(b) annuity required to provide the distributee of an eligible rollover distribution with an explanation of the direct rollover option?
A-3: Yes. In order to ensure that the distributee of an eligible rollover distribution from a
section 403(b) annuity has a meaningful right to elect a direct rollover, the distributee must be informed of the option. Thus, within a reasonable time period before making an 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, the qualified plan timing rule provided in
§ 1.402(f)-1, Q&A-2 does not apply to
section 403(b) annuities. However, a payor of a
section 403(b) annuity will be deemed to have provided the explanation within a reasonable time period if the payor complies with the time period in that rule.
A-4: (a)
General rule—(1)
Statutory effective date. Section 403(b)(8), as amended by UCA, and
section 403(b)(10), as amended by UCA, apply to distributions made on or after January 1, 1993. In addition, the underlying
section 403(b) annuity document must be amended at the time provided in, and the
section 403(b) annuity must operate in accordance with the requirements of
§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, Q&A-18.
Section 522 of UCA provides a special effective date for governmental
section 403(b) annuities. This special effective date is specified in
§ 1.403(b)-2T (as it appeared in the April 1, 1995 edition of 26 CFR part 1).
(2) Regulatory effective date. This section applies to distributions made on or after October 19, 1995. For distributions made on or after January 1, 1993 and before October 19, 1995,
§ 1.403(b)-2T (as it appeared in the April 1, 1995 edition of 26 CFR part 1), applies. However, for distributions made on or after January 1, 1993 but before October 19, 1995, a
section 403(b) annuity may satisfy
section 403(b)(10) by substituting any or all provisions of this section for the corresponding provisions of
§ 1.403(b)-2T, if any.
Treas. Reg. § 1.403(b)-2 — Definitions. · CFR 2000 annual edition (revised as of 2000-04-01) · https://pensionresource.website/EAMain?content=EAMain.Law&id=cfr26-1.403%28b%29-2&asof=1997-04-01 · printed Oct 16, 2026